Chapter 5: Chapter 5: The Peaceful Rainleaf Road
After packing up their belongings, Brother Wolf led Milo and the others toward Rainleaf Road.
"Is there something special about Rainleaf Road?" Miss Jessica asked curiously. After all, she had only purchased this property as part of her "three burrows for a crafty rabbit" strategy, and knew nothing about the specific circumstances.
"You could say that," Brother Wolf nodded. "But don't worry about it. Just live normally. I'll take you to meet one of the street committee members soon. Both of your situations can be resolved there."
Milo nodded, and the journey passed with questions and introductions.
From the outside, Rainleaf Road didn't look particularly remarkable. It wasn't much different from any ordinary street, though it did have a more lived-in atmosphere.
Brother Wolf led Milo and Jessica to a house at the street entrance. Despite the late hour, lights still burned within.
"We're in luck—Old Jack's still awake. That old man has quite the temper when woken up." Brother Wolf sighed in relief at the sight of the illuminated house, then stepped forward to knock firmly on the door. "Old Jack, Old Jack, someone's here to see you!"
"Coming, stop knocking!" The door cracked open slightly as the old man poked his head out with a smile, surveying the three people standing at his door before opening it completely.
"Come in quickly, don't let the cold air in. Whatever it is, let's handle it promptly so I can wrap things up," the old man gestured inside, waiting for the three to enter before closing the door himself.
The interior furnishings were somewhat vintage, appearing to be styles from over a decade ago. Though well-maintained and intact, they carried the weight of years.
Like an old photograph—yellowed and aged, yet possessing its own unique charm.
A crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling cast warm light throughout the room. Thin blankets for warmth were piled on the long sofa, and the entire opposite wall was fitted with a crystal screen displaying a first-person perspective of some pirate-themed movie. On the coffee table sat a pirate hat decorated with swords, guns, and stark white skulls.
Though still in his pajamas, the old man had already entered his professional mode, exhibiting a composed demeanor. "Alright, Little Bob, tell me what brings you here."
"Right." Bob Wolf nodded and began explaining the situation. "This gentleman claims to be a craftsman, hoping to find a place to set up a temporary workshop."
"And this lady," he cast an odd glance at Miss Jessica, "claims to be a property owner on Rainleaf Road, with a property here."
"Property owner?" Old Jack furrowed his brow in recollection—there seemed to be something about this from before, though he wasn't fully aware of the complete situation.
Ruffling his already messy black hair, Old Jack spoke politely, "Since you claim to be the owner, may I see your key?"
"Of course, I'm so glad I still have it with me." Miss Jessica smiled, pulling out a pure black, semi-transparent crystal card from her pocket.
"Ah yes, this is indeed our key." Old Jack took the card, gave it a brief look, and returned it to Miss Jessica before turning to Milo.
"Young sir, you're looking for a place to set up a workshop to live in, correct?" the old man asked kindly, and upon receiving confirmation, he nodded. "That won't be a problem. As it happens, old Mac's workshop hasn't been maintained since he left. If you don't mind the basic facilities, you could move in today."
"Basic facilities aren't an issue," Milo shook his head, indicating he didn't mind.
"Very well, then let's light it up." Old Jack picked up another ornament from the coffee table and handed it to Milo.
Milo accepted the ornament—a transparent crystal ball set in a black base with a card slot underneath. A silvery-white metal card was already inserted, with only a small portion visible, bearing the number sixty-eight.
The ornament's function was obvious: to screen and collect energy, requiring at least first-tier energy strength to fill. It was clearly a form of overt testing.
Milo didn't mind, of course. He placed his fingertip on the transparent crystal ball, and silvery-gray light flowed in like ink drops in water, gradually spreading and settling until it filled the entire crystal ball.
Removing his finger to break the energy connection, the previously dominant silvery-gray in the crystal ball began to compress and contract, shrinking into a tiny mass before becoming like a lamp wick, radiating light outward.
The faintly glowing silvery-gray wick sank into the base, and after a slight humming sound, the silver-white metal card below was ejected, now marked with complex silvery-gray patterns on top.
"Do you two need directions?" Old Jack asked with a smile, then grabbed some snacks from the table, tore open the package, and pointed at Wolf. "Though Little Bob rarely comes here, he knows the way."
"Alright then, please follow me," Wolf nodded and led the two toward the door.
As they opened the door, the old man behind them had already entered leisure mode, with movie sound effects and the crisp sound of snacks being crunched coming from behind.
Outside, the evening street was lined with sparsely lit street lamps. Though not perfectly aligned, they managed to illuminate all areas adequately.
The night air was cold, and although it was only early autumn, the chilly breeze made all three feel a chill.
Milo was naturally unaffected. At the peak of third-tier, his physical constitution alone allowed him to engage in hand-to-hand combat with guide-class fighters of the same tier. Using energy, he could even hold his own against prodigies who hadn't quite reached their full potential at third-tier. Even if the current temperature dropped another dozen degrees, he wouldn't notice.
Wolf mobilized his own energy, circulating it through his body to dispel the entering cold. He was a supernatural being after all—though not completely immune to temperature extremes, he wouldn't be defeated by mere cold wind.
Miss Jessica wiggled her fingers, feeling slightly numb from the cold. Unlike the other two, she was an extremely rare pure mystic scholar, which meant she was truly fragile.
Not only did she lack basic attribute enhancements, but her chosen path of exploration—the divination system—added absolutely no combat capability. She couldn't even apply a temporary strengthening buff to herself.
But she didn't want to say anything, after all, they weren't very familiar with each other. Was she supposed to ask to borrow someone's clothes?
It was just a bit cold—one could live without warmth, but not without dignity.
End of Chapter