You can clear the game with just one life by relying on a useless person!

Chapter 6: The Key to Bypassing the Prologue

As evening fell, You Che returned to Adela Town covered in blood.

The guards at the town gate were startled by his appearance, since even adventurers who went out for a day rarely dressed themselves up like this.

You Che was also helpless about this, but there was nothing he could do; this was the only set of protective gear he had.

The blood all over his body was partly from dismantling a rare hyena, which he got because he wasn't skilled enough.

After all, the materials from rare monsters are more valuable, so they need to be completely dismantled and brought back.

As for the main part, it was that he tried out the newly acquired hound's claws and teeth, and then got splattered with the prey's blood.

...I must say, it really works well, but the smell is a bit strong.

"...So this is all the prey's blood? You're not injured?"

The militiamen looked at You Che strangely during the interrogation, and only let him in after repeatedly confirming his identity.

Once in town, You Che simply ignored the strange looks from the other residents.

So what if I want to look? It's not like it'll cost me anything.

However, Yu Che originally planned not to change his equipment, but to spend the money on key areas.

Besides, the beginner village armor he can equip doesn't really add any stats.

As for the appearance? What is that?

But now it seems we have no choice but to change it.

With some time before dark, Youche first went to the armor shop and bought the cheapest villager's clothes before heading towards the Adventurers' Guild.

To be honest, he blended in perfectly with the town's residents—except for his face, which always seemed out of place among them.

As for the fact that the lady at the armor shop, after seeing him wash his blood-stained face, changed her initial disdain when he first entered and instead gave him a friendly pat on the back with a smile, that was perfectly normal, and You Che was already used to it.

After changing his armor, Yuche went to the guild to submit the quest. As planned, he asked the receptionist if he could meet with the client.

Based on game knowledge, this quest should be issued by a merchant guild heir who has traveled far and wide and recently arrived in the initial town. He will play an important role in the later part of the original game's storyline.

If players can meet him in the game's prologue, it will be much easier to meet him again in the future, and they will also receive hidden items as a reward.

But You Che's goal was not just that. He needed to gain that person's trust, then follow the other person's caravan out of the town, and finally pass through the western checkpoints to the heart of the kingdom—this was the safest way to escape.

Hearing You Che's request, the guild lady was clearly puzzled, but since he had proof of his baronial status, she still granted his request and sent someone to invite the person who had made the request.

Soon after, You Che met the militia commander in the reception room.

You Che: "?"

Team leader: "?"

Both of them looked completely bewildered.

"Why is it you? Did you send this request?"

"What request? Didn't you say you wanted to see me?"

The two: "..."

After a brief exchange, You Che finally understood that this mission really had nothing to do with that merchant guild NPC; it was purely a resource collection mission issued by the militia.

"The storyline is different from the game? No, although there were many differences to begin with, but..."

You Che frowned in thought, but there was nothing he could do but abandon this route.

"Never mind, it was my mistake. I'm sorry for taking up your time."

The militia leader clearly had something he wanted to ask, but hesitated to speak for fear of involving the secrets of the "Court".

You Che didn't explain, leaving the details to the person's imagination.

In the end, the commander didn't try to pry into the secrets, but instead asked, "So, what about those materials?"

Ten three-eyed hyenas' eyes are not a small number, not to mention there's also a rare species' full-body material.

You Che was speechless: "I've already submitted the commission, do you think I can get it back? You can take it."

The group leader breathed a slight sigh of relief: "Thank you!"

Seeing his cautious demeanor, You Che couldn't help but shake his head.

Look how much the name of a court and a code word have intimidated the child.

He should thank us!

You Che had intended to leave immediately, but after thinking for a moment, he said, "I was just talking to myself, you don't have to mind."

"To deal with a large number of lower-level dark races, it is more cost-effective to use those materials for explosive catapults than to use them as auxiliary materials for configuring Holy Light crossbows."

Upon hearing this, the group leader looked up in surprise, but You Che had already left the reception room.

