The man, in his forties, sported a neatly trimmed mustache and had a mature, steady face. He was wearing a black top hat and a black trench coat that trailed down to his heels. What caught Galon's attention the most was the black pipe clenched in his hand, from which he slowly drew puffs of smoke, exhaling faint white clouds through his nose.
The woman by his side was strikingly beautiful, appearing to be in her twenties or thirties, with light-colored blonde hair tied back. She was impeccably dressed, her white trench coat spotless and devoid of any blemish, which, along with her delicate and fair face, exuded a sense of decisiveness and simplicity typical of a professional woman.
Galon's entrance did not draw the attention of the trio; he quietly moved closer to listen in on the elder's conversation.
"...Based on this, the crime must have occurred last night. The exact time needs to be analyzed based on the scene," the man murmured, stroking his chin.
"That's right," the elder responded in a low voice, "That's all there is to it. I've told you everything I can. Oh, this young man here is Galon, a regular customer of my shop."
The man scrutinized Galon from head to toe and nodded, "May I ask you a few questions?"
"Sure, no problem," Galon hurriedly replied.
The man casually inquired about Galon's visit to the shop the previous evening, nodded after hearing his answers, and then began to roam around the shop with the woman in white.
The old shopkeeper, Gergo, looked distressed as he squatted on the floor, picking up scattered old books and muttering curses at the thief.
"Old man! Did you get robbed?" Galon squatted down to help pick up the books.
Mentioning it only made Gergo's wrinkles deepen in frustration: "I wasn't feeling well today, so I planned to open the shop only in the afternoon. As you know, I don't open just for you. But as soon as I got here..."
The odd rapport between the elder and the young man hinted at a unique friendship beyond their years. Galon felt warmed by the thought, knowing well that the elder's claim of opening the shop only in the afternoon wasn't due to health issues but was a special arrangement made just for him to view the medals.
Gergo was simply too lonely and found solace in occupying himself with something or sparring verbally with Galon, which seemed to be a major joy in his life.
"Did anything go missing?" Galon suddenly became concerned, recalling the copper cross medal...
"Some items are indeed missing, including your favorite copper cross medal," the old man said with a mournful expression, hitting on Galon's worst fears...
"Crap!" Galon's face fell. "Are you sure it's gone?" Suddenly, he seemed to remember something, speaking hastily, "Wait, maybe you overlooked it. The medal is so small, and with all the stuff around here, it might have been misplaced?"
"No need to look, the medal is indeed gone," the elder shook his head, "I've already searched everywhere..."
Galon was speechless; the medal was key to unlocking his potential, and now, with this unique source gone, his well-laid plans for a bright future seemed to dim.
Squatting on the floor, both didn't know what to say for a while.
"And those two are?"
"They're federal detectives investigating a series of robberies, Mr. Tari Mercury and Miss Silan. They're here specifically for the case," the elder whispered.
In this world, detectives typically resolve cases, and renowned detectives and police stations have the authority to inspect crime scenes first. Many cases are cracked thanks to detectives, hence their high status in society.
Galon nodded, picking up books while keeping an eye on the two's actions.
After a while, Tari Mercury broke the silence, "This is the work of the Golden Ring, no doubt! The same MO as the Navis case!" He was examining the edge of a table, then sniffed his fingers.
"This guy sure knows how to run!" Miss Silan frowned.
"Silan, remember what I told you when we cracked the Wendy Light case?" Tari Mercury suddenly asked.
"Sir, you mean...?"
"Yes," he turned around, "If the Golden Ring appears, please stay quiet and don't alarm him. This criminal is extremely dangerous, do not provoke him! The slightest mistake could lead to casualties!! That man is a former special forces officer."
"No problem at all!" "Absolutely!" Gergo and Galon quickly stood up to respond.
"We didn't come from Navis just for fun. This time... we won't let you escape again!" Tari Mercury muttered to himself, his gaze turning exceptionally profound, "Silan! Notify White Eagle and tell them no need to investigate further, we've caught the tail!"
"Yes!"
Tari Mercury shook his coat and strode out of the shop. Silan hurriedly followed.
"Sir, shouldn't we wait for White Eagle before acting together? The danger posed by the Golden Ring is unprecedented in all our cases..."
"No, waiting for them to arrive would be too late..." Tari Mercury looked up at the evening sky, "Don't worry, nothing will happen... No matter how dangerous, he's just a man, and every man has weaknesses."
