By the time one round of body refining was complete, it was already late at night.
Wang Xi collapsed on the bed, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.
"HUFF… HUFF…"
He rested for a moment but still felt a sharp pain wracking his entire body, as if he were about to fall apart.
He never imagined that using a Technique Card would force him to personally experience such an ordeal.
Fortunately, the data from Kaos didn't lie.
The Card panel in his mind clearly displayed:
[Randall Body Refining Technique (Technique Card/White One Star): 51/100]
After nearly three hours of body refining, the Card had gained 1 point of Experience. Although he had suffered greatly and expended a huge amount of stamina, Wang Xi felt it was worth it.
His strength was improving bit by bit, which invigorated him.
'So tired, so much pain, so sleepy…'
He fought off his exhaustion, gave his body a quick wipe-down, and fell straight to sleep.
A short while later.
Just as Wang Xi was drifting off, he heard an extremely faint noise from outside his door.
His eyes shot open.
'Someone's here!'
It was very late, and he could faintly hear the rise and fall of snores through the walls and ceiling.
Anyone moving about at this hour was likely up to no good.
Inns were hotspots for crime, and Wang Xi was suddenly wide awake.
SHING…
He rolled out of bed and quietly drew his Longsword.
Then, barefoot, he walked slowly to the door.
CLICK.
Just then, the door opened from the outside, and a furtive figure slipped in.
Expressionless, Wang Xi was about to reach out, grab the person's neck, and subdue them.
"Hm?" His outstretched hand froze mid-air. "Goddalir?"
"Ah!"
The girl was startled by the young man behind the door.
Seeing the sword in his hand, a wave of fear washed over her. Thank goodness Gai had recognized her; otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
"I'm sorry, Gai." Goddalir lowered her head in shame. "I was a little scared and couldn't sleep, so I wanted to come find you."
"..."
Wang Xi looked at the girl without a word.
He first closed the door, then put his sword away.
Then he pulled the stunned Goddalir, pushed her onto the bed, and lay down on the outer edge himself.
"Then you can sleep with me tonight."
Wang Xi said.
"You sleep on the inside, I'll sleep on the outside. That way you won't be scared."
"..."
In the darkness, only the girl's heavy breathing could be heard.
After a moment, she blushed and whispered:
"Thank you, Gai."
After speaking, Goddalir scooted closer, hugged him tightly from behind, and buried her head.
Wang Xi was too tired, so he just let her be.
So much so that he didn't even hear the girl's soft calls later on… Goddalir stopped her unbuttoning movements and gave him a resentful look.
…
…
「Early the next morning.」
Wang Xi woke up at the crack of dawn.
Goddalir was still sleeping soundly behind him. He didn't wake her, quietly got dressed, and went downstairs, leaving the inn.
Wang Xi took a quick stroll around town, asking about the situation here and there.
As a small trading town, Buchanan did have many merchant caravans, but most of them only operated in the surrounding areas, at most traveling back and forth between the Dunkel Duchy and a few other Count's Domains.
There were caravans heading to the Royal Capital, but they belonged to large commerce guilds and only passed through here once every few months.
Wang Xi was very disappointed by this news.
When he returned to the Three Trout Inn, Goddalir was already awake, washed up, and waiting quietly in the room.
"Did you find a caravan going to the Royal Capital?"
Seeing him return, the girl quickly stood up and asked.
Wang Xi shook his head.
"It's okay, we can keep looking." Goddalir walked over and comforted him, "If we really can't find one, we'll just leave Buchanan and continue on to Chuck Castle."
"Chuck Castle is about eighty kilometers from here; we can get there in five or six days at most. It's very prosperous there, so there will definitely be a caravan heading to the Royal Capital."
Wang Xi grunted in agreement, his mood improving slightly.
Seeing his furrowed brow relax, Goddalir smiled as well.
"Whoa! 20 Gold Coins!"
"As expected of the Spinning Wheel Commerce, they're loaded!"
"Should we go try? Maybe we'll get picked."
"With your pathetic skills? Even a wild boar could mess you up. Don't go and embarrass yourself, hahaha…"
Just then, a commotion erupted from downstairs.
Wang Xi and Goddalir exchanged a glance.
"Let's go see," he said.
Immediately, the two went downstairs and into the courtyard.
A group of idle men were gathered, drinking and chatting, seemingly discussing some amusing new event.
Wang Xi scanned the area.
He noticed the innkeeper, a tall, thin, middle-aged man, leaning against a wooden post of the shed with an apron tied around his waist.
"What are they talking about?"
Wang Xi walked over and asked the middle-aged man.
The innkeeper sized him up for a few moments, his gaze lingering on his collar and sword hilt. The man's nonchalant expression shifted slightly, and he immediately put on a respectful smile.
"My lord, it's about the Spinning Wheel Commerce. Their caravan just arrived in Buchanan this morning and posted a notice in the town square, offering a high price to recruit guards…"
Seemingly having recognized Wang Xi's noble status, the innkeeper explained the matter in great detail.
After hearing the explanation, Wang Xi's eyebrows shot up.
The Spinning Wheel Commerce was a major guild with its headquarters in the Royal Capital. This particular caravan, passing through Buchanan, must have encountered some trouble on the road, as their hired guards had suffered heavy losses. Thus, they were in a hurry to recruit skilled hands.
They were even offering a high price of 20 Gold Coins.
