Chapter 49: Proof In Platinum

“Gregor! It’s been a while. How have you been?”

A clear, sultry voice drifted into his ears, causing him to flinch as he turned toward its owner.

A stunning woman in tight leather armor that hugged her curves approached Gregor with the grace of a cat.

Her black hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and her figure was nothing short of breathtaking, especially her ample cleavage that seemed to beckon anyone who dared to look too long.

Her luscious red lips curled into a seductive smile, and her eyes sparkled with mischief.

She was nothing less than a succubus in disguise. Every man in the tavern had their gaze fixed on her, drool practically pooling at their feet.

“Oh… hey Calista, still as beautiful as ever,” Gregor grinned at the enchanting woman before him.

Calista rolled her eyes playfully and closed the distance between them, trailing her slender finger along his armor as she pouted. “Are you dead inside? You don’t react like all the others.”

With a mischievous grin and an arched eyebrow, Gregor replied, “What kind of reaction do you want?”

Leaning closer, Calista blew warm air against him. “The kind that’s not suitable for this place…”

“I see… Well, when we find somewhere more appropriate, I can give you all kinds of reactions,” Gregor said as he lifted her chin and leaned in toward her lips, but she suddenly pulled away.

“You are truly incorrigible…” Calista’s eyes glistened with mock innocence as she looked at him with feigned grievance.

Gregor chuckled softly and rubbed his nose. “This always gets you! You know your charm doesn’t work on me yet you keep trying. You know that act hasn’t worked since we were both greenhorns.”

Calista rolled her eyes again but remained silent, gazing at him with thoughts swirling behind those captivating eyes.

“Ahem… could you two stop flirting already? There are people here,” Brutus interjected awkwardly.

He pulled Gregor toward the table where he had been sitting earlier, Calista following closely behind. At the table were two other individuals, a man and a woman, both clad in armor and armed for battle.

“Caelis! Leona! How are you two?” Gregor greeted them warmly.

“Gregor! You look different today…” Caelis remarked; he was lanky with short brown hair and an unremarkable face but wore an earnest expression as he patted Gregor’s shoulder.

“Yeah, did something good happen?” Leona asked curiously. Tall and slightly muscular yet feminine in form, she exuded a wild energy similar to Brutus’s own; curly ash hair framed her face alongside a scar above one brow that added character to her beauty.

“Can’t you see? He’s wearing a new gear!” Calista chimed in dramatically.

The three of them turned their attention to Gregor as soon as they heard Calista speak.

“You’re right! I can feel that your aura has changed,” Brutus said, rubbing his chin in surprise. “Oh… I see your Mana Veins have expanded, and you’re close to breaking through.”

“What?!” Caelis and Leona exclaimed, scrutinizing Gregor even more closely. Even Calista looked taken aback, her lips forming an “O” shape.

“As expected, you figured it out,” Gregor chuckled, shrugging off the attention nonchalantly.

“Wow! Did something good happen while we were apart? Did you finally trade your good looks for sponsorship from some old noblewoman or something?” Calista leaned forward slightly, her curiosity evident.

“What do you mean, trade my good looks?” Gregor rolled his eyes at her with a hint of annoyance.

“Then what happened to you?” Brutus tapped the table with urgency. “Not only have you changed your gear, but it’s also Silver Grade Equipment, worth at least five hundred gold coins!”

He paused for effect, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Your strength seems to have increased too; those Mana Veins don’t expand without help. You must have taken a Mana Vein Expansion Potion, which is also quite pricey.”

Brutus narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he leaned in closer. “So what exactly have you been up to?”

The others shared various expressions, mostly suspicion mixed with curiosity. Just days ago, Gregor had been wearing old armor and wielding two worn swords; now he appeared transformed in expensive gear and radiated newfound power.

Gregor smiled lightly at his friends; warmth filled his heart knowing their questions came from concern rather than judgment. They likely feared he might be involved in something shady.

With that thought in mind, he shook his head and cleared his throat before addressing them. “I was able to afford this new equipment and the Mana Vein Expansion Potion because I stumbled upon a huge opportunity…”

“What kind of opportunity?” The four leaned in closer, curiosity etched on their faces.

Gregor grinned as he began recounting his recent adventures. He told them about joining the Adventurer Guild and accepting a mission to hunt wolves for a reward of over two hundred gold coins.

He explained how he sold the parts of the beasts for even more money while embellishing some details to make it sound more thrilling.

“So after buying all this equipment and various potions, I ended up with exactly 1,295 Gold Coins,” Gregor said with satisfaction as he took a long sip of ale.

“Hisssss!”

The four gasped collectively, shock evident in their expressions. Even nearby warriors who overheard him were stunned by what they had just heard.

“You mean to say you earned over two thousand gold coins from one mission? After expenses, you’re still left with more than a thousand gold coins?” Leona asked incredulously.

“Hmmm… yes, you could say that,” Gregor replied calmly.

“Damn!”

Brutus slammed his heavy hands on the table, causing it to groan under the pressure as cracks spread across its surface. He didn’t care; what Gregor had just revealed was shocking.

The others were equally bewildered. This was simply too good to be true.

It wasn’t just the prospect of earning over two thousand gold coins that shocked them; it was the speed at which that money was earned.

Each of them had made more than two thousand gold before, but never in a single day.

Caelis took a deep breath and said, “This… is really something else. In my opinion,and I think everyone here would agree, earning such a massive amount of money usually requires entering a dungeon.

Even then, you’d have to explore for at least one or two months before seeing such returns, and sometimes the rewards are even less.”

“So earning over two thousand gold coins feels like a miracle,” Leona chimed in.

The others nodded in agreement; after all, who earns two thousand gold coins in just one day? That kind of wealth seemed reserved for high-ranking nobles.

“I think you guys are missing the point,” Calista interjected, glancing around at everyone.

They looked at her with confusion.

“What do you mean?” Brutus asked.

“What I mean is that what enabled him to earn more than two thousand gold coins isn’t just about completing some mission; it’s about the beast parts he sold. Sure, the mission played a role, but…”

She paused for emphasis and continued, her voice trembling as she locked eyes with Gregor.

“The real kicker is that Guildmaster doesn’t take any loot or body parts from the beasts killed during missions. You heard what he said earlier: when you become an Adventurer and accept a mission, whatever you kill during that mission is yours to keep, all that matters is completing the mission.”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Don’t you think that’s incredible? As long as you kill a beast with valuable parts, you can keep those parts, no need to hand them over to the Guild.”

A collective intake of breath echoed through the tavern; by this time, nearly half of the Warriors present were listening intently. Their breaths quickened as their excitement grew.

“Yes, Calista is right,” Gregor nodded in agreement. “As long as you accept a mission and complete it successfully, everything you gather along the way, whether it’s treasure, rare herbs, or valuable beast parts, is yours to keep and sell as you wish. The Guild only cares about whether you’ve completed your task.”

He scanned the room to ensure everyone could hear him clearly. “This opportunity is far better than risking your life hunting magical beasts because the Adventurer Guild allows for greater earnings than what typical missions offer.”

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