Becoming an adventurer by copying monster abilities

Chapter 123 The Abnormality in the Alley

As night falls, the bustling city of Ryan sheds the hustle and bustle of the daytime, yet it remains vibrant and lively.

Especially in the northern part of the city, both the level of infrastructure construction and the tightness of security patrols are quite reassuring.

The wide, flat bluestone streets are illuminated by soft streetlights.

Unlike the bustling Twilight Town at night, filled with adventurers, most of the people I encountered along the way were ordinary civilians.

The clothing shops, spice shops, and taverns lining the road remained open.

Luke and El walked side by side down the street.

Under the dim light, the shadows of the two people were stretched and then brought closer together.

The atmosphere was somewhat silent, but not awkward.

For Elle, it was the end of a busy day working at the church.

Just taking a leisurely stroll with Mr. Luke, who makes me feel so safe, is already a very pleasant experience.

Luke had no idea what Ir was thinking.

But he was indeed thinking about a problem at that moment.

If the fairy dragon possesses true dragon blood, is there a chance that my [Miracle Fantasy] talent will be activated?

Although he had already tested this ability when he faced the wyvern last time and it didn't activate out of thin air.

Even if it cannot be activated directly, with the Fairy Dragon's low combat power, it is not impossible to kill it directly.

If he could draw some special abilities related to the dragon race, he would hit the jackpot.

However, he was just thinking about it casually.

After all, Fairy Dragons are creatures recorded in the Monster Encyclopedia.

However, it is inherently kind and has an innocent appearance.

If he truly needed to kill the other person to gain the ability, his simple values ​​would make it difficult for him to bring himself to do it.

And so, each with their own thoughts, they walked along the street until they reached the square in front of the Church of Dawn before stopping.

Before, when she was just a trainee pastor, she still had to live in the church's dormitory due to the church's strict curfew rules.

"Mr. Luke, dinner tonight was delicious. Thank you for your hospitality."

Yi'er turned around, clasped her hands in front of her, bowed slightly, and a pure smile bloomed on her face.

Get some rest.

Watching the blonde female pastor turn around lightly, occasionally turning back to wave at him from behind.

Luke stood quietly until the other person's figure completely disappeared into the heavy oak door of the church, then he withdrew his gaze and turned to leave.

He arrived at the door of a hotel a few blocks away from the Church of Dawn.

They had just passed by this place during their walk; the sign had a picture of a dozing black cat.

It looks fairly clean and tidy, and most importantly, the location is relatively quiet.

Luke decided to stay here temporarily before leaving Ryan City.

Just as he pushed open the half-open spring door of the hotel, intending to go in and check in...

Suddenly, his keen senses allowed him to detect an extremely faint, unusual sound.

Luke paused, his eyes glancing out of the corner of his eye at a dimly lit alleyway across from the inn, unlit by any streetlights.

Several short, disorganized figures were gathered in the dead end of the alley.

Upon closer inspection, they were a group of teenagers wearing tattered linen shirts.

They were now forming a circle, punching and kicking a dark figure on the ground.

The girl who was surrounded and brutally beaten by them was a girl who looked very thin and weak.

The little girl was dressed in rags, and her exposed arms and legs were covered with bruises and unhealed wounds.

His body, already exhausted, was completely powerless to resist the onslaught of these mischievous children.

It could only curl up into a ball, like a dying animal, trying to protect its vital organs.

Children of this age are among the most complex groups of humankind.

They sometimes act naive and innocent.

At the same time, it can also unleash a terrifying malice without any limits on creatures weaker than itself.

Just as one of the slightly older boys raised his right foot, clad in a worn-out, hard-soled leather shoe, preparing to stomp hard on the head of the little girl who was being beaten.

His movements suddenly and abruptly stopped in mid-air.

The reason was that the young man who had been quietly observing them from the hotel entrance had turned around.

Without a second thought, he pushed open the door and walked straight into the hotel.

Almost at the same second that Luke's figure disappeared behind the door.

The expressions on the faces of the violent teenagers, who had just been hideous with repulsive and unruly smiles, froze instantly.

The little girl, who had been curled up on the ground, beaten to the point of near death and looked very pitiful, was now lying on the ground.

