《The Underdog’s Fantasy Rise》 01-The Running Man and the Pursuing Girls In a small town called Anda on the De Rossi Continent, there lived an utterly ordinary family. The couple married late due to poverty, and it was also because of poverty that they only had a son in their middle age. The birth of their son brought immense hope to this struggling family. Every day, they looked forward to their son growing up and leading the family out of poverty. However, this was merely their fantasy. In reality, twenty-three years later, their grown-up son, Kells, brought nothing but various troubles to the elderly couple every day... So, the story begins! Speaking of which, today¡¯s Anda is as noisy as usual! This noise comes from the central street of Anda, where a long-haired young man is running with all his might, pursued by at least ten girls wielding various household weapons such as brooms, sticks, and washboards! The chase is extremely intense and has been going on for quite some time. Suddenly, the long-haired young man accidentally trips over a stone on the road while running, and because of this stumble, a girl¡¯s small panties fall out of his arms... ¡°Bastard! Today, we must! We must kill you!¡± The girls, upon seeing what fell out, their eyes turn into a terrifying blood-red, each one fiercely accelerating towards the running young man. During this, some girls even throw their weapons, but miraculously, the long-haired young man dodges them all as if he has eyes on the back of his head. After this farce continued for a while, from somewhere, a short-haired young man joined the pursuing army. His speed and stamina were clearly superior to those of the girls. After running for some time, the girls, exhausted, all fell to the ground to rest, leaving only the late-joining young man still chasing the long-haired one in front. The long-haired one kept looking back, his dream of escaping unscathed today shattered! This guy who joined halfway had unexpectedly strong foot stamina, and it seemed he was about to catch up. The long-haired one couldn¡¯t help but get nervous; he increased his running speed to shake him off, but the other also increased his speed, closing the distance again. The two maintained a very small gap like this... The sun gradually shifted from the east to the west until dusk arrived. By this time, both were so exhausted that they could no longer run. The long-haired and the short-haired one, one in front and one behind, switched from running to difficult walking, a state almost akin to some kind of animal crawling. However, the short-haired one was always just a step away from the long-haired one, unable to catch up no matter what. Finally, the long-haired one couldn¡¯t take it anymore. With a ¡°bang,¡± he sat down, took out all the spoils from his arms, and threw them on the ground. A pile of colorful items, all girls¡¯ small panties! ¡°Huff... huff... Please, is this necessary? Or, how about we split today¡¯s harvest fifty-fifty?¡± the long-haired one said, panting heavily. ¡°You... you... you shameless fellow, the Heavenly Father will not forgive you...¡± The short-haired one was already out of breath, but he ignored the long-haired one¡¯s temptation. ¡°Is it that serious... buddy... I don¡¯t even know you!¡± The long-haired young man was seeing this guy for the first time and had no idea where he came from. However, the long-haired one¡¯s foot stamina was such that no one in the entire Anda could catch up to him, yet today he unexpectedly fell into the hands of an unknown guy, truly an accident among accidents. ¡°Heavenly Father... please... please forgive this shameless fellow... The purity... the pure hearts of the girls have all been defiled by you. If... if you don¡¯t repent... I... I won¡¯t let you go!¡± ¡°Repent? Haha! You actually... actually want me, Kells, to repent!... Huff huff!¡± So, this long-haired one is Kells! His parents must be heartbroken again! Sigh... ¡°Wha... what¡¯s wrong...¡± the short-haired youth continued to ask. ¡°I do this every day... If... if I were to repent, wouldn¡¯t it take ten days and ten nights to finish saying it all! Haha! Haha!¡± After saying this, Kells couldn¡¯t stop laughing, but laughing heartily after running wildly easily leads to choking... ¡°Cough... cough...¡± Kells, who hadn¡¯t laughed for long, started coughing, a sight that greatly amused the short-haired one. ¡°Haha! Haha! See that... this... this is the Heavenly Father¡¯s punishment! Villain! If you don¡¯t repent... there will definitely be more severe punishments...¡± The short-haired one, who hadn¡¯t spoken much, also began to cough violently. ¡°Haha... cough... punishment?¡± Kells was mocking the short-haired one¡¯s slip of the tongue. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Cough... this is an accident...¡± The short-haired one was very stubborn, seemingly a rigid fellow. Kells was most annoyed by rigid fellows. Seeing that he couldn¡¯t shake this guy off, he quickly gave up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not fight anymore, okay? I surrender. Here, take all of this. I don¡¯t want it anymore. Just pretend that today I didn¡¯t see you... and you didn¡¯t see me either?¡± Kells threw the entire pile of spoils towards the short-haired one. After the short-haired one clearly saw the pile of spoils, he immediately blushed. He quickly closed his eyes and said, ¡°This... this is! Heavenly Father, please forgive your sinful child!¡± ¡°Haha, you kid can repent here. I won¡¯t accompany you!¡± After resting for a while, Kells regained some strength. Relying on this newly recovered strength, he stood up and left unsteadily. Meanwhile, the short-haired one was still facing the pile of variously colored small panties, repenting, with one seemingly even on top of his head... ¡°What day is it today, so unlucky, to encounter such a persistent runner whom I don¡¯t even know. No way! Among those was my favorite Leah¡¯s unwashed small panties! The best of the best! So damn unlucky!¡± On the way, Kells cursed as he walked. If it weren¡¯t for that unexpected guest, he could have already returned home to happily admire his collection! Speaking of which, Kells has a habit of collecting girls¡¯ small panties, a fact known throughout the town. Obviously, this hobby is not something anyone would approve of, but Kells has never given up on it. Since the age of eighteen, this chase has been enacted day after day on the central street of Anda. Now this guy is already twenty-three years old, and this lifestyle has persisted for a full five years... Four years ago, Kells outran the fastest girl in town. Three years ago, he could freely enter girls¡¯ homes. Two years ago, he could open all kinds of box locks. One year ago, he could find the small panties the girls had changed out of just by smell! He could even tell whose they were! With an identification rate exceeding 90%... Nowadays, no one can stop Kells¡¯ burning passion for collecting! And because of this, Kells earned the nickname Kamikaze Kaitou. Speaking of Kaitou, in simpler terms, it¡¯s just an underwear thief... Girls can¡¯t exactly go around saying ¡°underwear thief¡± out loud, can they! Kells¡¯ family, as a result, worries every day, fearing that the victimized girls would come knocking at their door. With no other choice, the whole family had to move to a forest outside the town to hide. But even so, Kells still visits the homes of the town¡¯s girls every day as scheduled, with, of course, only one goal! That is their small panties, naturally! Today, Kells completely failed. He returned home dejectedly and lay down on the bed! His mom and dad, seeing their son acting somewhat unusual today, both hurried over. ¡°Kells, did you cause trouble again today?¡± Mom asked. ¡°No, I failed today. I ran into a strange guy!¡± Kells said listlessly. ¡°Haha, our son can fail too. It seems you can finally stop this pointless business, child. We¡¯re old and almost can¡¯t support you anymore,¡± Dad said, somewhat happy yet somewhat worried, his emotions very complex. Hearing his dad¡¯s somewhat sentimental words, Kells sat up from the bed and said, ¡°Dad, Mom, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ve already prepared to go work in the next town. I¡¯ll earn money properly. Once I¡¯ve saved up, I¡¯ll buy a set of equipment and live the life of a mercenary. One day, I¡¯ll bring you both a good life!¡± What he said made a lot of sense. If you were to ask what the most popular profession on the De Rossi Continent is right now, ask ten people, and nine would tell you it¡¯s a mercenary. There are mercenary guilds all over the continent. After registering successfully, you can take on simple tasks to earn money. As your abilities improve, you can go through a specialized adventurer rank certification agency to get certified at a higher level. With a higher rank certification, the level of tasks you can take on increases accordingly, and of course, the rewards multiply as well. Moreover, the bounties from those dreamy S-rank tasks are enough to last 100 lifetimes without spending it all. Mercenaries only need to complete their employer¡¯s commissions to gain countless riches. Every hot-blooded young person dreams of this adventurous life. Of course, the tasks from the mercenary guild come in all varieties. It¡¯s said that long ago, even tasks like defeating an evil dragon and marrying a princess appeared... But being a mercenary isn¡¯t something anyone can just do. To pass the lowest-tier qualification certification, you at least need to get a decent set of equipment. Because the mercenary trade on the De Rossi Continent is heating up day by day, all kinds of equipment on the market are being hyped up by unscrupulous merchants to scorching levels. Even a broken dagger costs several gold coins. For a poor family like Kells¡¯, it¡¯s obviously impossible to afford such equipment. Kells¡¯ dad and mom had long hoped their son could become a money-earning mercenary, but what broke their hearts was that this disappointing son of theirs spent all day with nothing but girls¡¯ small panties on his mind... This hope gradually turned into a fantasy, and now they hardly ever mentioned it anymore... Rarely today, their son was so promising. The elderly parents hugged each other and cried bitterly! They could hardly believe their ears¡ªKells himself said he was going to become a mercenary! Speaking of which, if this guy could honestly go become a mercenary, the two elders wouldn¡¯t have to live in constant fear like this every day. In short, this was a tremendous joy descending upon the Kells family! His dad and mom quickly knelt down to pray and thank the Heavenly Father for his mercy! But was what Kells had in mind merely the adventurous life of a mercenary? No! No! Absolutely not! As everyone knows, mercenaries don¡¯t fight alone. Once they have money, they can hire other mercenaries to complete tasks together. On the De Rossi Continent, mercenaries aren¡¯t restricted by gender; the ratio of male to female mercenaries of all races is quite balanced. That is to say, even a plain-looking guy with no luck with women like Kells, as long as he has money, can hire beauty helpers, even form a mercenary group full of girls! Living together, adventuring together, experiencing life and death together with beauty helpers! And not limited by race, no less! Thinking of this, Kells was already spurting nosebleeds, his fantasies boundless... This guy¡¯s dreams had already surpassed small panties... 02-Setting Off to Locco Crossing through the forest near Anda town is the neighboring town of Locco. With Kells¡¯ reputation in Anda, even if you beat this kid to death, he wouldn¡¯t dare to work there. Besides, I believe no one would employ this famous Kamikaze Kaitou as a shop assistant. However, once you get to Locco, it¡¯s an entirely different matter. Although Locco and Anda are neighboring, in reality, they are separated by as much as a week¡¯s journey on foot. But that¡¯s via the main road¡ªif you traverse the forest, it only takes three days¡¯ journey on foot. Of course, only a fool would enter the forest, for there are monsters inside! Kells¡¯ family, having no other options, was forced to move into the forest to reside. There have always been rumors saying that monsters appear in the forest, and therefore, for a very long time, no one dared to enter there. They seized this opportunity to avoid those angry girls! Compared to the terrifying monsters, Kells¡¯ family feared them more¡­ In fact, they lived here for as long as five years without ever encountering those so-called monsters. In this damned forest, even ordinary wild beasts are hard to come across! Monsters and whatnot are probably just rumors spread by some bored fellow, but this rumor, as it turns out, helped Kells¡¯ family. Today is the day Kells prepares to go to Locco to work. His elderly parents had long ago packed his luggage for him. When her son was about to set off, his mother stuffed all the dried rabbit meat from home into his travel bag in one go. ¡°Dad, Mom, this dried rabbit meat is the food you prepared for winter! If you give it to me, what will you eat? I know that a few days ago, some wild beast caused trouble, and all the vegetables you planted were ruined¡­¡± Kells wanted to take the dried rabbit meat out of his travel bag, but he was stopped by his father. ¡°Son, once you leave this time, we don¡¯t know when you¡¯ll be able to come back. Our family doesn¡¯t have a single coin. If you go out into the world without money, you won¡¯t even have a place to stay. But this is all we can do. Never mind the lodging¡ªat least you need to fill your stomach. The rest is up to you, son. As for me and your mother, really, don¡¯t worry. Dad can still go hunting. Those ruined vegetables¡ªyour mother and I will replant them in a few days. Fortunately, at this time, we haven¡¯t missed the days for storing food for winter.¡± ¡°Dad¡­ if only I could¡­¡± Hearing his father¡¯s words, Kells felt a bit sad, unable to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes. ¡°Hehe, son, although we are poor, our hearts are forever pure. I know your abilities, but as a person, you must not cross that line. If you cross it, our essence as human beings will change.¡± Dad gently stroked his son¡¯s head, speaking slowly. ¡°The essence of being human? If we end up starving to death, what meaning could there be?¡± ¡°Son, in short, you must not cross that line. Your mother and I will take care of ourselves. When you¡¯re out there alone, you absolutely must behave properly and not always do those pointless things. Oh, by the way, Mom, take all those things out of his bag for me!¡± ¡°Oh! No!!!¡± Seeing his mom pick up his bag and make a move to take out the contents inside, Kells leaped forward in one bound and snatched it back. Inside the bag was Kells¡¯ longing for all the girls of Anda town! This was practically his life source¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t abandon it no matter where he went. Speaking of which, this guy had to admire them once every single day¡­ ¡°Sigh! Unfilial son, fine, do as you please. When you get to Locco, you absolutely must not let anyone know about your bad habits. If you can¡¯t even stay in Locco, then there really will be no way out.¡± His father helplessly spread his hands. He knew his son best¡ªthis pointless hobby of his had reached a·è¿ñ level, something even an ox cart couldn¡¯t pull back. ¡°Haha, I know, Dad. I¡¯ll work hard and earn money. Your son is in great health¡ªhe can do any kind of work!¡± Kells said, patting his chest. ¡°Well, if it weren¡¯t for that bad habit of yours, you really wouldn¡¯t have trained up this set of skills. I really don¡¯t know whether Dad should feel sad or happy¡­¡± His father was a bit at a loss whether to laugh or cry. His son¡¯s body was indeed much stronger than his peers, especially that running speed he took pride in¡ªeven the town¡¯s swordsmanship instructor couldn¡¯t catch up to him! As for why the swordsmanship instructor couldn¡¯t catch up to Kells, it¡¯s obvious once you mention it: he has a daughter, and she¡¯s quite pretty¡­ Of course, Kells¡¯ abilities aren¡¯t limited to just running away. This kid can open almost any kind of lock. However, his father taught him from a young age that he absolutely must not steal other people¡¯s money or belongings. From childhood to adulthood, aside from girls¡¯ small panties, Kells really hasn¡¯t touched anything else. Speaking of which, if this kid did bad things, he¡¯d have been filthy rich long ago. But he absolutely wouldn¡¯t do it, because Kells knows that if he did, his dad and mom would be very, very sad. Although he is lustful, dirty, shameless, and vulgar, but! Speaking of which, these two words ¡°but¡± are truly powerless here¡ªthose few traits alone are completely enough to negate a person¡¯s entire life¡­ This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Continuing from that ¡°but¡± just now¡­ but! Kells is extremely filial to his parents. Apart from this bad habit, he is indeed a kind and good child. And one more thing, as mentioned earlier, Kells¡¯ nose is extremely sensitive, comparable to a hunting dog. The points above are all of Kells¡¯ abilities. Of course, without exception, every single one of these abilities has been used on crooked and evil ways. But today, Kells is going to bid farewell to his vulgar life in Anda and start a new life. Let¡¯s not mention the past¡ªfrom now on, the pure youth Kells is born! After the final wave and tears, Kells bid farewell to his parents and his home. This was the first parting of his life. Kells, whose skin had always been super thick, actually felt a sense of reluctance. Tears kept flowing like a woman¡¯s¡­ ¡°Dad! Mom! Goodbye! Without me around, you¡¯ll definitely live more peacefully. Of course, your son will also strive hard. After working hard to earn money for equipment, I¡¯ll have my day of success. Then I¡¯ll hire a big bunch of beauties to go adventuring and do tasks together! Hehe! Hehe!¡± Thinking of this, Kells smiled with tears streaming down his face. That smile in this state looked extremely conflicted. His dad and mom, already some distance away, could still see that conflicted face of his. The two elderly parents even thought their son had gone mentally unstable from the fear of leaving home¡­ Finally, the sentimental farewell was over. Kells carried his treasures and the dried rabbit meat his mother had stuffed into his bag and entered the depths of the forest. In the five years of living in the forest, Kells had also learned another skill, and that was identifying directions. Even in a dense, endless forest, he still had a way to walk out. Of course, the premise was not encountering monsters. Speaking of monsters, they are animals with magical power scattered all over the De Rossi Continent. According to the abilities and strengths of the monsters, they are classified on the continent into these levels: G, F, E, D, C, B, A, S, Super S, and Lesser God. Monsters of the G, F, E, D levels are relatively common, with relatively low abilities. However, even for the lowest-level G monsters, without the level of an advanced swordsman or a low-tier magician, there¡¯s no way to deal with them at all. Ordinary people seeing them are simply instantly killed. For a guy like Kells who runs fast, as long as he doesn¡¯t run into monsters above level F, there¡¯s still hope he could escape. It seems among the level D monsters, there¡¯s a type called rock monsters that move extremely slowly¡ªeven ordinary people could escape from them. All the others are monsters faster than humans. Levels C and B are already considered extremely rare levels. Killing any single one from these two levels could yield enough wealth for an ordinary person to live an entire lifetime. Of course, trying to eliminate them without sufficient strength is simply a dream. When monsters reach level A, they already fall into the category of regional overlords or racial kings. This is already a task that a single person cannot handle. On the De Rossi Continent, even if human abilities reach their absolute limit, they cannot surpass level A monsters! It is said that in human history, there have been several large-scale hunting events for level A monsters. It is said that each time, the number of strong participants reached over 200, and their abilities were all at the top of their professions. For mid-tier individuals to participate in the hunt was simply suicidal behavior, and during the hunting process, more than 50 strong individuals would lose their lives each time. The dragons that people are familiar with are level A monsters! Speaking of which, that task back then to kill an evil dragon with a princess thrown in as a reward was truly deceptive. So many strong individuals lost their lives because of it, and the guy who dealt the final blow to the evil dragon even died from excessive excitement. As a result, the princess issued an even more deceptive task the next year¡­ Continuing with monsters, level S monsters are basically something humans will never see. But since they¡¯re classified that way, they definitely exist. However, they¡¯re generally only found in myths and legends¡­ The immortal bird, the phoenix, is a level S monster that frequently appears in myths. There are also things like demon lords, abyss overlords, and the like¡ªthings so unimaginable you can¡¯t even picture what they look like¡­ Demons, these terrifying creatures, are themselves level B or above monsters. As for lords, whether they even exist is an unknown. And that abyss overlord is a giant creature from the deep sea¡ªlegend says that when this thing surfaces, its size is as big as a village! This is pure fiction, and basically, no one believes it¡­ Speaking of which, that princess¡¯s deceptive task the next year was to hunt a level S monster with the princess thrown in as a reward! As a result, that princess remained a widow for her entire life! A ruler¡¯s words are no joking matter¡ªonce she said it, she couldn¡¯t take it back; that¡¯s the royal family¡¯s rule¡­ It can be said she reaped what she sowed. As for the Super S and Lesser God levels, humans have been researching for over a thousand years why these two classifications exist. After more than a thousand years of study, the final conclusion is this: it¡¯s estimated that these two levels were established by other races more powerful than humans. As for why they established these two levels, you¡¯d have to ask them¡­ This basic knowledge of monsters is a required introductory course for mercenaries. Kells had long memorized it by heart. What was just said was merely a review¡ªlike a welcoming ceremony for the upcoming vulgar mercenary life. Besides, crossing the forest alone is really boring. Kells, this guy, aside from stealing small panties, isn¡¯t very brave at other times. Speaking of which, the forest at night is really terrifying! Add to that the persistent rumors of monsters circulating all this time, which made the timid Kells even more depressed. At midnight, with the slightest rustle of wind or movement of grass, his whole body could leap up from deep sleep and get into a ready-to-flee stance. Too nervous¡­ It¡¯s still safer holding onto the small panties. Kells thought so and did so. 03-Cold Night in the Forest The night wind blows through the low-lying plants, rustling them with a sha sha sound, mixed with the chirping of insects and the cries of unknown animals, each sound sending chills down one¡¯s spine. It is already winter, and camping outdoors is extremely cold. Even with a campfire lit, Kells cannot gain much warmth. It seems that only those years of cherished collections can warm his heart a little... ¡°Oh! This is Leila¡¯s when she was 18, this is when she was 19! This... this whole pile is all Leila¡¯s! So warm, without you all, I¡¯d really damn freeze to death!¡± Kells is already shivering all over from the cold. The most valuable thing in his luggage is the ultra-thin quilt his mother made for him for his future marriage. Kells, afraid of getting too close to the campfire and burning this only valuable possession, didn¡¯t dare to approach the fire source too much. But without getting close, it¡¯s really cold! This bone-chilling cold makes it impossible for him to fall asleep. In a fit of determination, Kells simply crawls out of the quilt and huddles tightly against the campfire for warmth. ¡°Cold! Too cold, if I sleep through this night, I probably won¡¯t wake up again. Better to wait until noon when the sun is high to sleep. Tonight, I can endure by warming myself like this. Oh! Leila...¡± To comfort the coldness in his heart, Kells once again hugs Leila¡¯s small panties tightly and enters into vulgar fantasies! ¡°Hmm! Why is there a smell of burning...¡± Not long after closing his eyes and fantasizing, Kells suddenly smells something strange. When he comes to his senses, he realizes that Leila¡¯s small panties have caught fire! ¡°Oh! No!¡± In his excitement, Kells lets go... and with that release, all his cherished collections related to Leila catch fire and turn to ashes... ¡°Oh! No...¡± ¡°Oh! No...¡± One after another, piercing screams echo through the night forest! In the dead of night, if anyone were passing by, they¡¯d surely be scared to death! But Kells can¡¯t care about that¡ªthose were precious items he had been collecting since five years ago, always this guy¡¯s absolute favorites! He had to admire these masterpieces every single day! In short, Kells couldn¡¯t live without them! He was so heartbroken that he cried bitterly, even forgetting the cold on his body! After a long period of painful grief, Kells realizes that crying at this moment is purely courting death. When tears flow out, they are only warm for a moment, and once that warmth passes... ¡°Cold! Cold! So damn cold!¡± The piercing cold instantly restores Kells¡¯ sanity. ¡°Better not to be sad anymore. Without Leila, I still have the girls of all of Anda, haha!¡± Kells¡¯ advantage is that he¡¯s relatively optimistic. In just a few minutes, he returns to normal. ¡°It¡¯s so boring being alone. I can¡¯t sleep either. Just sit here in a daze all night? Depressing! This is only the first night, and I still have two more nights to go before reaching Locco. What should I do? If I don¡¯t do anything, I¡¯ll get scared. I¡¯ve long heard there are monsters here. I¡¯ve been here for five years and haven¡¯t seen a single monster hair. It¡¯s probably just rumors or something, but this is my first time coming deep into the forest...¡± Kells sits by the campfire, talking to himself, feeling very lonely. ¡°Swish... swish...¡± Just as Kells is talking to himself, a few strange sounds come from around him. ¡°Could it be... there really are monsters... Mommy!¡± Overly frightened, Kells actually takes out a cherished item and puts it on his head, even covering his eyes with it. ¡°Monsters, retreat! Monsters, retreat!¡± This guy is muttering incantations, as if this bizarre action can really drive away monsters. After tossing about for a long time, Kells feels that there are no other movements and only then removes the item from his head, neatly folding it and putting it back into his travel bag. ¡°Phew! A false alarm. If I were to see a real monster, it would at least be after I become an F-rank mercenary!¡± He strokes his chest and breathes a sigh of relief. But speaking of mercenary ranks, Kells¡¯ mind begins to recall: Because the mercenary profession is becoming increasingly popular, the mercenary guild, in order to recruit more members, has lowered the entry threshold again and again. Now, it has developed to the point where as long as you can get a set of decent-looking equipment, you can register as a mercenary. However, that¡¯s only an apprentice mercenary, still far from being a real mercenary. Only by passing the guild¡¯s assessment can one be rated a mercenary rank. These ranks are similar to those of monsters, divided into G, F, E, D, C, B, A, S levels. Only after reaching F-rank as a mercenary can one take on tasks related to the lowest-tier G-rank monsters. The conditions required for other ranks are all one level above the monster rank. However, the highest rank for mercenaries is only S. After reaching S-rank, one can accept all tasks related to A-rank and below monsters. As for S-rank monster tasks... if there really were any, probably no one would believe it, so there¡¯s no point in ranking further up. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Apprentice mercenaries and G-rank mercenaries are not allowed to take any tasks related to monsters. Although the entry barrier for registering as a mercenary is very low, the assessment is extremely strict. The mercenary profession is not child¡¯s play; one careless mistake could very well cost you your life. Out of responsibility for the practitioners, the ranking system is exceptionally strict! Even for the lowest G-rank mercenary, nowadays, one needs to be at least a low-tier warrior or a low-tier magician to pass the assessment. Ordinary people shouldn¡¯t even think about it. However, even if he can¡¯t become a G-rank mercenary, Kells can still earn a lot of money through tasks unrelated to monsters. His special abilities are very much in demand in the mercenary line of work. But if he were to use those abilities under his own name, that would be a crime. However, if it¡¯s for a task, that¡¯s a different story¡ªit¡¯s legitimate earning. Since swordsmen and magicians were mentioned, it¡¯s necessary to recall in detail the relevant knowledge. Anyway, Kells has nothing to do now, so he might as well review it as preparation for the apprentice mercenary written test. Speaking of which, apprentice mercenaries must pass the entrance exam to qualify. The content of the exam is precisely this recalled knowledge. So, the recall begins. On the De Rossi Continent, humans have many kinds of combat professions, such as swordsmen, clergy, magicians, pugilists, warriors, assassins, hunters, gunners, and so on. These professions all have corresponding guilds in large cities. Guilds and unions are two different concepts. In simple terms, guilds are more like schools. If you want to engage in a certain profession, you just need to enter the corresponding guild. However, the rank certification for the corresponding profession must be completed by the guild. The ranks are divided into low-tier, mid-tier, high-tier, expert, and master¡ªthese five levels. Of course, these are only for low-level professions. For example, swordsmen and warriors, upon reaching the master level, can enter the knight guild to continue their studies. High-level professions do not have ranks; instead, special titles are granted based on talent, such as Radiant Knight, Flame Knight, Guardian Knight, Berserker Knight, and so on. The types of high-level professions are extremely diverse. Above high-level professions, there is also a kind of glory profession jointly selected by all guilds. This glory profession is the ultimate affirmation of the continent¡¯s strong individuals. Those who are granted a glory profession can easily qualify for S-rank mercenaries. Generally, high-level professions can qualify for B or A-rank mercenaries, and a few rare professions can qualify for S-rank. Of course, not everyone chooses to become a mercenary; it¡¯s just a trend¡ªthe mercenary tide of the De Rossi Continent! ¡°Haha, this knowledge is already ingrained in my memory. As long as I can get a set of decent equipment, becoming an apprentice mercenary is no problem at all!¡± Kells is very satisfied with his performance. He hasn¡¯t missed a single detail in the basic knowledge; scoring full marks is probably very possible. After thinking about all that, quite some time has passed. It¡¯s truly a matter of achieving two goals at once. However, sitting for so long has made his body start to ache. He stands up, stretches, and moves his muscles a bit. ¡°Ugh, in a few more hours, it¡¯ll be dawn. The night is really hard to endure. Fortunately, there are no powerful wild beasts in this forest. It seems that in the past, people often passed through this forest to Locco. There are many traces of paths on the ground in the forest, probably all walked out by people before. Ever since the rumor of monsters six years ago, no one has passed through this forest anymore!