Two options hovered before me, shimmering with potential:

[Advanced Improvised Weaponry: Active skill that allows Stanley to turn ordinary objects into temporary weapons. Can imbue any non-weapon item with weapon properties for 5 minutes, with a 30-minute cooldown.]

[Appraisal: Allows you to see how much an item is worth before adding it to your inventory.]

My first instinct was to grab the Advanced Improvised Weaponry skill. After all, we'd just barely scraped through a life-or-death situation. And I was getting pretty sick and tired of not having an actual weapon.

"You're not thinking about picking Improvised Weaponry, are you Stan?" Effie asked. Effie's tone made it sound more like a statement than a question.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, I didn't think I'd have to point this out to you, but I don't think the witch is going to give us that gold she'd promised anymore."

"Which means we're back to square one all over again," Gilly said.

"Unless… wouldn't it be great if there was an ability that let Stanley just look at an item to tell if it were worth something?"

I glanced around the witch's hut, taking in the chaos of magical items strewn about.

"Oh, I get it now. You're saying we should steal some of the dead witch's stuff and pawn it!"

"That's not exactly how I would have put it, but yeah."

With a thought, I selected [Appraisal]. A warm sensation washed over me, like knowledge seeping directly into my brain.

[Skill Acquired: Appraisal]

[You can now see the monetary value alongside basic properties of items you focus on.]

"Alright," I said, cracking my knuckles. "Let's see what we've got here."

I turned my attention to a nearby shelf, focusing on a small vial filled with swirling purple liquid. Immediately, information popped into my vision:

[Potion of Whispers]

[Value: 75 gold]

[Effect: Allows the drinker to hear thoughts within a 10-foot radius for 1 hour]

"Whoa," I whispered, carefully adding it to my inventory. "Don't mind if I do."

Gilly waddled over, his eyes wide with curiosity. "What'cha find, Stanley?"

"Some kind of mind-reading potion. Worth a decent chunk of gold, too."

"Ooh! I wanna see how much stuff is worth!" He grabbed a dusty old book from a nearby table, holding it up to me. "What about this?"

I focused on the tome, and information flooded my vision:

[Grimoire of Elemental Binding]

[Value: 500 gold]

[A powerful spellbook containing rituals to summon and control elemental spirits. Warning: High-level magic, use with caution.]

"Jackpot," I siad, carefully taking the book from Gilly. "This is worth a small fortune."

"Be careful, Stanley. Some of these items might be dangerous, especially for someone who doesn't know how to handle magic yet."

"I'm not using it, just putting it in my inventory to sell later."

"Okay then, do whatever you'd like. Just keep in mind that Melissa was known for her curses. Touch the wrong item and you could turn into a chicken."

"Alright, new plan. I'll check each item before we touch it. Anything valuable but safe, we take. Anything too risky, we leave alone."

We set to work, combing through the wreckage of the witch's hut. My newly acquired Appraisal skill proved invaluable, allowing us to quickly sort treasure from trash (and potential magical disasters).

Among our finds were:

[Cloak of Shadows]

[Value: 250 gold]

[Grants the wearer partial invisibility in dim light or darkness]

[Everburning Candle]

[Value: 50 gold]

[A magical candle that never burns out, perfect for long dungeon delves]

[Bottled Lightning]

[Value: 100 gold]

[A glass sphere containing a miniature thunderstorm. Can be thrown to release a powerful electrical discharge]

As we searched, Plop oozed his way around the room, occasionally absorbing small trinkets into his gelatinous body.

"Plop help!" he said happily. "Plop find shiny things!"

"Be careful what you absorb, Plop. We don't want you turning into some kind of slime chicken."

Suddenly, Gilly's excited voice rang out from across the room. "Guys! Guys! I found something!"

We rushed over to find the axolotl man struggling to push aside a heavy bookcase. Behind it, a small door was revealed, cleverly hidden in the wall's paneling.

"Nice work, Gilly!" I said, helping him clear the remaining debris. "Let's see what's inside."

The hidden compartment swung open with a creak, revealing stacks of gleaming gold coins and jewels.

[Hidden Treasure Trove]

[Total Value: 5000 gold]

"Holy shit. This is more than enough to cover our debt. We're in the clear!"

"We did it! We actually did it!" Effie said.

As the reality of our windfall sank in, a wave of relief washed over me. We'd not only survived a deadly encounter but managed to come out ahead. Way ahead.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"Okay," I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the excitement bubbling up inside me. "Let's get this packed up and get out of here before anything else tries to kill us."

