My bloodline is so eager to improve.

At this point, Eileen's eyes glazed over, and a tall figure suddenly appeared in her mind.

Although that girl was a die-hard, stubborn believer, they had been friends since the academy of divination, but unfortunately, their meetings were never very pleasant.

While she was lost in thought, Ian had carefully put away the letter of recommendation. But when faced with Eileen's request, Ian hesitated and looked up to ask in a low voice.

"Aunt Eileen, is that adventurer named Otto really willing to team up with me?"

I don't know anything, and I don't possess any extraordinary abilities. Will I hold him back?

Upon hearing this, Eileen subconsciously glanced at Veronica beside her, then slowly curled the corners of her mouth into a meaningful smile.

"Don't worry, I've prepared a reason that he can't refuse."

As she spoke, she took a rolled-up piece of parchment from her jewel-shaped pocket and handed it to Ian.

That was a debt transfer agreement.

Eileen squinted her eyes, giving her little nephew a meaningful final lesson before he set off.

“My dear nephew, as a member of the Newtler family, you must learn to use the power of money.”

Time flew by as the aunt and niece chatted.

The next morning, the Adventurers' Guild of Oaktown was still in the air.

Several early-rising adventurers sat on the steps at the guild entrance, chatting and munching on black bread, their voices carrying far into the morning mist.

Beside them, a burly man leaned against a pillar by the door, patiently waiting.

His brown curly hair was piled up messily on his head, and a deep scar on his left cheek stretched from his brow bone to his cheekbone, adding to his fierce appearance.

He wore a well-worn leather armor with patches on his elbows and knees, and a one-handed iron sword hung at his waist. The scabbard was covered with scratches, making him look like a seasoned veteran who frequently ventured into dangerous situations but was always short of money.

But at this moment, Alex's eyes were full of impatience. He would occasionally look up at the end of the street and mutter to himself.

"Damn it, is that guy going to be late?"

He posted a commission for the extermination of the giant rats in the sewers in the guild earlier, and someone has already accepted it.

According to the narrator Phyllis, the man's name was Joel. He was also from out of town and didn't have much of a reputation. He looked like a newbie who had just started out.

Alex was initially quite pleased with having such a newbie as his teammate, but after waiting for a while and seeing no one arrive, he decided to go to the guild bar for a couple of drinks to pass the time.

Just as he was about to turn around, a slender figure strode out of the mist and walked straight toward him.

The newcomer was a young man of about fifteen years old. He had a pale complexion and a thin build. He was wearing a set of obviously ill-fitting, low-quality leather armor with frayed edges on the cuffs and trouser legs. It was clearly the cheapest item in the market.

He walked with a somewhat unsteady gait, looking around with a mixture of curiosity and unease in his eyes, just like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.

But what really caught Alex's eye was what he was carrying on his back.

It was a huge silver coffin, its entire body gleaming with a cold metallic luster. It was a head taller than a person and incredibly wide, with intricate patterns carved all over it.

The young man carried such a large object on his back, yet he walked quite steadily, though his steps were slightly unsteady, as if he wasn't quite used to the weight yet.

"You're Joel?"

Alex looked him up and down, then asked, his tone tinged with surprise.

He hadn't expected this newcomer to bring such a large shield; he seemed to be a shield bearer.

However, this made Alex even more satisfied. The shield bearer in front of him was a newcomer. Although he was a bit strong, he probably didn't have much time to learn attack techniques, and he would be easy to deal with after use.

As for the silver coffin shield, Alex didn't even bother with it. After all, the stranger the weapon, the faster you die!

Just as Alex was sizing up the other man, the young man quickly responded to his question.

"Ah, it's me, it's me, I am Joel!"

The young man quickly stopped, scratched his head, gave a slightly naive smile, waved his hand, and said.

"You must be Brother Alex! Let's hurry up and go hunt the giant rats!"

I heard that giant rat teeth can sell for several silver Thorns!

After saying that, he took the lead and walked towards the north of the town. The silver coffin on his back swayed gently with his steps, making a soft metallic clanging sound.