¡± After moving around, Kells sits back by the campfire and starts talking to himself again. Speaking of which, he is now following one of those paths walked out by people. ¡°Monsters! Monsters! I really don¡¯t know what monsters look like!¡± While staring at the campfire in a daze, for some reason, Kells suddenly has an impulse to look forward to seeing a monster. Because he has no money, Kells¡¯ family couldn¡¯t possibly own something as high-end as a monster compendium. That thing is a must-have for those who reach F-rank and above. However, Kells is very clear about his own abilities: in frontal combat, he has absolutely no chance of passing the exam. Because he¡¯s bored, Kells starts fantasizing about monsters. ¡°If only there were monsters that look like beauties, that would be great. Hehe, finding a monster beauty to be my wife wouldn¡¯t be bad. Just don¡¯t know if monster beauties like to wear small panties...¡± He says with a laugh. This guy doesn¡¯t care at all whether the other party is human or not¡ªhis tastes are quite heavy... After thinking about monster beauties, Kells thinks of mercenary beauties again. ¡°Mercenary beauties are even better! Once I have gold coins, I¡¯ll definitely hire a group of beauties to do tasks together. Hehe, if I encounter such a boring night again at that time, it¡¯s obvious that something blush-inducing and heart-pounding might happen!¡± ¡°Mm-hmm! I hear that clergy are most likely to produce pretty little girls. Sexy female warriors are also good. Oh! And noble miss female magicians and alluring female assassins...¡± Kells lists the characteristics of women from various professions in one breath. These are all his goals to strive for. Just thinking about leading a mercenary group full of women to do tasks makes one excited. While Kells is lost in his wild thoughts, another hour or two quietly passes. In two more hours, it will be dawn. At dawn, as soon as the sun comes out, the forest won¡¯t be so cold. However, this is the time when people are most prone to drowsiness. If one isn¡¯t careful, they¡¯ll start dozing off like Kells... While dozing, this guy keeps drooling from his mouth. I believe everyone knows why. When Kells isn¡¯t talking, the entire forest becomes quiet. But in this silence, it seems that something is approaching the campfire and the sleeping Kells... 04-The Transforming Monster That figure seemed like some kind of wild beast, its size roughly half that of a person. After approaching Kells, it stealthily opened his travel bag and kept rummaging through it. The noise this fellow made was not small at all, but at this moment, Kells, who had entered dreamland, wouldn¡¯t wake up even if thunder struck. He had absolutely no idea what was happening around him! Speaking of which, in Kells¡¯ bag, aside from those cherished collections, there was only dried rabbit meat. Money or things like that were definitely not present. I really don¡¯t know what that wild beast was searching for, but as it found Kells¡¯ cherished collections, it threw them away directly, so it seemed it wasn¡¯t looking for those¡­ The rustling and rummaging continued for quite a while. Finally, after turning the bag completely inside out, this fellow found what it wanted. It turned out it was after the dried rabbit meat that Kells¡¯ mom had stuffed inside. Having found its target, the wild beast eagerly grabbed it and started gnawing on it! At this moment, Kells, who was in the midst of sleep, suddenly became restless. He tossed and turned his body a few times, murmuring in his sleep¡­ ¡°Mm¡­ My Leila, you¡¯ve come! Why aren¡¯t you wearing¡­ wearing¡­ Mm! Mm!¡± Kells¡¯ hands seemed to be groping for something, fumbling about in the air. The wild beast appeared to be startled by his movements; it stopped gnawing on the dried rabbit meat and quietly observed Kells¡¯ actions. Kells, drooling, kept groping incessantly, his movements as if something was really happening with Leila¡­ Speaking of which, the wild beast was positioned very close to him, and as he groped, Kells¡¯ hands unexpectedly brushed against that fellow. ¡°Leila¡¯s thigh¡­ Oh hehe! Hehe! The feel¡­ furry! So warm¡­¡± Kells said with a face full of bliss, as if he had entered paradise itself! ¡°Furry¡­¡± Kells, who kept touching the wild beast¡¯s thigh, repeated to himself. ¡°Furry¡­¡± He muttered again¡­ ¡°Wait, furry?!¡± By the third repetition, Kells realized something was amiss. His entire body suddenly jolted upright! How could a person¡¯s leg be furry? Since it wasn¡¯t Leila, what had he touched? Startled awake, Kells suddenly saw an extra figure in front of him¡­ That fellow was jolted by Kells¡¯ abrupt movement. ¡°Gurgle¡­ gurgle¡­¡± it emitted such a sound. It wanted to bolt and run, but unfortunately, both its legs were firmly grasped by Kells, who had now reacted, rendering it unable to move. ¡°What is this? An oversized raccoon? So damn fat! Heavenly Father, this guy is eating my dried rabbit meat!¡± After clearly seeing what this uninvited guest was, Kells suddenly realized that his food had nearly been entirely devoured by it. The last piece was only a small half, dangling from the fat raccoon¡¯s mouth! Kells hurriedly snatched this sole remaining piece of food. If he had woken up any later, even this last little bit would probably have vanished! ¡°Oh! No!¡± Then Kells discovered something even more devastating: all his various cherished small panties had been rummaged out and scattered everywhere. A large portion of them had caught sparks and burned to ashes, and the remaining few were hardly intact. If it weren¡¯t for Kells himself knowing, no one would think these tattered rags were girls¡¯ small panties¡­ Needless to say, the only one capable of doing this was the fat raccoon right in front of him! Kells was furious! He seized the fat raccoon by the neck and yelled hysterically, ¡°You bastard! You bastard!¡± ¡°Years of hard work, all gone! Ah! This is more painful than killing me! So many beautiful memories! Do you know? Many of them were unwashed¡ªI risked my life to get them! You! You!¡± Kells was so enraged he couldn¡¯t even speak. ¡°Gurgle¡­¡± The fat raccoon was being choked to the point of nearly ascending to heaven, its calls growing weaker¡­ Actually, aside from his peculiar hobbies, Kells was inherently very kind at heart. He quite liked small animals and such, but unfortunately, his family was too poor to keep any. Seeing this fat raccoon looking so pitiful, Kells couldn¡¯t help but loosen his grip a little. But even so, Kells had no intention of letting this fellow go. He eyed the fat raccoon¡¯s meaty body and said, ¡°There¡¯s no food left, and if I go back, there¡¯s no extra food at home either. That would make Dad and Mom sad too. No choice¡ªsince you¡¯ve got plenty of meat on you, I¡¯ll just use you as rations!¡± ¡°Gurgle¡­ gurgle¡­¡± The fat raccoon seemed to understand what Kells was about to do and struggled even harder. It didn¡¯t want to become human food! The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Speaking of which, how could Kells let go of his last source of sustenance? He used all his strength to hold the fat raccoon tightly, not giving it the slightest chance to escape! One man and one beast remained locked in this standoff for a very long time. The fat raccoon was ultimately no match for Kells¡¯ strength. Its little head drooped, looking utterly defeated. Even more astonishingly, seeing that brute force wasn¡¯t working, it resorted to softness! It shed tears, lifting its little paws to beg for mercy¡­ Seeing the fat raccoon¡¯s pitiful appearance, Kells¡¯ heart softened again. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this either, but who told you to come steal my stuff? Just for destroying my years of cherished collections, you beast deserve to die ten thousand times. But dying that many times is useless. Since you¡¯ve got so much meat, just make a contribution. In this big winter, there¡¯s not a damn thing around. If I don¡¯t eat you, whether I can make it to Locco alive is questionable! My death is definitely worse than yours. I¡¯ll remember you¡­ When I have money, I¡¯ll find a few beautiful clergy to perform a salvation for you. Rest in peace¡­¡± ¡°Gurgle¡­ gurgle¡­¡± Hearing this, the fat raccoon shed even more tears, begging for mercy incessantly. It turned out wild beasts could also fear death, which struck Kells as somewhat strange. ¡°Usually, wild beasts don¡¯t have such emotions! Could it be?¡± A bold guess surfaced in his mind. But just then, the fat raccoon, seeing that begging was useless, seemed to reach a point of desperation. It suddenly let out a loud cry! After the cry, Kells noticed that its appearance began to change in an unusual way! The fat raccoon¡¯s fur suddenly transformed¡ªnot just the fur, but its shape as well¡­ Its entire body softened as if melting into a meatball, then the ball kept indenting and protruding. After a while, something like a head emerged from the meatball, followed by a nose, mouth, and eyes. After the head came the body, slowly, and finally, it turned into a lion! But this lion was ridiculously small, not much bigger than an ordinary dog¡­ ¡°Roar! Roar!¡± The miniature lion even pretended to roar a few times, but with this size, Kells wasn¡¯t scared at all. He casually punched it, and the creature became obedient¡­ A desperate fight ended in miserable defeat! ¡°Damn it! What¡­ what¡¯s going on! The fat raccoon can transform? This guy is a real monster? Haha! It must be a monster, no doubt! I, Kells, also have the day to see a monster, haha! Haha!¡± Kells hugged the creature and jumped up in excitement. Although he didn¡¯t know what kind of monster it was, anything that could transform was definitely not an ordinary wild beast. Moreover, there had always been rumors of monsters appearing in the forest, and now it all seemed to connect into a single thread. At this moment, Kells was overjoyed beyond measure. Monsters are treasures from head to toe; if captured alive, they¡¯re even more valuable. This fellow could definitely fetch a good price. It was as if he could already see the gold coins before his eyes. ¡°My dream of having beauty mercenaries is hopeful. This is truly a gift bestowed upon me by the Heavenly Father! Thank you, Heavenly Father! Thank you, Heavenly Father!¡± Overwhelmed with joy, Kells knelt down with the creature in his arms and began kowtowing. The poor fat raccoon probably thought that by turning into a lion, this human would be scared and let it go. Little did it know, it had the opposite effect. Now, even if Kells risked his life, he probably wouldn¡¯t let it go¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! Don¡¯t be afraid! I¡¯ve decided not to eat you. You are my treasury; how could I eat you? What kind of monster are you?¡± Ecstatic, Kells even began to comfort it. But as soon as the words left his mouth, Kells realized his slip of the tongue: ¡°Haha, what am I doing? Monsters can¡¯t speak. I wonder what else this guy can turn into. That fat raccoon¡ªI don¡¯t know if that¡¯s its true form. If it¡¯s not its true form, what exactly is this thing? If only I had a monster compendium; that records information on all monsters below B-rank on the De Rossi Continent. It would definitely have a record of this guy.¡± ¡°Roar¡­ roar¡­¡± The creature seemed to realize that its life was temporarily not in danger, and its calls calmed down considerably. ¡°Oh? Roar roar? This guy makes different sounds when it turns into different animals! So, if this guy can turn into a human, wouldn¡¯t it be able to speak human language?¡± Kells suddenly had this whimsical idea. Thinking of turning into a human, Kells¡¯ vulgar nature surfaced again¡­ If it could turn into a beauty, then¡­ With a beauty, why bother collecting small panties? He could directly do whatever he wanted! ¡°I say, if you can turn into a human, I might let you go! If you can understand my words, then transform!¡± Kells asked tentatively. As he suspected, the little lion nodded its small head. It could understand human speech. After agreeing, the creature began to transform. The initial process was the same as the previous transformation, but what differed was the shift from the ball to another shape. Indeed, it turned into a human form, but¡­ it had the same problem as the lion¡ªit was shrunken a lot. Although it was a human, its size was about that of a three-year-old child¡­ And the human it turned into was clearly a miniaturized version of Kells! ¡°Haha, it looks just like me. If it were the same size as me, I wouldn¡¯t even be able to tell the difference! Can you speak?¡± ¡°Can you speak?¡± The little Kells said. ¡°I¡¯m asking if you can speak?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you can speak?¡± The little Kells seemed only able to mimic Kells¡¯ speech, unable to respond consciously. ¡°It seems this guy isn¡¯t very intelligent, but it can actually transform to look so much like me! Amazing. If only it could turn into a beauty, that would be great. Since it can copy, copying a super beauty would be awesome. Even if it¡¯s a miniaturized version, it would still be awesome!¡± Looking at the miniaturized version of himself, Kells came up with a crooked idea. With this treasure of a monster, life would be fantastic. He could remember the appearances of several women and have it transform into whoever he wanted. Hehe, and then have it wear small panties in front of him! Oh! Too awesome! Thinking of this exciting point, Kells actually had a nosebleed! The little Kells stretched out its hand and caught the blood flowing from his nose. The blood droplet disappeared into its finger! Then, a voice suddenly appeared in Kells¡¯ mind¡­ ¡°Contract activated!?¡± 05-The Meeting of Destiny ¡°Who! Who¡¯s speaking!¡± Kells looked around in terror, but before his eyes, aside from that little version of himself with a foolish expression, there was no one at all. ¡°Could it be him? The voice doesn¡¯t sound like it. When this guy transforms, his voice also becomes like mine. That voice just now was somewhat unlike a human¡¯s¡ªit was sacred, like a god¡¯s, and damn it, it was a male voice¡­¡± Kells, thinking of this, felt somewhat conflicted. In the middle of the night, how could a man¡¯s voice appear in his head? At the very least, it should be a beauty¡¯s voice¡­ But recalling the content of that voice¡­ ¡°Contract activated? Could it be that some contract magic just occurred? I¡¯ve heard that humans and monsters can form all sorts of contracts. Generally, it¡¯s a friendship contract that the monster actively requests to complete, and there are also master-servant contracts that humans force upon monsters. Kells only knew of these two kinds. As a country bumpkin like himself, he definitely didn¡¯t know anything about contracts. Could it be that this little guy actively requested it? But I didn¡¯t agree!¡± Kells was well aware that for a contract to take effect, both parties must reach a consensus, and the process of the contract¡¯s activation is certified by the great God of Contracts. Speaking of the God of Contracts¡­ ¡°The God of Contracts is actually a man¡­ I had always thought it was a beauty. My childhood!¡± It¡¯s truly unclear what exactly Kells did in his childhood, but in any case, this guy suddenly became extremely dejected. ¡°So inexplicable. I don¡¯t know what kind of contract this little guy made with me. In any case, let¡¯s ask him directly¡ªno, ask the beast itself.¡± When Kells thought of this, he grabbed the little Kells, faced him toward himself, and asked, ¡°Hey, was this your doing, you little punk? What kind of contract did you make?¡± ¡°Hey, was this your doing, you little punk? What kind of contract did you make?¡± It was still the same response. It seemed that asking this guy wouldn¡¯t yield any answers at all. But Kells wasn¡¯t convinced by this. He used the most direct and also the most effective method: a good old punch went down¡­ Speaking of which, since the transforming monster had turned into an exact likeness of himself, this punch going down felt as if he were hitting himself! It wasn¡¯t just a feeling! It was exactly that! ¡°Ah!¡± Kells let out a loud cry of pain. ¡°No way, how is it like hitting myself! Wait, it¡¯s not the same. This little guy was knocked out cold, and I only felt a wave of pain. The intensity we bear isn¡¯t the same. It seems that as long as I hit him, I also bear a certain amount of damage. But this is impossible. Could it be that contract messing with me¡­¡± ¡°Damn it to hell! When did I ever make a contract with this damned thing, and what kind of contract effect is this? Lately, I¡¯ve been so damn unlucky. Ever since I messed up yesterday, it¡¯s been one unlucky thing after another. I was pretty happy at first, but now, great¡ªif this guy dies, I¡¯ll probably end up half-dead too. Grandma¡¯s sake, I haven¡¯t even earned any money yet, and now I¡¯ve got an extra mouth to feed. This guy seems like he can eat a ton too! Heavenly Father! You don¡¯t have to punish me like this! I¡¯m a good person!¡± Kells was so depressed that he nearly hugged the transforming monster and burst into tears. People always have bad luck, but it doesn¡¯t have to be this bad¡­ This monster, aside from transforming and being able to eat a lot, had no other strengths at all. Even a rookie like himself could knock it out cold. It was completely a piece of trash. This guy looked pretty fragile too. If one day it accidentally kicked the bucket, Kells would probably cry himself awake from sleep! ¡°Heavens! Earth! You can¡¯t treat me like this!¡± Thinking of this, Kells shuddered all over with a chill. If it could transform perfectly, that¡¯d be fine. It could turn into some big shot and freeload or swindle some money. But the key thing is, this guy always transforms into a shrunken version¡­ Anyone could tell it¡¯s a fake. Too deceptive! This thing is clearly just looking for someone to mooch off of¡­ Kells really couldn¡¯t think of any practical use for this thing. His rations had all been eaten up too. What was he going to do in the days to come? Kells was depressed¡­ ¡°Maybe have it transform into a beauty to replenish my spiritual food?¡± He tried to get this thing to turn into a beauty, but it seemed that aside from his own appearance, it couldn¡¯t transform into any other human. This thing had seen him, so that meant it could only transform into the appearance of a beauty if it saw one? At this moment, the sky was gradually turning white. The night had passed, and this was the dawn of the second day. The weather today seemed pretty nice; being able to see the sun early in the morning was truly a happy thing. But Kells wasn¡¯t happy at all! It would still take two days to reach Locco, and now it was the dead of winter when nothing could be seen. In such a vast forest, it was unlikely to find anything to eat. If he got lucky, he might come across a rabbit or something, but¡­ Kells himself felt that luck was as unreliable as a fart! ¡°Hey, since you could smell the food in my bag, you must be able to find other edible things too, right? If you want me to support you, you¡¯ve got to help me get through the current crisis. A monster¡¯s nose must be a lot sharper than mine. Look at you, you were pretty fat at first. You couldn¡¯t have been starving, right?¡± Kells grabbed the little version of himself helplessly and said this, thinking that maybe this guy would repeat his words again. Its intelligence was too low; it was like playing the lute to a cow¡­ This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Unexpectedly, this time the little version didn¡¯t repeat. It gave Kells a silly smile, and then its entire face contracted and changed. In no time at all, it turned from a meatball back into the original fat raccoon. ¡°Does this guy¡¯s transformation have a time limit? No way, such a useless transformation and it still has a time limit. It¡¯s truly utterly worthless¡­¡± Kells was thoroughly despairing. Speaking of which, this fat raccoon was indeed the transforming monster¡¯s true form. Turning into this meant that only the fat raccoon form could be sustained indefinitely. After all this fussing around, Kells suddenly felt a wave of intense hunger assault him! Originally, that dried rabbit meat was enough to get him through at least a week, but now only that last little piece remained. Kells swallowed his saliva but didn¡¯t dare take it out. After thinking it over repeatedly, he instead hid the only piece of dried rabbit meat even more securely. He¡¯d save the last bit of food for when he was about to collapse. It was early in the morning; Kells didn¡¯t believe he couldn¡¯t find food. Having lived in the forest for years, Kells had already learned quite a few wilderness survival skills. In a winter forest with no human traces, the only food one could find was mushrooms. Of course, these mushrooms didn¡¯t grow in winter; they grew during the rainy autumn season. Under the efforts of the autumn wind and sunlight, those mushrooms would dry out without rotting. In the past, Kells wouldn¡¯t have gone this far. Unlike near their home, the mushrooms here certainly hadn¡¯t been picked by anyone. This brought a glimmer of hope to Kells in his dire situation. As for identifying edible mushrooms, Kells was very skilled at it and would absolutely never mistakenly eat poisonous ones. Kells¡¯ thinking was absolutely correct. In a forest with no human traces for years, how could anyone have picked the mushrooms? In no time, he gathered a big bagful. Originally, there was no space in Kells¡¯ backpack, but now, easily, he filled it up! Sigh¡­ The space that used to store his cherished collections had all been emptied out. Speaking of which, after this series of disasters, only a few of Kells¡¯ cherished collections remained, and they were all from the ugliest girls in town¡­ Although they were the only survivors, Kells had never appreciated these ones. It was precisely because they were overlooked that they narrowly escaped disaster¡­ These few were always pressed down at the very bottom; it was hard to dig them out. The transforming monster kept following Kells closely, trotting along behind him. Wherever Kells went, it followed. Of course, Kells didn¡¯t dare shake it off. That damned contract was too overbearing. This guy was so weak; if it encountered danger and died, wouldn¡¯t his own life be in jeopardy? Kells wasn¡¯t stupid! Speaking of which, this fat raccoon wasn¡¯t picky at all. Roasted mushrooms, mushroom soup¡ªit ate them with such relish. If Kells hadn¡¯t made so little, this guy could probably have devoured the entire bag! ¡°You, aside from eating, can you do anything else? We need to conserve our food. If we can¡¯t find more edible mushrooms, we won¡¯t make it out of here! Look! What are you looking at! Don¡¯t get any ideas about these mushrooms. If you¡¯re capable, cook them yourself, haha!¡± Kells wasn¡¯t afraid of this guy targeting the mushrooms in the bag. It couldn¡¯t eat them raw! ¡°Gurgle¡­ gurgle¡­¡± The thing seemed to grumble discontentedly a few times. Kells didn¡¯t buy it. He raised a good old fist¡­ ¡°Oh! I can¡¯t hit it¡­¡± This good old fist didn¡¯t come down¡­ ¡°You sly bastard, using this trick so I can¡¯t even beat you!¡± Kells said angrily. After finishing breakfast, Kells began his journey traversing the forest. Kells, with his great ideals, wouldn¡¯t be defeated by this little setback! He¡¯d work in Locco for a month or two, get a decent set of equipment, and start his mercenary life! Of course, the main attraction was still those beauty mercenaries of various races, tempting Kells, who was naturally hyperactive in certain functions¡­ Just thinking about this filled Kells with vigor, and the pace under his feet quickened quite a bit. That thing followed Kells for a while but couldn¡¯t keep up¡ªits body was too fat. Kells had no choice but to stuff it into his backpack. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s heavy.¡± After carrying the transforming monster on his back, Kells felt it was a bit taxing. This guy was a lot heavier than it looked. ¡°Gurgle¡­ gurgle¡­¡± The transforming monster seemed to understand Kells¡¯ words and grumbled discontentedly a couple of times. Kells really had no way with it. He couldn¡¯t use his fist, so he let it be. Besides, as the grand future sole man of a beauty mercenary group, how could he quibble with a useless monster! ¡°Speaking of which, I should give you a name, you thing. Always calling you ¡®this guy, this guy¡¯ isn¡¯t good. After all, you¡¯re my pet now. Let¡¯s give you a cool name, haha!¡± Thinking of this, Kells was very pleased. Although this guy was useless, it was a genuine monster. Being able to form a contract with a monster was something many people dreamed of. It¡¯s said that among the top professions on the De Rossi Continent, there¡¯s one called Dragon Knight! That¡¯s a profession only the strong who have formed a contract with a wyvern can take up. They can ride wyverns and soar through the skies, extremely impressive. Wyverns themselves are also powerful; they¡¯re close kin to dragons, at the very least B-rank monsters! But I¡¯ve heard that Dragon Knights and wyverns can only form friendship contracts, and Dragon Knights are all exclusively women. Since the history of the De Rossi Continent began, there has never been a male Dragon Knight. It seems wyverns don¡¯t like men riding on their backs¡­ ¡°Hey, if you could transform into a wyvern, wouldn¡¯t I be a Dragon Knight! The only male Dragon Knight!¡± Kells suddenly got excited, but when he thought of the effect after this guy transformed, he immediately lost the idea. Such a tiny wyvern would be about the same as a girl¡¯s toy¡­ ¡°Forget it, even so, it can¡¯t extinguish the passion in my heart, haha! From now on, you¡¯ll be called Wyvern!¡± Recovering from the blow, Kells found quite a bit of confidence because of this name. ¡°Gurgle! Gurgle!¡± The thing poked its fat head out of Kells¡¯ backpack and gurgled twice, as if in agreement. And so, our vulgar panty thief Kells met his destiny with Wyvern! 06-The Cute Shop Owner The mushrooms in the forest provided Kells and Wyvern with ample food, and surprisingly, the man and the beast walked out of the forest neither full nor hungry. However, the name ''Wyvern'' was really too flattering for that creature; ''Fat Dragon'' would be more appropriate, and Kells thought so too¡­ ¡°Great, Fat Dragon, I can already see the houses in the distance. Finally, we''ve made it to Locco alive. If only I had money, I''ve been eating mushrooms for two days, I feel like mushrooms could grow on my head!¡± Kells happily pointed to the distance, and Wyvern in the backpack lazily stretched out its head to look in the direction Kells was pointing. About five li ahead, one could indeed vaguely see a large expanse of buildings, with quite a few tall ones inside. It was said that Locco was twice as large as Anda, and it seemed the rumors were true. Just the number of those tall buildings was much greater than in Anda. However, calling them ''tall'' was a bit of a stretch; they were at most three stories high, built with stone and wood. ¡°Locco is really big, haha, I¡¯ll definitely be able to find a job to make money there! After working hard for a few months, I can live the mercenary life! Awesome! Fat Dragon, don¡¯t stick out your fat head, I¡¯m going to speed up!¡± To reach Locco as quickly as possible, Kells started running. This was his strong suit; he could cover five li in no time. As for why Kells had such formidable abilities, it was explained earlier, you know¡­ Just like that, Kells jogged all the way into Locco. Locco town was indeed much larger than Anda; even the various goods sold at the roadside stalls were much more abundant than in Anda¡¯s shops. However, Kells didn¡¯t have a single copper coin. On the De Rossi Continent, the smallest currency was the copper coin, above which was the silver coin, and above that, the gold coin. One gold coin could be exchanged for 100 silver coins, and one silver coin for 100 copper coins. Of course, all this had nothing to do with Kells. His family had lived in the forest for five years, long isolated from the outside world, so they didn¡¯t have any money at all. ¡°I¡¯ve heard there are jobs that provide food and lodging. Now, I have no money at all, and the mushrooms are almost gone, so I can only look for such a job. But how to find a job is really a problem. Dad and Mom never taught me anything about this. If it really doesn¡¯t work out, maybe I¡¯ll steal a little¡­¡± Such a thought suddenly popped into Kells¡¯ mind, but it was immediately rejected. His father¡¯s admonition always appeared in his mind when he had such thoughts: ¡°You must not cross that line, right? Hehe, Dad, your son is almost starving!¡± Kells smiled self-mockingly. ¡°There are so many people here; why not just ask?¡± Standing around foolishly wasn¡¯t a solution. Kells thought that others might know something, so he began to incessantly ask passersby where there were places hiring. When he asked the 100th passerby, Kells finally learned that a restaurant in Locco was recruiting staff, and only there did they provide food and lodging. ¡°I¡¯ve seen shop assistants in Anda; they probably just serve tea and water and such. Jobs that provide food and lodging are probably only this kind, but it¡¯s not bad, hehe. If I happen to encounter female guests staying at the inn, that would be great!¡± Kells stood on the street and began to indulge in lewd fantasies, smiling lecherously! The passersby looked at him with some pity¡­ ¡°This child is so pitiful, so thin. Earlier, I saw him asking around for work. Could it be that he couldn¡¯t find a job and went crazy?¡± one passerby said. ¡°I think so too. The idiot next to our house often smiles like that. So pitiful. He must be from out of town looking for work. It¡¯s winter now, shops aren¡¯t doing well, and there are few places hiring,¡± another passerby said. ¡°Sigh¡­ Poor people¡¯s children are all so pitiful! It¡¯s so cold; this child won¡¯t freeze to death, will he¡­¡± yet another passerby said. Speaking of which, there are really many busybodies in Locco who love to meddle. A certain someone was still smiling lecherously, completely unaware. With this kid¡¯s skills, as long as there were female guests staying at the inn, their panties were definitely within his grasp. As long as he didn¡¯t cross that line, he couldn¡¯t let go of the panties! More and more people were discussing Kells around him, forming a circle around the kid. In Locco, those who were still working outside in such cold weather were all poor people. They were very kind-hearted, and seeing a destitute outsider, they couldn¡¯t help but feel compassion. Although they themselves were also poor, quite a few took out copper coins and threw them in front of Kells. The sound of a series of copper coins hitting the ground pulled Kells back from his fantasies. ¡°Oh¡­ you all¡­ copper coins! Haha, thank you! Thank you all! Thank you!¡± Seeing that quite a few copper coins had been thrown in front of him, Kells was overjoyed. ¡°Just thinking about panties brings good things. My bad luck is over!¡± he thought truthfully while thanking the passersby who had given him alms. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Indeed, panties are my lucky charm!¡± This was the conclusion Kells had just reached, little did he know that the only ones left in his bag were those few from the ugliest girls in Anda¡­ The passersby, seeing that Kells had returned to normal, dispersed to go about their own business. Kells also slipped away to a place with no one around and began counting the copper coins he had received. ¡°One, two¡­ a total of 32 copper coins. The people in Locco are really nice, but I don¡¯t know what these coins can do. They should be enough for a meal, right?