In the blink of an eye, Rein instantly deduced that this must be the opponent's ace in the hole!
Utilizing ultra-fast sword speed to pierce three vital points on his body, the sword moved so quickly that afterimages appeared on his retina, which is why he saw the illusion of three swords thrusting at the same time.
But in Rein's heart there was no fear, instead, he felt excitement!
This move was the enemy's trump card, his own crisis, but on the other hand, also his own opportunity.
Although the opponent was extremely fast, having fully committed to this killer move meant changing direction as before had become exceedingly difficult for him.
It was just like a sprinter at full speed trying to come to an immediate stop, which was nearly impossible to achieve.
In a split second, a fierce determination flashed in the corner of Rein's eye.
He didn't execute the 'defensive stance', the only defensive move in the Giant Bear Sword Technique!
Instead, he chose to counterattack!
"Strength Burst!"
Rein's entire body suddenly swelled, his height shooting from around 1.7 meters to approximately 1.9 meters, with muscles all over his body taut and bulging.
"Breaking limit! Are you a proper Knight?!" Rulse cried out in shock, unable to help but exclaim.
This caused Rulse's attacking momentum to falter, and the power of his killer move greatly diminished.
Of course, Rulse couldn't be blamed.
Rein's "Strength Burst" was too similar to that of an official Knight performing "Breaking limit".
Anyone watching would have thought Rein was a formal Knight in the act of "Breaking limit".
Seizing the opportunity while the opponent hesitated ever so slightly, Rein's chest puffed up, the veins in his neck protruding, with neck muscles twisting and expanding like those of a python.
This set off alarm bells in Rulse's mind, and he instinctively began to retreat at high speed!
The execution of his ace move, "Swift Sword Triple Strike", thus came to an abrupt end.
No wonder Rulse made such a decision.
Originally, his three strikes were aimed at Rein's vital areas, but with Rein's drastically changed physique, even if the stabs went through, they probably wouldn't be able to end Rein's life instantly, only leaving him injured but not dead.
Yet Rein's present physical form was too horrifying; Rulse immediately sensed that Rein's follow-up attack would definitely be thunderous!
Rulse didn't want to trade life for life.
So, the only option was to retreat!
But having just charged forward at high speed, retreating immediately was not so simple.
However, Rulse lived up to his level as a prospective Knight with powerful body control; the inertia of his body went from moving forward to retreating in barely half a second of stillness on the spot.
But in that brief less-than-half-second timeframe, the tables turned!
"Hah!!!!"
With a great roar,
Rein's mouth opened wide, and a raging torrent of breath blasted out like a cannonball!
A massive wave of sound, centered around Rein's gaping maw, swept out like a tsunami in all directions.
This kind of area-of-effect sound attack was clearly something Rulse couldn't avoid, and with the distance between him and Rein, the strength of the sound wave could be said to be at its peak.
Rulse only felt a strong gust of wind blow against his face, causing his skin to violently tremble.
At the same time, his eardrums felt a stabbing pain, his head instantly buzzing!
And after the sound wave swept past Rulse, it kept spreading out at high speed, causing nearby trees to rustle loudly and leaves to rain down.
Although Rulse was only affected by the sound attack for a very brief moment—merely a fraction of a second—by the time he could react once again,
he found himself seemingly unable to move!
Instantly, he felt an intense pain in his abdomen!
Turns out, as Rein let out that deafening roar, his bulging muscles propelled his hands to sweep the Fine Steel Greatsword at high speed across Rulse's waist and abdomen, leaving behind in mid-air a beautiful silver semi-circle.
Time seemed to stand still for a few seconds.
Rulse lowered his head.
'Whoosh!' A large amount of fresh blood flowed out, along with intestines and other organs.
"Ah!!"
Rulse couldn't help but let out a scream of agony.
"Thump!"
Rulse dropped the Knight's Longsword and knelt on the ground, desperately trying to cover the long wound with his hands and continuously trying to stuff the fallen intestines back inside.
Although he had been through many battles, he had always been the victor.
Of course, he had never experienced such pain... as well as the fear of impending death!
Such an injury, even if he were a Knight, would be too much to bear, let alone that he wasn't one.
Soon, as life drained away, Rulse's movements slowed down.
He lifted his head, staring intently at Rein, his mouth moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out, and he collapsed to the ground.
The look of unwillingness in his eyes also faded...
Rein was also suffering, supporting himself with the Fine Steel Greatsword in one hand and clutching his chest with the other, he began to cough violently.
"Cough... Cough..."
"The first time using the 'roaring strike' special move, I exerted too much force; it seems to have hurt my lungs a bit."
"But luckily, the results were significant!"
Rein, looking at Rulse's corpse, also felt somewhat sentimental.
"The opponent was completely superior to me, with both Strength and agility likely around thirteen or fourteen points. Even after I increased my agility by two points, I was still firmly suppressed by him!"
"Without the insight into the special move 'roaring strike,' this battle could have been very grim!"
This intensified the sense of urgency in Rein's heart once more.
Throughout the entire battle until its end, there were still many questions in Rein's mind.
"Where did this Norman Baron family come from?"
"Refuse to be recruited, then must die? It can't be that drastic, can it..."
"So, how exactly did I get involved with them?"
After thinking for a while, Rein decided he might take the time to carefully inquire with Hamilton later.
After all, he had been transferred from the County Town, and he should be quite familiar with the major noble families within the Meister County.
"If the territory of this so-called Norman Baron family is in Meister County, then Hamilton should probably be able to provide some useful information."
Without any hesitation, Rein stepped forward and cautiously delivered another stab to the body.
Once he confirmed that the other party was truly dead, Rein quickly bent down and started to search, soon finding a small black square bottle in the man's pouch.
"Eh! This design... could it be lethal poison?"
Then, Rein found a small bag of gold coins, about a dozen Gold Coins and over twenty Silver Coins, in the man's pouch.
The last item was an exceptionally neatly folded piece of parchment that, judging by its yellowed surface and slightly whitened edges from abrasion, seemed to have some age and had been frequently perused by its owner.
Rein didn't open it immediately.
Because the 'roaring strike' he had just used made a deafening sound, and even with the barrier of the dense woods, Rein believed it had already reached the nearby road.
Thus, as soon as Rein finished searching the body, he immediately dragged it deeper into the woods and slightly modified the battle marks on the scene with his greatsword to cover them up.
After giving it some thought, Rein decided not to pick up the opponent's weapon.
Because the pommel of the opponent's Knight's Longsword had a distinct pattern, Rein wouldn't be able to use it even if he took it back, and melting it down at the Blacksmith's place was equally risky. So, it was better to leave it.