In the Kingdom, 1 Stag Gold Coin could be exchanged for 40 to 50 Silver Coins, enough to buy a cow or several horses. This was an extremely generous reward, almost equivalent to the total income of a farmer's family over several years, or even more than a decade.
Wang Xi was interested in giving it a try.
He wasn't after the high reward, but rather the fact that this caravan was heading back to the Royal Capital!
Talk about a stroke of luck!
"Thanks." Wang Xi took out a silver coin and handed it to the innkeeper. "By the way, the bath maids at your inn are quite good."
"You are generous, my lord. We welcome you back anytime."
The middle-aged man said with a wide smile as he accepted the silver coin.
Wang Xi turned and left the inn with Goddalir, heading straight for the town square.
Soon, he found the caravan's location.
A large crowd was gathered in an open space by a wall, bustling with noise and activity.
Wang Xi pushed through the crowd and walked toward the center.
A few of the men he pushed aside turned to glare at him angrily. But the curses died in their throats when they saw Wang Xi's attire and the Longsword at his waist, and they immediately swallowed their words.
"Good day, my lord."
They bowed their heads and scraped their feet, voluntarily moving aside.
Wang Xi nodded to them with a hint of apology.
Reaching the innermost part of the crowd, he saw two men sparring in the open space.
One was armored and held a sword, the other wore a tunic and wielded a hunting knife.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The armored man was dressed like a guard, wearing a tabard with the Spinning Wheel emblem over his armor. His attacks were fierce, and after just a few sword strikes, his opponent was forced to retreat repeatedly, unable to Parry.
CLANG!
With another powerful strike, he broke through the hunting knife's defense. The armored man then kicked his opponent in the chest, knocking him to the ground.
THUD!
"That's enough."
The armored man shook his head and said in a low voice.
His mustached face was filled with disappointment.
The opponent looked vexed as he clutched his chest and got to his feet. Seemingly embarrassed, he quickly walked away.
"That's the ninth one!"
"Basically all of them lost within a few moves."
"As expected of the Spinning Wheel Commerce. Even a random guard is that strong."
"That Swordsmanship could probably compare to a Knight's, right?"
At that moment, the armored guard sheathed his sword, walked over to the wall, and began whispering something to a small, thin, middle-aged man wearing a hat.
The man in the hat was flanked by seven or eight other guards.
Wang Xi thought for a moment, then stepped out of the crowd and walked toward them.
His movement instantly drew everyone's attention.
The caravan's Steward and guards, as well as the surrounding crowd of onlookers, all turned their gazes upon him.
"Here comes another one!"
"He looks so young."
"Doesn't look like one of the ordinary people. Is he a noble?"
"Why would a noble want to be a guard...?"
The crowd murmured amongst themselves.
Standing at the very front, Goddalir glanced left and right, clutching the hem of her clothes and praying silently for Gai.
"Young man, are you also here to apply for a guard position?"
The hatted Steward stopped his conversation with his subordinate, sized Wang Xi up and down, and asked with a slight smile.
He wore a silk tunic and an embroidered woolen apron, looking like a man of some status.
"Yes. May I try?"
Wang Xi nodded, glancing at the guards flanking the man.
[Spinning Wheel Merchant Guard Captain · Bennett (Yellow/Two Stars)]
[Spinning Wheel Merchant Guard · Vao (Yellow/One Star)]
[Spinning Wheel Merchant Guard · Polk (Yellow/One Star)]
[...]
Yellow indicated a neutral unit.
Among these guards, the captain, Bennett, was the strongest. He was the mustached man who had just fought.
Wang Xi wasn't sure what his current power level was in this world's ranking. But even without his protective suit and chainsaw, he was fairly confident he could take on this Guard Captain.
"Alright." The hatted Steward thought for a moment, then said to one of his men, "Polk, you test this young man. Be careful, don't hurt him."
"Yes, Lord White."
The sturdy guard whose name was called bowed his head.
He then strode to the center of the open area, drew the Longsword from his waist, and gestured to Wang Xi.
Wang Xi walked forward and drew his sword as well.
"Let's begin," he said.
His opponent immediately stepped forward with a simple, unadorned vertical slash. Following the Steward's orders, he deliberately held back some of his strength.
Wang Xi gripped his sword with both hands, sank into a slight crouch, and flicked his blade upward in a rising parry.
CLANG!!
The Longswords clashed, ringing loudly.
As sparks flew, Wang Xi immediately launched his attack.
He shifted from defense to offense.
Two of his slashes came down from a high angle and were parried precisely by his opponent. But he followed up immediately with a rising slash and a horizontal sweep, forcing his opponent back several steps.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!!
Polk's expression changed instantly.
The young man's Swordsmanship was far more refined than he had imagined, and his physical conditioning was incredible. The force and vibration transmitted through the blade made the web of his thumb and his wrist go numb.
For a moment, he couldn't find any opportunity to counter-attack!
CLANG!!
Wang Xi advanced two steps, gripped the unsharpened strong of his blade with his left hand, and swung the Longsword horizontally, using an advanced technique to sweep aside his opponent's defensive stance.
He fluidly reversed his blade and struck with the coin-shaped pommel, hitting his opponent square in the chest like a striking viper.
THWACK!!
Even through his Leather Armor, the blunt strike caused Polk a dull, aching pain.
Staggering backward, the guard lost his balance and fell, landing flat on his butt.
He clutched his chest and said, thoroughly convinced:
"I lose."
The crowd immediately burst into an uproar.