She had already slowly stood up.

The once tear-filled, dark pupils, which had looked helpless, were now filled with resentment and malice.

A few minutes later, the sound of stumbling footsteps came from the main road outside the alley.

A middle-aged man, slightly drunk, hummed an off-key country tune as he staggered down the street.

Upon hearing footsteps, the group of boys and the little girl seemed to receive some kind of command, seamlessly switching back to their previous states.

The boys started punching and kicking each other in the alley again, their faces contorted with rage.

The little girl then cooperated perfectly, letting out heartbreaking screams and wails.

The drunkard paused after hearing the noise coming from the depths of the alley.

The alcohol emboldened him considerably, and his sense of justice surged forth.

He cursed loudly and, fueled by alcohol, strode into the dimly lit alley.

He swung his thick arms forcefully, trying to drive away these unruly and undisciplined children.

"Where did this bunch of ill-mannered brats come from? Get the hell out of here! Or I'll call the guards..."

"7

The man's angry curses echoed through the alley.

But his words were cut short as if an invisible hand had gripped his throat.

After a while, the chewing stopped, and the alley became deserted.

Only a few traces remained on the stone slabs covered with moss and trash.

These bloodstains will be casually stepped on by ordinary people or homeless people who are taking out the trash the next morning, completely erasing all traces.

Meanwhile, Luke had already booked a superior room at the inn.

She was soaking her entire body in a hot bath tub that the waiter had prepared in advance, enjoying a comfortable bath.

That scene I just witnessed in the alley.

For a law-abiding citizen like him who has experienced modern internet anti-fraud campaigns, this is child's play.

Putting aside the fact that a group of homeless children, the kind you'd only find in slums, would suddenly appear in the relatively peaceful northern part of the city late at night, it's quite a surprise.

Just looking at the girl lying on the ground being beaten, he felt somewhat baffled, even ridiculous.

Despite appearing severely injured and on the verge of death, he managed to stick his head out and wail pitifully at himself as the group of children relentlessly punched and kicked him.

You should know that he has dark vision and a perception attribute of 9 points, which is why he can clearly see what is happening in the alley from across the street.

And that little girl, from a considerable distance, stared straight at him.

It was as if the words "Help me, this is a trap" were practically written all over his face.

Although Luca did not believe that the ambush in the alley posed much of a threat to him.

But it's better to avoid trouble.

He won't receive any reward for contributing to the security of Ryan City.

If we really do capsize in a ditch, we'll suffer a huge loss.

Luca slowly sank his entire body into the hot water, feeling his muscles, which had been tense all day, gradually relax.

He exhaled a sigh of relief, and couldn't help but think, "It seems that even in big cities with good public security, the night isn't so safe after all."

The next day, since he didn't have to rush to the Adventurers' Guild to accept a quest or go to the training ground to work up a sweat, Luca slept in late for the first time in a long time.

I changed into a neat and comfortable linen outfit, making myself look like an ordinary person working in the city.

After a casual lunch downstairs at the hotel, which was mediocre in taste but not cheap, I ate something that was not cheap.

He then went to the address Lena had left behind.

Lena bought a property in Ryan City as a base for the squad to make occasional contact.

Although it is not the most affluent area, the surrounding environment is quite nice.

The other team members seemed to be in the same situation, each having their own residence near the property.

When Luke found them, the team members had already gathered at Rena's house.

Compared to the female captain's forthright personality and wild fighting style, the interior design of this detached villa is quite warm and delicate.

The yard was even filled with carefully maintained flowers and plants, a stark contrast to its owner's tall and robust appearance.

Lena remained as decisive and efficient as ever.

The itinerary, including the route and potential dangers, was detailed.

"Although we're only operating on the outskirts of the Endless Wilderness this time, it's not surprising to see anything in that vast area. Low-level monsters like gnolls and goblins are as numerous in the wilderness as locusts during a famine."

With such a massive population, it's easy for mutated individuals to emerge, such as gnoll lords or goblin legions with sorcerers, so we must be extra careful.

