Night Ranger

Oak Town was very lively in the evening with people were hurriedly moving about, and all kinds of fine food emitting attractive smells.

And on the side of the street, many women were throwing themselves toward those seemingly rich and wealthy adventurers, trying to be picked.

They may have come back from the Thousand Leaves Forest, and could be generous. If they served them well, their tip could be many times the ordinary amount.

Some thought that they didn’t work, but in fact, prostitutes couldn’t lose any clients.

Marvin walked on the street, experiencing a rather familiar feeling.

He had come multiple times to Oak Town, but this familiar feeling wasn’t from coming back to this town; rather, it was the feeling of someone walking alone in an unfamiliar small town.

Marvin was a loner in his previous life. He had very few friends, yet all of them were experts.

The current Marvin was even more of a loner. He could only rely on himself now.

Marvin ignored a few prostitutes grabbing his hand to push it against their chests and swatted away the hand of a thief that tried to steal his purse. He went through most of Oak Town and arrived at the east edge of the town.

There was a blacksmith shop there. The old blacksmith had a beautiful girl who was very skilled. She had opened a tailor shop next door.

The father and daughter were very well liked by the people from Oak Town. The former crafted weapons they could use to withstand monsters’ attacks. As for the latter, who didn’t like beautiful young girls?

Marvin stood outside the blacksmith shop for a moment and noticed that no one was inside.

He hesitated, and then decided to enter the tailor shop next door.

In the tailor shop, the girl was measuring a female adventurer’s build. Noticing Marvin coming in, she greeted him and hinted for him to wait for a bit.

Marvin casually found a place to sit down.

After a short time, the tailor finished her measurements and the adventurer gave her an advance payment. They made an appointment to pay for the goods three days later, making the exchange at that time.

Marvin had experienced this kind of event in the past.

In the game he had also climbed from the bottom step by step. But this time, his identity was actually that of a noble. This was quite hard to adapt to.

Still, this kind of atmosphere made him feel especially comfortable.

”Do you want to buy some clothes, or have something custom made?” The girl said while smiling.

Her smile revealed two small and very lovely dimples. She had brown hair and gave the feeling of the girl next door.

”I am Jane, how may I help you?”

Marvin got right to the point. ”Hello, Miss Jane, I came to look for your father.”

”My father?” Jane was somewhat surprised. ”Are you his friend?”

”We still haven’t met, but I’ve heard of him.” Marvin smiled.

”He could be in the tavern? He might return in the evening. Business is slow these days, very few people are looking for him to craft anything. Thus he frequently hangs around in the tavern,” Jane explained.

‘In the tavern?’ Marvin thought, before suddenly saying, ”If you don’t mind, can I wait for him here.”

”Ah?” Jane carefully checked Marvin, showing a hint of vigilance.

‘Could this man want to try anything on me?’

This was not the first time something like that happened after all.

But even if he wanted to, the one who would suffer in the end would be himself!

After thinking of this, she gently smiled, ”Of course.”

Not waiting for Marvin to thank her, a shadow suddenly rushed from behind the shop counter.

Marvin was suddenly startled and moved back.

It looked like a pitch black evil dog!

‘Wait, not an evil dog!’

‘Fuck… This is a [Hellhound]! Even if it’s still small, it still has the strength of the peak of 1st rank!’

”Woosh!”

Marvin unsheathed his twin daggers, staring at that hellhound, on guard. Even if it was young, that guy could rip apart the head of a tiger!

In his previous life, Marvin had only heard a few pieces of information about this Night Walker. He hadn’t expected that this seemingly kind-hearted girl actually raised a hellhound!

He suddenly understood.

‘Damnit, that girl mistook me for a pervert…’

Marvin didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.

”Ah, Mister doesn’t need to be nervous.”

Walking from behind the counter, she gently petted the hellhound’s head, displaying a crafty smile.

”Lil’ Black is very obedient. Without my permission, he won’t injure anyone.”

