Seeing this scene, the adventurers in the tavern were all stunned, even Barrett, who was usually well-traveled and seasoned, couldn't hide his shock.
Wood's arms were nearly four times thicker than EeDechi's, his rough, veiny hands twisting her arm with all his might, trying to snap it in two. But it was like pressing two lumps of dough against an Adamantite rod—her arm didn't budge an inch.
Wood's face turned beet red, the scar on his face looking even more ferocious. He clenched his fists tight, raising two pumpkin-sized knuckles, and pounded them into EeDechi's face, one punch after another, "Thud! Thud!" echoing through the room!
Barrett had once seen Wood swing a heavy, blood-streaked war axe and cleave an armored lizard clean in half. He'd even brawled with Wood over splitting loot before, so he knew exactly how much power those ogre-sized fists packed.
Yet EeDechi stood there like a bronze statue bolted to the ground. Her head took punch after punch, but she kept her arm straight, holding Wood by the neck without so much as a flinch.
She smirked and said, "It's pretty cool outside the tavern. Why don't you hang out there?"
With that, EeDechi made a tossing motion, and Wood shot out like a cannonball launched from a siege catapult. He soared over the heads of the adventurers in the tavern, crashed through the tavern's doors, and landed hard outside.
"OW!" Wood's yelp rang out from a distance. From the sound of it, he hadn't just landed outside the tavern—he'd probably been flung clear across the street to the other side.
A few burly adventurers scrambled out the door in a panic to rescue Wood. They were part of the same adventurer crew as him, but right now, they clearly didn't dare to confront EeDechi for an explanation.
"Scarface" Valent quietly sipped his drink and slipped back into the crowd of tavern patrons. The rest of the folks in the tavern also stopped staring at EeDechi and picked up their chatter about whatever they'd been discussing before Barrett walked in.
EeDechi casually straightened her collar, like what just happened was no big deal, just a little blip. She turned to Barrett and went on, "I need a guide to take me through Mistwood to Golden Sheaf City on the other side. I think you'd be a good fit. The gig pays 40 gold coins, and if that's not enough, I can bump it up."
An orichalcum-level adventurer wants to hire me as a guide? Barrett's gut reaction was to say no. Usually, elite adventurers at the orichalcum or adamantite level had a tight-knit, reliable team behind them. They wouldn't bring in some random newbie who hadn't been tested in sync with them. Slowing the group down was one thing, but throwing off the rhythm of an elite adventurer squad? That was a whole other mess.
Besides, for an orichalcum-level adventurer team, crossing Mistwood should be a piece of cake, right? Why would they need him? Even a makeshift mithril-level adventurer squad from Montell could stroll through Mistwood and back twice without breaking a sweat.
Barrett waved his hand, signaling he wasn't interested.
"80 gold coins." EeDechi doubled the offer without missing a beat.
Eighty gold coins wasn't chump change—it could buy a big estate with a backyard garden in Montell City. But Barrett still didn't want the job. What he couldn't figure out was, with so many adventurers in Marina Tavern, why the hell did this girl zero in on him?
What Barrett didn't know was that in EeDechi's eyes, a number floated above his head: Justice Value 146. The only person in the whole tavern with a higher score was the receptionist, clocking in at 154. EeDechi judged people almost entirely by the Justice Value hovering over their heads.
"95 gold coins!" Seeing Barrett's face scrunched up with hesitation, EeDechi jacked up the pay again.
"Barrett, just say yes already! With that kind of cash, even I'm tempted! Finish this gig, then you and this lady can head to a monastery—she'll be a nun, you'll be a priest, and you won't have to risk your neck in this line of work anymore."
Hearing EeDechi keep upping the pay, a chatty shortstack adventurer nearby couldn't help but butt in. With her stiff, old-school vibe, he just assumed she used to be a nun.
EeDechi shot a cold glare at the guy, whose Justice Value was a measly 52. He shrank back fast, burying his face in his black rye beer.
Barrett turned her down again. Truth be told, the higher the reward, the more on edge he felt. Pay usually matched the danger level—that's a golden rule in pretty much every adventuring gig.
If he took the job as EeDechi's guide, who knew if this freakishly strong, weird girl might one day chuck him into the sky like she did Wood!
"120 gold coins!" EeDechi's pretty black eyebrows scrunched up as she raised the offer yet again.
Seeing her frown and the hint of anger brewing, Barrett's gut screamed trouble.
He rested his right hand lightly on his sword, shifting his left foot back a tiny step. If EeDechi flipped out like she did with Wood, he'd either fight back or bolt for the tavern door.
He'd survived nearly twenty years in the brutal, high-death-rate adventurer trade by staying sharp and cautious every damn second! Unlike some rookie adventurers who'd trade an arm, a leg, or even their life for a quick buck.
Sure, you can't often walk by the river without getting your shoes wet—he'd lost a piece of himself recently too.
"150 gold coins!" EeDechi let out a heavy huff.
"DEAL!" Barrett grabbed her right hand with both of his, his blue eyes locking onto her dark ones with dead-serious determination. "I swear I'll get you through Mistwood, no sweat!"
After all, who's gonna say no to a pile of shiny gold coins?