Alex watched his unguarded back, a barely perceptible sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

As expected of a newbie, lacking even the most basic vigilance, and daring to go with a stranger without even asking for the necessary information. What a useless person.

However, this is better, as it saves me a lot of trouble.

Alex had already done his research; he remembered all the adventurers in Oak Town by name, and there was no one named Joel who was a formidable figure.

Among the outsiders who have recently come to the town, I haven't heard of any powerful person named Joel.

This kid is neither famous nor does he act frivolously. He looks like a country bumpkin. Even if he goes missing, no one will care. The guild will just treat it as an accident.

Alex followed slowly behind, his hand on the hilt of his sword, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes.

But what he didn't know was that this seemingly harmless Joel was not a novice at all, but Otto, who had already stepped into the upper level of the extraordinary profession!

Otto had no other choice but to disguise himself.

His face and name are so famous in the area that he can be recognized anywhere on the street, making it impossible for him to keep a low profile.

This time, in order not to alert the enemy, he used an alchemical item provided by the guild, a human skin mask, to change his appearance and borrow his friend Joel's identity.

Anyway, the real Joel has already settled in Silverfrost City with his companion Sabrina and won't be back anytime soon, so he won't give himself away.

"Let me see what you're up to."

Otto walked ahead, his smile still honest, but his eyes were devoid of any warmth.

He deliberately suppressed his aura, even mimicking the clumsiness of a novice in his walking posture, all to lower Alex's guard.

In retrospect, the disguise was very successful.

Otto felt that if those victims were really Alex's doing, then that guy must have completely taken him for a piece of cake by now, probably already scheming about how to keep all the profits for himself, or even how to dispose of his own body.

With their own ulterior motives, the two of them ended up on the northern edge of the town.

The sewer entrance was behind an abandoned warehouse, with a rusty iron gate and a wooden sign that read "Danger, Do Not Enter," which had long been bent crooked and stained with dark red dirt.

Otto strode to the door, feigning excitement, grabbed the iron gate's bars, and pulled hard. The gate creaked open with a piercing sound, and a damp, rotten stench instantly assaulted his nostrils, mixed with the squeaking of rats and the fishy smell of sewage, making him want to vomit.

"Wow, it smells really strong in here."

Otto wrinkled his nose, made a feigned disgusted remark, then hoisted his large shield over his shoulder and walked inside.

Alex followed closely behind, and as he entered the corridor, the surroundings instantly darkened.

The sewers had high ceilings and walls covered with slippery, dark green moss. Below, sewage reached above ankle level, with garbage and decaying leaves floating on the surface. Every step made a splashing sound that carried far through the empty corridor.

"A novice is a novice; they don't even know how to prepare a torch."

Alex chuckled inwardly, then took out two torches from his pocket, lit them with flint, and handed one to Otto.

Even though he secretly looked down on the other person, Alex's tone carried the patience and maturity of a senior, as if he intended to mislead him.

"Here you go, kid. It's dark in the sewers and the temperature is higher than on the ground. Watch your step and don't slip."

The giant rats are relatively slow-moving in winter, which is perfect for hunting. You'll be responsible for using your shield to block their attacks, and I'll handle the damage output, understand?

"Understood, understood! Thank you, Brother Alex! You're such a kind person!"

Otto quickly took the torch, looking flattered and thanking him repeatedly, perfectly portraying the image of a bewildered novice.

Upon seeing this, Alex immediately nodded in satisfaction.

He likes obedient and sensible newcomers.

The two walked along the corridor, chatting idly. The torchlight dispelled the darkness before them and attracted predators lurking in the shadows.

From time to time, rustling sounds came from the waterways in the wall, as if something was crawling in the darkness, watching the two intruders.

They hadn't gone far when they heard hurried footsteps in the darkness ahead, accompanied by sharp squeaking sounds.

Three enormous rats, each the size of a large dog, burst out from the side passage. Their gray fur was filthy, stained with sewage and blood, revealing sharp yellow fangs in their mouths, and their eyes gleamed crimson in the firelight.

