Dusk dyed the western clouds red as An returned to the gate of the Frontier Town. He walked more confidently, his back a little straighter, and the iron dagger at his belt gave him a real sense of security. The old guard from the day before was still leaning against the gate, but this time, when An walked past, the guard just glanced at him and gave a slight nod, a silent acknowledgment that he was an adventurer, a part of the town's ecosystem, not a nameless wanderer. That small change meant more to An than he thought.
He went straight to the Adventurer's Guild. The inside was as noisy as ever, but this time, An no longer felt overwhelmed. He had a purpose. He went straight to Lina's counter, where only one or two people were standing.
When it was his turn, he said nothing, just silently placed the ten carefully wrapped Moonpetal Herbs on the counter.
Lina glanced at him, then down at the herbs. She picked one up, and her green eyes paused for a moment. She turned it over, examining the silvery petals and especially the intact, clean root system. She picked up another, then another. The usual impatience on her face was replaced by a fleeting look of surprise.
"You dug up the roots," she said, her tone no longer a question but a statement.
An just nodded.
Lina looked at him for a long moment, her eyes seeming to try to pierce through his hood. "Most newcomers just pick the flowers. They don't know that the best medicinal properties are in the roots, and that they're lost if broken."
She put the herbs down, took out a small scale and a wooden box. After confirming the quantity and quality, she opened a drawer.
"Quest completed with excellence," she said professionally. "Here are your 15 silver coins. Plus 5 more for quality exceeding requirements. 20 coins in total."
An was stunned. 20 coins. More than he had expected. He realized that the Basic Analysis skill not only helped him survive, it could also help him make money. A lot of money.
He took the heavy coins, a warm sense of accomplishment spreading through his chest. "Thank you," he whispered, then quickly turned to leave before Lina could ask any more questions.
With 25 silver coins in his pocket, An felt "rich". But he knew very well, this was just the beginning. He needed a safe place to rest and a hot meal.
He found the quietest-looking inn, named "The Stone Pillow". Inside, the smell of roasted meat and stewed vegetables made his stomach churn. He sat in a secluded corner, ordering a large bowl of stew and a loaf of bread.
When the server brought the food, An could barely contain himself. He ate ravenously, the taste of the hot food, the tender meat and the rich broth was the most wonderful thing he had tasted since coming to this world.
After the meal, he rented a small room upstairs for three coins a night. The room was simple, with just a straw bed, a small table, and a candle. But to An, it was a fortress. For the first time, he had a private space, a place where he could close the door and be truly safe.
He sat on the bed, pouring the silver coins out to count them again. He had an identity, a job, a place to live, and a little capital. He had established a foothold, however small, in this world.
But he knew this safety was only temporary. He was still too weak. Level 3 was just the beginning. He needed to be stronger, to understand more about this world, about this so-called "Cultivation".
He needed more information. And the best place to get information was the place where all sorts of people gathered: the Adventurer's Guild.
With that thought, he decided to return to the Guild, not to take a quest, but to listen.
He sat in a dark corner of the Guild's tavern, ordered a cheap cup of water, and simply listened to the noisy conversations around him. Most of it was boasts about killing monsters, complaints about prices, and pointless gossip. But then, a conversation from a nearby table caught his ear.
"...it's the Merchant's Guild again," a man with a scar on his face said. "They're getting more and more outrageous. They're squeezing the prices on my beast hides."
"Shh! Keep your voice down," his friend warned. "You don't want the people from the Bai clan to hear you. The Merchant's Guild is backed by Young Master Bai Wen now."
"Young Master Bai Wen? That silk-pants fop who only knows how to throw money around?" the scarred man said with contempt. "If it weren't for his father being a Baron, he'd be..."
An sat still, but his ears perked up. Merchant's Guild. The Bai Clan. Baron. Young Master. This wasn't just a simple complaint. This was a power structure, a potential conflict right in the heart of this town. A new dataset, much more complex and dangerous than the monsters in the forest.
And An, with the instincts of an analyst, knew that data was opportunity.