Chapter 163 - 52-60 goblin

  Chapter 52 Letter (4k)

  Half a month later.

  The woodland near River Valley Town.

  The morning breeze with a hint of chill blew, the branches of the oak tree swayed, and the lush green leaves rubbed and collided, making a soft "rustling" sound.

  Some leaves fell slowly, turning and floating.

  Swish -

  a dark brown light suddenly burst out from somewhere under the tree, fleeting.

  Extremely accurate!

  The floating fallen leaves were still spinning in the air under the invisible airflow.

  The next second, they were nailed straight to the rough tree trunk by the warm and sharp sword tip.

  "Hua La La!"

  The strong force transmitted from the sword body made the towering oak tree seem to have suffered a heavy blow.

  The tree body trembled violently, shaking off countless fallen leaves.

  Pull the sword tip out of the trunk with force.

  Xia Nan swung a sword flower and put the wooden sword into the scabbard behind him.

  Now, fifteen days have passed since he finished his mission and returned to River Valley Town.

  To some extent, these days are almost the most relaxing and enjoyable period since he came to this world.

  When sleeping, he doesn't have to worry about being shot in the head by a green rat with a wooden stick that appears from nowhere;

  when walking, he doesn't have to be afraid of turning into a stone statue suddenly.

  He eats and drinks in the hotel every day. Although he doesn't have a big meal every day, it is much more comfortable than living in the wild.

  Of course, after all, he hasn't retired yet.

  Xia Nan can't completely slack off.

  While relaxing, he also carries out his previous plans in an orderly manner.

  First of all, the custom-made [Qingsong] scabbard of the blacksmith has been completed.

  It is made of rock carbon steel, gray and black throughout, simple and low-key.

  While fitting the sword body, it also effectively conceals the material of the wooden sword.

  All the details perfectly meet his previous requirements.

  Xia Nan is very satisfied with this.

  It is worth mentioning that during this period of running-in, he also has a certain understanding of this only "blue outfit" on his body.

  In terms of sharpness, [Qingsong] is slightly inferior to the beheading long sword, and is only at the level of ordinary metal weapons.

  It was not very strong either. Although it had not been tested for high strength due to concerns about damage to the sword, the feeling after using it was probably better than that of ordinary standard weapons.

  I think the reason why [Green Pine] could reach the quality of "Blue Rare" on the attribute panel

  was obviously because of the two damage entries on it, targeting "undead creatures" and "scorpion enemies".

  In other cases, Xia Nan still used the beheading sword as his main weapon.

  Then, there were the two combat skills.

  Uh...

  how should I put it.

  Although it was not to the point of gaining nothing, the progress was not satisfactory.

  He had good talent, and it had been proven in both on-site combat and combat training.

  He was very fast at mastering the two combat skills [Forward Thrust] and [Block and Slash].

  In just half a day, he had firmly mastered the training methods recorded on the thin paper.

  But the strange thing was that it was different from the memory of the previous body practicing [Spinning Slash], which had almost become muscle memory, and every move was as precise and stable as a machine.

  When training these two combat skills, Xia Nan always felt something strange.

  Either the force was short and lacked burst, or the center of gravity was unstable and the body was shaking.

  There were new problems every time he trained.

  The key was that he couldn't find a suitable way to solve it.

  After a lot of practice, he finally corrected the original shortcomings, but new problems emerged again, and all the previous practice was in vain.

  It was like plugging holes, one after another, and it would never be completely plugged.

  This made Xia Nan wonder if these two seemingly simple combat skills were actually the kind of "crooked goods" that were circulating on the market.

  It was not certain.

  After all, the predecessor also practiced day and night for many years to practice [Spin Slash] to a level close to the maximum level.

  "Practice hard for a while." Xia Nan thought to himself, "After a while, if this situation still occurs, I will try two more books."

  After a morning of training,

  Xia Nan did not go back to the hotel first, but turned a corner and strolled to the "Rock Hammer" blacksmith shop.

