Disaster is Always One Step Ahead of Me

The three of them organized their supplies into their respective backpacks, letting Brat carry the bulk of the communal items. Since it was still early, they headed out to browse the trade market.

There were truly many fine goods to be found; in order to survive, many people were selling their most prized possessions. Unfortunately, the three paupers couldn't afford anything.

The value of mage-related items had plummeted. For instance, spellbooks that were once worth a thousand gold pieces were now ignored, even if they were filled with third-circle spells.

The prices of food and livestock had multiplied several times over. Anse had originally intended to use his remaining two hundred-plus gold coins to buy three riding horses, but he couldn't even find any at triple the price, so he had to give up.

However, he did manage to find a decent set of studded leather armor for Finn, and he equipped Brat with a shield and a few handaxes. None of them were magical, but they would suffice.

Suddenly, the sky shifted. Dark clouds gathered, thick enough to blot out the world.

They hurried back, and no sooner had they shut the door than thunder and lightning erupted outside. A fierce gale whipped up, and a torrential downpour began to lash against the windows, making them rattle as if they might shatter at any moment.

Finn called the Gray Hawk back to the inn to rest, using the opportunity to relay the latest intelligence.

After a probing attack on the Flame Fist Fortress, the Underdark creatures had quickly retreated. While they remained in a standoff with the Upper City, they had occupied the Outer City of Baldur's Gate, showing no signs of wanton destruction—it looked as though they intended to settle down.

The good news was that the Flying Dragon Bridge remained unscathed.

Inside the room, Finn sat on the floor, cutting meat strips into small pieces. With a casual flick, he tossed one, which the Gray Hawk caught in its beak and swallowed.

The Gray Hawk was exceptionally magnificent, standing nearly a meter tall on the ground, its gaze regal and imposing.

At that moment, it leaned against Anse, allowing the man to wipe the raindrops from its feathers without the slightest resistance.

"It seems that not only humans like you, but animals do too. A sorcerer is truly loved by all..." Brat couldn't hide his envy.

He liked the Gray Hawk very much, but the bird refused to let anyone near it except for Finn. Anse was the sole exception; it even actively nudged up against him, pressing closer and closer.

Anse smiled and tossed the damp towel onto a nearby rack.

The Gray Hawk didn't just like him because of his high charisma; it was because the mana around him was as docile as a kitten. Primal beasts instinctively avoided environments plagued by chaotic magical energy.

"You've worked hard today. Here, have one." He pulled out the remaining magic berries and tossed one to the Gray Hawk.

The bird stretched its neck, caught it with precision, swallowed it, and squinted its eyes, clearly enjoying the treat.

Beside them, Brat took out his weapon oil and meticulously maintained his magic longsword; it was the most valuable possession he owned.

"I heard the guild just posted a no-rank hunting quest targeting Underdark creatures. You can trade their intact skulls or left ears for a bounty. The sponsors are the three Grand Dukes..."

Anse paused, his face full of regret. "What a waste, what a waste..."

Brat chuckled. "Two gold coins for a goblin, six for a hobgoblin, twenty for a bugbear, thirty-five for a gray dwarf. Classed individuals are paid separately..."

"That is... way too stingy." Anse was speechless.

Even the weakest goblin grunt was a monster wielding a weapon, and they usually traveled in packs. Risking his life for a few gold coins felt like the losses outweighed the gains.

"It's already quite sincere," Brat explained. "If the bounty were any higher, the Grand Dukes probably couldn't afford it."

In Baldur's Gate, a skilled veteran craftsman only earned a few silver coins a day.

"Fair point." Anse figured that as long as they could pay up, plenty of adventurers or commoners would be willing to take the risk.

He ate a magic berry and lay back on the bed. "I'm going to meditate. I'll skip dinner."

"Alright..."

Brat and Finn replied, their movements becoming quiet and gentle.

Anse focused on his meditation. It took him two hours to complete the attunement with the Spell Storing Ring and the Protection Cloak, and his mana recovered slightly.

