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Chapter 89: Convergence
Chapter 89: Convergence
The three of them immediately looked in the direction of the darkness, and indeed, it was pitch-black inside.
But Rain, with his Dark Vision, could already see two tall, dark figures fleetingly passing by at the end of the alley, each with what seemed to be a half-human-sized bag on their backs, writhing incessantly.
"That's Quinn's patrol area. Captain, should we go check it out?" Matteo had clearly sensed something amiss.
"There are two of them, each carrying a large bag," Rain said in a low voice, his mind already connecting these dots to something unpleasant.
Valen and Matteo looked at Rain in surprise, as if to say, "You can see that clearly?" "Let's go! Follow them," Valen decided after a moment's thought.
Led by Cookie, the three of them quickly gave chase.
Apparently sensing the dog and the three people hot on their trail, the two figures ahead seemed flustered. In their panic, they suddenly threw off the hemp bags they were carrying and fled with even greater speed.
Just as Rain was about to pursue them, a tangerine-colored signal flare suddenly shot into the sky from the northwest corner, where Rain and his group were headed.
Rain had previously calculated that after about fifteen minutes of 'dog walking', the trainer's job experience would increase by one point.
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Rain turned to look at the two human traffickers who had already disappeared from view, knowing that now was not the right time to pursue them.
With an experienced superior like Han Milton leading the way, safety should not be a major concern.
"That's the best-case scenario. By the way, sir, when are we departing?"
In fact, if Rain had known about the task's generous rewards, he would have proactively requested to join even without Han Milton's invitation.
Rain's eyebrows arched slightly as he listened, and he couldn't help but smile.
"Lord Han Milton, Viscount Hamadi originally intended to come personally, but due to his busy schedule, he asked me to come and investigate the situation at the Elim Gold Mine."
"We must go there immediately," Valen said solemnly to Rain after taking a quick glance.
"Lord Han Milton, it's been a while!" A middle-aged man with a goatee, dressed in a fitting hunting outfit, slightly bowed to Han Milton.
"Because one of the bounty hunters, Nedved, is also an experienced monster hunter. His disappearance has led to a situation where no monster hunter in the city dares to take on this task."
"I and Rain will go check it out, you stay here and be careful!" Valen immediately assigned their tasks.
"The situation has clearly become more serious!"
After all, rescuing their colleague was the top priority.
First, one must join the Imperial official organization, accumulate Valor Points over time, and learn the Breath Control and Extraordinary Battle Skills.
Rain had planned to ask Han Milton for guidance in swordsmanship and, if possible, 'experience points'. However, he hadn't found the right opportunity.
This system has a long history and has gained widespread support from nobles of all ranks.
Since the day is generally safer than the night, the Night Watchmen's combat power is typically a notch above that of the Patrolmen.
Additionally, one of the Night Watchmen was stabbed in the right arm while trying to stop the attackers.
If everything goes smoothly, within one or two months, he could fulfill the promotion requirements for the Knight rank, except for the 'Advanced Elixir'.
Although this task carried a certain degree of danger, having an official Knight like Han Milton leading the team should keep the risks manageable.
"Unfortunately, my current identity and timing are not suitable."
On the other hand, it is extremely challenging for a commoner to rise through the ranks.
Although Rain was leading the team, he was well aware that the Night Watchmen were more adept at cooperative combat, while experienced bounty hunters were generally better at investigation and search.
However, when Valen and Rain arrived at the northwest corner, they found that the crisis had already been resolved.
"Rain, if there's anything you need to prepare, you still have time to do so now."
The only regret over the past few days was that Han Milton, as the sheriff of Shiny Gold Town, was exceptionally busy.
But for the nobles, they were very 'tolerant'.
"That's right! With three bounty hunters missing one after another, this situation can be classified as a mysterious incident. In other words, there's a possibility of monsters or some spiritual presence in the mine."
Inside the bags were two children with their mouths gagged and hands tied, who struggled and whimpered upon seeing the Night Watchmen in their black leather armor.
"Yes, sir," Rain nodded, relieved to hear that someone from the city would be joining them.
Unbeknownst to them, three days had already passed.
During this time, Rain gradually became familiar with the Night Watchmen's duties.
"Also, if the monster is relatively easy to deal with, we can directly eliminate it, which will earn us even more Valor Points." Han Milton smiled and said to Rain.
After some thought, Rain equipped himself with a two-handed greatsword wrapped in sheepskin and donned the Night Watchmen's black leather armor, heading to the town hall.