  "Ding!"

  The metal hammer body fell suddenly on the red-hot molten steel.

  The knotted muscles swelled and throbbed, and sweat flew like starlight along with sparks.

  Hiss—

  thick smoke rose, and the red-hot iron was immersed in water, making a harsh sound.

  It was not until the whole process was completed

  that the sturdy man finally breathed a sigh of relief.

  "Are you here?" Looking at Xia Nan who was watching him from afar beside the shelf, Barn casually picked up a rag to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and put the forging hammer in his hand on the anvil, "Your arm shield should take about seven or eight days."

  "Sorry, I do have a lot of orders here. They are all customers who have paid real money, so it's not easy to cut in line." "

  It's okay, it's okay, you do your thing, I'm not in a hurry."

  There was no intention of urging him.

  The other party had told him before that the snake-scale arm shield was different from the scabbard. It had a special shape and no mold. It needed additional customization, and the speed of the finished product might be much slower.

  Xia Nan came here just to check the progress and confirm the time.

  Now that Barn had given him a rough deadline, he stopped talking, said hello, and was about to leave.

  Unexpectedly, before he left, the other party called him again.

  "What do you think of the mission of escorting the convoy?"

  Barn took a few gulps of water and asked:

  "We will set off in a few days. If you want to join..."

  "In a word, I'll put it in for you."

  "Of course, if you are busy, I won't force you. It's up to you."

  Xia Nan hesitated slightly.

  "The day after tomorrow, I'll give you an accurate answer the day after tomorrow."

  After so many days, the team's guards have been recruited.

  One more or one less won't make a difference.

  He didn't mean to deliberately keep the other party hanging.

  After all, the most important thing now is that the half-elf hasn't replied to him yet.

  Xia Nan is not sure when the professional contacted by Hai An will come to River Valley Town.

  Without an accurate time, he is afraid of missing it, so he dare not leave the town easily.

  Now half a month has passed. If there is no reply in these three days, he will simply refuse the job of team guard and wait patiently in River Valley Town.

  In this way, he will not delay the work of other team's team, and he will only earn a few less gold coins, which is completely acceptable.

  ...

  After leaving the blacksmith shop, it was already noon.

  Xia Nan returned to the White Tit Tavern and planned to have a lunch first, take a nap depending on the situation, and then continue training in the afternoon.

  It was still the classic combination of mushroom soup, stewed meat and white bread.

  But the specific amount of food on the plate was much more than before.

  This was purchased by him with extra money.

  With the improvement of physical fitness, his appetite also increased.

  With white bread, he stuffed a large piece of stewed meat into his mouth. Along with the rich salty aroma, the juicy and soft meat was easily chewed and swallowed into the stomach, turning into a weak warm current to provide energy to his strong body.

  Although Xia Nan did not have a clear understanding of his current physical strength.   

  But what is certain is that after absorbing the drop of golden dew, his physical fitness increased by 3 points, which improved his body in all aspects.

  Yes, in all aspects.

  Even though the "strength" and "agility" on the attribute panel are still 6 points after the full level of [Spin Slash].

  But he can clearly feel that after returning to the city this time, his explosive power and muscle strength have increased.

  Obviously, the various attributes on the cheating panel are not independent and clearly distinguished from each other as in the game.

  In the real world, the improvement of a single attribute point should be a more complex change for the whole body.

  For example:

  If one day, Xia Nan's "strength" attribute suddenly increases a little, then correspondingly, his muscle explosive power will also be improved to a certain extent.

  And the improvement of muscle explosive power also means that he can get a faster movement speed.

  Then to some extent, can it be considered that his "agility" attribute has been enhanced?

  In a fantasy world with a medieval background, without the scientific test of modern society, Xia Nan can only vaguely guess the changes in his body through his actual experience.

  "Crunch."

  The crystal wine covered with foam shook gently, and the wooden wine glass was pushed in front of Xia Nan.

