"Service."
Sherfilia spoke the two simple words in a calm, matter-of-fact tone.
"But it’s already night, and I don’t have anything I need—"
As Lin Mo said that, he suddenly realized sothing and shot her a startled look.
Could it be?
No way...
Sherfilia, as if confirming his thought, took a few steps closer, stopped by the bedside, and bent slightly:
"Nightti service is also part of a maid's duties."
Her face remained unreadable as ever—calm, composed, as if stating sothing perfectly ordinary.
Perhaps, in their world, it really was ordinary.
Lin Mo had heard of this custom popular among high nobility: when two families arranged a marriage, the bride's side would often send the maid who had grown up with their young mistress to the groom's household first for an evaluation.
The assessnt focused on the other party’s character, innate talent and strength, conversational manner, and so on.
Of course, physical and ntal health—especially certain intimate capabilities—were also included and extrely important.
Put bluntly, it was to test Finnie’s intended to see his worth.
"This... this isn’t appropriate, is it?"
Lin Mo looked at Sherfilia’s fair, slender neck;
her delicate, pretty face was now less than half a ter away, and a faint perfu enveloped him.
The ambiguous scene paired with her cool expression created a striking contrast that stirred sothing in him.
"This is my duty."
Sherfilia reiterated evenly. "Please do not put in an awkward position, Master."
As she spoke, she reached out and unbuttoned Lin Mo’s sleeping robe.
Her cool fingers brushed his chest. The delicate touch made them both feel as if struck by lightning;
they shuddered.
Even though he and the little wolf-girl were quite practiced, the sensation with a different person was completely unlike before...
Sherfilia steadied her breath and continued.
Lin Mo felt frozen, letting that small hand gently remove his robe.
He only snapped back to himself when she reached for her maid outfit—hurriedly stopping her. "No need to take it off. This is fine."
Sherfilia paused, then looked at him with a subtle expression—part disdain, but not quite.
"As you command, my Master."
She obediently stopped and knelt beside him, placing her hand on his chest to steady him.
"Hiss—"
Lin Mo sucked in a sharp breath.
Sherfilia’s expression remained calm, but her petite body trembled slightly;
her eyes shimred with a veil of moisture.
It wasn’t from insignificant pain—rather from a strange sensation that nearly made her lose control of her body.
...
Experience proved that practice makes perfect is an eternal truth.
Even though Sherfilia had cramd a lot of relevant knowledge these days and learned many techniques, things learned from books could never truly replace real growth.
At this mont, her mind went blank;
she could no longer recall the phrases she had been repeating in her head.
Gradually her consciousness blurred and she could no longer maintain her usual composure;
a barely audible moan escaped her throat.
Lin Mo was a little shocked.
She could convulse so intensely...
But Sherfilia was stubborn. Even so, she refused to give up. She grit her teeth and persisted;
in the end, though her whole body was sore, she still wouldn’t concede, propping a pillow beneath her.
It turned out that having a strong constitution had many advantages.
Sherfilia also had her own edge—her small fra and certain characteristics that ca with it.
In short, it ended as mutual exhaustion.
Lin Mo won, but it wasn’t easy.
The next morning, when he woke, the woman beside him had already gone. Lin Mo rubbed his forehead and sat up slowly.
Recalling yesterday felt dreamlike—long and unreal.
Yet it was not a dream;
it had truly happened.
The image of her small body limp against him still lingered vividly.
Lin Mo stared blankly for a long ti before checking his status panel.
[Joint Cultivation] Lv4 (73/100)
It leveled up pretty fast. At this rate, it won’t be long before this skill evolves.
But raising this skill was sowhat strenuous.
Those two were no easy marks.
Ellie naturally had an advantage—half-orcs possessed certain innate benefits in this area. With continuous practice, Ellie’s constitution was steadily increasing.
As for Sherfilia...
Compared to Ellie, lacking racial advantages, she was actually pretty weak—at least not outstanding.
But she was stubborn!
Combined with so unspeakable other advantages, she was not easy to handle.
One could even say it hurt a little.
However, compared with Ellie, this ti the effort paid off.
Besides the [Joint Cultivation] skill proficiency increase, there were other gains:
Agility: 59 ( 49 = 108)
Right—just one night, and Lin Mo gained 1 point of Agility.
Even better, the attribute points gained through this skill counted toward base attributes!
That was delightful—aning Lin Mo could level up now;
he only needed 1 more Agility for the Agility-based Assassin profession to reach level 6.
As for the Ranger profession...
Lin Mo wasn’t certain yet.
So far he didn’t know how many skills were required to ascend to a Veteran Level Professional. The Priest profession needed four, and the Ranger profession currently had five—maybe enough, maybe not.
Since it was reaching level 6, needing six skills wouldn’t be surprising.
Putting those questions aside for now, Lin Mo examined [Joint Cultivation]’s effect more carefully.
[Joint Cultivation] Lv4 (73/100): Through deep exchange, resonance between qi and blood or between mana increases mutual compatibility and slightly provides a random corresponding attribute correction (i.e.: qi-blood exchange randomly increases Strength, Constitution, Agility;
mana exchange randomly increases Mana, Spirit).