¡± For many years, Kells¡¯ only interaction with the outside world was through panties¡­ He had no idea about prices or anything like that. With those 32 copper coins in hand, Kells developed a good impression of the residents of Locco. Back in Anda, aside from being chased and beaten, he had never experienced anything warm. He was almost moved to tears! ¡°I will remember you all. When I become a mercenary and earn money, I will treat the residents of this area to a big meal!¡± Kells promised thus. His father had taught him that no matter how small a favor, as long as it comes when most needed, it is greater than the sky. Kells would not forget¡­ He took this money and found a small stall selling steamed buns. For the first time in his life, Kells learned that two copper coins could buy one bun! And it was meat-filled! Vegetable-filled ones were even cheaper, one copper coin for one. Oh my, 32 copper coins could buy a lot of buns. These white, plump buns were quite large; probably five would be enough for a full meal. For Fat Dragon, two vegetable-filled ones would do. For himself, he¡¯d have a meat one and four vegetable ones. After deciding, Kells handed the boss eight copper coins. The steamed buns were very delicious. It was the first time Kells had eaten such tasty food! He was so happy. This sentence could also be understood as this guy¡¯s dad and mom really couldn¡¯t cook¡­ Actually, this was unfair to the two elders because, unable to communicate with the outside world, they couldn¡¯t even get the most basic cooking seasonings. How could the food they made be delicious! After the hearty meal, Kells¡¯ spirits lifted considerably. Fat Dragon, however, was depressed. For this creature, two buns were nowhere near enough, but Kells¡¯ principle was just to keep it from starving to death. Besides, for a pet of its size, one bun should be enough to satisfy it¡­ In short, it was a money-losing proposition. Although Kells couldn¡¯t use his fists to discipline Fat Dragon, he could use various threats. This creature understood some human speech and could probably grasp that Kells meant if it didn¡¯t behave, he¡¯d make it suffer. So, although Fat Dragon complained, it was very obedient along the way. This creature was usually very lazy; after eating, it would squat in the backpack and sleep soundly, too lazy even to poke its head out. With his belly full and nothing else to do, Kells prepared to go to the place he had heard about that was hiring and try his luck. Although he was a bit thin, he was very agile and definitely had no problem working. If the boss wasn¡¯t too picky, he would surely hire him. However, the person who told him the news also said that shops in Locco generally didn¡¯t like to hire outsiders. This was a headache, but how would he know the outcome without trying? Kells decided to go take a look first. It didn¡¯t take him much time to find that restaurant. The shop was quite large, with two floors, but it was very deserted inside. It was noon, prime time for eating, so this was a bit suspicious. Kells walked in and glanced around; it seemed there was no one inside. ¡°Knock, knock, knock¡­¡± he lightly tapped on the doorframe. The boss was probably on the second floor. It wouldn¡¯t be good to just walk in like that. For his first job application, he had to make a good impression on the boss. ¡°Customer! Finally, a customer! Welcome! Welcome! I¡¯ll be right down! Please wait!¡± A seemingly somewhat cute female voice came from upstairs, followed by ¡°tap, tap, tap¡­¡± footsteps. Suddenly, ¡°bang!¡± the sound of something falling reached Kells¡¯ ears! ¡°Ah¡­¡± a woman¡¯s scream, probably the boss had fallen. Then again, ¡°tap, tap, tap¡­¡±, ¡°bang!¡±¡­ Kells counted; the boss fell a total of four times while coming down the stairs¡­ He could probably imagine why this shop had no customers. Kells suddenly had a feeling that his future was worrisome, but that female voice was quite alluring, which was also the only thing attracting Kells. ¡°Oh oh! It must be a cute-type beauty, my favorite! Helping a beautiful boss facing the crisis of closing down! It seems like many unexpected plot twists could happen!¡± Kells began to fantasize again. This time, the fantasy didn¡¯t last long; the boss finally came down¡­ Kells¡¯ eyes lit up. Indeed, as he had guessed, although she couldn¡¯t be considered a beauty, she was very cute. She was dressed in ordinary women¡¯s clothing, with two long braids, black hair and eyes, a round face, rosy cheeks, and a large bump on her forehead, probably from the fall earlier. Her eyes seemed somewhat nearsighted; when she walked toward Kells, she leaned in very close, probably trying to see his appearance clearly. The girl leaned in so close that Kells could smell her body fragrance. ¡°Oh! So fragrant, hehe, only young maidens who have not yet experienced the world can emit such a scent!¡± Kells was extremely excited. He was very knowledgeable about women¡¯s various body odors, even able to tell from the smell of panties whether their owner had any diseases¡­ ¡°H-hello! Customer! I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting. What do you need?¡± the girl asked somewhat nervously. ¡°This voice, this expression, it¡¯s so damn cute!¡± Kells¡¯ heart raced. If she were to call him ¡®big brother¡¯ or something, he would probably faint from excitement. ¡°I¡¯m definitely going to be a shop assistant here! No matter what it takes!¡± Just for this cute shop owner, Kells made up his mind! It seems that this kid has forgotten about the beauty mercenary group and all that¡­ 07-Why Cant I Touch It? ¡°Customer?¡± The cute shop owner blinked her big eyes, looking at the dazed Kells, that guy who was grinning foolishly with a face full of excitement¡­ Kells didn¡¯t hear the cute shop owner¡¯s call; he was still immersed in his own world. That cute shop owner, seeing the customer still had no reaction, called out again: ¡°Customer¡­ Sir¡­¡± Kells, sunk in his fantasy world, seemed to hear the cute shop owner calling him ¡°big brother.¡± In a moment of excitement, he happily grabbed the cute shop owner¡¯s hands. ¡°Ah, customer, what are you doing!¡± Kells¡¯ action made the cute shop owner scream loudly. ¡°Uh¡­¡± That loud sound immediately pulled Kells back to reality. Coming to his senses, he suddenly realized he was holding the cute shop owner¡¯s hands! This was no small matter. Nervous, Kells quickly let go, ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± He stammered, wanting to say something but couldn¡¯t get it out! ¡°This is it, I¡¯m done for. If this were in Anda, I¡¯d definitely be chased and beaten again. Looks like the job application is ruined. Sigh¡­ What was I doing! How could I grab the boss¡¯s hand! But speaking of it, that hand felt really nice to touch, soft and tender, oh, I wonder what style of little panties she wears¡­¡± Kells¡¯ guilt lasted only a minute, after which his thoughts turned entirely to lewd things¡­ ¡°What exactly do you want to eat, customer? You don¡¯t need to be so nervous; it makes me nervous too¡­¡± The cute shop owner looked at Kells with a pitiful little expression. She didn¡¯t seem angry and even wondered if she had grabbed his hands because she was nervous. ¡°There¡¯s actually such a silly yet adorable girl in this world¡­¡± Kells was delighted. In the entire town of Anda, he hadn¡¯t found a pretty girl easy to fool, but as soon as he arrived in Locco, he ran into one! ¡°Could it be that my, Kells¡¯, spring has come?¡± he said to himself inwardly. ¡°Customer¡­¡± The cute shop owner called again. This customer was just too strange¡ªif he wasn¡¯t grabbing her hands out of nervousness, then he wasn¡¯t saying a single word. This way, she couldn¡¯t do any business. She slightly furrowed her brows. Kells was now clear-headed and heard the cute shop owner¡¯s voice, but being taken for a customer was a misunderstanding. Kells quickly explained, ¡°I¡¯m not here to eat. Earlier, I heard that you¡¯re hiring here, so I came to try. I¡¯m very capable and can do anything.¡± Actually, he also wanted to say this: ¡°Including comforting the lonely shop owner!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The cute shop owner looked at Kells and stayed silent for quite a while. Her emotions gradually became unstable, her eyes seemed a bit teary, as if she was about to cry¡­ ¡°No way¡­ Do I, Kells, look that ugly? Looking at me actually makes her want to cry¡­ Beauty, I want to cry too!¡± It was the first time Kells had met someone who wanted to cry upon seeing him. Could it be her brother had passed away, and he looked a lot like her brother, so seeing him made her want to cry? Kells was imagining possible reasons. ¡°Wuu¡­ Wuu¡­¡± Finally, the cute shop owner cried! And she cried quite loudly, which threw Kells into a complete fluster. ¡°A cute girl crying right in front of me, what should I do?¡± He didn¡¯t know what to do either, just subconsciously raised his hand and lightly patted the cute shop owner¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Shop owner, why are you crying¡­¡± ¡°Wuu¡­ Dad is gone, and the others, the others took the money and¡­ left. Only I¡¯m left. Although I posted a job advertisement, I don¡¯t have money to pay you wages. But¡­ please don¡¯t leave. I will definitely earn¡­ earn money to pay your wages¡­ Wuu¡­¡± As she spoke, the cute shop owner cried again. Probably, before, some people had come to apply but definitely left upon hearing there was no wage, which is why she was so sad. ¡°No wage¡­ My mercenary equipment, my beauty mercenary group, I might as well change places¡­¡± Upon hearing there was no wage, Kells¡¯ first reaction was, of course, to leave. He came to Locco to work and earn money to buy a decent set of mercenary equipment. If he stayed here, it would all just be a dream! However, the cute shop owner¡¯s pitiful expression deeply attracted Kells¡­ This shop owner looked only about eighteen or nineteen years old. She was already so cute now; in a few more years, she¡¯d be incredible. Kells suddenly started calculating in his mind. In others¡¯ eyes, this shop owner was just a child. In this situation, definitely no one would help her. Those people before probably deceived her. The savings of such a large restaurant would definitely not be depleted just because of the staff¡¯s wages. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. If he left this pitiful cute girl alone, something would definitely happen. First, she¡¯d been deceived out of money, and then, if she met some weird uncle or something, wouldn¡¯t her body be taken too? ¡°Better to benefit myself than to benefit others!¡± He made up his mind. What kind of person was Kells? As long as it was a girl over eighteen years old, none could escape his discerning eye. This shop owner would definitely be a beauty when she grew up! ¡°Shop owner, it doesn¡¯t matter if there¡¯s no wage. I will help you! Until this shop is revived!¡± Kells said seriously. ¡°Really¡­ really¡­ Sir! Thank you so much!¡± The cute shop owner, as if seeing a savior, cheered and jumped into Kells¡¯ arms! ¡°Oh! Spring has come!¡± With a lecherous smile, Kells reached his hand toward her bottom. Just when that hand was a hair¡¯s breadth away from the cute little bottom, the cute shop owner left Kells. She excitedly said loudly, ¡°Let¡¯s start working! Today, Eliya is full of energy!¡± Although it was a pity, Kells learned the name of the cute shop owner. ¡°Eliya, what a beautiful name. Girls from big towns are indeed different.¡± But what exactly to do when starting work? This place seemed to have been cleaned¡­ ¡°No way, it¡¯s a complete mess!¡± Kells didn¡¯t know until he looked, and when he did, he was shocked! Tables and chairs were all piled up haphazardly, and there were many broken bowls and plates on the floor. If one walked in, they would definitely get their feet pricked. No wonder such a large restaurant had no customers; in this state, no one would enter. ¡°Miss Eliya, why is it so messy here!¡± Kells asked. ¡°Kind sir, please don¡¯t call me Miss Eliya, just call me Eliya. I did clean here properly. What¡¯s wrong? Is it not clean? I¡¯ll clean it again!¡± Saying this, Eliya stepped toward the inside, but before she had taken two steps¡­ ¡°Thud!¡± She fell again! It was already very messy, and before she even started tidying up, it became even messier! ¡°Ah! I¡¯m sorry, there are so many things to trip over here!¡± Eliya said embarrassedly. ¡°How could she not trip? It¡¯s so messy here. It seems the situation upstairs is similar; otherwise, this cute girl wouldn¡¯t have fallen so many times! With so many fragments of bowls and plates, if they cut her cute little face, it would be a pity. Today, I¡¯m just unlucky!¡± Thinking of this, Kells said, ¡°Eliya, you just watch from the counter, don¡¯t run around. I¡¯ll tidy up here!¡± ¡°Ah, how can that be!¡± ¡°I¡¯m your shop assistant, and you¡¯re the boss. If I don¡¯t work, should the boss do it instead?¡± Kells asked with a smile. ¡°But you¡­ I don¡¯t have money to pay your wages. Our statuses are equal!¡± ¡°Wages don¡¯t necessarily have to be paid in money. Just let me live here and provide three meals a day, oh, and food for this guy¡­¡± As he spoke, Kells lifted the still-sleeping Fat Dragon out of his bag. ¡°Wow, a little raccoon, so cute! Is it real?¡± Girls generally have no resistance to fluffy animals, especially chubby ones like Fat Dragon, which are even more likable. ¡°It¡¯s real, genuine, and quite a big eater. Just call him Fat Dragon!¡± ¡°Fat Dragon¡­ hehe, what a cute name. By the way, I haven¡¯t asked yet, sir, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°My name is Kells. If you like, you can call me Brother Kells, or just brother, or big brother, that¡¯s fine too.¡± What was Kells¡¯ lecherous mind thinking? You know¡­ ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re older than me, and I don¡¯t have any family left, so I¡¯ll call you brother.¡± Eliya said sweetly, her voice very alluring, especially that ¡°brother.¡± ¡°Hmm? What did you call me?¡± Kells pretended not to hear. ¡°Brother.¡± Eliya lowered her head and repeated it shyly. Calling someone she had just met so intimately made her inexplicably blush. ¡°Ah? What?¡± It seemed this guy still didn¡¯t hear¡­ ¡°Brother!¡± Eliya thought her voice was too soft and had to call again a bit louder. ¡°Ah?¡± Kells was still playing dumb. ¡°Brother! Brother!¡± Eliya was a bit annoyed and called loudly several times. ¡°Dad! Mom! So cute! Your son¡¯s heart is racing! So fast! This feeling is amazing, being called brother by such a cute little girl feels so good! Spring, indeed spring has come!¡± Kells was ecstatic inside, while Eliya was puzzled, wondering why this kind brother kept spacing out. ¡°Could he be an idiot? Only an idiot would work for me without wages! So pitiful. When the shop gets better, I must take good care of this silly brother!¡± Eliya couldn¡¯t help but think this way. After spacing out for a while, Kells remembered what he was supposed to do. He handed Fat Dragon to Eliya to take care of and rolled up his sleeves to get to work. Kells wasn¡¯t bragging; his body was indeed in great shape, thanks to his daily exercise. Running several streets a day, how could his body not be good? In no time, Kells had cleaned up both floors of the restaurant spotlessly! ¡°Ah! Brother is amazing! It looks just like the restaurant originally did. I could never clean it up by myself. Thank you! Thank you, brother!¡± Eliya ran over and hugged the dust-covered Kells. Since the obstacles on the floor had been cleared by Kells, Eliya didn¡¯t fall once, probably because she was a bit nearsighted and couldn¡¯t see the obstacles on the road. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s nothing, this is what I should do!¡± Kells¡¯ lecherous hand reached toward Eliya¡¯s little bottom again¡­ At that moment! Kells¡¯ lecherous hand was only half a hair¡¯s breadth away from that tempting little bottom! What a pity! Eliya left again¡­ ¡°Brother, actually¡­ actually¡­ I don¡¯t know how to cook any dishes, wuu¡­ wuu¡­¡± She cried, very sadly. 08-The Shortest Revival in History Kells suddenly had a feeling of shouldering a heavy responsibility. Eliya was merely a spoiled rich girl, she didn¡¯t know how to do anything, but this kind of plot was simply too fantastic. Kells seemed as if he had already seen through to the ending, and his enthusiasm, in that one instant, surged to its highest peak! ¡°It¡¯s okay, oh, about cooking, I understand a little bit. We¡¯ve already completed the first step of opening the shop. How about we two divide the work? According to my method, there will definitely be customers here!¡± Kells said. The cute shop owner widened her eyes, looking at his face full of excitement. ¡°Mm, brother, I¡¯ll listen to you in everything, you¡¯re really nice.¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Kells grinned smugly with a chuckle. ¡°Then I¡¯ll start arranging things. The matters inside the shop will all be handled by me, and you, you just stand at the door, that¡¯s all!¡± The division of labor was unexpectedly so unbalanced, and Eliya thought this was her brother deliberately taking care of her. ¡°That won¡¯t do! I can¡¯t do it like this, ah, if everything is done by brother, I¡¯ll feel guilty¡­¡± ¡°Haha, standing outside isn¡¯t such an easy matter, oh!¡± Kells laughed mysteriously. ¡°Huh? Is there something special about standing outside?¡± ¡°Of course, you are, after all, the image ambassador of this restaurant, ah. You only need to keep smiling¡­ no, if you change into a different set of clothes, the effect would be even better! Little sister Eliya, do you have any nice-looking clothes? Or something a bit special would work too, like cat pajamas, dog pajamas, or something like that!¡± Speaking of which, this kind of animal pajamas was extremely popular over in Anda. As for how Kells knew about it¡­ this question is very profound¡­ ¡°Cat pajamas, I do have those¡­ but wearing pajamas outside¡­ Eliya is a bit shy¡­¡± As she said this, she lowered her head, and a slight blush could be seen on her face. ¡°Little sister Eliya! For the prosperity of this shop, at necessary times, making necessary sacrifices is unavoidable, ah! If it¡¯s not like this, the customers won¡¯t come in, oh!¡± When Kells said these words, his own nosebleed came out. Just fantasizing about Eliya wearing a cat costume made Kells¡¯ blood vessels surge, ah. It seemed that cat costumes came in many types, especially that kind with lace¡­ ¡°Eek! Brother! You¡¯re spurting blood!¡± Eliya exclaimed in alarm, pulling out a handkerchief to help Kells wipe away the spurting nosebleed. The amount was really not small; the entire handkerchief turned red! ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s fine¡­ Let¡¯s hurry up and start, let¡¯s go change clothes¡­¡± Eliya considered it for a while and then nodded. She felt that what Kells said was right; if the restaurant couldn¡¯t be revived, she would truly have nothing left! After about half an hour passed, Eliya came down from upstairs, twisting and turning shyly. Sure enough! She had changed into a cat costume, but it was the purest kind¡­ Kells was a little disappointed, but even so, he still satisfied his eyes¡¯ craving. Eliya looked extremely cute, and paired with these clothes, it was truly perfect. But just this alone still couldn¡¯t truly fulfill the role of an image ambassador. Kells then began the next step of his instruction. ¡°Later, when you¡¯re standing outside, you have to speak like this. Learn it from me once! Welcome! I am Cat Eliya, meow~¡± ¡°Welcome! I am Cat Eliya¡­ meow¡± That last word, ¡°meow,¡± really took Eliya a lot of effort. It was too embarrassing. Inside the house, it was still okay, but outside, she really didn¡¯t know if she could say it¡­ ¡°Very good, keep it up, don¡¯t think about other things, just think about reviving the restaurant your parents left behind. The matters inside the shop, I¡¯ll handle them alone. Outside is your battlefield, strive to pull in every customer who passes by! You can do it. Oh, and the pose needs to be taught too! Learn from me!¡± Kells said, curling one hand and rubbing his face with the back of his hand several times. ¡°When you say ¡®meow~,¡¯ you must do it like this. When your hand makes this motion, your foot has to lift backward, and your body tilts along with it! Yes, just like that! Do the whole thing once!¡± ¡°Welcome! I am Cat Eliya, meow~¡± Eliya lifted her right hand and adorably rubbed her little face. Although the movements were still not so coordinated, it was already quite good! ¡°Too cute, my heart, damn it, it¡¯s beating too fast!¡± Kells clutched his chest, almost unable to bear it, ah¡­ ¡°Alright, everything that should be taught, I¡¯ve taught. The rest depends on you, good luck!¡± Kells watched as Eliya walked out of the shop door. She stood outside as instructed, and every time a customer passed by, she did it exactly as Kells had taught her. The first few times, she couldn¡¯t even say that ¡°meow~,¡± but passersby were still attracted. Such a cute young girl wearing a cat costume¡ªwhether men or women, they all stopped in their tracks¡­ This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Eliya discovered that the method her brother taught was indeed effective. She finally made up her mind to abandon her sense of shame. Meow~ meow~ meow~ she said it! Once, twice, three times¡­ By the tenth time, she performed the entire set of movements very smoothly. ¡°What a cute little girl! My mood is pretty good today; coming to the restaurant to eat once might be fine too!¡± a young girl said like this. ¡°Hehe, she¡¯s working hard, huh. It seems the inside of the shop is much tidier now too, so I won¡¯t be polite. I haven¡¯t eaten yet today,¡± a man followed up saying, his eyes fixed on Eliya. ¡°Darling! This place is so special, oh. I want to eat here, lah, and there¡¯s a cat costume! After eating, you have to buy me one too!¡± said the woman of a young couple. ¡°Damn it, if that stinky hag could wear this and look that cute, it¡¯d be great!¡± a guy muttered quietly. More and more people were talking, and the onlookers created a diffusion effect, ah. One told ten, ten told a hundred, and in no time at all, Eliya¡¯s restaurant was packed with people. Outside, there was still a huge crowd of restless youths gathered; they had all come admiringly to see the cat beauty, but this bunch of guys was clearly full and had nothing better to do¡­ Eliya was so happy. Back when her father was still around, the restaurant never had this many people, ah. But with so many people, could her brother handle it alone? Eliya couldn¡¯t help but glance back into the restaurant¡­ ¡°Heavenly Father, ah! Too fast!¡± Eliya actually saw Kells running between the tables at a hundred-meter sprint speed! He kept running like that and didn¡¯t seem tired at all! ¡°Sir, what you ordered is the vegetable salad, right? Today there¡¯s a special offer on food. If you order two portions of the special food, our shop will give you a mysterious gift! Oh, and if you come to dine again in the future, there will be a special performance! It¡¯s a pity today; it¡¯s still in preparation!¡± Although Kells was unremarkable in appearance, his polite and courteous demeanor made people feel comfortable after seeing it. His suggestion was extremely tempting, and in the end, all the tables ordered the same thing: the special food. As for what exactly this special food was, no one knew, but no one cared about that. Everyone was here for the mysterious gift! ¡°Haha, this way it solves the biggest problem. I don¡¯t know how to make that many dishes, but I do have one specialty. The types of ingredients in the kitchen aren¡¯t many either, just enough to make it. Hehe, as for the mysterious gift, I¡¯ll use that thing left in my bag¡­¡± Obviously, the mysterious gift couldn¡¯t be those few cherished items at the bottom of his bag. As for what it specifically was, that still depended on Kells¡¯ clever tricks! So far, he had done extremely well. None of the customers who came in had any complaints; they were all quietly waiting for the surprise. Meanwhile, Kells, who had entered the kitchen, also sped up. He used five pots at once to make a special vegetable stew. This was his best dish. Kells, this person, also had quite an artistic flair; he chose several brightly colored ingredients to combine together, so the stewed dish was colorful and pleasing to the eye. He also cooked a lot of noodles, and the final step was to pour the stewed vegetables over the noodles. Thus, portions of the special food were completed, taking less than a quarter of an hour in total. Then it was time to showcase Kells¡¯ astonishing speed again; delivering all the food took him only five minutes! It was too perfect! Kells himself felt satisfied. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, today is the first day of opening. Our shop is also holding a special event. The name of this event is ¡®Follow Me, Meow~ Meow~ Meow~¡¯.¡± ¡°The final winner of the event can dine together with our shop¡¯s image ambassador, oh!¡± Kells¡¯ game prize was extremely enticing, ah. This group of people came in because of Eliya. Whether men or women, they all hoped the cute Eliya would accompany them for a meal! Kells¡¯ event instantly received a response! ¡°Haha, you bastards, this game can only be won by women. You stinky men want to take advantage of my Eliya? Wait until after you¡¯re reborn in the next life!¡± Kells chuckled sinisterly a few times. ¡°This event is very simple. Whoever can follow Eliya¡¯s movements and voice and imitate them the best will be the winner. There¡¯s only one spot, oh, so please hurry up, oh. The food will get cold and won¡¯t taste good! Let¡¯s decide it in one go. Eliya! Come in and demonstrate once for everyone. All the dining customers in the shop will follow along, and I¡¯ll be the judge!¡± As for this guy being the judge¡­ In the end, the one selected was also a cute girl. Kells had been eyeing her for a long time already. Of course, that girl also liked Eliya very much, and the two of them happily began their gourmet journey. As for those envious men, they could only steal glances from time to time at the two happily dining together, their tears swallowed down into their stomachs, ah. Earlier, they had thrown away their old faces to perform that action! A moment of folly, ah, meowing~ really meowing~. As long as their wives didn¡¯t see it, it was fine. Too embarrassing! Kells¡¯ cooking skills were really good. Although the process and ingredients were very simple, the price was extremely reasonable, and most importantly, the taste was surprisingly good too. Many people who were used to eating rich and greasy food tasted Kells¡¯ cuisine and praised it endlessly. In just one day¡¯s time, Kells helped Eliya revive the restaurant her father had left behind. This guy¡¯s abilities seemed to have a few more items added to them. You really can¡¯t judge a person by their appearance, ah, truly¡­ As an aside, that legendary mysterious gift was actually the remaining mushrooms Kells had brought from the forest. He accidentally discovered some hidden in the interlayer of his bag, probably something he had prepared for the most critical times, which he himself had forgotten¡­ Of course, these mushrooms weren¡¯t simple mushrooms. Mushrooms from the legendary Monster Forest, ah, these were grown with the noble aura of mysterious monsters! Normal people are quite curious about monsters. Ordinary people like them might never have the chance to see a monster in their lifetime. Moreover, it had long been heard that there were monsters in that Monster Forest, and no one dared to go in. These wild mushrooms could only be found in the forest; they were definitely not fake! Everyone was satisfied with this mysterious gift! In the span of one day, Eliya¡¯s restaurant became popular! Kells created the shortest revival in the history of the De Rossi Continent. 09-The Unexpected Peeping This evening was a day of harvest, ah, just one day''s turnover filled the counter. When counting, Kells was surprised to find several silver coins! This was the first time in his life he had seen the legendary silver coins. It seemed that some customers who ordered 10 portions of the special food at once gave them, but since the mysterious gifts were limited, those few probably got at most two. ¡°So shiny and white, really beautiful, are these silver coins?¡± Kells picked up those few silver coins, looking left and right, and asked Eliya beside him. She was still wearing the cat pajamas, seemingly already used to it. ¡°Hehe, brother is so pitiful, never even seen silver coins, ah. When dad was here, the monthly turnover here had many gold coins¡­¡± ¡°Brother is from a small rural place, never seen silver coins, made little sister laugh, ah. By the way, I¡¯ve already counted it. Today, we received a total of 2000 copper coins and 5 silver coins. Deducting the 200 copper coins spent on ingredients, we earned 23 silver coins, ah! Haha!¡± Kells excitedly calculated, the numbers on the account making him extremely thrilled. ¡°Heavens, ah! So amazing, ah! But when dad was here, the daily turnover could reach 1 gold coin. Why did we have so many customers but earn less than dad?¡± ¡°Haha, take it slowly. Today, all the customers only ordered the same dish. To put it bluntly, it was just a bowl of better-tasting vegetable noodles. Such food can¡¯t be sold at a high price, and tomorrow there won¡¯t be any mysterious gifts to give away¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Then what should we do, ah, the restaurant has finally started to pick up, ah!¡± Eliya immediately said worriedly. To show her nervousness, she even walked closer to Kells, but there was something on the floor, ¡°Bang!¡± she tripped and fell right onto Kells. What a pity, ah! Too bad! ¡°Damn it, why am I so tall! If the position of this fall were just a head higher, I could have kissed Eliya¡¯s little fragrant lips, ah!¡± Kells suddenly hated his own height. But speaking of it, Eliya was already eighteen or nineteen years old; unless he was a dwarf, no matter how he grew, Kells wouldn¡¯t be able to take advantage. ¡°Ah! Brother, are you okay!¡± Eliya quickly got up and pulled Kells up, helping to pat off the dust from his back. In his resentment, Kells realized he had missed another excellent opportunity, ah. Originally, he could have taken the chance to touch something, but he was too busy competing with his height¡­ ¡°It¡¯s okay, little sister is so nice, ah! By the way, I also got some dust on the front¡­¡± Opportunities are created by people, Kells firmly believed this! ¡°Huh, how could there be dust on the front?¡± Although puzzled, Eliya still helped to pat off the dust. Kells¡¯ entire expression changed, his face full of comfort, ah. The reason behind this, please imagine it yourself¡­ After patting for a while, Eliya didn¡¯t see any dust. She thought her strength was too weak¡­ ¡°Ah!!!¡± A piercing scream came from Kells¡¯ mouth. He clutched his lower body, rolling back and forth on the floor, in such pain that he wished he were dead, ah! Eliya was at a loss, frightened to tears by Kells¡¯ abnormal state! Speaking of which, although Kells was lecherous by nature, he was very caring towards women. Seeing the little sister he fancied crying because of him, he quickly endured the pain and forced a smile. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ okay, it¡¯ll be fine in a moment, don¡¯t cry, oh. By the way, I¡¯ve thought of a way to attract customers tomorrow. Does little sister want to know?¡± Kells¡¯ words caught Eliya¡¯s attention, and she stopped crying. ¡°As long as it¡¯s okay. Brother scared me to death, lah. Have you already thought of a way for tomorrow? Eliya really hopes the restaurant can always have so many customers¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ve thought of it. