Chapter 187 Perception, Black Cat, and White Bones

As for this Advancement Quest—which lacked even the most basic information like a "Quest Summary," "Type," or "Number," looking so thrown-together that it seemed they had just grabbed a random pending commission of similar difficulty to serve as the threshold for his promotion—

Xia Nan had already been pondering it on his way from Rivervale Town to Nym.

The quest itself had no time limit, nor did it carry any penalty for failure.

No one had even mentioned what rewards he might receive upon completion.

Compared to the bounties he had taken before, it could not have been cruder.

Naturally, part of this could be attributed to the Association acting like a "ragtag outfit" and the relevant staff neglecting their duties.

But considering his impression of how the Association treated Class Holders, and the exact word the staff member had used when handing him the slip of paper with the quest address:

—Investigate.

Yes, not the usual "handle," "purge," or "kill" seen on the quest board's bounty notices...

But the ambiguous "investigate."

To some extent, didn't that mean he did not actually need to kill the core figure of this incident, Buck? So long as he compiled the information he gathered and reported back to the Association, the quest would be considered complete.

Perhaps this so-called Advancement Quest was just a formality?

Xia Nan felt rather conflicted about it.

Involving high-level Class Holders, Nym's upper echelons, the Church, and multiple other factions, not to mention that blonde Elf with his terrifyingly bizarre abilities—this was clearly not an incident he could involve himself in right now.

Because of this, after breaking free from the Secret Realm and returning to the real world, he handled the scene with the utmost care and precision the moment he managed to calm down.

He erased all remaining traces of battle from the ground. Even a single strand of mane wedged in the cracks of the rubble was picked out and burned to ash.

He did this to avoid anyone discovering that he had crossed paths with the blonde Elf and left completely unscathed, which would inevitably bring a whole series of troubles down the line.

He had not hesitated to throw Buck's corpse—which could have served as proof of quest completion, though it was now just a skeleton—into the swarms of rats in the sewers.

He watched with his own eyes as those starving, gray-skinned rats devoured every last scrap of bone.

Only after conducting another detailed inspection of the scene did he finally leave the Slums.

Otherwise, if he brought the corpse back to Rivervale Town, it would be extremely hard to explain why Buck's head had turned into a clean, fleshless Brown Bear Skull.

It didn't matter.

With a total of four attribute points and a precious, powerful Feat, his gains were already plentiful enough, far exceeding any potential rewards from the quest itself.

Even if things did not turn out as he guessed when he got back, and the Advancement Quest was not considered complete, he could just take another one. Simple as that.

The proficiency of his several combat techniques was still in the accumulation phase, so he was in no rush over a couple of days.

Xia Nan had always possessed good patience.

He also believed he had done everything he could possibly think of in that short timeframe.

If someone could still uncover traces of his involvement in this incident after all that... he would just have to admit defeat and tell the truth.

But on the other hand, realistically speaking, it had only been a little over half a year since he became an adventurer.

He had gone from one quest to the next, spending almost all of his downtime at the White Chickadee Tavern. His path of growth was clear and unambiguous.

Furthermore, he was just a "rookie" who had only recently acquired a Class Level. There was simply no way he could be connected to entities of that caliber.

Even if...

"Meow!"

In the dead of night, a sudden cat's cry by his ear snapped Xia Nan's attention back to reality.

His gaze turned toward the source of the sound.

Entering his vision was a small cat with an elegant posture and a coat of abyssal black.

The exceptionally bright moonlight on the night of the Feast of the Moon allowed him to clearly see the fine fuzz on its body and the slender tail swaying gently behind it.

Right now, it was sitting obediently on an eaves by the roadside, gazing at him from afar.

Staring into those brilliant yellow eyes glowing faintly in the darkness, Xia Nan somehow felt he could sense the vague emotions hidden beneath its pitch-black exterior.

Wariness, vigilance... and a hint of hunger?

Realization suddenly dawned on him.

It wasn't because he had awakened some natural talent like a "Druid."

The most likely reason he could feel this was because, following the encounter in the Secret Realm's attic, his "Perception" had reached 10—the highest point among his six core attributes.

It was the digitized manifestation of his observation skills, his insight, and his level of harmony with his surroundings.

"Perception" might not be as straightforward to understand as "Strength" or "Agility."

But in reality, the application of this attribute in daily life was reflected in all aspects.

