Chapter 15

From Fitan to the capital, if you have a good horse, you would normally only need a week to arrive. But Xiaolan spent a month, as he completed several optional tasks along the way, so he arrived late.

The optional tasks in the system are not static; they change with time and place.

When you leave one place and arrive at another, past tasks are replaced by new ones. They appear randomly, without warning, and are unpredictable.

Perhaps it's a small matter, perhaps a word from someone, or perhaps there's no reason at all. They just appear.

Each task has its own level of difficulty, which can be somewhat understood from the description, but what seems simple may turn out to be tricky, and what seems difficult may turn out to be surprisingly easy. They are full of uncertainty, and you only know the difficulty once you complete them.

The system tasks do not allow for侥幸 (侥幸 means侥幸, but in this context, it's better translated as "luck" or "侥幸"), and Xiaolan once made a mistake in this regard, nearly losing his life as a result. This was a lesson, an experience, and from then on, he became cautious, calm, and focused on the different methods to complete each task.

Optional tasks are different from mandatory tasks. The system never specifies how many optional tasks you need to complete to level up. They don't show experience points like in a game, and his status panel has no experience bar. But he now vaguely understands that the more dangerous the task, the more likely it is to help him level up.

So he began to get used to dancing on the edge of death, and he had a reason, a reason to level up.

At the ancient and magnificent capital city gate, Xiaolan was somewhat tired. He led his horse slowly into the city with the crowd. He had been here before, only in the game of his previous life, and although his memory was a bit fuzzy, some things easily awakened the deep-seated memories in his mind, such as the towering statue of King Lukni in the central avenue square.

Over four hundred years ago, Lukni led his people through decades of war to overthrow the brutal Ruisi Kingdom. He established his kingdom and capital on the ruins.

Erania, where Lukni was born and raised, was the place where he sounded the call to rebellion that year, the place where he fought the Ruisi army in a bloody battle. When he returned with the victory flag, this place became the capital of Adria.

Xiaolan wandered around the capital, and every street and building here evoked some resonance in his memory. This sense of familiarity made him feel a bit nostalgic, as if it were a dream.

He quickly shook off these thoughts. He didn't come here to seek the past; he had a task, he needed to rest, and there was something he had to do tonight.

The inns in the capital were always busy, often fully booked, which was a headache. This was the capital, and it was never short of merchants and travelers stopping by. But Xiaolan didn't have the usual worries of merchants and travelers; he quickly found a place to stay, a high-end, luxurious inn.

Most merchants and travelers would choose ordinary, cheap inns because they didn't have enough extra money. They would only choose high-end inns under special circumstances, so ordinary inns were often full, while high-end inns were less likely to be.

The wealth gap is a common and normal phenomenon in society, especially in a feudal society with strict hierarchies, where wealth is often concentrated in the hands of a few.

In Eldria, power and martial prowess determine your status. Xiaolan was not a noble, but the sword in his hand would earn him respect. He wasn't short of money; the few tasks he completed on the way to the capital had earned him a considerable amount of wealth.

After dinner, Xiaolan lay on the soft, comfortable bed in his room, resting and thinking.

Something was going to happen tonight.

On the capital's oak avenue.

In a tavern.

"Boss, guess who I saw when I went out with Haya just now?"

A girl suddenly burst into the tavern, bumping into people as she made her way to the boss, her eyes sparkling with excitement and her tone full of mystery.

"Hey, could it be that little Jovia you kissed last time? I remember he went to Winsk a few days ago. Did he come back?"

"Boss, you're so mean! It's not that—besides, Jovia went to Sagian, not Winsk."

"You seem to know a lot about Jovia. Is it true? Has that guy already tricked you into bed?"

"Boss! If you keep saying that, I won't talk to you anymore!"

"Ha ha ha—"

"Do you still want to hear it? You know, that person is related to you." The girl, Livi, still had a hint of anger in her voice, but she didn't give up on her initial question because she couldn't keep secrets. If she knew something and didn't say it, she would feel itchy and uncomfortable.

The boss knew the girl's problem, so she always teased her when she was about to reveal a secret, because it was fun. Since she had already achieved her goal, she would let the girl feel relieved by continuing to talk.

"That high-ranking swordsman who disrespected you has come to the capital."

Livi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief after saying this, feeling much more comfortable.

"Hmm?" Niniro picked up her wine glass, swirling the bright red liquid inside, surprised and amused. "Do you know where he's staying?"

