A familiar white light flashed. Stirling noticed the herb bag in his hand looked the same but felt heavier.

  [Beast Essence Bone-Forging Powder]

  From a hundred-year-old demon beast, the tails and heads are cut off and boiled down to a small amount. It nourishes the marrow and essence and strengthens the bones and tendons.

  A faint smile played on Stirling's lips as he gazed at the text before him; then he set it aside with care.

  Now everything was ready; only the Bone-Forging Technique awaited.

  Stirling had long contemplated the source of this technique.

  The best way to save lifespan was to get a full copy of the Bone-Tempering Technique and enhance it.

  Stirling's first idea came from the dojo. Yet, getting the bone-forging technique could reveal his skin-resurfacing stage secret. He had thought ahead about this risk.

  The second path was to get it from the Night Watch. Stirling had heard many discussions from his fellow apprentices. Serving in the Night Watch could earn him many rewards through merit, including a bone-forging method. This path took a lot of time and effort, so he expected little.

  The last road, directly enhancing from thin air, took the most lifespan. Stirling would use it only as a last resort.

  Stirling pondered it, forming a plan in his mind and turning off the lights before bed.

  The next morning, Stirling rose and headed straight to the Night Watch station in the outer city.

  Since he had already passed the skin barrier, it was easy for him to join the Night Watch and gain a position. This would not only allow him access to malice but also allow him to conceal his secrets. From observation, Stirling knew that officials in Farfield City held a notable status.

  Soon, Stirling arrived outside the Night Watch station in the outer city.

  Standing at the gate were two broad-shouldered and muscular men, a sight that left Stirling in private shock. Only the Night Watch could afford to support these two fat men. If they were in an ordinary household in the outer city, they would starve to death in three days.

  After a slight hesitation, Striling headed straight for the Night Watch's gate.

  Indeed, the two guards noticed him as Stirling pondered.

  Seeing Stirling approaching, one of them glared and shouted, "What are you doing, man?"

  "Ah, Sir, I'm here to respond to a call," Stirling said on the double.

  "A call? Are you a samurai?"

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  Stirling's words startled the man, but then his attitude softened.

  "Sir, even though you're a samurai, you still have to go through the formalities. This is the duty office, and the recruiting department is next door."

  The burly man forced an awkward smile and pointed to the bungalow next door.

  "Oh?" Stirling looked where the man pointed, then bowed and thanked him.

  The fat man was so startled that he kept bowing and saying, "My pleasure, sir!"

  In this world, social status and rules are firmly upheld. Ordinary people must not publicly insult officials. Once Stirling became a samurai, he would immediately leave this outer city and rise. He was not someone ordinary people in the muddy pond comparable.

  Striling had been here for only a month. His behavior still reflected the polite and reasonable vibe of modern Earth. The burly man felt scared by Striling's slight politeness. He thought Striling was trying to taunt him.

  Seeing the burly man's panicked reaction, Stirling realized he was no longer on Earth. A wave of slight pain tugged at his heart. He said nothing more and turned to walk where the burly man had pointed.

  After Stirling left, the burly man wiped his forehead. He looked at his companion and said:

  "Wow, he scared me to death! He is so young; how could he already be a samurai?"

  "Fuck off! Every day, I tell you to be careful. If you donkey gets into trouble, don't drag me down with you!" Another man cursed.

  "How could I know? It makes little sense; such young samurai are rare in the outer city, only in the inner city."

  The burly man scratched his head and muttered.

  Elsewhere, upon entering the adjacent bungalow, Stirling found it desolate.

  Unlike the Kim Dojo he had signed up for, the hall of this bungalow was almost empty.

  "Is anyone there?" Stirling called inside.

  As soon as Stirling finished, a voice echoed from the room. "Who is it? Wait a moment."

  Shortly after the words fell, a figure in a cyan suit emerged. When the man emerged, he was jolted to see Stirling standing in the hall. Stirling was likewise startled to see the man. The two stood at opposite ends of the hall, gazing at each other in consternation.

  "William!"

  "Luis Chilavert?!"

  They both shouted at the same time.

  "Damn you, you almost killed me!" The moment William saw Stirling; he burst into a barrage of curses and stormed towards him.

  "Do you know I nearly died in Rock Village?!" William reached for Striling's collar. But Striling's right hand shot out and grabbed his, stopping it in mid-air. William's expression of irritation froze. He shuddered and pushed Striling's hand away with his arm. The next moment, he exclaimed, "Did you break through the skin barrier?!"

  Stirling held William's arm in a vise-like grip. He didn't sway as he smiled and said, "I was just one step from success the last time we met. But after settling here, I broke through."

  "Really? No wonder you could take my blow that day."

  William's pupils shrank. He didn't quite believe Striling's words. Last time they met, Striling didn't look like a samurai at all. Aside from his somewhat impressive swordsmanship, he was just an ordinary person.

  "What are you doing here?" William rubbed his sore wrist, impressed by the man's strength, and then asked.

  "I heard that breaking the skin barrier could get into the Night Watch, so I came here to ask for a job," Stirling said.

  "Hey, do you know why the Night Watch is short-staffed? Are you sure you want to come in?" William seemed to have heard something amusing.

  "Oh? I would love to hear more," Stirling said.

  "We, the Night Watch are the city's law enforcement agency. We maintain public order and handle disasters across the city."

  "Public order is fine, but as for disasters, do you know how high the mortality rate is?" William looked at Stirling and chuckled.

  "How would I know?" Stirling shook his head.

  "Let me tell you this: I've already had three changes in my colleagues in the past three years. Last time I went to Rock Village; so lucky I ran fast, or I would have died there!"

  Thinking of this, William was furious.

  "What happened there?" Stirling asked, feigning confusion.

  "You bastard! Did you know there were external cults refining malice, and you kept it a secret?!"

  "The entire Rock Village has become a malice domain! If I hadn't escaped wearing your monk's robe, I'd be dead!" William roared.