"Sir, everything I have here represents the finest equipment available in the vicinity. Top-notch quality naturally comes with a commensurate price tag, and the figures I'm offering are already the most competitive," the weapons merchant persisted, endeavoring to sway Avi, the visibly hesitant leader of the mercenaries, with his pitch.

On the stone-laid streets, fully-armed mercenaries occasionally passed by, casting sympathetic glances at Avi: this establishment was notorious throughout Midengland for its shady dealings, particularly its reputation for swindling inexperienced newcomers.

The merchant's sole semblance of integrity lay in his pricing tactics; the quality of the equipment itself was top-notch—rumor had it that he had a relative involved in armory management in Rikland and had managed to offload a considerable amount of gear amidst the recent turmoil in the Empire.

"Observe, these are all crafted from premium iron ore sourced from Weisenland, and the intricate patterns are the handiwork of royal craftsmen. Take a moment to appreciate the robust hilt and the gleam on its blade... This sword is sharp enough to split a hair drifting in the wind!"

"Um..."

Drawing on his basic appraisal skills, Avi confirmed the quality of the goods, but faced with the exorbitant prices, he felt the sting of an empty purse—without upgrading their equipment, their combat effectiveness would be lacking, yet his funds fell short of covering all their needs.

He lamented not having more skill points to invest in upgrading his "Negotiation" skill.

"Negotiation: This skill encompasses both identification and bargaining capabilities, allowing for the assessment of an item's value to a certain extent (dependent on skill level). When engaging in trade with merchants, it enables the purchase of goods at reduced prices."

As the description on the panel replayed in his mind, the accompanying warning stood out: With a negotiation skill level of zero, the opposite effect might occur during trade.

Noticing Avi's desire to purchase despite his financial constraints, the weapons merchant's eyes lit up, prompting him to change his approach.

"Sir, since you appear to be a discerning buyer, how about this? Let's make a deal. I'll offer you a twenty percent discount on the swords you've selected, and in return, you assist me with a small favor. Sound fair?"

At the proposal, Avi's eyes sparkled instantly.

"Deal!" Avi slapped his chest. "What do you need us to do?"

Upon hearing this, a cunning glint flashed in the weapon shop owner's eyes, and his thin mustache curled up in satisfaction...

Thus, Avi acquired a brand-new hand-and-a-half sword for the price of three silver coins plus a damaged iron sword. As for his own iron sword, Avi gave it to Rafe.

In the afternoon.

The slightly unkempt market exuded the aroma of sausages, jerky, and bread, while several taverns buzzed with activity, occasionally wafting the scent of dark ale through the cracks in their doors, causing passersby to salivate.

Avi and his team sat on the steps outside the "Joyful Nightingale" inn, chewing on black bread as hard as stone, enough to deter the stray dogs eyeing their meal.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Their only drink was cool water drawn fresh from the well, which sufficed for their needs.

"Boss, where did you manage to procure this food from? It smells quite enticing," Rafe inquired between bites, the sound of his chewing resembling the crunch of chicken bones to the untrained ear.

"I struck a deal with the owner; we'll watch his shop for thieves tonight, and in return, he'll provide us with two meals," Avi explained.

"Wow, that's quite the bargain!" Rafe exclaimed happily. "After we eat, are we going out to hunt some orcs?"

"Yes," Avi sighed, smiling wryly. "And besides that, we also have to deal with this."

This was the cost of the so-called "discount" from the weapons store owner; in reality, he had merely reverted the price to the standard market rate, tricking Avi into running a fruitless errand for him.

"Alright, brothers, finish your meal, and then we'll head out for work!" Avi rallied, "If all goes well, we'll celebrate with a drink when we return!"

"Cheers!"

The mercenaries cheered loudly, as if they were back in their hometown—after all, hard bread and cold water were their daily fare, while a cup of dark ale was a luxury.

Three hours later, on the sparse grasslands outside Midengstandt, the stench of goblin and orc blood slowly dissipated in the twilight.

"Let's set up camp and rest for a while. After we've dispatched a couple more squads, we'll head back to the city for dinner!"

With his new sword, Avi swiftly decapitated the fallen orc and casually tossed the ugly green head to Rafe.

"Boss, this job feels like a breeze," remarked Rafe as he stuffed the massive orc heads into the burlap sack they had bought. "We've already taken care of seven orcs in just a short while. That feels good!"

"Just seven..." Avi carefully sheathed his sword, feeling exhausted. "A silver coin for each head... damn it. And that useless orc without tusks doesn't count, so we can only exchange for six silver coins."

"Two new swords, that's worth it!" Rafe chuckled foolishly. "Let's slaughter more of these green skins; money will always come!"

"Worthless!" Avi retorted.

"Speaking of which, Boss..." Rafe pointed at the bundle hanging next to Avi's saddle with a sense of importance. "Isn't that the handsome and effective sword? Why don't we use it?"

"Because if we ruin it, we might spend the rest of our lives paying off the debt," Avi sighed.

Avi forced a smile as he opened the panel, immediately noticing the prominent 'Upgrade' labels and detailed status of his team. Only the growth of the team could bring him some warmth and solace from the merchant's stinginess and exploitation.

"At least morale is still high... let me see... 'High Morale,' good. Supplies... still sufficient. We'll skip tonight's dinner at the tavern and save some money for tomorrow's lunch. We'll still have enough to eat until noon," Avi muttered while manipulating the panel in the air, causing some commotion among the surrounding team members.

"What's the Boss doing?" a mercenary whispered to Rafe.

"Magic, magic!" Rafe said with a serious tone. "Don't judge the Boss by appearance; he's good at magic and can make us stronger! Haven't you figured it out in these two days?"

"Oh, I see..."

After the mercenary left, the others looked at Avi with a bit more admiration in their eyes.

"Why does morale rise again...? Well, it's a good thing anyway. Let's check the experience."

The Cheat Mercenary Corps had good luck; they encountered four goblin squads just outside the city and gained a considerable amount of experience after defeating them all. The team that entered the city comprised thirteen 'Militia' and eleven 'Mercenaries,' but now they had become twenty-four 'Mercenaries.'

Avi was initially excited about what the 'Mercenaries' would upgrade into, so much so that he ignored his and Rafe's upgrades and went straight to the troop panel. However, the contents displayed on the panel mercilessly extinguished his enthusiasm—

Upgrade to Imperial Swordsman (requires sword and shield) Upgrade to Imperial Archer (requires bow, rifle, or crossbow)

Seeing the names of these two troop types, Avi couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity. Those were the same troop types he had seen on the conscription notices posted in the village where he was born.

"It seems that villagers recruited from different areas will upgrade into corresponding troops of that territory," Avi thought to himself. "This system, no matter how powerful it is, cannot create something out of nothing. They must be equipped with corresponding equipment to upgrade to higher-level troops."

Thinking of his twenty-four mercenaries who should be using Imperial swords but were still wielding farm tools as weapons, Avi couldn't help but sigh deeply:

"The road to wealth is long and arduous..."