He took the script of an exorcism legend, but became the number one anti-fraud expert.

Howling Wind Town, in the northwest corner

Inside the stone house, steaming hot curry was being blown around by the two men.

"Damn it! What is this thing that I both love and hate!"

Benjamin stared in astonishment at Victor, whose face had been burned and was now distorted. Even with his mouth deformed, he couldn't help but shove the curry into his stiff mouth with a spoon.

"I didn't mean anything by it, I'm just curious... as an undead... you can eat human food?"

"Hiss! Of course! I have a sense of taste too, don't imagine me as a ghoul!"

Dinner was curry that Abby had prepared during the day. As the steaming curry bubbled in the pot, Victor smelled the peculiar aroma and immediately gave her 10 pounds, insisting that she try it.

Adhering to the principle that "a fool wouldn't make money if he didn't" and respecting the businessman's belief that money can buy anything, Benjamin did not refuse the deal.

but,

Watching Victor's passion for curry, he wondered if he would become even more enamored with it if he tried cooking a Chinese meal someday.

Then sell it to him for £10 per meal, which might become a good long-term business!

"It's so spicy! But I can't stop eating it! It's so delicious, I haven't had a decent meal in over half a year!"

"Victor, if you like, I can have Abby make it for you every day."

"Are you serious? That's great, I'll pay!"

Upon hearing this, Benjamin secretly grinned.

"By the way, what exactly is this otherworldly demon you mentioned? What does it have to do with the great cold wave?"

"Hiss!" Victor put down his spoon, catching his breath, and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. "Listen, buddy, for the sake of this dinner, I can tell you some priceless stories, hiccup~"

Simply put, the great cold wave was caused by the Otherworldly Demons. In your human eyes, these Demons are evil spirits, but from the perspective of those outside the realms, if it weren't for them, your humanity would probably have been wiped out long ago.

Benjamin sat up straight and continued to listen patiently.

"The Otherworldly Demons are an incomparably powerful race, but they are few in number, and few races can fight against them. They also disdain to participate in any struggles."

However, the hatching of the Otherworldly Demon requires time and a massive amount of malevolent energy. Even the undead, vampires, and ancient gods will have most of their power drained if they get close to the Otherworldly Demon's egg. Therefore, we always avoid it altogether, or simply don't come to human territory, such as the city-state of Hamlet.

Benjamin asked curiously, "Are you saying that the Otherworldly beings are protecting humanity's habitat?"

Victor shook his head: "That's impossible, buddy. It takes more than two hundred years for an Otherworldly egg to hatch, while the city-state of Hamlet is less than two hundred years old."

Benjamin suddenly realized: "So that's how it is. It's because there are eggs of otherworldly demons here, and races from outside the realm can't get in, so humans chose to establish city-states here."

Yes, you're right.

It is not that humans create the conditions, but rather that humans depend on the environment.

Benjamin's mind was once again filled with an aerial view of Hamlet's city-state. Windhowl was located at the easternmost part of the city-state, beyond which lay the Humus Forest, then the Dark Forest, and finally the continuous Alastor Mountains, which stretched northward, then westward to Lywood, then westward to Tiramie, and finally to the Whale Graveshore.

The city-state of Hamlet happens to be surrounded by the Alastair Mountains.

"Was it the eggs of the Otherworldly Demons that created the great cold wave?"

"Well, you could say that. As I just said, we fear the eggs of the Otherworldly Demons, but humans don't. So, to prevent humans from getting close, adult Otherworldly Demons come to the vicinity of the eggs every now and then and unleash elemental powers, such as ice, fire, and wind, which creates natural disasters that are difficult for humans to resist."

So that's how it is. I guess the cold wave was the natural disaster Victor was referring to.

But why is the cold wave only affecting the east?

and many more......

"So, the eggs of the Otherworldly Demons are nearby?"

Viktor nodded: "I dare not approach, but based on my judgment, it should be somewhere in the Alastair Mountains to the east, constantly releasing powerful energy."

"Valiant?"

"An inexhaustible source of energy, and also a source of nourishment for magic runes. Many reckless individuals will venture there."

"Like a level 5 or 6 exorcist?"

"Haha, buddy, this is just your Hamlet city-state's wishful thinking in dividing exorcists into different levels. There are even stronger ones on this continent. If you ever want to go to the outer realms, I suggest you don't limit your understanding of exorcism to such a low level."

Benjamin smiled. Once he reached Level 6, he would become a legend.

The Outer Realms sound dangerous and far away, so don't think too much about it.

"Hmm? That doesn't make sense. The races from other realms are so strong, so why are you..."

Upon hearing this, Victor immediately slammed his fist on the table: "Hey! Damn it, learn to respect me! Do you know how difficult it was for me to come to Hamlet City-State? If it weren't for the racial talent of the undead, I would have died in the caves of the Alastor Mountains long ago, my magic runes drained!"

Benjamin was both amused and exasperated: "It seems you're willing to go through fire and water for business; that's truly admirable."

"Of course! After all, the eggs of the Otherworldly Demons are about to hatch, and countless powerful figures will come to this area. They are all full of treasures, and I must take this opportunity to make a fortune."

"I see," Benjamin immediately understood why Victor had come to the vicinity of this godforsaken town of Windhowl.

However, as a Level 0 half-exorcist, Benjamin doesn't need to think about this problem for the time being.

Therefore, there was not much discussion on this topic.

The casual conversation at the dinner table came to an end, and Victor asked if he could sleep in the bed.

Benjamin glanced at the bed frame, which was just big enough for two people to squeeze into, and didn't mind sharing a bed with Victor, who had given him the Soul Tear.

