Taking Stock

The gate guards recognized the previous Matthew, but they did not recognize the bedraggled and disguised Matthew standing before them now.

As for why Matthew was in such a state, there were two reasons.

First, he had gone out with Sutton. Sutton held a significant status in the county seat; if Matthew appeared openly, Sutton would surely discover his movements upon returning and investigating. Given the overwhelming gap in their strength, things would become very difficult for Matthew.

Second, he didn't want to go through any unnecessary trouble. Having luckily survived this journey, he now only wanted to settle down properly...

After offering a few bribes, Matthew successfully entered the city.

Compared to the outer city, the inner city was much quieter.

The roads were smoother, and the buildings on both sides were more orderly. The lights along the streets weren't as chaotic as those in the outer city; instead, a brass lamp stood at regular intervals. Occasionally, a carriage would pass by with the steady sound of wheels, accompanied by servants talking in low voices, unlike the crude shouting of the outer city mercenaries.

The quieter it was, the more Matthew felt his own exhaustion.

His body was urging him to rest. His Spirit was urging him to stay alert. Hunger was urging him to immediately devour enough meat.

He didn't look back and walked straight toward the Stone Statue Inn.

The Stone Statue Inn was located along a relatively wide street in the inner city. Two grayish-white stone statues stood at the entrance, depicting two sword-bearing knights. Because they were quite old, the knights' features had been smoothed over by wind and rain, and the edges of their armor were somewhat chipped. Yet, under the night lights, those two statues still carried a silent and hardened temperament.

As soon as Matthew approached the inn, a series of hurried footsteps came from inside. Soon, Aidan rushed out, clearly having been waiting there since early on!

“Brother Matthew!” The boy’s voice was filled with surprise at first.

But when he clearly saw Matthew’s appearance, that bit of surprise immediately turned into alarm. Aidan stopped at the entrance, his eyes widening as his gaze swept from Matthew’s torn cloak to his pale face, and then to the bloodstains on the hem of his clothes.

“You’re injured?” He stepped forward, his voice changing slightly. “Where are you hurt? Is it serious? Do we need to find a potioneer? Brother Matthew, how did you end up like this?”

A string of questions came crashing down, but Matthew didn't answer immediately. He simply raised a hand.

“Don't talk at the entrance.”

Aidan finally snapped out of it. He quickly stepped aside to let Matthew in, but his hand still instinctively reached out, wanting to support him.

Matthew glanced at that hand. If it were anyone else, he would likely have avoided it. But Aidan was different.

This youth hadn't been by his side for very long, but he had already proven his loyalty through repeated actions. Moreover, the concern in Aidan’s eyes right now was direct, without testing or calculation. Matthew did not refuse.

The moment Aidan supported his arm, his expression changed again because he could feel that Matthew’s body was much heavier than usual.

That wasn't laziness or slight fatigue. It was a weakness following a period of intense endurance. Aidan’s heart immediately grew more panicked.

In his impression, Brother Matthew had always been very calm, even somewhat unapproachable. No matter what happened, Matthew always seemed to have thought of a fallback plan in advance. Even in danger, he rarely showed true distress. But now, he had actually become like this.

This meant the danger inside that tomb was far more terrifying than Aidan had previously imagined.

The two walked into the inn lobby. The inn manager was organizing the ledgers behind the counter; when he looked up and saw Matthew, the expression on his face also froze slightly.

However, he was someone who did business in the inner city after all, so he quickly returned to normal and immediately stood up from behind the counter. “Lord Matthew, you’ve returned.”

Matthew nodded. The manager took one look at his condition and asked in a low voice, “Do you need hot water and food?”

“I do.” Matthew’s voice wasn't loud, but he didn't hesitate. “Send hot water to the room. Bring the food up as well.”

The manager hurriedly asked, “What would you like to eat?”

Matthew paused for a moment. At that time, a strong sense of hunger surged from his stomach again.

“Magical beast meat. Get a lot of it. Roasted, stewed—whatever can be brought up the fastest, bring it all.”

Hearing this from the side, Aidan’s heart felt slightly relieved. Being able to eat meant the situation wasn't at its absolute worst yet.