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll have to rely on it. Fat Dragon, how long are you going to sleep!¡± Kells¡¯ backpack was placed on the counter. He knocked a few times, and inside, Fat Dragon reluctantly stretched out its head lazily. ¡°Hehe, such a cute raccoon, can it perform tricks?¡± Eliya asked. ¡°Perform¡­ I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. Look at its appearance, so fat and chubby, super lazy. Probably not many people would like it, ah¡­¡± Eliya thought her brother was joking. If that was the case, how could they rely on it? Kells smiled mysteriously again. ¡°Little sister actually doesn¡¯t know, Fat Dragon isn¡¯t an ordinary raccoon. It can transform into any kind of animal, and it can understand my words. If I let it transform into an animal that is fundamentally untamable to perform, what effect would that create?¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Heavens, ah, brother is so amazing, ah. This way, there will be more and more customers, ah. But why is there a raccoon that can transform? Could it be a monster?¡± Although Eliya was young, she had even heard of monsters. ¡°It might be. I don¡¯t know the specifics. When brother was crossing the forest, I encountered it. There have always been rumors of monsters appearing there. Maybe they were talking about Fat Dragon. Brother, without knowing, signed a friendship contract with Fat Dragon. Now, we two are in a symbiotic relationship, ah. If it dies, I won¡¯t be well either, but if I die, I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Kells even suspected that this contract might not even be a friendship one. Thinking about it, this effect seemed more like a master-servant relationship, and it seemed he was the servant¡­ ¡°Brother is so amazing, ah. I¡¯ve heard that only knights and high-level mercenaries in big cities have contracted monsters. Meeting brother is really great. Eliya is so lucky, oh. Brother has also helped Eliya so much. From now on, Eliya will live with brother. Anyway, I don¡¯t have any family left. Wherever brother goes, I¡¯ll go!¡± ¡°What about this restaurant?¡± Kells asked strangely. ¡°Hehe, I want it, ah. In the future, please live here with Eliya, brother!¡± As she said this, Eliya even took Kells¡¯ hand. The soft, boneless touch felt very good, and unconsciously, Kells touched it a few more times. ¡°My spring has finally come, so happy, ah. I actually managed to get such a beautiful little girl, hehe. In a few more years, we can get married. Guarding this cute and pretty little sister every day, my heart can hardly take it!¡± At this moment, all those adventures and mercenary dreams in Kells¡¯ heart were thrown to the back of his mind. Ordinary people are very realistic: with a girl and food to eat, who would still go risk their life? ¡°Brother? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Seeing Kells spacing out, Eliya asked curiously, even shaking his hand. ¡°Oh¡­ nothing, brother is happy, ah. When you grow up, what do you want to do, ah?¡± Kells asked. ¡°Eliya hasn¡¯t thought about anything, ah. As long as I can be happy every day, that¡¯s fine¡­¡± She seemed to recall something sad, and for a moment, her expression dimmed. ¡°Hehe, no matter what Eliya wants to do, brother Kells will help you, until forever!¡± To make Eliya stronger, Kells promised thus. ¡°Really forever?¡± Eliya asked. ¡°Really! Brother Kells keeps his word!¡± ¡°Thank you¡­ brother is really a good person¡­ It¡¯s already very late, let¡¯s rest, ah. Eliya is so tired from this day, oh, but very happy. Brother, your room is ready, right next to mine. Oh, I¡¯m going to take a bath!¡± ¡°Take a bath!!!¡± Kells instantly became alert, like a mouse that had smelled the aroma of food. All the cells in his body entered an excited mode. ¡°Take a bath, hehe! I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment. As long as she takes a bath, she will definitely take off her clothes to change. Oh oh, little sister Eliya¡¯s unworn little panties, one piece to be obtained, ah!¡± Kells was already so excited that tears streamed down his face. After Eliya finished speaking, she yawned a few times. For a pampered young lady like her, this day¡¯s work was indeed very tiring. She hardly had time to sit down, ah. Even when there were no customers in the restaurant, there was always a bunch of restless youths surrounding her¡­ those who were full and had nothing to do¡­ Kells watched her return to her room and close the door. Then, his operation began! The first step was to survey the environment. Kells and Eliya¡¯s rooms were on the top floor of the restaurant, on both sides of the staircase entrance. This location was very convenient for going out. The rooms were connected, with doors and windows tightly closed. This was peeping, not stealing panties. Opening doors or windows would easily be discovered. Drilling a hole in the wall would take too much time, and the noise would attract attention. ¡°The only way to enter appreciation mode in the shortest time is one way!¡± Kells looked up at the roof. Ordinary people don¡¯t like to look up. Kells had many experiences of stealing from the rafters. Climbing roofs was a piece of cake for him. Look! This guy was already directly above Eliya¡¯s room¡­ He carefully removed a piece of tile, and a ray of candlelight shone through the gap in the tiles. Kells looked inside¡­ Eliya groggily prepared the water and wooden tub for bathing. In the past, such tasks were done by the servants. Now, it was done by an eighteen or nineteen-year-old young lady with weak hands and feet, which was somewhat torturous, ah. She moved the heavy bathwater step by step, resting every now and then. Kells watched with a pained heart, really wishing he could run down to help and then conveniently request a shared bath or something¡­ After preparing all this, Eliya began the thing Kells was most looking forward to: undressing¡­ The pajamas seemed very simple. To take them off, there was no fancy way. Eliya just flipped them up¡­ ¡°Someone!¡± Just as Kells was at the peak of excitement, he suddenly saw a petite black figure open the window and dart in. Before Eliya had flipped up her clothes, the uninvited guest struck her from behind. She let out a soft cry and fell to the ground, unconscious. Seeing the target secured, the black figure quickly took out a black cloth bag from behind and stuffed Eliya inside! ¡°Kidnapping?¡± Such a thought popped into Kells¡¯ mind. Apart from running away, he had no combat skills. To rashly attempt a rescue would be no different from seeking death. After thinking for a moment, he decided to first return to the first floor and take Fat Dragon with him. Eliya must be rescued, but leaving Fat Dragon here made him uneasy. After Kells carried the bag containing Fat Dragon, he quietly lurked outside the restaurant door. That black figure would definitely have to pass through here. He waited for the opportunity to follow. With Kells¡¯ foot speed, as long as it wasn¡¯t a mid-tier or higher speed-type profession, he could keep up. As for stealth skills, that was also his forte. Once, in order to obtain the most desired little panties, Kells had lurked on someone¡¯s roof for at least a week without being discovered¡­ 10-The Kidnapping Incident Kells¡¯ skills were all self-taught. This guy, if he were to go to the Thieves¡¯ Guild for further training, would absolutely be able to obtain the title of expert before the age of thirty. However, because of his old dad¡¯s teachings, he used all his talents on his particular hobby. That black shadow¡¯s speed was not as fast as Kells¡¯. After Kells had hidden himself good and proper, she only then carried Eliya out of the big gate. Kells was hiding right there at the doorway; he held his breath and entered a stealth state. The black-clothed person didn¡¯t notice him at all, but right at that instant when she passed by closely, Kells smelled a different body fragrance. He sniffed hard with his nose, ¡°Grandma¡¯s, the smell isn¡¯t the same, it¡¯s a woman¡¯s. The one who kidnapped Eliya is actually a woman, no wonder her figure is so petite. Damn it, what am I thinking about these things for, hurry up and follow!¡± Thinking of this, he sneakily followed that black shadow. For the sake of caution, Kells always followed at a distance of a hundred meters behind her. An ordinary person, at this distance, would have lost the target long ago, but Kells wouldn¡¯t. His nose was as sensitive as a hound¡¯s, but it only worked for women. Lucky thing the one who abducted Eliya was a woman¡­ ¡°Where is this place? It seems like some noble¡¯s castle!¡± After following for a stretch of time, Kells discovered that the target stopped in front of a castle. To own a castle, one must definitely be a noble with a title, but Kells hadn¡¯t seen much of the world. He didn¡¯t know what kind of title one needed to have to possess such a big castle. But these things were of no importance. He had to rescue Eliya. This guy had already regarded the little cutie as his future wife! ¡°There¡¯s no one guarding the castle! Strange, it¡¯s locked, but she went inside. But this can¡¯t stump me!¡± Kells waited until the black-clothed person entered the castle, and only then did he sneakily slip near the big gate. It only took him one minute, and this guy had already opened the gate. If any high-ranking thief saw Kells¡¯ performance, they would absolutely use every method to take him as a disciple, ah! Such formidable ability, the iron lock on the castle gate was obviously very complex, and it only took one minute, ah! Opening the castle¡¯s big gate was an adventure. Although Kells didn¡¯t see a single guard, opening the gate so casually like that could easily attract the attention of the black-clothed person. She might be right there at the door. Just as Kells bitterly at a loss for a plan¡ªhe thought of Fat Dragon. He patted the backpack a few times to wake Fat Dragon up. ¡°Fat Dragon, you transform into a wild cat and open that big gate. It¡¯s fine, the wooden one isn¡¯t too heavy, you can manage it!¡± Kells whispered his instructions. Fat Dragon obediently transformed. Recently, Kells had figured out a way to deal with Fat Dragon: if this guy didn¡¯t cooperate properly, he would reduce its rations. This move was poisonous, ah. It seemed that hunger didn¡¯t count as damage; no matter how madly hungry Fat Dragon got, Kells didn¡¯t feel a single thing, so now Fat Dragon was very well-behaved¡­ It obediently turned into a wild cat. This big gate seemed like it hadn¡¯t been maintained for many years; the wood of the door body had long dried out and become lighter. Fat Dragon bumped it once and opened the door. Kells hid in the shadows and peered inside; there was nothing, that black-clothed person wasn¡¯t in the first-floor hall. Kells, seeing there was no danger, brought Fat Dragon along and sneakily entered the castle interior. ¡°No way! How can it be so dilapidated, there are spider webs everywhere. Does anyone live here? Oh, there are footprints left on the ground¡­¡± Kells suddenly realized he had made a fatal mistake. The floor full of dust made it extremely easy to leave footprints. If the black-clothed person discovered them, she would definitely know she was being followed. ¡°Never mind, her footprints are left here too. First, follow them over. No matter what, I have to save my woman!¡± Thinking of this, Kells no longer cared. He followed the footprints deeper inside. The torches on the castle walls were all lit up, probably done by the black-clothed person. The footprints disappeared at the underground level. This place was like a prison, with iron cages everywhere, but this seemed to be the only place that had been cleaned. The floor didn¡¯t have a thick layer of dust piled up. That black-clothed person was beside the innermost prison cell. Although it was a prison cell, it looked like it had been tidied up. The inside was decorated like a room, suitable for living. The black-clothed person carried Eliya and placed her on the bed inside the prison cell. Kells hid in the shadows not far behind her, quietly observing. ¡°Sorry, miss, completing this task will get me a year¡¯s living expenses. The delivery date is tomorrow. You¡¯ll just spend one night here, and by tomorrow, there will be a noble young master to dote on you, haha!¡± The black-clothed person¡¯s speaking voice was indeed a female voice, and it sounded pretty good too, but this tone was like that of an underground mercenary doing dirty work. Kells had heard early on that there were some tasks that couldn¡¯t be registered at the Mercenary Guild. These kinds of tasks had higher rewards but were prohibited by law. If a regular mercenary was found to be engaged in such tasks, they would immediately be expelled from the guild. If it involved national laws, they would also be pursued by the local lord! Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. However, there were always people who couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of money. Just like the official guild, the underground guild for dirty work was equally prosperous. They even formed organizations similar to the regular guild, and their discipline was strict. But without exception, to register a task in the underground guild, one needed several times or even hundreds of times the amount of money! Tasks like kidnapping and assassination seemed to be the most common jobs in the underground guild. This black-clothed person should have accepted the task of kidnapping Eliya. From her words, Kells also guessed who the evil person behind it was. ¡°Damn it, it must be that today¡¯s actions were made too big, and Eliya was noticed by some noble young master! Damn it, which bastard did this? I¡¯ll cut off your that!¡± Kells hated it so much his teeth itched, ah. There was actually another man daring to have designs on his wife. This was something no one could tolerate. But speaking of it, this guy really didn¡¯t treat himself as an outsider, ah. Clearly, he and Eliya had only known each other for one day, is all! Kells decided to severely¡ªpunish this clueless black mercenary and take back Eliya. ¡°But that little girl seems pretty formidable¡ªI don¡¯t know any martial skills at all, is all. A direct confrontation would absolutely have no chance of winning, ah. She even slept on the same bed with Eliya. Wanting to secretly rescue Eliya seems impossible too. I have to deal with that little girl first. Hmm! She took off her mask!¡± Just as Kells was thinking of a strategy, that girl removed her mask, and a head of clear and beautiful hair fell down. She looked pretty good, but there was an ugly mark on her face. ¡°Hmm! That seems to be a criminal¡¯s tattoo! Is this person an escaped convict or something?¡± Kells recalled the origin of that tattoo. After removing her mask, the black-clothed person seemed to kneel down in front of an altar in the center of the prison cell. She was saying something with her mouth, ¡°Spirits of the Ryan family, please bless your last bloodline to be able to kill Charlotte! Now, as long as I earn enough money, I can hire the underground guild¡¯s number one assassin, Gries, to help me blood-blade my enemy! Today is the last task. After delivering this little girl tomorrow, I can get that last sum of money I¡¯m short of. I don¡¯t know which noble young master offered so much money. An unexpectedly good job, haha, even the Heavenly Father is helping me get revenge!¡± ¡°Still talking about the Heavenly Father, since when does the Heavenly Father cover for bad guys? There¡¯s no opportunity to exploit, ah. I need to think of a more sinister idea, hehe. If it were a man, I couldn¡¯t deal with you, but I don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t handle a woman!¡± Thinking of this, Kells knocked on Fat Dragon a few times again. ¡°Fat Dragon, go transform into a more powerful monster to attract that guy¡¯s attention. I¡¯ll set a trap. Later, watch my gesture, and when it¡¯s done, you come close to where my finger is pointing.¡± Fat Dragon poked out its fat head and nodded a few times; it understood. Kells discovered that ever since that whatever lousy contract was established, he and Fat Dragon had become more and more in sync. Most of his words, Fat Dragon could understand. At this moment, he bent down, sticking close to the ground, and moved to a spot convenient for setting a trap and not far from the black-clothed person. Kells took out the rope he always carried with him. Why would this guy carry a rope? It¡¯s an essential tool for home, travel, and going out, ah! Soon, Kells set up a rope snare. As long as the target stepped in, they would be hung upside down. This was a prison cell, and the terrain was very convenient for setting this kind of trap. He pointed to the spot in front of the trap, and Fat Dragon quietly moved over there. It turned into a miniature lion. In Fat Dragon¡¯s memory, this was probably the most powerful animal. ¡°Hehe, preparations are ready, ah!¡± Kells chuckled sinisterly in his heart and began the entire plan. He imitated a lion¡¯s roar and called out a few times. Upon hearing the sound, the black-clothed person immediately became alert and looked around everywhere. She saw a miniature lion squatting in front of her. This definitely wasn¡¯t a little lion; its appearance was undoubtedly that of an adult lion, just this size¡­ ¡°Could it be some rare animal or something? After the castle has been abandoned for so long, even strange animals show up. Haha, today¡¯s luck is really good. If I catch this little guy, maybe I can sell it for a good price in the underground guild. Little guy, don¡¯t move around, big sister will take good care of you!¡± Saying this, the black-clothed person tiptoed closer to Fat Dragon. Her attention was completely drawn to Fat Dragon, and she didn¡¯t notice the trap under her feet at all. Right at that instant when she got close¡­ ¡°Ah!!¡± Her entire person was hung upside down. ¡°Who is it! Who! Bastard! How dare you make trouble on my turf!¡± The black-clothed person didn¡¯t seem panicked at all. How could such a low-level trap trap her? She drew a dagger from behind and bent over to cut the rope. Of course, this was also within Kells¡¯ expectations. He didn¡¯t think such a trap could trap the black-clothed person in front of him. Just as the black-clothed person bent over to prepare, Kells took action. He leaped toward the black-clothed person, his speed astonishingly fast. Right as the black-clothed person¡¯s dagger cut the rope, he accomplished his goal! After the rope was cut, the black-clothed person flipped over with a somersault and landed. In front of her, Kells was smiling wickedly, looking at her. ¡°Who are you! Why are you here?¡± Kells¡¯ aura stunned the black-clothed person. That guy¡¯s smile was too eerie, and she didn¡¯t dare to act rashly. ¡°Who I am isn¡¯t important. The girl you captured is my woman.¡± ¡°Hmph, once she¡¯s in my hands, you still want her? You¡¯ve got some guts! This little girl, I¡¯m determined to have. If you want her, you¡¯ll have to take me down first!¡± Kells¡¯ arrogance angered the black-clothed person. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re not worthy of me making a move. Look at what this is.¡± Kells took out something from behind. When the black-clothed person saw what was in his hand, her entire person was dumbfounded! 11-Turning Enemies into Friends The black-clothed person not only was dumbfounded, but her face also red arose, no matter how you looked it seemed like, to confirm she still reached out and touched it, sure enough! A piece of coolness, no wonder when she fell she felt much more drafty than usual, is all! That bastard in his hand was holding her little panties! ¡°Give it back to me!¡± She rushed forward going to desire to snatch it back, Kells how could he be grabbed by her, this guy spread legs and ran, ah. The black-clothed person tightly followed behind, in the end again it turned into a chase war. That black-clothed person just couldn¡¯t catch up to Kells, he still kept turning back to provoke, like kissing the little panties, ah, and such! The black-clothed person was provoked to anger fire burning, but just couldn¡¯t take him any way, this person also didn¡¯t know what origin, unexpectedly using some strange moves and not frontally fighting. The two chased each other a while after, the black-clothed person more and more thought something was not right, that bastard in front might be much stronger than her, this was just deliberately teasing! Like a cat catching a mouse not eating it same, thinking to here she slowly stopped her footsteps. ¡°What? Not chasing anymore? Very fragrant, oh, if you don¡¯t want it I¡¯ll take it, hehe!¡± Kells also stopped down, he looked like even panting he didn¡¯t need, the black-clothed person again was stunned, the speculation already wasn¡¯t a possibility, this bastard in front absolutely was an expert! Thinking to here she had no choice but to give up nature said: ¡°Hmph, consider you lucky, that girl as you please, you want how then how, I won¡¯t participate in this matter anymore!¡± ¡°Haha, just that simple it¡¯s over? You kidnapped my woman.¡± Kells seemed not satisfied with the current result, he rode victory to pursue attack. ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t force people too far, I am underground guild¡¯s one member, if I am killed the guild definitely will send assassins to resolve you!¡± The black-clothed person even began to threaten up Kells. But Kells wouldn¡¯t be fooled, growing this big, only he tricked people, truly no one could trick him, ¡°Hehe, you really that not afraid of death? You also know I kill you easy as turning my palm, but really somewhat pity, ah, except that criminal tattoo this little face actually grows quite nice¡­¡± ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t think about hitting this old lady¡¯s idea, at worst I self-exhaust, but you absolutely will be chased killed by underground guild, in the organization stronger than you are everywhere, don¡¯t be so self-righteous, I lose only represents my ability not up to par!¡± ¡°Haha, laughable, pitiful, trapped beast¡¯s struggle finally will with tragedy end, you die the Ryan family¡¯s grudge by who to avenge? Seems the clan only has you the last bloodline left! If I didn¡¯t guess wrong, this castle is your original home, right?¡± The black-clothed person ¡°hmph!¡± one sound after didn¡¯t speak, she knew the strange man in front eavesdropped her words, this indeed was absolute coercion condition, now she still didn¡¯t want to die. ¡°Not speaking won¡¯t do, we now are discussing a deal, you kidnapped my woman isn¡¯t releasing person can settle it, I know you don¡¯t want to die, actually I also don¡¯t want to kill you! Hehe!¡± ¡°Men always so shameless!¡± ¡°Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! This attitude won¡¯t do, shouldering a clan¡¯s blood grudge if not endure shame bear burden you nothing can achieve, today I¡¯m mood good, if meet someone mood not so good you very fast will lose life, black jobs not that easy to take!¡± ¡°What exactly you want?¡± That black-clothed person somewhat impatient, but again didn¡¯t dare get angry. ¡°First from attitude start, tell me your name pretty miss, then call out my name, want softly with a bit seduction, haha, my great name is Kells, with you these nobles not same, I don¡¯t have family name.¡± The black-clothed person hesitated a moment still did as told, she first reported out her own name: ¡°Karlina, Ryan Karlina.¡± Then she pinched her throat called Kells¡¯ name, indeed very seductive, that guy listened heart felt a thrill. ¡°Haha, didn¡¯t expect really can fool this little girl, grandma¡¯s, hand palms always sweating, success failure at this moment, so far all in my control, this little girl although face has tattoo, looks still quite nice, if can remove that tattoo even more beautiful, can receive such a woman as helper absolutely super worth!¡± Kells in heart still calculating this plan, he seemed had more ideas. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Hehe, not bad, basic etiquette considered passable, introduce a bit yourself.¡± Kells continued said. Karlina although couldn¡¯t figure out this strange man exactly want do what, but forced by family¡¯s blood grudge she only could endure, ¡°I am Viscount Tring¡¯s niece, although I not his biological daughter, my parents both died, Viscount Tring treated me like biological daughter, but in power struggle Viscount Tring by Charlotte that bastard framed, now he already is owning one city fief¡¯s earl. This grudge I must avenge, Ryan clan all in exile by Charlotte dispatched underground guild assassins cruelly killed, I luckily escaped one life, mixed into guild only then knew back then matter¡¯s truth, all along I only thought Viscount Tring family¡¯s tragic fate just an accident.¡± ¡°Hehe, pitiful woman, your age not small, right?¡± ¡°This year twenty-four years old.¡± ¡°Haha, bigger than me, but a looks quite nice woman want from a bunch assassins escape, seems not that easy, right.¡± ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t random guess, I always lived in rural villa, until viscount met harm after only then convicted exiled, that time didn¡¯t encounter Charlotte¡¯s assassins.¡± A woman, exiled after still mixed in underground guild, must have paid a lot, but Kells believed his nose, earlier got little panties smelled very true, is a virgin, absolutely no mistake! But this woman completely can earn some money then go live peaceful life, for uncle¡¯s grudge she actually can do to this step, must be a loyal person. Kells moved compassion heart, but this woman¡¯s method absolutely wrong, ¡°You do this completely can¡¯t avenge, underground guild only recognizes money not people, you think like Charlotte such big figure say assassinated can be assassinated? Even if you issued task, they also will first time know employer! You know what I want say.¡± ¡°Impossible, we in darkness have our own rules, this kind thing absolutely won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Haha, since this, how you learned back then case was Charlotte did? Like this, you tell me they want you pay how many gold coins then willing send assassin.¡± ¡°1000 gold coins!¡± Karlina said. ¡°Mommy, ah! 1000 gold coins, ah! This old man this life still hasn¡¯t seen gold coin! Calm! Calm!¡± Kells almost because excitement gave himself away this many gold coins to him simply like princess and prince such words far unreachable, but Kells good at calculation, he remembered Eliya said, their restaurant one day turnover has 1 gold coin, this way calculate, like her such rich kid only need five six years then can earn 1000 gold coins, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know nobles¡¯ specific concepts, but this money absolutely can¡¯t buy an earl¡¯s life! She was deceived!¡± ¡°Haha, laughable, you think 1000 gold coins can buy earl¡¯s head? In their eyes this counts as money?¡± ¡°To them not count but to us these desperados yet enough enjoy life one lifetime.¡± Karlina still stubborn not awake. ¡°Good, since you so say I might as well ask you, kidnapping my woman you can get how much money?¡± ¡°500 gold coins!¡± Karlina said this number face brimming excitement, she as if saw enemy being hand-bladed scene. But Kells¡¯ words broke her beautiful dream, ¡°A noble young master for get a woman willing spend 500 gold coins, if endangering his life I think he will pay 10 times price at regular Mercenary Guild register task protect himself, 5000 gold coins can hire C-rank mercenaries, I know your underground guild all very scattered no formal alliance, just by common rules bound, your there strongest expert can defeat a C-rank mercenary?¡± Clearly she lacked consideration, Kells this say she only awakened, ¡°Bastards, they deceived me! So all was lie!¡± When Karlina realized she was deceived after entire emotions all violent up, she even forgot she still in coercion. ¡°Calm, Miss Karlina, you one person¡¯s strength what all can¡¯t do!¡± Kells¡¯ words like head-striking rod, Karlina calmed a lot, ¡°Then I can do what?¡± She suddenly whole person haggard up, slumped sitting on ground as if this world facing doomsday same. ¡°Turn evil to good, ah, stay in underground guild absolutely no good outcome.¡± ¡°Joking, with this on me what all can¡¯t do!¡± Karlina pointed at criminal tattoo loudly said, she felt Kells was deliberately playing her. ¡°All things always have way, now Mercenary Guild management very loose, as long not D-rank mercenaries above they won¡¯t care that much, register mercenary time they still can collect not little handling fees, this kind wealth path anyone won¡¯t give up, back then matter maybe still has hidden details, you can adventure earn money while investigate truth, stay original place you forever can¡¯t find truth.¡± Kells gave her proposed advice, now two people¡¯s relationship became somewhat subtle up, originally in enmity two people yet harmonious up, Karlina this moment hostility all none, she seriously listening Kells¡¯ words. ¡°But my brain seems not that good, you can help me find truth? I willing pay any price.¡± Karlina did a correct thing, this young man can from her few words analyze entire matter¡¯s truth absolutely not simple, also his strange strong skills, she felt rely on him definitely can avenge, moreover this young man very lecherous, he to her appearance seemed very interested. ¡°Haha, why not, we make so tense do what, come first shake hand!¡± Kells heartily laughed, big fish hooked, this move turn enemies to friends can be world unparalleled, ah, speaking when extending hand Kells because suppressed tension suddenly burst, extended is holding little panties that one¡­ ¡°Hehe¡­ Mr. Kells hello¡­¡± Karlina awkwardly smiled. ¡°Ha! This return to you, but, if not mind I want keep for personal collection¡­¡± To cover embarrassment Kells made up suitable lie. ¡°¡­¡± Karlina speechless in. 12-The Beginning of the Journey In an atmosphere of one faction of harmony, Kells turned an enemy into a friend. Although there was some slight awkwardness, this didn¡¯t affect the feelings between the two people. They hadn¡¯t yet chatted for a few sentences, and the two already had talking and laughing. Pitiful Eliya, ah, she was still dizzy, lying on the bed in the dungeon. ¡°Hehe, Young Master Kells, before, it was all a misunderstanding. I¡¯ll release Eliya right now. From now on, can I follow you? The matters of the underground guild, I don¡¯t want to do them anymore,¡± Karlina said. ¡°Sure, ah, I was just worrying about not having a helper. How about we go together to become mercenaries?¡± ¡°With your skills, entering the D-rank mercenary exam should have no problem, but I¡¯m laughable. Although I¡¯ve always been diligently practicing the techniques of an assassin, my true strength is only at G-rank mercenary and slightly upward, not even reaching F-rank.¡± She had always firmly believed that Kells was a great expert, something even Kells himself couldn¡¯t believe. ¡°Haha, no, I¡¯m not as amazing as you think. Actually, I just run fast and know some special techniques. Earlier, I was only bluffing, making a show of strength. To save my woman, I could only do it that way. For any offense, please forgive me, Miss Karlina.¡± Kells felt that to truly win over a person¡¯s heart, one must face them with honesty. Between mercenaries, they must rely on each other through life and death. If he always concealed things, it would definitely bring great danger to himself and even his companions! ¡°This¡­¡± Kells¡¯ words suddenly made Karlina stunned, but she didn¡¯t get angry. ¡°Hehe, Young Master Kells, there¡¯s no need to please me. I¡¯m just an escaped convict. I believe in your strength.