Outside the door.
A black-clad figure was hunched over, crouched by the door, fiddling with a dagger in his hand.
Beads of sweat the size of peas slid down his forehead, landing on the black face mask.
His face was pale, his nerves taut.
Click.
The dagger got stuck.
His heart seemed to skip a beat, stalling for an instant.
‘Damn it!’
He cursed under his breath, changed the angle of the dagger, and yanked with all his might.
But he failed.
He glanced left and right, hesitating whether to abandon the operation and flee.
As a rookie in the Scavengers Guild.
This was his first lock-picking attempt.
Before this, he’d only practiced a few times in the training room.
He’d easily picked the practice locks and thought he had a natural talent for thievery.
He never expected such an inauspicious start.
His first real job was about to end in failure and flight.
‘All that time I spent crouching in the corner, waiting for these people to turn off their lights…’
‘All wasted.’
He gave up on the dagger and turned around.
Creak.
The sound of a door opening came from behind him, and a black shadow fell across the ground in front of him.
‘Welp… I’m done for!’
“Sir, I think I can explain what’s happening.”
“I’ve noticed that thieves and robbers are rampant on this street.”
“You know, without a sturdy lock, it’s easy for these villains to succeed and create tragedy.”
“And I am a lock inspector.”
“I was just cleaning the dust from your lock, hoping you could sleep soundly.” He kept his back to the wooden door, raising his hands.
A tremendous force suddenly erupted from behind, kicking him sprawling to the ground.
“Ow!”
‘Didn’t the boss say this line could convince anyone?… Was I lied to?’
“You… Vivian?!”
He turned his head and, seeing the person behind him, couldn’t help but exclaim.
Vivian held an oil lamp, squinting her eyes as she asked:
“You know me? Who are you?”
The figure in the black robe yanked off his mask, revealing a young face underneath.
“You’re… Ed?”
Vivian furrowed her brow, thinking before asking.
“Yes, it’s me, Edward.”
“Didn’t you live in the forest? What are you doing in the city, turning to thievery?”
“Life forced my hand. I had no other choice.”
“If I’d known this was your house, I would’ve picked a different target.” Edward scrambled up from the ground, looking disheveled.
“Come inside and talk.”
Vivian turned and stepped aside.
—
In front of the hearth.
“Your stove here is truly marvelous.”
“Not only does it understand human speech, but the fire burns so fiercely.” Edward commented on the hearth.
“What happened? Why did you come into the city?”
Nolan asked while holding a ceramic jar, maintaining his longsword.
“Nothing major happened.”
“It’s just that I finished dealing with that batch of corpses, and I had nothing to do.”
“So I came into the city to look for new work. After all, I’m not a savage; living in the forest forever isn’t a solution.”
“Your new job is picking people’s locks and burglarizing their homes?” Vivian said.
“Is that in the follower’s code of the Dark Incarnation?”
“No, but I have a new faith now.”
Edward lifted his chin quite proudly, saying smugly.
“Now, entering houses to take things is permitted by the divine one.”
“Ah, weren’t you part of some choir or something?” Vivian looked up at Edward, somewhat surprised.
“What choir? That’s the Death-Deniers Poetry Society!”
Edward loudly corrected Vivian’s mistake.
Then he lowered his voice and said:
“I caused some trouble in Mistport before.”
“If I keep saying I’m from the Poetry Society, it could easily bring a bad reputation to the Society.”
“So, I’ve joined a new organization now… the Scavengers Guild.”
Vivian looked at Nolan and asked:
“Have you heard of it?”
Nolan rubbed his chin, then nodded.
“A guild made up of thieves.”
“Their strongholds are spread in every corner of the world.”
“Not just in human kingdoms, but even in dwarven and elven cities, they have their eyes and ears.”
“Some say, where there is shadow, there is the projection of the Scavengers Guild’s power.”
“What about in Hell?” Vivian suddenly interjected.
“No.” Edward answered first.
“That place, Hell, even the legendary adventurer Kailan hasn’t been there.”
“Let alone us scavengers.”
Edward had adapted to his new job very quickly.
Instantly discarding his identity as a necromancer, he now identified as a scavenger.
“Speaking of which, I remember you mentioned…”
Vivian gave Edward a puzzled look.
“You initially followed the God of Light, Iraeos, then became a necromancer and switched to the Dark Incarnation, Mortes.”
“But now, what’s your faith?”
“Mor! The deity I follow now is Mor.”
Edward took a badge from his robe and handed it to Vivian.
It was a wooden badge the size of three fingers, simply carved with a bird’s head.
“Your new faith is a chicken?!”
“What chicken? This is the Scavengers’ patron deity!”
“You can also call Him the Hidden Dove or the God of Thieves, but we all call Him—Mor.”
“So it is a chicken.”
Vivian tossed the badge back.
“Aren’t you changing your faith a bit too often? Won’t the gods punish you, a traitor?” She asked the question she most wanted to ask.
The gods of this world were real, though most paid little attention to worldly affairs.
For Edward to change faith so brazenly…
And have nothing happen!
This left Vivian completely baffled.
“They will, and they won’t…”
Edward fell silent for a moment, then gave an ambiguous answer.
“Speak plainly.”
Vivian glared at him.
“Some deities care.”
“But there’s also a portion of deities who don’t care either way.”
“In the eyes of the God of Light, as long as you aren’t converting to an evil god, He can accept it.”
“The Dark Incarnation doesn’t care; He pays no mind to faith.”
“As for the Hidden Dove… He welcomes converts.”
“In His view, a follower changing faith is an act of theft.” Having said that, Edward stood up from the chair.
“Alright, I should be going.”
“After all, I didn’t come out in the middle of the night to discuss matters of faith.”
“Thank you for your forgiveness and hospitality, my two friends.” He walked to the door and picked up the dagger from the floor.
“We’ll meet again if fate allows. There are other door locks waiting for my inspection.”
“Before daybreak, I need to hurry.” At that moment.
Nolan seemed to suddenly remember something.
He hurriedly chased after him, opening his mouth to call out:
“Wait, Edward!”
“What is it?”
Edward stopped and turned around.
“Do you know Big Tail Rat?”
Edward crossed his arms, fell silent for a moment, then said in a low voice:
“What do you want with him?”
Nolan’s eyes lit up. Judging by Edward’s expression, he could be sure.
He definitely knew something.
“There’s a blood mage in the city. He killed many people last night.”
“We want to catch this blood mage through Big Tail Rat.”
“I swear in the name of Iraeos, I won’t do anything to him.” Afraid Edward would refuse, Nolan quickly raised his hand to swear.
“The Squid Tavern on Black Rat Street.”
“Once you’re there, order one of these.” Edward took out a slip of paper and handed it to Nolan.
Then he left without looking back.