Note: Requires "depth" and "exchange." Corrections are applied from higher to lower, and the magnitude is slightly positively correlated with the attribute gap between both parties.
Now Lin Mo had two questions...
If [Joint Cultivation]’s attribute correction applies from higher to lower, what happens when attributes are asymtrical?
For example, Sherfilia’s Agility might be higher than his, while Lin Mo’s other attributes might be higher than hers. Will the correction be unidirectional and fixed toward him, randomly unidirectional toward one of them, or ideally bidirectional simultaneous enhancent?
He could ask Sherfilia later or experint more to test it.
Another question: the attribute “correction” from this skill is added to base attributes—so when determining which is higher or lower, do they compare base attributes or total attributes after profession bonuses?
If it’s the latter, that could be troubleso.
Lin Mo’s total Agility wasn’t far from Sherfilia’s—maybe twenty points short. But if judged by base attributes, he might be forty points behind;
in that case, Sherfilia could provide him with longer and larger attribute gains.
Unfortunately, these questions wouldn’t be answered quickly;
everything had to be proven through practice.
Lin Mo stood, washed, and was about to change clothes when the door opened.
Sherfilia entered wearing a new but identical maid outfit and bowed slightly. "Master."
Then she naturally approached and helped him change.
The feeling... was strange, but undeniably pleasant.
"The food is ready. Miss Ellie and Miss Lena are waiting outside."
Sherfilia said this as she worked.
"Okay..."
Lin Mo nodded, suppressing the word "thanks."
If he said it now, it wouldn’t please her;
it might even make the little maid feel frustrated.
Sotis respect and gratitude didn’t need to be said—actions could prove them.
Down in the hall, as Sherfilia had said, Ellie and Lena already sat at the table.
Lena had a day off today and planned to go to the yard to study the crops after breakfast.
Her recent progress in planting had been steady—almost a semi-professional Planter now.
But to reach full professional level, she still needed so necessary factors.
When the little wolf-girl Ellie saw Lin Mo co down, her gaze imdiately landed on the maid following him.
As a sharp-sensed half-orc, she wasn’t naive like Lena. Having tasted at, Ellie could notice subtle changes and naturally knew what had happened yesterday.
But it was not unexpected—she had long prepared herself.
So there was no dramatic flare or aggression. She rely nodded at Sherfilia, then shot Lin Mo a slightly aggrieved look.
Lin Mo suddenly broke into a cold sweat, walked over feigning calm, and ruffled her head.
Ellie half-closed her eyes in pleasure, rubbing her head against his hand.
Thankfully, she seed easy to appease... maybe she just wanted a reason to snuggle.
Lin Mo relaxed, but realized his troubles had doubled—from one person to two—and felt a little overwheld.
He’d better practice his Knight skills more and raise his Constitution.
After breakfast there were important matters to attend.
Lin Mo left the manor and headed straight for Adventurer Street.
He had just learned two Ranger skills the day before, but he didn’t own a bow yet, so he needed to find a decent one.
Money wasn’t tight right now, so he intended to buy an Exceptional-Grade bow.
He’d heard the blacksmith the Association hired wasn’t skilled at making bows, and shipnts from other regions hadn’t arrived, so the Adventurers' Association in Silverstream City didn’t have any high-quality bows for sale—at best so lower-tier Exceptional pieces.
With the Association’s higher prices, it was better to check the smithies.
Aside from the Association, only Shop No.11 on Adventurer Street sold Exceptional-Grade weapons in Silverstream City;
it was the largest forge in the city.
Adventurer Street bustled in the morning. With the goblin army pushed back, the city’s adventurers had beco active again over the past two days.
Having just endured the big battle, many adventurers weren’t rushing into missions;
instead, they gathered on Adventurer Street.
Many adventurers had earned rewards from the goblin siege. With money in hand, most reinvested in equipnt and alchemical potions to boost combat power—so they could take on better missions, earn more, and improve.
Especially at a renowned forge like Shop No.11, custors ca and went non-stop.
Lin Mo felt overwheld by the crowd inside.
Just getting through to inspect weapons was difficult.
Fortunately, his Frost Chill Robe and the bronze-rank adventurer emblem on his chest worked in his favor.
Soon a staff mber hurried over. "Honored guest, how may I assist you?"
A VIP lane, perhaps?
Lin Mo breathed easier. Having so influence was useful—privileges ca with it.
"I’d like to buy a decent bow."
"Bow?"
The attendant was surprised and took him in. Lin Mo’s robe made him look like a mage.
Why would a Mage buy a bow?
But that was none of his business, so he nodded. "Follow ."
He led Lin Mo to the shop’s third floor.
Instead of counter displays, there was a spacious showroom with sofas and refreshnts.
Lin Mo waited on the sofa a mont before a young woman pushed over a small cart.
A red cloth of fine material covered it;
the girl lifted it to reveal several bows.
"Sir, here are the items. Please see if any suit your taste."
The presentation felt ceremonial—proper respect for a valued client. High-end shops relied on such gestures to command premium prices.
