I can see experience bars after being transported to another world.

evening.

The work in the herb field is nearing completion; most people have already left, with only a few still doing the final cleanup.

Lu Yuan found Deng En by the stream.

The boy squatted alone by the stream, washing his hands. His sleeves were rolled up above his elbows, and his arms were covered with small scrapes and mud stains from working. An empty bucket sat beside him; he had finished working in the medicinal herb field.

Lu Yuan walked over, squatted down next to him, and also put his hands into the stream to wash them.

"Is the pest control almost done for today?" Lu Yuan asked casually.

"There's still that patch of garden on the south side that hasn't been painted yet; we'll finish it off tomorrow." Dunn's answer was brief and concise, just like in the morning, answering each question directly.

The two exchanged a few words casually.

Dunn's tone remained calm and unhurried throughout, neither trying to ingratiate himself with the Night's Watch nor avoiding conversation because he was unfamiliar with them; it was a calmness that seemed out of place for his age.

Then Lu Yuan reached into his robes.

My fingers touched the cool surface of the copper box, and the lock snapped gently against my fingertip.

Click.

An eerie aura spread out, extremely faint and covering a small area of ​​only two or three meters.

But Dunn reacted almost instantly.

He jerked his body back, the movement of pulling his hand out of the water sending up a splash that landed on the rocks and his trousers.

I almost bounced up, took two steps back, and slipped on the pebbles by the stream, but didn't fall.

There was a hint of heaviness in his eyes.

Then he turned and ran. Yes, without hesitation or looking back, he just ran forward with all his might.

My footsteps rustled on the pebbles by the stream as I ran five or six meters.

But he stopped again very soon.

Because nothing happened.

Everything was quiet. The stream was still flowing, the wind was still blowing, nothing was emerging from the ground, and nothing was chasing after us.

Only Lu Yuan behind him remained squatting by the stream, his posture unchanged.

Dunn turned around and glanced at Lu Yuan, his chest heaving, his breathing still not calm.

Lu Yuan closed the bronze box, and the icy aura disappeared.

Dunn stood a few meters away, neither walking back nor continuing to run. He looked at Lu Yuan, his expression a mixture of confusion, wariness, and a lingering sense of fear.

Lu Yuan looked at him and asked a question.

Why did you just run away?

Dunn was silent for two seconds, his breathing still a little rapid, but when he spoke, his voice returned to normal.

"I'm just an ordinary person," he said. "I've seen the supernatural near the base. I know what happens if you encounter it."

He paused for a moment, then looked directly at Lu Yuan.

"You're a member of the Night's Watch. If even you can't defeat them, there's no point in me joining in. Staying here will only hinder you; besides, if I run out, I might be able to call for reinforcements."

Do you understand?

Lu Yuan did not respond immediately.

As children of the Night Watch are taught, they know one thing from a young age: when faced with something strange, the first reaction of an ordinary person is always to run—run first, then observe. In the face of the supernatural, confidence is the most useless thing.

Dunn's parents instilled this principle of survival into his very bones.

Even though they are no longer here, this habit remains.

Lu Yuan smiled faintly.

"I understand."

Lu Yuan didn't say anything more or explain anything; he just turned and left.

As darkness began to fall, Lu Yuan found Jurgen at the edge of the medicinal field.

He did not return in the direction of the town.

On the side of the medicinal herb field closest to the treeline, there are dense tree shadows outside the low fence.

The evening light couldn't penetrate the ancient forest; the boundary between light and darkness was very hard, just a step away.

Jürgen stood alone by the fence, facing the woods, his hunting knife hanging at his waist and his hands at his sides.

I don't know how long I stood there.

Lu Yuan walked over, stood next to him, and also looked at Lin Zi.

There was a moment of silence between the two. The wind blew in from the direction of the woods, carrying the damp smell of decaying leaves and earth.

Lu Yuan did not speak first.

Jürgen spoke first.

"Do you often encounter those kinds of things when you're in the city?"

"What is that?"

"Strange," Jürgen's voice was flat. "The kind that comes out of the woods."

Lu Yuan didn't answer directly. "Have you encountered this before?"

Jürgen didn't speak, but his right hand unconsciously pressed the hilt of the hunting knife at his waist, his fingers brushing against the leather sheath before releasing it.

Right in this gap.

Lu Yuan opened the bronze box.

Just as without warning, the sound of the latch popping open was extremely faint, masked by the sound of the wind, and an eerie aura seeped out of the box, spreading through the evening air.

Jürgen's reaction was completely different from Dunn's.

The moment his aura dissipated, he took a step back.

But he wasn't running away. As he retreated, his right hand gripped the hilt of the hunting knife, the blade half-drawn from its sheath, the grinding marks on the blade flashing in the twilight.

He lowered his body, shifted his weight onto his back foot, and turned his shoulders slightly to the side, assuming a fighting stance.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

The increased distance creates an attack range.

A few seconds later, nothing happened. The eerie aura was faint and was dissipating rapidly. Jürgen's gaze swept back from the treeline and landed on Lu Yuan.

There was no fear in those eyes, only recognition and confirmation, with a trace of murderous intent that hadn't yet been fully withdrawn.

Lu Yuan closed the bronze box.

"Aren't you afraid of dying? Why don't you run?"