¡± To speak honestly, originally Karlina still had some doubts about Kells¡¯ strength, but after he said that, Karlina instead believed firmly without doubt. Truly a humble and kind person, ah, she evaluated him that way, but just too lecherous. That person, up to now, was still holding her little panties in his hand. The ancient castle, long out of repair, was drafty everywhere, especially at night, below was cool, cool¡­ Kells also thought it through. Since it was like this, he didn¡¯t need to overexplain. This way was good too; at least if he wanted to do bad things, this pretty little girl wouldn¡¯t resist. Although he said this, Kells considered that if by chance she accidentally did something, it would be dangerous. He didn¡¯t know any martial techniques at all. ¡°Better to keep a low profile¡­¡± Kells repeatedly reminded himself this way. ¡°Young Master Kells, let¡¯s go back, ah. I¡¯ll bring Miss Eliya and all my belongings to follow you. Please don¡¯t disdain me. My property, you can use it as you wish. Also, if you have any needs, I will satisfy them at any time¡­¡± The last sentence was said with a bit of ambiguity. This kid, not being careful, was already in a state of boiling blood surging. Unable to control himself, his nosebleed flowed out¡­ ¡°Young Master Kells, you¡¯re bleeding¡­¡± ¡°Um, tonight is so hot¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Karlina had always felt that below was very cool and refreshing, really no feeling of heat. Could it be her cultivation wasn¡¯t enough? Indeed, those with strength above D-rank mercenaries are different. It seems the most powerful assassin in the underground guild was once a D-rank mercenary in the regular guild! Strong people are different from us ordinary people. Maybe bleeding is a kind of proof. Karlina firmly believed this. After Karlina packed up her belongings, she carried Eliya on her back and returned to the restaurant. This tossing about¡ªshe didn¡¯t catch the person and even added herself on¡ªbut she didn¡¯t regret it at all. Kells pointed out her path; following him wouldn¡¯t be wrong. Eliya woke up one hour after arriving at the restaurant. The first thing she saw was Brother Kells, and then she also saw a woman all in black clothes with a scar on her face. According to her memory at that time, it should be like this: she moved the water, prepared to take a bath, thinking this way, she should be lying in the bathtub asleep, and then brother appeared¡­ brother appeared!! ¡°Ah!!!¡± Eliya suddenly screamed and covered her body. That condition was as if she were a pitiful girl who had encountered an evil person! ¡°Little Sister Eliya! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Kells quickly approached her to ask about the situation. When Eliya saw him coming closer, she hurriedly closed her eyes and retreated backward. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t come over, brother, Eliya is taking a bath!¡± She said in a flustered panic. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. This time it was bad¡ªnot only was her body seen by brother, but it was also watched by an unknown person. Eliya was so ashamed she didn¡¯t dare open her eyes. Seeing this situation, Kells couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°Haha, open your eyes and look, ah, Little Sister Eliya, you haven¡¯t taken a bath yet. The clothes on your body are also intact. Earlier, an accident happened¡ªyou were kidnapped by a bad person. I and this kind-hearted miss saved you back.¡± Kells¡¯ words moved Karlina again. He intentionally concealed the facts to keep her from being embarrassed. ¡°Although lecherous, but a complete good person!¡± This was Karlina¡¯s evaluation at that time. Her favorability rose quite a bit, is all. Speaking of which, the restaurant was also very drafty because, in a hurry, the spare one hadn¡¯t been changed yet. She always felt something was off below, and involuntarily, Karlina kept tightening her legs a little. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Eliya hadn¡¯t expected that something like kidnapping would fall upon her head, but brother didn¡¯t seem to be joking. She tentatively opened her eyes, and sure enough, the clothes on her body were properly worn, the bathtub in the room was empty, the wooden bucket for bathwater was placed to the side, and the water hadn¡¯t yet been poured in. ¡°Heavens, ah, too scary, I was actually kidnapped. Thank you, brother, and this miss. Brother, this miss¡¯s name¡­¡± ¡°She is called Karlina. From now on, she will live together with us.¡± ¡°Hehe, really! This way, Eliya won¡¯t be lonely. Oh, thank you, sister, for saving Eliya. I have nothing to repay you with. Please accept this little girl¡¯s grateful etiquette.¡± Saying this, Eliya got out of bed and, facing Karlina, deeply bowed. At the end, she even took Karlina¡¯s hand and sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°From now on, can Miss Karlina sleep together with Eliya? Sleeping alone is so scary, and brother is a man, he can¡¯t accompany me¡­¡± ¡°Grandma¡¯s, how can a man not accompany? Don¡¯t women all sleep together with men? Who taught this? Depressing!¡± Kells was gnashing his teeth on the side, while Karlina was very puzzled. That young man said this girl was his woman, ah, why was their relationship so pure? Karlina guessed that the female side might be a bit slow. She wanted to help Kells, so she said, ¡°Sleeping together with brother would be safer, ah. When saving you, it was all brother¡¯s credit. Sister just helped a little bit.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is, ah, thank you, brother. Eliya has always thought brother is a good person, and indeed, hehe. But Eliya still can¡¯t sleep together with brother, ah. Dad said that girls, if not married, cannot sleep in the same bed with boys!¡± ¡°How did the old man have such foresight! At such a young age, even teaching this!¡± Kells was depressed at that time. He had no words to say, and Karlina laughed out loud. She caught a glimpse of Kells¡¯ disappointed expression, but since it was like this, she couldn¡¯t help either. ¡°Hehe, Eliya is so happy having brother and sister accompanying her, ah. Tomorrow, let¡¯s work hard together, okay? Eliya wants to revive dad¡¯s restaurant!¡± With another helper who didn¡¯t cost money, Eliya was even more confident. ¡°Wait! We have to give up this place!¡± Kells didn¡¯t support her idea. This one sentence was like splashing a basin of cold water, chilling the atmosphere in the room. ¡°Why, ah?¡± Eliya asked. ¡°Kidnapping won¡¯t just happen once. The employer won¡¯t give up easily. If we still stay here, we¡¯ll only be at others¡¯ mercy. This time, brother luckily saved you, but next time, it won¡¯t be so easy to say! We can¡¯t stay here; it¡¯s too dangerous!¡± Kells¡¯ analysis was very reasonable. After hearing it, Karlina cast an admiring gaze. This young man¡¯s brain wasn¡¯t ordinarily good. He considered all things in detail. Being with such a person gave her a strong sense of security, but he was lecherous. Thinking of this, Karlina felt a chill below, and involuntarily, she tightened her legs a bit more¡­ ¡°Ah! Then what should we do, ah, brother? I¡¯m so scared. I don¡¯t want to leave you¡­¡± Saying this, Eliya even took the initiative to hug Kells¡¯ arm and leaned over. Kells, this guy, of course didn¡¯t yield and hugged the slightly trembling little beauty. That hand clearly had dishonest intentions, but just less than half a hair¡¯s breadth away, Eliya stood up entirely. Resentment, ah! In an infinite loop¡­ ¡°Brother! Eliya has decided, for dad, I must live strongly. When dad left, he also said that¡ªlive strongly, and then one day you¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ what, ah?¡± Kells asked curiously. Eliya had spoken halfway and didn¡¯t continue. ¡°There¡¯s nothing after that, ah. When dad said this, he¡­ he! Wuu wuu¡­¡± Mentioning the sad thing, Eliya actually cried. Kells and Karlina hurriedly comforted her. After tossing about for a while, the little beauty calmed down. During this time, someone forgot about lecherous things. Always not succeeding was really maddening, ah. ¡°Brother, sister, thank you. Eliya won¡¯t cry anymore, ah. Brother, from now on, I¡¯ll always follow you, ah. You must not leave me behind.¡± Eliya said pitifully. How could Kells leave behind such a beauty? Even if struck by lightning, he wouldn¡¯t. Please believe firmly¡­ ¡°Haha, of course not. I¡¯ve decided, tomorrow we¡¯ll go to the big city¡¯s Mercenary Guild, ah. The three of us can just form a mercenary group. Slowly training, we will become stronger!¡± Kells said excitedly. Speaking of which, the minimum number of members for a mercenary group is indeed three, and there must be one who has reached the G-rank mercenary certificate issued by the regular department. The kind Kells mentioned, where you can become one just by getting equipment, is actually a trainee mercenary, also considered regular staff but without a title or certificate. Of course, a mercenary group is better than individual mercenaries. Relatively, the tasks they can take are more, and the opportunities to make money will also be quite a bit more. 13-Equipment is the Top Priority Actually, for a country bumpkin like Kells, it was absolutely impossible to know what a big city really was. The largest place he had ever seen in his life was the neighboring town, which was the current Locco. Therefore, the matter of leading the way was naturally handed over to the well-informed Karlina. She had always held respect and awe, ah, for someone who clearly knew everything yet was so humble¡­ ¡°I say, can we find the nearest big city from here where we can register as mercenaries?¡± Kells asked. Karlina, in order to show herself, said without thinking, ¡°Leicas! A one-star city. There is a large Mercenary Guild there, but why do we have to go to a big city? There is a small Mercenary Guild in a town not far from here. We are only registering as the most junior mercenaries; we don¡¯t need to do this, right?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand this. The small towns around here definitely still have the influence of the underground guild. We can¡¯t fight them. On the contrary, big cities are different. With the public security there, we absolutely won¡¯t encounter these scattered underground guild forces. Of course, high-level underground guilds have different prices. I suppose that guy who hired the assassin can¡¯t afford that money, right? He must be from this town. No matter how rich, he can¡¯t compare to the wealthy nobles of big cities!¡± ¡°Mm! I think what brother said is very right. Sister Karlina, oh¡­ such a long name, ah. From now on, can I call you Sister Lina?¡± Eliya asked. Karlina smiled. She felt somewhat guilty towards this kind and cute little girl, but of course, she didn¡¯t mind the name. She also strongly agreed with Kells¡¯ idea. It was as if this guy had already become the leader among the three of them. ¡°Young Master Kells, if we register as mercenaries, we need to plan the direction of development. My strengths are in surprise attacks and covert operations. Of course, this is prohibited in the regular guild. I can choose the regular Ranger profession, proficient with daggers, physical type, no magical constitution.¡± Karlina briefly described her combat attributes. ¡°So amazing, oh, Sister Lina. Do I also have to become a mercenary? I don¡¯t know anything, ah! Heavens, ah, we don¡¯t have the funds to set out yet!¡± Eliya brought up a very realistic problem. I don¡¯t know which sage said such a sentence: one copper coin forces a hero to death, ah! This sentence is correct¡­ Upon hearing this, Karlina unreservedly took out her savings. ¡°Young Master Kells, Little Sister Eliya, this is all my money, 500 gold coins. It should be enough for our journey and to buy equipment.¡± ¡°Heavens, ah! So much money, ah. How can this be? We only met today, ah! Dad also said, one cannot casually accept other people¡¯s money!¡± Eliya exclaimed. ¡°Hehe, you already call me sister. How am I still an outsider? What¡¯s wrong with a younger sister spending her older sister¡¯s money!¡± Actually, in Karlina¡¯s heart, Kells¡¯ image rose another level. She thought that such a strong person like Kells, yet living in such straitened circumstances, must have given his money to the poor. Such a large restaurant, ah, how could it look poor? Young Master Kells is too great, she firmly believed this. Of course, Karlina didn¡¯t know about the restaurant¡¯s changes. ¡°Hehe, this is very good. Karlina actually handed over the gold coins herself. Luck, ah, my mercenary dream is one step achieved, and at the same time, it comes with two beautiful mercenary companions. Haha! Too great. Speaking of which, the name Karlina is really damn long¡­¡± Thinking of this, Kells said, ¡°Mm mm, from now on, I¡¯ll also call you Lina. I already understand your combat attributes. When taking the exam, you should develop in this direction. With your skills, how confident are you to test into what level of mercenary?¡± ¡°G-rank is no problem, but F-rank is a bit uncertain. What about you, Young Master Kells?¡± Karlina estimated that he should at least be a D-rank mercenary. Just based on speed-type professions, he could rival the high-level ones. But Kells¡¯ answer surprised her greatly! ¡°Trainee mercenary, I guess, hehe¡­¡± After saying that, Kells even smiled foolishly! What a great person, ah, actually willing to give up the honor of a D-rank or higher mercenary in order not to expose his identity. Karlina almost wanted to worship Kells. As long as he wasn¡¯t a D-rank mercenary, the other side wouldn¡¯t send people to check. This way, it also exempted Karlina from the danger of being found out for engaging in underground tasks. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The way she looked at Kells, her eyes almost turned into stars. This is called adoration! Of course, from the beginning, Kells didn¡¯t know that this little girl had such a high favorability towards him. He was even somewhat afraid of her. After all, their strengths were too far apart. In close combat, Karlina could probably take down Kells in two or three moves. ¡°Brother! You haven¡¯t said about my matter yet. How can Eliya become a mercenary, ah! This is simply a joke!¡± ¡°Haha, no, I¡¯ve thought about it. A pure combat team must have recovery personnel.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t know any recovery magic, ah. Light-type ability users are all in the church. Shall we invite a priest or a nun to join us?¡± Eliya said. ¡°Priest¡­ let¡¯s forget it. As for nuns, they probably won¡¯t join us. Recovery professions have always been vied for by various mercenary groups. With our little money, it¡¯s still more practical to buy some equipment. Mm, I remember there¡¯s a kind of staff with solidified recovery magic that is very suitable for you to use. If Little Sister Eliya equips that, you can temporarily act as a recovery profession.¡± In Kells¡¯ mind, all male members were denied. Even if a free S-rank mercenary came, this guy wouldn¡¯t want him. On the contrary, even if it was a trainee female mercenary who wanted to join, this guy would absolutely accept unconditionally, oh! Forgot to mention an important condition: she must be beautiful¡­ ¡°Mm, but Eliya doesn¡¯t know anything, oh.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s okay. There¡¯s brother here. Leave everything to me. Lina, introduce a magic shop. We¡¯ll buy locally. Oh, come here for a moment!¡± Kells beckoned Karlina to come closer to talk. After Karlina walked to his side, Kells whispered in her ear, ¡°Does your underground guild sell some good equipment? If we buy from regular shops, with this money, we probably can¡¯t buy decent equipment. Roughly, the needs are like this: Eliya needs a set of lightweight leather armor. She¡¯s not a monk or a mage, doesn¡¯t need to wear a robe. Relatively, defense is the key point. Also, a staff with solidified primary recovery magic. For me, just a set of sturdy leather armor will do. If it can have a solidified acceleration effect blessing magic, even better. But this, I guess we can¡¯t afford it. I remember that blessing-type magic can only be cast by priests. In the monk system, this is already considered a high-level profession. For weapons, get me a musket, oh¡­ this probably we also can¡¯t afford. First, get a decent bow and arrow. For you, just see what to do. This is what we need currently. Can it be done tonight? I remember the underground guild is open 24 hours!¡± ¡°Mm, it can be done. I¡¯ll go right now. You and Little Sister Eliya wait here. I¡¯ll be back in about an hour.¡± After Karlina finished speaking, she jumped out of the window. Speaking of which, couldn¡¯t she walk through the main door? The door was open. Eliya¡¯s eyes were wide open, watching the place where Karlina left. ¡°Brother, why didn¡¯t Sister Lina walk through the main door? Below that window is a pool¡­¡± Eliya had already spoken too late. From outside came a loud ¡°plop~¡± sound. ¡°Which bastard! Actually put water where this old lady lands!¡± Karlina¡¯s strong voice came up from downstairs¡­ ¡°Brother¡­ Sister Lina is so scary, oh¡­¡± Eliya grabbed Kells¡¯ arm and said. ¡°Sigh¡­ this stupid woman, really don¡¯t know how she earned those 500 gold coins.¡± Kells began to feel a bit uneasy about letting her go to purchase equipment. However, the underground guild isn¡¯t something anyone can enter. They are only open to their own people because most of the equipment and items sold are of unknown origin. There, the prices are relatively much cheaper. Kells didn¡¯t know where he had heard another thing: in the underground guild, one can buy slaves of different races. Speaking of which, this good thing he heard during a certain panty hunt. But thinking of that matter made Kells¡¯ flesh ache. The few treasures at the bottom of the box that were destroyed in the Monster Forest came from there¡­ ¡°It¡¯s okay. She¡¯s just a bit hot-tempered. Actually, Sister Lina is a good person. She saved you, you know. Brother only helped a part. The fighting was mainly done by Sister Lina¡­¡± To improve someone¡¯s image, Kells made up quite a few good words. But the effect was indeed good. Eliya really believed it. She no longer showed a frightened expression. However, after calming down, she let go of the arm she was holding, which made Kells very depressed. The little cutie, every time she calmed down, would intentionally keep a certain distance from him. Truly a standard lady, ah, not a bit of advantage to be taken. ¡°Brother, what do we do now? What did Sister Lina go to do? Will she come back? Tonight, we said we would sleep together, ah!¡± Eliya¡¯s three words ¡°sleep together¡± once again stirred the excitement of Kells¡¯ whole body¡¯s cells. But he knew that the object of sleeping together was Lina. Certain ideas only existed in delusions and only for a brief moment. ¡°She¡¯ll be back in a while. Lina went to purchase our equipment. We¡¯re setting off tomorrow, ah. When we get to the big city, we won¡¯t be able to afford these equipment. Before setting off, brother wants to purchase them well, and we must use them when we take the trainee mercenary exam.¡± Kells said. ¡°Ah! So that¡¯s how it is. Why not go together? Eliya wants to see what equipment there is, ya! Hehe¡­¡± ¡°We have limited funds now, no room for choice. We can only wait for Lina¡¯s good news. Oh, little sister can now prepare the things for tomorrow¡¯s departure. We¡¯ll leave early in the morning!¡± After Kells finished speaking, Eliya began to pack her luggage. Because during the previous division of property, the entire restaurant, upstairs and downstairs, didn¡¯t leave any valuable things. She didn¡¯t have much to pack, just some clothes to change. Kells was always watching from the side. Speaking of which, when he saw Eliya packing a certain thing, this guy¡¯s eyes were thief bright, thief bright¡­ 14-Fully Prepared When Kells and Eliya had finished preparing their travel gear, Karlina returned. She carried a large black cloth bag on her back, likely containing the equipment she had purchased. She was drenched from head to toe¡ªso dedicated that she could go buy equipment without even changing her clothes. Speaking of which, since her lower body was empty and her whole body was dripping wet... "Forget it! Better not think about it!" Kells¡¯ nosebleed was already on the verge of flowing out... "Young Master Kells, I¡¯ve acquired all the equipment. Please take a look." With that, she placed the large bag on the table and opened it. The appearance of the items inside seemed to be quite good. As expected from a place that specializes in second-hand goods, although the equipment wasn¡¯t brand new, it didn¡¯t look shabby at all. Especially the magic staff in the middle, with its flashing red light, it very much resembled high-end merchandise. "This... it¡¯s not made of gemstones, is it? Such a large piece..." Kells picked up the magic staff and examined it closely. The most eye-catching part was the red gemstone at the tip, about half the size of a person¡¯s palm. How much would this cost? Kells was already unable to imagine it. "Hehe, this is made of colored glass. The better quality of this material is called glazed glass. This is good merchandise from the guild. Just the staff without any magic attached costs 20 gold coins," Karlina said. "20 gold coins!" Kells was already feeling somewhat dizzy. A single magic staff that looked quite pretty had such a high value. 20 gold coins, ah¡ªhow many years would it take for an ordinary commoner to save up that much money? Even Eliya¡¯s father, with such a large restaurant, would need to spend one or two years to accumulate that amount. Magic users were indeed the exclusive domain of the nobility, using equipment worth a heavenly price! "Young Master Kells might not know, but this is already considered the worst kind of magic staff. Most nobles wouldn¡¯t use fake gemstones to decorate their staffs, hehe. Today was really lucky; the guild happened to have a staff solidified with recovery magic. However, I¡¯m not too sure about the specific effects, as I know nothing about magic." Karlina had always been very respectful towards Kells. She didn¡¯t know if saying such things would make her lose face. Kells picked up the staff and pretended to know what he was doing, saying, "It¡¯s fine. This thing looks like good stuff. How much did it cost?" "50 gold coins." "Damn it, a wooden stick costs 50 gold coins. How much is that, ah? In the countryside, that¡¯s enough to marry a beautiful wife!" Of course, Kells wouldn¡¯t say such disgraceful words out loud, but facts were facts. Items with magic attached were expensive, and this was still light-based. If it were other types, it would be a heavenly price. The solidification of light-based magic was done in the church, and the fees weren¡¯t that high. This lowest-level recovery magic, due to high demand, had even lower attachment costs. Of course, attaching magic wasn¡¯t something just anyone could do. To attach the lowest one-star magic, one needed at least four-star magic power or above. But magic users generally weren¡¯t short of money; a few thousand gold coins placed in front of them¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t even look at it. To show his expertise, Kells bluffed a couple of sentences, "Mm! Look at the craftsmanship of this staff; it¡¯s so exquisite. The solidified magic must be powerful. In the future, we¡¯ll rely on it for injury recovery. Of course, this honorable task will be entrusted to Eliya. Hehe, take it; from now on, you¡¯re our recovery specialist." "Yes! Thank you, Brother. This staff is really beautiful, and I also like the red decoration. That¡¯s great. Is that leather armor for Eliya? It looks about the same size as mine. Sister Lina, how did you manage to find such a suitable one just by looking a few times?" As she spoke, she had already picked up the smaller leather armor from the bundle. It felt quite hard to the touch, but the weight wasn¡¯t as she imagined. She hefted it; it didn¡¯t feel heavy at all. Only the style was a bit outdated; it really wasn¡¯t cute for a girl to wear... "This one cost 5 gold coins. The leather quality is good; it¡¯s said to be made from the hide of a hard-type magical beast. It can withstand ordinary sword damage. As long as the force isn¡¯t too great, it won¡¯t cause any harm. Although the style is a bit old, the design is ingenious. This one is adjustable. I was afraid the size wouldn¡¯t fit, so I bought this one." Compared to magic user equipment, the price of ordinary armor was significantly cheaper. One magic staff could buy ten pieces of such clothing. "It¡¯s pretty good, Sister Lina, Brother Kells, do I look good wearing it?" Eliya put on the leather armor and twirled around the room several times. "Haha, it¡¯s alright. Looking too good isn¡¯t good. We¡¯re going to be mercenaries. If we attract unnecessary trouble, that wouldn¡¯t be good. Wearing something a bit outdated won¡¯t make it so easy for noble young masters to take a fancy to you. By the way, Lina, from now on, don¡¯t call me Young Master Kells. I¡¯m just a country bumpkin who hasn¡¯t seen the world. Mm, mm! From now on, call me Captain!" he said as such. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Alright, Captain Kells!" Speaking of which, Karlina¡¯s favorability increased again. Why? This is called humility¡ªwhat a great virtue, ah! Similarly, Kells still knew nothing about it. "Oh, oh! This one is mine then. It¡¯s indeed soft leather armor. If it were too hard, I wouldn¡¯t be able to move. But doesn¡¯t soft leather armor have much less defense?" Kells asked. "Yes, but this one isn¡¯t bad. It¡¯s genuinely made from magical beast hide. It cost 20 gold coins. The guild boss told me that the material for this clothing was skinned from an F-rank magical beast. If sold through regular channels, it would cost at least 80 gold coins or more!" Karlina said. "Heavenly Father, ah! 20 gold coins! Just this one piece of ragged clothing costs 20 gold coins... Speaking of which, is this really magical beast hide? I¡¯ve never seen it before, ah. F-rank, ah! This is not on the same level as G-rank!" Kells was secretly shocked. Equipping a set of mercenary gear really wasn¡¯t cheap, but equipment was truly crucial. As long as your defense was strong enough, even B-rank magical beasts couldn¡¯t do anything to you. Of course, that belonged to legendary equipment; ordinary people shouldn¡¯t even dream about it. "The weapon... where¡¯s the bow and arrows I wanted?" Kells searched through the cloth bag but couldn¡¯t find the bow and arrows he had requested. Karlina smiled and took out a stick-like object from behind her, about half a meter long. It wasn¡¯t clear what it was. "Captain Kells, this is today¡¯s good merchandise. I spent 50 gold coins to get it!" "But this... no matter how you look at it, it doesn¡¯t look like a bow and arrows, ah. A stick¡ªwhat would I use it for..." Kells really wanted to scold Karlina. This foolish woman kept getting useless things. What could this broken stick be used for? To scare Fat Dragon? That might be worth a try... "Hehe, this is a good bow, but it¡¯s a composite type. Just pull it like this, then rotate it like this. Look! It¡¯s done!" Karlina took the short wooden stick and, with a few quick movements, actually assembled a bow. Kells took it and tested its strength. It seemed pretty good! Don¡¯t be fooled by this kid¡¯s slender appearance; his strength was not small. He was at least twice as strong as his peers. Kells¡¯ ability to escape was mentioned earlier, and as for this great strength, it was also related to escaping, ah. When Kells couldn¡¯t outrun the fastest girl in town, that period was when he trained his strength! All sorts of beatings, ah. If his resistance to blows wasn¡¯t good, he would have ascended to heaven years ago... This bow¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t weak. If paired with sharp arrows, it should be able to reach a range of 300 meters. Kells estimated the power of this bow. Its advantage was being easy to carry and conceal. It was fine for dealing with magical beasts, but not for combat against people. In low-level battles, archers were always the first to be targeted for instant kills, and in high-level battles, it was the magic users. Ranged attackers would always be given special attention¡ªthat was the principle. However, Karlina didn¡¯t quite understand why he chose to use a bow and arrows. Generally, the leaders of mercenary groups were tank types, like various knights... "Captain Kells, why don¡¯t you use sword-type weapons?" Karlina asked. As a leader, a sword and shield seemed more impressive. A bow and arrows seemed a bit sneaky. "We¡¯re not fighting people. Low-level magical beasts don¡¯t have much intelligence. If we want to fight monsters above our level, we must use ranged power. With just the few of us, going into close combat would be suicide. Lina, your close combat abilities aren¡¯t great either, right?" Kells asked. "Yes, Captain Kells is absolutely right. Hehe, if I hadn¡¯t met you, someone like me really wouldn¡¯t be suited for the mercenary life," Karlina said, feeling extremely fortunate. "It¡¯s fine. With my leadership, you can exert double your strength. Hehe, in a few days, our mercenary life will begin. By the way, what equipment did you buy? Besides our things, I don¡¯t see anything else." "I don¡¯t need any, Captain. I already have equipment. Female stealth professions can¡¯t even wear leather armor; they can only use this kind of lightweight clothing with no defense at all. As for weapons, I use a poisoned dagger. After being cut, it produces hallucinogenic effects. This dagger is also good merchandise. At the time, I spent 100 gold coins. In one mission, it was all thanks to this dagger!" Just as Karlina was about to continue, she was interrupted by Kells. "This foolish woman, how can she casually talk about those past deeds of killing and kidnapping? If Eliya finds out about this, she¡¯ll never associate with you!" Kells was gloomy inside. He was really afraid that one day this woman would accidentally let something slip, and Eliya would misunderstand, which would be troublesome. Karlina didn¡¯t mind too much. Since Kells didn¡¯t let her continue, she didn¡¯t. "This time, we spent a total of 125 gold coins. We still have 375 gold coins left. That¡¯s enough for the three of us to live in a big city for a long time. The consumption in a one-star city isn¡¯t too high." "Yes, very good. Thank you. The start of this adventure is all thanks to Lina¡¯s support. Hehe, tonight we¡¯ll rest well and set off tomorrow. By the way, Lina, come here; I have something to say to you." Kells and Karlina walked outside. "You didn¡¯t complete the mission. How did the underground guild handle it?" Kells wasn¡¯t familiar with the rules in this area. He was afraid Karlina had gotten into trouble. "It¡¯s fine. Every time we accept a mission, we have to pay a certain deposit. The higher the mission reward, the higher the deposit. If we give up midway or fail the mission, the deposit will be confiscated by the guild! For this mission, I paid 5 gold coins, roughly a 1 to 100 ratio." "They won¡¯t pursue any responsibility?" "No, there¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m free now." Karlina smiled. "This is completely different from the regular guild. In the regular guild, if you fail too many missions, the mercenary group¡¯s rank will be lowered, and the mercenary will be blacklisted. Once blacklisted, it¡¯s troublesome. No one will let these incompetent mercenaries take missions." Kells sighed. 