Soon, the smell of blood would attract wild animals, and for them, this would be a feast.
Having done all this, Rein turned and walked towards home.
"Brother, why did you come back so early today?" Anna, who was playing with 'Cookie,' looked up to see her brother Rein returning and asked with slight surprise.
At that moment, Anna also looked up towards Rein.
Seeing Anna's rosy complexion, Rein knew that after a night's rest, she had recovered from the fatigue caused by using the amulet yesterday.
"Well, something came up, cough... cough..." Rein patted little Anna's head.
"By the way, Anna, could you come with me for a moment?"
"Hm? Of course." Anna nodded and stood up, but when she took a closer look at Rein, she noticed something amiss.
Rein seemed to have a pale complexion and had just coughed.
As Rein passed by her, she also detected a faint smell of blood.
This scent was deeply ingrained in her memory, for her home had also been filled with this same smell that night.
This immediately made Anna tense.
Upon entering the room with Rein, Anna asked anxiously, "Rein... are you injured?"
"What! How did you know, Anna?" Rein was initially surprised, but then, looking down at his damaged cotton armor, he immediately understood.
"It's nothing serious, just a minor injury, but I might need to bother you to touch that amulet again."
At the moment, Rein was also unsure whether the amulet had a limit on the number of times it could be used.
Or could it be that after consuming that mysterious energy, the amulet needed a certain amount of time to absorb some kind of external energy before it could be used again?
"Yes, no problem at all. I'll try!" Anna nodded emphatically, grateful for the rare opportunity to be of help to Rein.
"Relax a little, I'm really fine... cough..."
Seeing Rein cough while insisting he was fine, Anna couldn't help but give him a reproachful look.
Immediately taking the wooden amulet Rein handed her, Anna focused her mind and gently touched it.
Sure enough, the amulet emitted a soft green glow again!
This time, Anna felt it was a bit easier to control than the last.
The green light quickly leapt from the amulet and flew towards Rein's body.
Instantly, the green light intensified!
Enveloped in the green light, Rein felt as if a cool, soothing stream was flowing into his body from the outside, quickly coating the damaged capillaries and alveoli of his lungs.
An exceptionally cool and refreshing sensation spread from within.
Seconds later, Rein felt his injuries had fully healed, and he no longer felt the urge to cough!
This once again made Rein marvel at the miraculous nature of this energy.
It also proved that the wooden amulet could indeed be a magical item used repeatedly.
However, when Rein looked up, he saw Anna's complexion had turned pale again, just like the night before.
"Anna, I'm sorry..."
"Don't say that, Rein, I'm really happy to help you, truly."
"By the way, are you feeling better now?"
"Of course, I've fully recovered! Thank you, Anna." Rein smiled and patted his chest, indicating he was completely healed!
After sending Anna back to her room to rest, Rein curiously opened the sheepskin scroll.
Upon opening it, Rein was somewhat astonished. The top was inscribed with bold letters: "Dragan Empire Military Swordsmanship." Below the text were seven separate diagrams depicting a stick figure performing various sword techniques.
Further down were two slightly more complex diagrams, also showing a stick figure executing a type of sword technique.
```
The stick figures in the book all had one-handed swords.
They differed drastically in style from the Giant Bear Sword Technique Rein was practicing.
After scrutinizing the images, Rein's expression initially showed both shock and delight, but soon he began to furrow his brow in thought.
It turned out that the seven patterns represented basic sword moves with a simple style, somewhat straightforward, yet upon closer inspection, they also contained a sense of sharpness and even brutality.
Because the sword moves targeted the critical points of an enemy, it was no wonder they were called military swordsmanship, where simplicity implied ease of learning, and the ruthless sharpness was aimed at quickly dispatching foes.
The two slightly more complex patterns at the bottom were secret techniques derived from military swordsmanship; one was the 'Swift Sword Triple Strike' performed by the middle-aged man earlier, and the other was another move called 'Flash Strike'.
Without a doubt, imperial military swordsmanship with secret techniques was more than ten times as precious as the plain imperial military swordsmanship!
Although the military swordsmanship of the Dragan Empire was also an outstanding swordsmanship, without secret techniques, it couldn't be considered true Extraordinary Swordsmanship.
If Rein had only discovered the seven basic military sword moves, he might not have been inclined to learn them immediately.
But upon realizing the existence of two secret techniques, his desire to learn them grew incredibly strong!
He had felt the power of the 'Swift Sword Triple Strike' personally, and if his opponent had been determined to trade injury for injury, even if Rein had been lucky enough to win, he surely would have sustained serious injuries.
According to the description, 'Flash Strike' was even more powerful and equally more difficult to perform, seeming to require the capability of a formal Knight.
This left Rein rather covetous.
He decided to try learning them later that evening.
It was then that Rein had the time to check the system notifications:
[Your skill Giant Bear Sword Technique has improved, Experience +267]
[You have experienced a battle, Night Watchman Professional Experience Points +131]
Although a normal fight wasn't lengthy, totally at most around two minutes, but every second was a precarious balance between life and death, so the generous Experience granted was to be expected.
Rein's Giant Bear Sword Technique lv4 (298/1000) progress crossed halfway, reaching Giant Bear Sword Technique lv4 (565/1000).
Rein then flipped back to the 'Attributes Page' on the system panel.
Name: Rein Carlan
Profession: Blacksmith lv2 (0/300) / Night Watchman lv3 (161/500) / Dog Trainer lv2 (31/300)
Constitution: 10
Strength: 11
Agility: 11
Spirit: 11
Remaining Attribute Points: 0
Remaining Skill Points: 0
Now his attributes were very balanced, just one point shy in Constitution from reaching 11 in each attribute.
Afterward, Rein folded his arms and paced back and forth in the room, deep in thought, reflecting on the battle he had just fought, summarizing the gains and losses.
Meister County City.
Within a manor that belonged to either a noble or a wealthy merchant, the storeroom on the second level below ground had clearly undergone expansion, its area comparable to an average noble's banquet hall.
While the walls weren't graced with fine murals or richly decorated, they were carved with mysterious and brutal ritual scenes and various bizarre monsters, giving the entire hall a dark and eerie atmosphere.
In such a spacious hall, only two mountain-shaped wall lamps were lit, their flames struggling to burn, but still unable to light up the overly large hall sufficiently.
At that moment, a deep voice emerged from the center of the dimly lit hall.
"How much longer until the Black Flame Prayer Ceremony?"
"High Priest, it will take about another month," answered a tall figure clad in knight armor, standing in the middle of the underground hall.
