adventurers in the sewers

"Miss Daina, I think you should reconsider. The uncertainty of venturing outside the city is too great."

Although he knew it wouldn't be very effective, Louis still kindly offered a word of advice.

Dina didn't refute, but instead shook her head bitterly and explained:

"Louis, I'm not a child anymore. I know that being an adventurer is a dangerous and cruel profession, but I'm short of money right now and don't have any other skills."

"I can't think of any other way to go besides becoming an adventurer and earning bounties."

After a pause, the girl added sincerely:

"Louis, you shouldn't be an adventurer anymore, it's too dangerous."

"Go home and wait for me for a few days. After I give you the compensation, you can use the money to learn a trade and become a doctor or a craftsman."

Louis remained silent. It seemed that even this former heiress of the merchant guild faced many practical difficulties.

Just then, a four-person adventurer party called out Daina's name from not far away.

Louis glanced at them; their equipment was at least a level below that of Dina.

Dana first replied to her teammates, then said to Louis:

"It's time to leave, so I'll be going now. I'll wait for you at this guild branch after I finish this task."

After watching the blue-haired girl and her teammates leave, Louis looked at the two silver coins in his hand.

This is quite an unexpected windfall.

Moreover, this was originally meant to be compensation for the original owner, so he could accept it without any psychological burden.

"Perfect, this money can be used as seed money to purchase two pieces of equipment."

Louis decided to buy a pair of waterproof boots and a long weapon so that he wouldn't get dirty with sewage even in the sewers.

He had just been worrying about how to explain to Merry if his clothes got dirty with sewage again today.

You can't just accidentally fall into the sewer every day.

He set off for a nearby secondhand cheap equipment shop, and after some haggling with the shopkeeper, he bought a pair of animal skin boots for eighty copper coins.

These boots were the cheapest long boots in the equipment store, and the fur had a strong fishy smell.

Louis learned upon inquiry that this thing was made from the skin of a gray rot rat. A complete gray rot rat skin was worth eight copper coins, while the price was halved if there was obvious damage.

We lost eight bronze medals yesterday, but that dead rat should have been washed away by now.

Louis was somewhat disappointed.

He then went to look at the weapons section, but unfortunately, the weapons he liked were all priced beyond his means.

After much deliberation, Louis chose a wooden stick and bought glue and rope, intending to wrap the dagger around it to make a spear.

It cost thirty copper coins just for this.

Louis spent a total of one hundred and one hundred at the equipment shop. When paying, he added ten copper coins he had earned yesterday and kept one silver coin so that it would be easier to carry with him.

He saved this silver coin and didn't plan to spend it, but he could use it in case of emergency.

In the sewer.

Louis put on his boots, patiently finished making his spear, and began searching the areas he hadn't explored the day before.

Blackrock City is very large, with a permanent population of over one million. It is divided into inner and outer cities and is also home to tens of thousands of royal troops.

With such a massive scale, the area of ​​the city's sewer system is also enormous; it would take at least one or two years to explore it all.

After a busy day, Louis discovered five corpses and extracted attributes from three of them.

Today's findings are as follows:

Ability Attribute: [Strength +1]

Blue bar: [Exceptional +0.5]

Skill: [Basic Swordsmanship +1]

Life Skills: [Carpentry +1] [Farming +1]

The Strength attribute, Extraordinary attribute, and the skill "Basic Swordsmanship" were all picked up from the corpse of a strong-looking man whom the cheat system called the "Swordsmanship Apprentice Adventurer".

Although he only had 1 point of proficiency in the new skill, Louis felt as if he had practiced swordsmanship for three months, and he had mastered the basic techniques of slashing, thrusting, parrying, and parrying.

The only problem is—he doesn't have a sword.

A decent sword would cost at least ten taels of silver, but he was still short of money.

"My strength, dexterity, and perception have all reached six points, and my other attributes, except for faith, have reached the standard of a normal adult."

Louis looked at his personal panel and was very satisfied with his gains over the past two days.

Adding to that the equivalent of three months of intensive training in 'basic swordsmanship,' he felt that, apart from lacking combat experience, he was already no less capable than an average adult adventurer.

Before leaving the sewers, Louis wandered around the area where he had seen the flesh slime the day before.

He found it again by following the dried slime left behind as it moved.

The corpse of the veteran adventurer, which was encased in the confines, had been partially corroded, but it looked like it could hold on for a few more days.

Back at the guild, Louis received fifteen copper coins from the receptionist.

"Mr. Louis, I have good news to tell you."

The red-haired receptionist smiled and said:

"The quest to defeat slimes and retrieve their equipment has been accepted by someone else."

"I've already spoken with the adventurer who accepted the commission; she'll be waiting for you at eight o'clock tomorrow morning."

Louis's eyes lit up. He nodded first, then asked:

"How capable is the person who accepted the commission?"

Receptionist: "She's an adventurer from out of town; I don't know her well."

"However, judging from the commissions she has completed in the past, she is very capable. Many professionals do not have a better resume than her before they are promoted."

In other words, is he a powerful individual who has a high chance of becoming an extraordinary professional?

Louis came to this conclusion in his mind and nodded, saying:

"I'll be there on time tomorrow."

Back home, Merry, who was waiting at the door, took Louis's coat.

Louis noticed that the little guy sniffed with his little nose, as if he had smelled something.

Indeed, although he wasn't dirty from sewage, he still carried the smell of cheap leather boots and the stench of the sewer.

"My brother was in charge of counting the untanned animal hides today. He must have smelled terrible, but there was nothing he could do. He just started working, so this was the kind of dirty and tiring job he could only get."

Louis spoke without hesitation.

Merry suddenly realized, and looked up at him, saying:

"Brother, you've worked so hard. Take off these clothes and let them air out by the window overnight; they should smell much better then."

Louis readily agreed, changed his clothes, and sat down to eat dinner.

During meals, he noticed that his appetite had increased significantly. He used to be able to eat until he was 70% full, but now he couldn't even eat until he was 50% full.

It seems that as his strength and endurance increase, his appetite also increases.

Even in another world, the law of conservation of mass applies.

The following morning, Louis entered the guild amidst his brother's farewells.

The clock in the guild is pointing to 7:30.

But to Louis's surprise, even though he arrived half an hour early, he was reminded by the red-haired receptionist as soon as he entered:

"Mr. Louis, the adventurer who accepted the commission has arrived and is waiting for you at that table."

Louis looked in the direction the receptionist was pointing and saw a figure wearing a hood and covered in a black cloak sitting at a table, drinking water and waiting for him.