Chapter 83: Chapter 83: The Real Drunken Hammer

They followed Balthor through the back door of the tavern, down a narrow hallway lit only by flickering wall-mounted mana stones. The sound of the main room—laughter, music, shouting—faded with each step.

“Are you sure he’s trustworthy?” Elena asked quietly, walking just behind Noel.

“He might look like a drunk… well, he is a drunk,” Noel admitted, “but he’s good people.”

His voice was calm, but something flickered behind his eyes.

’Yeah. Good people. I remember how he helped Marcus later on… when that bastard from the Circle came looking for blood. But now that I know all that ahead of time… he’ll be working for me instead.’

“Yeah,” Noel repeated aloud. “He’s definitely good people.”

Elena gave him a skeptical side glance. “Right…”

Balthor stopped in front of a reinforced iron door and pressed his hand against a rune-locked panel. A soft glow responded, and with a heavy click, the door creaked open.

The space beyond was nothing like the tavern they’d left behind.

Rows upon rows of weapons lined the stone walls—blades, axes, spears, even magical staffs, all mounted or suspended in enchanted bindings. Shelves overflowed with alchemical bottles, dusty grimoires, enchanted scrolls, armor pieces, charms, rings, and more.

Everything buzzed faintly with mana.

It wasn’t just a shop. It was a vault. A personal archive of forbidden goods and forgotten craftsmanship.

There was barely room to walk. The paths between shelves were tight, cluttered with crates and hanging racks. It smelled of metal, dust, oil, and old power.

Noel stepped forward with a faint smirk.

“Now this is more like it.”

“Welcome,” Balthor said, arms wide as if presenting a kingdom. “To the real Drunken Hammer.”

His voice echoed slightly through the stone chamber, bouncing off shelves of steel and shelves of secrets.

“If it exists in Valor, you’ll find it here. Weapons, armor, enchanted trinkets, grimoires, black-market scrolls, illegal drugs, cursed items… the works.”

Elena’s eyes moved warily over the walls. “Charming.”

“Thanks,” Balthor replied, not missing a beat. “I pride myself on quality.”

Noel gave a nod. “Appreciate it. I’ll go look for what I came here for.”

He started down one of the side aisles, hands casually in his pockets, eyes scanning the shelves like a man in a candy store.

Behind the counter, Balthor murmured under his breath.

“Smart kid. Interesting, too.”

He hadn’t meant for anyone to hear that—but Elena’s ears twitched.

She stepped forward quietly, leaning just close enough to whisper.

“What did you mean by that?”

Balthor blinked, caught off guard. “Eh? Oh… you noticed that, huh?”

He leaned in, matching her tone.

“You probably didn’t catch it—newbie eyes—but from the first round, he was playing me. Lost everything on purpose. Made me relax, made me feel like I had the upper hand.”

He tapped the counter once, amused.

“Then he dropped a crazy bet—the ring. Got me so confident, I didn’t hesitate to match him. But the second the stakes got real… he got serious. No hesitation, no nerves. Just cleaned the table. I’ve been running that game for a decade, girl. He had me the moment I let my guard down.”

Elena glanced over her shoulder toward the aisle where Noel had disappeared.

“Now that you say it… yeah. He never looked nervous. Not once.”

“Exactly.” Balthor crossed his arms. “That’s why I say he’s something special.”

Noel moved slowly through the aisles, eyes sharp but relaxed, fingers brushing the occasional dusty label or faded rune. The cramped space made maneuvering awkward, but the sheer variety of items made up for it.

’Sword? Nah, I’ve got Revenant Fang. Scrolls? Not right now. I need something practical—tactical. Budget’s 500 gold thanks to the bet, so I might as well get something interesting.’

He passed over a rack of enchanted daggers, a chest full of coins stamped with unknown sigils, and a dusty shelf of worn books titled “Basic Hexcraft for Idiots”.

Nothing called to him.

Until—

“Bingo.”

Tucked between a leather-bound grimoire and a box of cracked monocles sat two small potion vials.

One was thick and red, almost gel-like, with dark swirls inside the liquid.

The other was emerald green, crystal-clear, and shimmered faintly when he tilted it.

Each had a clean handwritten tag:

Red – 100 Gold

Green – 100 Gold

Bundle – 150 Gold

’Damn, expensive… but hey, it’s not really my money. Heheheh.’

He carefully pocketed the pair and turned to head back toward the front—only to pause mid-step.

There, on a half-empty display stand, hung a silver necklace with a polished amber gemstone set into a fine filigree chain. It pulsed faintly, warm and slow, like it was breathing.

Noel reached out and picked it up.

The moment his fingers touched the pendant, a small window flickered into his vision:

[Item: Amber Collar]

[Type: Accessory]

[Effect: Boosts Nature-based Magic Power by 20%]

[Value: 50 Gold]

He turned it over once in his hand, then gave a small nod.

“Not bad. Practical and useful. And I know someone who can actually make the most of this.”

He added it to the pot and made his way back toward the counter.

Noel stepped up to the counter, cloak trailing slightly behind him. Elena was already there, standing with her arms crossed, pretending she hadn’t been waiting—but she looked up the moment she saw him.

He placed the items down one by one:

—The red viscous vial.

—The emerald green liquid.

—And last, the silver necklace with the amber gemstone.

Balthor raised an eyebrow. He didn’t even need to ask—he knew exactly what they were.

“You sure about this, kid?” the dwarf asked, serious now. “The collar’s one thing. But those two… they’re not something you take lightly.”

“Don’t worry,” Noel replied calmly. “I’ve got it under control.”

“What do you mean ’under control’?” Elena asked, narrowing her eyes.

Noel glanced sideways at her. “They’re spices. Exotic ones.”

Balthor snorted. “Spices, huh… sure, let’s call them that.”

He tapped a few beads on an enchanted abacus behind the counter, then nodded.

“150 gold total.”

Noel raised an eyebrow. “What about the collar? It was listed at fifty.”

“Gift from the house,” Balthor said with a grin. “I always treat my best players right. Customer loyalty and all that.”

Noel didn’t argue. He counted out the coins and placed them in a small reinforced pouch. The dwarf took it and locked it away without even double-checking.

Noel turned to Elena and pulled something from the inside of his cloak.

The necklace.

He placed it gently in her hand.

“Here. Should help with your magic.”

She blinked, then looked at the amber gem.

“…Is this a gift?” she asked slowly. “From you?”

“Don’t get used to it.”

He then handed her a small leather pouch.

“This one’s the gold you lent me. With interest.”

She took both, visibly touched, though trying not to show it too much.

“You’re full of surprises tonight,” she muttered. “A gift, and you paid me back. That’s two miracles.”

“If you don’t want it, I’ll return it.”

“No,” she said quickly. “I’ll treasure it.”

From behind the counter, Balthor chuckled and leaned his elbows on the wood.

“Take care of yourselves out there.”

He winked at Elena. “Especially you, missy.”

“I’ll manage,” she said with a small smile.

“We’ll see each other again, Balthor,” Noel added, adjusting his cloak.

“Looking forward to it, boy. And next time, bring more gold—or another clever trick.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep