As an NPC, having a lot of skills is quite reasonable, right?

Life in the downtown area was like those endless gears overhead—monotonous, filled with the smell of engine oil and despair.

This place is filled with laborers, wanted criminals, mutated subterranean creatures, and ordinary people like Kate who struggle to survive in the cracks.

Kate rummaged through a trash can that had been visited by who-knows-how-many people, her stomach growling loudly in frustration.

Kate finally found a rusty nut and, as if she had discovered a treasure, quickly stuffed it into her inner pocket. If she collected more, she could take it to the recycling center and exchange it for a low-quality nutrient paste made from dead rats and underground moss.

After putting away the screws, he looked up at the rumbling garbage dump not far away. It was the sewage outlet connecting the upper and lower districts, and every twelve hours, tons of domestic waste and industrial waste would be dumped down from it.

Now he has to be extra careful, because in a few hours it will be time to dump the garbage again.

He needs to arrive early to secure a good spot so he can be the first to find expired canned food that the upper-level lords don't want, or rune parts that some careless upper-level technician has thrown away.

Since my father fell ill, this kind of day has become my daily routine.

Now, my mother has gone missing again after applying for a job in the Iron Guard. The relief meals that the city lord has been providing have stopped for some reason. I can't support this family by working as a guide, which is extremely unstable.

"well……"

Kate sighed and was about to tighten her belt and walk toward the next trash can when her keen intuition, honed from years of experience in the downtown area, told her that someone was approaching her.

Kate cautiously peeked out from behind the trash can. In the dim light, two figures were slowly walking along the sewage-filled street.

Although they were all wearing the kind of grey cloaks commonly seen in the lower town, used to shield themselves from coal smoke, Kate immediately noticed the difference.

The young man carrying a young woman on his back walked steadily, and his boots were not cheap.

The tall, elderly man next to him, though deliberately concealing his aura, had a gaze that occasionally swept around his surroundings that was unlike that of an ordinary person.

Kate's tired eyes lit up. As the best tour guide in the lower city, he knew very well that the deputy city lord had recently issued a blockade order, and it was no longer possible to enter through official channels.

Anyone who can maintain this composure at this time must be a ruthless person who smuggled themselves in through some secret channel.

Such people usually need two things: a low-key place to settle down and a mentor who won't talk too much.

This is a gamble. If the other party is a ruthless wanted criminal, going up to him is suicide. But if he wins, even a small reward that slips through his fingers is enough for his whole family to make a living.

Kate trusted her intuition; the three men were not villains.

He gritted his teeth, rubbed his frozen face vigorously, forced a humble and ingratiating smile, and then mustered his courage to emerge from the shadows and quickly approach her.

"Good evening, gentlemen." Kate did not block the way directly, but stood at a safe distance that would not make the other party feel threatened.

He bent over, his gaze immediately locking onto Gray, the tallest man carrying a greatsword.

Based on experience, the strongest person in such a group is usually the leader.

"Little Kate grew up in this neighborhood."

Kate spoke quickly but clearly, "Judging from your appearance, you must have just arrived in this lower city?"

"It's been a bit unsettling here lately. The roads are complicated, and there are a lot of gang informants. If you need a guide who's tight-lipped and has connections, or if you need a quiet place to rest, I might be able to help."

Gray stopped in his tracks, somewhat surprised.

He glanced down at the boy, who was as thin as a monkey, but didn't say anything. Instead, he subconsciously turned to look at Moen beside him, as if asking for his opinion.

Kate caught this subtle movement instantly.

We misjudged him! That young man is the one in charge!

Almost the instant Gray turned his head, Kate, without any embarrassment or hesitation, turned around smoothly as if she had been talking to Moen all along, bowed deeply to Moen, and bent her waist even lower.

"Young master, I was blind and failed to greet you immediately. I deserve to die."

"Don't let my thin appearance fool you. I know every single one of the eighteen streets and alleys in the lower city like the back of my hand. Just give me your instructions, and there's no place I can't take you."

Seeing that the boy had taken the initiative to talk to him, Moen also focused his attention on the white silk thread.

