I'm not a goblin Frankenstein's monster.

Chapter 23 Mutant Rat Swarm, The Escaped Mage of the Black Staff Tower

He sized up Xia Lin—ordinary white light armor, a black longsword at his waist. Although the style seemed alright, who knew if it was just for show? He exuded the awkwardness of a novice.

Nothing special.

"Heh," he scoffed, no longer hiding the mockery in his tone, "Fine. If Miss Mage wants to bring along a burden, there's nothing we can do about it."

Pretty boys, all looks and no substance. Good luck to you guys, but don't get scared by a rat.

After saying that, he winked at his wanderer teammates, and the two of them walked into the left passage without looking back. Their footsteps and the light and shadow were quickly swallowed up by the darkness.

Only Xia Lin and Eileen remained on the platform, along with the lonely glow of a torch.

The atmosphere was a little awkward.

"Ahem," Eileen cleared her throat and spoke first, her voice particularly clear in the empty sewers, "Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Eileen, and I am a mage apprentice from the Black Staff Tower."

She shook the staff in her hand, and the crystal at the top shimmered in the light.

He really is a monk! And he even studied abroad in a big city.

Xia Lin's spirits lifted; this was the first time he had encountered a spellcaster since he transmigrated.

A mage, even if he's just an apprentice.

"Xia Lin, an apprentice-level warrior." His self-introduction was a bit dry, and his gaze couldn't help but drift back to the staff.

Xia Lin paused, then couldn't resist asking, "But why did you choose me to team up with? Those two seem to have more experience?"

Although he disliked the two men's mannerisms, he had to admit that Hank's seasoned adventurer aura couldn't be faked.

Eileen blinked and admitted, "They seem pretty capable. But..." She hesitated, then lowered her voice, "Those two... their eyes are a bit fierce, they don't seem easy to get along with. As for you..."

She sized up Xia Lin, seemingly choosing her words carefully, "He looks...kind? Like a good person."

Xia Lin: "..."

Okay, I've been friend-zoned.

Although he was powerless to refute the card he received.

"Fine, I'm a good person then." Xia Lin shrugged helplessly. He had previously thought it was because of his "handsome" charm.

Holding torches, the two cautiously entered the damp and dark passage on the right.

……

Behind them, in the shadows of the passageway to the left.

Hank and the wanderer hadn't gone far. They stopped at the corner, deliberately dimming the light of their torches.

"Damn it, that girl doesn't know what's good for her, she's got her eye on that pretty boy." Hank spat, his face dark.

"Hmph, the fabric of her robe, and that staff..." The wanderer's voice was like a viper's hiss, "They're no ordinary goods. A mage apprentice, she must come from a wealthy family."

A glint of greed flashed in Hank's eyes: "I can tell. Probably some rich young lady who's just a naive newbie trying out an adventure. She's easy prey."

"Where's that henchman?" the wanderer asked.

"That newbie?" Hank curled his lip in disdain. "Probably some country bumpkin who ran away and got killed on the spur of the moment, then dumped in the mud down there without anyone noticing."

When you go up there, just tell the guards that the two new recruits were inexperienced, got surrounded by rats, and died down there.

There are at least eight or ten such incidents every year.

The wanderer licked his lips, his eyes gleaming in the darkness: "The usual?"

"Same as always." Hank weighed the broadsword in his hand. "Find a suitable place and send them on their way. The spoils, same as always, we'll split them evenly."

The two exchanged a glance and let out a few malicious chuckles, clearly not their first time doing this kind of business, before heading towards the passage.

The sewer platform returned to its surface silence, with only the distant gurgling of water and countless tiny, shifting sounds in the darkness.

……

"The way these stones are laid is so ancient; is it in the style of the early kingdom?"

"Listen, isn't that water dripping over there? Could there be an underground river?"

"Xia Lin, do you come to places like this often? I mean... on similar missions?"

The female mage Eileen appeared both nervous and excited as soon as she stepped into the right-hand passage, bombarding her with questions one after another.

Holding a torch, Xia Lin briefly answered while observing the filthy niches and side passages in front and on both sides.

He could understand the other person's curiosity, after all, when he first traveled through time, everything he saw seemed new and exciting.

"What do you monks usually do?" Xia Lin asked in return as they rested briefly at a relatively dry corner.

He has a real lack of understanding of the spellcasters in this world.

"In the Black Staff Tower, I spent most of my time assisting my teacher with magical research, as well as organizing ancient magical texts and materials."

Eileen leaned against the damp wall, wrinkled her nose, and seemed to dislike the smell.

"It's so boring. Copying scrolls, mixing magic potions, cleaning the lab... I only get to watch a demonstration of one or two basic spells occasionally."

"So what spells do you know?" Xia Lin was more interested in this person's actual abilities.

Having a mage in the team, even if he's just an apprentice, is always a good thing.

Upon hearing this, Eileen straightened up slightly, a serious expression befitting a spellcaster appearing on her face.

She raised her staff, the crystal at its tip glowing slightly, while she murmured a few simple, rhythmic syllables.

"Light Spell!"

A soft, faint light emanated from within the crystal, steadily illuminating an area of ​​about four or five meters around it, much clearer and more even than a flickering torch.

Magical light is indeed more practical than ordinary lighting tools.

"This is very convenient." Xia Lin nodded and extinguished the torch in his hand.

Eileen withdrew her staff, and the light stabilized. She thought for a moment and said, "And the magic missiles."

Xia Lin waited a while, but heard nothing more. "Anything else?"

Eileen blinked and said casually, "That's all."

Xia Lin: "..."

He was speechless for a moment, and was about to subconsciously retort, "All you can do is use two spells," but when he saw the other person's expectant and praising expression, he swallowed his words back.

Well, it's magic at least, it's better than nothing.

"Both of them are quite impressive," he finally said with a dry compliment.

Eileen seemed oblivious to the reluctance in his voice and nodded happily, "My mentor said that if I can consistently master these two spells, I'll pass the apprentice assessment. I only just learned how to use the missile..."

Before the words were finished, a series of dense and rapid "squeaks" and the sound of claws scraping against the stone surface suddenly came from the darkness of the passage ahead.

The sound grew louder and louder as it approached from afar!

Xia Lin instantly gripped the hilt of his sword, shielding Eileen behind him, his gaze fixed on the edge of the area illuminated by the light spell.

The next moment, a surge of dark figures rushed out from around the corner.

They were a swarm of rats, but they were no ordinary creatures.

They were enormous, almost the size of a medium-sized hound, with sparse, greasy fur that revealed rough, dark red skin underneath.

Its long, sharp incisors protrude outwards, gleaming with a yellowish-brown luster in the light, and its tiny eyes flash with a mad red light.

Its thick tail dragged behind it, lashing the ground and walls with a sickening slapping sound.

A swarm of mutated rats! There are at least a dozen of them!