The owner nodded, wiping his hands on a rag. "Then tonight, you should join the expedition team. They're hunting a beast that's been killing merchants on the road. Anyone who knows martial arts will be paid ten silver coins."
Ten silver coins.
Aiden almost choked. That was more than enough to live comfortably for days—maybe even weeks in this cheap town.
He leaned forward, suddenly interested.
"An expedition, huh…?"
----
By the time he stepped outside, the sky had already darkened. Lanterns hung from crooked poles, swaying slightly as a cool wind passed through the nearly empty street. Aiden tightened his robe and followed the dirt path toward the outskirts of town, heading to the meeting place the innkeeper had mentioned.
"This should be it," he muttered as he walked. "He said anyone can join… as long as they're willing."
Outside the town's wooden walls, the torches flickered in patches of darkness. A wide clearing stretched out, and scattered groups of people stood around in clusters, mercenaries with cheap weapons, and a few rough-looking men who seemed too confident for their own good.
At the center of them all stood a tall man in guard armor, his arms crossed, expression sharp. Even from a distance, Aiden could feel the man's presence. This had to be the one the owner mentioned, the strongest guard in town.
Aiden approached quietly, blending into the crowd.
"So that's him," Aiden whispered to himself. "The guard captain… leading the hunt."
The captain's eyes landed on Aiden as he approached. "Are you here to join, sir?" he asked. His tone wasn't respectful, but it wasn't rude either—just neutral, the way someone spoke when they couldn't read the person in front of them. With Aiden's robe covering everything, the captain had no idea what kind of man he was dealing with.
"Yes," Aiden replied. "I heard you're paying anyone who joins, as long as they know martial arts?"
The captain's expression brightened immediately. "Yes, sir. You'd be the first martial artist to join us tonight."
Aiden cleared his throat. "Ahem… I don't know martial arts. But I have a subordinate who does."
He had already summoned the skeleton earlier and even bought it clothes to cover its bones. Wrapped in the loose outfit, it looked more like a quiet, masked fighter than an undead monster.
Aiden called out softly, "Come here."
A shadow dropped from a nearby tree without a sound.
Gasps rippled through the group.
The gathered townsmen stepped back instinctively. Even the captain's brows lifted in surprise. They all knew, anyone who moved like that, with such lightness and control, was far above the level of normal folk.
The figure stood silently behind Aiden, head bowed, not making a single sound. It didn't need to. Its presence alone was enough to convince everyone.
The captain nodded with satisfaction. "Good. With someone like him, this job might actually succeed."
Everyone's mood lifted the moment they saw Aiden's "subordinate." It wasn't every day they got to see a practitioner, or anyone who moved like one. People like that usually avoided their tiny, struggling town altogether. Some whispered to one another, others straightened their backs with a bit more confidence.
The captain raised his voice. "Alright, everyone, listen up! What we're hunting tonight is… the Stoneclaw Bear."
A wave of gasps rolled through the group.
Someone near the back blurted out, "A Stoneclaw Bear? Isn't that thing almost impossible for normal people to deal with? They say you need at least two practitioners to bring it down!"
Murmurs of agreement followed, some anxious, some fearful.
Aiden sifted through the inherited memories of this body. Stoneclaw Bear…
What he found made him blink.
To practitioners, it was basically a normal beast, strong, durable, dangerous, yes, but nothing rare. But for ordinary people? It might as well be a walking calamity. A single swipe could smash a grown man into the dirt. You needed at least twenty normal fighters to bring it down… and that was assuming none of them died in the process.
But two practitioners could kill it without much issue. That explained the fear around him, these people had no one like that, not usually.
The captain continued, trying to maintain order. "The merchants passing through have suffered too many losses. The mayor insisted we deal with it tonight before it gets bolder. With this man's" he nodded toward Aiden "subordinate joining us, our chances just went up."
The townsfolk stared again at the silent figure behind Aiden, the way it stood perfectly still, as if carved from shadow. Their fear of the hunt eased.
The group began to ready their weapons, rusty spears, worn swords, even a few pitchforks, determination mixing with trembling hands as they prepared to face a beast far beyond them.
---
After that, the group of twenty positioned themselves along the roadside, half hidden behind trees and bushes. Everyone was tense, gripping their worn-out weapons. The Stoneclaw Bear had a habit of ambushing merchants on this very road, always going after carriages that carried food.
To lure it out, they brought a small carriage loaded with sacks of grain and dried meat. It stood alone in the middle of the road, the lantern beside it flickering in the night breeze.
Aiden stood near the back with his disguised skeleton, quietly observing the group. Most of the townsfolk were breathing hard already—not from exertion, but fear.
It didn't take long.
A heavy, rumbling growl rolled through the trees.
Someone whispered, voice shaking, "I-It's close…"