006: The waters here run deep; your mother fears you may not be able to navigate them.

Upon waking up in the morning, Li Cha’s assets had once again surged by nearly a hundred copper coins.

[Mary’s Time]: 50 copper coins/hour, redeemable for up to 16 hours.
...
On the purchase tab of the trading interface, there were currently three items Li Cha could buy.

[Li Cha’s Stamina]: 10 copper coins/hour, redeemable for up to 2 hours.
[Guaranteed Signature from Two Local Adventurers]: 5 silver coins (this item will disappear in 5 hours).
And finally, the time of the proprietress, Mary.

Li Cha truly didn't want to keep fleecing the proprietress every night. However, last night, if he hadn't made a move, he would have been the one being moved upon. Li Cha was level 2; Mary was level 18. Li Cha had also consumed quite a bit of alcohol. Mary, on the other hand, was at full capacity—thirty is like a wolf, forty like a tiger, and she was a descendant of fire giants to boot. At the drinking table, Li Cha had feigned drunkenness to escape. The eager proprietress, however, ignored all that and was determined to proceed even if she had to force it. With no other choice, Li Cha had to initiate a trade invitation. To prevent the situation from becoming endless, he had even resorted to some underhanded tricks.

"Women, truly, are troublesome creatures..."

He deleted the "Guaranteed Signature" item, washed up, and ate. It turned out that the trading system could not only list items Li Cha sold but also source items he needed. However, the damn system was as heartless as ever: while it cost 10 silver coins for two signatures from strangers, it only gave Li Cha 5 silver coins for his.

...

Old Shock Tavern, first floor.

Wendy looked at her adoptive mother’s silence and asked with concern, "Are you alright? Did that guy in 208 bully you?"

Proprietress Mary waved her hand and continued to lower her head, wiping a wine glass. Compared to yesterday morning, the proprietress seemed even more listless. Furthermore, her voice seemed to have developed issues, as she would occasionally drink water or make "hmm" sounds.

Wendy was becoming a bit angry. Although this was a job where receiving payment meant unconditional cooperation, there had to be basic respect regardless of the task. However, just as the young girl was preparing to go upstairs to settle the score with Li Cha, her adoptive mother Mary stopped her, her voice raspy: "Wendy, it isn't what you think. I had a pleasant night."

"Really?" To Wendy, with a voice that raspy, there was nothing pleasant about it at all.

"You don't understand." Her adoptive mother’s eyes shimmered with a dreamy glow: "And you are too young. The water here is very deep, and Mother is afraid you wouldn't be able to handle it."

"..."

...

Adventurers' Guild.

After Li Cha submitted his registration form, a long wait followed. A full three hours later, a large red stamp appeared on the bottom right corner of the document. The twin sisters congratulated Mr. Li Cha on becoming an official adventurer of Saint Ann City.

[Primary Adventurer Badge]: Proof of identity, valid in multiple cities, all attributes +1.

...

Just like that, Li Cha’s attack power reached 14 points, an increase of 20% over his level 1 state. With his adventurer status, areas of the Saint Ann Adventurers' Guild beyond the office were fully open to him. Perks like internal discounts and the like would come in the future. The point was that Li Cha could now accept rank 1 or lower commissions.

The younger sister, Lucy, explained: "Mr. Li Cha, completing commissions and selling loot to the guild are the most important ways to improve your adventurer rank."

The elder sister, Luna, said: "Based on past experience, adventurers below rank 1 gain better training and growth by joining a squad. Your information has been recorded, and if there is a suitable team, we will recommend you to them. Of course, you can also recruit teammates yourself or join a team you fancy. The Adventurers' Guild is a free, big family. Welcome once again, Mr. Li Cha."

The twin sisters rattled on as if they were reciting lines. It seemed they had memorized this script so many times they had almost developed feelings for it.

Li Cha asked if there were any adventurer squads currently looking for members.

The twin sisters: "No."

What about commissions suitable for rookie adventurers?

"None either... though occasionally there are tasks for delivering letters or messages, which we will keep an eye out for. There are also gathering tasks that other guilds post year-round."

Gathering tasks, for example, one hundred pounds of iron ore could be exchanged for a bag of copper coins, or one Peacebloom could be traded for three copper coins. The market price for ore and herbs was certainly higher than the guild's commission offer. However, completing guild tasks earned contribution points. To thrive within the Adventurers' Guild, contribution points were essential.

"Ding-dong"~

[Tradeable items have been refreshed. Please check them in time.]

...

Li Cha chatted with the twin sisters for a few more moments, then stepped aside to silently open the system interface. The items available for sale on the first page were as chaotic as ever. On the next page, the items Li Cha could purchase were, first, his own stamina, and second, the proprietress's time. Following those, two new small icons appeared.

[Peacebloom]: Costs 1 hour of stamina + 5 copper coins, yields 2-5 herbs.
[Luminous Grass]: Costs 2 hours of stamina + 20 copper coins, yields 2-3 herbs.

...

He got a hit! To be precise, he got another hit.

Yesterday, when Li Cha was stumped by the need for a guaranteed signature, the trading system had refreshed. The system was truly heartless; the so-called signature had been completely removed. However, regarding the Peacebloom, the elder sister Luna had just said that one flower equals 3 copper coins. Li Cha’s 1 hour of stamina was worth only half a copper coin, plus 5 copper coins, and he could get at least two Peaceblooms. This meant that for one hour of stamina, Li Cha could earn at least half a copper coin.

"Hmm?"

This number felt familiar. Selling stamina alone to the system also yielded half a copper coin.

"Do you have to be so calculating..."

Fortunately, half a copper coin was just the floor. If Li Cha’s luck exploded, he could earn 9.5 copper coins in an hour. In comparison, the returns from [Luminous Grass] were much more substantial. According to the exchange table provided by the Adventurers' Guild, the current acquisition price for Luminous Grass was 12 copper coins per stalk. Two hours of stamina plus 20 copper coins meant Li Cha’s cost was 21 copper coins, while his minimum return was 24 copper coins. The 3-copper profit margin was six times that of the Peacebloom.

"System, do I get experience for trading herbs?"

No response. To Li Cha’s proactive questioning, the system remained a mute from start to finish.

He returned to the tavern to play dead. Li Cha locked his door and traded with the system for Peacebloom and Luminous Grass. As he lay on the bed, he lost all his strength the moment the notification sound for the completed trade rang out.

...

"Ding-dong"~

Notification: You have obtained [Peacebloom] * 3, and your experience has increased.

...

An hour passed, and inexplicably, three small white flowers appeared in Li Cha’s hand. This round was a small profit. Even more gratifying was that Li Cha’s experience bar had risen by 15%.

[Li Cha]: Level 2, 38%.

"Very good!"

The feeling of not being able to move a single finger was certainly unpleasant. But Li Cha had found a safer and more reliable path for a novice to level up. Humming a tune to himself, with the events of the past two days swirling in his mind, the next two hours also quietly slipped away.

"Ding-dong"~

Notification: You have obtained [Luminous Grass] * 2, and your experience has increased.

...

Li Cha’s experience bar had reached 58%!