Name: Kate

[Level: 3]

[Occupation: Scavenger/Guide in the Lower City District]

【need】

[Hope for Survival: His father's lungs are severely crystalline and he urgently needs medication]

[Fate's Reward]

Kate's favorability rating is locked at: Friendly.

[Unlock the exclusive questline for the "Pale Life Stone"]

After looking at the panel, Moen was secretly delighted.

Although this is only the lowest grade of pale life stone, it is still a life stone!

Moen withdrew his gaze, showing little enthusiasm, and simply nodded: "We are indeed new here and need someone who knows the rules to lead the way."

He glanced at the street thugs around him who were starting to cast malicious glances, and lowered his voice: "We need to find a place to stay."

"My requirements aren't high. The most important thing is safety. I don't want any gangs or city guards knocking on my door."

"Can you find it?"

"No problem!"

Kate was so excited she almost jumped for joy; she knew the deal was done!

"Young master, don't worry. Those big hotels require you to register your identity, so they're definitely not suitable for you. But I know a special place."

Kate looked around and said mysteriously, "That's a shop owned by one of my elders. Although the storefront looks shabby, it's the safest place in the entire Ninth District."

"Even local gangs don't dare to go there to collect protection money."

"Lead the way," Moen said succinctly.

Kate led the three of them through several intricate alleyways, finally stopping in front of an inconspicuous two-story building.

A greasy sign hung at the entrance of the small building: "Old Jack's Prosthetics Repair Shop".

The sign depicts a broken robotic arm, with a line of smaller print below: "Specializing in repairing older models, no bargaining."

"A repair shop?" Gray looked at the dilapidated front door with some skepticism. "Kid, are you sure this is a place where people live?"

"Please don't be in a hurry, sir." Kate said with a smile, and stepped forward to knock on the door three times rhythmically. "Uncle Jack! It's me, Kate! I've brought you a big business deal!"

crunch--

The heavy iron gate was pulled open a crack, and a strong smell of machine oil mixed with the smell of cheap tobacco wafted out. Standing in the doorway was an old man with gray hair, wearing black overalls.

He wore a mechanical monocle over his left eye and a brass mechanical arm over his right.

"Kate?" The old man's single eye swept over Moen and the others, his gaze instantly turning wary. "This is the business you were talking about? These guys don't look like they have broken prosthetics."

His gaze lingered for two seconds on the greatsword on Gray's back and the hilt of the sword at Moen's waist, clearly noticing something.

The moment Moen saw the old man, he cast a detection spell.

Name: Jack

[Level: 35]

[Position: Senior Mechanic]

【need】

A high-purity "Starfrost Crystal" serves as the independent energy core.

[Fate's Reward]

Jack's favorability rating has changed to: Friendly.

[Obtained the right to use precision metallurgy equipment]

"Goodness, level 35." Moen nodded to himself.

In this lower city where the average level is only around 10, a level 35 person can indeed be considered a local overlord.

No wonder Kate dared to say this place was absolutely safe.

Unfortunately, the old man's hair was white, but he didn't have a life stone mission.

"It seems our previous guess was right; not everyone has the Fate Stone mission."

"Uncle Jack, these gentlemen just want to find a quiet place to stay for a few days." Kate quickly squeezed through the crack in the door and whispered a few words in the old man's ear: "Besides, the reward they're offering is very generous. Perhaps the Starfrost Crystals you mentioned you needed last time..."

Upon hearing the name Star Frost Crystal, the old man's previously stern expression softened slightly.

He glanced at Kate, sighed, and opened the door: "Fine, since it was you who brought it."

Then, turning to Moen and the others, his tone remained firm: "Come in, but let me make this clear beforehand: there are a few empty storage rooms on the second floor, make your own beds. Also, don't mess with my parts on the first floor."

"Thank you." Moen smiled and nodded, then led everyone inside.

Upon entering, the first floor was littered with scattered mechanical parts and unfinished prosthetics, with only a narrow passage leading to the stairs.

Upon reaching the second floor, the environment was better than I had imagined. Although it was simple, it didn't have that unpleasant sewage smell.

"This place is nice." Moen nodded in satisfaction.

He pulled a small purse from his pocket, took out a few silver coins, and tossed them to Kate: "This is a deposit, enough to cover the room fee for the next few days and your reward for leading the way."