Why say tall?
That was because the figure was over two meters and twenty centimeters tall, but even encased in armor, his limbs were very "slender."
To others, his legs looked like the long, thin thighs of a 'grasshopper,' thin yet extremely capable of leaping.
Moreover, the weapon he carried on his back was also weird—it was a scythe-like serrated curved blade about two meters long.
However, he clearly wasn't the highest-ranking person in the underground hall, as he was reporting with a slight bow to someone sitting in the shadows, referred to as the High Priest.
"We are running out of time. I have felt the Lord's will gradually awakening. The Black Flame Prayer Ceremony must be held as soon as possible!"
"Half a month, hold the ceremony within half a month to coincide with the Lord's further resurrection!"
"This... Understood, High Priest. However, if we intensify the acquisition of 'materials,' it will inevitably cause some disturbances and further attention from the empire's officials."
"Heh, those greedy nobles, it's time for them to be of use," the High Priest's tone was deep and slightly mocking.
"Ehm... High Priest, speaking of those nobles, it seems they are getting restless."
The shadow waved his hand and said, "Take another twelve bottles of 'Divine Blood' to appease them; it's best if you can get those nobles to cooperate with you."
"If they look for excuses to shirk, at least make them turn a blind eye."
"These next few days, make sure the gangs below expedite their work and at the same time, raise the bounty."
"Lastly, be ready to conduct a blood sacrifice if we do not make it in time!"
"A blood sacrifice... High Priest, the last incident in Monheim Town was quite significant. It's said that the 'Sword Bearers' are paying close attention..."
The High Priest waved his withered right hand and said, "I have already felt the Lord's response to my prayers."
"Go and get in touch with Alonso, as the most eager nobleman to participate in the Black Flame Ceremony and receive the Lord's blessing, he ought to do something."
"As you command, High Priest!"
"By the way, have people investigated how the Hyena Gang was destroyed?"
"Is it the doing of the 'Sword Bearers'?" As he mentioned 'Sword Bearers,' the High Priest's voice became noticeably more solemn.
"No, according to what we observed at the scene, most of the Hyena Gang members died of severe poisoning, a method uncharacteristic of the 'Sword Bearers.'
"Additionally, inside the gang's stronghold in the county town, several dozen 'materials' were left untouched. If it was the 'Sword Bearers,' they would not have ended things hastily; they always plan thoroughly before acting and would surely have rescued these people."
"It must have been an act of vengeance or a random incident, perhaps the Hyena Gang offended some wandering knight or a certain noble."
"It's just... the marks on the wounds are quite unusual, not like those made by daggers or short swords, but rather resembling those made by greatswords or axes."
The shadow nodded and said, "As long as it wasn't the 'Sword Bearers,' that's all that matters. Weapons naturally vary with the individual. Good that it wasn't the 'Sword Bearers'!"
"Speed things up, otherwise by the time the empire reacts, we might never have such a good opportunity again!"
"As you command, High Priest. I will see to it right away."
The tall figure briefly bowed and then turned to leave the underground hall.
At that moment, only the High Priest remained in the hall.
Then, under the dim light of a distant wall lamp, one could vaguely see that the body shrouded under his black robe was abnormally bloated, presenting a stark contrast to his withered arms.
...
-----------------
That afternoon, Rein seriously began practicing the imperial military swordsmanship.
The woodland near his home was naturally no longer an option.
But fortunately, the army swordsmanship used a one-handed sword, which meant Rein only needed a small space to practice.
After thinking for a moment, Rein asked Anna for the key and went alone with the Night Watchman's issued bastard sword to Anna's house next door.
After slightly moving the table and chairs, it made for a decent indoor practice area.
Since Rein had a foundation in swordsmanship at level 4 (578/1000), he picked up the army swordsmanship faster than he had anticipated.
Before long, a system prompt appeared:
[You have practiced the Imperial Army Sword Technique, insight increased!]
[You have comprehended a new skill—Imperial Army Sword Technique]
[Your skill Imperial Army Sword Technique has improved, Experience +1]
...
[Detected that the host has been practicing Single-handed Sword Technique. Would you like to merge it into the Imperial Army Sword Technique? This merge will consume 0 Skill Points.]
(Note: After merging, the Basic Sword Technique will no longer be displayed on the panel, but the host can still use the related sword techniques.)
(Note: After the merge, the Imperial Army Sword Technique will absorb the advantages of the Basic Sword Technique and improve them. The experience you gained in Basic Sword Technique will be converted into the experience for the improved Imperial Army Sword Technique at a certain ratio.)
The first three prompts hadn't changed, but the fourth and completely different system prompt clearly caught Rein's attention.
"Both are one-handed sword techniques, so they can be merged?"
"No wonder I didn't see this prompt when I was practicing the two-handed 'Giant Bear Sword Technique' before."
"Also, a merge usually requires consuming skill points. Is it because there is a certain lineage connection between the Basic Sword Technique and the Imperial Army Sword Technique, or is it because the Basic Sword Technique is too basic? Thus it shows 0 points?"
Several questions naturally popped into Rein's mind.
Clearly, if it had required skill points, Rein would likely not have chosen to merge.
Because the current one skill point, whether used on breathing techniques or the Giant Bear Sword Technique, would bring significant improvements to Rein.
Of course, since this time the merge cost was zero, Rein pondered briefly and then chose yes.
Soon, the Sword Bearer panel's Basic Sword Technique level 4 (578/1000) vanished, replaced by Imperial Army Sword Technique level 2 (128/300).
Level 4 beyond halfway in Basic Sword Technique, barely converted to less than half of level 2 in Imperial Army Sword Technique.
But this already made Rein's face light up with joy, as it at least saved him ten days to half a month of tough training.
Almost simultaneously, some fragmented memories about practicing Imperial Army Sword Technique flashed through Rein's mind and gradually integrated into his muscle memory.
Shortly, Rein sharply noticed that the Imperial Army Sword Technique he executed was slightly different from that in the scroll, with more cunning angles and seemingly greater power.
This must be what the system prompt meant by saying that after merging, the Imperial Army Sword Technique had absorbed the strengths of the Basic Sword Technique and improved upon them.
However... it must be because the Basic Sword Technique was too elementary, the improvement was very slight.
If Rein's perceptions hadn't been exceptionally sharp, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.
Just then, a crisp voice called from the door, "Brother, Uncle Weilun has come to see you."
Upon hearing this, Rein immediately stopped practicing the Imperial Army Sword Technique and opened the door to step outside.