Jürgen slowly pushed the hunting knife back into its sheath. The sound of metal rubbing against leather was very soft.

"Not afraid of death."

He paused for a moment.

"I've investigated all the strange things around this forest. I've hunted everything except the centipede with its serrated spine."

Lu Yuan did not respond.

But I've adjusted my opinion of this person a bit.

When Lu Yuan first learned of his situation, he thought Jurgen was a brute driven by hatred.

But clearly, he's intelligent, he's done his research, he understands his opponents, and he knows where his limits are.

The line of gray text he had seen that morning resurfaced, eerie and extraordinary. Moreover, the way he drew his sword when faced with the eerie aura matched his various actions that morning.

This is a very promising talent. This kind of person would be suitable to be given to Rick. Rick has had a similar experience. Given Rick's personality, the two of them together might create some interesting chemistry.

"So what are you doing? Recruiting people? I approved it?"

Jürgen reacted quickly and asked the question that had been bothering him.

"Haha, you'll find out tomorrow."

Lu Yuan did not give a direct answer.

into the night.

In a room on the second floor of the base, a window was half open.

A few oil lamps cast a warm yellow glow from the direction of the town outside the window, scattered here and there, interspersed with patches of darkness. The sound of the stream was far away, and occasionally the chirping of insects drifted from the direction of the herb garden.

Bor sat in a chair by the window, leaning back, holding the small wine jug in his hand without drinking.

Lu Yuan sat on the edge of the bed and told him the results of the copper box test.

Dunn opened the bronze box and ran away, only stopping after running a few meters and realizing nothing was wrong.

When asked why he ran, he said he was just an ordinary person, and staying put when encountering something strange would only delay the Night Watch. That's what his parents taught him.

"Good reaction," Bol commented. "Those who know how to run are much more useful than those who don't. This kid is perfect for leading a team on missions; he's steady, rational, and a good fit for us."

Lu Yuan nodded. "As for Jürgen, the first thing he did when the bronze box was opened was to draw his sword."

Bor raised an eyebrow. "Draw your sword?"

"He took a step back, creating distance, and drew his sword halfway out of its sheath," Lu Yuan continued, his tone filled with undisguised admiration.

"It's not fleeing, it's preparing to fight. It matches our assessment this morning; this person is highly aggressive. If we don't bring him into the system, the next time we encounter something strange beyond his capabilities, he'll charge in on his own. It's only a matter of time."

Bor was silent for a few seconds, then tapped his fingers twice on the lid of the flask.

"Bring both?"

"Take both. Report the situation in Jürgen to Klaus when you get back; the three-month observation period cannot be a mere formality."

Lu Yuan added, "There's another girl in town; a faint sensory fluctuation was detected. She's not within the scope of this mission. Go back and file a record."

Bor nodded, unscrewed the flask, and took a sip. "And the mayor said things haven't been peaceful in the woods lately; animals are escaping. Go back and tell headquarters to see if we need to send some more equipment here."

"I've got it."

Bor put the flask away, stood up, and stretched his shoulders. "So, leaving tomorrow?"

"Tell them tomorrow morning, then leave."

"OK."

Bor paused at the door, turned back, and said, "Jurgen, how do you plan to take him?"

"Let's observe for now," Lu Yuan continued. "Let him enter the system, let those stronger than him pressure him to learn. Learning when to sheathe his sword is more important than learning how to draw it."

Bohr grinned, said nothing, and turned to leave.

After the door closed, the room became quiet.

The chirping of insects outside the window was faint, with the sound of the stream flowing underneath.

The distant treeline was dark, separated from the warm light coming through the window by a patch of medicinal herbs.

Lu Yuan fell asleep quickly in this environment.

The following morning.

[Sanity: +12...118/130]

The sky was bright and clear, just like the previous two days, the morning in Gubo Town was shrouded in a light mist.

Lu Yuan and Bo Er were waiting at the entrance of the base.

Harold went and called Dunn and Jürgen over.

Before long, two men came from the other side of the stream. Dunn walked in front, his steps slow but steady; Jürgen followed two steps behind, his hunting knife still hanging at his waist.

Lu Yuan didn't beat around the bush.

"We're not just here to deliver medicine in Guber Town," he said calmly, looking at the two men. "We're here to recruit. The official recruitment for the Night's Watch."

Dunn's expression didn't change much. He was silent for two or three seconds, as if confirming what he had heard, but there was no surprise on his face—it seemed like he had been waiting for this day.

"When are you leaving?"

Jürgen did not answer immediately. He looked at Lu Yuan for a few seconds, his gaze scrutinizing him.

Then he asked a question.

"If I join the Night's Watch, will I learn the real ways to deal with those things?"

"Yes," Lu Yuan said.

"good."

Lu Yuan explained the three-month probationary period. After passing it, he would be officially incorporated into the Night's Watch. Neither of them asked any further questions.

Harold stood to the side, his expression indifferent.

After they both agreed, he walked up to Dunn and patted him on the shoulder.

"Go."

My hand lingered on your shoulder for a second longer than usual.

Harold simply nodded to Jürgen, making no further move, but there was a hint of relief in his eyes. Lu Yuan noticed this.

The town mayor didn't come to see it off, but when Lu Yuan passed by the stone tablet, he saw the mayor standing at his own door and glancing at it from afar.