Windfall from Heaven

The pitch-black opening before them had edges so smooth and even that it looked as if they had been cut with a ruler.

Gold practically seemed ready to burst from Bochi's tiny eyes. He rubbed his hands together, saliva nearly dripping into his beard.

"Magic ruins... by my beard! If there's really some ancient treasure in there..."

"Ancient ruins usually mean ancient trouble."

Aila's voice was as cold as ice chips. Her hand remained on the hilt of the dagger at her waist, her sharp gaze sweeping the depths of the opening.

Xia Lin swallowed, feeling the toes inside his worn-out boots start complaining again.

He patted Aila's tense shoulder, then glanced at the Dwarf, who looked ready to dive inside and start looting.

"Trouble? Oh no, dear. Our biggest trouble right now is that our pockets are drier than our faces!" He forced out a smile uglier than a sob. "Think about that thirty-copper job, then think about the mountain of gold that might be buried in there!"

"Let's do it!" He gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

Xia Lin's words had clearly struck home.

Aila said nothing more, merely giving a slight nod in agreement.

Bochi had been unable to wait any longer. His short, sturdy body shot inside first like a cannonball.

Xia Lin and Aila hurried after him.

The moment they stepped into the black corridor, whose smooth surface reflected their figures, there was a soft click.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

The crystals embedded in the corridor walls lit up one after another, their gentle white light instantly driving away the darkness.

The sudden light startled Bochi so badly that he nearly swung his Mining Pick in a full circle, while Aila drew her dagger in a reverse grip.

"Don't move!" Xia Lin growled hurriedly, his gaze already locked onto the nearest glowing crystal.

[Item: Constant Brightness Crystal (voice-activated)]

[Status: Operating normally]

[Description: A common ancient magical lighting device, sensitive to sound. As long as silence is maintained, or the sound remains below a certain threshold, it will not continuously consume energy. Friendly reminder: If you sing karaoke here, it may overload and explode. Probably.]

"It's a Constant Brightness Spell, voice-activated." Xia Lin let out a breath and explained, "Looks like the Master here cared quite a bit about saving energy and protecting the environment."

Once they learned it was merely a lighting device, all three of them relaxed considerably.

With the light, they could finally see the corridor in its entirety.

The walls were smooth as mirrors, the floor spotless, and the air carried a dry, ancient scent mixed with faint lingering magic.

Compared to the filthy, stinking sewers outside, it was practically another world.

Things were going surprisingly smoothly.

There were no traps, no ambushes, not even an insect jumping out to say hello.

The corridor sloped downward, silent in a terrifying way. Only the trio's footsteps and breathing echoed through it.

After walking for around ten minutes, they came upon a door made of the same black material, carved with complex patterns they could not understand.

The door stood slightly ajar.

Unable to wait, Bochi reached out and pushed it open with a creak.

Beyond it was a spacious room.

A large bed covered in dusty silk, a bookshelf filled with bottles, jars, and scrolls, a desk scattered with parchment and quills...

This had once been a mage's bedroom.

The dust lay thick, and it was obvious no one had visited in a long time.

But what drew their attention was the little thing lying atop the desk.

A rat.

Yet its fur... was black as the finest obsidian, sleek and glossy, even faintly gleaming. It was completely unlike the filthy creatures in the sewers.

It was curled up, sleeping soundly.

"This rat..." Bochi frowned beneath his thick brows. "Don't it look a little strange?"

Xia Lin also felt that the rat was a little too "pretty." His heart stirred, and he immediately focused on the sleeping rat, activating [Item Appraisal].

Pale blue text quietly appeared before his eyes:

[Creature: ???]

[Status: Sleeping]

[Description: A rat whose fur is a little too glossy. Friendly reminder: According to ancient mysterious Eastern laws, sometimes, after you kill the little one...]

"Be careful!" Xia Lin had just been about to warn them.

But Aila was already moving.

Her steps were as light as a cat's as she silently glided to the desk.

With a flick of her wrist, cold light flashed!

Squelch!

The dagger plunged precisely into the back of the rat's neck, fast and vicious.

The instant it was stabbed, the Black Rat convulsed violently and opened its mouth...

"—Squeeeeeak!!!!!!!!"

The shriek was piercing and miserable, filled with indescribable resentment and pain.

The sound was like a red-hot needle driven straight into Xia Lin's brain! He shuddered violently as a chill shot up his spine.