Five bows sat before him.
Two were Excellent-Grade—well-crafted and top among their tier, but still just Excellent, so he ignored them.
The other three were blue Exceptional-Grade bows: a green bow, a black bow, and a brown bow.
Lin Mo inspected them one by one.
The first green bow was called the Bow of Hurricane.
[Bow of Hurricane]
Weapon Type: Bows
Rank: Exceptional (Blue)
Attributes: Durability 60%, Toughness 20%, Range 20%
Hidden Attribute: Windbreaker III—fired arrows ignore wind resistance and maintain maximum arrow speed for an extended ti!
Equipnt Amplification: Hurricane III—grants 4 Agility while shooting;
fired arrows are wrapped by hurricane winds, adding 20% wind elental damage.
Not bad!
Lin Mo raised an eyebrow, eyes lighting up.
The bow granted an extra 20% range—a significant boost.
Ignoring wind resistance would greatly improve hit rate.
For a novice like Lin Mo, this trait was extrely useful.
Moreover, while arrow speed usually decays after release, this bow extended the ti spent at top speed—a big help for accuracy.
The equipnt amplification was solid too: 4 Agility is modest for this tier, but the added 20% wind elental damage was valuable.
Among lower Exceptional-Grade gear, this bow was excellent—better than Lin Mo expected.
He’d heard the shop’s blacksmith was only newly at the advanced level, and most Exceptional gear from there wasn’t impressive.
Seeing him focus on the bow, the girl explained: "This bow was procured recently using materials from the Lord-Level monster, Hurricane Eagle. It contains powerful wind-elent energy. Current price: 1,300 gold coins."
*However, to celebrate Silverstream City’s successful defense against the goblin siege, the shop is running a promotion: this bow gets a 20% discount, selling for only 1,040 gold coins, and you also get 10,000 high-quality arrows free—each valued at 0.2 silver coins!"
What? 0.2 silver per arrow?
Lin Mo pursed his lips. Though he seldom used bows, he knew market prices. Unless arrows were made from special materials—monster bone, special wood from a Planter, or enchanted by an alchemist—ordinary arrows were cheap.
The common arrows could be bought five for one copper coin;
even top-quality ordinary arrows cost 5–10 copper each.
Arrows over 10 copper usually carried flashy "concepts" with little practical value.
If these arrows were worth 20 copper each he'd be shocked—at most 10 copper. Ten thousand arrows would cost about 10 gold at most.
As for the bow’s price... 1,300 gold was wildly inflated—at most about 1,050 in true value. The 1,300 likely resulted from a pre-promotion price hike.
After all the fuss, the promotion only cut the price by 20 gold—yet they touted many bonuses.
Well, they were the largest shop in Silverstream City...
Their marketing tricks were plentiful and predictable.
Lin Mo shook his head but had no desire to expose them;
he continued examining the other bows.
The other two Exceptional bows were decent, but not as good as this one.
"So can you lower the price on this bow?"
"Sorry, sir, our shop doesn’t bargain."
"Really not at all?"
The girl looked troubled. "I’m truly sorry—I don’t have the authority. I can ask the supervisor upstairs."
"Please do."
Though not short on money, Lin Mo wasn't foolish. If bargaining was possible, he’d try.
The girl bowed and left. Soon she returned with a well-dressed middle-aged man.
"Good day, sir."
He shook Lin Mo’s hand. "I hear you're interested in this bow..."
"Yes, but can it be cheaper?"
"This... this bow is already at a promotional price," the man said, looking embarrassed.
Acting continues!
Lin Mo smirked. "Let’s be straightforward. Even in the Association, this bow’s value is about 1,100 gold at most. With a 5% discount that'd be 1,045. Selling for 1,040 here—is that reasonable?"
The man glanced at the emblem on Lin Mo’s chest and his robes;
his expression changed.
He thought for a mont, then said, "How about this—I’ll personally authorize another 20-gold discount as a friend-making gesture."
"1,000."
Lin Mo held up a finger. "There aren’t many people in this city who need this bow. You can see I’m not a Ranger, so my demand is low. I’ll only pay 1,000 gold. If you won’t accept, fine—I’ll leave."
He rose as if to depart.
"Wait..."
Unsurprisingly, the man panicked, blocking him and eyeing his emblem. A high-spender like this could beco a valuable repeat client if handled well. Selling at 1,000 gold would still yield profit.
"All right!"
He gritted his teeth, puffed out his chest, and acted magnanimously. "Okay, I’ll chip in from my own funds to make up the 20 gold shortfall. 1,000 gold—this bow is yours."
Lin Mo gave him a cool glance.
His acting was convincing—almost admirable.
If soone didn’t know better, they might be fooled.
Lin Mo didn’t bother unmasking the performance. He paid and left with the bow and the free arrows.
With his Spatial Ring, storing 10,000 arrows was no problem—he could dump them in at once.
Leaving Shop No.11, Lin Mo headed toward the auction house.
After spending so much, it was ti to get so returns. His two skill scrolls he’d consigned there should have sold by now.
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