Unable to repay my student loans, I had no choice but to work part-time as a demon hunter.

Chapter 89 Arima Class

To explain the purpose of strengthening the cane, Gordon asked Sinclair for a piece of paper.

He meticulously drew on the paper, and Sinclair witnessed firsthand how the precise lines emerged, once again deeply impressed by Gordon's skill.

Soon, Gordon drew the cross-section of the cane. He wanted to add a new winch to the front of the cane, leave a channel inside, and add counterweight to the tail.

The upgraded cane can continue to be used for tapping around, can also withstand the pull of the divine thread, and can be used for long-distance guidance.

"It has to serve multiple functions," Sinclair realized. "It's a conduit for transmitting source energy, a heavy and sturdy weapon, and a fishing rod for casting and reeling in the line."

"Yes. It has to withstand a lot of tension."

Sinclair considered Gordon's needs, added a ratchet safety mechanism to the blueprints, and redesigned the internal spiritual pathways.

He then returned to the workshop's warehouse, found some ores and spiritual crystals, and took out a roll of dark silver spiritual steel cable.

Meteorite. People always think that things from outer space are more advanced than things produced locally.

Mithril. No matter how deeply the earth hides it, humanity will always find a way to get it.

[The essence of the furnace's spiritual essence. A strong desire for everything to change quickly, now!]

"That's about it." Sinclair began to plan. "The Blackthorn plum itself is a very good spiritual vessel, but I will integrate the entire meteorite as a skeleton to greatly enhance its impact resistance, and the head will also be made of steel. I will use mithril for the conductive core. It's much better than the original silver wire conduit. My spiritual crystals can fuse them together."

Gordon listened and nodded repeatedly.

Previously, the cane was just a little treasure he picked up at a charity sale during a disaster relief event. This time, however, Gordon will personally decide how long it should be, how heavy it should be, and what functions it should have, before it can become Gordon's true personal weapon.

"I hope it's not too expensive."

"Absolutely worth the price. This is mithril. It's only produced deep in the mountains of Norheim." Sinclair flicked a thin thread.

buzzing————

The thin thread emitted a trembling sound, clear and melodious.

nice one.

Gordon's eyes flickered slightly.

The silver wires of the Blackthorn Plum staff have excellent spiritual conductivity, but they are too brittle. Mithril, on the other hand, is both light and strong, and can conduct energy very smoothly.

This is perfect material for "Unbroken String," and the two types of string even resonated slightly.

"How about we discuss the price?" Sinclair pondered how to make a quote.

"And another one." Gordon took out the sampling box and showed a small, properly sealed, emerald-green source material.

Sinclair's expression immediately turned serious.

"This source material's properties are suitable for protection and shock absorption. I also have the fine scales of the Dragon Lizard Demon; I'll provide the materials myself," Gordon planned. "I need a suit of scale armor to protect my heart and spine, and it must be silent when I move."

Vera will continue to be on the front lines of the battle, and Gordon cannot allow this to happen again, given that she has already faced danger and been seriously injured multiple times.

"Let me think—" Sinclair perked up, envisioning a solution in his mind, "—sew the dragon lizard demon scales onto reinforced leather—infuse them with source energy—"

"What would the effect of similar armor be?"

"It should be fine; swords and blades will have difficulty penetrating it, and the impact will spread along the scales layer by layer."

"Where are the bullets?"

"Close-range rifle bullets might not be guaranteed, but mid-to-long-range pistol bullets should be completely intercepted. Given the physique of a Source Hunter, they probably won't even get bruises."

"Very good, very good." Gordon nodded in satisfaction.

Gordon and Sinclair negotiated the price: the reinforced staff would require a large amount of materials, totaling 40 gold pounds, while the dragon lizard scale armor would require Sinclair's labor fee of 10 gold pounds. It would likely take several weeks to complete.

"Can."

"You're not going to try to lower the price this time?" Sinclair laughed.

"There's a difference between being poor and being stingy. You're a skilled craftsman, and I can't always haggle with you. True progress comes from everyone making money together."

Sinclair nodded deeply.

It seems Gordon is no longer an occasional customer; his respect for price suggests he's trying to establish a long-term working relationship with Sinclair.

"—Very good." He nodded solemnly. "I will make them worthy of you, and make sure that every pound is used where it is needed."

"I completely believe you," Gordon said. "Let's go eat now; I owe you a meal."

East District, Flower Crown Wharf.

Gordon took Sinclair out to dinner.