15-You Have to Pay to Pass The departure was on the morning of the second day. Actually, very early on, there was a bunch of restless youths who had nothing to do after eating their fill, coming over to watch the cute cat girl. Of course, this group of thirsty restless youths might not have eaten, but unfortunately, Kells and the others set off even earlier. On the road, because there was Karlina¡¯s gold coins and the dual support of a guide, the three of them arrived at the one-star city Leicas without any obstacles. Speaking of which, on the De Rossi Continent, there are numerous countries, each country has many towns and villages. Although the customs and races are different, the evaluation standards for cities are all the same. In the evaluation standards, the highest is a five-star city, with population and scale as the basis. A population reaching 20 million, a scale reaching the level of a royal city, and having the national leader residing there is the highest level. Then it decreases step by step, with the lowest being one-star, with a population standard of 2 million, and at least needing an earl¡¯s castle. The identity of the city lord doesn¡¯t necessarily need to be an earl; this depends on the prosperity of each country. An earl¡¯s castle is just the level of defensive buildings. Generally, such buildings have several levels: the lowest is a baron¡¯s castle, followed by a viscount¡¯s castle, an earl¡¯s castle, a marquis¡¯s castle, a duke¡¯s castle, and the royal city. Of course, this is just a general way of division. According to the different customs of certain countries, there are different names, but the hard standards for defensive buildings are all the same. A baron¡¯s castle needs at least 5,000 square meters of land, among which it contains the minimum military strength of: one expert-level knight, 500 intermediate or above knight guards, and about 1,000 regular militiamen. Of course, if there is no expert knight, one can hire an equivalent C-rank mercenary as the army commander of the baron¡¯s castle. Kells¡¯ birthplace, the Crimson Moon Empire, possesses a long history, with the population mainly composed of humans, and also a small number of the humanoid race, the Kaya tribe. Their most obvious feature is their robust and powerful strong physique. The face still has human characteristics, but the body¡¯s back is covered with scales. The Kaya tribe is a natural combat race; even ordinary citizens also possess the strength of G-rank mercenaries. The women in the tribe are very much like human little girls; they have beautiful faces, and in the middle of their foreheads, there will be a crystal-like gem. But very unfortunately, they seem unable to intermarry with humans, and this matter, as early as countless years ago, had tens of thousands of aspiring individuals go to personally verify its possibility, and to this day, it has always been fruitless and ended¡­ Speaking of which, Kells, this lecherous guy, from before had also fantasized about such things, but helplessly, the Kaya tribe generally are high-level warriors. Even ordinary citizens¡¯ treatment is not the same. In a two-star city, you might not even see a few, let alone his hometown, that remote small town. ¡°Have you seen people of the Kaya tribe?¡± When arriving at the main gate of Leicas City waiting for inspection, Kells asked toward Karlina. ¡°No, they have their own gathering places. Usually in cities, you rarely see them.¡± Karlina was also proficient in the art of makeup. The criminal tattoo on her face was covered very well; if you didn¡¯t look carefully, you could hardly see any traces. ¡°Ah! Does big brother know about the Kaya tribe? When Eliya was very young, she had a friend from the Kaya tribe!¡± ¡°Damn! Male or female?¡± When asking, that ¡°damn!¡± was only said in his heart. When talking to a beautiful and cute little girl, how could one use such vulgar words? ¡°Hehe, a girl, ah. Eliya has not seen a Kaya tribe boy. I heard they are all very tall and big. Even at a very young age, they also have the physique of our adults. Thinking about it is quite scary. How could Eliya become friends with such a person¡­¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s true. Speaking of which, what about that Kaya tribe little girl now? Can you still find her?¡± Kells was calculating in his heart. Any man knows the strength of the Kaya tribe. It seems that the women are even stronger. Although their physique is small, they can use the race¡¯s unique magic, with power no less than that of professional mages. The outstanding ones among them generally serve as high-level positions like castle commanders. If he could win over such a mercenary group member, wouldn¡¯t that be extremely great? ¡°Hehe, humans and the Kaya tribe can¡¯t intermarry? That¡¯s simply nonsense! This fallacy will eventually be terminated in my hands!¡± Kells even had such thoughts¡­ His face was already in a state of delusion, with the cute figures of the Kaya tribe constantly appearing in the illusions of his brain! ¡°I don¡¯t know, ah. We only played together for a year, and then she left Locco. After that, Eliya never heard any news about her again. Oh, her name is Belulu! Sister Lina, have you heard of her?¡± ¡°Belulu¡­ No, ah, leader, what¡¯s wrong with you? The inspection has already reached us.¡± Kells was still in a daze. Karlina reminded him. The inspection to enter the city had already begun. This kind of thing generally was also just a formality. The Crimson Moon Empire had been at peace for several hundred years. War, this kind of thing, was somewhat too distant. It was just to give the guards and knights some small extra income. If you want to enter the city without paying taxes, unless you have a prominent status or possess a mercenary title, of course, the kind of trainee mercenary that you can become just by spending money doesn¡¯t count. ¡°Stop! You! Yes, you!¡± The few guards watching the gate, their leader was a knight with a gloomy face. This guy, at a glance, didn¡¯t look like a good person. It was he who called out to Kells and the others. At this time, Kells and the others had already changed into mercenary equipment. That person saw that Karlina and Eliya looked good and directly let them pass, only leaving Kells alone. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Generally, when this situation occurs, there is only one possibility: this poor kid who looks like a loser must be the attendant of those two mercenaries. Attendants, simply put, are handymen. People who are used to collecting fees all have a common understanding: the more beautiful the woman, the harder she is to provoke. But attendants are nothing; those who should be extorted still have to be extorted¡­ ¡°You kid want to pass the city gate?¡± The gloomy knight had a treacherous face. His speaking voice was also sinister, very professional. Normally, anyone with a bit of brain, seeing this appearance coupled with this voice, would know what he wanted to do, without even needing much explanation. But Kells, this aspiring youth from the countryside, didn¡¯t understand the rules. ¡°Yes, ah! They are my companions. Why only leave me behind?¡± Kells asked curiously. The gloomy knight ¡°hehe¡± laughed sinisterly a few times, ¡°You know, every day I see at least a hundred poor ghosts like you using this trick. They are they, you are you. If you want to pass here, you have to understand the rules. Do you know the rules?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Kells looked at him with a face full of entanglement, ¡°Damn it, coming to a big city and still have to pay an entrance fee. Lina and Eliya actually just went in like that¡­ Boss¡­ I really don¡¯t have money on me¡­¡± Karlina also overlooked this point. She knew the market. Although there is a tax to pass the gate, it¡¯s very low, only one silver coin. The targets for collecting taxes are just some poor ghosts who are easy to bully. Even if they want to extort more, they can¡¯t extort much money. Eliya seemed to have never been to a big city either. As soon as she entered the city gate, she happily pulled Karlina to look around left and right. Her Brother Kells had already been forgotten, is all. Very desolate, is all. He didn¡¯t even have one silver coin, ah. Normal people really couldn¡¯t be poor to this extent. So if you try to argue, there will only be one outcome¡­ ¡°Thud!¡± Kells was kicked flying with one foot. Fortunately, the defense of the soft armor was good, and his body didn¡¯t suffer substantial damage. That soft armor was simply made from monster skin with simple processing. Kells wore it inside. The knight leader didn¡¯t see that this guy was wearing valuable goods, only thought he was playing with him. ¡°Damn it, don¡¯t even have one silver coin and still want to pass the city gate? Go home and dream your old dreams. Remember, if I see you a second time, it¡¯ll be this number! Without this number, I¡¯ll kick you flying back to your hometown with one foot!¡± He stretched out two fingers and said viciously. The meaning was very clear: if you want to pass the city gate, you need two silver coins. The price has increased! ¡°Damn! Kicked me so hard¡­ That stupid woman Lina actually just went in like that. Heavenly Father, ah, how am I supposed to get two silver coins, ah¡­¡± Kells suddenly had a certain idea. Not to mention silver coins, stealing big bags of gold coins was something he could do easily, but his old dad¡¯s words always prevented him from acting. ¡°Is it that I can¡¯t cross that line again? The problem is very serious, ah, dad. If I can¡¯t enter the gate, where do I go to find the stupid woman and the little cutie? This is a big city, ah. Even one city gate is more than ten meters high. So many people, ah. This one kick actually sent me flying more than ten meters away. The knight lord is really strong. It seems he has the strength of a G-rank mercenary, right? But for civil servants with such iron rice bowls, why would they go to be mercenaries who risk their lives?¡± Kells was depressed. The accident happened just like that, without any warning. At this time, a large number of people waiting for inspection had already squeezed over, a sea of people. He couldn¡¯t see anything but people. ¡°If this continues, it¡¯ll be troublesome. There are too many people. If we get separated, it¡¯s over. Damn it, there are really many people in big cities, ah. In Anda, this wouldn¡¯t happen no matter what. No, I must act. Dad¡­ I¡¯m sorry, your son will only commit this once, ah! Just this once! This concerns your son¡¯s glorious future, ah! There are so many people here; I can just pick one at random, hehe. That short-haired kid in front seems to look quite rich. Sponsoring two silver coins to pass the city gate won¡¯t be any loss!¡± After much consideration, Kells still prepared to act. Time was pressing, and only this method could solve the problem in the shortest time. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t target poor people. The back view in front looked like a rich young master. He deserved to be unlucky, but it was just two silver coins¡­ Kells¡¯ hand had already reached over. Speaking of which, this kid, growing up to this age, it was the first time he touched a man. The guy in front was quite good at hiding money. He first felt around the back half circle and didn¡¯t find anything like a money pouch. Normally, people generally like to hang their money pouches on the belt around their waist, the position roughly on the side of the body. But some people like to stuff their money pouches in the hidden pocket in front of their chest. If there was nothing below, then there was only one possibility: the money pouch was hidden in front of the chest by the kid in front. Stealing this would be more difficult, but who was Kells? This couldn¡¯t stump him! It¡¯s just that the target was a man, which was completely different¡­ ¡°Touching makes me want to vomit, ah. If it weren¡¯t for two silver coins¡­ Sigh¡­ My golden hand is exclusively for beautiful women, ah!¡± Kells complained while touching. Even in the chest, this kid was quite good at hiding. He touched for quite a while before finding the target. Of course, this kind of miraculous thief art, ordinary people couldn¡¯t feel it. ¡°Hehe! Got it, thanks for the support!¡± After Kells found the target, he reached in. He planned to take out two silver coins and stop. After all, it was just to solve a temporary urgency! But at this moment, an accident happened! Just as he was about to withdraw his hand after succeeding, his arm was grabbed by the short-haired one. The strength was quite strong, and Kells couldn¡¯t move. Then that person turned his head¡­ ¡°You!!! How is it you! You this despicable, shameless, vulgar, extremely filthy guy!¡± A series of Kells¡¯ exclusive vocabulary burst out from the short-haired one¡¯s mouth. Fortunately, the surroundings were quite noisy. Although the short-haired one was cursing, he spoke quite gracefully, and the volume was also very low, not attracting attention. Kells'' hand went to work. First time in his life pickpocketing a guy. The kid was sly¡ªKells felt around the back half, no money pouch. Most folks hang it on their belt, side of the body. Some stash it in a chest pocket¡ªif not below, it''s up top. Trickier lift, but Kells? No problem! Guy target? Whole different vibe¡­ "Touching him makes me wanna puke¡ªif not for two silver coins¡­ ugh¡­ My golden hands are for beauties only!" Kells griped while groping. Even up front, the kid hid it well¡ªtook a while to find. Normal folks wouldn''t feel this godly thief craft. "Heh heh! Got it¡ªthanks for the assist!" Kells located it, slipped his hand in¡ªplanned to grab two silver coins and bounce. Just a quick fix! But then¡ªbam!¡ªtrouble struck! As he nabbed it and pulled back, Short Hair grabbed his arm¡ªhard. Kells couldn''t budge. Then the kid turned¡­ "You!!! How''s it you! You despicable, shameless, filthy, disgusting creep!" A string of Kells-exclusive insults flew from Short Hair''s mouth. Lucky the crowd was loud¡ªdespite the rant, the kid kept it classy, voice low, no one noticed. 16-Luring Monsters Isn鈥檛 a Job for Humans ¡°No way! How could it be that short-haired guy? Out of all the people I could run into, I just had to bump into this jinx. Damn it, I¡¯m done for this time!¡± Kells¡¯ face instantly turned ashen. This kid¡¯s grip was no ordinary strength; it seemed like he knew martial techniques. The spot he was holding left Kells unable to muster even a shred of energy throughout his entire body. ¡°Last time was just an accident¡­ really¡­¡± Kells said with a face full of bitterness. ¡°Oh¡­ then what about this time? These two silver coins are mine!¡± the short-haired youth declared. ¡°Ah! Really? Do silver coins come with different appearances? How are these two yours? I just pulled them out. I was only talking about last time; this time, I haven¡¯t done anything!¡± Kells argued cunningly. ¡°Haha, I knew someone like you would say something like that. Actually, let me tell you one thing. In the Crimson Moon Empire, there¡¯s a very famous mercenary group called the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group. This mercenary group has a special characteristic: all its members use coins with markings. For example, right here, do you see?¡± The short-haired youth grabbed Kells¡¯ hand and lifted it up, forcing him to look closely at the coins. Sure enough, in the very center, aside from Emperor Niels¡¯ portrait, there was a distinct emblem featuring a human figure with three diagonal lines. ¡°This is the emblem of our Wind Spirit Mercenary Group. How could coins like these end up in the hands of someone like you? Don¡¯t you find it strange?¡± The short-haired youth had seized decisive evidence, his face overflowing with a victorious smile. The fact that the coins bore an emblem did indeed throw Kells off, but this guy didn¡¯t take more than a few minutes to come up with a counterargument. ¡°I say, aren¡¯t coins meant to circulate? I don¡¯t know, maybe I just happened to receive two silver coins from your mercenary group. What¡¯s so surprising about that? Also, friend, could you ease up on your grip a bit? It¡¯s going numb!¡± He argued cunningly once more. ¡°Haha, actually, there¡¯s one more thing you don¡¯t know about.¡± The short-haired youth seemed to have anticipated that Kells would say that, and after speaking, his face revealed a mysterious air. ¡°I say, are there really that many things I don¡¯t know about? How about you let go of my hand first? I won¡¯t run. I¡¯m a man of upright character; I haven¡¯t done anything guilty. Why would I flee?¡± ¡°Haha, you think I¡¯d fall for that again? It¡¯s rare¡ªsomeone as bad as you actually runs faster than me. Actually, there¡¯s one more thing you don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°¡­How about you just tell me all the things I don¡¯t know? I¡¯ve already heard that line so many times!¡± Kells was somewhat helpless; this short-haired guy was a bit neurotic. ¡°Since you put it that way, I¡¯ll tell you everything. Actually¡­¡± ¡°Can we not use ¡®actually¡¯?¡± Kells was already at his wit¡¯s end. ¡°Haha! Alright, when our Wind Spirit Mercenary Group uses coins, we erase the emblems on them. Lately, thieves have been rampant. This method was devised by our leader and announced to the imperial guard department. You can¡¯t deny it. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can just call out to that knight over there, and you¡¯ll know whether I¡¯m telling the truth or not!¡± Kells was genuinely terrified that this short-haired bastard would shout it out. If that happened, he¡¯d never be able to set foot in Leicas again. Thieves are despised everywhere, especially ones who get exposed. They become rats crossing the street¡ªeveryone wants to beat them. For the rest of their lives, they¡¯d have no choice but to join the thieves¡¯ guild. Kells didn¡¯t want that; he still dreamed of his mercenary life¡­ ¡°Boss, it was really a misunderstanding. You saw it just now¡ªI don¡¯t even have a single coin on me. Without these two silver coins, I can¡¯t even get through the city gates. I really didn¡¯t steal money. If I were going to steal, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be just these two silver coins, right?¡± Kells pleaded. Of course, deep down, this guy wasn¡¯t convinced at all. ¡°Why do I always have rotten luck whenever I run into this guy? They even mark their coins. What a stingy mercenary group¡ªand they call themselves famous? Bullshit!¡± ¡°Haha, even if you wanted to steal all my money, it¡¯d be impossible. Your technique might be clever, but lately, our mercenary group has been focusing heavily on anti-theft training.¡± The short-haired youth said with pride. This guy had probably been stolen from plenty of times and finally caught a thief¡­ ¡°I say, boss, what exactly do you want? I¡¯m just a worthless nobody. For the sake of two silver coins, you don¡¯t need to treat me like this, right? Actually, you don¡¯t know this, but I¡¯ve got elders above me and little ones below me. At home, there¡¯s an 80-year-old mother with no one to care for her, and infants crying to be fed. Can you bear it? You definitely can¡¯t bear it¡­¡± Kells said. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Those words seemed to touch the short-haired youth; his expression softened considerably. Seeing his chance, Kells pressed on, ¡°How about you let me go now? This sort of thing won¡¯t happen again in the future. I still have to go back and take care of them!¡± Just as the short-haired youth was about to loosen his grip, he suddenly thought of something! ¡°Wait! You¡¯re lying to me! The first time I met you, you were in Anda Town, and now we¡¯re in Leicas. The two places are ten days¡¯ journey apart. Your home can only be in Anda, not here! You cunning bastard, I won¡¯t fall for your trick!¡± The short-haired youth didn¡¯t seem all that dumb¡ªjust kind-hearted. He quickly spotted the flaw in Kells¡¯ story. ¡°I knew it¡ªrunning into this guy never brings anything good. What do I do?¡± Kells thought gloomily. ¡°But¡­ don¡¯t be afraid. I know you didn¡¯t really mean to steal money. No thief would pass up a bag of gold coins and only take the two silver coins you needed. It shows you¡¯re not a thief by nature. However, last time¡¯s matter has to be pursued. You defiled the pure hearts of those girls, hmph! And¡­¡± The short-haired youth stopped mid-sentence. He shifted the topic and continued, ¡°Do you want to make money? I can help you arrange a good job!¡± ¡°What? Boss, are you joking? Does this atmosphere fit those kinds of words? You¡¯re not going to hold me accountable?¡± ¡°Haha, no, it¡¯s rare to make the best use of things¡­¡± The short-haired youth seemed delighted, smiling in a way that made Kells¡¯ hair stand on end. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that nothing good was coming. ¡°By the way, when I was queuing up back there, I saw you had two female companions. How about you all join the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group together? You can be trainee mercenaries. Our mercenary group has the authority to directly grant trainee mercenary status.¡± Mentioning those two companions, the short-haired youth seemed to come up with a good idea. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go now. Your companions probably don¡¯t know about your thievery or what happened in Anda, right? I bet you definitely don¡¯t want them to find out, hehe¡­¡± His smile was very gentle. ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s an illusion! It¡¯s really an illusion! This bastard is actually threatening me, and I don¡¯t even have the slightest room to fight back. Are you my fated nemesis or something?¡± Kells was helpless once again. This bastard was far trickier to deal with than he¡¯d imagined. Seeing Kells¡¯ defeated expression, the short-haired youth knew his plan had worked. He wasn¡¯t worried about Kells slipping away anymore, so he let go of his hand. ¡°Boss¡­ can you point me to a clear path? What exactly do you want? A mercenary lord like you shouldn¡¯t need to bother with someone like me, right¡­¡± ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m helping you. I said earlier, I¡¯ll introduce you to a good job. This is something only you can do.¡± ¡°Can you explain this a bit more clearly? It feels¡­¡± A sense of foreboding surged up in Kells¡¯ heart. ¡°Good job¡­ bullshit! Pies don¡¯t fall from the sky¡­ Sigh, I¡¯m really damn unlucky. How did I run into you, this jinx? No wonder I kept getting a familiar feeling when I was stealing money earlier¡­¡± ¡°Lately, the mercenary group has been holding a competition to hunt E-rank monsters. The participants are all uniformly E-rank mercenaries. Hunting at the same level is very difficult, so they¡¯ve been split into teams of three. The highest-ranking member in a team cannot exceed E-rank, but if there¡¯s someone who can attract the monster¡¯s attention to help¡­¡± The short-haired youth was interrupted by Kells right as he said this. ¡°No way, you want me to lure monsters¡­ I¡¯ll die! All I¡¯ve got is fast legs! And it¡¯s an E-rank monster¡ªgood heavens, one bite and there won¡¯t even be scraps left!¡± Kells¡¯ legs went weak with fear. What a joke¡ªactually wanting him to flirt with an E-rank monster! ¡°It won¡¯t happen. As long as you can keep your distance, I¡¯ll find a way to take down the monster. Trust my strength.¡± The short-haired youth stood tall and gripped his sword tightly. That sword didn¡¯t look ordinary at all. It seemed this kid¡¯s strength was definitely not weak. He was probably an E-rank mercenary himself. Reaching E-rank as a mercenary is a dividing line¡ªonly those above intermediate level in their profession can qualify for this rank. Judging by his gear, this short-haired youth might be an intermediate knight, while the guy who¡¯d kicked him earlier was likely a low-level knight. Rising from a low-level knight to an intermediate knight isn¡¯t easy¡ªout of a hundred low-level knights, only one makes it to intermediate! ¡°I say, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have confidence in you; I don¡¯t have confidence in myself¡­ Outrunning an E-rank monster is a bit of a joke. I¡¯ve heard that among E-rank monsters, they¡¯re all agile and hard to catch.¡± Kells was absolutely right. Having some understanding of common monsters is also essential knowledge for a trainee mercenary. The short-haired youth didn¡¯t seem to buy Kells¡¯ excuse. He said confidently, ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s exactly why the competition is being held. Beating them isn¡¯t so easy, but with your help, it¡¯s hard to say. You can actually run faster than me! With that kind of speed, there¡¯s no problem¡­¡± ¡°Then have you outrun an E-rank monster?¡± Kells asked. When the short-haired youth heard this question, his eyes darted around a few times. He seemed to be deliberately dodging something. ¡°Hehe, how about I tell you about the rewards for this competition instead?¡± He magnificently changed the subject. ¡°The team that eliminates the monster first will receive a reward of 100 gold coins,¡± the short-haired youth said. ¡°Only 100, huh¡­¡± This so-called Wind Spirit Mercenary Group was really stingy. Taking down an E-rank monster for just 100 gold coins¡ªwhat kind of reward is that? The remains of an E-rank monster are worth at least over 200 gold coins! Kells was very well-versed in the value of common monsters. ¡°Hehe, 100 gold coins isn¡¯t the point. Actually, there¡¯s one more thing you don¡¯t know¡­¡± His old habit flared up again! 17-Is Happiness Not Far Away? When the short-haired youth said those words, his entire person¡¯s expression changed, resembling a lecherous uncle luring an innocent little girl, ¡°The lollipop is right up ahead, yo~¡± It was precisely this kind of feeling¡­ ¡°Besides that 100 gold coins reward, there¡¯s one more thing you¡¯ll absolutely be interested in.¡± ¡°What?¡± When Kells said this sentence, he had a kind of feeling of boarding a thief¡¯s ship, but since he had already stepped one foot onto it, what harm could adding another foot do? ¡°The leader of the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group is currently selecting a son-in-law. If a newcomer in this competition can have an outstanding performance, it¡¯s very easy to be noticed by the young lady, oh!¡± The short-haired youth¡¯s voice of speaking even carried a seductive tone. ¡°¡­I say, is this matter reliable? I¡¯m just a monster lure¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s reliable! Absolutely reliable!¡± When the short-haired youth said this, his eyes began to dart around again, as if deliberately avoiding something¡­ ¡°This bastard definitely hasn¡¯t settled on any good intentions. No matter how you look at it, this doesn¡¯t seem like anything good. But this guy is truly my disaster star, my weakness, ah! I never thought there¡¯d be a day when I¡¯d be pinched by someone¡¯s handle! How desolate, ah! Why does this bastard still look so much like a good person¡­¡± What Kells was most dissatisfied with was precisely this: whether from appearance or temperament or the etiquette of his speech, the short-haired youth, no matter how you looked at him, didn¡¯t resemble a bad person. Yet this was a guy who, under the bright daylight, was luring a pure youth to step onto a crooked path! ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal. I¡¯ll take you to the mercenary group. Our headquarters is in Leicas. Oh, right, those two silver coins can be considered a congratulatory gift for the newcomer. It just so happens it¡¯s our turn. Your those two companions will have no problems. The members of the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group are spread throughout every district of Leicas; there¡¯s no person they can¡¯t find.¡± After the short-haired youth finished speaking, he first entered the city gate. That bunch of guards unexpectedly didn¡¯t even try to stop him! They probably recognized him. That knight lord leading the team, looking at the short-haired youth, was actually very respectful, his eyes even becoming kind¡­ Of course, that kind of kindness wouldn¡¯t be directed at Kells¡­ ¡°You poor wretch! Back again? Did you bring the money? If this time you¡¯re messing with me again, believe it or not, I¡¯ll kick you all the way back to your countryside hometown?¡± His face changed quickly; in an instant, it was a face full of gloom¡­ The few militiamen guarding nearby all laughed along. They still quite admired this guy Kells, even daring to provoke the knight lord! That knight seemed to fundamentally not believe that Kells could really get two silver coins in such a short time. The posture to kick someone had already been prepared, this kick charged with power, probably an effect that would be outstanding. ¡°Stop! Sidaopo!¡± The latter sentence seemed to be a dialect from his hometown. ¡°Knight lord, look at what this is?¡± Kells flashed out two silver coins, silver and shiny, extremely dazzling, at a glance you could tell they were newly minted coins. But the knight lord¡¯s eyes were also pretty sharp. ¡°The Wind Spirit Mercenary Group¡¯s money! How do you, kid, have these silver coins? Be honest, did you steal them?¡± ¡°Of course not. Starting from today, I am already a trainee mercenary of the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can ask that short-haired gentleman up ahead; he is my recommender!¡± Right after Kells finished speaking, the short-haired youth turned back and even smiled a little. It seemed genuine. This guy really had some conscience, at least a hundred times better than those two silly girls. Kells was still quite moved. If this guy had walked into the city, even jumping into the Holy River wouldn¡¯t wash him clean. That knight leading the team seemed very afraid of the short-haired youth. His expression immediately switched to respect. ¡°So, sir, you are Lord Daniel¡¯s friend. My disrespect, my disrespect. For any offense, please forgive generously. Please enter! Make way! You bunch of wastes, clear out a dedicated passage. He is Lord Daniel¡¯s friend; don¡¯t let that bunch of lowly commoners get close.¡± He shouted at those few guards under him to drive away the approaching civilians, clearing out a very wide path. The short-haired youth waited in front, and Kells trotted along behind him with little steps. The matter of the entrance fee, that knight lord seemed to have forgotten about it, but even if he measured it, he wouldn¡¯t dare to ask for it. This short-haired youth¡¯s status was not low! ¡°This bastard definitely isn¡¯t just a mercenary, that simple!¡± Kells felt so. ¡°You¡¯re called Daniel? May I ask why they address you as ¡®lord¡¯? If you were just a mercenary, at most they¡¯d respectfully call you ¡®teacher¡¯¡­¡± Kells also changed his attitude, nodding and bowing, completely in the manner of a lackey. Times are different from the past, you know; this guy was extremely likely to be what the common saying calls a ¡°second-generation official¡±¡­ This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Oh¡­ actually, there¡¯s one more thing you don¡¯t know about¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Kells¡¯ entire expression turned into a wry smile. This guy was too neurotic. ¡°The city lord of Leicas, Earl Lindon, is my father. My full name is Caesar Daniel. Up to now, I still don¡¯t know your name. If you don¡¯t mind, the nickname ¡®Long Hair¡¯ suits you quite well, hehe!¡± Daniel smiled honestly. Kells wanted to cry but had no tears. It really wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to cut his hair; in Anda, he was a rat crossing the street, ah. Fortunately, his beard hadn¡¯t grown out yet; otherwise, if this continued, he might even turn into a savage. But a head of long hair was indeed quite distinctive, especially when running, that long hair fluttering in the wind¡­ Please note! In your imagination, do not include words or images of handsome guys. Kells was just an ordinary face, the kind where if you threw a brick in a crowded place, you¡¯d hit a whole bunch of them. Then, please continue imagining¡­ ¡°No way! This kid is actually the city lord¡¯s son. Then, if I can mix into being his attendant, wouldn¡¯t I be set? Hehe! Hehe! The attendant of the city lord¡¯s son, damn it, wouldn¡¯t I have whatever I want?