The middle-aged man in black leather armor, standing right there, was the familiar captain of the Night Watchman, Weilun.
Seeing Rein come out, Bo He smiled sweetly at Weilun and bounced back to dig in the small courtyard with Anna, along with the periodic appearances of 'Cookie' the dog, creating a warm atmosphere.
"Rein, why are you at Anna's house?" Weilun curiously glanced behind the door and asked.
"Haha, Captain Weilun, is there something you need?"
All at once, Weilun looked deeply at Rein and said, "Rein, I have some good news for you!"
"The hyena gang of County Town was wiped out. 'Dog King' Kole and a number of the gang's key members were found dead in their lair—the Dog Fighting Manor—three days ago," Weilun narrated slowly.
Weilun had considered whether the young man before him, who was only a few years older than his daughter, might have done it.
But after some thought, he concluded it probably wasn't him.
Although 'Dog King' Kole's body had been burned to ashes and was unrecognizable,
the deaths of the other gang members suggested they had all perished from severe poisoning.
This approach was likely the work of a well-trained assassin.
Therefore, there was a high probability that the hyena gang, used to their arrogant ways, had inadvertently offended some noble who then hired a hitman to exterminate them thoroughly.
"Oh? Captain Weilun, do you know who did it?" Rein asked, feigning surprise even though he had a clear idea.
"Not sure, but according to my colleagues in County Town, the investigation at the scene suggests that it was the work of a professional killer. Many of the gang members and dogs in the manor that weren't burnt died from severe poisoning," Weilun explained, shaking his head.
Hearing this, Rein breathed a sigh of relief.
"Coating my weapons with poison was initially just to increase the efficiency of the kills. I hadn't expected it to also mislead the investigation."
"Next time, if necessary, I can continue to use this method."
After chatting for a few more moments, Weilun remembered the purpose of his visit and said,
"Right, Rein, if you're not busy, come with me to the town's administration office. Lord Hamilton is waiting for you in his office."
"Okay, let's go now," Rein nodded immediately.
He also had questions he wanted to ask Lord Hamilton.
When Rein arrived at Hamilton's office,
As soon as he entered, Rein noticed that Sheriff Hamilton, although a formal Knight, looked exhausted, rubbing his brow with one hand while flipping through case files with the other.
Seeing Rein come in, Hamilton nodded and said, "Rein, take a seat."
"Things have been a bit off lately."
"There are too many security incidents, along with some mysterious events involving cults, monsters, and so on. Even the Seasonal Winds and the Church of the Ocean Goddess in County Town are constantly preoccupied."
Hamilton complained off-handedly.
"By the way, Rein, the reason I called you here is because your Night Watchman paperwork has all been processed." Hamilton smiled, and handed Rein a circular silver badge, two sizes larger than a Gold Coin.
Rein took it and examined it carefully.
On the front was an upper body image of holding a torch in one hand and a sword in the other, with a bow slung over the back, while the back was akin to a Bounty Hunters' badge, also inscribed with 'Rein Carlan' and a long string of numbers.
Rein quickly determined that the badge was primarily made of pure silver, mixed with a small amount of other metals to prevent it from being too soft.
"This represents the elite badge of the Night Watchman."
"Generally, it takes a common Night Watchman about two years to accumulate enough Merit Points to be promoted to the elite level," Hamilton said with a smile.
"Thank you, Lord Hamilton," Rein said with a happy expression, bowing slightly to show his gratitude.
"You don't need to thank me, it was just a small effort on my part. You're the one who has worked hard. This is your deserved reward."
"Right, here's the exchange booklet. It lists all the items you're currently eligible to exchange for, you might want to take a look," Hamilton said, handing over a small booklet to Rein.
"Also, you should have over a hundred Merit Points. Let me see, Rein... Gnolls, Murlocs, your total is...119 Merit Points," Hamilton stated after revealing a number.
"Thank you, sir," Rein said, unable to determine just how much the number of Merit Points he had would allow him to exchange, but guessed it wouldn't be anything particularly useful since it was only over a hundred.
Rein opened the booklet Hamilton gave him.
On the cover of the booklet were the bold words: 'Dragan Empire Security and Guard Troops Merit Points Exchange Booklet (Non-commissioned)'.
"Eh! Isn't it supposed to be exclusively for the Night Watchman?" Rein looked up at Hamilton, a touch of surprise in his expression.
"Haha, of course not. The Night Watchman, constables, including the City Guard, all belong to the category of the empire's security and defense forces, so Merit Points are universal," Hamilton explained with a laugh.
"I see," Rein realized, finding the system reasonable, and so he began to leaf through the pamphlet.
"At the elite level, the redeemable items include... potions... weapons..."
Rein quickly found that his 119 Merit Points were neither a lot nor a little.
Basically, his Merit Points were enough to exchange for four Fine Steel Greatswords.
"Wow! You can even exchange for Dragan Empire military swordsmanship and the corresponding Military Breathing Method?"
"Is it really 1200 points for these Merit Points?"
This made Rein a bit astonished!
After all, he only had 119 points, not even a tenth of what was needed.
It was hard to know if any of the elite members of the Night Watchman had successfully redeemed the Dragan Empire military swordsmanship and corresponding Military Breathing Method!
However, the Dragan Empire military swordsmanship and the Military Breathing Method could be exchanged separately, requiring 400 and 800 Merit Points, respectively.
Additionally, the Military Breathing Method was the only breathing technique available in the exchange booklet.
That is to say, the Dragan Empire military swordsmanship he had obtained from that middle-aged man was actually worth 400 Merit Points.
Indeed, a 'counter-kill' like that was the fastest way to make money!
Unfortunately, he did not see the Black Kirin Oil, or anything related to the Giant Bear Breathing Technique available for exchange.
He wasn't sure if it was because his elite level in the Night Watchman wasn't high enough, or for some other reason.
However, as Cleya mentioned, the Giant Bear Breathing Technique was widely disseminated, with many noble families passing it down and studying it, so in theory, the imperial military would naturally have carried out research into it.
In that case, it was probably because he was of too low rank.
"By the way, my lord, does the Night Watchman have a specialized training ground?" Rein asked.
For him, improving his strength was always the most important thing.
The woodland near his house, he definitely wasn't suitable for going there in the short term.
And Anna's house was fine for one or two makeshift training sessions, but it wasn't a long-term solution.
"Haha, of course, it's right behind the administrative office of the small town," Hamilton said, standing up and laughing as if he had thought of something, brushing off his previous weariness.
"Come, I'll take you to see it, and by the way, it's a good opportunity to introduce you to the others."