The manager naturally didn't dare to be negligent and nodded quickly. “Understood, I’ll have the kitchen prepare it immediately.”

Matthew and Aidan went upstairs. The lights in the corridor were somewhat dim, and the wooden floorboards creaked slightly when stepped on. Aidan supported Matthew to his room door, pushed it open, and immediately turned back to close it.

Only after the door was closed, isolating them from the footsteps and voices outside, did Aidan finally couldn't help but speak. “Brother Matthew, what on earth happened?”

Matthew didn't answer immediately. He first walked to the table and sat down, then raised a hand to press his brow. The moment he sat, the fatigue in his body surged up, as if the things he had been suppressing all along finally found an opening. His shoulders felt heavy, and a dull pain radiated from deep within his Spirit.

Seeing him like this, Aidan’s voice immediately lowered. “Did something happen in the tomb?”

Matthew looked up at him. The youth stood by the table, his palms clenched tight. That worry was practically written on his face. Matthew remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.

“There was a slight accident.”

Aidan’s face turned pale. “It was very dangerous?”

“Far more dangerous than expected.” Matthew didn't go into too much detail. Some things weren't meant for Aidan to encounter right now.

“That tomb isn't a place that ordinary apprentices can explore at will. The traps, the mana circuits, and the things in the main burial chamber are all more troublesome than the rumors circulating outside.”

Aidan’s throat bobbed. “Then what about the others?”

Matthew didn't answer immediately. The room was silent for a moment. This silence already explained many things.

The color drained further from Aidan’s face. Although he was young, he wasn't stupid. The death of adventurers wasn't foreign to him, but when such death was linked to the danger Matthew had just experienced, he still felt a wave of lingering fear.

What if Matthew hadn't come back? The moment this thought surfaced, Aidan’s heart tightened fiercely.

He knew very well that he almost entirely owed his current life to Matthew. If Matthew hadn't saved him, he would have died long ago. If Matthew hadn't taken him along, he wouldn't have become a Black Iron Rank adventurer so quickly, nor could he have lived in the inner city and seen things he never dared to imagine in the past.

“Haven't I already returned?” Matthew said plainly, sensing Aidan’s emotions.

Aidan looked up. Matthew’s tone was still calm, as if he didn't think this was something that needed to be emphasized repeatedly.

But it was precisely this calmness that made Aidan feel even worse. “Brother Matthew, you’re like this every time,” Aidan said in a low voice.

“What?”

“Every time you encounter danger, you talk about it so lightly.” Aidan pursed his lips. “But your face is so pale right now, your clothes are torn, and you even had me prepare magical beast meat. If everything were truly fine, you wouldn't be like this.”

Matthew looked at him. After finishing, the youth seemed to regret it a little, as if worried he had said too much. But he still didn't look away.

Matthew wasn't angry. On the contrary, a very faint trace of satisfaction flickered in his eyes. Aidan wasn't the type to only nod his head. He had concern, and he had his own judgment. It was just that he knew his place and wouldn't let that judgment turn into an offense.

“It was indeed quite draining,” Matthew said. “But it's not fatal. After a night's rest and some food, I’ll be mostly recovered.”

Aidan was only then slightly relieved, yet he still asked, “Really?”

“Really.” Matthew’s answer was very brief.

Aidan stared at him for a few breaths, confirming he didn't seem to be forcing himself to lie. Only then did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. “Then I’ll go hurry the kitchen.” He turned to leave.

Matthew called out to him. “Wait.” Aidan stopped immediately.

Matthew took several gold coins from his tunic and placed them on the table. “Have them prepare all the magical beast meat they can. Don't worry about the price. Also, get several pitchers of hot water and prepare clean bandages.”

Aidan looked at the gold coins on the table and hesitated for a moment. “Do we need this much?”

“Yes.” Matthew’s tone was very serious. “The consumption this time was not small, and my body is severely depleted. Ordinary food replenishes too slowly; magical beast meat contains some blood energy, which can just make up for the loss.”

He paused here, then added another sentence. “I'm going to replenish myself thoroughly.”

This was said very calmly. But Aidan could hear a rare trace of resentment in it. He was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but want to laugh, though he didn't dare to actually do so.