The Gnoll Demon Lord, also known as the Hyena Demon Lord, is similar to the Fang of Yenogu that Luke once killed. Both are special Gnoll individuals favored by the demon lord Yenogu.

Unlike blessed individuals like the Teeth of Yenogu.

The Gnoll Demon Lord is a powerful being who has undergone the Abyss Feeding Ritual; it can be considered the embodiment of Yenogu's power in the material plane.

With a challenge level of 8, it is a terrifying existence that should absolutely not be provoked in the wilderness.

Although the Goblin Sorcerer's challenge level is only 3, given the massive scale of the Goblin Legion, once the number of these sorcerers increases to a certain level, their combat power will undergo a qualitative change.

"As for areas where you might encounter lions or burrowing worms, I have marked them all on the map."

As long as we follow my planned route, this task shouldn't be too difficult.

The monsters that Lena described as potential encounters only appeared under the worst-case scenario.

Normally, the most common monsters on the edge of the wilderness are goblins and gnolls.

After all, the edge of the wilderness is largely adjacent to areas of human activity.

Even high-level monsters with intelligence will feel apprehensive.

Luca secretly memorized all the details Lena mentioned. These were survival skills left behind by countless adventurers with their blood and lives, and they were extremely valuable.

After finalizing the route and tactical arrangements, the next step was to determine the departure date.

After a brief discussion, the team tentatively set their departure time for the early morning of three days later.

After all, they had just finished a very dangerous and difficult mission.

Although the physical injuries have been healed by divine magic, the mental exhaustion still needs time to recuperate and repair.

In addition, Luca's weapons and armor also require time to maintain.

Therefore, Lena gave everyone ample time to prepare.

Actually, if it were any other ordinary adventurer team, after escaping death and making a fortune,

Even if they don't indulge in extravagance, they will generally rest and recuperate in a safe area for a long time.

The frequency with which the Undying Heavy Sword Squad accepts commissioned missions is already quite exaggerated.

Who can blame them for having a captain with such a strong sense of career ambition?

However, the other members of the team did not show any resistance or dissatisfaction.

The more you work, the more you earn.

Lena has always been fair in her dealings, and her compensation is always well-distributed.

Everyone trusted her completely and was willing to fight alongside her.

After the meeting, Luca declined Lena's invitation to stay for dinner.

Next, he also had important things to do.

The previous series of battles had wiped out most of the consumables he had stored in his storage space.

He especially needed to replenish items such as incandescent glue, kerosene bottles, and healing potions as soon as possible.

At the same time, after talking with Latour, he also became interested in the use of poison.

I'm planning to buy some alchemical poison that can be applied to weapons and see how it works.

As expected, Luke was not disappointed by the vast market of alchemy shops in the city of Ryan.

Whether it was high-purity kerosene or high-grade incandescent glue that could explode instantly, the variety and quality far exceeded his expectations.

However, the prices of all the goods were one to two times more expensive than what he had bought at Irontooth's alchemy shop in Twilight Town.

The portion of the reward that Lena had just given him was quickly spent like water.

If only Luke had emptied Iron Fang's shop before leaving Twilight Town.

If you go to Ryan City to resell your wares, you could probably make a fortune.

Replenish the storage ring with all the necessary items.

They also bought two more bottles of a high-level paralyzing agent that, when exposed to air, could maintain its effects for about eight hours.

Luke's purchasing trip was finally over.

By this time, it had already gotten dark.

I was carrying some local snacks from Lane City that I bought while strolling around.

Luke strolled slowly into the street where the inn where he was staying was located.

However, while passing through the alley on the other side of the street.

The scene he witnessed last night played out before him once again.

The scene of that group of ferocious-looking teenagers beating up a frail girl was like a group of dedicated actors performing a stage play.

This time, however, Luke saw a familiar figure at the alley entrance.

It was Yi'er, whom I had just parted ways with last night.

At this moment, this blonde girl, who usually speaks softly and has a gentle and kind personality, is...

Her delicate, fair face was flushed red with anger after witnessing this cruel "bullying".

Without hesitation, she lifted the hem of her pristine white pastor's gown and ran into the depths of the dark alley.

He also uttered a clear, authoritative, and reprimanding shout: "Stop!"