Jake stayed on alert as he watched the man approach.

And his instincts screamed that this guy was... strong.

’Shit! He might even have a class above Rare, judging by my Instinct skill.’

"..."

Meanwhile, Grace’s golden eyes glowed slightly under her hood as she stared at the approaching man, her hand already reaching for the gun behind her back.

Jake couldn’t tell exactly what was going on, but since the man hadn’t attacked them yet, he decided to keep his composure.

He raised one hand in a calming gesture while keeping his other hand free and ready.

"We’re just adventurers who took a gathering quest in the outer forest," Jake replied steadily. "We finished collecting the herbs and hunted some monsters along the way. These sacks contain the materials we gathered."

The leader, a handsome middle-aged man with long brown hair tied back and a neatly trimmed beard stared at them for a few more seconds, his sharp eyes scanning their faces.

And as he drew closer, Jake broke into a cold sweat.

The man was tall, easily over two meters, with a powerful, imposing build that made him look like a walking wall of muscle.

Then, instinctively, Jake activated [Class Appraisal].

[Ding!]

[Name: ???]

[Class: ???]

Jake blinked, dumbfounded by the lack of information.

But just then, his face froze at the man’s words.

"Ho? You have an Appraisal skill?"

"!!"

Jake was so shocked that he dropped his sack and reached for his sword.

Seeing this, the tall leader’s lips curved into a faint, interested smile.

"So what did you see? Nothing, right?"

His sharp eyes locked onto Jake with newfound intensity, as if he had just discovered something interesting.

The air grew even heavier.

Behind Jake, Grace’s golden eyes glowed brighter, her grip on her hidden gun tightening.

Then, suddenly—

"Hahaha!"

The man let out a bright, booming laugh that instantly lightened the heavy atmosphere.

The intimidating pressure vanished, replaced by a friendly and relaxed aura.

He raised both hands in a peaceful gesture and smiled warmly.

"Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to scare you two. The name’s Garrick, I’m the Captain of the Guard for the Vivian Merchant Caravan."

Garrick scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin, looking surprisingly approachable despite his massive size.

He handed Jake a small business card.

"I was just doing my job scouting the area, but sensing Appraisal energy from you caught me off guard. Not many young adventurers have a skill like that these days."

Jake and Grace blinked in surprise at the sudden shift.

Jake took the card cautiously.

It was made of high-quality paper with elegant lettering and a strange golden emblem of a winged merchant scale.

Garrick Lock

Captain of the Guard – Vivian Merchant Caravan

"Protecting Prosperity Across the Lands"

Garrick chuckled lightly, seeing the two youngsters slowly relax.

He looked at Jake with a mix of amusement and genuine advice in his eyes.

"Kid, let me give you a piece of free advice."

His tone became more serious, though still friendly.

"Don’t use Appraisal randomly on strong people... especially not on someone you don’t know. Many high-level individuals can sense when someone is using Appraisal on them. And some even take it as a provocation."

He then glanced at Grace, who was still half-hidden behind Jake with glowing golden eyes, and gave her a small, reassuring nod.

"Same goes for you, little miss. You’ve got sharp instincts, but you can relax now."

Garrick could sense her... killing intent and couldn’t help but feel a hint of surprise.

After all, this petite young woman actually carried a clear hint of hostility toward him despite their massive in strength.

He sighed inwardly.

’Ahh, youngsters nowadays are so fierce.’

Jake, who had finally calmed down a little, picked up the dropped sack while still holding the business card.

He looked at Garrick and hesitated for a moment before asking the question burning in his mind.

"Sir Garrick... why couldn’t I see anything? When I used Appraisal on you, it was all question marks. Is there a way to see more... or is the gap between us really that big?"

Garrick let out a hearty laugh, clearly amused by the straightforward question.

"Hahaha! Straight to the point, I see."

He patted Jake’s shoulder lightly... though the "light" pat from a two-meter-tall man still felt quite heavy.

"That’s because your Appraisal skill is still too low-level. When the difference in strength is too large, basic Appraisal can’t break through the natural resistance high-level individuals have. Some people even have skills or items that actively block Appraisal."

Then, Garrick gave him a meaningful look. "If you want to see more, you’ll need to raise the level of your skill... or find a better version of it. But be careful, using Appraisal on the wrong person can get you killed one day."

Hearing this, Jake nodded.

’It seems I must not use Appraisal on anyone my Instinct skill tells me is dangerous...’

But suddenly, Garrick coughed softly.

"Now, enough chit-chat."

He straightened up, his friendly demeanor still present but now mixed with a more professional tone.

"Truth be told, the reason I’m personally handling gate duty today is because I’m scouting for capable people. The Vivian Merchant Caravan is preparing for a big trading trip to the next island, more specifically Haunfen City in a few days."

Garrick gestured toward the blocked gate behind him. "We need extra guards and adventurers for protection and after seeing you two... would you like to take on this request?"

Jake’s eyes widened slightly as he remembered something.

"Wait... I think I saw a similar request posted on the guild board earlier today. An escort mission for a merchant caravan..."

Garrick let out a hearty laugh and waved his hand dismissively.

"Hahaha! The guild is too damn slow with these things. By the time they properly post and screen people, we’d already be late. Our caravan needs to leave soon, so we decided to scout capable adventurers ourselves."

He crossed his thick arms, looking at Jake and Grace with clear interest.

"So? What do you say? The pay is good. 50 Gold Coins per person upfront, plus a performance bonus when we arrive safely at Haunfen City. Food, gear, and protection from the caravan’s main force are included. It’s much better than grinding rabbits in the forest, don’t you think?"

Hearing such a good deal,

Jake couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

He hesitated for a moment before asking.

"Sir Garrick... with someone as powerful as you, why does the caravan need to recruit so many extra people? Isn’t that a bit much?"