"At this time, except for those who were on night duty yesterday, most of them should be at the training grounds."
After leaving the office and making two consecutive right turns, Rein followed Hamilton to a training ground, not very large, just a few hundred square meters, but it was equipped with various dummies, targets, and all kinds of longswords.
At the moment, many people were training on their own here, and after sweeping the area with a glance, Rein noticed that the majority, about sixty percent, were practicing archery.
"My lord!"
"Lord Hamilton!"
"Constable, my lord!"
Upon seeing Hamilton's arrival, the training members of the Night Watchman, constables, and others all stopped their activities and greeted him.
"This is Rein, a new member who joined our Night Watchman today; everyone, please make his acquaintance," Hamilton introduced.
"Right, Rein, to let everyone gauge your strength, go ahead, use all your power, and throw a punch right here," Hamilton turned his head and, with a smile, extended his palm towards Rein.
Actually, Hamilton had always been curious about Rein's strength and potential.
Since the previous occasion when Rein had managed to stop that ferally transformed werewolf, Hamilton had been harboring this thought.
But firstly, at that time, he was hindered by his own injuries, and secondly, Rein had not officially joined the Night Watchman, so Hamilton hadn't spoken up.
But now that Rein was an official member of the Night Watchman and directly under his command, Hamilton naturally thought it was time to test this young man whom he regarded highly.
Hearing his superior make such a statement, the Night Watchmen beside him all looked at Rein with considerable curiosity.
Some of the Night Watchmen had seen Rein during the last battle with the frenzied jackalweres, while others had not.
But now, they all crowded around, looking forward to the young man's performance with great anticipation.
Caught off guard by Lord Hamilton's sudden request, Rein was startled at first, but the next second, he smiled, nodded, and happily agreed.
"Of course, Lord Hamilton."
He finally understood why, when he asked about the training grounds of the Night Watchmen, Lord Hamilton's mood lifted.
It seemed that at that moment, the other party had already thought of testing his strength.
But inside, Rein thought to himself that he definitely couldn't use "Strength Burst" at full capacity.
Otherwise, his Strength of 22 points would probably exceed even that of Lord Hamilton, a formal Knight.
"Injuring one's own superior on the first day of employment, that approach..."
As he imagined that scene, Rein couldn't help but shake his head slightly.
"However... I did manage to barely fend off an injured frenzied jackalwere last time, my current base Strength of 11 points is of course still a bit weak."
"So, I should only use about thirty percent of my 'Strength Burst'."
"A little surprise for my superior is still necessary!"
Having made his decision, Rein positioned himself to throw a punch.
The next second, with a push from his left foot, his figure flashed past everyone, and he threw an extended-stance straight punch that hit hard against the palm of Lord Hamilton's outstretched right hand.
"Thump!"
A dull sound of a fist colliding with a palm echoed.
As his punch landed, Rein felt that Lord Hamilton's large hand was like layers of tough leather glued together,
absorbing the impact of his punch, making it dissipate until it was invisible.
Lord Hamilton controlled the rebound of his strength to a very small degree, rendering Rein almost unable to feel any force from the hand.
This delicate control over strength, signifying a higher and more profound mastery of one's own muscles and more, was beyond Rein's current reach.
"Very good! Rein, your knighthood potential is even better than I imagined."
After feeling the power of Rein's punch, the corners of Lord Hamilton's mouth twitched slightly with a mix of shock and delight, and his eyes shone keenly as if he had found a treasure.
There was still a tingling sensation in his palm.
"Rein's abilities have actually improved so quickly!"
Lord Hamilton's right elbow bent slightly, his arm trembled at an almost imperceptible high speed several times, and then he placed his hands behind his back.
Among the onlooking Night Watchmen, there were those who recognized talent when they saw it.
From Rein's movement speed to the crisp sound of his punch, they could tell the young man before them was extraordinary.
And their superior's surprised expression confirmed their suspicions.
Lord Hamilton looked around and then turned to Rein, "Come, let's go to my office."
When the two returned to the office, Lord Hamilton took the initiative to ask, "You should be practicing the Giant Bear Breathing Technique, right?"
Rein nodded. Even if he didn't admit it, with Lord Hamilton's knowledge, he would have guessed it already.
"Your current strength has already reached the level of a Tier 3 Knight Attendant. Given your rate of progress, you'll probably be able to challenge a full-fledged Knight in about half a year!"
"Such a praiseworthy talent."
"However, the advanced Magic Potion will be a big problem; there's too little time, and it's highly unlikely that you'll be able to accumulate enough Merit Points through the tasks of the Night Watchmen to exchange for an advanced Magic Potion."
Lord Hamilton seemed to think of something, frowning as he spoke.
"This matter, it seems, can only be resolved by your mentor."
"Um... Lord Hamilton, could you talk about the advancement Magic Potion?" Rein had been wanting to ask this question.
Previously, Cleya had avoided the topic, and Lord Hamilton had only mentioned it in passing when discussing Merit Points, without going into detail.
"Hasn't your teacher Perez told you about it?" Lord Hamilton looked at Rein with a slightly surprised expression.
After hearing this, Rein paused slightly.
"My own teacher?"
Then it dawned on Rein.
"The fact that my breathing technique and swordsmanship were actually taught by Lady Cleya, I have never affirmed this to Lord Hamilton."
"So, in his mind, he has always imagined that my teacher was the renowned Dual-Handed Greatsword expert, Lord Perez."
"Although Lady Cleya had mentioned that it would be best to keep the matter of her teaching me the breathing technique and sword skills to myself."
"But the problem now is, I have already been subjected to internal strife from within the Habus family."
"Looking at the current situation, the Night Watchman, one of the official powers I've joined in the empire, might be the only force that could possibly make them think twice before acting against me."
"Therefore, gaining the recognition of my current superior, Lord Hamilton, is quite crucial!"
"If I keep hiding this and once he casually asks Perez about this matter when they meet, it would be bad to get exposed instead."
After some thought, Rein decided that there was no longer any need to keep this from Lord Hamilton.
On the contrary, revealing this 'secret' would most likely be seen as an act of 'goodwill' in his eyes.
"About that... Lord Hamilton, the truth is I'm not very familiar with Meister Perez. My breathing technique and sword skills were actually imparted to me by Lady Cleya," said Rein, touching his nose and speaking somewhat sheepishly.
"What?" Upon hearing Rein's response, Lord Hamilton was dumbfounded.
"You clever rascal! To think you've hidden this from me for so long!" The next second, something seemed to dawn on Lord Hamilton, and he burst into laughter.
"No wonder you don't even know about the advancement Magic Potion."