"Watch out! They're coming!"

Alex gave a low shout, but didn't move, clearly waiting for Otto to go up and take the damage first.

Otto understood this perfectly well. He pretended to be flustered and quickly stepped forward, placing the silver coffin behind him across his front.

With a muffled thud, the giant rat at the front slammed into the silver coffin with astonishing force; an ordinary wooden shield would probably have shattered into pieces long ago.

Otto deliberately stumbled, pretending he was about to be knocked over, gritted his teeth to steady himself, and shouted loudly.

"Brother Alex! Hurry! I can't hold them off for much longer!"

"They're here!"

A glint flashed in Alex's eyes, and he drew his sword.

His movements were astonishingly fast; the sword flashed by so quickly that its trajectory was almost invisible.

The next second, a deep gash was slashed open in the throat of the giant rat at the front, and blood gushed out, splashing onto the damp wall and making a sizzling sound.

Upon seeing this, the remaining two giant rats immediately turned around and pounced on Alex.

Kerex was extremely agile, dodging the attack by sidestepping. With a flick of his wrist, his longsword once again drew two cold flashes, accurately piercing the hearts of the two giant rats.

In just a few breaths, all three giant rats collapsed into pools of blood, twitched a few times, and then went still.

"Amazing, Brother Alex! Your swordsmanship is incredibly accurate!"

Otto immediately put away the silver coffin, gave a thumbs-up with an expression of admiration, and spoke with a tone full of praise, as if he were truly amazed.

Alex sheathed his sword, smiled, and spoke with a hint of smugness.

"No problem, these low-level monsters are no challenge."

"You handled it well too. After we get out, I'll treat you to a drink at a tavern."

He was very satisfied with the cooperation this time.

This newcomer named Joel, despite lacking combat skills and being poor at using his shield, was practically the perfect target.

But Otto's thoughts gradually sank.

No.

Something's really wrong.

Alex's sword speed, timing, and control of force far surpass those of ordinary novice adventurers.

With this kind of strength, they could easily wipe out all the giant rats in the sewers on their own, so why spend money to find temporary teammates?

What's even stranger is that his two teammates, a shieldbearer and a scout, could at least escape even if they couldn't defeat a strong enemy. How could they have disappeared without a trace, and their bodies couldn't be found?

If it were just to pocket the commission, there would be no need to go to such lengths. A few giant rats, how much could they be worth?

Otto was convinced that Alex had ulterior motives.

He didn't come to the sewers to hunt giant rats!

With this thought in mind, Otto became even more wary, but on the surface he still appeared carefree and followed Alex deeper into the area.

Along the way, the two encountered several more waves of giant rats, with Otto acting as a shield and Alex taking charge of killing them, their teamwork becoming increasingly 'perfect'.

During this process, Alex even started to tell Otto some hunting techniques and dungeon rules, just like a warm-hearted senior colleague.

The two walked a little further and came to a three-way intersection.

Strange symbols were carved on the wall at the intersection, and there were obvious drag marks on the ground, extending all the way to the leftmost fork in the road.

Alex suddenly stopped and stood motionless at the intersection, his eyes darting towards the dark side road.

Otto's heart skipped a beat, his fingertips tightened subtly, and his inner energy slowly surged, ready to strike at any moment.

He thought Alex was finally going to make a move, but to his surprise, the other man turned around, a mysterious smile on his face, and waved at him.

Alex lowered his voice, his tone blatantly seductive, and looked around before leaning closer to whisper.

"Hey bro, are you interested in making a little extra money?"

This is ten times, no, a hundred times more profitable than commissioning this garbage giant rat!

"If we pull this off, you won't have to do these low-level jobs anymore."

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket, pulled out something, and held it in his palm.

That was a rib, and judging from its shape, it was a human bone.

But what puzzled Otto was that it was not an ordinary bone, but a rib that was crystal clear and looked like it was carved from crystal!