Hearing Brother Matthew speak like this meant the situation likely wasn't beyond repair. “Alright, I’ll go right away.” Aidan took the gold coins and left quickly.

The door closed again. Matthew was the only one left in the room.

He didn't move at first. Only after the footsteps faded into the distance did Matthew slowly raise his hand, press it against his chest, and close his eyes to sense his internal state.

His Spirit was severely depleted. His body was also quite empty. However, his injuries weren't heavy; it was more about fatigue and overconsumption. As long as there was enough food and potions, he should be able to recover.

After confirming this, Matthew opened his eyes again. His gaze fell on the leather pouch he had brought back. The pouch sat by the table, looking inconspicuous and even somewhat dirty from the mud.

But Matthew knew very well that it contained the true harvest of this adventure. At the thought of this, even a cautious person like him couldn't help but have a flicker of irrepressible light appear in his eyes.

The danger was truly dangerous. But the harvest was also truly bountiful.

Matthew didn't pour the things out directly. He first stood up, walked to the door, slid the bolt, and took out a simple alarm talisman to stick behind the door. A faint gray light glowed on the surface of the talisman and quickly faded away.

Next, he checked the window again. After confirming there were no anomalies, he returned to the table. He spread out a piece of grey cloth and cleared the tabletop.

Then, he untied the leather pouch.

The first things poured out were magic stones. One by one, magic stones with a faint luster rolled onto the grey cloth, making a crisp sound as they collided.

Matthew’s gaze immediately fixed on them. He didn't rush to be joyful; instead, he first began to categorize them.

He put the magic stone fragments to one side. Ordinary magic stones went to another side. The medium magic stones, which had more stable mana and a deeper luster, were placed separately at the very top.

He counted very slowly. Every single one had to be confirmed by his fingers to ensure there were no disguised dud stones and to ensure they hadn't been contaminated in the tomb.

After finishing the first count, Matthew didn't immediately draw a conclusion. He counted a second time. The final tally was: one hundred and forty-seven ordinary magic stones, thirty-two magic stone fragments, and three medium magic stones.

Matthew stared at these numbers and didn't speak for a long time.

One hundred and forty-seven ordinary magic stones. Thirty-two magic stone fragments. Three medium magic stones. If roughly converted, the value of this batch of magic stones was close to two hundred ordinary magic stones.

Two hundred magic stones. To an ordinary person, this was a fortune sufficient to change a life. For many low-level adventurers, even after risking their lives for several years, they might not necessarily save up this much.

And for a Second-Grade Apprentice like Matthew, the significance of these magic stones was even more direct.

They represented meditation resources. They represented potions. They represented experimental materials. They represented protective runes. They represented the ability to buy information, to hire help, and to trade for a chance at life at a critical moment.

More importantly, they represented the possibility of increasing his strength. The path of a wizard apprentice was never something that could be walked solely through talent and meditation. Every experiment required materials, every potion compounding required costs, and every spell refinement could consume massive amounts of resources.

Without magic stones, many ideas could only stay in the mind. With magic stones, one had the qualification to try.

Matthew picked up a medium magic stone. The mana inside it was more stable than an ordinary magic stone, looking like a tiny ball of light flowing slowly within. This kind of stable mana was far more suitable for magic circles and rituals than ordinary magic stones. If taken for trade, the price would only be higher, never lower.

At this thought, a very faint smile finally appeared at the corners of Matthew’s mouth.

He rarely expressed his emotions so directly. But this time, he was truly happy. This wasn't an abstract joy, but a solid sense of security.

These magic stones laid out on the table seemed to be telling him that this adventure had not been in vain. All the danger, tension, distress, and fatigue had been exchanged for things that could let him continue moving forward. It also proved that this trip was quite worthwhile.

He was currently only a Second-Grade Apprentice. From second to third grade, it seemed like only a one-grade difference, but it actually meant completely different spiritual intensity and combat capabilities.

If he didn't have resources, he could only slowly endure. But with these magic stones, he could prepare potions faster, perfect the spells in his hands faster, and increase his trump cards faster.

This feeling made even the fatigue in Matthew’s heart fade a bit.

However, he soon composed himself. Magic stones were only the first part...

...

...