The three of them held their breath at once, ears pricked as they warily listened to their surroundings.

The room contained only the soft glow of the Constant Brightness Spell and dust drifting slowly through the air.

The expected change never came.

No monster roared. No trap activated.

That agonized scream seemed to have been nothing more than the Strange Rat's useless death cry. Once it faded, everything returned to the dead silence expected of ancient ruins.

Bochi's tense muscles relaxed. He spat on the floor. "Khur Mahrk! It squealed like a pig being slaughtered and scared the hell outta me! Thought some big bastard was about to jump out!"

Aila slowly lowered her guard as well, though her eyes remained alert.

Xia Lin's throat was dry, and that ominous feeling had not completely faded.

But looking at the Dwarf's unconcerned expression, Aila's slightly relaxed posture, and the items in the room giving off such tempting gleams...

His desire for wealth ultimately overwhelmed that vague unease.

He shook his head hard, forcing the uneasiness down, and released his grip on his sword hilt.

"Alright, alright, stop scaring yourselves." Xia Lin waved a hand, trying to make his voice sound casual. "Hurry up and search around. Let's see what good stuff this mage left us!"

With those words, the remaining tension in the room completely vanished.

Aila deftly withdrew her dagger, flicked off the blood, and turned her gaze toward the scrolls on the bookshelf.

Bochi gave an excited shout and crouched down—though he was not much taller standing—then began feeling around beneath the bed.

Xia Lin steadied himself. His eyes, naturally equipped with [Item Appraisal], lit up again and swiftly locked onto the desk drawer—something inside was giving off an obvious magical aura!

He rushed over in a few strides and pulled open the drawer.

A silver ring engraved with magical runes lay quietly at the bottom.

[Item: Ring of Swift Wind]

[Quality: Fine]

[Effect: Slightly increases movement speed and reaction ability when worn. Includes the spell: "Levitation Spell" (once per day)]

[Description: A highly practical magical accessory, useful whether you are running away or chasing someone down. An essential item for home, travel, murder, and robbery!]

"We're rich!" Xia Lin's heart pounded wildly as he snatched up the ring and slipped it onto his finger.

On the other side, Aila seemed to have selected a well-preserved piece of parchment from a pile of ruined scrolls. Complex defensive magic circles were drawn upon it.

Meanwhile, Bochi had already dragged a heavy Iron Box out from beneath the bed with a series of grunts. It was locked, and he excitedly raised his Mining Pick, ready to put on a show of Dwarf-style forced entry.

This time... they were really going to turn things around!

Xia Lin felt the lightness brought by the ring and watched his companions make their own gains. He felt absolutely wonderful.

Next, he would pay off his debts, get better equipment, say goodbye to this damned sewer, learn skills, and become a true professional.

He secretly glanced at Aila's perfect profile as she carefully studied the scroll...

Maybe in the future...

He nearly broke into a grin.

Then, at that very moment—

Without any warning.

There were no footsteps, no wind, nothing at all.

Only the sound of something slick being violently torn open and then instantly blocked—

Squelch—!!!

Like thick, wet cloth being ripped apart with force, then immediately covered.

Muffled, yet clear enough to make their scalps tingle.

Bochi Iron Anvil, who had just been excitedly studying how to pry open the Iron Box, was now kneeling rigidly on the floor, his hands futilely clutching at his own throat.

His head was bent backward at an angle completely impossible for a living body.

His eyes were wide with disbelief, terror, and pain.

At his neck was a horrifying gash, blood gushing out in streams.

Warm blood instantly dyed his proud, thick beard red, soaked through his worn leather armor, and even splattered onto the bookshelf several steps away, leaving shocking dark-red stains that slowly slid downward.

A rat.

Its entire body was black, its glossy fur looking as though it had been coated in black oil.

It looked exactly like the one Aila had just killed, but its aura... was cold and evil, yet a thousand times denser.

It sat quietly on Bochi's shoulder, its mouth and nose smeared with the Dwarf's blood.

Its pinprick-sized eyes, glowing with an inhumanly pure red light, swept coldly over the two remaining living creatures in the room.

Bochi's body lost its balance and slowly toppled forward.

Thud.

He struck the dust-covered floor, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The Strange Rat lightly pushed off from the dead Dwarf's shoulder.

It became a blurred black afterimage and pounced toward the Half-elf, frozen in place by her companion's instant death.