Chapter 21 The Young Fox in White Hat Town

"Alright, together." Sophie didn’t hesitate and nodded in agreement.

...

Whitecap Town was not a pleasant place. Snow blanketed it all year round, and only for a brief three months did the air grow ever so slightly warm. The rest of the time, it was always winter here.

In this land of dazzling snow lived the kingdom’s most esteemed priest, Sir Anthony Stone.

Sir Stone guarded this harsh, frigid region and never uttered a word of complaint.

Noble character? Lofty ideals? Perhaps. But Venigo believed there must be other reasons beneath the surface.

He had always been in the habit of interpreting others’ motives with suspicion. It wasn’t the best way to live... but it also made him harder to deceive.

Thus, Venigo had few friends. Who in this vast world could tolerate such a disposition?

The three of them trudged through the deep snow. The Frozen Plateau—Whitecap Town—was not unfamiliar to Venigo.

So long as he didn’t try to fly over the great mountain, he wouldn’t have to face the detestable harpy witches directly. On the ground, while the Marza were formidable, they were far gentler opponents than the curse-wielding harpies.

Another major concern was the fire-archers of the plateau—women skilled with the bow whose elemental magic enhanced their attacks. Arrows loosed from afar could send unarmored magicians to their graves in an instant.

So Venigo advanced with caution.

Perhaps luck was on their side, for along the way, Venigo only encountered a small patrol of Marza warriors—fleet-footed women clad in simple armor, wielding the combined power of wind and sword. A single squad, however, was not insurmountable.

Sophie’s greatsword swept through them like a tornado, leaving not even the faintest breeze in its wake. Hani’s talent for sowing terror scattered their ranks in confusion with ease.

In the chaos, Sophie slew three Marza fighters, while Venigo...

Character selection confirmed, analysis complete... Reconstruction commencing. Level 10, Kress Arbein, configuration complete.

With the threat of fire-archers and their arrow squads, Venigo would never risk transforming into a fragile “entity.” A guardian like Kress was the natural choice.

With the Demonblade and Lightning Claw for ranged attacks, Swallow Kick and Autumn Rain for close combat, and although his armor was cheap, Kress’s abilities made it sturdy enough to withstand a few blows. Venigo moved silently through the Marza’s blades and lightning, cutting a bloody path.

Sophie was surprised to see Venigo suddenly so bold and fierce, but the sword-wielding girl was not one to pry into others’ secrets.

They exchanged a glance, and with perfect understanding, shielded Hani between them as they made their way toward Whitecap Town.

Whitecap Town—the jewel of the North. It seemed peaceful and serene, but...

In such a border town, everyone knew what shadows might lurk beneath the pristine snow.

This was no game, but the real world. A world teeming with people, and wherever there were people, there were undercurrents. Where there was light, there would always be darkness.

Venigo came from a pirate’s den—he knew full well that Whitecap Town had its own denizens of the dark.

The Ultimate Blade Guild—a syndicate of assassins and night thieves.

"Eh? Three little brats? Coming to Whitecap Town?" At the gate, a guard with a bow laughed.

"We’re from the south," Venigo replied calmly. "The fact that we made it through the Marza lines should speak for itself."

The guards nodded. They knew well that the Marza were a matriarchal tribe from the northern wilds, and that their swords and lightning gave even the most seasoned adventurers pause.

"Alright, let’s say you’re capable kids," said one who seemed to be the captain. "But in Whitecap Town, you follow the rules. This is the joint domain of Sir Stromgard and Sir Stone. Don’t even think about challenging the authority of the kingdom’s greatest marksman and most revered high priest."

"I understand that perfectly," Venigo smiled. "May we enter?"

"Go ahead," the guard nodded. "Nine silver coins for the entry fee."

"Quite the price," Venigo chuckled.

He tossed a gold coin, waved his hand, and led his two companions into town.

"Are we going to see His Excellency the High Priest?" Hani blinked her eyes and asked.

"No rush. We need to make preparations first," Venigo replied.

Stone Castle lay encircled by valleys. To reach it, one had to cross the harpies’ domain. Those curse-wielding monsters, though fragile, could severely disrupt spellcasting and skill use.

The trio first found a restaurant for a meal, then rented two rooms at an inn. Afterwards, Venigo took Hani out for a stroll around town.

Being on the border, Whitecap Town offered not only the best goods from the kingdom but also smuggled treasures from foreign lands. And with Stromgard Castle nearby, many archers came incognito to purchase top-quality bows.

Venigo bought himself a set of light armor and a long sword—essentials that would make his Kress persona far more effective. He also bought materials for crafting his own gear.

Back in his room, he dispelled his character form, and after the cooldown, reconstructed a new one.

Alchemical Workshop—Nanoka.

With his increased level, the Nanoka he could create could now produce more items using three crafting skills. For example, with magnesium powder and red phosphorus, he could attempt an alchemical flash bomb.

Of course, he might just end up with an oversized box of windproof matches.

As for the magnesium and red phosphorus, those were obtained through the Scholar’s Purification Alchemy, extracting them from minerals rich in those elements.

Venigo combined red dye and serpentine stone with general crafting, resulting in a roll of red asbestos cloth. He cut it into strips, wrapped steel plates within, and again used general crafting on each strip...

The results were a medley of oddities: a bra with steel wire, a strangely shaped sling, a small pouch... But in the end, he managed to make what he wanted.

A red headband, crafted mainly from fire-resistant cloth and layered with steel wires—excellent at resisting cuts and flames. This was the headband that Kress wore.

Besides the headband, Venigo used general crafting to create a special gold coin, a silk robe for an alchemist, and an obsidian reagent bottle. Once finished, he sought out a water magic master in Whitecap Town to enchant them.

Enchantments only worked on high-quality items, which was why Venigo went to such lengths to create specialized transformation artifacts. The closer an object matched a character’s traits, the easier the construction, and the less mercury it consumed.

But hiring a water mage was expensive. Fortunately, Venigo was well-off for the moment.

Aside from his own equipment, Venigo also repaired Sophie’s greatsword.

The sword was made of excellent material, but years of use had left it battered and scarred. Venigo refined several alloys with purification alchemy, took them to the blacksmith, and had the sword fully restored—a process that cost him several hundred gold coins.

Add in the cost of enchantments, curse-removal potions, and various other consumables, and Venigo had spent thousands of gold coins before he was ready to set out.

Now, except for a full flask of mercury, he had only a handful of silver coins left.

He liked money, but he was no miser. Venigo understood that survival didn’t depend on gold, but on strength. Earning money served only to purchase the gear and materials he needed for self-preservation.

The three of them returned to the Frozen Plateau, reaching the circle of peaks surrounding Stone Castle.

The hills weren’t tall, but they enclosed the castle entirely. Crossing them wasn’t too difficult—except for the harpies.

Venigo had always despised such monsters.

He led Sophie and Hani around the hills for half a day. The Marza who tried to block their way were no match for the murderous blades wielded by Venigo and Sophie.

By now, Venigo’s “level” had reached sixteen. Considering the stat bonuses among different forms, he could construct a level fourteen Kress, or an eleven Ghost, and so on.

However, if he needed certain special skills, the requirements—and mercury consumption—would rise.

For instance, Kress’s ultimate move: Demonblade Thousandfold Shatter.

In the game, you only needed to max out Demonblade and Autumn Rain and then purchase the skill from a specific character. But for Venigo to build a Kress with that ability here, he needed more mental strength and much more mercury.

It was a dilemma, but one Venigo was accustomed to handling.

After all, he was Venigo the Poacher. If nothing else, he excelled at finding the best option for himself.