¡± Kells¡¯ little abacus started calculating again, carrying a certain pure fantasy. ¡°How about today, this little one becomes Lord Daniel¡¯s attendant? My name is Kells, no family name. Calling me Long Hair is also fine, if the lord likes it.¡± The little flattery started right up. As a commoner, you know, to rise above others, you had to go through this step. ¡°Hehe, sure. It just so happens my attendant sacrificed himself¡­ The Heavenly Father is merciful; please bless his soul, may happiness and smiles be eternal¡­¡± Daniel performed a standard knight¡¯s prayer ceremony. In the entire action, there was a highlight: his arm armor originally had a small shield, and on the shield was the emblem of the Holy Cross. This was equipment only holy knights, a divinely bestowed profession, possessed. Kells had seen it in books, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the key point, ah. The cause of the previous attendant¡¯s death was something Kells was very concerned about¡­ Thinking of this, Kells hurriedly asked, ¡°May I ask, Lord Daniel, how did the previous attendant sacrifice himself¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s a long story, ah. Actually, there¡¯s one more thing you don¡¯t know about¡­ Oh, it seems it¡¯s not just one¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kells was stunned for a full minute before saying, ¡°Lord Daniel, you can make a long story short; I can understand.¡± Daniel thought for a moment and said, ¡°Um, yes. He died in the line of duty.¡± Very concise, just a few words. ¡°For what official duty, Lord Daniel?¡± ¡°This¡­ Oh! Look! The headquarters of the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group is here. Let¡¯s go in first. Your two friends, I still need to arrange manpower to find them. Let¡¯s eat a meal together later. I have something to do. When you go in, just say it¡¯s me who recommended you, and no one will make things difficult for you. Oh, right, this is for you. This is my attendant¡¯s badge. Wear it on your chest; not only the knight order but also ordinary civilians and knights will show some courtesy when they see it.¡± As he spoke, Daniel took out a round badge from the interlayer pocket of his armor¡¯s lining. The front pattern was composed of two griffins and a noble rapier, which should be the emblem of the Caesar family. Below the emblem were the words ¡°attendant.¡± The back of the badge had a pin, just perfect for attaching to the chest. ¡°It¡¯s very likely¡­ this thing is the relic of that dead attendant¡­¡± Although Kells thought so in his heart, the speed at which he took the badge was not ordinarily fast, ah, lightning speed, is all! It was practically equivalent to snatching it over! ¡°Thank you, Lord Daniel! Now, am I the attendant of the Caesar family?¡± Kells asked. ¡°Hehe, yes. From now on, don¡¯t call me Lord Daniel. You can call my father that way. For me, just call me ¡®young master¡¯ will do. First, go get to know the mercenary group. I have something to do and will leave first. If you¡¯re lucky, I¡¯ll take you back to the Caesar family¡¯s castle. Every attendant has their own room there. You can also receive a monthly salary from the steward, 5 gold coins. Oh, right, in the future, all the rewards from the tasks you complete with me will be yours. I don¡¯t need anything.¡± After saying that, Daniel left. Right in front was the headquarters of the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group, a very large three-story stone building, somewhat like the spire style of a castle, but not that big, covering about 500 square meters. The gate was extremely majestic, engraved with a huge Wind Spirit emblem. It was open now, and inside, you could see there were many people. It was structured like a tavern, with a very large counter, and many people wearing various mercenary equipment were there discussing something. ¡°Grandma¡¯s, it¡¯s really big. This is the legendary mercenary group, ah. It seems as prosperous as a large mercenary guild, ah. Really nice. The Wind Spirit Mercenary Group looks to be of no small scale. Speaking of which, that kid is the city lord¡¯s son; how could the place he stays at be bad? Hehe, really good luck, ah, found a noble. The treatment is still so good, 5 gold coins a month, ah, enough for eating, drinking, and having fun. Maybe even that kind of place I could go to, hehe!¡± Thinking of this, Kells was already drooling and nosebleeding. For the poor and commoners, that kind of place was the only paradise where they could gain confidence and enjoyment. ¡°Not only that, this kid said that all the task rewards are for me! Too generous! A good person, is all! How am I so blessed, ah! Hehe, if by chance I can hunt down an F-rank monster, that would be great. One time, I could get hundreds of gold coins, ah!¡± Thinking of this, Kells¡¯ eyes were already filled with the gleam of gold coins, even his pupils turned golden. But¡­ does pie really fall from the sky? Kells seemed to have overlooked the cause of the previous attendant¡¯s death and that sentence in Daniel¡¯s words, ¡°If you¡¯re lucky!¡± Why did he say that? Kells¡¯ mind had already been clouded by money and women; he had long forgotten these key hints that appeared in his head. 18-Wind Spirit Mercenary Group People like Kells, this kind who had never seen the world, really were very easily startled. When he saw the B-rank mercenary, his whole person became stunned. In the luxurious room of the second floor, a middle-aged man, on his chest wearing a B-rank mercenary badge, was right at him smiling. This direction wouldn¡¯t be wrong; the one he was looking at was precisely Kells. ¡°Are you Young Master Daniel¡¯s new attendant?¡± that person elegantly said. Although he was a mercenary, he gave people a kind of noble lord¡¯s air, his speech and manner of speaking extremely noble. His whole body¡¯s equipment was also very high-grade. It looked like he was probably a warrior-type profession, on his back carrying a huge sword large enough to scare people, and on his head, he still wore a feather hat that only musketeers would use. ¡°Yes¡­ this is my attendant badge, you see¡­¡± Kells, trembling and shaking, pointed to the badge he had newly obtained. In front of a big figure, it was unavoidable to be somewhat nervous, even his mind became somewhat stiff, unable to think. ¡°Hehe, there¡¯s no mistake. Welcome to join the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group. Originally, trainee mercenaries need to participate in all sorts of affairs within the group, but you don¡¯t need to. Just follow Young Master Daniel, that¡¯s fine. If there¡¯s anything you need, later you can directly say it to the female attendant at the counter. I am the deputy leader of the mercenary group, Zhan Yue. In the mercenary group, every person has their own title. My title is Giant Sword, Giant Sword Zhan Yue. Newcomer, do you also want to have a title?¡± ¡°Giant Sword Zhan Yue¡­ such a cool name. When can I be that cool? That would be great.¡± Kells foolishly laughed hehe, in front of this strong-willed uncle always being in a passive position. ¡°Haha, how about I give you one? Long Hair Kells, how¡¯s that? A youth with long hair makes people have a deep impression.¡± Deputy Leader Zhan Yue laughed boldly, without any meaning of mockery. ¡°Ha¡­ sure¡­ of course sure, thank you, Deputy Leader Zhan Yue.¡± Kells, that depression ah, that Daniel bastard was like that, Deputy Leader Zhan Yue was also like that. How come they all couldn¡¯t get over his long hair? ¡°Alright, Long Hair Kells, you go to the female attendant at the counter to register. Just write your name, and that¡¯s fine. So, goodbye, and good luck¡­¡± After Deputy Leader Zhan Yue finished speaking, Kells left from the luxurious room, walking toward the direction of the counter. Along the way, Kells¡¯ heart was surging and unable to calm down. ¡°Damn it, why is it that every single person who sees me and the attendant badge on my chest has a heavy expression? I¡¯ve already heard ¡®good luck¡¯ and such words more than once. It always feels weird¡­ But what¡¯s the use of thinking so much? Mercenary ah! I actually became a mercenary so easily! A beautiful life is waiting for me, haha. Today, maybe I can eat a good meal. Fat Dragon, you bastard, would also be convinced. Oh¡­ those two silly women still haven¡¯t been found? First go to the counter side. Earlier I glanced, the female attendant is so pretty. Big places are just different, hehe. Staying here, maybe I can get quite a few collections, oh oh, those few female mercenaries I just passed by, their figures are so hot¡­ hehe¡­ hehe¡­¡± Kells¡¯ thief eyes kept staring at a certain part of their bodies because there were the collections he had been peeping at for a long time¡­ The female attendant at the counter was a young little sister, her looks quite nice. As soon as she saw Kells, she sweetly smiled. The attendant badge of the Caesar family was being worn right on his chest. Who wouldn¡¯t smile squintingly when they saw it? If there weren¡¯t that badge, just based on this guy¡¯s thief eyes, probably he¡¯d have been kicked out the door long ago¡­ ¡°Hello, Young Master Daniel¡¯s attendant. Please say your name, and I¡¯ll register it here for you. After becoming a trainee mercenary of the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group, you can receive a set of beginner equipment and basic compensation. The money obtained in tasks can all be stored here with me. If something unexpected happens, the mercenary group will be responsible for sending all your money to your family¡¯s hands.¡± Although the words were correct, Kells listened very gloomily. ¡°Damn it, this registration is nothing but preparation for the aftermath¡­ Is the mercenary trade that terrifying? Everyone says it¡¯s a money-making industry ah. How come it seems like people die at every turn?¡± Thinking to here, Kells still asked a few more sentences: ¡°Will mercenaries have casualties¡­¡± The female attendant laughed up, she felt Kells¡¯ words were somewhat naive. ¡°Of course, the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group every year has very many sacrifices, but please rest assured, our reputation is very good. Every year, the number of new people joining exceeds the number of losses by quite a lot, and in real combat, there are many who smoothly advance ranks. Our deputy leader, Mr. Zhan Yue, followed the leader all the way from trainee mercenary to advance to B-rank. The gentleman is the learning model for our entire mercenary group.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Because of the existence of the Mercenary Guild, everyone¡¯s life has a guarantee, and many large-scale tasks, for example wars between countries, only large mercenary groups like ours can take on. Of course, trainee mercenaries do not possess the qualification to participate. You are Young Master Daniel¡¯s attendant, ordinarily you don¡¯t need to pay attention to the mercenary group¡¯s affairs. Just follow the young master¡¯s arrangements, that¡¯s fine. Finally, please choose the type of beginner equipment you need.¡± The female attendant sweetly smiled, looking really comfortable. Kells¡¯ gaze habitually shifted downward¡­ but he suddenly caught sight that the female attendant¡¯s eyebrows had slightly wrinkled¡­ probably wanting to get angry but unable to vent. ¡°Hehe, the attendant of the Caesar family is really arrogant ah, it seems the people here are all afraid. This little girl¡¯s looks are quite nice, just probably her temper is pretty fiery. I¡¯ve only looked a few times¡­¡± Kells fantasized. The female attendant waited a somewhat long time, and she asked again: ¡°Mr. Kells, which kind of equipment do you need? Our mercenary group has specialized tailors. After you choose, they will come to measure your size. The equipment will be collected after a week.¡± ¡°The equipment for beginner mercenaries definitely isn¡¯t very good, probably just the style is relatively uniform, but the benefits of a big mercenary group are really nice enough. It¡¯s just that you have to risk your life ah. The mercenary life isn¡¯t as good as those silly birds say. Damn it, every year many die ah, no wonder right from the start they had me register¡­ Oh oh! For safety¡¯s sake, better get a set of equipment that¡¯s worth more money. Then I can sell it for some money, hehe!¡± Kells calculated well. If he didn¡¯t want to be a mercenary anymore, the equipment on his body could still be resold. When he first set out, he was still full of passion and enthusiasm; as soon as he heard people die, and quite a lot die at that, he immediately changed his mind. He prepared to make a fortune and then go back to his countryside hometown to live a peaceful life, regardless of Karlina and Eliya. Getting one of them as a wife would be enough for him to enjoy¡­ ¡°I want a set of mage equipment¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, among trainee mercenaries, there don¡¯t exist mages.¡± ¡°Actually, I really am a mage. It¡¯s just after becoming Young Master Daniel¡¯s attendant, I didn¡¯t go to any certification institution for assessment, hehe¡­ Believe me, I really am a mage¡­ If you don¡¯t believe, you can ask Young Master Daniel.¡± Kells was certain this female attendant wouldn¡¯t dare go ask Daniel. If she asked, it would clearly be not trusting the young master of the city lord¡¯s family! Actually, for someone like him to have a mage attendant wasn¡¯t strange, after all, among commoners, there occasionally appear mages with low-level magic power. That female attendant also didn¡¯t dare offend Kells. She helplessly nodded. A set of mage equipment ah, this isn¡¯t cheap. This kid is really cunning. But the next registrant wasn¡¯t so lucky. Kells hadn¡¯t walked too far and could clearly hear the voice from behind. ¡°Little sister attendant, give me a set of warrior equipment.¡± A man¡¯s voice. ¡°Little sister your head, this old lady is bigger than your elder sister.¡± This really was the female attendant¡¯s reply¡­ Kells and that person were both shocked. ¡°Elder sister attendant, give me a set of warrior equipment¡­¡± That man hurriedly changed his address. ¡°Elder sister your head, am I that old?¡± ¡°Attendant¡­ miss, give me a set of warrior equipment¡­¡± ¡°Miss your sister ah, do I look like a miss?¡± ¡°Give me a set of warrior equipment¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The female attendant directly ignored that pitiful guy. It seemed her temper really wasn¡¯t small. Kells listened with a cold sweat. Fortunately, he had become Daniel¡¯s attendant; if he were an ordinary commoner, probably he¡¯d only get this treatment. At this moment, Daniel came back, Eliya and Karlina right behind him. ¡°Young Master Daniel, thank you for finding my companions back. Eliya, Karlina, quickly thank the young master. Now, I am already Young Master Daniel¡¯s attendant.¡± ¡°Ah! Leader, in this case, what do we do?¡± Karlina asked puzzledly. ¡°Thanks to the young master¡¯s blessing, you two have become trainee mercenaries of the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group. I am too. The matters of the mercenary group, let¡¯s talk about them later. We¡¯ll stay here to train first.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Karlina nodded and looked at Daniel. ¡°Thank you, Young Master Daniel.¡± Following, Eliya also said so: ¡°Thank you, Young Master Daniel!¡± She, in front of Daniel, even performed a very ladylike courtesy, her eyes almost turning into star shapes. A handsome noble young master like him had always been the idol in the hearts of countless young girls. ¡°Damn it! Little girl Eliya actually has a good impression of Daniel. Damn it, so mad ah, the fat meat that hasn¡¯t even reached my mouth yet got snatched away by this bastard. Depressing. If it weren¡¯t for my handle being caught by him, this old man wouldn¡¯t be mixing here. A three-person small mercenary group is so comfortable!¡± Kells thought this way mainly to prevent his girls from being taken away by other wolves ah. Slowly developing an all-female mercenary group absolutely wouldn¡¯t have this kind of thing happen! In this large mercenary group, handsome guys weren¡¯t just Daniel alone. It seemed the second floor still had quite a few. Before he came down earlier, he saw some, and some were even wearing C-rank mercenary badges. This was something a loser like him couldn¡¯t compare to ah! ¡°Mm, you two, I¡¯ve already arranged. Take them back to the female attendant at the counter to register, and that¡¯s fine. From now on, you two just train well here. Kells, these few days I have arrangements. After the hunting festival passes, he¡¯ll be free.¡± Daniel elegantly said. Eliya kept looking at him. In a small town like Locco, such handsome guys wouldn¡¯t appear¡­ ¡°Young Master Daniel¡­ why is it after the festival I¡¯ll be free? I am your attendant¡­¡± Kells asked. ¡°Hehe, when the time comes, you¡¯ll know. Let¡¯s go eat a meal together. Here on the third floor, there¡¯s a restaurant. There, I¡¯ll explain in detail the tasks for the next few days. Although you two don¡¯t need to participate, you can listen. Although Kells is my attendant, he is also your companion.¡± Karlina¡¯s expression had always been very strange. She didn¡¯t know why Kells did that. This was very different from the previous plan. She wanted to find a chance to ask clearly about Kells¡¯ intentions. 19-Handsome Guys Shouldn鈥檛 Be Looked At The restaurant of a famous mercenary group is just different, especially the VIP area where Daniel took them. It can be described with only two words: ¡°Luxurious¡±! Even the tableware was silver-made, the long table and chairs used the best wood, and this still wasn¡¯t the key point. In the VIP area, each dining table had two female attendants specially to receive them. Their appearances were actually quite nice. If they were placed in Kells¡¯ hometown of Anda, it was very obvious they would be classified into the category of top quality¡­ ¡°Today, this humble one is treating, hehe, especially these two ladies, please don¡¯t be restrained. Oh, right, you haven¡¯t introduced yourselves yet, have you?¡± On the dining table, Daniel elegantly said. The two briefly introduced themselves to each other. Karlina was always absent-minded, while Eliya was full of enthusiasm. They didn¡¯t reflect at all, ah, poor Kells had suffered enough at the gate of Leicas! Halfway through the meal, Daniel got to the key point, ¡°The festival will start in a week. Kells, these few days, follow me. Starting from today, we need to enter training. This time¡¯s festival, I¡¯m determined to win. This Miss Eliya seems not very suitable to be a mercenary. If you¡¯re willing, I can take you back to the Caesar family to be a maid. As for this Miss Karlina, from now on, you can freely develop in the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group. With your strength, you should quickly be able to advance to F-rank mercenary.¡± Just as Eliya was about to nod in agreement, she was glared at by Kells. She was so scared that she didn¡¯t dare say anything. Karlina simply responded with a sound of agreement. She seemed to have no interest at all in the noble family¡¯s handsome young man. Kells saw this with gratitude, and the sense of inferiority in his heart was almost swept away, I¡¯m saying. ¡°Thank you, Young Master Daniel. I will arrange for the two of them, no need to trouble the young master. Oh, right, earlier you said that after this mission, I could gain freedom. What did that mean?¡± ¡°Mm, yes, you can choose to continue being my attendant or start a new life. Of course, the rewards from this mission will all go to you¡­¡± ¡°Why is Young Master Daniel doing that? Could it be¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, nothing. This time, you¡¯re helping me. As for later¡­ we¡¯ll talk about it after the mission is over. If there¡¯s anything you want to do, just do it. That Caesar family badge is very useful in Leicas. Oh, right, I still have things to do and need to leave. Come to my room tonight; the female attendant at the counter will take you there. You guys chat first, I¡¯m leaving.¡± After Daniel finished speaking, he got up and left. Kells had been on tenterhooks all along. If this bastard forgot to pay, it would be depressing. This meal was definitely not cheap. Fat Dragon also took the opportunity to eat the portions of two people. Although Daniel was somewhat puzzled why Kells kept such a gluttonous pet, he didn¡¯t care too much. When Daniel placed the gold coins in the female attendant¡¯s hand, Kells¡¯ raised heart finally dared to settle down. ¡°Damn it! One meal cost two gold coins! Heavens, ah, nobles, ah! This is nobility! I don¡¯t even dare to think about it. The female attendant¡¯s eyes looking at that kid Daniel are all starry-eyed. Damn it, tall, rich, and handsome, ah, just has popularity!¡± Thinking of this, Kells was all kinds of jealous. It seemed Eliya had made a big mistake and needed some discipline! Speaking of which, that sentence from Daniel, ¡°Come to my room tonight¡­¡± made Kells¡¯ whole body hair stand on end, I¡¯m saying, especially that expression¡­ ¡°Forget it¡­ better not think about it. Just ate delicious food; don¡¯t vomit it out. The top priority is to discipline the little beauty! Hmph hmph!¡± As soon as Daniel left, those two receiving female attendants left. In the VIP private room, only Kells and the other two were left. ¡°This bunch of snobbish women! But this way is good too; no one to disturb the conversation!¡± ¡°Eliya!¡± After Daniel left, Kells deliberately called her name loudly. Eliya seemed to be thinking about something and was startled by Kells¡¯ voice. ¡°Ah! Brother Kells, you¡­ do you have something?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm! Is Young Master Daniel very handsome, ah?¡± Kells asked with a sinister face. ¡°Handsome¡­ what¡¯s wrong¡­¡± Brother Kells¡¯ expression was a bit scary. When Eliya spoke, her voice was very small. ¡°Nothing. Sister can go back with Young Master Daniel. The road I and Lina are going to take will be very difficult. If something unexpected happens, I also can¡¯t face your deceased parents. He is the city lord¡¯s son. Staying there as a maid will absolutely have no worries about food and clothing. If in the future, luck is good, perhaps Young Master Daniel will also favor sister. The life of a mercenary is very dangerous. I have no right to take you to adventure.¡± Kells originally intended to educate the little beauty, but looking at her delicate body, Kells felt somewhat guilty. On what basis could he take care of her? Mercenaries die a lot every year. If he wasn¡¯t there, who would take care of this poor girl¡­ Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Although Kells was filthy and shameless, he was an upright person. As soon as this sentence came out, Karlina, who originally had some opinions, suddenly felt a sense of admiration. She knew the relationship between Kells and Eliya, but the two didn¡¯t seem as close as Kells said. But for a man to make such a concession was indeed not easy. He really liked Eliya and considered for her. Thinking of this, Karlina couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Leader Kells¡­ you are very great. Little sister Eliya, what the leader said is not wrong. Following us is too dangerous, and the road I¡¯m going to take¡­¡± ¡°Lina, don¡¯t say anymore. Let Eliya decide herself. Once decided, I will tell Young Master Daniel tonight.¡± Kells stopped Karlina¡¯s words. She nodded and looked at Eliya, and Kells also followed to look at her. ¡°Brother¡­ Sister Lina¡­ what¡¯s wrong with you? Did Eliya make some mistake? You don¡¯t want me anymore? Wuu wuu¡­¡± Eliya suddenly cried. This caught Kells off guard. He hugged Eliya without any evil thoughts. Although there were no evil thoughts, his hand still naturally moved towards¡­ Eliya twisted her body a little. ¡°Brother, say it, what mistake did Eliya make? I will change. Please don¡¯t leave me behind¡­¡± With this twist, Kells didn¡¯t succeed, I¡¯m saying¡­ ¡°He¡­ it¡¯s not what sister thinks. I just care about you. Moreover, you have such a good impression of Young Master Daniel. I¡¯m doing this to be responsible for you.¡± ¡°But¡­ only Brother Kells is truly good to me¡­ Eliya knows, ah! I don¡¯t want to go to the Caesar family. I want to follow brother.¡± ¡°Young Master Daniel is more handsome¡­¡± Kells¡¯ face became sinister again. Eliya wasn¡¯t young anymore; she still understood some things about this. Moreover, during these few days coming to Leicas, Sister Lina seemed to always create opportunities for her and brother to be alone, and brother was also strange¡­ ¡°Could it be jealousy¡­¡± Such a question appeared in Eliya¡¯s heart. So, brother likes me? Although his appearance is ordinary, he is truly good to me. Moreover, in a completely helpless situation, brother not only revived dad¡¯s restaurant but also desperately rescued me. Compared to the handsome Young Master Daniel, he almost didn¡¯t even look at me¡­ Thinking of this, Eliya felt a bit guilty. About love, Eliya was just vaguely understanding, but jealousy, this kind of thing, she was very clear about. ¡°Brother¡­ Eliya knows she was wrong. From now on, Eliya will only follow brother, okay? I won¡¯t look at Young Master Daniel anymore! Don¡¯t be angry anymore, okay!¡± ¡°There are many handsome guys in the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group, oh, not just Young Master Daniel.¡± Kells said. ¡°Eliya won¡¯t look at any of them, ah. Just look at brother, okay?¡± She grabbed Kells¡¯ arm and shook it vigorously. ¡°Moe! Moe to death, I can¡¯t stand it¡­ hehe, the punishment for the little beauty is almost enough. Next, it¡¯s time to talk about future plans!¡± Kells stroked Eliya¡¯s beautiful hair a few times. ¡°Hehe, there are many bad people outside, especially those who are handsome¡­ Actually¡­¡± Kells really wanted to say that he was coerced by that bastard Daniel to come here, but he couldn¡¯t say it out loud, ah, too embarrassing. Especially a certain hobby, if the little beauty Eliya knew, she definitely wouldn¡¯t pay attention to him anymore. As for Karlina, she turned a blind eye. Speaking of which, Eliya¡¯s little panties hadn¡¯t been obtained yet. After life stabilizes, he needed to do some ¡°proper business,¡± Kells felt so. ¡°Leader Kells, why did you become Young Master Daniel¡¯s attendant? I¡¯ve heard of the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group. They are the largest mercenary group in Leicas. It¡¯s said that the leader is currently undergoing the A-rank mercenary assessment. If successful, the mercenary group¡¯s reputation will increase a lot again.¡± Karlina said. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s a long story, ah. This way is also pretty good. Daniel is the city lord¡¯s son. Only by getting close to such a big figure can your matter be investigated to the truth.¡± Kells¡¯ words made Karlina suddenly realize, and her favorability rose whooshingly. The leader is too great, actually for her sake, stooping to be an attendant. With the leader¡¯s mysterious skills, she even suspected he could reach the strength of a C-rank mercenary¡­ This was purely nonsense¡­ If Kells knew, he would definitely think so too. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll keep in touch. It¡¯s getting late. This journey has been quite tiring. I¡¯ll take you two to register at the mercenary group. Since Young Master Daniel is willing to take care of us, the treatment definitely won¡¯t be bad. I still have some things I¡¯m concerned about that need to be investigated.¡± After Kells finished speaking, he took the two and left the private room. Eliya kept holding his hand. This time, she was much more well-behaved. It seemed that when passing by many handsome guys, the little beauty¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t wander. Karlina completely trusted Kells¡¯ arrangements; she no longer had any opinions. Sure enough, the treatment wasn¡¯t bad. The two of them were assigned to a pretty good dormitory. Starting from the basics, just follow the arrangements of the person in charge here. For the first two days, newcomers had no arrangements, just visiting and learning. Because Eliya was too young, the mercenary group¡¯s manager arranged for her to learn reception work, seemingly to learn from that fiery beauty who received Kells¡­ As for Karlina, she applied for the mercenary assessment. Large mercenary groups have assessment institutions internally, but the highest can only go to D-rank. Karlina applied for the G-rank mercenary assessment, and the profession she declared was Dagger Ranger. After Kells settled the two, he conducted a separate investigation. Daniel¡¯s odd behavior made his heart somewhat uneasy. He was a big figure, and the girls would definitely discuss this tall, rich, and handsome guy¡­ 20-Collecting Intelligence Requires Acting Cute If you want to gather information, carrying the Caesar family''s badge is definitely not going to work. As soon as people see it, they¡¯ll know your identity, and naturally, they¡¯ll be cautious in their words. So, Kells took off the badge and put it in his bosom. Of course, he would never do something like gathering information from men. However, to strike up a conversation with beautiful girls, with a certain someone¡¯s appearance, it seems he falls short by quite a bit, right? ¡°Haha, Fat Dragon, you¡¯ve eaten so many good things; it¡¯s time for you to take the stage. See that female archer over there? She seems easy to talk to. In a moment, you run to her side, and I¡¯ll take the opportunity to strike up a conversation, got it?¡± Kells dragged out Fat Dragon, who had been lazing in the backpack, and explained the sleazy battle plan to it. Raccoons are not commonly seen animals, and moreover, they are difficult to tame. Basically, no one would keep them as pets. Speaking of which, that chubby thing looks very cute and is very appealing to women. Fat Dragon, following Kells¡¯ instructions, ran to the side of that beautiful girl. Sure enough, as soon as the female archer saw the fluffy and chubby Fat Dragon, she immediately picked it up. ¡°So cute, oh, whose pet is this? If no one wants it, then you¡¯re mine! Hehe¡­¡± Just as she was laughing very happily, a guy with a common face, a loser, appeared in front of her. At a glance, he was the kind of passerby. But what made her feel strange was that the guy was actually staring at her, and his eyes seemed sneaky. ¡°Could it be that the quality of the newcomers in the mercenary group has been getting worse lately?¡± she thought so. This guy wasn¡¯t wearing any mercenary badge; at a glance, it was clear he was a newcomer. But out of politeness, that female archer still asked very courteously, ¡°Hello, is there something?¡± ¡°Hehe, Miss Archer, hello. It¡¯s my pet; it accidentally ran out. If it¡¯s convenient¡­¡± Roughly meaning that this loser was preparing to take back his pet, but the female archer had a look of distrust. ¡°Well, how can you prove that it¡¯s your pet?¡± she asked. ¡°It listens to me. If you don¡¯t believe it, I can perform a little¡­¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The female archer became interested. Generally, mercenaries have some understanding of wild animals. Raccoons are animals with a wild nature that¡¯s hard to tame. To make it obedient is really a strange thing, but I¡¯ve heard that there¡¯s an ancient profession of beast tamers who can do this. To show that what he said was true, Kells had Fat Dragon do a few endearing actions, like rolling over, standing up, begging for food, similar to training a dog. Fat Dragon was so depressed, ah, with such a fat body doing these actions was practically killing it. Even Kells felt a bit of soreness all over his body¡­ The raccoon was miraculously tamed. That female archer had to admit it was his pet. However, the two immediately had a common topic. The female archer was very interested in Kells¡¯ miraculous beast-taming ability; perhaps he was the inheritor of that ancient profession. They found a resting place for afternoon tea and chatted idly for a while. Kells found the right timing to get to the point: ¡°I heard that Young Master Daniel has taken in a new attendant. Have you seen him?