"Isn't this too risky? After all, the Golden Ring is a former special forces officer trained in combat, capable of easily taking down five or six adults even without firearms," Silan said with a frown.
"Don't worry, we're not going to fight him ourselves," Tari Mercury said with a gentle smile, pinching Silan's cheek, making her blush and lower her head, "Let's go back."
"Yes."
The two walked off down the street, one after the other.
Back in the shop, Galon found a chair to sit and watched their retreating figures.
"Old man, who is this Golden Ring? Is he famous?"
"He's a serial robber and murderer. Haven't you read the recent newspapers? Robberies and murders have been happening across the federation. Luckily, I haven't encountered the Golden Ring face-to-face..." Gergo had been cursing earlier but now felt relieved, "It's said that the Golden Ring was once surrounded by police, yet he managed to shoot two officers and escape easily, only getting grazed by a bullet during the scuffle."
Listening to Gergo's account, Galon sensed that this wasn't the first time Tari Mercury and the Golden Ring had been entangled in a game of cat and mouse.
"And a few days ago, in a manor in the countryside, a friend of Detective Tari Mercury supposedly fought with the Golden Ring for a while, nearly capturing him," Gergo added.
Galon squinted, noticing at the end of the street, Tari Mercury and Silan speaking with a robust man in black. The man's focused gaze and solid muscles betrayed his combat training. "Is that him?" he pointed at the muscular man.
"That's the friend Mr. Mercury mentioned; he was here earlier," Gergo followed Galon's gaze.
Galon nodded, gauging the man's combat level from his posture and movements.
"Judging by his physique and temperament, he seems to be just a strong adult with military combat training, possibly with special explosive techniques," Galon assessed.
Instinctively comparing himself to the man, Galon thought, "If I were to face him, I'd lack practical experience but surpass him in strength. The average adult's limit of strength, converted into data, is about 0.5. And I've already exceeded this figure. If I fully unleash my strength along with special techniques, I'll definitely outmatch him in power. If the Golden Ring is on a similar level..."
Galon's attention returned to the skills displayed in his vision.
"Unlike others, I have attribute enhancements, making my strength disproportionate to my physique," he observed. In the martial arts world and among ordinary people, a stronger physique usually means greater strength, with no exceptions except for himself. With a typical physique but capable of exceeding the limit when fully exerting his strength, he stood out.
Bang!!!
A dull thud followed as Galon fiercely punched a 180-pound bag, sending it swinging past the qualifying line.
Bare-chested, his fair, toned muscles slightly twitched with each heartbeat, punching the bag barehanded in an empty room at night.
"In just two weeks, my full strength has easily reached 180 pounds. The Baiyun Secret Technique combined with explosive techniques is indeed powerful," Galon thought, wiping his sweat with a towel.
"The Baiyun Secret Technique, being the foundation of all martial arts at Baiyun Martial Arts School, has left my batchmates far behind. The intermediate level secret technique's starting point and growth rate are much higher than others'. Plus, the first use of the technique, especially when upgraded in conjunction with that day's medicinal fragrance, offered the best effect... It's unlikely to achieve such results again, reaching above 0.5 in one go."
Recalling the secret technique scroll the elder presented that day, which carried a faint medicinal scent, he realized it was meant to enhance the secret training technique when combined with the aroma from the burning incense in the fireplace.
Assuming the Baiyun Secret Technique stance once more, a cool current slowly spread from his torso to his limbs. His muscles twitched in sync with his heartbeat.
The first use of the secret technique had the greatest impact on adjusting the body and enhancing physical fitness. Galon, having just adapted and not fully developed his strength, could easily surpass 120 pounds. Now, with further strength improvement, he could fully utilize his enhanced physical capabilities.
Easily breaking past 180 pounds wasn't a difficult task.
Focusing on the skills displayed below, Galon contemplated, "The Burst Fist Technique in the martial arts school is a real combat skill, not just for show. Mastering it would allow me to start rank testing. With a rank, I could become an instructor, earn more salary, and then continue collecting jewels containing potential."
Determined, Galon fixed his gaze on the Burst Fist Technique.
"That's the one!"
As his focus intensified, a cool breeze rushed from his mind, embedding into the Burst Fist Technique. The 'Uninitiated' status jumped and changed to 'Beginner'.
Suddenly, Galon felt a tightness in his body, as if a tingling liquid was secreted from within, slowly seeping through his skin.
Boom!!!
A loud noise echoed in his head.