This was partly because Rain had been patrolling all night with 'Cookie', which the system recognized as 'walking the dog'.
Hamilton pondered for a moment and said, "I initially suspected that there might be Dogheads in the Elym Mine, but Dogheads aren't very strong, and they usually appear in large numbers. However, there haven't been any reports of sightings of Dogheads so far."
"We'll set off once everyone arrives. The city capital has also sent some people, and we'll depart together once they're here."
In the Town Hall's training ground, Rain was virtually unbeatable with Bear Sword Technique.
"Welcome!" Hamilton nodded slightly.
However, for three consecutive nights after that, Rain's night patrol area remained peaceful.
"It's our rescue signal."
Rain was well aware that he was not far from becoming a knight, as Hamilton had mentioned, just half a year's accumulation away.
"For this task, we'll have to go personally."
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After listening to Hamilton's explanation, Rain nodded. The disappearance of three bounty hunters, one of whom was an experienced monster hunter, left him with an uneasy premonition.
Hamilton's next words confirmed Rain's suspicions.
"Matteo, you stay here and look after the child."
Therefore, Rain was currently in dire need of valor points to exchange for 'Advanced Elixir'.
As of yesterday, the number of missing miners had exceeded ten. Now, all the miners at the Elym Mine were terrified, and none dared to work there anymore, forcing the mine to shut down.
"Sir Endry, good day." Hamilton smiled and nodded in return.
The old man removed his hood and bowed slightly to Hamilton, saying, "Lord Hamilton, it's an honor to meet you."
Hearing Hamilton's logical analysis, Rain nodded in agreement, his worries somewhat alleviated.
Additionally, there would be 1-2 days of rest each week, arranged by the team leader.
This morning, as the dawn broke, Rain finished his night patrol and returned home. Shortly after, he received a message from a guard, asking him to meet with Sir Hamilton.
Nobles can teach their followers breathing techniques and extraordinary swordsmanship!
With just a short nap, Rain would be refreshed and energetic.
"Sir Hamilton, what do you think has happened in the mine?" Rain asked, as Hamilton was well-traveled and knowledgeable, and should have some insights into the possible situations.
Dogs have a much keener sense of smell and hearing than humans.
The only thing that bothered Rain slightly was that, as the Night Watch of Shiny Gold Town, there were too few skilled members.
A man named Schmidt, who seemed to be a butler, introduced the man beside him—an elderly man with a gray hood, a wooden staff, and a gray robe, sporting a goat beard.
"Also, although this is just an investigation mission, there might be a mysterious incident in the mine." Hamilton's expression turned solemn.
"Additionally, I've asked Valen to prepare some antidotes, ropes, and fishing nets."
"Lord Hamilton, Faruja, Selin, and Asim are at your service." Three robust bounty hunters bowed slightly to Hamilton.
After a few days, they had a decent harvest.
When Rain heard the other party's introduction as a well-traveled bard, he became more interested and took a closer look.
Rain felt that he should be fine as long as he was careful.
The monthly pay for a regular patrolman reached 8 Imperial Silver Coins, while Rain, as an elite, earned 1 Imperial Gold Coin.
"Although the output of the Elym Mine has been declining year by year, its importance to Mayst County remains significant. The higher-ups want me to figure out what's happening in the Elym Mine as soon as possible."
This also explained why so many commoners were eager to become servants or guards for the nobles.
The Empire strictly regulated commoners' learning of breathing techniques and extraordinary swordsmanship, as evidenced by the requirement for a large number of valor points to exchange for them.
Of course, the same applied to rewards.
Inside the office, Hamilton handed Rain a parchment scroll.
The Night Watch in this area had also encountered human traffickers, but this time, the traffickers seemed stronger, breaking through the encirclement of three patrolmen and escaping calmly.
But this time was different. The direct involvement of Shiny Gold Town's Sheriff, Hamilton, made Rain realize the importance of the Elym Gold Mine.
"Sir, if it's a monster, why not offer a bounty for monster hunters? Of course, I'm just curious, not afraid." Rain asked.
"For example, Sting Scorpions are adept at ambushing and attacking from the shadows. They also prefer dark and humid environments like mines. When attacking miners or bounty hunters, they can deliver a silent, fatal blow."
"Lord Duke Habsburg and Lord Duke Hamadi are both very concerned about what's happening in the gold mine." The middle-aged man named Schmidt said with a smile.
