The Skay clan is a Demon Race despised even on the Demon Continent.
This is because they are often viewed as cunning, scheming, and deceitful. That is not to mention their appearance, which resembles a giant sewer rat with an innate foul odor.
However, the Skay clan possesses quite distinct strengths, such as innate poison resistance. It seems that monster poisons or pollution from the sewers of human cities do not affect them at all. So it is not without reason that many Skay communities have left the impoverished Demon Continent to go to human territories to live in the shadows.
Furthermore, thanks to their agility and nature, the Skay clan are natural-born assassins. Many human nobles are also willing to pay large sums to hire these sewer phantoms to do their dirty work for them.
Yet, there are still those like Knit-Knit, a Skay with black fur. Since childhood, he had no family and had to live relying on an old adventurer. Perhaps because of that, he does not have the malicious nature typical of a Skay, but that doesn't make his life any easier when his appearance equates him to nothing more than a goblin.
Therefore, even though Knit-Knit is a B-rank adventurer and a talented North God Style swordsman, he still doesn't belong to any party.
But luckily for that black-furred rat boy, there are still many quests he can do alone without a party in this chaotic region of Vasile. Like 'scavenging', for example.
With dozens of different labyrinths large and small occasionally appearing anew, the demand for venturing into those dangerous places to collect bodies, adventurer cards, and equipment of the dead is ridiculously high. And since everyone wants to be a hero, a conqueror, it seems this 'scavenging' is only something lowly people like Knit-Knit are willing to do.
But it pays quite well.
Even though not much fighting is required, this job isn't easy either since one has to venture into the most dangerous parts of the labyrinth. It's not for nothing that each adventurer card can be exchanged for up to five iron coins. Occasionally, if valuable magic items are found, they can sell for a decent amount of money too.
Take today for example, the rat boy has already earned three adventurer cards. Not to mention the pile of left-behind equipment; if among them are magic items or magic tools, the rat boy has struck it rich this trip.
What should I use this money for? Knit-Knit started wondering. Maybe buy new equipment?
He looked down at the equipment he was wearing. It was a set of low-level magic beast leather armor, only capable of withstanding normal damage. Even the small sword he carried was a piece of junk. Seeing that, the rat boy couldn't help but sigh.
Although he had found good things many times, because they didn't suit him, all he could do was sell them for spending money. And when it came time to upgrade equipment, he was empty-handed.
So this time entering the Ant Nest Labyrinth, Knit-Knit was determined to earn a decent amount of money to buy better equipment for himself!
"Hmm? Seems like that direction leads to the hatching room."
Knit-Knit didn't remember the map of this place very well. Because the Ant Nest Labyrinth changes constantly. New tunnels are dug and then collapse continuously. Normally, the Skay adventurer wouldn't be foolish enough to crawl into a place where dozens of giant ants are ready to bite him to death. But the path leading here was strangely quiet, making him feel that perhaps the area ahead was no longer dangerous, probably.
Even if there really was danger, Knit-Knit was still confident he could escape; after all, he ran faster than most monsters in this labyrinth.
So he actually went in that direction.
Of course, with slow steps and making as little noise as possible. To be safer, Knit-Knit even clung to the cave ceiling to move instead of walking.
As he got close, something made the Skay boy stop.
Poison gas.
Knit-Knit muttered, then rummaged through his bag, taking out a small glass orb that fit in the palm of his hand. The adventurer muttered something and rolled the orb onto the ground. The clinking sound of glass hitting the hard ground echoed all around, sounding truly spine-chilling. But what was about to happen next was what Knit-Knit always found interesting.
A strong gust of wind suddenly appeared, blowing into the path ahead. And just like that, all the poison gas in the space in front was completely eliminated.
Too simple he he. Knit-Knit picked up his orb again and continued forward.
...
When he arrived, before Knit-Knit's eyes was a large room, chaotic beyond description. First of all, what immediately caught his eye was the corpse of a giant hunting spider lying right in the middle of the room. The spider had probably died a long time ago, its blood dried hard, but it hadn't decomposed at all. The adventurer had heard rumors that poison gas could preserve corpses; it seemed to be true.
"Killing even this thing... this party must be strong, huh?"
Knit-Knit looked around; he saw rubble and blood everywhere. There were also scorched or shattered corpses. A horrifying scene. Thanks to that, the Skay boy felt even more that the decision (though driven by fate) not to join a labyrinth conquering party was indeed the right decision.
He guessed that the entire party here had been wiped out in the battle, and the monster itself died too. Basically mutual destruction; this wasn't too rare.
But that's fine too, Knit-Knit can pick up tons of stuff here without fearing anyone will come and ask for their belongings back.
"Whoa, four adventurer cards from two bodies, awesome! And there's even a sword that looks super nice too! This must be a magic sword!"
The Skay adventurer felt like he had just struck a gold mine. This trip would definitely help him strike it rich!
Knit-Knit never held a magic sword once in his life. But he can spot one whenever he sees it. The sword in his hand is light as a feather, even a short Skay like him can hold and swing it with ease.
"He he he! I finally got my first magic sword!"
But at that moment, a feeling of unease suddenly appeared.
And immediately after, it became a feeling of utter terror. Knit-Knit's whole body trembled, cold sweat starting to pour out strangely. He quickly ran, hid behind a large rock in the corner of the room, jumped straight in, curled up in a corner, and peeked out.
And then he saw 'him'.
A figure wearing a white cloak, with white hair, walking into the room. His figure was tall and muscular. He didn't even hold a torch to enter this dark room, but immediately glanced towards Knit-Knit, making him fall to the ground and start crawling backward, pressing against the wall.
Knit-Knit didn't understand why, but the moment he saw that guy, he felt an intense hatred and terror appear at the same time. The rat's eyes became filled with extreme fear as he saw the man staring at him. He thought he was going to die. He even holds his sword tight, ready to fight with all his life.
But strangely, that guy turned away, heading towards somewhere else in the room.
"Found you."
And suddenly he spoke up as he stopped in front of two certain corpses that still seemed quite intact. But if they are intact corpses, won't they turn into undead—
*Swish*
Before Knit-Knit could finish his thought, that guy punched each corpse right in the middle of the chest.
"Seems like this time you died before meeting him huh?"
Then that guy muttered something to himself, turned around, and walked straight out of the room without bothering to look back at the remaining person in the room even once.
It took a while after that white-haired guy left for Knit-Knit to scramble up. He panted, trying to take hasty breaths, then stood up straight, hugged what he had gathered, and immediately ran away from this place as fast as possible.
...
After escaping, Knit-Knit handed over the adventurer cards he collected, took all his luggage, and left Vasile in the night.
He thought his days on this Demon Continent should end here.