"It seems that when Lady Cleya left Meister County, you must have just started your training and your talents weren't fully manifested yet."
"Otherwise, she would have certainly left some special arrangements, or perhaps, she might have even taken you with her to the Imperial City."
Imperial City?
Upon hearing these words, Rein was stunned. The capital of the Dragan Empire was a place of much aspiration. If he had the chance, he would definitely want to see it!
In addition, Lord Hamilton quickly understood the reason why Rein had been targeted for assassination the last time.
"No wonder you were the target of an assassin's attempt last time!"
Speaking of this matter, Rein casually asked, "By the way, Lord Hamilton, could you briefly talk about the heirs of Count Habbs? Other than Lady Cleya..."
Lord Hamilton nodded and said, "Rein, I understand what you're getting at. Count Habbs' eldest son, Alonso... how should I put it, he strikes me as a rather obsessed individual."
"Moreover, he seems to be involved with some Cult activities, which has already drawn the attention of the higher-ups."
"So, regarding your situation, it's not convenient for me to intervene. Even if I did, the outcome might not be as expected."
"Um... Lord Hamilton, apart from this eldest son, doesn't he have a second son?"
Because Rein was puzzled, why had Lord Hamilton directly mentioned Alonso? Didn't Cleya have two older brothers?
Lord Hamilton looked momentarily startled, then shook his head and said, "It couldn't be Descartes, because he is currently at the imperial military headquarters. How could he care about someone so insignificant as you, far away in Meister County?"
"Besides, Descartes has always had a good relationship with Cleya, so why would he harm you?"
"What?" Rein's brow raised in surprise, learning of this new piece of information.
It seemed certain that the assassin must have been sent by Alonso!
"Excellent! This trip hasn't been wasted."
"I've finally figured out who it was that tried to harm me!"
"What's that saying... never mind, we'll see how it goes!"
Meanwhile.
Habsburg Manor.
Inside a study on the second floor of the castle, Dennis was reading the revenues and expenditures of the family estate. However, after only a few glances, he furrowed his brows, seemingly unable to continue his interest.
"Knock, knock, knock"
At that moment, a rhythmic knocking sound arose.
This slightly pleased Dennis, as it seemed Rulse must have completed his task and returned.
He thought about the time, which should be about right.
Because today was the final deadline set by Michel.
"Come in!"
"Eh! Why is it you?"
But to Dennis's surprise, it was not Rulse who entered but Tina.
Knowing Tina, she never appeared before him unless called.
"Den....Master Dennis, Lord Rulse told me if he didn't make it back by sunrise today, to let you know the task failed."
Tina was clearly frightened of Dennis, not daring to lift her head as she spoke with her gaze lowered.
"What? Say that again!"
Dennis abruptly stood up, his face contorted with a ferocious expression as he bellowed.
"Ru....Lord Rulse said....."
Tina, already terrified of Dennis, stuttered under his murderous gaze, struggling to speak clearly.
After much effort, Tina managed to repeat the words once again.
The study then fell into a long silence.
Only the heavy breathing persisted, growing more rapid!
"Damn it, are you joking with me?"
"Rulse is battle-hardened; how could he possibly fail a mission, damn it, especially against merely a farmer's son!" Dennis took a while to digest the meaning of Tina's words.
The opposite Tina trembled in fear, but she picked up on one term 'farmer's son.'
So, a 'farmer's son' could upset the noble young master to this extent.
It seems....
"Ah!"
Tina screamed as she was suddenly grabbed by the hair and pulled over, then harshly slammed onto the large desk.
"Sssla!"
Tina felt a chill over her body as her clothes were ripped open.
Immediately after, a sharp pain shot through her body!
....
After a series of intense panting, Dennis seemed somewhat tired.
But as he vented, he appeared to regain his composure.
Looking at Tina, who was gently sobbing with bruises of blue and purple, Dennis coldly stated, "Repeat exactly what Rulse said to you before he left, without missing a single word."
"Lord Rulse said...."
Tina's words were nearly identical to before, and Dennis could not glean any useful information from them.
"How exactly did Rulse fail?"
"Could Cleya have left that peasant any treasures?"
"Where did the two of them fight?"
"If Rulse failed his mission, did he divulge any information to the other party?"
"Moreover, with Rulse's failure, I will certainly face my father's rebuke, and I might not even be able to stay at Habsburg Manor any longer."
"Lastly, it looks like this month's 'Divine Blood' quota is gone..."
Dennis thought momentarily and realized his mind was swamped with a plethora of vexing problems.
And the cause of this passive situation was that person called....
Dennis rubbed his temples, he had always been called a "farmer's son," and suddenly, he forgot the other person's name.
Oh~, right, he remembered now, it was Rein!
Dennis wanted to send someone to investigate, but the few subordinates he had left were all much weaker than Rulse.
After thinking it over, he decided against sending anyone to look for Rulse's whereabouts.
After pacing back and forth in the room for a while, Dennis returned to his desk and sat down blankly.
After further contemplation, he picked up a quill and swiftly scribbled on a piece of paper, soon producing a sincerely worded letter of apology.
The first sentence began with "Dear father...."
At this point, the situation here had somewhat spiraled out of Dennis's control.
Especially with Rulse's death, he didn't believe it was an incident that could be kept hidden; instead of hiding it, it was better to report to his father and ask for help promptly.
Since Rulse was his father's favorite, it was highly likely his father would send someone to investigate.
By that time, Rein would naturally come to their attention.
...
Flashgold Town governmental hall.
Inside Hamilton's office.
Rein thought for a moment and realized he had figured out the assassin's matter.
But what connection did he have with that middle-aged man, the Norman family?
Just as Rein was about to ask, Hamilton began discussing the advanced magic potion on his own.
This caused Rein to focus and listen carefully.
"Rein, regarding the advanced magic potion, first, you must understand that each breathing technique corresponds to a different magic potion!"
"Fortunately, you practice the widely disseminated Giant Bear Breathing Technique, so relatively speaking, the corresponding advanced magic potion is easier to obtain."
"The method for making an advanced magic potion isn't difficult; it involves one main ingredient along with several auxiliary ingredients, just a simple mixing. But the difficulty lies in finding a good main ingredient."
"The key main ingredient of an advanced magic potion is generally called 'Transcendent Relic,' like the one for your Giant Bear Breathing Technique, which requires a Transcendent Relic from a berserk bear species—'Giant Bear's Paw'."
"With the aid of the advanced magic potion, the enhancement level of certain or multiple attributes developed by the breathing technique will be exceptionally high."
