Whether it was a bronze, silver, gold, or crystal card, none could be forged.
The testing device was simple: just touching it to the Merit Crystal Pillar would accurately display the relevant information.
The two women discovered a faint white light emanating from Eddie's crystal card and realized it indeed belonged to him.
They immediately dropped their contemptuous attitude, understanding that anyone using a crystal card couldn't be ordinary, but rather a promising scion of a noble family or royal blood.
Upon closer examination, they were shocked to find the card recorded six Demon General kills. Killing even one green-skinned minor monster was enough for mercenaries to boast for years, yet this unknown figure had slain six Demon Generals.
Who was this Titan they had never heard of before?
"I know I can't exchange all my merits for gold coins, so just convert the merits from five Demon General kills," Eddie said, having been informed by Yehken that mercenaries who exchanged all their merits for money to buy drinks could face penalties from their respective countries, including the loss of their mercenary title and rank reduction.
"But sir, if you don't exchange them, the state will honor you with prestigious rewards. I guarantee it'll be more than five hundred gold coins.
Why would you want to exchange it for gold?" the taller beauty urgently advised Eddie against the exchange.
"If you're short on cash right now, I can lend you some. I can't promise much, but I do have ten gold coins," the shorter, fairer beauty nearly cried.
Eddie was speechless at their reactions.
At that moment, a man in a white robe sauntered out from the inner room. He carried an air of a distinguished scholar, relaxed and graceful, casually fanning himself with a green sandalwood fan, appearing like a carefree sage detached from worldly affairs.
The two beauties rushed over to him, imploring him to intervene and persuade Eddie not to exchange his battle merits.
Their primary concern was to prevent Eddie from sullying his honor with monetary greed, even if he was in a tight spot financially.
The scholarly-looking man in the white robe raised his hand to silence the two women.
He shook his fan and approached Eddie. With an air of arrogance and his nose in the air, he began to lecture, "Young man, please don't come to our esteemed third floor just to brag about killing some lowly green-skinned monsters, alright? "
"I understand you young people crave fame, wanting others to cheer and marvel at you, and have women scream at your presence. "
"But not everyone can become one of the Three Great Assassins, nor can everyone be that outstanding. The most important thing for a person is to recognize themselves and find their place. "
"For instance, if you're a thief, then excel in your profession. Honestly guide people or gather intelligence, but don't seek cheap popularity. "
"Especially don't kill some minor monster and then come here to exchange it for gold coins. "
"Killing a green-skinned monster, a level-one demonic creature, is only worth fifty copper coins. We only exchange merits for gold coins and above. Actually, we never support exchanging merits. "
"I've seen many small-time thieves like you who become overly proud after killing a green-skin. You can boast about it outside the guild to your companions as that's your glory, which we don't oppose. "
"But showing off here is not right! Even though I'm not a combat-oriented powerhouse, I too have slain five Long-horned Devils, which are level-three demonic creatures. "
"Have you ever seen me boast about it? "
"Never, because I'm not that kind of person! Be more modest, young man, understand?"
...
"Ah? Is my eyesight failing? This guy talks a bit like Porking. Could he be Porking's relative?" Eddie thought, puzzled by the man's resemblance in speech.
The two women quickly reminded the verbose man disguised as a scholar, "Director, he didn't kill green-skins."
The man in the white robe scoffed disdainfully, "Then what, yellow-skins? Yellow-skins are the same as green-skins, both level-one minor monsters. Though they throw stones, they're not much of a challenge!"
"No, not yellow-skins either," the women tried to explain further, but the man interrupted.
"Even if he killed a level-two Long-toothed Demon, it's nothing to boast about. I've killed many of those in my time, at least nine! I never bragged to anyone, not even once! Consider how modest I am. Who knows that I've slain five level-three Long-horned Devils and nine level-two Long-toothed Demons? Nobody, because I'm that modest and indifferent to fame!" The man proudly waved his green sandalwood fan.
Eddie suddenly felt an urge to give the man before him a good thrashing.
"Absolutely not! What he killed weren't two-level Long-toothed Demons!" The two women lowered their heads in frustration, feeling embarrassed by having such a boss.
"Then what, two-level Rotten Flesh Zombies?" the man in the white robe asked with a carefree air, "Rotten Flesh Zombies are easy to defeat. Aside from being huge and tough, they're pretty useless. Back in my days, I don't know how many I've killed. If I hadn't forgotten to bring my card, I'd probably have at least a dozen recorded!"
"It's not two-level zombies, nor three-level Long-horned Devils. It's actually..." The women tried to finish, but were once again interrupted by the man in the white robe.
