I hadn't given up on becoming an adventurer. However, survival demanded coin. I needed to pay for my room, and more importantly, I needed to eat. Right now, I couldn't afford to be picky; I just needed to find work.

The old man couldn't have known my history, but he clearly saw me for what I was: a penniless youth who had been turned away by the guilds.

"Sit," he grunted, gesturing to an old stool beside the counter.

I did as I was told.

"First, the room. If you take the job tonight, your stay is free. If you refuse, it’s three silver coins. Just so you know, once you hear the details, there’s no backing out. Well? What’ll it be?"

The threat gave me pause, but with my arsenal of skills, I figured I could handle whatever he threw at me. This was the moment to show some spine.

"...I'll take it," I replied, adopting an arrogant tone to ensure he didn't look down on me.

"Good. Tonight’s job is a monster hunt. Location: the Royal Capital’s Underground Waterway."

The Underground Waterway? I hadn't even known the city had one. But monster hunting was supposed to be the Adventurer's Guild’s bread and butter. Why was a run-down inn like this acting as a broker?

"Is this place an Adventurer’s Guild?"

The one-eyed man snorted.

"Like hell it is. This is the 'Lizard’s Tail.' We round up the people at the bottom of the barrel and give them the jobs that can't be made public. We don't ask questions about your past, so you can breathe easy."

So, it was a Dark Guild. On my very first day in the capital, I had already managed to step into something dangerous.

"Now, about the pay."

The old man pulled a stained piece of parchment from beneath the counter and tapped it.

"Accepting the job covers your three-silver lodging fee. I'll let you keep the room for twenty-four hours, until tomorrow night. If you contribute—say, by bringing back monster parts—you’ll earn a small gold coin. And if the target is actually slain, I’ll pay out a full gold coin. Of course, if you die, you get nothing."

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of a gold coin.

With that much, I could survive for a good while. I could finally build a proper foundation for my life here.

"No problem."

The old man’s lone eye glinted.

"I’ll give you the map. Be on time. Twelve sharp."

He disappeared into the back for a moment and returned with a grimy map in hand.

"Got it."

I took the map and stepped out of the Lizard’s Tail.

Right as the clock tower chimed twelve, I arrived at the meeting spot.

It was a desolate corner of a park right up against the city walls, a place no one in their right mind visited. A small brick building stood there, its stone doors leading to the basement flung wide. The smell of damp earth and a faint, sickly scent of sewage drifted up from the darkness.

Four men and one woman were already waiting.

Everyone except me wore cloaks of black or gray. The men looked like ruffians, armed with heavy swords, axes, and clubs.

But the woman caught my eye immediately. She was clearly the leader.

She wore black leather armor that hugged her lean, well-muscled frame. At her hip sat a straight sword designed for thrusting, shorter than a standard blade.

When our eyes met, she gave me a cold, appraising look.

"Are you the rookie sent by the Tail?"

"Yeah."

"Name and job?"

"Walt. [Swordsman]."

She snorted.

"I'm Sasha. [Swordsman], huh? That's a pretty 'proper' job. Usually, your kind belongs to the Adventurer's Guild. You got a history or something?"

"Something like that," I replied, roughening my voice to match her tone. "Don't pry. My past shouldn't matter to you."

"Hmph. Cheeky brat."

"My apologies."

"Whatever. We've all got secrets here. Now that everyone’s accounted for, let’s talk about the target. We're after the 'Three-headed Snake' reported in the waterway."

The men stirred nervously.

"A Hydra-type...?"

"Shit, what kind of mess did we sign up for?"

Judging by their reactions, this thing was dangerous. But I wasn't about to back down. Regardless of who issued the request, I wasn't the type to break a contract.

"Let’s move. Rookie, you’re in the back. Watch for ambushes from behind."

Wait, the rear was actually one of the most dangerous spots. Were they planning to use me as a human shield for their backs?

"Don't just stand there. Move."

Sasha pushed open the heavy iron door and led the way. I took my place at the rear, discreetly activating [Night Vision].

We descended a flight of stone steps into a dim corridor. The stench of the waterway—mold, filth, and rot—immediately hit my nose.

As we entered the main tunnels, the darkness became absolute.

Sasha and the men produced Magic Stones from their pouches, activating small lamp-like Magic Tools. Orange light flickered to life, but the waterway was vast, and the darkness seemed to swallow the light almost immediately.

