Chapter 40: First Victory
Charlotte went upstairs and entered the bathroom, locking the door behind him. He opened the system store and exchanged 10,000 wealth points for a bottle of Stamina Potion.
He undressed and quickly consumed the potion, taking deep gulps.
A familiar hot sensation spread throughout his body. His arm muscles slightly bulged, and faint lines appeared on his flat abdomen. Even his chest muscles swelled slightly.
However, this time, apart from sweating profusely, there were no large amounts of black stains or a strong smell like last time.
One bottle of Stamina Potion could increase his strength by 100 kilograms. This was his second bottle, which meant that his strength had surpassed 200 kilograms.
With one hand, Charlotte effortlessly lifted the 200-pound water barrel in the bathroom, as if it were just a bucket of water.
"Is this what it feels like to have 400 pounds of strength? I've already surpassed the average human man," Charlotte murmured to himself as he gently placed the water barrel on the ground. The feeling of having strength indeed gave him a sense of security.
Of course, he didn't let it get to his head. He was still inferior to even a knight apprentice. If he encountered talented races like orcs outside, he would be completely overwhelmed.
After taking a shower, Charlotte changed into a tattered gray robe. He concealed the magic incantation in his sleeve, ready to be activated at any time. He also wrapped the Judgment Sword in black cloth and concealed it in his loose clothing. Then, he went downstairs.
"Boss, are you going out?" Vivian had just finished cleaning the clinic and looked at Charlotte, who had changed his clothes.
"Yes, I need to go out for a while. You can go to the bakery next door for lunch," Charlotte said, handing her a silver coin. He reminded her, "Remember, loose lips sink ships."
"Mumm." Vivian tightened her grip on the silver coin and nodded earnestly.
She had been at the clinic for three days, and this was the first time the boss allowed her to go out. Although it was just to the bakery next door, she still felt nervous and excited.
"Also, be cautious when you're alone at home. Even though it's relatively safe during the day, stay vigilant. If you see any suspicious individuals, take note of their features," Charlotte whispered to her.
He felt like a father about to leave on a long journey, advising his daughter who was home alone.
But he was just planning to go to the grocery store three streets away, right?
Was he being overly cautious?
Charlotte opened a crack in the door and saw that there weren't many people on the street. Only then did he open the door and walk out briskly, quickly disappearing into the mist.
Walking swiftly along the street, he passed two consecutive blocks without any trouble.
Just when Charlotte thought he would reach his destination safely, two figures suddenly jumped out from an alley, blocking his path.
They were orcs, one tall and one short. One was a one-eyed limping werewolf, and the other was a one-armed dog-headed orc.
"Hey, buddy, can you spare some money?" the one-eyed werewolf grinned, swinging his wolf-tooth club, revealing a mouthful of broken teeth.
The dog-headed orc had already circled to Charlotte's side and blocked his retreat. Drooling, he said, "Hehe, looks like a poor guy. But this flesh looks good enough to have a satisfying meal."
Charlotte clenched the magic incantation in his left hand and tightly gripped the Judgment Sword in his right hand. He was highly nervous, and his palms were already sweating.
Although these two orcs were both defective, it was obvious that they had been mercenaries or adventurers before. Their combat experience was rich, far beyond what a novice like him, who had only practiced for two days, could compare to.
And from the words of the dog-headed orc behind him, it was clear that they not only wanted money but also his life.
The magic incantation could instantly kill a person, so at least one orc would require him to go all out.
This was a magic incantation that cost 10,000 copper coins each. It would be a waste to use it on two small thieves he encountered on the road, which was not cost-effective.
Charlotte's mind raced at high speed, but his inner self quickly calmed down.
He was no longer the weakling with no strength. With 400 pounds of strength and the sharp Judgment Sword, perhaps he could surprise them by killing one first.
"Brother, I... I'm just a poor guy. But I just found a jade stone and was planning to sell it. How about you take it and let me go?" Charlotte put on a mournful face, picked up the Judgment Sword wrapped in tattered cloth, and trembled with fear.
"A jade stone!"
The one-eyed werewolf's eyes lit up when he heard about the jade stone. It was a valuable item that the wealthy people in Calva liked. If they could get it, they could exchange it for a large sum of money at the grocery store.
In the hands of this poor guy, a jade stone of this length was something they could feast on for a whole year.
"What bullshit jade stone! Today, I'm going to eat you," the dog-headed orc said, lifting his stone axe, ready to charge at Charlotte.
"Wait!" The one-eyed werewolf stopped the dog-headed orc, looking at the trembling Charlotte with fear. He was afraid that Charlotte might accidentally throw the jade stone away.
He had heard that intact jade stones were more valuable, and if it was shattered, they would be in big trouble.
"Don't move! Hand over the jade stone, and I'll let you go," the one-eyed werewolf ordered Charlotte, slowly approaching him.
"Big brother..." the dog-headed orc wanted to say something but was stared back by a fierce look from the one-eyed werewolf.
"Then you better keep your word..." Charlotte held the Judgment Sword with both hands, placing his right hand on the hilt.
"Don't worry, I keep my word," the werewolf stared at the cloth-wrapped long object in Charlotte's hands, a crazy smile spreading across his face. He had already planned to exchange the jade stone for money and enjoy himself on Aman Street.
As for the skinny human in front of him, he could have a satisfying meal after obtaining the jade stone.
The werewolf reached out to grab the Judgment Sword, a smile on his face.
But at that moment, Charlotte, who had been holding the sword with both hands, suddenly gripped the hilt tightly and swiftly pulled it upward.
He had never learned swordsmanship, but he had held a scalpel for five years, so his hand was steady.
The black sword light cut through the tattered cloth wrapped around the sword, slashing the wolf claws covered in calluses.
Fear flashed in the werewolf's eyes, but his rich combat experience made him instinctively raise his wolf-tooth club, blocking the sword in front of him.
As long as he could block this sneak attack, he could smash the deceitful human's dog head with his club!
However, when the black long sword collided with the thick wolf-tooth club, there was no sound of metal clashing.
The wolf-tooth club, like it was made of tofu, was severed by a single sword strike.
"What!"
The werewolf was shocked, unbelievably looking at the wolf-tooth club falling.
The long sword continued its momentum, and before the werewolf could react, it had already cut him into two pieces.
In an instant, the broken wolf-tooth club and the werewolf, sliced in half from his abdomen to his chest, happened within a blink of an eye.
Charlotte stepped back two steps, avoiding the splattering of blood, and leaned against the wall, coldly watching the dumbfounded dog-headed orc. His left hand held the magic incantation tightly.
If his intimidating gaze couldn't scare off the dog-headed orc, he would have to use magic.
"Big brother!" The dog-headed orc looked at the werewolf, who was cut in half, with an expression of disbelief. The neatly sliced wolf-tooth club gleamed with a metallic sheen, sending chills down his spine.
He looked up at Charlotte with anger and intense fear in his eyes.
Although his big brother had lost one eye and one leg, his strength was still not to be underestimated. The wolf-tooth club had accompanied him in battles for over ten years, and countless monster enemies had died under its strikes. Yet, it was severed by a single sword strike from this human before him.
Who exactly was this guy?!
The fear and terror he had shown before were all just a pretense. Charlotte's cold and indifferent gaze made the dog-headed orc's heart tremble, and his hand holding the stone axe began to shake slightly.
Charlotte coldly shouted, "Get lost!"
The dog-headed orc felt as if he had received a pardon and turned around to run, quickly disappearing into the mist. From a distance, he could still be heard saying, "I'll be back..."