The next morning Ethan woke up with the cat on his chest sleeping soundly. "Didn't I ask you to stay watch if some intruder popped up?" The black cat meowed in protest as if it were saying it was not really asleep but at the same time, it let out a big yawn.

Ethan chuckled, lifting the cat slightly off his chest with one hand. The small black creature stretched lazily, its tail flicking in mild annoyance before it landed gracefully on the bed beside him.

"You're really making me doubt your work ethic, Shadow." The cat flicked its ears and gave him a look of pure indifference before hopping down from the bed. It strutted toward Lia, who was already awake and setting up breakfast.

"You don't need to do this. You can sleep in once in a while." Ethan lazily walked over and helped himself to the breakfast. "Yes, Master," Lia replied with a smile on her face. It was clear that she was not going to follow his instructions.

Ethan looked at the disobedient cat and the woman and shook his head helplessly. After breakfast, he allowed Shadown to loiter around the inn. She was just a cat so he was sure there wouldn't be any issues. Both he and Lia then started heading down to explore the city.

Valdren was alive with the sounds of merchants hawking their wares, blacksmiths hammering steel, and the distant chatter of townsfolk bustling through the narrow stone-paved streets. Ethan kept his hood up, his eyes scanning the surroundings, absorbing the layout of the city.

Lia walked beside him, her gaze darting curiously to the various stalls lined along the street. "This place is livelier than I expected," she murmured. "It's almost overwhelming."

They moved through the market square, where a mix of adventurers, traders, and mercenaries gathered. Ethan's first priority was information—he needed to understand the dynamics of the city. Was there a guild for mercenaries? Were there dangerous zones? Were there any rumors of beasts, dungeons, or corruption like what they had found near the mines?

His gaze flickered toward a cluster of adventurers gathered outside what looked like a guild hall. A large wooden signboard next to the entrance displayed various quests, bounties, and requests. Ethan tilted his head slightly, considering. "Shall we take a look?"

Ethan stepped toward the guild hall, his eyes scanning the quest board as they got closer. Various papers were pinned to it—some offering bounties for criminals, others requesting materials from rare beasts, and a few detailing escort jobs for merchants looking for safe passage.

Lia reached out and plucked one of the papers from the board, skimming through it. "This one's for a herb gathering. Syleta herb is pretty common. We just need to search thoroughly for it. Maybe your minions can help, Master?"

"Sure, take it. We will do it if we can." As soon as they grabbed the paper another one of the same quest magically showed up on the board. Ethan let out a sigh. He would never get used to how different this world was.

Something so simple shouldn't shock him after everything he had been through but it did anyway. He stared at the new paper for a couple of seconds before continuing to search for more quests suited for them.

They needed some money for better gear so for the time being he was not too picky about the quests. He quickly pulled out the details of about ten or so quests. "Alright. Let's go."

Lia nodded and the two of them walked out. This time Ethan was not even going to bother with the adventurer's guild. There was no need. The amount of beast corpses they were putting away was enough to net them decent coins. The only problem was with the transportation.

Ethan's gaze fell on a carriage that crossed them by. More specifically, the horses tethered to the carriage. Horses! Horses would solve a lot of their problems—mobility, transporting beast corpses, and avoiding unnecessary travel fatigue.

Then he remembered he did not have enough money which was why he never bothered to get them in the first place.

Ethan rubbed his temples and continued walking. It looked like this time he had to take the hard route like dragging a bulk of beast meat by himself. He sighed again as he pictured himself doing the deed. "Fuck it. I will worry about it later."

The duo then walked to the back gate of the city where they hailed a carriage to take them to a nearby village. The villagers had complained about rat infestation and some even claimed they had seen a big horde of rats.

Ethan only hoped that this was true because if it was then his leveling problem would be very quickly solved.

The carriage ride to the village was uneventful, though Ethan spent most of the trip playing around with the mana in his body. He only knew one attack and he wanted to be as proficient in it as possible.

Lia, seated beside him, tilted her head curiously. "You're thinking about something, Master."

Ethan smirked, watching the scenery blur past. "Just hoping these villagers weren't exaggerating. If there really is a massive horde of rats, we're in for an easy time."

Lia giggled. "I have a feeling you're the only person in this world who gets excited over killing rats."

Ethan shrugged. "Experience is experience."

The village they arrived at was a small, rustic settlement, surrounded by wheat fields and wooden fences. The moment they stepped off the carriage, a few wary-eyed villagers noticed them. It wasn't long before an older man, likely the village head, approached.

"You two are adventurers from the city?" he asked, voice rough with age.

Ethan nodded. "Here about the rats."

The old man's expression darkened. "Damn things have been multiplying like a curse. They're not just in the granaries anymore. People have been seeing them near their homes. Some say they've seen… bigger ones."