Kate frantically caught the reward that Moen threw at her, completely dumbfounded.

Silver coins! Just a few! In the lower city, that amount of money would be enough for his family to eat and drink for several weeks, and maybe if they were careful with their spending, they could even buy his sister a good can of real milk!

"Thank you, young master! Thank you, young master!" Kate was so excited that she was about to kneel down and kowtow, but Moen stopped her.

"Don't thank me yet, I still have something I need you to do."

Moen looked at him and said, "You know this area well, so keep an eye out for these herbs on the market: [Tranquilizing Flower], [Glowing Moss]... [Lava Mother's Brain Fluid]."

Kate paused for a moment. Although the names sounded unfamiliar, he nodded frantically to memorize them: "No problem! Peacebloom is available on the black market, and Glow Moss can be found in the underground waterways. There are a few I haven't heard of, but I'll look them up for you."

"It's alright. We can get information about the materials we can't find, as long as we can gather most of them." Moen waved his hand, indicating that he could leave.

After Kate left, Moen closed the door behind him and placed a warning rune on the doorway.

The girl lying on the bed was still in a deep coma, her face as pale as paper. Although the mental mark on her forehead had been extinguished, there was no sign of her waking up.

"Mental trauma, soul shut down." Moen frowned as he looked at the description in the status bar.

Conventional healing techniques are ineffective against this kind of damage to the soul. To awaken her, a special magical potion called "Soul Repair Fluid" must be concocted.

Moen remembered the formula for this potion very clearly. Many of the materials he had just ordered were just a smokescreen. The most important one was the brain fluid of the Lava Mother Worm, which was the main ingredient in the Soul Repair Fluid.

Thinking about his next steps, Moen left Arya's room.

The corridor was dimly lit, and the faulty light bulbs emitted a buzzing sound.

Just as he was about to return to his room, he ran into Gray, who was about to come downstairs.

The old man changed out of his armor and put on a work jacket he had borrowed from Jack, looking like a down-on-his-luck old worker who had just finished get off work.

"Hey, still awake?" Gray straightened his collar and gestured with his chin toward Moen.

"I'm thinking of going out for a walk. I just heard from that kid Kate that there's a pub in the next block, the one with the best inside information in the lower district. I'll go grab a couple of drinks and check things out while I'm at it."

Moen leaned against the doorframe, looked him up and down, and laughed: "Old man, you're just having an alcohol craving, gathering information is just a side thing, isn't it?"

"Hey, I see through it but I won't say it."

Gray grinned and didn't deny it.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Moen nodded without stopping him, only giving a simple reminder: "Be careful. Although this is a lawless place, it is still someone else's territory. Come back soon."

Back in his room, Moen locked the door and plopped down on the somewhat stiff metal bunk bed.

Only at this moment did my nerves, which had been tense for several days, finally relax completely.

The room was cold, but the [Calamity Furnace] within him made him unafraid of the cold.

"Alright, let's take a look at the spoils we risked our lives to get back this time." Moen took a deep breath and opened the system panel.

The series of system notifications that flooded the screen earlier were too fast for him to read carefully. Now that he has calmed down and sorted through them, he realizes that his gains this time can only be described as getting rich overnight.

First, there are experience points.

The massive experience gained from defeating the Shadow of Judgment, who was above his level, propelled him from level 18 to level 24.

If players from the previous life saw this rocket-like leveling speed, they would probably report it as cheating.

Then there are the items.

Moen pulled the black sword that the tin can used for making judgments from his backpack—[Sword of Judgment (Damaged)].

Although the sword is covered in cracks and most of its divine power has been lost, it is still a holy-grade weapon.

As long as suitable materials are found to repair it, or you can simply melt it down to extract the [Divine Punishment Essence], you can turn waste into treasure.

There's also the remains of the [Scales of Judgment]. The power of its rules has collapsed, but the core materials that served as a sacred relic are still intact.

Moen plans to keep it and study it later, maybe he can come up with some cutting-edge technology.

Finally, and most importantly.

Moen looked at the skill fusion panel, where a life stone emitting a deep blue light floated quietly.