In the simplest terms, a person with high Perception could easily tell if someone was lying through minute changes in their movements and tone, seeing right through to their true thoughts and attitudes.

Or, like a master detective, they could spot microscopic traces at a crime scene, detect traps and hostility during quests, and heighten their overall vigilance toward their environment.

If paired with the corresponding knowledge, it could also be put to great use in fields like "survival," "medicine," and "animal taming."

It also determined the spellcasting strength of classes such as the "ranger," "Cleric," and "Druid."

According to the data on the Attribute Panel, a normal adult on the Aifala Continent should have attributes hovering around "5" points.

Even if individual differences caused specific numbers to fluctuate, the variance usually wouldn't exceed a point or two.

Yet Xia Nan's Perception attribute had now genuinely reached double digits—10 points!

Compared to the attributes of an ordinary person, the disparity was far more exaggerated than a simple literal doubling.

Along this journey back, Xia Nan had already gained a profound understanding of this.

Whether it was earlier at the entrance of the Moon Goddess Church, where a single glance allowed him to spot the nervous tension among the passing guards and notice the somewhat ragged demeanor of the Cleric and the mage, looking as if they had just finished a fierce battle;

Or the panicked residents in the houses lining the street, jolted awake by the commotion; the unknown birds flying through the night sky overhead; the small mice scavenging in the trash heaps tucked in the alley corners...

Details that would have been entirely imperceptible to him in the past now appeared crystal clear, perfectly captured by his five senses.

It was foreseeable that in his future adventuring career, unless he ran into specific enemies with profound concealment techniques, it would be almost impossible for him to suffer a monster's ambush completely unawares, like when he had just transmigrated.

Even if he had to delve into an unknown cave, he could use his high Perception to make preliminary judgments about the situation inside.

Of course, these were merely conservative predictions Xia Nan made based on his own knowledge and his current, somewhat vague sensations.

After experiencing it for a longer period in his daily life, he would definitely be able to further appreciate the changes in his body.

It was just like the three points of Constitution provided by the Dewdrop earlier. He had originally thought it would just give him a bit more stamina and better combat endurance.

Only later did he realize it had quietly improved his sleep efficiency, as well as his resistance to various effects like toxins, plagues, and the cold.

His Perception, standing at a high of "10" points, would obviously have a massive impact on his daily life as well.

Right now, facing the black cat on the eaves before him.

Xia Nan was no Druid; he didn't possess the ability to communicate directly with animals.

However, relying on his high Perception, he could passively and instinctively observe the minute details of the creature's bodily movements, instantly compiling and analyzing them in his brain to draw a conclusion.

His right hand lightly brushed past the pouch at his waist, and he soon held a piece of dried meat.

Taking two steps forward, he placed the jerky on the ground under the black cat's vigilant gaze.

He stepped back slightly, leaving it a certain amount of space.

Then he watched as the creature carefully leaped down from the eaves. Keeping its golden eyes fixed on him, it tentatively approached, its nose twitching as it sniffed the surface of the meat twice.

Xia Nan had thought that this diminutive creature darting through the night would, just like its proud and cautious kin in his memories, snatch the meat in its jaws, find a safe place free from disturbances, and slowly enjoy its meal.

But to his surprise.

The black cat before him, with its pristine and flawless coat, actually picked up the jerky and took the initiative to trot over to his feet.

Its long tail curled upward affectionately, and arching its slender, delicate back, it gently rubbed its body against Xia Nan's trouser leg.

It even let out comfortable purring sounds from its throat.

Feeling the warm, soft touch against his calf through his pants, a thoughtful expression appeared on Xia Nan's face.

It had been over half a year since he transmigrated, and he had seen his fair share of stray dogs and cats in Rivervale Town.

He knew he didn't have any particular affinity with these little animals.

Sometimes, because of the stench of blood and monster aura lingering on him after a quest, they wouldn't even dare make a sound; the moment they saw him, they would flee far away.

Yet this black cat was behaving so abnormally.

Was it just naturally friendly, or...

Was this the effect brought about by his 1 point in Charisma?

Xia Nan pondered internally. Maybe he could find a couple of acquaintances later to ask if there were any obvious changes to his temperament and appearance.

He bent down, wanting to gently pet the black cat's head.

Before his fingertips could even touch that fine, soft fur, a massive explosion suddenly echoed from the distance.

