What used to be the "Blacksmith's Strength" in four characters was changed to "Strength Burst," which could not help but greatly surprise Rein.
There was such a change!
[Core Skill: Strength Burst (Active)]
Effect: When the skill is activated, your strength will double!
(Note: This skill originates from the Blacksmith's Strength pushed to its limit and its duration is directly proportional to the host's constitution and spiritual power.)
(Note: This skill cannot be further improved at this stage.)
Rein noticed that after the evolution of Blacksmith's Strength into Strength Burst, not only had the name changed, but the lv sign was also gone, indicating that the core skill Strength Burst, like Dark Vision, could no longer be enhanced through Skill Points.
Moreover, the description of the skill effect had undergone a significant change, from "greatly enhanced" to "doubled."
This change perfectly complies with the rule "less is more!"
This meant that during the period the skill was activated, Rein's current 10 points of strength would instantly increase to 20 points.
This already surpassed the likes of an official knight like Hamilton and was on par with the ferocious hyena-men, perhaps even slightly beyond!
What does this imply?
This means that as long as the enemy's strength is below that of an official knight,
during the duration of Strength Burst, it would be nearly impossible for them to match Rein in strength!
What this represents goes without saying; Rein licked his lips, his corners turning up slightly.
"This really came at the right time!"
Previously, when Rein was interrogating the leader of the Hyena Gang in the dense forest, he had asked about the strength of "Dog King" Kole,
"Is your boss Kole, an official knight?"
The other party shook his head.
At that moment, Rein was greatly relieved!
At the same time, a plan slowly started to take shape in his mind.
Since the strength of 'Dog King' Kole was not that of an official knight, he was in trouble.
Revenge couldn't wait for another day!
Rein intended to strike directly at the heart of the Hyena Gang before they could react!
Previously, faced with the assassination among the heirs of Earl Harris's family, Rein had already been boiling with rage.
But there was no helping it; the situation was stronger than people!
And now these darn Hyena Gang were bullying him?
After some thought, Rein took out a small sharpening stone he had purchased from Blacksmith Boris, and dropped a few drops of oil on it.
He then picked up the Fine Steel Greatsword and started to sharpen it energetically.
The Dual-Handed Greatsword had a tiny notch that had been damaged by a black dagger during a fight with an assassin.
As the greatsword was sharpened on the oilstone, the fine notch on the blade soon became barely visible, becoming incredibly sharp once again.
Was that the end of it?
Coat it with paralyzing poison?
Coat it with wounding poison?
Still not quite right.
So, deadly poison was the best choice!
Rein took out a black square bottle and poured a few drops of brownish poison liquid onto a small piece of cloth, then gently wiped the Fine Steel Greatsword with the cloth.
Mainly on both sides of the blade.
Oh? Not enough to use!
Rein discovered that applying poison to the Dual-Handed Greatsword really used a lot of the poison.
After adding it three times, it still wasn't enough.
Finally, Rein poured about one third of the bottle before it was sufficient.
He applied it to both sides of the blade, front and back!
Looking at the Fine Steel Greatsword emitting a faint green glow, Rein finally nodded in satisfaction, then wrapped the greatsword again in sheepskin.
After checking one more time, Rein seemed to remember something, took out a long strip of gray cloth, fiddled with it on his face, and used a black dagger to cut two holes in the middle before tucking it into his chest.
Everything was ready!
Before departing, Rein still practiced the Giant Bear Breathing Technique for a while.
A fist always ready, a song always on the lips.
As long as he was breathing, the practice of the breathing technique would never stop.
However, Rein was very good at controlling the extent, in order to adjust his body's functions to their optimal state.
After his family had fallen asleep, Rein quietly left the house through the second-floor window.
Looking up, Rein noticed the sky was pitch black tonight, devoid of moonlight and starlight, covered instead with thick clouds.
With his Night Watchman core skill 'Dark Vision,' Rein felt no discomfort; instead, he felt a slight thrill.
His heart beating a bit faster, he carefully avoided the patrolling Night Watchmen and hastened toward County Town.
According to the information he had extracted earlier, he needed to follow the main road heading north, and after about an hour's walk, he would see the conspicuous sign of the Dog Fighting Farm.
After seeing the sign and turning right, another five minutes' walk would bring him to the Dog Fighting Farm.
Before long, having covered most of the distance, Rein suddenly felt his face getting wet.
He looked up and saw the dark, unlit sky now starting to drizzle.
This was actually a good sign!
Rainy nights, perfect for murder without leaving traces.
Carrying a sheepskin-wrapped greatsword, Rein first walked a full circle around the Dog Fighting Farm from a distance.
Originally, he had planned to hop directly over a fence into the farm.
But with his passive skill 'Danger Perception lv1,' Rein felt something was off as soon as he approached the birch fence.
He faintly sensed danger, as if climbing over the fence would be perilous.
Therefore, Rein stood outside the fence and inspected the inside carefully.
With his Dark Vision, he quickly spotted the problem.
It turned out that behind the fence, in the wooded area, the ground was lined with many large wild boar traps, the serrated jaws of the traps covered with fallen leaves – if one wasn't observant, they would be hard to notice.
If one were to get caught, there was a high probability of breaking a shinbone, unless you were a Knight wearing thick plate armor boots.
Beyond that, Rein also spotted quite a few doghouses in the orchard.
These half-meter tall doghouses were almost all occupied, each housing a glossy-furred fierce dog.
The night rain grew heavier!
The sound of the pouring rain, "wharalala," masked Rein's footsteps and also diluted his scent.
Allowing Rein to observe the Dog Fighting Farm from outside at ease.
After a moment's thought, Rein quickly circled back to the main entrance of the Dog Fighting Farm. Although it was very late, he could still faintly hear bursts of cheering coming from inside.
Clearly, some dogfight competition was still ongoing inside the farm.
This was a bit later than Rein had anticipated.
Thinking it over, Rein decided to wait a little longer before making his move.
It would be better to act after the dogfight competition inside had ended and the crowd had dispersed.
After all, not everyone who came for the dog fight belonged to the Hyena Gang; a significant portion were customers from County Town.
Rein even saw several carriages, each bearing various intricate designs representing the family crests of some nobles.
This indicated that at least some nobles' heirs came to this Dog Fighting Farm in Coer for entertainment.
It seems the rumor that the Hyena Gang had backing was probably true.
Not going to Hamilton was also the right move.
As a Lord and the town's security officer, Hamilton might agree to protect his family, but he definitely would not offend certain nobles in County Town for him, to eliminate the Hyena Gang.
If it were doable, Hamilton would have done it by now.
After all, from a security perspective, taking down the Hyena Gang would certainly be a notable achievement.
But the Hyena Gang's continued existence must have its reasons.
Rein was never lacking in patience when it came to important matters.
Over an hour later, the competition inside the farm seemed to have ended, and the carriages at the entrance had also returned to County Town with their owners.
The Dog Fighting Farm was rarely this tranquil.
With the night deepening and the rain softly falling, the two young gang members responsible for guarding the gate were languidly hiding under a nearby shelter to rest, not even bothering to close the farm gate.