Looking at the hellhound’s vicious expression, Marvin shrugged.

The obvious meaning was, as long as she said a word, the hellhound would tear him into pieces.

Apparently flirting with this girl in Oak Town wasn’t easy. Good looks had probably brought her a lot of troubles.

”No offense but I truly came to look for your father.”

”Since I’m not welcome here, I’ll go wait in the blacksmith shop next door.” Marvin put away his curved daggers and departed.

Jane was looked at the back of the leaving Marvin, stunned.

”Was he really looking for my father?”

”Strange person, why are you looking for an old drunkard?”

”Don’t you agree?”

She petted the hellhound’s head, talking to herself.

...

The interior of the blacksmith shop was a mess and there was dust everywhere.

The girl’s words weren’t wrong, there was really no business. No one needed weapons, so the old blacksmith naturally had no work.

Marvin casually sat in a corner and began to silently wait.

Time passed quickly and the sky gradually darkened. Soon, the inside of the blacksmith shop turned pitch black.

Marvin was still waiting.

Jane came over once and told him that the old blacksmith might spend the night in the tavern, telling Marvin that it would be better for him to come back tomorrow. But Marvin thanked her and stayed there to wait.

A Night Walker would only show his true nature during the night.

In the darkness, faint footsteps could be heard.

Marvin quietly used Hide.

The footsteps of a staggering old man could be heard from coming from a faint source of light. He carried an oil lamp as he returned to his house.

He came through the door and hung the oil lamp to the side. He then locked the door of the blacksmith shop.

Marvin stopped breathing, his heartbeat somewhat speeding up.

This advancement was the most important and the most challenging part, and it would happen this night.

The old man body’s reeked of alcohol. He looked drunk and was stumbling his way to the weapon stand, conveniently grabbing an iron sword.

His movements seemed very slow.

‘Wrong!’

Under the faint lighting, Marvin immediately noticed that old man’s shoulder fiercely tremble!

This was sign of using strength.

Without thinking, he did a very awkward roll, escaping from his original location!

”Clang!”

The old man’s speed was quick like the wind. A sword had slashed at Marvin’s original location!

He didn’t look drunk at all.

Even though the room had a very faint lighting, he still stared at Marvin.

Marvin gulped, silently looking at the place he had been standing at.

There was a deep mark on the ground. This was the most ordinary iron sword, yet it actually had this much power in the hand of that old man.

He had definitely held back; if he went all out… Marvin couldn’t even imagine!

”Not bad. You found the flaw I showed on purpose,” the old man said with a blank face. ”But this isn’t enough.”

”Why are you looking for me?”

”Advancement.” Marvin got right to the point.

”Few people know of my identity. Who told you?” The old man discarded his weapon and immediately lied down on a wooden bed in a corner of the house.

”Hearsay.”

Marvin had already prepared his lines beforehand, but it was a bit unreliable.

”Hearsay?” The old man sneered.

”If you can find me through rumors, then how could those guys that want me dead not show up at my door everyday?”

Marvin shrugged, ”I simply want to become an even more outstanding ranger.”

”There are too many ranger advanced classes. The Thousand Leaves Forest is close, maybe you could try some of the ancient elven advanced classes.”

The old man was indifferent.

”The other classes will decline.”

Marvin slowly took out two daggers and seriously said, ”You know that night is coming.”

[Night is coming]. The Night Walker’s maxim.

The old man suddenly stood up from his bed and firmly watched Marvin. ”Who are you?”

”I saw a bit of what’s coming.” Marvin calmly continued, ”Hathaway is the same. Those old prophecies are about to happen.”

”Hathaway, as expected…”

The old man was somewhat relieved.

”Another seer. This world is truly getting more and more chaotic.”

”But one more seer among the Night Walkers isn’t a bad thing.”

”Follow me young man.”

Once he was done talking, he opened a door at the back of the blacksmith’s shop, Marvin in tow.