Who Says I’m Not a Legitimate Adventurer?

Chapter 95: Driving Buck Insane

The person inside was none other than Buck, the boss of “Ghoulhound.”

His current state could only be described as utterly miserable.

His once fierce face was now covered in a sickly gray pallor. His eye sockets were sunken, and his eyeballs were filled with horrifying bloodshot veins.

His entire being radiated a kind of irritable instability on the verge of collapse—like a trapped beast cornered by hunters, unable to sleep for days and nights.

At this thought, the corner of Lance’s mouth curled upward, and he almost couldn’t hold back his laughter.

All of this was his doing.

He hadn’t been idle these past few nights.

Every night, like clockwork, he would casually eliminate a few of the scum remnants of “Ghoulhound,” and each time, he would leave behind that coin symbolizing vengeance—the 【Blood Copper Coin】—in an extremely conspicuous spot at the scene.

This continuous psychological pressure had proven highly effective.

From the secrets obtained from the lackeys he had taken down over the past few days, Buck had already become firmly convinced that the Blood Copper Coin was carrying out revenge.He had even lost control and lashed out at his subordinates multiple times, his impotent rage leaving them deeply unsettled.

Lance remembered that the unlucky man he had killed yesterday had clearly mentioned in his secrets: Buck had already decided not to endure any longer.

He planned to find the mastermind behind the hunting of their organization—the leader of the Blood Copper Coin, the Level 2 Corrupt Mage Syndic—and fight him to the death.

Seeing the situation turning bad, the underlings had already begun considering disbanding or switching allegiance to another leader.

And now that Buck had appeared in such an expensive weapon shop, it was obvious he had mobilized all his liquid funds, preparing to go all-in and purchase powerful equipment for a final gamble.

Lance couldn’t help but marvel at the terrifying nature of the Codex system.

There was no need for direct confrontation—simply grasping everyone’s secrets and exploiting information gaps was enough to kill without a trace.

“However…”

Lance stroked his chin, a new thought suddenly surfacing in his mind.

“Surely I won’t have to beat someone up or kill them every time just to obtain their secrets, right?”

He remembered that the condition listed on the panel for unlocking secrets was the word “defeat.”

In gaming terminology, the definition of defeat was quite broad.

If he won against someone in a competitive game or a board game, would that count as a defeat?

If this assumption held true, then his methods of gathering intelligence would become far more flexible.

Tomorrow would be a perfect chance to test it with Cecilia.

At Violet Academy, she was quite a well-known figure, and with the prestigious Rosenthal Family backing her, she definitely met the threshold for Codex inclusion.

The only pity was that if Buck really went to clash with the Blood Copper Coin, the “Curious Object of Fire Theft” mentioned in Jeff’s secret would likely be impossible for him to obtain.

Buck would definitely carry it with him, and if he died, it would probably fall into the hands of the Blood Copper Coin.

Although he was somewhat curious about what kind of god-cursed item it was, Lance remained open-minded.

The road ahead was long. Gains and losses of such external items were matters of fate.

There was no need to take risks for an uncertain reward.

After returning home, Lance quickly removed his equipment and stored it properly, then changed into a set of comfortable casual clothes.

He picked up the 【Starry Journey Commemorative Album】 from his desk and carefully checked it.

Aside from the few scenic cards that had originally been inside, he had also inserted several imprint crystals he had made over the past few days. Along with them was a handwritten letter tucked in between.

His destination tonight was to find Nia.

It was only two days ago, through Flora, that he learned that after receiving Amber’s letter that day, Nia hadn’t fallen into despair. Instead, she had immediately set off for White River City.

On one hand, she wanted to bid Amber farewell in person. On the other, she wanted to take this opportunity to step out of Graystone Town and see the outside world.

Judging by the time, she should have just returned today.

Lance planned to deliver the items, then come back for his evening training.

However, he probably wouldn’t see Nia in person tonight.

At the last gathering, Nia had run off in tears, and her overprotective uncle Homan had concluded that Lance had bullied his niece.

When Lance had gone to Nia’s house the day before yesterday, he had been scolded and driven away by that irritable middle-aged man.

But as long as he could deliver this album into Nia’s hands, that would be enough.

Based on his understanding of that silly girl, once she saw what was inside, she would definitely calm down immediately—she might even be so touched that she would cry.

Most likely, by tomorrow morning, he would see her lively figure again at the Adventurers’ Guild.

At that time, he would also introduce Cecilia to her. The two girls, being of similar age, might even become good friends.

After sorting out his thoughts, Lance tucked the album into his chest and headed toward Nia’s home.

Graystone Town was divided into two areas by a clear stream.

The place Lance had previously rented was located on the northeast side, near Copper Creek Forest and the Underground Dungeon.

That area was where adventurers and merchant caravans gathered, bustling with noise.

On the other side of the stream, the terrain was slightly elevated.

This was the administrative and residential district of Graystone Town.

The scenery on the two sides was completely different.

As Lance crossed the sturdy stone bridge, he could see guards wearing iris-emblazoned badges patrolling in pairs.

The air was filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread and grilled meat.

Lance’s own residence was located at the boundary between the commercial district and the residential area, so visiting Nia’s house was very convenient.

Passing by a wide central fountain, he saw several children playing nearby.

Not far away, a second-floor window opened, and a mother in an apron leaned out, loudly calling her child home for dinner.

This area carried a sense of tranquil beauty, far removed from the noise.

This was the inclusive Graystone Town, where different people could find their own way of life.

After passing rows of townhouses painted in warm tones, his view suddenly opened up.

Ahead were red-brick houses with independent courtyards.

Lance stopped in front of one of them and rang the magical bell on the gatepost.

Soon—

The door inside the courtyard opened, and a woman leaned out.

After recognizing Lance, she turned back and called into the house.

Moments later—

Homan came striding out angrily, his face dark.

“You brat, I haven’t even settled the score with you for bullying Nia, and you’ve got the nerve to come again today?”

Standing behind the iron gate, Homan placed his hands on his hips, clearly having no intention of letting him in.

Nia’s room was near the backyard, so she couldn’t see what was happening at the front gate.

Otherwise, no matter how angry she was, she wouldn’t have let Homan block her friend outside like this.

Without needing to guess, Lance knew this man must have already imagined some dramatic story of a scumbag abandoning his niece.

“Wait! Vice Guildmaster!”

Homan snorted coldly.

“Don’t call me Vice Guildmaster. You’re no longer a member of the Guild.”