Chapter 14: The Sewer Beast and The Broker
After the class ended, I walked out into the busy corridor. Students were rushing to their next destinations, but I had a different goal in mind.
"Time to pick a mission," I muttered to myself.
I raised my wrist and tapped on my smartwatch.
Beep—
A holographic screen projected into the air. I swiped through the interface until I found the [Adventure Beginner] tab.
Swish... Swish...
I scrolled through the available list. Most of them were mundane, low-risk tasks suitable for rookies.
[Rank: F]
[Mission: Find the Lost Cat]
[Description: A girl from the alchemy department has lost her pet cat. Find it.]
[Reward: 10 Credit Points]
...
[Rank: E]
[Mission: Harvest Mutant Fruits]
[Description: Locate and gather 5 mutant fruits from the outskirts of the forest.]
[Reward: 20 Credit Points]
...
"Too boring. Too low credit points," I critiqued, scrolling faster.
I scanned through dozens of missions, but nothing caught my eye. Just as I was about to give up, a specific listing flashed on the screen. My eyes lit up.
[Rank: E]
[Mission: The Town Beast Investigation]
[Description: Reports suggest that a Beast (Alien Species) from an Other world Portal has slipped past the defenses and entered the local town. Confirm the truth of these rumors. If the beast is found, report immediately to the Mission Hall.]
[Reward: 500 Credit Points]
I paused. "500 Credit Points? For an E-Rank mission?"
Usually, E-Rank missions offered 20 to 50 points. A reward of 500 suggested that this beast was either extremely elusive or highly valuable. The mission explicitly stated to search for the beast, not to fight it.
A wicked idea began to form in my mind.
'If I find this beast... and kill it myself... I can loot its body for resources. Then, I can simply report to the Mission Hall that I found no trace of it, or that it was already gone.'
I grinned. It was a perfect plan. I could get the loot and the potential experience points.
[Accept / Reject]
I tapped [Accept].
Ding!
[System Notification]
[Mission Accepted: 'The Town Beast Investigation']
[Assignee: Aditya (Level 5 Student)]
[Note: Until Aditya abandons or completes this mission, it will be locked for other students.]
[Advance Payment Received: 100 Credit Points]
[Condition: The remaining 400 Credit Points will be awarded upon successful completion and reporting.]
[Deadline: 7 Days. If not completed within 1 week, the mission will be revoked and the 100 Credit Point advance will be deducted as a penalty.]
I checked my balance on the dashboard.
[Current Balance: 200 Credit Points]
"Good. Now I have 200 credit points," I said, closing the interface.
But before I left for town, I needed information. Going in blind was a fool's errand. I scanned the corridor, looking for a familiar face.
There.
Leaning against a pillar, chatting with some other students, was the informant I had met yesterday. I walked over to him.
"Hey," I called out.
The boy turned around. His eyes widened slightly when he saw me.
"Oh! It's you!" He grinned, stepping away from his group. "You registered for the Mission Hall, didn't you? I knew you would. So, looking for more news? I have information on everything."
"I need information on a beast," I said, getting straight to the point. "Have you heard any rumors about a creature loose in the town?"
The boy's expression shifted. He looked around to ensure no one was eavesdropping, then nodded.
"I have heard something. But before that..." He extended a hand. "Let's introduce ourselves properly. We aren't strangers anymore. I'm Rohan."
I shook his hand. "Aditya."
"Nice to meet you, Aditya," Rohan smiled, rubbing his thumb and index finger together. "Now, about that beast... that's a hot topic. And hot topics cost money. Are you willing to pay?"
I nodded. "Name your price."
Rohan's eyes gleamed with greed and intelligence.
"I gathered this intel from some guys who live near the slums. For the past few days, people have been disappearing near the town's gutter and sewer lines. Some say it's just a rumor, others claim a demon is eating humans."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"My analysis? It's an intelligent beast. Most monsters that come out of portals just rampage and get killed by soldiers instantly. But this one? It bypassed the soldiers and went straight for the sewers to hide. It knows how to avoid detection. It's smart."
Rohan leaned back, crossing his arms. "That kind of intel is hard to come by. The price is 50 Credit Points."
He smirked. "Don't look at me like that. I know you took the 500-point mission. 50 is a small investment for a big return."
I looked at him, genuinely impressed. 'This guy is good. He knows exactly what mission I took and priced his info accordingly. His network is fast.'
"Fine," I said. "It's a fair price."
I tapped my smartwatch to initiate the transfer.
[Transfer 50 Credit Points to Student 'Rohan'?]
[Yes / No]
I clicked [Yes].
Beep—
[Transaction Complete.]
[50 Credit Points deducted from your account.]
[Current Balance: 150 Credit Points]
Rohan checked his watch and beamed.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Aditya! If you need anything else, just message me."
With a wave, he turned and disappeared into the crowd of students, already looking for his next customer.
There was no point in me staying behind, so I headed toward the mission location. After walking for a while, I arrived at the college gate.
Two guards were stationed there, keeping watch over the entrance. Their job was to maintain a strict record of everyone entering and exiting the premises. As I approached the gate, one of the guards stopped me.
"Hey kid, where are you going?" he asked. "Don't you know students aren't allowed to leave without a valid reason? If you still want to go out, provide your information and tell us your purpose."
I turned on my Smartwatch, and my digital ID appeared before them. Seeing the data, the guard's expression changed. "Oh, I see. You've been registered at the Mission Hall and you're heading out for a mission."
I nodded silently. The guard pulled out a logbook and said, "Sign here in the register, and then you may go."
After I signed the book, they opened the heavy gates for me.
Stepping out, I realized this was my first time in the town. I began to recall what Rohan had told me—that the beast lived deep within the sewers. To find it, I would have to go underground into the gutters, a place filled with absolute darkness and no light.
I smiled to myself. To an ordinary human, that would be a problem, but I am a vampire. I can see perfectly fine in the dark.
To be continued...