Chapter 31: Preparations

After a hearty breakfast rich in meat, eggs, and milk, the lightheadedness in Li Rui’s limbs finally subsided significantly. Although his lower back still throbbed with a dull ache, as if stuffed with two pieces of sour wood, at least his knees no longer trembled like reeds in the wind when he walked.

The butler was already waiting at the door, where a light carriage bearing a family crest of simple wheat stalks and crossed longswords stood ready. The wheels crunched over the slightly damp gravel road of the early morning, carrying the two of them toward the town guard barracks.

Come to think of it, the locations of Golden Wheat Town’s aristocratic district and the town guard barracks were quite intriguing. The area where the nobility resided was in the far northeastern corner of the northeastern district, while the guard barracks were located in the far northwestern corner of the northwestern district. Coupled with the Temple of Fortune and the Adventurers’ Guild at the northernmost ends of the North Street, it could be said that the town’s entire fighting force was concentrated on the northern side, near the forest teeming with low-level monsters. This layout seemed to suggest that there was absolutely no threat whatsoever to the south of Golden Wheat Town.

Jay’s memories of the Common Tongue held little information on this, as Jay had never left Golden Wheat Town in his entire life. He had only heard that to the south of Golden Wheat Town lay a large city called "Bedrock," whose lord was a high-ranking professional nearing legendary status, nicknamed "The Bedrock." Thinking of it this way, the defensive strength of Bedrock City must be formidable enough to completely shield the rear of Golden Wheat Town.

Time always passed quickly when one’s mind wandered. Before Li Rui could delve any deeper into these thoughts, they arrived at the guard barracks. Although called the Town Guard, the force was not just a single unit but totaled a thousand men. Of these, two hundred were standing guards, while the remaining eight hundred were lumberjacks serving as part-time guards, coming to the barracks for several days of training every month.

After the sentry announced their arrival, the captain of the guard—a man with a thick beard and eyes as sharp as a hawk’s—soon appeared before them. The butler stepped forward to exchange pleasantries with the captain before handing over the letter of introduction written personally by Guild Leader Nova. The captain read the letter carefully, nodded, and said to the butler and Li Rui, "Understood. Please follow me." He then turned and led them inside the tall log palisade.

The morning training for the town guard had already concluded; the spacious parade ground was empty, with not a soul in sight. The three of them crossed the vacant field and stopped before a heavy, double-leaf oak door. The door was reinforced with iron bars, and a distinct odor of leather and anti-rust oil wafted from within—this was the armory.

"Here we are." The captain produced a key, opened the door with a "click," and pushed open only one leaf. He stepped aside, gestured with his chin toward Li Rui, and his voice echoed slightly in the empty warehouse: "Lad, Guild Leader Nova’s letter says you need gear. Don't be shy; try them one by one, get a feel for them, and find what suits you best."

Li Rui took a breath and stepped inside, momentarily dazzled by the wide array of weaponry. Aside from a dagger, the only weapon he had ever used was the rusted sword confiscated from the undead. After a brief moment of thought, he picked up a standard-issue longsword and gave it a few swings. Just as he looked up at the captain, ready to say this was the one, the captain shook his head. "No, you aren't suited for a sword."

Li Rui: "?"

The captain took the sword from his hand and mimicked his earlier movements: "Your form is too messy, and your grip is wrong. It’s clear you’ve never learned swordsmanship. Guild Leader Nova said to find you something you can use immediately, and this sword won't do."

Seeing that Li Rui lacked experience with weaponry, the captain proceeded to explain the intricacies of various weapons in detail, letting him try them out one by one. After some experimentation, Li Rui discovered that swords, shields, bows, axes, and hammers did not suit him, and he could not manage medium or heavy armor. Finally, the captain helped him select three pieces of equipment.

The first was a light crossbow, which was relatively simple to operate and of moderate weight; it was a ranged weapon he could use effectively, and within ten meters, even a novice like him could hit the target with three arrows. The second was a poleaxe, which combined the chopping power of an axe with the thrusting capability of a spear; its length provided a safe distance, and its weight was within his manageable range, making it a polearm he could barely master. The third was a set of sturdy iron-studded leather armor, which provided basic protection without restricting his movement and stamina as excessively as metal plate armor would.

However, these pieces of equipment could not be handed over to Li Rui immediately. They were standard-issue items, and their dimensions and many details were not suited to his physique or habits. Consequently, the butler cracked his whip and delivered Li Rui and the three pieces of gear to the best blacksmith in town.

Master Eugene Benjamin was the finest blacksmith in all of Golden Wheat Town. He stood about five feet tall, but his shoulders were exceptionally broad—estimated at sixty to seventy centimeters—making it clear at a glance that he had dwarven blood. The butler handed over Guild Leader Nova’s letter. The blacksmith read it in silence, then immediately produced a tape measure and meticulously measured Li Rui from head to toe three times over, not even sparing the width of each of his fingernails.

After obtaining the most precise body data, the blacksmith had an apprentice take the three pieces of equipment to the back of the shop, then said with certainty, "That will do, Mr. Li Rui. Come back at this time tomorrow to collect them. I guarantee you’ll find them comfortable to use."

Handing the equipment over to the master smith and returning to the carriage, Li Rui could not help but feel a sense of emotion. These necessary, high-quality weapons and gear were clearly one of the "investments" Guild Leader Nova was making in him. As for why she provided him with military-grade equipment rather than custom-made gear, the reason was simple. In this entire world, the military hardware used by humans was regulated in form and function by the gods of war on the human side. As long as it was human territory, all ordnance of the same type was stamped from the same mold.

If she had given him custom-made gear like an ordinary adventurer, he would be like most adventurers: once the equipment was damaged, he would have to stay in town waiting for repairs, and after the repairs were done, he would have to re-acclimate himself to the feel of the weapon. But by getting standard-issue gear and having the master smith modify it according to his body data and habits, he could simply obtain another piece of the same standard-issue ordnance should it be damaged, and then provide the local blacksmith with the data recorded by Master Benjamin to have it modified accordingly. There would be no need to worry about the feel changing.

Thinking of this, Li Rui suddenly summoned his "cheat" and looked at a certain entry:

[Monthly Mutation: You will undergo a mutation in one month, granting a random increase of 1 to 2 points to an attribute, with a 10% chance that your physique will grow larger. (This entry can only take effect once and cannot be removed after activation.)]

Wait, the "feel" might still change after all.