I told Sasha I didn't have any Magic Stones and kept moving without a light.

In reality, [Night Vision] made everything as clear as day. I could see the moss clinging to the walls and judge the depth of the stagnant water perfectly.

The men ahead of me were clearly on edge, staring into the shadows beyond their flickering lamps. Only Sasha remained composed. I wondered what her job actually was.

After walking for about twenty minutes, Sasha raised a hand.

"Stop. Something's here."

The men tensed, gripping their weapons and pointing their lamps forward.

I immediately activated [Hawk Eye], a skill from my [Hunter] days. I peered deep into the darkness, far beyond the reach of their light.

There. Twenty meters out. Three Giant Bats. If they reached us, they’d be a nuisance.

Sasha and the others were still trying to pinpoint the threat.

I had a choice. I could let the ruffians handle it while I watched from the sidelines. But this felt like the right time to show my worth. Since I couldn't join a regular guild, I had to make a name for myself in the underworld. If I didn't prove my strength, the jobs would stop coming.

Decision made, I acted.

I reached into my bag, pulling several pebbles from the [Storage Space] I’d gained as a [Merchant]. They were coated in a fast-acting toxin I’d brewed using the [Compounding Arts] from my time as a [Herbalist].

I flicked the stones toward the Giant Bats. They zipped through the air, disappearing into the absolute darkness.

The [Hunter] skill [Sure-hit] activated.

Splat. Splat. Splat.

Three small splashes echoed from the tunnel ahead. There were no screeches, only silence.

"...What was that sound?"

"Did someone throw something?"

"I don't know."

While the men whispered in confusion, Sasha moved forward, keeping her guard up. She swept her lamp across the water.

Three Giant Bats floated on the surface.

"...Who did this?" she asked, turning to look at me. "Rookie... was that you?"

"I just threw some rocks. Probably got lucky."

"Lucky, huh? You’re lying about being a [Swordsman], aren't you?"

"No, I’m a [Swordsman]."

"Fine. Keep your secrets."

The look in her eyes changed. She turned back and continued deeper into the tunnels.

Sasha was on high alert now as she led us further into the gloom.

An hour later, the tunnel opened into a massive cavern—an artificial plaza beneath the city. It was the epicenter of the stench, dominated by a massive pool of sludge.

In the center of that filth coiled a massive serpent. Our target.

The orange light of the Magic Tools revealed black scales with a sickening, oily luster. But the most terrifying part was the three separate necks, each ending in a head with a maw large enough to swallow a man whole.

"Hell, it's huge...!"

"We're supposed to kill that?!"

Even the ruffians looked ready to bolt. Sasha’s face was tight with tension.

"This is what you're paid for! Get in there!"

She tried to rally them, but the men didn't budge. This was going nowhere. I needed the money, and honestly, I just wanted to get out of this sewer and find a proper bed.

The old man had said no one would question my methods. I took him at his word.

"I'll handle it."

I drew the short sword at my waist and stepped forward.

"By yourself? Wait—"

I didn't wait for her to finish. I was already running.

The Three-headed Snake hissed, its glowing red eyes locking onto me.

Up close, it was even more monstrous. How did something like this end up beneath the capital?

One of the heads lunged, its fangs bared and dripping with venom.

My chance.

I activated [Iron Skin] from my [Martial Artist] days, bracing my left arm.

With a dull thud, the head slammed into me. My arm was drenched in slime, but my skin—now harder than iron—didn't have a scratch. I immediately triggered the [Swordsman] skill [Iron-cutting] and swung my blade.

"In one strike...?" Sasha gasped as the first head tumbled into the muck.

The remaining two heads thrashed in a blind, agonizing rage. I stepped back, pretending to reach into my pack while actually pulling an item from [Storage Space].

It was a small cylinder packed with volatile materials—a custom explosive created using a mix of [Compounding Arts] and [Alchemy].

"Get back!" I shouted.

I lit the fuse and hurled it at the thrashing beast. With [Sure-hit] active, I couldn't miss.

BOOM!

A deafening blast rocked the cavern. Fragments of the Three-headed Snake showered the area.

Sasha walked over to me, her expression unreadable.

"...Walt, was it?" She looked me straight in the eye, her voice devoid of its earlier mockery. "I’ll ask one more time. Who are you?"

I wiped a piece of snake meat off my cheek and looked at her.

"Just a [Swordsman] who couldn't get into the Adventurer's Guild."