Next was storing spells inside them.

This was harder than simply casting; the spell couldn't be fully released. He had to control it until it reached the brink of activation and then store it in the ring. The power depended entirely on the caster.

This didn't stump Anse. His control over mana was formidable, and he soon finished casting and storing.

Five first-circle spells: three Magic Missiles and two Prismatic Spheres.

The blue magical runes on the ring lit up completely, as if covered in a faint, shimmering glow of mana.

The spells inside the Spell Storing Ring still required activation and guidance; they weren't instant-cast, nor could they be enhanced with metamagic, but the casting speed was much faster. If he unleashed them all in a short burst, any adventurer below level 4 would likely be unable to withstand it.

Having consumed 5 points of mana, Anse felt a bit hollow. He kicked off his shoes and collapsed onto the bed.

With the heavy rain pouring down outside, it was an incredibly comfortable night for sleep.

It was unclear how much time had passed.

"BOOM—"

A deafening roar, louder even than the thunder, shook the very foundations of Rivington.

Anse felt a jolt of panic and snapped his eyes open. The room was pitch black, and the pitter-patter of rain continued outside.

"Something happened!"

Brat was already up, standing by the window. He pulled it open just a crack, and the sound of the wind and rain surged in, mixed with the clamor of human voices.

The window faced south, so they couldn't see what was happening to the north.

Click. Anse checked his pocket watch. It was 3:30 AM, the hour when people were at their most exhausted.

"Damn it!" He hadn't had a good night's sleep since he transmigrated, and he was feeling a bit irritable. Mana rippled around his body, and his eyes began to glow with a faint, shimmering light.

"Open the window," Finn reminded him.

Brat pulled the window open as wide as it would go. The Gray Hawk leaped onto the sill, scanned the area for a few moments, then pushed off with its legs, spreading its wings and vanishing into the night.

"Pack your things, be ready to leave at any moment." Anse felt a sense of unease; he put on his clothes and boots, then placed his backpack at his feet.

"I'll go gather some information." Brat was already fully dressed and equipped.

"Stay safe, don't go too far," Anse instructed.

"Understood."

Finn sat on the edge of the bed. The Gray Hawk had already flown too far away for telepathic communication, leaving him to wait passively for its return.

A few minutes passed. His eyelids drooped and his gaze turned vacant, yet a look of growing horror gradually appeared on his dull face.

"What is it?" Anse's heart sank.

"Flying Dragon Bridge collapsed, the river changed course, flooding the city, Underdark Creatures..." Finn spat out the words one by one.

Anse shuddered, his heart churning with turbulent waves as his fists clenched involuntarily.

"That was an explosion just now!" He was absolutely certain.

With a large number of Underdark Creatures appearing in Rivington and the sound of the explosion, he already had a theory:

The Gray Dwarves had launched a surprise attack under the cover of night, and Flame Fist Fortress had crumbled at the first touch, so quickly that they hadn't even had time to sound the alarm.

However, the Flame Fist commander must have been prepared; they had blown up Flying Dragon Bridge, causing damage to the levees and diverting the southern section of the Chongsa River, sending the surging floodwaters pouring into Rivington.

The rising tide, the heavy rain, and the overdeveloped dock district had all become accomplices.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

Just as he was deep in thought, a piercing bell rang out across the Adventurers Guild, cutting through the night and carrying far into the distance.

With a loud crash, Brat burst through the door, gasping for air:

"We have to go, now! The Chongsa River has breached its banks, and monsters are in the city!"

"Move!"

Anse shouldered his backpack, pulled up his hood, and stepped quickly out the door.

Outside, it was pitch black. He raised his hand to cast a Light Spell on his Staff, and the bright glow immediately pushed back the darkness.

The hallway was in total disarray. Many doors stood wide open, and adventurers were rushing toward the stairs in a panic, many of them only half-dressed.

The three of them hurried downstairs. The small lobby of the Adventurers Home was already empty, with only a single wall lamp casting a faint, flickering light.