The commander's throat bobbed, and this time he uttered two words from the bottom of his heart: "Thank you!"

You Che did not turn back and disappeared outside the guild.

The casual suggestion to the militia leader was just a passing fancy; the most important thing now is to find that merchant NPC.

He noticed early on that although the worldview of this world was largely the same as that of the game, there were some differences in many details.

However, the overall plot remains unchanged, as do many of the basic settings. For example, he had previously confirmed that a caravan had indeed recently arrived in Adela Town, which is why he formulated the corresponding plan.

But unexpectedly, things went wrong at the crucial point.

"...There's still a chance. As long as the person is still in town, we should be able to find them through the Baron's connections."

You Che naturally wouldn't give up easily and began to think of new solutions.

But just then, the sound of footsteps behind him alerted You Che.

"Tap, tap."

Having narrowly escaped an ambush by a rare monster, Yu Che was now on high alert and immediately noticed someone approaching.

However, the newcomer did not make any attempt to hide himself and came directly in front of You Che. He was a middle-aged man dressed in the usual adventurer's attire and with an ordinary appearance.

Despite this, You Che's instincts sent a faint stinging sensation through him.

He frowned slightly: "Who are you?"

The man spoke up: "You must be that adventurer who's recently made a name for himself in town, right? Excuse me for bothering you, but my boss would like to invite you to meet him."

You Che raised an eyebrow: "Oh?"

Could it be that...?

He did not refuse, and after asking a few questions, he followed the adventurer to the Twilight Tavern.

It was just after nightfall, and the tavern was at its busiest, so You Che's arrival didn't attract much attention.

At a table in the corner of the tavern, a teenager who looked even smaller than the previous militiamen was looking over with a curious yet scrutinizing gaze.

The young man had delicate features and wore a simple yet exquisitely crafted robe. His demeanor revealed his refined manners.

There was another person dressed as an adventurer guarding him, who gave off the exact same vibe as the one who had led the way.

The young man watched as You Che sat down and said politely, "Hello, Mr. Adventurer, I apologize for the sudden invitation."

"Well, I've been hearing a lot about you lately. People say you have special talents, and I happen to be looking for someone like that."

"I'd like to get to know your abilities, and if they're suitable, I'd like to entrust you with a task."

"Of course, even if you are not suitable for this task, I will compensate you for your time."

The young man offered very generous terms, but You Che didn't care about them at all.

He simply looked at the boy and the inconspicuous badge hanging on his robe, and smiled.

Got you!

The boy was puzzled by the man's stare and felt a hint of displeasure: "Sir? What are you looking at?"

You Che then came to his senses and smiled, "I understand. So, what do I need to do?"

The young man frowned slightly as he looked at You Che, but still maintained his politeness: "First of all, please introduce yourself. I need to confirm whether you are the right candidate."

Even so, it's clear that You Che's rudeness has significantly lowered the boy's previously high impression of him. If You Che cannot demonstrate outstanding talent, then this boy will most likely have to send him away directly.

However, You Che remained completely calm and simply nodded slightly: "Okay."

……after a while.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

A clear laugh echoed through the tavern.

"I never expected you to know so many interesting stories from different countries. Are all homeless people this knowledgeable?"

The boy looked at You Che with shining eyes: "You know so much about the customs and traditions of the four great countries. Have you ever been to those places yourself?"

Yu Che gave a friendly smile: "That's exactly right."

Given his understanding of the game's worldview and his recent experiences, it would be easy for him to tell the story in a way that would meet the expectations of the young man in front of him.

He wasn't lying; he had indeed been to those places, even if only in the game.

The boy had completely disregarded the initial minor unpleasantness and sincerely extended an invitation to You Che:

"You're exactly the talent I need! I hope you can join my team and come with me to the capital. What do you say?"

You Che, of course, would not refuse, and rose to give a slight bow: "It is my honor."

Seeing the boy's beaming face, You Che also smiled.

—Entrance ticket sorted!