¡± Speaking of which, during the time the two were together, Fat Dragon was always being held by the beautiful female archer. This made a certain someone extremely envious, but unfortunately, at this time, the feeling couldn¡¯t be shared, infinite resentment¡­ This topic seemed to touch a sore spot. The female archer was stunned for a moment, but after a short while, she relaxed her vigilance. It was still thanks to Fat Dragon, ah. She believed that ancient beast tamers were all kind people because beast taming requires immense love to achieve. ¡°You¡¯re also a newcomer, right? Don¡¯t spread this matter recklessly, oh. Actually, I also heard it from others, but the manager has instructed that rumors about Young Master Daniel¡¯s attendant are absolutely not allowed to be spread. If discovered, one will be expelled from the mercenary group. I don¡¯t want to receive such punishment.¡± As she spoke, the female archer lowered her head to look at her mercenary badge. It was F-rank. She was quite strong. Archer is a basic profession. To be tested into F-rank, one needs to be a high-tier professional. However, if one can advance to the archer¡¯s superior profession, sniper, even a mid-tier professional can be tested into C-rank profession. Kells sniffed out a dangerous atmosphere. Generally, things that are hidden have the most problems. ¡°The previous attendant sacrificed himself.¡± Daniel¡¯s words appeared in his mind again. ¡°Miss Archer, I¡¯m just curious. I also want to be Young Master Daniel¡¯s attendant. The young master¡¯s father is the city lord of Leicas.¡± Kells deliberately showed a face full of admiration. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ people will die!¡± The female archer suddenly realized she had let slip, but it was already too late. Kells pursued, ¡°Why do you say that, ah? I¡¯ve already told Young Master Daniel, and he said to let me consider it first.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Ah! How could you request such a thing, ah? Young Master Daniel has already changed several attendants. It¡¯s said they all died of unknown causes. The news is tightly sealed, but inside the mercenary group, still, no one is willing to be the young master¡¯s attendant. Hehe, but such a handsome guy, if there weren¡¯t these rumors, I would be very willing¡­¡± As she said this, she even blushed a little embarrassedly. ¡°No way, how are women in big cities like this? As soon as they see a handsome guy, they have this expression¡­¡± Kells was burning with jealousy, ah. This woman was only focused on teasing Fat Dragon and almost didn¡¯t even give him a proper look. As soon as Daniel was mentioned, she actually blushed! ¡°Handsome guys all have thorns, ah!¡± Out of dissatisfaction, Kells still said such words. ¡°Those with thorns are more challenging, right? Oh, right, if you really become Young Master Daniel¡¯s attendant, if there¡¯s a chance, you must help me introduce to the young master. If we can have a private date or something, that would be even better. I will definitely thank you.¡± The female archer¡¯s eyes were filled with infinite expectation. Finally, she looked at Kells properly. Wanting to cry but having no tears, ah, Kells¡¯ heart had already cooled thoroughly. The seeming concern just now only lasted a few minutes. As soon as handsome guys were mentioned, everything was forgotten. ¡°This old man will die, oh, introduce my ass!¡± He wanted to get angry, but he couldn¡¯t get angry. Kells, this person, never quibbles with women. However, he did bear this grudge. He decided to find an opportunity to punish this naive archer, like stealing all her little panties or something¡­ Actually, just now, this guy had already made arrangements with Fat Dragon. When the female archer stood up, Fat Dragon would pull her short skirt to attract attention. Speaking of which, the internal facilities of the Wind Spirit Mercenary Group were very good. Every section of the wall had a fireplace for heating. Inside the headquarters, there was fundamentally no need to wear thick clothes. Moreover, female mercenaries were relatively bold, so leather short skirts became the universal equipment. The matters afterward don¡¯t need to be elaborated. This guy, since birth, has never failed, I¡¯m saying. ¡°Thanks to the fireplace, thanks to the short skirt!¡± The moment he got the little panties, Kells still didn¡¯t forget to say a few words of sentiment. They were white, I¡¯m saying, with a bit of stain, probably caused when she blushed. Immediately, they were classified by this guy as C-grade collection! Since coming to the big city, Kells felt that his taste should also be improved. For example, the original classification of collections was very vulgar, ah. Because of chasing fashion, Kells re-established the grading system for collections, the same as the mercenary system, because the entire De Rossi Continent was popular with the mercenary trend, you know. Even the games that children usually play are related to mercenaries¡­ When that female archer left, she kept feeling strange, as if it was much cooler than usual, I¡¯m saying. ¡°Could it be that the fireplace in the mercenary headquarters forgot to be managed?¡± she thought so¡­ After the female archer left, Kells sat there alone thinking, ¡°Death from unknown causes? What are you up to, Daniel? This guy called me to go tonight, I¡¯m saying. Should I go or not? If it¡¯s something dangerous, wouldn¡¯t I be done for? But he¡¯s the city lord¡¯s son; I don¡¯t seem to be able to avoid it, ah. If I¡¯m framed with some crime, even my dad and mom would be implicated, and also Lina and Eliya. Is this bastard doing it on purpose? Actually clamping me down tightly!¡± ¡°Wait! That¡¯s not right, ah. I don¡¯t have any abilities; why is Daniel, this bastard, trying so hard to win me over? Is it just to lure monsters? It feels like there are many secrets hidden behind the incident. That kid is still a member of the church; so many secrets. Big cities are really complicated, and the girls are so fiery, each and every one loves handsome guys. Damn it, isn¡¯t this just like Anda?¡± Kells suddenly stood up gloomily. Everywhere is the era of tall, rich, and handsome, ah. When can losers rise up? After tossing about for an afternoon, Kells didn¡¯t come to any meaningful conclusion. However, escaping seemed impossible. Night had already fallen; it was time for him to go to Daniel¡¯s room. The one leading the way was still that female attendant from the morning. Because of her previously revealed domineering aura, Kells really didn¡¯t dare to make a move. Actually, the opportunity was very good, I¡¯m saying. She was always in front, also wearing a short skirt, I¡¯m saying¡­ ¡°Thanks to the fireplace, thanks to the short skirt¡­¡± Kells had already fallen in love with short skirts. This was the clothing with the highest success rate for getting hands on. He could even mysteriously pilfer while the other party was moving close to him, and after it was done, the other party still didn¡¯t know anything. Of course, this has a premise: the other party has to be an ordinary person. If he encounters a martial artist with quick reactions, he wouldn¡¯t be so lucky. In a place like the mercenary group, there are hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Kells felt that the female attendant in front of him didn¡¯t seem easy to provoke. Before he could finish savoring the details, the female attendant had already opened Daniel¡¯s room door. His room was on the third floor; without a doubt, this was the best VIP suite. Kells glanced around; it was all luxurious noble style, ah. On the walls, there were even several famous paintings with heroic themes hung. Looking from the living room inward, there were many rooms. He alone occupied a place that could accommodate at least 10 people. Daniel was sitting in the middle of the living room and smiled after seeing him come in. ¡°It seems nobles are very enjoyment-oriented, I¡¯m saying. Does this kid Daniel not have female attendants or something? Or guard maids responsible for all food and daily living?¡± Kells only saw Daniel alone and couldn¡¯t help but think so. After the female attendant left, Daniel spoke, ¡°Do you find it strange, Kells? There are neither female attendants nor guard maids responsible for all food and daily living?¡± He said out loud what was in Kells¡¯ heart, resembling the all-knowing Heavenly Father. ¡°¡­¡± Kells was already speechless. This Daniel seemed like a parasite in other people¡¯s stomachs. ¡°Hehe, actually, there¡¯s one thing you don¡¯t know about¡­¡± Daniel leaned back on the exquisite leather sofa, his face full of mystery as he said. 21-A Night of Desperate Escape ¡°I am a cultivator, and I cannot have women around me, as it would affect my growth. Although I have only achieved F-rank certification in the Mercenary Guild, in terms of my cultivation as a Holy Knight, I have already reached the advanced stage. My power is only useful when dealing with evil and dark things. Tonight is another sleepless night. Do you see? Kells, the moon outside is a bit red¡­¡± As he spoke, Daniel turned his head towards the window behind the sofa. The moonlight was thick, but there was an unusual red mist surrounding the night moon. ¡°Is the night sky in big cities like this?¡± ¡°No¡­ this place is facing a great crisis. Purifying evil and healing the soul is the responsibility and glory of every Holy Knight.¡± ¡°What is Young Master Daniel talking about? This humble one really doesn¡¯t understand, hehe¡­¡± Kells forced a laugh a few times, a sense of foreboding surging in his heart! ¡°Oh! Right, Young Master Daniel, I ate too well today, and my stomach seems a bit upset. How about¡­ we start tomorrow?¡± As he said this, this guy was already preparing to bolt for the door. ¡°Hehe, Miss Eliya and Miss Karlina¡¯s dormitory is on the west side of the second floor, right? At this time, it¡¯s still open. If I¡¯m alone and have nothing to do, I¡¯d like to chat with them about some things concerning you.¡± Daniel had a smile like an angel¡¯s. ¡°This guy, no way, he looks like a righteous gentleman but is so sinister behind the scenes. My weakness, ah, those two are already candidates for wives. The image of a pure big brother cannot be destroyed¡­¡± Kells gritted his teeth, as if making a difficult decision. ¡°The work has begun, Kells. From tonight, you are my assistant. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m very good at judging people. Take this!¡± Daniel stood up and tossed Kells a cloak and a silver gun. ¡°This¡­ this is a single-handed flintlock, right! Too¡­ too cool!¡± Kells saw the legendary flintlock for the first time, and the instant excitement swept away the speculations in his mind. ¡°Hehe, this gun is only effective against evil spirits. It can only use bullets made from the blessed silver of the Manchester Cathedral. The caliber is a special 11 millimeters, it can fire continuously, with a maximum capacity of 8 rounds. These are the bullets; use them sparingly. If you run out and I can¡¯t save you in time, you can only fend for yourself. But this is also a trial. If you can smoothly pass these few nights of special training, there will definitely be no problem with the festival in a week.¡± As he spoke, Daniel handed him several magazines. Since they were entirely made of silver, they weren¡¯t heavy. ¡°What is this¡­¡± Kells pointed to the cloak. ¡°A sanctuary, a kind of barrier cloak. Wearing this, low-level resentful spirits won¡¯t approach you. The first time you see those things, it¡¯s easy to be bewitched. Wearing this is safer.¡± Daniel said calmly, as if such incredible and mysterious things were normal. Kells didn¡¯t take it that way; his heart was terrified, I¡¯m saying. The excitement from earlier instantly vanished. They were going to see ghosts, ah, who wouldn¡¯t be afraid? ¡°I say, Young Master Daniel, isn¡¯t an attendant just supposed to handle some daily chores, run errands and such? Such a great thing, I don¡¯t think I can do it.¡± He wanted to slip away again. ¡°Hehe, this is also part of the mercenary life. Some tasks only I can handle, and today¡¯s is one of them. The task level is E-rank, not too difficult.¡± ¡°E-rank¡­ Young Master Daniel¡¯s level is F-rank¡­ that¡¯s two levels higher, ah!¡± Kells exclaimed in disbelief. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ll see in a moment. Let¡¯s go; it¡¯s getting late.¡± Daniel didn¡¯t answer; he tidied up his equipment and went out. Kells had no choice but to follow behind. ¡°Speaking of which¡­ my beautiful mercenary group, ah¡­¡± This guy almost shed tears all over his face. Catching ghosts seemed to deviate too far from normal mercenary life, and the first helper was actually a man. ¡°Damn it! It seems reversed; I¡¯m the helper, I¡¯m saying¡­¡± Kells spat. The two¡¯s destination was the abandoned graveyard in the suburbs. This place had been around for many years; the tombstones were basically incomplete and covered with vines. The crosses on the simple graves were tilted and some even scattered on the ground. The ground was pitted, as if it had been dug up. A gust of cold wind blew, accompanied by the faint red moon, unspeakably terrifying. ¡°Ah!!!¡± Kells suddenly felt something touch him, scaring him into shouting loudly. Fat Dragon in the backpack was also scared half to death, but it was scared by Kells¡­ If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Don¡¯t shout randomly; the undead will gather over. This place has already been cursed. The task record says there is a necromancer here making zombies. Our task this time is to eliminate the undead and investigate that necromancer.¡± Daniel wasn¡¯t panicked at all; Holy Knights are the natural enemies of evil things. ¡°Young Master¡­ I say, isn¡¯t there something wrong over there? I always feel the ground is moving¡­¡± Kells said tremblingly. He had felt something was off about that place since they passed by; he had been paying attention to it. Daniel raised the shield on his left hand and drew out shuttle-like things from inside the shield; there were several. He took out one of them and shot it towards the problematic ground. The shuttle-shaped thing, upon piercing the ground, immediately burst out many silver-white threads, covering that large area like a net. ¡°Holy light, holy protection, in the name of the Heavenly Father, purify the evil, rest in peace¡­¡± After Daniel finished speaking, he quickly drew a light-based magic circle in the air. White magic spirit particles flowed regularly in the predetermined orbit. One minute later, the magic took effect, and the silver net emitted a fierce white light. The ground began to tremble accordingly; something was about to emerge! A hand! Rotten flesh with dry bones, then another one. Within the area covered by the silver net, many arms of corpses emerged, but as soon as those arms touched the glowing silver net, they were immediately burned and smoked. The dry bones and rotten flesh turned to ashes in the blue flames. ¡°Dad, Mom, your Kells actually saw zombies¡­¡± As he said this, this guy actually rolled his eyes and fainted. Being timid shouldn¡¯t be to this extent, right? ¡°Don¡¯t pretend, Kells. I can still tell the difference between real and fake fainting. If you insist on lying here, I don¡¯t mind. What just happened was just the lowest level of undead. An E-rank task won¡¯t be that simple. Oh! It¡¯s already out?¡± As soon as Daniel spoke, that guy woke up. Pretending to faint at this time was really an unwise choice¡­ In front of the two appeared a zombie dog, its size several times larger than ordinary dogs, and it had not just one head but three. The entire body was in a half-rotten state. When the cold wind blew, the intense stench almost made Kells vomit. ¡°Three-headed zombie dog! E-rank monster, attribute is undead, weakness is light attribute magic or weapons. That¡¯s all the information. It seems to be tonight¡¯s protagonist. Are you ready, Kells?¡± ¡°Ready for what¡­¡± ¡°Run, ah! You distract the three-headed zombie dog, and I¡¯ll go to the crypt below. That necromancer must be there.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, Young Master, you¡¯re so powerful, why do I have to go¡­ I¡¯ll die¡­¡± Kells said with a face full of bitterness. ¡°Oh¡­ just treat it as tonight¡¯s training. The festival is to catch an F-rank wind beast. Its movement speed is twice that of the three-headed zombie dog, so outrunning it is the first step. If you¡¯re still alive when I come up, I¡¯ll deal with this guy. Hold on, I have faith in you, oh!¡± Daniel¡¯s gaze made Kells want to vomit. ¡°This guy doesn¡¯t approach women; could it be¡­¡± Thinking of this, a certain someone¡¯s lower body tightened, ah. Kells really wanted to give up. Compared to his secret being known by the two women, his life was more important, ah. But that damned Daniel bastard had already disappeared. There was no chance to back out. The three-headed hellhound was staring at him menacingly. Although it had no eyeballs, the direction the black frames were facing was unmistakable. ¡°Calm down¡­ calm down¡­ Your mom, after tonight, this old man quits. It¡¯s life-threatening, ah. It seems that when dealing with dogs, if you don¡¯t move, they won¡¯t move. Just standing still like this should be safer¡­¡± Of course, this was just Kells¡¯ wishful thinking. In fact, before he could even implement this idea, the three-headed zombie dog had already pounced over¡­ Run, ah! Kells ran wildly all the way, I¡¯m saying. The three-headed zombie dog followed closely behind, its speed not inferior at all. Undead things don¡¯t seem to get tired. At first, Kells could still pull away some distance, but later, the more he ran, the shorter the distance became. Because of fear and tension, his physical strength was consumed much faster than usual. In just ten minutes, he was already in imminent danger. The heads of the three-headed hellhound were almost touching Kells¡¯ butt. That thing even opened its mouth and took a few big bites. Unfortunately, the clothes on his butt were bitten off, revealing the big white flesh, I¡¯m saying. With this chill on his butt, Kells was scared out of his wits. When people are on the verge of death, their potential is stimulated. Kells was the same. After being bitten, he instantly accelerated, and the distance widened again. But in the critical moment, he discovered a bullshit thing. ¡°What crappy equipment did that stupid woman Lina buy? Just a light bite and a big piece fell off. Wearing it is no different from not wearing it at all!¡± Kells said extremely gloomily. That so-called soft armor had no defense at all in front of powerful monsters. After all, it was made from F-rank monster skin. Although it couldn¡¯t withstand the strong attacks of E-rank monsters, at least it shouldn¡¯t be instantly killed, right? Fake goods, without a doubt¡­ Continuing to run like this was not a solution. Kells thought of an idea. Anyway, as long as he was bitten, it was a dead end. Why not try the last chance? Fat Dragon was thrown out. ¡°Transform into the appearance of the three-headed zombie dog, quick! You distract it, and I¡¯ll shoot. This silver bullet must be effective!¡± Kells shouted loudly. If Kells died, Fat Dragon couldn¡¯t escape either. It obediently transformed into a small-sized three-headed zombie dog and ran in another direction. At this moment, the large three-headed dog stopped. Its eyeless black frames shifted towards Fat Dragon¡¯s direction. Compared to humans, it seemed more interested in its own kind. The lure plan actually succeeded! ¡°Then¡­¡± Kells took out the silver single-handed flintlock that bastard Daniel gave him. Although it was the first time, Kells had a feeling that this thing seemed to be made for him! ¡°Bang!¡± He pulled the trigger, and the 11-millimeter special silver bullet shot out¡­ 22-The Contract Circuit System There are some pieces of knowledge that a country bumpkin like Kells doesn¡¯t know about. For an ordinary single-handed flintlock, even those with extremely powerful calibers are only about 11mm, but the power when fired is sufficient to rival a small cannon. Moreover, using such a flintlock requires astonishing arm strength because the recoil caused when firing a bullet is particularly large. If an ordinary person were to fire one shot like that, it would absolutely ruin their entire arm. Daniel is really screwing him over by making Kells use a special 11mm caliber gun. Although the bullets are made of silver and don¡¯t cause too much damage to non-undead creatures, the gunpowder is the real deal. After one shot, Kells¡¯ entire arm went numb. The cylinder is revolver-style, and after the bullet is fired, the shell casing pops out directly from the cylinder. After the first gunshot, Kells hit one of the heads of the three-headed zombie dog. Although he was very nervous, the target was relatively large, and fortunately, he didn¡¯t miss. When the blessed silver bullet struck the three-headed dog¡¯s body, it exploded, and the head that was hit was completely blown to bits, not even leaving any scraps. ¡°Damn it, the power is so great, and the recoil is damn strong too. If I fire another shot, my arm will be ruined. Destroying one of the three heads seems to have no effect; the other two heads are still staring at me. Damn it! Fat Dragon¡¯s lure technique has failed; this bastard has locked its attack target back onto me!¡± Kells turned tail and ran, but the zombie dog still followed closely behind. Undead creatures are just that tough; even after having one head blown off, its speed didn¡¯t decrease in the slightest. This was something Kells couldn¡¯t handle; the desperate run earlier had already consumed more than half his stamina. He steeled his heart and decided to turn back and fire another shot. It¡¯s just ruining an arm, right? That¡¯s still better than losing his little life! ¡°Bastard Daniel, if I die, I¡¯ll definitely turn into a vengeful ghost and take your life!¡± Carrying a fierce curse, Kells turned back and fired. Another shell casing fell to the ground, and the three-headed zombie dog¡¯s heads finally returned to a normal number¡­ Speaking of which, Daniel is in the business of exorcism. With Kells¡¯ meager abilities, even if he turned into a vengeful ghost, he¡¯d probably be instantly killed, right¡­ ¡°My arm is completely numb. What the hell is this monster? Even after being hit like this, it¡¯s still acting like nothing happened! Undead monsters are too strong! There should be some kind of weakness, right? That bastard Daniel mentioned holy stuff. It seems this single-handed flintlock is a blessed attribute weapon. Could it be that I didn¡¯t hit the fatal spot? I¡¯ve heard that zombies and such have their hearts as weaknesses. Maybe this thing is the same. But my right hand can no longer lift the gun, and with my left hand, I can¡¯t aim at the heart area. Dogs are different from people. Damn it, I¡¯ll first blow off the last head. I can¡¯t run anymore!¡± Kells raised the gun with his left hand and fired the third silver bullet. This shot also blew off one of the three-headed dog¡¯s heads. After gasping heavily a few times, Kells was certain that he couldn¡¯t run anymore. Even both of his arms were stiff to the point of being unable to move. The three-headed dog had become a headless dog. Even after losing all its heads, it still didn¡¯t stop pursuing. Only the body of dry bones and rotten flesh charged fiercely towards Kells. Even with only the body left, the three-headed zombie dog¡¯s size was still about as big as Kells. With a ¡°thud,¡± he was knocked several meters away. Fortunately, Kells had trained since childhood to have a miraculous resistance to blows. This collision only made him dizzy for a moment. After the impact, the three-headed dog collapsed to the ground with a loud crash. It twitched a few times and then stopped moving altogether. Then, its remains actually ignited with flames from the middle, and in no time, the fire spread to the entire body. In just a few seconds, that massive frame was burned to ashes. When Kells got up and approached, he discovered a silver bullet in the middle of the ashes. The truly fatal one was this bullet that had been fired into the body. It was probably done by his left hand, hitting by accident without aiming! ¡°Dad! Mom! Your Kells has finally survived. It was so damn thrilling; it scared me half to death, ah. Fat Dragon! Where is that bastard Fat Dragon!¡± Kells shouted a few times. From the nearby bushes, Fat Dragon, who had been hiding all along, poked its head out¡ªthree heads¡­ This guy hadn¡¯t released its transformation yet. At Kells¡¯ call, Fat Dragon quickly ran over. Because of the excitement after surviving a near-death experience, he didn¡¯t think much and directly lifted up Fat Dragon, who hadn¡¯t released its transformation yet! ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Just as he cheered, a mysterious male voice suddenly sounded in Kells¡¯ mind! It seemed to be the same person as the God of Contracts who appeared last time! ¡°Why is it a man!¡± Kells was in tears, but that voice was still narrating: ¡°Successfully eliminated the monster by hitting its weakness, obtained the possession ability ¡®Thorn Charge,¡¯ additional effect: instant speed increase by 10%, sustainable for 20 seconds, skill value consumption 20, side effect: the main body receives certain damage.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. After the narration, that male voice disappeared! ¡°What is this? What is ¡®Thorn Charge¡¯? And that additional effect, damn it, there seems to be a side effect too. What is the concept of skill value consumption? A bunch of inexplicable things, but the first sentence caught my attention: successfully eliminated the monster by hitting its weakness! That is to say, after eliminating a monster by exploiting its weakness, this kind of thing will happen! And there¡¯s another key point: this voice appeared in my mind when I touched Fat Dragon!¡± Don¡¯t look at how Kells usually has his mind full of women; when it¡¯s time to use his brain, he¡¯s still quite sharp. Speaking of which, how could he get the girls¡¯ treasures without using his brain? ¡°But how do I use this skill? Damn it, the god-like man didn¡¯t say anything, ah. What to do? A physical test would definitely cause damage¡­¡± Although Kells wanted to test it, he couldn¡¯t find any clues. The only lead was the male voice in his head. ¡°Maybe asking him can find the answer?¡± With this thought, Kells hugged Fat Dragon tightly. ¡°Boss¡­ what is ¡®Thorn Charge¡¯?¡± Kells didn¡¯t know what kind of result there would be and just asked in a self-talking manner. ¡°Information retrieval begins. ¡®Thorn Charge¡¯ is a skill performed while running, calculating destructive power based on one¡¯s own strength, and can include armor value in the calculation.¡± That male voice sounded. ¡°No way¡­ there¡¯s actually someone responding!¡± After Kells discovered that his question was answered, a series of questions followed one after another. ¡°What is armor value?¡± ¡°The defense power of equipment. The system¡¯s highest judgment is 255, the lowest is negative 255.¡± ¡°Then what is my current defense power? Why is there a negative number¡­¡± ¡°Defense power 1. Cursed equipment will cause negative numbers.¡± ¡°Then what is my body¡¯s strength?¡± ¡°10. The system¡¯s highest judgment is 255, the lowest is 0. The destructive power of activating ¡®Thorn Charge¡¯ can be calculated as 33. Currently, the damage has a maximum limit of 999.¡± ¡°How is this destructive power calculated?¡± ¡°Body strength plus armor value multiplied by three is the destructive power of ¡®Thorn Charge.¡¯¡± ¡°And how is the skill consumption calculated?¡± ¡°Now your maximum skill value is 20. After consumption, you need to sleep for 6 hours to fully replenish.¡± ¡°No way, so low¡­ Speaking of which, what are you? And how do I cast the skills I obtained?¡± This was the most crucial question. When asking, Kells¡¯ whole person became excited. Everyone longs to become a hero, especially after gaining some special ability, always feeling that they are already a certain hero¡­ This is the legendary hero complex, ah. Kells is also a man of sentiment, ha. ¡°I am the Contract Circuit System, not belonging to this world. Due to a coincidence, I came here with the circuit carrier. You are the new contractor. I hope we can cooperate happily.¡± This passage was quite human-like, but Kells was stunned and didn¡¯t understand. What circuit system? He delved deeper into this question, but the more he asked, the more confused he became. Simply, he stopped asking anything. The circuit system told him that as long as he touched Fat Dragon, he could communicate with him. When using skills, he just needed to have Fat Dragon transform into the monster to be possessed and touch himself to release it. The process was very simple: just shout the name of the skill. It seemed very cool, I¡¯m saying, momentum, ah, momentum! Of course, he also learned how to obtain skills: after eliminating a monster by exploiting its weakness, he could get the corresponding possession skill. As for Fat Dragon¡¯s ability, it can transform into anything it has seen. There¡¯s another point the circuit system mentioned: after Fat Dragon transforms into a seen monster, it has the same characteristics as that monster, so he can experiment with various ways to find the monster¡¯s weakness in a safe state. ¡°This is awesome, but when messing with Fat Dragon, it seems I also have a reaction, ah¡­¡± Thinking of this, Kells broke out in a cold sweat. Obtaining skills is really not an easy task. ¡°It seems the skill I just got has a side effect. The circuit system said this side effect can¡¯t be determined, but it won¡¯t be fatal¡­¡± Just this sentence was enough to scare Kells half to death. Using a skill could kill him; then what¡¯s the point of using it! Finally, the circuit system also said that as long as he obtains the possession skill of a certain monster, he can detect the basic attributes of similar monsters, such as attack and defense capabilities, life strength, all calculated in numbers with no upper limit. Attack and defense are divided into physical and magical, which are the sum of one¡¯s own abilities plus equipment abilities. Kells asked about himself and was very tragic: life value 19, defense 11, physical attack 2, magical attack 0¡­ The three-headed zombie dog earlier had an attack power of 30. With his little defense, one bite would directly instantly kill him, ah¡­ ¡°Damn it, 11 plus 19 is exactly 30. Is the circuit system deliberately calculating it this way¡­¡± It¡¯s too coincidental, Kells couldn¡¯t help but become suspicious. ¡°Speaking of which, Boss Circuit System, can you detect the abilities of other humans? It¡¯s not that I have to kill someone to detect them, right¡­ I don¡¯t dare to kill people¡­¡± Kells is inherently a pacifist; he doesn¡¯t have the courage to kill a living person. ¡°No need. The rules for intelligent beings are different from monsters. You need to build a good relationship with them. When the friendliness reaches trust, I can detect them. However, trust level can change. If it drops below trust, I won¡¯t be able to detect.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ so that¡¯s how it is. Speaking of which, how is my friendliness with that kid?¡± Kells pointed ahead. At this moment, Daniel emerged from somewhere, carrying a large black cloth bag on his back. At a glance, it was clear there was a person inside¡­ ¡°Indifferent¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­ indifferent¡­¡± Kells gloomily repeated.