We worked quickly, loading our inventories with as much as we could carry. Between the gold, the magical items, and the valuable tomes, we'd amassed a small fortune.

The walk back to Millhaven felt like a victory march. My pockets jingled with gold, my inventory bursting with magical treasures. Gilly hummed a jaunty tune, while Plop bounced along beside us, occasionally shape-shifting into miniature versions of the monsters we'd faced.

"I still can't believe we pulled that off," I said, shaking my head in disbelief.

"You should have more faith in yourself, Stanley. You're becoming quite the adventurer!" Effie said.

As we entered the town, heads turned. Whispers followed in our wake. I caught snatches of conversation:

"Is that them?"

"...defeated the witch..."

"...thought they were goners for sure..."

I straightened my back, trying to look the part of the conquering hero. It felt strange, but not entirely unpleasant.

Our first stop was Lunarblade's forge. He looked up from his work, surprised.

"Well, well. Look who decided to show up. I was just about to pack up and leave town."

I thought about my inventory and the inventory window appeared before my eyes. I moved over to the iron ore, selected 100 pieces of iron ore, and gave them to Lunarblade.

"Sorry. We ran into some complications. But we got what you asked for. Are we still good for that weapon?"

"A deal's a deal, lad. This'll make for a fine blade indeed. I'll need the night to work my craft. Come back at first light, and you'll have a weapon worthy of a true adventurer."

Relief washed over me. After everything we'd been through, the thought of walking away empty-handed would've been too much to bear.

Our second stop was Millhaven's General Store. The bell above the door chimed as we entered, and the shop owner looked up from his ledger. His eyes widened as he took in our battered appearance.

"By the gods. The rumors are true then?"

I nodded, trying to keep my voice casual. "We might have some items to sell, if you're interested."

"Interested? I'd be a fool not to be! Please, come in, come in. My name is Thom. Let's see what you've got."

I laid out our haul on the counter, watching Thom's expression grow more and more astonished with each item. The Potion of Whispers, the Cloak of Shadows, the Everburning Candle – each drew gasps of appreciation.

"This is extraordinary," Thom said, examining the Grimoire of Elemental Binding with reverence. "I never thought I'd see such treasures in my humble shop."

We haggled back and forth, my new Appraisal skill proving invaluable. In the end, we walked away with a tidy sum, our coin purses considerably heavier.

As we stepped back onto the street, a small crowd had gathered. Word of our return had spread like wildfire.

"Is it true?" a young boy asked, eyes wide with wonder. "Did you really defeat the witch of the Whispering Woods?"

I glanced at my companions, unsure how to respond. Gilly, however, had no such hesitation.

"You bet your ass we did! It was a fierce battle, full of danger..!"

And just like that, Gilly launched into a tale of our adventure. To my surprise, his retelling was mostly accurate, if a bit embellished. He had a much more central role in defeating Melissa than I remembered, but the crowd hung on his every word, gasping and cheering at all the right moments.

"And then," Gilly said, building to his crescendo, "Stanley here hurled his mighty pickaxe, striking the witch down and saving us all!"

The crowd erupted in cheers. I felt my face flush, feeling a little embarrassed at the attention.

"Plop help too!" he chimed in, morphing into a miniature version of his bear-slime form. The children in the crowd squealed with delight.

As the impromptu storytelling session wound down, I caught Effie's eye. She nodded towards the tavern, reminding me of our primary goal.

"Sorry folks," I said, trying to sound authoritative. "We've got some important business to attend to."

The crowd parted, many offering words of thanks or congratulations as we passed. It was a surreal experience, being treated like heroes. Part of me worried it would go to my head if I wasn't careful.

The Tipsy Tadpole looked much as we'd left it – which is to say, a total fucking disaster. Bargus stood behind the bar, his expression darkening as we entered.

"Well, well, come to survey the damage again, have you?"

I approached the bar, fishing out a hefty bag of gold coins. "Actually," I said, "we've come to settle our debt."

Bargus's eyebrows shot up as I placed the bag on the counter. "Two thousand, five hundred gold pieces," I said. "As agreed."

The dwarf's expression cycled through disbelief, suspicion, and finally, grudging respect. He hefted the bag, testing its weight.

"Well, I'll be a goblin's uncle. You actually did it."

"We're men of our word," Gilly said.

Effie conspicuously cleared her throat.

"We're men, and fairies, of our word," he corrected himself.

Then Plop tried to clear his throat, but it sounded more like someone gargling with mouthwash.

"Fine, we're men, fairies, and slimes of our word." Gilly said.

