Chapter 47

The cool wind blew across the grass, stirring up a faint rustling sound. The sun rose once again from the horizon, heralding the arrival of a new day.

"Hmm..."

Riz opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was a dense cluster of golden light spots. She blinked a few times and realized they were rays of sunlight filtering through the leaves by the window. The fluffy, soft bed emitted a faint fragrance, and the girl squinted her eyes, hugging the pillow in her hands. After a moment, she reluctantly got out of bed.

Finally, she had a home of her own.

Looking at the simple yet cozy little room, Riz couldn't help but feel elated. She had never imagined that she would have a fixed place to call her own, but now it had become a reality. This meant that she no longer had to stay in the shabby guest rooms of the mercenary guild or taverns. She no longer had to worry about where to put the things she liked. Now, she had her own room, her own home.

On the first night in this room, Riz was so excited that she tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep all night. Over the past few days, she had grown to love this place and had thrown herself into it wholeheartedly. The already clean room was cleaned again and again by Riz, and she even brought a few small flowers to place in a vase as decoration.

"Um..."

The girl stretched her arms high and yawned, then changed her clothes and washed up slightly before leaving the room. In the base, Riz was responsible for both housekeeping and serving as a maid. Of course, having her own home wasn't all good. Now, she had to prepare her own food instead of waiting for it like at the tavern. She also had to clean the place herself. Although Rod had thought about hiring a few servants, they were short on money and had to make do.

Perhaps it was the joy of good news that made her feel refreshed. Despite the tiring day she had with Rod yesterday, she didn't feel the least bit fatigued.

Speaking of which, how was Rod doing?

After tidying up her clothes, Riz went to Rod's door and knocked lightly.

"Mr. Rod?"

No response.

Is he not there?

Riz tilted her head in confusion, thinking for a moment. She knocked again, but still received no response.

At that moment, a bird's chirp came from outside the window.

Having followed Rod for so many days, Riz was very familiar with this sound. It was the call of the Soul Bird. She quickly walked to the window and looked outside, soon spotting Rod.

He was standing quietly in the overgrown garden, his right arm outstretched. In front of his right hand, a green bird was flying swiftly, and a powerful gust of wind erupted from behind it, creating a deep furrow in the overgrown grass.

As the green bird flew away, Rod suddenly made a gesture. In the next instant, the originally violent whirlwind suddenly transformed into a raging fire, surging forward. The scattered flames quickly condensed and gathered, forming a clear arc in the air before shooting back at Rod. Just as it seemed that Rod was about to be engulfed by the surging flames, the bright red suddenly faded, and a bright white sword burst forth.

"Swish!!"

The sword's aura swept past, cutting through the grass blades, which danced in the whirlwind and burned in the intense energy. When they turned to dust and fell to the ground, a three-meter radius around Rod had become a barren wasteland.

"Mr. Rod."

Only when Rod sheathed his sword did Riz call out.

"Riz?"

Hearing the girl's voice, Rod looked up, followed the sound, and nodded slightly in greeting.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, sir."

At this point, Riz felt a bit awkward. According to the rules, she should call him "Captain," but given their similar ages, she felt uncomfortable doing so. In her heart, her captain was still Carter, and she couldn't yet call Rod "Captain" with ease. Fortunately, Rod didn't seem to mind these small details. After Riz frankly apologized, he accepted her explanation.

What a perfect man.

Looking at Rod, Riz couldn't help but feel her heart race. Young and handsome (or rather, beautiful), calm and steady, and unexpectedly diligent. Such a man was undoubtedly the best ideal in every woman's heart. Of course, she had to admit that he could be quite decisive at times, but this only added to his charm.

If only I could...

Thinking this, Riz was startled and quickly shook her head. Then, she looked at Rod, who had walked up to her, and handed him a towel.

"Mr. Rod, will that old man really come?"

Perhaps to cover her embarrassment, Riz quickly changed the subject. Although she had been here for some time and had met Old Walker several times, she didn't know about his unusual background. However, it was clear that Rod knew about it. Riz was used to Rod's little secrets and didn't ask.

"I don't know."

Taking the towel, Rod wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave a vague answer.

"I've done everything I can. It's up to him now. If he has the slightest determination, I think he will come. Of course, it doesn't matter if he doesn't. Our plan won't change."

Rod's words were as direct and calm as always. He seemed to have no intention of being questioned, let alone contradicted.

"I hope you are fully prepared, Riz. The Pavel Cemetery is a very dangerous place. If only the two of us go, the risk will increase significantly. The situation might be even more challenging than in Fog Town."

"Yes, I understand, Mr. Rod. I will be ready."

"Good. I'll go back now. Breakfast... the usual."

"Okay."

Since moving into the base, Rod and Riz's living habits had changed. Due to the lack of money, Rod hadn't built a dining room, so their three meals a day were mostly taken care of in Rod's study. They had already gotten used to this lifestyle—habit was truly a powerful thing.

Riz quickly went to prepare breakfast, and after returning to his study on the second floor, Rod began to think about the next plan.

Even being called a "walking library," Rod couldn't completely recall every detail of the mission. What he was doing now was to record all the possible dangers in the Pavel Cemetery from his memory and then make targeted arrangements. After all, this time, they would either have three people if things went well or just two if they didn't. Many of the strategies and tactics from his player days needed to be adjusted.

To reach the position of the first guild master of Dragon Soul Continent, Rod relied not only on his talent but also on his hard work and meticulous observation, as well as timely adjustments and predictions. This was why, when many people were still at a loss facing bosses, Rod had already led his team to achieve the first kill and accomplishments with ease.

Details determine success or failure, which was Rod's consistent principle.

Just as Rod was concentrating on recalling the specific situation and threats of the cemetery, a knock on the door interrupted him.

Who is it?

Although the knock came from the first floor, Rod's perception was already quite sharp. He quickly sensed someone's arrival. After a moment's thought, Rod put down his pen and went out. Could it be that Old Walker had been enlightened by his scolding and come to seek him out so early? That would be quite rare.

Although he had this thought, when Rod opened the door, he found that reality was different from his imagination.

Standing in front of Rod was not the destitute old mercenary but the mercenary guild's Hank!

What is he doing here?

Rod looked at Hank, who had a somewhat awkward smile, and then at the person behind him, who was completely wrapped in a cloak. Although he couldn't see the person's face, the figure suggested it was a woman.

What's going on?

"Uncle Hank, is there something you need?"

"Yes, Mr. Rod. This... can we talk inside?"

"Of course."

Rod nodded and invited them in.

The hall in front of him made old Hank's eyes light up. In fact, before coming, he had imagined how shabby the base of this two-person mercenary group might be. But seeing the clean, bright, spacious, and somewhat imposing hall, Hank immediately dismissed his previous thoughts. The way he looked at Rod also changed. Although old Hank had never entered this haunted house, he knew that a long-abandoned, even deadly, old house could not be like this.

How did this young man manage to do it?

At this moment, old Hank finally developed a strong interest in Rod. He had worked in the mercenary guild for many years and had seen all kinds of people, but he had never seen anyone like Rod. On the surface, he seemed no different from other young people, but now it seemed... his judgment might have been incorrect.

"Uncle Hank, what brings you here?"

After inviting them to sit down, Rod asked, glancing at the woman beside him. He was sure that Hank's visit was likely related to this woman.

Sure enough, in response to Rod's question, Hank gave an awkward smile, nodded, and said,

"Rod, this young lady... wants to join your mercenary group."