Mice dominate the dungeon

Looking at the big-eared man rubbing his eyes, Twitch said irritably:

"What are you talking about?! I haven't slept at all!!"

"You seem to be sleeping quite soundly!"

Twitch then stretched out his paw and pinched the cheek of the big-eared man, saying:

"They've all fallen asleep waiting at the door. Is there something urgent that you need to see me about?"

The big-eared creature, its cheek being pinched, mumbled in response:

"Boss, I've met an adventurer these past few days and got some information from him about the towns on the surface. I want to report it to you as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing this, Twitch released his grip and asked in surprise:

"You found out so quickly?! You weren't bullied by those adventurers, were you?!"

"Of course not!" Big Ears said proudly, hands on his hips. "He's completely obedient to me!"

Tucci smiled slightly and said, "Tell me, what interesting information have you found out?"

Then, Big Ears, with his outstanding memory, repeated the information that George had told him to Tucci.

"The Kingdom of Anzu, the Black Forest Town, the Border, Demons, Winter, Mining..."

Every time Big Ears repeated a passage, Tucci would whisper the more key information points.

After Big Ears finished repeating all the information, Tucci narrowed his eyes and began to think.

With the intelligence gathered by Big Ears, he gained a rough understanding of the situation and ecological environment of the Ash Dungeon.

Before long, Twitch had figured out the best direction to approach the adventurers on the ground.

"The key is to first get in touch with lower- to mid-level adventurers; that's more practical," Twitch muttered to himself. "Besides, I also have what they want, so cooperative transactions should go much more smoothly."

"Boss, what are you talking about?" Big Ears asked, craning his neck to reach Tucci.

"I say, you did a great job this time, you deserve credit!" Tuchi praised Big Ears with a cheerful smile.

Big Ears' eyes lit up at this, and he immediately asked, "So, what else do I need to do next?"

"You've established a basic level of trust with that adventurer 'George,' so you can continue to contact him and see if you can extract more information about the surface from him."

"As for him mistaking you for a high-level adventurer, let's just go with the flow." Twitch paused for a moment before continuing, "Try not to reveal yourself as much as possible; this might make it easier for you to gather information."

"Even if you are forced to face George, don't let him know your true identity..."

Based on what Big Ears had just described, Tucci offered suggestions bit by bit.

"Yes, boss! I guarantee I'll complete the follow-up contact mission!!" Big Ears said confidently.

After saying that, Big Ears walked out of the base camp.

"Wait a minute." Big Ears had just turned around when Twitch called out to him.

"Didn't you say you were going to give the adventurer 'George' something good these next couple of days?" Twitch asked curiously. "What have you prepared?"

Big Ears thought for a moment, then began to recite the names of the dishes:

"I've prepared 'emergency dried nuts,' 'glowing glands,' 'tree sap balls,' 'stones,' and..."

"..."

Big Ears suddenly noticed that the boss's mouth was twitching, and he was looking at it with a speechless expression.

"Boss, what's wrong?! Is there something wrong with the things I sent?! I love these things!!"

"You'd love for George to know you're a rat!" Tucci said, rubbing his forehead.

Although Big Ears' intelligence is comparable to that of a normal person, and it can communicate quite well with adventurers, it is still ultimately just a little mouse...

I definitely lack experience when it comes to gift-giving!!

Unlike Twitch, who has been through the harsh realities of society and the trials of interpersonal relationships, although his "gift-giving" level hasn't reached the pinnacle of LV10, it's still at a level of LV5 or LV6!

"Put all those things you've already prepared back into your little nest!"

"I'll list the incentives for George on a piece of paper later, and you can gradually give them to him."

"If you have any questions, remember to come find me immediately!" Tucci stared at the big ears and asked, "Did you understand?"

"I understood it," Big Ears asked, his ears drooping in frustration. "But boss, is the stuff I sent really that bad?"

Seeing how much Big Ears cared, Tuchi affectionately reached out its paw and patted its little head, saying:

"Give me what you've prepared; I like to eat."

"Really? Boss!" Big Ears immediately perked up and began to explain in a rambling manner:

"Boss! Let me tell you, the 'emergency dried fruit' I prepared is really delicious, it's made with..."

--------

The underground city has nine levels, located in the western mining area.

George woke up early this morning, or more accurately, he woke up from a half-asleep state.

Knowing that he might receive payment from Dardo in the mine that day, he didn't sleep well all night.

After breakfast, George bid farewell to his wife and, as usual, headed to the Adventurers' Guild to reunite with the Gray Rat Squad.

Today, the team is still led by the elf Elana and another gray rat team member.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the rideshare team set off on time, and George once again encountered the unfortunate adventurer from yesterday in the team.

The unfortunate adventurer struck up a conversation with George and asked him to meet at the tavern for a drink sometime.

Seeing the other party's enthusiasm, George could only smile and say that he had been quite busy lately, but he would definitely find him for drinks in a few days.

George also learned his name from the other person—Wols.

The two chatted and laughed all the way, and soon arrived at the ninth underground floor.

George didn't set off immediately today, nor did he invite Worth to go mining in the mine. Instead, he waited until all the adventurers in the hitchhiking team had left before quietly heading towards the mining area.

George, having deliberately taken a few detours, returned to the mine where he had spoken with Dardo the day before.

After confirming that no one was around, George whispered into the mine:

"Lord Dardo~Lord Dardo~"

George's shouts echoed through the dark mine, then gradually faded away.

George's heart, which had been filled with excitement, sank to the bottom as the sound faded away.

Lord Dardo isn't in the mine today?!

It looks like I'll have to wait until tomorrow to receive my payment... George consoled himself.

Suppressing his turbulent emotions, George picked up his pickaxe and walked towards a corner of the mine.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, George caught sight of a familiar, dusty linen bag.

He had accidentally dropped it in the mine a few days ago while mining, and he had searched for it for a long time but couldn't find it.

Now, the lost bag is bulging and sits quietly in a corner of the mine.

Could it be that...