Here they come!

"1000 gold coins! 1000 gold coins!" As the wind whooshed past his carriage that was moving at a breakneck speed, Kaden's heart bled at the thought of the astronomical amount.

In his last life, he had not even seen so many gold coins at the same time, but now it was day 2 and he was already knee-deep in that amount and not in a good way.

"Sigh. It's fine. It's fine. If everything works out, this amount is nothing for me." He wiped away his tears of blood and closed his eyes to take a nap.

Meanwhile, the carriage barreled forward and the caravan arrived at the destination without any mishap just like Kaden wanted.

"I will get down here." Kaden whistled loudly to catch the attention of the caravan master, as soon as he could see the outline of the giant gates of the distant city.

"A wise choice." The fae grinned. "Remember, failure to repay the loan within the given time will have dire consequences. Make sure you fulfill your end of the bargain."

Watching the back of the disappearing caravan, Kaden kicked a stone in their direction. "Motherfuckers. I will pay back that loan, and I'll do it with interest," Kaden muttered under his breath.

He wrinkled his nose and took a moment to compose himself. He then set off to search for his special entry into the city… the gateway to the underbelly… the sewers!

The sewers beneath the capital city held secret passages that directly lead to the underbelly part of the city. Well, they were not really a secret.

Everyone was pretty sure that the kingdom itself allowed the underbelly to exist. Otherwise, how could such a big chaotic place exist right under the nose of the capital guards?

It took Kaden about an hour to find one of the sewer entrances. Stepping into the dimly lit space, he was hit by the pungent smell of decay and dampness. The sounds of dripping water and distant scurrying echoed through the tunnels, adding an eerie atmosphere to the environment.

Undeterred by the grim ambiance, Kaden pressed on, his footsteps echoing softly against the damp walls of the sewer tunnels. Not long after, a squeaking sound emerged.

"Here they come."

Kaden immediately summoned Umbra and Scrap. Just as he did, several pairs of bright crimson eyes gleamed in the darkness ahead. Rats. Dozens of them scurried towards Kaden, their sharp teeth bared and their tails swishing in anticipation.

These guys were the other kind of deadly occupants of the underbelly. The weakest one among them was level 10 and sometimes there were even higher-leveled rodents in the mix, even as high as 60.

If Kaden ran into one of these, then it was sure shot game over and he would have no other choice except to try again. Unfortunately, there was no particular way to get around this death trap. He simply had to rely on trial and error and dumb luck.

As the rats lunged at Kaden, Umbra leaped forward, tearing into their ranks with its sharp fangs and claws. The shadow stalker moved with deadly precision, dispatching the rodents one by one. Meanwhile, Scrap maneuvered its pudgy body to stand behind and send out quick and precise dark bolts.

Kaden himself was not defenseless either. Drawing the White Fang dagger from his belt, he joined the fray, slashing and jabbing at the vermin. Though outnumbered, he fought with decent skill, his movements fluid and calculated.

After continuously grinding with a dagger, his dagger skill had improved a lot when compared to what he could do in his last life. Even Kaden himself was surprised at this growth.

Sometimes confidence was all it required to improve in something. The gear he currently had on him gave him this confidence and he had grown accordingly.

The battle raged on, the sounds of snarling, hissing, and screeching echoing through the tunnels. Despite their best efforts, the rats continued to pour in, their numbers seemingly endless.

However, the plus point was that the tunnel was somewhat narrow so even though there were a lot of rats, they were all not able to cram into that small space and attack him at the same time.

So the number he faced at any given time was manageable. Kaden took advantage of the confined space, using his agility and speed to his advantage.

With each swing of his dagger, Kaden aimed for the rats' vulnerable spots, targeting their heads and necks to deliver lethal blows. He moved with precision, dodging their lunges and retaliating with swift counterattacks, efficiently dispatching the rodents one by one.

Gradually, the onslaught of rats started to dwindle. The remaining vermin, sensing defeat, scattered in different directions, desperately seeking escape.

After a final flurry of strikes, the last rat fell, leaving Kaden standing amidst the aftermath of the battle. Breathing heavily, Kaden wiped the sweat from his brow, exhaustion filling his veins.

Right at this moment, a man appeared at the other end of the tunnel. Startled, Kaden instinctively tightened his grip on the White Fang dagger.

The man was in his mid-forties, with a rugged appearance and a weathered face that showed signs of a hard life. His clothes were tattered, and he carried a worn-out satchel slung over his shoulder. Despite his worn appearance, there was a glint of violence in his eyes.

Toad crap! The guy was definitely a high-leveled rogue! Kaden inwardly cursed his bad luck, but the next second the man turned around and left, minding his own business.

Kaden sighed in relief. It looked like the charm of his PVP kills was working. His gaze then fell on the piles and piles of dead rats surrounding him. Perhaps it was this sight or this stench that did the trick?

Whatever. He quickly collected the few coins scattered around that were the only drops from the horde. "5 silver coins for that many rats?" Kaden grimaced.

Even the monsters in the underbelly screwed over the players it seems, but this was just the beginning. He side-stepped the bloody show and continued walking into the tunnels.