Seeing Gordon's lavish spending and the fact that he was riding a military horse, Sinclair began to ponder whether to have steak or foie gras for lunch, and whether to pair it with Gallia's Green Valley wine or Sapphire Gin.

Finally, Gordon stopped in front of the Fish & Fried Brothers restaurant.

"I thought we were going to some kind of Dionysus Street." Sinclair looked at the signboard featuring a pair of large, fat fish wearing white aprons.

"A truly mature person won't give up cheap and delicious food just because they have money." Gordon led Sinclair to a seat.

The waiter brought over fried fish, mashed peas, and fries. The fish was golden and crispy on the outside, and when you broke it open, the aroma of the snow-white fish meat wafted out.

Gordon desperately needs to replenish his protein levels.

"You said you were planning to make a perfect new gun." Gordon finished one fish and ordered another.

"Of course, in order to get inspiration for making guns, I went to Tiounia to communicate with the local gunsmiths."

Teunia was a small but powerful nation on the continent. Even after its defeat in the Noon War, it maintained a proactive attitude and continued to increase its emphasis on science and discipline over the past three hundred years.

"And the result?"

"I was turned away. As soon as they heard I was from Logris, they wouldn't let me in to communicate."

Have you tried bribery?

"The Tuunians could hardly negotiate on this matter. The engineer returned the money and politely told me which port to go to to catch the fastest ship back to Logris."

"They are very secretive."

"I still saw quite a lot. They are also trying to standardize production. There are factories and chimneys everywhere, and railways are everywhere. They don't have lone-wolf Source Hunters, but they train the ability users into an army that obeys orders without question."

"How could someone with superpowers possibly abide by the law?"

"Perhaps, if they had been taught from childhood to be 'obedient,' 'revengeful,' and 'to rise up'—the situation might have been different."

"You suspect they are preparing to challenge the Logris Empire."

"The challenge has begun." Sinclair looked toward Mount King. "All the nations of Probia are competing—everyone is preparing for the next conflict. It's just unknown whether Logris can achieve victory a second time."

A grand war.

Gordon recalled Earl Montfort's words: a child raised for 20 years might not survive more than a few seconds on the battlefield. The same applies to low-level ability users; those who remain at the first or second level will still be overwhelmed by artillery fire and armed mortals.

In any case, improving our strength is the right path.

After finishing his meal, Gordon bid farewell to Sinclair and rode to Wycliffe Street in the Old Town to settle the score with Gray.

The street was lined with agencies and hunter equipment dealers, with many hunters hurrying to and fro, cautiously watching Gordon and his horses. Under the oppressive force of his fury, even the ordinary horses quieted down, afraid of being kicked.

Arthur Grey's Witch Hunting Agency, consultation fee 20 gold pounds.

A white crow sat on the second-floor window, watching Gordon.

Gray came out before he even entered the room.

He had clearly seen Gordon through the White Crow long ago, yet he still acted as if they had met by chance.

"Gordon!" Gray's tone was filled with rehearsed enthusiasm. "What brings you to Uncle Gray?"

"I'm here to have you make me tea." Gordon pointed to the trainee investigator badge on his chest. "I heard that the Hunter Administration is a subordinate agency of the Demon Affairs Bureau. You should now receive staff from your superiors."

"Ahem." Gray turned his gaze to the horse. "A fine horse."

-

There was another horse on the hitching post at the entrance of the firm, Gray's new horse.

It is silver-gray all over, with a graceful neck and a neat mane. The saddle and reins are made of custom leather, and it wears a white raven crown on its forehead.

"Your new horse?" Gray's previous horse had been killed in battle.

"Call it 'Victory Song'," Gray said with satisfaction. "It has a glorious pedigree and a racing tradition."

"This is fury."

The two horses sized each other up, neither willing to back down. One was elegant in posture, the other had a hostile gaze.

"You've finally entered the Arima class." Gray nodded with immense satisfaction, then turned and entered the office. "Come on, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

"Is the tea ready?"

What do you think?

Stepping across the bright red carpet, the walls were covered with countless golden letters of authorization and thank-you notes, as well as numerous photos of Gray with his employers, in which he always wore similar clothes and had a perfect expression.

There were no decorations like demon skulls around, clearly indicating that Gray wanted this place to be a gentleman's domain, rather than a warehouse of spoils to flaunt military prowess.

Gordon observed carefully and memorized everything he saw.

Knight Road No. 9 is about to become a similar demon-hunting agency, and Gray obviously has a lot of layouts worth learning from.

Gray is cultivating the persona of the "perfect hunter." Perhaps Gordon and Vera are researching a complete solution encompassing the entire process from killing and identification to monetization?

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