Chapter 44 - 44

Words : 1467 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

"Alright alright, but take a seat would you? You look like you are about to pass out." Chuck said with a concerned tone to Adam as Adam began to lean on the counter. "Honestly, I feel like I might…" Adam admitted as he slowly began to lower himself to the ground, finally planting his butt on the wooden floor of the shop. Chuck looked at him concerned. "Alright, we can talk business in a moment, first you need to get some fluids in ya." He said before he quickly walked off from the counter, heading up stairs. Adam was left sitting on the floor exhausted. This was a massive windfall, it would certainly be worth his efforts, but it really didn't feel that way right now. Adam was lightheaded, his muscles ached, and his whole body was screaming in pain. Never again would he walk back over encumbered, this was too much. Chuck came back a few moments later, carrying a bottle of water. He walked around the counter to get to Adam and then knelt next to him. "Alright, friend. Drink up." Chuck said with an almost tender tone as he handed the bottle to Adam to drink. If Adam was in a clearer headspace he might have asked how much the drink would cost him, but truthfully he was not in a good headspace, and being offered that water the only thought on his mind was to drink. So he did. "You want me to call the Doc for you?" Chuck said as he watched Adam guzzled down the bottle in seconds. "No." Adam responded after a moment to finish drinking. "I am fine, just…. Exhausted." "Yeah, I bet." Chuck said as he stood up, looked at the table full of goods and then whistled. "Hell, you really outdone yourself with this one. You raid a military base or something? You are packing enough guns here to outfit the town!" He laughed softly as he offered Adam his hand to help him stand up. Adam looked at Chuck's hand and then politely waved him off. "I think i'll stay on the floor for a few minutes, catch my breath, if that's fine." "I dun mind much at all." Chuck said with a smile as he walked back behind the counter to begin examining everything. "And you asked if I went to a military base? I didn't but I went to the next best thing." Adam said as he stared at the floor and tried to slow his breathing. "Did you know there are giant ants? There are giant ants." He said as if exasperated. Chuck just laughed while he held up, and inspected, a rifle from the pile. "Oh yeah, them buggers are a real problem. Best to stay out of their way, never see just one, they always move in groups." "Place I raided had a whole nest of them. Luckily they didn't seem interested in me, so I got away easily." "Well you are pretty lucky, but if they didn't chase you far then what you saw were likely worker ants." Chuck informed as he opened a box of ammo and checked the bullets. "It's the soldier ants you got to be wary of, they are dogged. Not that a worker ant isn't dangerous mind you, but they usually aren't spoiling for a fight." Adam nodded silently as he remained on the floor letting Chuck look through all his gear. "Well…." Chuck said as he finished up looking through everything. "You really outdid yourself. I know I said it before, but I ain't kidding. This is quite the haul you brought back." Chuck smiled. Adam grabbed hold of the countertop and pulled himself to his feet ready to handle this part of negotiations. "18 rifles, 4 pistols, 20 boxes of ammo, cigarettes, cigars, whiskey and beer, and a few other things, you have quite the collection." "Thanks. Now please tell me this is all worth something because otherwise I might collapse." Adam joked with a note of exhaustion. "Well, by my calculations you will be walking away with…" Chuck pulled out a notepad and skimmed through all the details. "1321 caps." He smiled. "Assuming, that is, if you are willing to sell everything here." Adam's eyes lit up, he was still incredibly exhausted but that number Chuck just threw out was easily enough to give him a second wind. "You bet I am." Adam said with a big smile. He knew he was bringing back a lot, he knew that everything he had grabbed was valuable. He knew that guns and ammo especially were worth grabbing, but he couldn't help but doubt himself until now. After all, he practically made himself pass out by carrying as much stuff as he was, he couldn't help but doubt himself and if his efforts were worth it. But this was pure validation, he had made enough money today alone that puts his past days efforts to shame even collectively. Though he still promised never to overtax himself like this again. That was a mistake. A second trip would be smarter, it was too dangerous to become overburdened. Adam let off a sigh of relief as he leaned in closer on the counter. "I'm glad to know it was worthwhile." "It certainly was." Chuck laughed and then added. "You have been selling me so much stuff I practically have an entire section of my storeroom dedicated to your finds." "Well I'm glad I'm making an impact." Adam joked. "Oh believe me, you are." Chuck said as he opened his lockbox and began to pull out vouchers. Once they were counted, along with some loose caps he handed them over to Adam, who promptly put them in his pocket. "I'm lucky you are taking the vouchers, otherwise i'd have to turn you away, you bring in so much stuff that I simply wouldn't have the liquid capital to buy 'em off you." "To be honest, carrying slips of paper is much easier than carrying around thousands of little metal bottle caps." Adam returned as he, begrudgingly, recollected his backpack and now empty duffle bag. Though they were lightened of their load, Adam was still extremely tired and simply wanted to disrobe and sleep. But he couldn't do that yet. Chuck's eyes lit up when Adam said this, as if he was just told he won the lottery, or rather, as if he was finally getting some validation. "You see! I knew I liked you for a reason!" He laughed heartily with a big smile on his face. "The others are always looking down on the vouchers but I tells ya, they were a great idea then, and they are a great idea now!" He laughed a bit more before reaching over the counter and then patted Adam's shoulder. "Well either way, go get some sleep, you look like you need it." Chuck said warmly. "Yeah, I'm about to go to sleep for another 211 years." Adam joked lethargically as he turned back around to head to the Inn. "Thanks as always Chuck." "No, thank you friend! I'll be seeing you!" Once Adam had gotten back inside the Inn he saw the usual patrons as well as a family he hadn't seen here yet, all eating, drinking and mingling. Salvatore was in his usual spot at the bar, drinking right out of the bottle of what was probably a vodka judging by the label but truthfully Adam didn't spend too much time looking at whatever he was drinking. Instead Adam strode right over to Salvatore's spot, reaching into his pocket as he did. Once Adam had made it over he slapped his hand down on the counter right in front of Salvatore. "2000 caps." Adam said triumphantly through his exhaustion as he pulled up his hand revealing 2000 caps worth of vouchers now sitting in front of Salvatore. Salvatore was shocked, he looked at the vouchers and then at Adam and then at the vouchers again. "Well I'll be…" He said as he picked up the slips of paper and began to skim through them. "Didn't know you had it in you, kid. Honestly, you might be the biggest money maker in this whole damn area apart from the guild." Satisfied with all the money being there he gave an impressed sigh, ran a finger along the edge of all the slips of paper before stowing them away in his pouch. "Well, looks like you just bought yourself a mercenary kid." He said as he turned to look at Adam with a grin. "Pleasure working for ya."

Chapter 44 - 44

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