So he nodded in agreement.

Just as Viktor walked toward the bed,

suddenly,

A blinding flash of light came from behind Benjamin, followed by a loud bang and the sound of things being knocked over inside the room.

Benjamin turned his head and saw Victor staggering as he was knocked to the ground.

"Damn it! I was careless! You bastard, you actually have a divine artifact!"

Viktor braced himself on the ground with his arms, the white patches on his face beginning to melt and fall to the ground with a patter like dripping wax.

A magical artifact?

Benjamin turned his head and saw a faint white light flickering on the bed, like a neon light being recharged.

The patterns on the blanket that Lillian gave me were glowing.

He approached and saw that it was a pattern that didn't look simple; it seemed to be some kind of symbol.

With trembling hands, she reached out to the blanket that had been with her for days and nights...

"Is this a divine artifact?"

"Huh?! Isn't something with inscriptions a divine artifact? In this Windhowl Town, someone knows how to inscribe inscriptions?! And they keep it in this humble house? Just who are you to know, some big shot?!"

Benjamin ignored Victor, who was struggling to get up, his rear end sticking out; he simply looked at the faintly scented blanket.

He gently placed it on her arm again, and Lillian's unique fragrance wafted up to me.

It's as if it's never faded...

Big shot,

Who is Lillian? She's just a bookstore clerk in Windhowl.

Benjamin had not inquired about her past.

correct,

Abby mentioned that the bookstore owner, Ms. Roland, also seemed to have a storage ring. Could she really be an exorcist?

"Forget it, I'm not sleeping there anymore, I'll sleep on the floor."

Viktor took out a sleeping bag from his storage ring, sat down on the ground, and took out a new white cloth to begin repairing his cheeks and arms.

"Benjamin, you don't seem to be lying. Are you sure you don't know where this blanket came from?"

"Yes, it was a gift from a friend."

"...Okay, you have a good friend, provided you know the value of this blanket."

Benjamin took off his clothes, got into bed, and draped them over himself as usual.

I thought to myself, Lillian should know, right...?

【...】

【The Self-Cultivation of a Legendary Exorcist】

Benjamin went from being an unknown figure to a leader, and this change in status marked the beginning of his legendary exorcism journey.

Benjamin demonstrated his desire for status, and when faced with Avery's threat, he chose to give Avery a reason he couldn't refuse.

[Benjamin's refusal to curry favor with those in power and his rational handling of conflicts averted a crisis and provided him with an opportunity for promotion.]

Benjamin encountered an army of ghouls in the Black Swamp, and despite the grim prospects, he chose to confront them head-on.

Exorcists never fear evil spirits; Benjamin uses his wisdom to overcome overwhelming odds.

Benjamin chose to stand with his companions, venturing into the Humus Forest to find the merchant, and his unwavering loyalty to Pete earned him the respect of his fellow companions.

Spiders were his greatest fear, and even as Benjamin's mind teetered on the brink of collapse and his stress levels soared, he did not back down...

[Benjamin awakens his tormented state for the first time, single-handedly leading the Guardians to defeat the spider swarm, turning the tide of battle, and then returning to the Humus Forest to fight the Grandmother Spider to the death.]

Benjamin defeated the powerful evil Grandmother Spider, and he deserved to be revered by everyone. However, he chose to share the credit with his teammates, earning everyone's praise in return.

The prestige of a great exorcist's career continues to rise...

Benjamin chose to cooperate with the undead Victor, which went against the principles of exorcists, but he believed that the battle between good and evil should not be bound by factions and races.

When Viktor offered Benjamin a lavish gift, Benjamin wasn't blinded by greed. Instead, he chose to establish a long-term partnership with Viktor, acting cautiously and discreetly, which earned him Viktor's appreciation.

He obtained a twin-shot musket—Soul Tear.

[Virtue Fountain Accumulation Progress: 131%]

[Progress in accumulating nutrients through torture: 67%]

Overall Rating: B

Although he only became a second lieutenant in the guard regiment of a remote border town, this was the first step towards becoming a local tyrant. In leading his troops, Benjamin demonstrated unparalleled courage and fearlessness, and learned to share the spoils of war. This ultimately earned him the support of the people. Benjamin learned from Viktor the importance of judging people more than things; by not demanding too much, he gained even more...

Name: Benjamin Hodgson (LV0)

Exorcist Class: Undefined

Physical condition: 3.5 + 1.5 (Persist in training and forget about fatigue while under intense pressure)

Evasion: 4.5 + 1.0 (Benjamin dodges the Grandmother Spider's attack)

Defense: 2.2 + 0.3 (from being bitten by a small spider)

Speed: 4.0 + 0.5 (Benjamin anticipated the little spider's attack)

Precision: 1 + 0.5 (movements become more agile)

Critical Hit Chance: 5% + 1% (One shot to blow the Grandmother Spider's head off)

Damage: 3.5+4 (Highest damage against spider-type evil spirits in the entire raid)

Benjamin fulfilled his choices as promised and received a reward:

【award】

【...】

[Virtue Fountain Accumulation Progress: 131% x 1.5 = 196%]

[Progress in accumulating nutrients through torture: 67% x 1.5 = 100%]

[Activated the combat skill learning chapter]

【邪恶切削LV0，伤害1-2，17/100】

【抵近射击LV0，伤害5-10，20/100】

[Legendary Script Spoiler: A mentor on the exorcism path will arrive in Windhowl, and Benjamin's relationship with this mentor will determine the path of Benjamin's growth and mindset for the rest of his life...]

"......"