"Hold on, you mean three-level Hellhounds? Hell Demonic Hounds?" The man finally showed a hint of surprise on his face.
"No!" The women were exasperated. Could they just finish their sentence for once?
"Then, four-level Demonic Giants?" the man exclaimed in shock.
"They were five-level Demon Generals!" The women finally managed to speak, their voices filled with frustration.
They had finally seized the opportunity to reveal the truth, but it seemed a bit too late as Eddie's expression was already sour, and he seemed ready to burst.
"Demon Generals? How is that possible? His small frame can't possibly withstand a slap from a Demon General!" The man in the white robe was stunned and expressed serious doubt.
He then turned to scold his subordinates, "Did you two make a mistake? How could you let him bluff his way through this? "
"You should be able to tell at a glance! How could a mere thief like him possibly kill a Demon General?"
"Do you think Demon Generals are made of tofu?"
...
"Director, he didn't kill just one Demon General, but six!" The taller woman replied helplessly, feeling utterly embarrassed by having such a superior.
"What? Did I hear that wrong?" The man felt as if the world was spinning around him.
"I don't know if you heard wrong, but we certainly didn't say it wrong!" The shorter and paler woman answered with certainty.
"This can't be, this is absolutely impossible!" The man in the white robe felt like he was still dreaming.
...
"Hey, hey, hey, it's finally my turn to speak. Can you please hurry up and exchange the gold coins for me? I'm in a rush!" Eddie was itching to slay the man before him.
If it weren't for the rule of not killing in the first and second floors of the Heaven-Reaching Tower, Eddie would have already used his Ashen Magic Blade to cut him down.
"Yes, sorry!" The women, with tears in their eyes, exchanged the gold coins for Eddie, regretfully erasing the record of battle merits from the crystal card, leaving only the number of enemies killed.
"He used a crystal card?" The man in the white robe remained petrified until long after Eddie had left.
He finally came to his senses, tremblingly asking, "How does he have a crystal card? "
"You two have been too reckless. A powerful warrior with a crystal card graced our presence, and you showed no manners, completely failing to uphold the standards of our esteemed third floor... "
"Wait, why did he come here in the first place?"
...
"Exchange battle merits for gold coins!" The two women were so annoyed they felt like slowly stabbing their boss to death with a tiny knife.
"How could you let him do that? Maybe he's just short of money temporarily. How could you allow him to exchange his battle merits for gold coins? That's an honor, do you even know what honor means? It's something more important than life in a man's heart! It's a supreme pride!" The white-robed man suddenly started blaming the two women, "You've ruined a man's honor, you've tainted sacred battle merits with money... Ouch, who hit my head?"
The white-robed man turned around and found Eddie standing right behind him, asking in surprise, "Why are you back? No, it's you, do you need anything?"
Eddie smiled and said, "Bend over and stick your butt up!"
The man was baffled and asked, "Ah? Why should I do that? Does it have any special meaning?"
Eddie's smile brightened, and he shook his head, saying, "No special meaning, but it makes it easier for me to kick your butt. You see, I've been out for a while, and after thinking it over, I feel that if I don't beat you up, I'll be unhappy all day! So, please bend over and stick up your butt, okay? I'm so fed up with you blabbering like a crow, don't you know you're just asking to be beaten?"
Eddie, enraged, immediately started hitting the man. The white-robed man was beaten down before he could beg for mercy or struggle, receiving a thorough beating from Eddie, much to the excitement of the two women, who had long wanted to hit him but never had the chance.
"Do you want to try too? It feels quite good!" Eddie enthusiastically invited the women.
"No, we'll pass," the women initially declined, but after some encouragement from Eddie, they also joined in, kicking a few times, their faces flushed with excitement.
"I have to go, you guys keep hitting him!" Eddie, feeling much better after the beating, quickly left the scene.
Ten minutes later, the Lord of Falling Flower City arrived at the third floor of the Honors Section, asking what had happened.
The two women nervously explained the situation.
The Lord, upon hearing this, flew into a rage and turned to the battered white-robed man, "Lie down and stick your butt up, now!"
"Why?" the man was dumbfounded. Why were all the powerful figures making such demands?
"Because I'm also not happy and want to beat you up!" The Lord of Falling Flower City kicked the man down and beat him furiously, commanding the women to hit him too, "You two hit him for me, I'll go and see if that 'Titan' is the same guy. Is he really short of money? Never mind, I'll think about it later. First, I need to catch up and see!"
With that, the Lord of Falling-Flower City hurried off, while the two women continued their enthusiastic beating of the white-robed man.