"For instance, the Swift Leopard Breathing Technique focuses on significantly enhancing agility and slightly strength, and if the advanced magic potion is made from a leopard's Transcendent Relic, like the 'Shadow Leopard's Tendon'!"
"Then, after consuming the advanced magic potion, the enhancement of the agility attribute would be especially substantial. However, if the main ingredient is from another transcendent creature, like the wind serpent, the effect would be somewhat inferior."
Rein nodded, indicating he understood what Hamilton was saying.
"Through advancement via a magic potion, not only can safety be greatly enhanced, but it can also augment the transcendent traits brought by the breathing technique."
"For example, you, Rein, if you step into the transcendent realm using the Giant Bear Breathing Technique and its corresponding advanced magic potion, in general, you would awaken a transcendent characteristic—Huge Strength, a special ability that enables superlative exertion of one's strength."
'Transcendent characteristic,' 'Huge Strength'?
Rein sharply caught these key phrases, and several thoughts flashed through his mind.
"I wonder if it could be used in conjunction with my 'Strength Burst'?"
"It's highly likely effective, but I fear my body can't handle it!"
"It seems... I need to further strengthen my Constitution."
Hamilton continued enthusiastically:
"Likewise, practitioners of the Swift Leopard Breathing Technique, after stepping into the transcendent realm, are very likely to awaken a transcendent characteristic—agility, a special ability that enables superlative exertion of one's agility."
"But this is not absolute, there was once a practitioner of the Giant Bear Breathing Technique who, after consuming the advanced magic potion made from a 'Giant Bear's Paw' of a mountain berserk bear, not only awakened the transcendent characteristic 'Huge Strength'."
"He also awakened a rare transcendent characteristic—'Thick Skin'!"
"A special transcendent characteristic that combines mysterious side energy particles."
At this point, Hamilton showed a look of longing.
Rein was also surprised; could one actually awaken two transcendent characteristics?
This was clearly not due to the Breathing Method, leaving only two other reasons.
Either it was due to individual physiological differences,
or it was because of differences in the main ingredient of the advancement magic potion.
Perhaps it was both.
"After all, the differences between people can sometimes be greater than anything else!"
"And bear-like Transcendent creatures definitely aren't limited to just one or two types; there should be many varieties."
Moreover, Rein then thought of something related to what Hamilton had just mentioned about the 'special transcendent characteristics of mysterious side energy particles'.
"That... Sir, the ferocious werewolf we hunted down last time, was the light blue airflow around it what you were referring to as some special transcendent characteristic of mysterious side energy particles?"
Hamilton looked at Rein with approval and said, "Smart! Indeed it is."
"That werewolf possessed a special innate ability named 'Rift.'
"The innate abilities of monsters are the same as our human Knights' Transcendent characteristics, just termed differently to distinguish between humans and other creatures."
"This innate ability not only enhances their movement speed but also strengthens their slashing effect, a desired Transcendent characteristic for those specializing in assassination and scouting."
"Um... Lord Hamilton, since there are people who have awakened two Transcendent characteristics, are there people who have awakened three?" Rein asked again.
Given Hamilton's interest, Rein naturally took the opportunity to ask more.
"Haha, of course there are, but most often it is because the Breathing Method they practice is extraordinary, and these Breathing Methods are usually possessed by deeply-rooted noble families."
"Perhaps, in the entire Meister County, only the Habus Earl Family might have them."
"However, Rein, the widespread dissemination of Breathing Methods also means that the difficulty of finding or buying advancement magic potions is greatly reduced, which isn't really a bad thing for most people!" Hamilton said seriously, looking at Rein.
Is that so?
Isn't it better for the Breathing Method to be rarer, more powerful, and harder to practice?
What kind of logic is this?
Rein felt a bit confused after hearing this.
Hamilton didn't keep him in suspense and continued explaining:
"For example, there was once a powerful Breathing Method called the 'Thunderbird Breathing Technique,' which was a hereditary Breathing Method of a certain hereditary Marquis family in the empire. But do you know? The main ingredient required for its advancement magic potion is 'Thunderbird Wings.'
"Over the past thousand years, as Thunderbirds gradually became harder to find, naturally, 'Thunderbird Wings' also became unobtainable. Thus, the family's stockpile of 'Thunderbird Wings' has continually been depleted for advancing this Breathing Method."
"Several hundred years ago, as the stockpile of 'Thunderbird Wings' ran out, no one has been able to successfully advance in this Breathing Method since."
Hamilton showed a hint of regret as he spoke.
"So it is, the higher the level of the Breathing Method, the more stringent the requirements for the advancement magic potion."
"Whereas the more common Breathing Methods, though less powerful compared to higher-level ones, have a high substitutability for the main ingredients of their advancement magic potions, making them easy to find." Rein pondered for a moment and then summarized.
"Exactly, that's right!" Hamilton nodded.
"So, for the common folk's offspring aspiring to achieve Transcendence, practicing a common Knight Breathing Method isn't a bad thing at all."
[Ding! Host has listened to Transcendent secrets, triggering the advanced job change—Knight (Transcendent)!]
[Prerequisites for advancing to Knight (Transcendent) include: one, any Knight Breathing Method lv5 or above; two, strength 12 points or more, agility 12 points or more, constitution 12 points or more; three, any Riding Technique lv3 or above, Shield Defense lv3 or above, any Archery lv3 or above, any Close Combat Skill lv4 or above; four, corresponding advancement magic potion...
current conditions not met! Advancement to Knight (Transcendent) failed!]
"What! This works too?"
Rein read through the sudden system prompt several times, feeling both surprised and delighted!
He hadn't expected that merely listening to Hamilton's explanations about advancement magic potions and transcendence could yield such a discovery.
It had directly triggered his job advancement information!
"Looking at the conditions, advancing my job change to Knight doesn't seem to require having the Knight Attendant job panel."
"I had been worried that I would need to change my job to Knight Attendant first before triggering the Knight job change. Now it seems like I was worried for nothing."
The primary condition is Knight Breathing Method lv5, right?
Indeed, with successful practice of the Breathing Method along with advancement magic potions, advancing to Knight does seem logical.
"Rein?"
Hamilton, seeing Rein staring blankly on the spot, couldn't help but tease with a smile:
"Could it be that you've heard too much about transcendence and are having a hard time accepting it?"
No way!
I hope you would talk even more!
But those words Rein could only think to himself.
"Haha, of course not, Lord Hamilton. I'm very grateful for your guidance today. I hope you can continue to mentor me in the days to come."
Rein bowed slightly to express his gratitude.
Today, Hamilton's explanation resolved many doubts in Rein's mind.