If someone put a gun to my head and asked me to describe Gilly, I think referring to him simply as a man probably wouldn't be the first description that popped into my head, but I decided to leave it alone.

Bargus nodded slowly, stroking his beard. "That you are. Not many would come back to pay a debt like this. Especially after you destroyed the place the way you have," he gestured at the wreckage around us.

"We caused the damage," I said. "It's only fair we make it right."

"You've got integrity, lad. That's rarer than gold these days." He reached under the bar and pulled out an ornate mug, its surface etched with runes. "Here. Consider this a reward for your honesty."

I took the mug, feeling a slight tingle as my hand touched the cool metal.

[Item Acquired: Mug of Endless Ale]

[Quality: Rare]

[Effect: This mug will never run dry of ale.]

"Whoa, this is the most incredible thing anyone has ever given me. Thank you, Bargus."

The dwarf waved off my thanks. "Just don't go sharing that with the entire town, or you'll put me out of business."

"Of course, it'll stay our secret. I suppose we should be off to see the armorer now."

"That might be a little tough," Bargus said, looking at his pocket watch, "it's already well past suppertime."

"Goddammit, are you serious?" I asked.

"Afraid so, lad. Not sure where you're from, but most places around here are only open during the daylight hours. But that's quite alright, since I'm going to have to insist you stay for dinner."

"No, we couldn't possi-"

"What've you got?" Gilly interrupted.

----------------------------------------

Over the course of the next few hours, The Tipsy Tadpole was transformed from a total dump into a buzzing hive of activity. Word of our victory spread faster than Plop could… ooze? I guess? Soon, the tavern filled with curious locals, all eager to catch a glimpse of Millhaven's newest heroes: us.

Bargus outdid himself, whipping up a feast fit for royalty. Platters of roasted meats, steaming vegetables, and fresh-baked bread covered every available surface. My Mug of Endless Ale lived up to its name, never running dry no matter how many toasts were raised in our honor.

"To the witch-slayers!" someone shouted, and a chorus of cheers erupted.

I grinned, basking in the attention. It felt good to be appreciated, to be seen as someone who mattered. The constant stream of well-wishers and admirers was intoxicating – or maybe that was just the endless ale talking.

"Tell us about the battle!" a buxom barmaid pleaded, leaning in close. Her perfume tickled my nose, sweet and alluring.

"Well," I said, puffing out my chest, "the witch had us cornered, her dark magic swirling all around us."

I launched into the tale, embellishing here and there for dramatic effect. The crowd hung on my every word, gasping and cheering at all the right moments. With each retelling, I found myself growing bolder, more confident.

"And then," I said, locking eyes with a gorgeous elven girl, "I swung my pickaxe with all my might, striking the witch down and saving the day."

The elf giggled, her eyes sparkling. "How brave you are, Stanley!"

"Oh, it was nothing," I said, trying to sound modest but failing miserably. "Just another day in the life of an adventurer."

From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Effie. The fairy hovered near the bar, her tiny arms crossed. Was it my imagination, or did she look annoyed?

I pushed the thought aside as another group of admirers approached. A halfling woman with curly hair and freckles touched my arm, her eyes wide with admiration.

"Is it true you can nullify magic?" she asked.

At this point I'd had enough ales that I didn't even notice her hairy feet. As I showed off my newfound abilities, hamming it up for the crowd, I couldn't shake the feeling of Effie's eyes boring into me. But every time I glanced her way, she quickly looked elsewhere, busying herself with some trivial task.

The night wore on, a blur of laughter, stories, and far too much ale. At some point, Gilly climbed onto a table, regaling the crowd with an exaggerated (and mostly fictional) account of his heroic deeds. Plop, not to be outdone, morphed into increasingly bizarre shapes. I'm pretty sure he'd oozed his way over enough spilled beers that he too was feeling a bit tipsy.

As the celebration reached its peak, Bargus called for silence. The dwarf raised his mug high, his beard quivering with emotion.

"To Stanley, Gilly, Plop, and Effie," he boomed. "True heroes of Millhaven! May your adventures be many, and your ale never run dry!"

The tavern erupted in cheers. I stood, swaying slightly, and raised my own mug.

"To friendship," I said, my words a bit slurred. "And to future adventures!"

The crowd echoed my toast, the sound of clinking mugs filling the air. As I drank deeply from my magical mug, my eyes met Effie's across the room. For a moment, something passed between us – a flicker of... what? Disappointment? Hurt?

But before I could decipher it, she turned away, disappearing into the crowd.