BOOM—

The abruptly erupting roar seemed to give the black cat beneath him a terrible fright.

Its tiny body jerked backward, and its long legs bounded nimbly. In a few leaps, it had already vanished into the depths of the night.

Xia Nan didn't mind.

He merely turned his head, casting his gaze toward the direction the sound had come from.

It was quite far away; he could only vaguely see thick smoke rising alongside blazing firelight.

Lacking the slightest desire to get involved, he immediately turned back and continued walking slowly along his path home.

He had hurried away from Jeff's house before having the chance to eat dinner.

By now, his stomach was inevitably feeling a bit hungry.

'I wonder if Mrs. Daisy is asleep yet, and if she'd let me borrow their kitchen for a bit.'

'What did she put in that bowl of mushroom soup last time again... cheese... or lemon?'

...

...

Nym.

Outside the Slums.

A small squad of guards, led by their captain, was guarding an open, deserted intersection.

"Yawn~~~"

A fresh-faced young guard leaned against the nearby wall, lazily stretching his body.

The Feast of the Moon was supposed to be a day for family reunions.

Being suddenly called out from home, he inevitably harbored some complaints in his heart.

"Captain, do you think there's any point in us guarding this place?"

"If a powerhouse of that level wanted revenge, they could just turn right around and head into the city center. That's where all the nobles and wealthy merchants are."

"If they wanted to escape, they'd definitely head in the direction where the Slums lead out of the city."

"We're caught in the middle with neither end in sight. What are we even going to catch?"

The response he received was a slap to the back of his head.

"You've only been on the job a few years, and you're already this lazy?" the captain, a man in his thirties or forties with a thick beard, scolded with a wide-eyed glare.

"Cut the crap and just do what you're told!"

He seemed to carry quite a bit of authority within the squad. Seeing his reaction, the initially grumbling atmosphere of the team instantly turned serious.

The air fell silent.

Knowing that pushing too hard would backfire, and acknowledging that the timing was indeed special since it was the night of the Feast of the Moon, the bearded man changed his tune, grinning as he lowered his voice.

"Everyone hold your positions and don't let anything go wrong."

"Once this whole mess blows over quietly, don't rush home. I'll take you all to the Iron Bucket Toad for a round or two of drinks!"

The atmosphere instantly heated up.

A glint of excitement flashed through the eyes of the young guard who had been hanging his head after the scolding. But then, as if remembering something, he leaned in and hesitated.

"Captain, of course I want to go, it's just that a couple of days ago... I stayed at the Nightingale's Nest for two nights, so I'm a bit short on cash... heh heh."

"Don't worry." The burly bearded man patted his shoulder. "When you're out drinking with your captain, since when is it your turn to pay?"

"The Gray Badger Gang still owes us a few payments. You can drink until you puke for all I care. I'll just have Stubborn Donkey put it all on their tab."

Hearing this, the last trace of worry vanished from the fresh-faced guard's expression.

His lips curled up unconsciously, and his gaze turned slightly unfocused, as if he was already pondering what he would drink later.

"Tap."

Suddenly, from the end of the street.

A faint yet clear sound of footsteps reached the ears of everyone present at the same time.

As if by prior agreement, the guards all turned their heads in unison, looking toward the direction the footsteps were coming from.

They saw a tall, slender, and twisted silhouette staggering slowly toward them.

Illuminated by the moonlight, messy blonde hair swayed, revealing two long, pointed ears.

His Adam's apple bobbed.

The middle-aged man with the full beard instantly reacted.

"Alert!!!!"

"Chris, go get reinforcements! Jack and Noli, behind me! Conrad, get your shield up!"

"Conrad!?"

The hurried and panicked orders echoed faintly in the freezing air.

But they received absolutely no response.

The man suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

From the corner of his eye, he cast a glance to his side.

All that greeted his sight was a pristine, spotless white human skeleton, without a single shred of flesh clinging to its surface.

His heart skipped a beat.

He subconsciously lowered his head and looked at his own chest.

His sturdy armor had melted away at some unknown point. His skin was peeling back out of thin air, and his muscle fibers were scattering in the wind. His heart, along with its veins and sinews, was compressed and twisted into a puddle of bloody mush, exposing his pale ribs and the spine behind them.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something.

Only to find that he had already completely lost control of his body.

Darkness swallowed the world before him like a tidal wave.

"Clatter."

It was the crisp sound of bones clattering against the ground.