"No, but I asked Haya to follow him. Maybe Haya will have some news when she comes back." Livi shook her head, but her face showed a hint of excitement and eagerness. "When the time comes, should we teach him a lesson? This is our territory, after all."

"No, and no one is to act without my order!" Niniro suddenly became serious. "There's no need to provoke a high-ranking swordsman over a small matter. If he wants to kill, you will all die."

"Y-Yes, I understand. I'll go back then." Livi seemed startled by the boss's sudden change in demeanor and hurriedly said goodbye, not liking the boss's serious face because it was scary.

"Tsk, I didn't think you would be afraid of someone? Just a high-ranking swordsman, I don't think he's a threat to you. Isn't this overreacting?"

Behind the dim bar, a middle-aged man appeared behind Niniro, wiping a silver wine bottle with a clean white cloth, suddenly speaking.

"Not afraid, just unnecessary." Niniro swirled her wine glass, her eyes slightly unfocused as she looked at the bright red liquid and smiled.

"Have you fought him?"

"Yes."

"How was it?"

"His sword is very fast."

"Very fast?"

"Yes, no chance of winning in a direct confrontation." Saying this, Niniro drank the bright red liquid in one gulp, seeming a bit regretful.

"Seems very fast." The middle-aged man stopped wiping the wine bottle, pulled the cork, and gently held the bottle, tilting it to slowly pour the purple liquid into Niniro's glass. "Can you kill him?"

"If he's not using his full strength."

"What kind of person is he?"

"Someone I can't recruit."

"Very interested?"

"Yes." Niniro brought the glass to her lips, her red tongue lightly licking the purple liquid. "Most importantly, he's very young, younger than your brother."

"Seems like a genius, but geniuses often die young." The middle-aged man nodded and shook his head.

Niniro didn't respond, just gave the middle-aged man a meaningful look.

When she left, Niniro's face was flushed, and her body swayed slightly. She looked more alluring and seductive than ever. The men around the tavern all turned to look at her, and they scattered as she passed, because they knew who she was. No one in the capital's oak avenue didn't know who she was.

Leaving the tavern, Niniro smiled and looked around. This was the capital's oak avenue, the playground of mercenaries, and she was the most beautiful and venomous snake in this playground.

Dusk was falling, and night was approaching.

Xiaolan stood by the window, scanning the entire capital. He was refining his memory of the capital, as he would be staying here for many days. He needed to remember it, and more importantly, he had to go out to do something soon.

Dinner was neither too full nor too hungry. Xiaolan pretended to be strolling out of the inn, his route unpredictable. No one knew what he was thinking, until he suddenly disappeared into a small alley.

On the other side of the alley, a man walked out, an ordinary middle-aged man.

The magic street lamps illuminated his face. He was somewhat dark-skinned, tall, and dressed in rough black linen, making him seem secretive in the darkness.

He looked like a mercenary, a down-and-out mercenary, because the knife in his hand was crude, like an unpolished piece of iron. A weapon is a mercenary's tool for survival, and even the most down-and-out would have a decent weapon.

But this middle-aged man didn't, so he didn't look like a normal mercenary, more like a down-and-out bandit.

His steps were slow and steady, heading towards the southwest of the capital, the Gertdan district.

Every place has its dark side, and the larger the place, the deeper the darkness. People hear of its existence, feeling it is distant yet close.

Perhaps you don't know, but the seemingly kind and friendly neighbor might actually be a killer with countless lives on his hands.

The Gertdan district of the capital, from some unknown time, became known as the slum of the capital. You can see homeless people sleeping on the streets, idle thugs wandering around, and prostitutes soliciting customers on the streets...

If it were daytime, you would only see cold, dirty streets, but now it was night, the time when they came out to play, like a chaotic and wild feast.

Drunkards were harassing prostitutes on the streets, thugs were extorting and beating strangers, and gamblers were shouting with red eyes over their wins and losses... This was their daily life, a life of debauchery and despair.

The appearance of the middle-aged man didn't attract much attention. Every night, strangers appeared here, but whether they could survive the night was a question.

The eyes that had been secretly observing the middle-aged man gave up on this target because he wasn't worth it. A down-and-out mercenary who couldn't afford a decent weapon wasn't worth paying attention to.

Soon, the middle-aged man disappeared into a dark alley.

---

End of the page.