Xander carefully treaded the uneven roads of Jovinal Street, located near the slums. Throughout his journey, the only sounds he heard were the chirping of crickets and the echoes of batowls with sharp claws. However, his own heartbeat drowned out these sounds as he walked on that cold night, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. There was no one in sight as he continued his journey. It was 12:35 when he arrived at House No. 32, a worn-out dwelling with thatched roofs riddled with holes. The surrounding area reeked of human waste and a mix of alcohol and decaying garbage, left unattended for far too long.
Contemplating his options, Xander wondered, "Should I go inside?" Finally, summoning his determination, he took a step forward, ready to face whatever fortune or danger awaited him.
With an unpleasant creak caused by the rusted wood, Xander slowly opened the doors. To his surprise, the small hut consisted of a single empty room, illuminated only by a dim mana light lamp tucked away in one corner. He searched the entire house multiple times, only to be greeted by plain walls. "Was I mistaken? What was I thinking? I'm so foolish to believe that easy fame and money exist in this world. I should have simply joined those people instead of taking this risk," Xander thought, feeling utterly dejected. Nonetheless, he decided to take the mana lamp with him to ensure safety on his way back. As he lifted the lamp, his leg accidentally struck a protruding handle that had been hidden beside it all along. Throughout his search, Xander had missed this handle. Hope and curiosity surged within him once again. He knelt down and slid the handle, revealing a set of wooden stairs leading downwards. Slowly and cautiously, Xander descended into the underground secret room, his throat parched with anticipation.
Inside, darkness enveloped the space, but the mana lamp provided enough light to reveal bloodstains on the walls. Dirty shoeprints and broken iron parts were scattered around. In the center of the room, a large wooden box, approximately 6 feet in length, stood conspicuously amidst the debris. Xander approached the box with trepidation, praying that no ghost would leap out when he opened it. With a slow and careful motion, he lifted the lid, only to let out a startled scream, "Aaaaaaaa!" Taken aback, he stumbled backward, landing on his backside. The horrifying image of burnt bodies lying in the box seared into his mind.
He couldn't shake off the repulsive image of burnt bodies lying in the box. After taking a few breaths and gathering some courage, he convinced himself that they were just harmless corpse. He approached the box again and discovered a completely burned body, their features unrecognizable. Suddenly, Xander heard a familiar sound that made his eyes widen as he searched for the source.
"Chip chip... Chip.. Chip," the sound repeated.
"You again, birdie," Xander said, looking at Casper, who had brought another letter for him. Xander retrieved the letter and read it carefully.
An E-ranker corpse from the infamous Raven gang. Remember, it was you who caught and killed him and that's how you will report it. You'll receive 50 percent of the prize money, and I'll take the other 50 percent. Leave the prize money in place of the corpse.
Let me remind you once again - it was you who caught and killed him.
Lord Fate
Bowen had three corpses belonging to the Raven gang when he fought with his father and bale, but he only used one to test Xander. Xander understood what he had to do. He placed the corpse in a sack and took it with him, along with the mana lamp. As dawn approached in Aswalt, the night duty officers gathered near the border guard station, ready to be dismissed from their work. Jessi was relieved to see Xander returning without any problems but became concerned when he noticed the sack in his hands.
"Brother Xander, what is that?" he asked.
"Can you call Sir Markus? This is important," Xander said in a serious tone.
Jessi sensed the urgency and brought Markus and their other colleagues to Xander.
"What's going on, Xander?" Markus asked, looking at the sack.
"Please see for yourself," Xander replied, opening the sack for them to see.
As the pungent smell filled the air, the burnt corpse revealed itself, causing people to step back, closing their eyes and covering their noses in disgust.
"What is this?" Markus asked.
"He is from the Raven gang, sir."
"The Raven gang! Those notorious criminals rumored to be deeply hidden?" Jessi exclaimed.
"Yes. I encountered one of them during my patrol. I had no choice but to kill him when he attacked me," Xander explained.
Gasps filled the air.
"So, you're saying you were the one who killed him?" Markus asked, surprised.
"Yes, I tried to apprehend him, but I had to defend myself by killing him," Xander confirmed.
A visible smile appeared on Markus' face, which seemed strange to his colleagues. "Good job, young man Good job," he said, patting Xander on the shoulder.
. Capturing anyone from the notorious Raven gang was extremely challenging because each member was an awakened E-ranker. Their boss was rumored to be close to a D-ranker. However, in Aswalt, the highest rank and most powerful individual was only an E-ranker. The guards, on the other hand, were either awakened G or F-rankers. While some were skilled in combat, they were not awakened, just like Xander. Consequently, despite the gang's involvement in numerous murders and thefts over the years, apprehending them had been exceedingly difficult. Thus, Xander capturing one of them was a moment of immense pride for the night guard team. They had endured pity and mockery due to their perceived inability and poor performance compared to other departments. This achievement allowed them to make a comeback and showcase their accomplishments with limited resources. That's why Markus was overjoyed, even though he hadn't personally caught the criminal.
Markus assured that he would report and deliver the corpse to the headquarters for verification, and Xander was subsequently dismissed to rest. Xander's colleagues held a small celebration at a nearby tavern, congratulating and praising him for his bravery. Internally, Xander felt guilty for receiving undeserved fame, but he had to maintain appearances to uphold his lie. Soon, news of Xander's courageous actions spread throughout the entire police department, and he became the subject of high praise. This information eventually reached Gram's ears.
Smack! He slammed his hand on the wooden table in fury. "Damn that bastard Xander! How the hell did he manage to do it? I wanted to make him suffer, but instead, it became an opportunity for him to gain fame and the department's trust."
"Sir Gram, calm down. Maybe he got lucky," suggested his junior, Rain.
"Lucky my ass! He's a damn unawakened, but I'm an F-ranker. How was he able to kill an E-ranker when I couldn't?" Gram exclaimed in frustration.
"I don't know about that. People in the department are saying that Xander burned the person alive," Rain replied.
"Are you kidding me? How can a normal fire harm a ranker? Don't rankers develop some resistance to elements as they rank up? Only the fire of an E-ranker magician or above would be capable of burning an E-ranker to that extent. Rain, it seems highly suspicious. Don't you think Xander might have lied?" Gram questioned.
"Lied? If it turns out to be a lie and the headquarters discovers that Xander did it for fame, won't he face severe punishment?" Rain wondered.
"Hehe... That's right! He should be suspended or even lose his job. Excellent! Rain, go and spread rumors that Xander falsely claimed someone else's kill to obtain prize money and fame. If he can't explain it properly... hehe... hehehe... hahaha!" Gram burst into laughter, tears forming in his eyes.