Just as Hamilton was about to say something,
suddenly, urgent knocking sounds came from the door.
"Please come in!" Hamilton straightened his face and looked towards the door.
"Lord Hamilton, Viscount Hamadi, the sheriff of the County Town, requests your immediate presence in the County Town," a Messenger came in and reported.
Hamilton nodded, then turned to Rein and said, "Rein, it seems our talk will have to wait until next time."
"By the way, you should join Weilun's squad first, he'll arrange your daily tasks."
"Weilun has complained to me several times, asking why I haven't processed your onboarding yet."
"Yes, Lord Hamilton. Captain Weilun and I are also quite familiar. I'm delighted to be able to join his squad." Rein stood up and said with a smile.
After leaving Lord Hamilton's office, Rein found Weilun at the training ground behind the administrative hall.
When Weilun heard that Rein had officially joined and was even assigned to his squad, his face lit up with joy.
He slapped Rein heavily on the shoulder and said with a laugh:
"Haha, excellent! I've finally waited for you!"
"Rein, you have no idea how many times I've talked to Lord Hamilton!"
"Captain Weilun, when do I join your night patrols? Do we start tonight?" Rein proactively asked.
"No need to rush, let's start tomorrow. Go home today, get ready, and give your family a heads up."
"Eh... Okay!" Rein nodded.
Back at home, Rein was alone in his room, deeply contemplating.
His initial idea of joining the Night Watchman was to have protection in his weaker hours.
But now, as one of the imperial official forces, the Night Watchman was like a great tree.
What he needed to do now was to enhance his authority or post within the Night Watchman, thus gaining access to more resources and secret knowledge.
To achieve this, he had to continually complete related missions, carry out valuable deeds, and accumulate enough Merit Points.
These tasks were not the general duties of the Night Watchman's night patrols.
The Merit Points brought by daily duties were far too insignificant for Rein.
Only those unexpected and more dangerous missions could bring considerable Merit Points, like the previously participated missions to suppress the ferocious werewolves and to eliminate evil finfolk.
"So, next, I need to do two things: one, continue to train hard to enhance my strength. Two, take on as many unexpected or urgent Night Watchman missions as possible to earn high Merit Points."
As for Bounty Hunting?
The bounty tasks that Bounty Hunters undertake for money are basically a different matter from the Night Watchman's duties.
However, Rein did not mind completing some easy bounty tasks during the daytime when he rested.
After all, those absolutely wicked criminals in the bounty tasks were, in Rein's eyes, walking 'human Experience'.
If there was a fight, it meant that there was a chance for Rein to increase his Profession Level as a Night Watchman, naturally a good thing.
Of course, the prerequisite was that he could win!
So, after going full circle, he returned to focusing diligently on training and improving his strength.
At the same time, Rein carefully analyzed the four requirements for promotion to a formal Knight.
First was any Knight Breathing Method at level 5 or above. This was not a big problem; as long as he advanced one more level in any profession, he could elevate his Breathing Method from level 4 to level 5.
Next, it was the three basic attributes of strength, agility, and constitution. He was only one or two points away, and considering that the Giant Bear Breathing Technique prominently enhanced strength and constitution, Rein had to think about prioritizing adding points to agility after leveling up.
Last was achieving level 3 in riding and archery. These points were also not difficult; more practice at John's Farm for riding and some additional practice in the administrative hall's training ground for archery would suffice.
Shield defense was a bit troublesome. That either required spending Merit Points to exchange for Combat Skill or finding someone to teach him.
....
One day later.
Rein, accompanied by 'Cookie', began his first night patrol.
His night patrol partners were Captain Weilun and the short Matteo, both acquaintances, which made the atmosphere relaxed and led to constant casual conversation. The topic soon shifted to Rein's Greyhound, 'Cookie'.
"Rein, this is a Greyhound, right? It looks like it should be about half a year old," the short Matteo said, glancing at 'Cookie,' who had sleek fur, long limbs, and increasingly visible muscles.
"Eh... not really, 'Cookie' is just over three months old," Rein recalled the time and said.
"What? How long did you say?" Matteo was immediately startled, and Captain Weilun also turned his head.
"Just over three months."
"Rein, really? Are you pulling my leg?" Matteo looked suspiciously at Rein's expression, seeming to confirm something.
"This... not at all." At that moment, Rein came to understand why Matteo might doubt.
It was no wonder!
Recently, under the 'nourishment' of Rein's nutritional meals, although money was spent lavishly, 'Cookie's growth speed had entered the fast lane, visibly growing taller and stronger every day.
This forced Rein to begrudgingly spend twice the money of his family's meal budget to buy raw materials to feed 'Cookie'.
"Well then, Rein, you're really lucky to have bought such a 'uniquely talented' Greyhound."
Once Matteo confirmed Rein was not joking and thought about it, he attributed 'Cookie''s rapid growth to some kind of innate talent in the dog.
Captain Weilun couldn't help but give 'Cookie' a few more looks, marveling.
"Haha... indeed, my luck has been pretty good lately," Rein could only agree with a smile.
"By the way, Rein, I'll tell you a dog food recipe later that might help 'Cookie' grow faster; it's just mixing a raw egg into rice," Matteo said enthusiastically.
Rein was taken aback!
This....
"Matteo, you're too kind. I'll thank you on 'Cookie's' behalf first."
"Woof, woof, woof!"
Just then, 'Cookie' suddenly started barking wildly towards a small alley on the right.
The three immediately looked in that direction, only to see darkness inside.
But Rein, with his Dark Vision, could already see two tall black figures flashing by at the end of the alley, each carrying a large sack that seemed to wriggle, about half the height of a person.
"That's Quinn's patrol area, Captain, do we go have a look?" Matteo clearly sensed something amiss.
"There are two people, each carrying a big sack." Rein said gravely, his mind already racing with unpleasant possibilities.
Weilun and Matteo couldn't help but look at Rein in astonishment, as if to say, can you really see all that clearly?
"Let's go! Follow them." Weilun decided to pursue after a moment's thought.
Guided by 'Cookie,' the three quickly chased after them.
It seemed that the two figures ahead realized they were being hotly pursued by a dog and three men, and in their panic, they suddenly threw down the large sacks they were carrying and fled with even greater speed.
Just as Rein was about to take the lead in the chase, suddenly, an orange flare shot through the air, originating from the northwest corner above Rein and his companions.
"It's our distress signal."
"We need to get there right away," Weilun said solemnly upon seeing it.
"Boss, it's children!" Matteo had already opened the two large sacks discarded on the ground.