The days passed one by one.
On the tenth day after crossing over, the relatives of the smugglers sent a message through some channel. They were willing to pay the ransom, but demanded the personnel be returned unharmed.
After the message arrived, the treatment of the captives improved slightly; they received an extra steamed bun and a portion of boiled cabbage each day.
Robert continued his daily routine of chatting with the middle-aged man, subtly probing for various pieces of information, and telling the man and the other captives the story of how he had joined the Treasure Hoarders. Sometimes, the guards nearby would even add, somewhat jealously, that Robert had no real experience in treasure hunting. This helped the middle-aged man understand that Robert hadn't been with the Hoarders for long.
Meanwhile, Robert was also brewing Pyro potions daily, earning Mora from the troupe. The cost of one Pyro potion was between 190 and 200 Mora. The selling price was 300 Mora. That was a profit of at least 100 Mora per bottle.
However, the Third Boss, Blackhand, who managed logistics, only provided Robert with three sets of materials per day. The reason was simple: Robert was nominally just a beginner Potioneer. Giving him more materials would be a waste. Even though Robert was buying these materials with his own money, it was still considered wasteful. For the Treasure Hoarders, any material not turned into a potion bottle was a loss. After all, procuring the corresponding supplies while hiding out here was a very laborious task.
Robert himself was also intentionally hiding his progress. He didn't exchange all the potion bottles he made for money. In the eyes of others, Robert was still the same 'Blade' who earned a bit of Mora from wrestling matches and then spent it on materials to practice, with a success rate of roughly one bottle per three sets of materials.
Time came to the twelfth day after crossing over.
After another day's work, Robert finished his meal and went to the logistics department to find Blackhand.
"Third Boss, I'm here to sell a potion bottle," Robert called out with a smile, presenting a standard Pyro potion bottle.
Blackhand, familiar with Robert by now, smiled and nodded. "You've been brewing pretty well lately." As he spoke, he tossed a small bag to Robert. "Three hundred Mora. Count it."
Robert caught the money bag, hefted it in his hand, and nodded. "Feels right. No need to count."
Blackhand chuckled. "That skill of yours, judging Mora by weight, is quite a trick." Everyone in the troupe knew that Blade could tell how much Mora was in a bag just by hefting it. To outsiders, it seemed like a special skill. In reality, Robert was just glancing at his system panel.
---
Name: Robert Lane
Race:Human
Life Energy Level:10 (Strong as an ox, full of vitality. Wherever you go, you'll be a first-rate beast of burden.) (Current stage: 500 Mora required per level-up)
Skills:Elemental Bottle Crafting · Lv.3 (You have grasped the most basic knowledge of elemental bottle crafting and can now perform it proficiently.) (Current stage: 1000 Mora required per level-up)
Wealth:5056 Mora
---
Since learning the elemental bottle skill, Robert had been selling one or two bottles to the troupe every other day, earning three to four thousand Mora in scattered amounts. Combined with the money he won from wrestling and gambling, he had saved up a full five thousand Mora. To outsiders, all this money had been spent on practicing potion-making—after all, failure was normal for a novice Potioneer. But in reality, not only had he earned money, he had also stockpiled over a dozen elemental potion bottles.
Leaving the logistics department and returning to his private room, Robert lay down on his bedroll.
Why hadn't he leveled up, having the money? The reason was simple. He had been fighting alongside Blackwing all these days. A sudden level-up and a significant increase in strength could easily arouse suspicion. As for the elemental bottle skill, Blackhand was currently controlling the supply channel, allowing him to sell only one bottle per day. Selling more would be troublesome, as the internal flow of Mora within the troupe was limited. If he flooded the market, he could crash the troupe's economy. Moreover, showing too much talent would only increase Blackwing's scrutiny of him, which was detrimental to his plan of leaving the Treasure Hoarders.
'I need to find an opportunity. A chance to leave the cave and see the outside world.'
A ripple of restlessness stirred within Robert. He had accumulated strength, and the desire to break free from this cage was growing stronger.
...
The thirteenth day after crossing over.
Waking up in the morning, Robert went to the kitchen to eat as usual, then waited to go with Blackwing to guard the ancient structure. But just as he approached the kitchen, he saw Blackwing and Blackhand talking.
"The ransom for those people has been arranged. I need a few more capable hands to collect it," Blackhand said.
Blackwing: "Where am I supposed to find capable hands for you? The second team needs rest... Can't you just take a few more ordinary members?"
Blackhand frowned: "Boss, ordinary members are only good for smooth operations. If the other side brings people, or has notified the Millelith, can ordinary members escape?" The most dangerous part of a kidnapping was collecting the ransom. Countless major kidnappers had met their end at this step. So Blackhand would rather have one capable fighter than several ordinary members.
"But where am I supposed to find someone for you..." Blackwing was just saying this when he saw Robert approaching. "Huh? Hm! Blade, come here." He waved Robert over.
Hearing the call, Robert walked over directly. "Boss. Third Boss."
Blackwing smiled. "You're free today, right?"
Robert was taken aback, thinking, Don't you know my schedule? On the surface, he shook his head blankly. "No, I'm not. Just waiting for my shift."
Blackwing laughed. "You haven't been outside since joining us, right?"
Robert waved a hand dismissively. "Hey, there's food and drink here, everyone's so pleasant to talk to. I love it here."
"Hahaha, young people should still get out and about more," Blackwing liked what Robert said, but he still laughed and pulled him towards Blackhand. "Old Three, I'll give you Blade, alright? Blade's skills are there for all to see." Robert had not only secured his place in the first team these past days, but he was also a regular winner in wrestling matches, the kind who could take on two or three guys at once.
Blackhand frowned slightly. He still didn't really want Robert. It wasn't that he looked down on Robert; he just didn't fully trust him. As the person in charge of logistics, he was very detail-oriented. Robert had only joined the Treasure Hoarders a little over ten days ago, and he had joined as a captive. Despite his friendly chats with Robert, Blackhand was inwardly wary of him. But looking at Blackwing's expression, it seemed he wasn't allowed to refuse.
Blackhand sighed. "Fine."
Only then did Blackwing smile broadly. "Haha, good then." He clapped Robert on the shoulder. "Blade, you'll go with the Third Boss today. Remember to listen to him."
Robert's heart leapt with joy—he could finally go outside! On the surface, he nodded seriously. "Understood, Boss."
"Mhm, you two go ahead then. I need to find the second team for the shift change." Blackwing hurried off; the first team was already gathering not far away.
Blackhand shook his head slightly and waved at Robert. "Blade, come with me."
"Third Boss, what are we doing today?" Robert asked, even though he had overheard their conversation, he pretended not to know.
Blackhand glanced at him. "Collecting payment. There might be a fight. Be careful."
Robert immediately became serious. "Yes, Third Boss."
The two walked to the center of the cavern. A group of people was already waiting there—not many, only about a dozen. Among them, at least ten were ordinary Treasure Hoarders. Those with an elite air about them numbered only four or five.
'No wonder he went to ask Blackwing for help. The Third Boss really doesn't have many capable people under his command.'
Understanding dawned in Robert's eyes. The troupe had over fifty people. The most elite fighters were under Boss Blackwing, numbering only about ten. Second Boss Blackblade also had about ten capable fighters. That left only ordinary Treasure Hoarders for the Third Boss. These four or five elites were probably cultivated by Blackhand himself.
'However, with just these few elites and a dozen ordinary Hoarders, they managed to capture over a dozen smugglers. This Third Boss must be quite capable himself.'
Robert thought to himself.