The Rat Tunnel was a chaotic and complicated place.
It was a buffer zone that connected the surface and the sewers. Most of the entrances and exits were in the slums. Even if there were a few entrances and exits in the bustling areas, they had long been sealed off or controlled by some powerful or tacitly approved organizations.
Some of the Rat Tunnels did not completely belong to the surface. In some areas, large parts of the Rat Tunnels were exposed to the surface and integrated with the buildings in the slums. It was like an earthworm that had half its body exposed and was drilling into the ground.
The Rat Tunnel that Julius was currently in was completely underground.
He walked on the Rat Tunnel, avoiding the people who were walking towards him or brushing past him. Everyone was shouting, cursing, or muttering to themselves in a language that he could not understand. It sounded like the mutterings of a madman.
The road was not wide enough for people to walk on, but it was enough for a carriage to pass through. However, only a fool would drive a carriage to this kind of place and block the road. That would probably cause countless disputes.
The residents of the Rat Tunnel did not have good tempers.
Julius avoided the unfriendly gazes and used his hands to slap away the various hands that were trying to rub against him.
On the first day he came to the Rat Tunnel, he had already suffered from pickpockets. Now, he would not be so unprepared. Moreover, his money pouch was not in his pocket, but in a safer place.
He placed the pouch that had some coins in it near his heart. It was a cushion in a place that could be fatal. This made him feel more at ease. At the very least, no one would be able to steal from him. If they wanted to take his money, they would have to have the ability to dig out his heart.
The road under his feet was definitely not good. It was wet, slippery, and unstable. The broken bricks on the ground were covered with cracks, and the gaps between the bricks were filled with dirty water.
When he stepped on them, the water under the bricks would splash out and fall on someone's leg, or a dwarf or a gnome's body, causing them to curse.
Julius raised his head and a drop of water fell on his face.
This place naturally did not have things like rain. When he raised his head, he could only see the ceiling seeping with water. This was the "rain" of the Rat Tunnel.
Under other people's feet was above his head. This was the Rat Tunnel.
Julius walked forward in the crowd. A withered hand grabbed his sleeve.
His hand instantly reached for the sword at his waist. When he saw that the person grabbing his sleeve was an old man with a hunchback, he almost pulled out his sword.
"I don't have money to give you," Julius said.
"I'm not a beggar, young man."
The old man grabbed Julius's sleeve tightly, and Julius had no choice but to leave the path and walk to the side.
There weren't any decent buildings in Rat Path. There were only shabby huts made of wooden planks and nails that took up most of the space in Rat Path.
Some people used the hut as a place to live, and some people used it as a place to do business, no matter what kind of hut it was.
........................... Julius looked inside................................................................................
"Old man, do I look like a rich person?"
Julius asked the old man. He patted his pocket. "I haven't even earned enough money for today's meal."
"Of course you don't look like a rich person." The old man chuckled. "But you look like someone who's going to pick up trash."
Julius frowned. The old man was right.
The old man's eyesight was not very good. It seemed that Julius had underestimated him. He could tell that Julius was a trash picker. He didn't have much skill. However, if he could tell that Julius was not the kind of person who would easily beat people up, then his eyes were very sharp.
To put it bluntly, Julius's rash appearance made him easier to deceive, and he wouldn't easily use violence.
"If you are holding me back because of my good temper, then you are probably wrong." Julius said to the old man. He turned around and was about to leave, but the old man immediately stopped him.
"I've seen a lot of young people like you who went to the sewers without any preparation. Most of them didn't come back. Most of them came back with missing arms, legs, ears, and even eyeballs … Only a few lucky guys came back in one piece."
Listening to the old man's serious tone, Julius didn't show any disgust or ridicule. He just felt a little helpless.
"Since you can tell that I'm a trash picker who goes to the depths of the sewers, what advice do you have for me?"
The old man saw that Julius didn't want to leave. He thought that he had caught the right person. His voice became louder. "How can a young man like you degrade yourself to those dirty trash pickers?
Adventurer, this is the name you should have!
If I were a few decades younger, I would be like you, ready to go to the underground to find treasures. Although I can't do it anymore, if it's you, you can do better than I did when I was young. The premise is that you have to be really prepared. "
Julius looked at the old man speechlessly. He thought that the old man was finally going to talk about the main topic.
"You need some potions in case of emergencies. I noticed that you didn't prepare any potions for healing or other purposes. This is a fatal thing in the sewers.
Whether you are a fully armed adventurer or an unarmed trash picker, if you are not prepared, then you are all the same. You can easily die in the sewers. "
"Then what should I do?"
The old man grinned at Julius. "I have a way, young man." He took out a bottle from behind and waved it in front of Julius.
The bottle was not a high-grade product. The inferior glass looked gray, and one could only vaguely see the liquid inside. The liquid swayed with the old man's hand, and the amber color looked a little like honey. Because it looked like honey, it was definitely not honey.
"Look at this."
The old man's tone was a little excited. Julius knew that everyone who sold things to others was like the old man now.
"This potion can make you see clearly for half a day. In the dark, you can see the wagging tail of a mouse in the distance. In the sewers, where there is almost no light, this potion can help you easily avoid the dangers hidden in the dark!
And it has more than one function. It can also maximize your physical strength and make you energetic in a short period of time. It's the best choice whether you are escaping or fighting. "
Julius pushed the bottle in front of him away and sighed. "I don't want it. Thank you."
The old man did not panic because of Julius's rejection. Instead, he continued, "I know what you are thinking, young man. You think that this is a fake potion and that I am lying to you. Then you are very wrong.
I can let you drink a mouthful now and feel that extraordinary feeling of clarity … "
"People who have just come to the Rat Tunnel will probably be fooled by you."
Julius interrupted the old man. "Of course I know that your potion is real. I also know that you have mixed more than half of the inferior honey in it.
This potion will be effective for a few minutes, but it won't last long.
Tell me, how many bottles of the original potion have you diluted? "
After being interrupted, the old man chuckled and dragged Julius to the side. He lowered his voice and said to Julius, "Young man, why haven't I seen a familiar face like you in the Rat Tunnel?"
The old man didn't mean that Julius was someone he knew. Instead, he meant that Julius had been in the Rat Tunnel for a period of time and had experience in it.
"I don't often appear in the Rat Tunnel," Julius said. "You probably won't have the chance to remember my face.
Let me tell you something. The honey in the bottle is too sweet and pungent. It won't be able to fool anyone. "
The old man brought the bottle to his nose and sniffed it. "I don't smell any sweetness."
"My nose is more sensitive," Julius said. "And I have smelled stranger smells than this."
Julius patted the old man's shoulder. "Don't be so heartless, old man. Someone might have died down there because of your potion." Julius turned and left. This time, the old man didn't stop Julius.
The old man touched his nose. "Arrogant brat … It doesn't matter if they bought my potion or not. Those idiots will die down there anyway.
Being a beggar is better than going down there to adventure and scavenge … Hey, young man over there, look over here! "
The old man turned his head and found another target. He walked over to the new target.