The cobbled streets of the city rolled beneath Daniel and Eva's feet as the sunlight grew stronger.

The Elthanor Empire was one of humanity's most powerful forces, with significant weight in global politics.

You could say that before the arrival of the Otherworldly Climbers, it was the Elthanor Empire that preserved the standing of humankind and gave them dignity and respect.

According to Eva, the current emperor is an S-rank Climber, and rumors say the founder reached a level beyond S-rank.

Daniel turned his head, glancing around the corners of the street… but there was no sign of what he was looking for.

Not even one.

No old man hunched over with a bowl, no child in torn clothes. There were no beggars in this city.

How was it even possible? Not a single beggar?

"Weird…" His eyebrows furrowed.

Eva was walking beside him and noticed something was off from his face.

"Looking for something?"

"Yeah… but looks like it's not here."

"One question — around here, where can we find a decent bar? Not expensive, just average."

He had no choice. He stopped by one of the stall owners and asked quietly.

The man gave him a surprised look and muttered a few names. One of them caught Daniel's attention.

The "Broken Knot" bar. According to the man's words, it sounded like the most average bar in the city.

"Come on. Let's go there." Daniel turned to Eva and gestured.

"Wait… a bar? Now? In this situation?" Eva raised an eyebrow.

"You'll find out soon. A little trust wouldn't hurt, right?" Daniel shrugged.

She didn't reply. Just followed him.

"By the way… now that I think about it… you don't have a class, do you?" A few moments later, as they walked through a narrow alley, Daniel glanced at her and asked.

"That came out of nowhere," Eva said, surprised.

"I'm just curious. I wanna know if you can protect yourself without me."

Eva was silent for a moment, staring ahead. She hesitated, unsure if she should say anything — her situation was a bit special. Truthfully, she still didn't trust Daniel enough to open up.

"No… I don't have a class."

'No talent? Hah…' Daniel narrowed his eyes.

For someone being hunted by one of the world's most powerful factions, being talentless was probably worse than being cursed.

But his intuition told him it wasn't that simple.

A few minutes later, they stood in front of a wooden door. The "Broken Knot" had a crooked sign hanging and the smell of old liquor seeped through the cracks. Daniel pushed the door and they walked in.

The bar was dim and plain. Wooden walls, a few worn-out tables, and some tired-looking men with expressionless faces sitting around. The weak light from the lanterns barely lit the space. Nothing special — exactly what Daniel wanted.

When they entered, a few heads turned. Their faces and clothes didn't match this place.

Ignoring the stares, they sat at a corner table.

"Welcome, what can I get you?" A fat, exhausted-looking man approached them shortly after.

"Bring us two of your best drinks." Daniel smiled.

The man nodded and walked off.

"I'm… not drinking anything." Eva looked at Daniel with a displeased look.

"Me neither." Daniel shrugged.

"Then why did you order?" Eva raised an eyebrow.

Daniel just shrugged again and didn't bother answering. Honestly, answering felt like a waste of time.

"So, why'd you bring me here?" Eva leaned in and whispered.

"For now, just stay quiet and watch," Daniel replied calmly, with a half-smile.

At that moment, a loud, energetic voice rang out a few meters away:

"Hey! You two bald guys! Wanna get your fortune told? I'll show you your future — only two gold coins!"

Daniel and Eva turned their heads.

A young man with dirty but sturdy clothes, a bow slung over his back, and a half-mad smile on his face was standing and speaking to two bald men at a nearby table.

One of them, a man with a scar on his face, stood up angrily.

"You bastard, you've been spouting crap for thirty minutes. Get lost or I'll kill you!"

"But if I don't work… how else can I make money?" The young man still smiled.

"I'm out of patience…" The second bald guy clenched his fist.

Just as he was about to move toward him, Daniel raised his voice.

"Leave him alone."

"What if I don't? You want a beating too, pretty boy?" The bald man turned and glared at Daniel.

Daniel pulled out two gold coins and placed them on the table. The precious metal landed with a soft but heavy sound on the wood.

"Heh… now that I think about it, I'm not really in the mood to beat someone up today. Let's let him live for now." The bald man's eyes lit up. A crooked grin formed on his lips.

The men chuckled and returned to their table.

"Thanks, sir… really, thank you. You saved my life." The young man let out a deep breath, gave a small bow, and said.

Daniel gestured for him to come over.

The young man didn't hesitate and sat on the chair across from Daniel and Eva without any shame.

"I didn't do anything. No need to thank me." Daniel shrugged with no emotion.

"No, seriously. I was one step away from getting beat to a pulp…" The boy smiled.

"They get beat to death or you, mister wanderer?" Daniel cut him off.

"H-Huh? Wanderer? I… I don't know what you're talking about, haha…" The young man froze. His smile briefly disappeared.

"I heard that around midday, you could sometimes find wanderers hanging around low-end bars.But honestly… I didn't think I'd be this lucky." Daniel said quietly, eyes narrowed.

In an instant, the young man's aura exploded. The air around him shifted. A spark lit in his eyes — killing intent.

"Who are you?"

Daniel didn't even flinch. He just raised his eyebrows.

This guy was D-rank. That much was clear.

But his aura… it was more dangerous than a lot of C-ranks Daniel had seen.

Based on aura alone, he wasn't much weaker than Daniel himself.

"I heard wanderers are dangerous and strong.

Now I'm sure of it."