Mithril

Although the process of escaping from the sewers was messy, it wasn't as desperate as I had imagined.

When the mutated swarm behind them reached the vicinity of the water plant's basement entrance, it seemed to be blocked by some invisible boundary.

After a frantic roar, it reluctantly retreated into the depths of darkness.

"Huff...huff..."

The group slumped down in the security room at the water plant's gate, panting heavily.

Lu Yuan leaned against the wall and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

The exhaustion from surviving the ordeal made him tremble slightly.

But Lu Yuan's attention was completely focused on the notification that was flashing at the edge of his field of vision.

[Sightings and survival: Deep-sea hounds, corpse moss, mutated rat swarms]

[Forbidden Arts - Seeker: +3, 3/50]

[Rationality II: +2, 27/47 (Experience)]

Lu Yuan's eyes flickered slightly.

Did I gain 2 experience points?

Keep in mind that being tormented by that damned alternate dream every night only grants 5 experience points.

The gains from that short, desperate escape of just over ten minutes were almost equivalent to those from an entire night.

Moreover, rationality has also increased.

"Does it involve both risk and reward...?"

Lu Yuan lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously stroking the handle of the silver-plated pistol.

If his previous attitude towards these mutated creatures was to "avoid them at all costs," then now, the scales are beginning to tip.

Upgrading through dreams is too slow; in comparison, this "visible" danger is much more cost-effective.

"Looks like I'll have to be a little more reckless in the future."

Lu Yuan silently made plans in his mind.

Of course, this is all predicated on having a powerful figure like Hans supporting you from the front.

...

During the break, the atmosphere in the security room eased considerably.

"Hey, doctor."

The night watchman named Ed came over and offered Lu Yuan a slightly flattened cigarette.

"Thanks for earlier. If you hadn't reminded me, I probably would have lost this leg."

Lu Yuan waved his hand in polite refusal.

It was just a small favor.

The taciturn giant next to him, Gray, also said in a low voice, "Your brain really works. Much better than those doctors in the base."

Only the aloof night watchman who had been leading the way nodded to Lu Yuan from afar without saying a word.

"To be honest, when I first saw that the base had assigned a temporarily recruited doctor as the deputy team leader, I was quite dissatisfied." Ed exhaled a smoke ring and said bluntly, "Now I understand, sometimes a brain really is more useful than a knife."

Lu Yuan smiled but didn't respond to the question.

He took the opportunity to point to the empty metal frame in Gray's backpack.

"What was that last attack...? It was incredibly powerful."

"That's 'Mithril'."

Ed lowered his voice, his tone tinged with awe, "This is a valuable item, but also a deadly one."

"That was refined by those lunatics in the R&D department using alchemy and some kind of... uh, I can't say what it is."

"It has a devastating effect on polluted creatures, even the supernatural. That silver fire is no ordinary fire; it burns 'spirituality'."

"But this thing is extremely unstable; even a slight shaking could cause it to explode." Ed shrugged. "So each team only carries a maximum of two bottles on each mission. Carrying more would just turn them into mobile powder kegs."

Lu Yuan nodded thoughtfully.

Indeed, the Night's Watch's ability to stand firm in this bizarre world is due to their unfathomable depth and strength.

"By the way, Doctor," Ed leaned closer, "I heard you opened a clinic behind Old John's Tavern?"

"Yes, Leisen Clinic."

"Can I come to you if I have any problems in the future?" Ed thought of something, his face showing a hint of disgust. "Those doctors at the base are too fierce. They can force-feed you a bottle of potent magic potion even for a simple cold. I don't want to be crippled by them."

"You're welcome anytime," Lu Yuan said with a smile, "but remember to bring enough money."

Just then, the sound of a carriage neighing came from outside the door.

Hans pushed open the door and came in, his face still serious, but there was a hint of relaxation in his eyes.

"Get up and get to work! Reinforcements have arrived."

The reinforcements that arrived this time were of a very high standard.

Besides the young messenger named Toby, there was a black carriage full of wooden crates and a man dressed in an elegant tailcoat.

The man looked to be around thirty years old, holding a gold-inlaid cane in his hand, with an elegant smile always playing on his lips.

What is most striking are his emerald green eyes, so deep they are like a stagnant pool.

Valentine, captain of the second Night's Watch.

"Hans, I heard you were chased out by a bunch of rats?"

Valentine stepped down from the carriage, speaking in a flippant tone, even covering his nose with a handkerchief, "How shameful."

"Stop talking nonsense." Hans rolled his eyes at him, annoyed. "The situation below is more serious than expected. It's not just a bunch of rats, but also a mountain of flesh that's hatching."

"A mountain of flesh?"

A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Valentine's green eyes, and he licked his lips. "Sounds...maybe a new flavor."

Lu Yuan stood to the side, keenly sensing the dangerous aura emanating from this man.

That wasn't the aura of a human being; it was more like the aura of a wild beast in human skin.

"A superhuman with a bizarre path..." Lu Yuan made his judgment in his mind.

After a brief tactical deployment, a new offensive began.

This time, with ample supplies, the night watchmen were no longer hesitant.

Several boxes of Molotov cocktails were unloaded from the carriage, along with a special holy water that emitted a faint golden glow.

Most importantly, Valentine brought three whole bottles of "Mithril".

"This time, we only have one goal—that mountain of flesh blocking the drain."

Hans pointed to the map, "Valentine will lead the attack, I'll support. The rest of you will be responsible for clearing out the grunts and providing cover."

Considering the threat of the underwater tentacles, Lu Yuan was also assigned a large-caliber copper shotgun and two bottles of specially made holy water that shimmered with a faint golden light.

Lu Yuan reached out and took the two bottles of holy water. The moment his fingertips touched the glass bottles, a warm sensation traveled up his fingertips, and the familiar gray-white characters at the edge of his vision suddenly flickered.

[You have come across new knowledge: water that has been touched by a faint "light"]

Seeing the gray text appear at the corner of his eye, Lu Yuan's heart skipped a beat. Could he really gain new knowledge by coming into contact with these things? Although it didn't directly improve his [Forbidden Studies], he figured that little by little, it would still be useful.

Lu Yuan turned his attention to mithril, but he wasn't in a hurry. He had joined the Night's Watch, and it was too late for him to get involved with these things.

They entered the sewer again.

This time, the group was no longer stingy with ammunition, advancing while throwing Molotov cocktails along the way.

The moss that had been clinging to the wall sizzled in the flames and turned into charred ashes.

"Squeak squeak squeak—"

Hordes of mutated rats attempted a counterattack, but were met with a dense barrage of fire and a wall of flames constructed from Molotov cocktails.

They could only turn into fireballs and die in despair.

"Put on your gas mask! Watch out for the toxic fumes!"

Hans roared, wielding his greatsword with incredible speed, cleaving several escaped deep-sea hounds in two.

Meanwhile, the second team captain, Valentine, displayed a terrifying fighting prowess.

He took off his tuxedo, revealing his muscular upper body. He pulled a bottle of blood-red medicine from his pocket and tilted his head back to gulp it down.