This incident naturally infuriated the Shiny Gold Town Sheriff, Sir Hamilton, who immediately strengthened the town's night patrol.
Rain had most of the things he needed on him.
Rain briefly organized the few things that a commoner needed to overcome to become extraordinary.
"This time, I've also invited the well-traveled bard, Sir Endry, to join us."
Rain's Night Watchman profession level reached lv3 (247/500), and his Imperial Military Sword Technique and Basic Archery skills improved even more, reaching lv2 (245/300) and lv2 (121/300) respectively.
So, after a night of 'walking the dogs', his experience naturally increased rapidly.
Rain took the case file and skillfully flipped through it. First, he read the task description: multiple miners had gone missing in the Elym Mine, and three bounty hunters who had gone to investigate had also disappeared without a trace.
"I didn't expect it to remain unsolved."
At this moment, Schmidt pointed to the three people in gray leather armor and said, "These three are all experienced bounty hunters."
"They didn't even have time to scream for help."
Therefore, when Rain sparred with other Night Watchmen, he used a half-sword with the Imperial Military Sword Technique, and then practiced archery in his spare time.
After three days, Rain's fastest-progressing profession was still the Dog Trainer, which had cost him a 'large sum' and reached lv2 (223/300).
Logically, for an investigation task, the Imperial official forces would not usually get involved. Instead, they would mostly use bounties to encourage bounty hunters to take on these tasks.
When he returned to the town hall, he noticed a group of people gathered at the entrance, and Lord Hamilton also came out and walked towards them.
"Hello, Steward Schmidt," Lord Hamilton greeted with a smile.
"Additionally, the disappearance of three experienced bounty hunters suggests that it's unlikely to be a creature like the Doghead inside."
It seemed that the rampant child traffickers had been effectively suppressed.
"Boss, they're children!" Matteo had already opened the two large sacks that were thrown on the ground.
Then, he continued to accumulate Valor Points to exchange for the Advanced Elixir. If he became one of the lucky ones and successfully entered the Extraordinary realm, after being officially recognized by the Empire, he could become the lowest-ranked noble—a non-inheritable Knight rank.
"Mysterious incident?" Rain pondered over these four words.
Not sleeping for a night was not tiring for Rain, who had been cultivating the Military Breathing Technique.
Additionally, Rain learned something from Captain Valen through indirect means.
"I specifically recruited three experienced bounty hunters from the city capital."
Although the other party had already fled, Rain still felt that something was amiss. Recently, this group of child traffickers had been too rampant!
After all, it was Lord Hamilton who told him that he could find monster hunters in the city capital if he wanted to buy bear meat.
"I wonder if they recognize the unknown writing in my Beast Taming Diary."
So, Rain returned home once more and brought Cookie with him.
"Huh! The Elym Mine? I seem to have heard about this incident before."
"Therefore, I suspect that there's a monster inside the mine that's good at ambushing and attacking."
Rain immediately remembered that he had heard about the Elym Mine from Lord Hamilton. He continued to read the case file, and at the end, the task requirements were simply stated in one sentence: "Investigate what happened in the Elym Mine?" "Is this an investigation mission?" Rain looked at Lord Hamilton in surprise.
However, bringing Cookie along might be a good choice for searching inside the mine.
The remaining time of the day could be used for other things, such as cultivating the breathing technique in his room, improving his riding skills at John's Farm, or practicing swordsmanship and archery at the training ground.
"This might be a good opportunity. Usually, these mysterious incident tasks offer three to five times the Valor Points of a regular task, or even more."
The Shiny Gold Town Night Watchmen were mainly responsible for the town's night security, firefighting, dealing with wild animal disturbances, and alerting of major dangers. During the day, these duties were handled by the Patrolmen.
"Okay, boss! We'll be careful," Matteo said as he untied the children.
Rain could vaguely sense that the other party was not weak, and although they were not official Knights, they were clearly Knight Squires.
"Of course, it could also be other groups of monsters that are good at ambushing, like Cave Dwellers, but we can't say for sure yet."
"Rain, weren't you planning to earn more Valor Points to exchange for the Advanced Elixir?"
At this moment, Lord Hamilton noticed Rain's arrival and nodded slightly.
"Since everyone is here, shall we set off now?"
"Of course, the sooner we depart, the sooner we can complete the investigation," Schmidt agreed with a smile.
Thus, twelve Elite Night Watchmen, including Schmidt's five men, quickly rode their horses towards the Elym Gold Mine, located southwest of Shiny Gold Town.
(End of Chapter)
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