  "Your beer."

  The tavern owner Chapton reminded.

  Xia Nan, who was chewing food in his mouth, nodded slightly.

  "Pop."

  A snow-white envelope was pinched by Chapton and tapped on the table and handed over.

  "It was delivered this morning. Your name is written on it. Is it yours?"

  Xia Nan's eyes lit up immediately and he swallowed the food in his mouth.

  "Yes, yes."

  "Thank you!"

  He took the envelope and scanned its surface.

  There was no extra decoration, only the address and Xia Nan's name were marked in the lower right corner.

  The pattern on the wax seal of the letter was a kite-shaped shield decorated with silk cloth and tassels.

  "It should be the family emblem of the Hai'an family?"

  Xia Nan guessed in his heart.

  Just as he was about to open the envelope, he heard a sudden noise from the tavern hall next to him.

  He frowned and looked over.

  What came into view were two familiar figures.

  "Bernie?"

  Later, he learned the name of the drunkard who almost made him draw his sword when he just returned to the town through the tavern owner and the drinkers in the tavern.

  It seems that he has no money for wine these days. He went out with his team to run missions and could not see anyone, so Xia Nan was too lazy to bother with him.

  Now, he was making trouble again.

  He also looked familiar with the person he had a dispute with, the middle-aged man with a simple face and plain dress.

  "It seems that I met him once on the day I went to the blacksmith shop to customize the scabbard."

  Xia Nan thought to himself.

  In front of him, the situation was getting worse and worse.

  Perhaps because he saw that the other party was a new face in the town, Bernie blushed and said a few words with a drunken smell.

  The plain man who was eating the cheapest set meal suddenly looked depressed.

  But he did not reply, just buried his head and speeded up his eating, as if he did not want to have a direct conflict with the other party.

  Seeing this, Bernie showed no intention of restraining himself. Instead, he was in high spirits and loudly muttered some dirty country slang.

  The nerves paralyzed by alcohol made it impossible for him to maintain his body's center of gravity.

  While dancing, his feet slipped and he fell backwards.

  His arms subconsciously sought support and pressed hard on the table next to him.

  "Bang!"

  The food and the wine fell to the ground.

  Xia Nan instantly retracted his gaze.

  Because he saw clearly that at the moment when Bernie overturned the wine table next to him.

  The thin young man who was sitting aside and suffered an unexpected disaster and was just drinking and watching the excitement.

  The figure suddenly twisted and left the original place as if teleporting.

  Not a drop of the splashing wine was touched.

  "Professional!"

  Xia Nan affirmed in his heart.

  Bang-

  Bernie, whose limbs were twisted, had lost consciousness, and fell into a state of severe injury and coma, was thrown on the street like a dead pig.

  The thin young man kindly asked the drinkers around him about the name of Bernie's team, then left a few silver coins and walked out of the tavern.

  The simple and honest middle-aged man also hurried away after sweeping the last bit of food on the plate.

  The drunkard finally offended someone he shouldn't have offended.

  Xia Nan shook his head.

  Speaking of which, if Bernie's two teammates hadn't been there that night, he might have been dealt with by the other party, and there would be no need for the professional to take action.

  He drank the last bit of beer in the cup.

  No longer paying attention to the bustling tavern lobby, he returned to his room and opened the envelope sent by the half-elf:

  "Long time no see, Xia Nan.

  First of all, I want to apologize for taking so long to reply to you. It's not that I'm delaying, but I have family affairs that are difficult to deal with and I can't get away until today.

  It has been nearly half a month since we parted that day and when I wrote this letter. I don't know if you are still in River Valley Town now, or whether you have started a new round of adventure.

  ...

  Regarding the commission of the combat skills instructor, I used my family's relationship and was lucky enough to contact a senior professional.

  He will pass through River Valley Town as early as the middle of the scorching sun month (Lisi) and stay for a short time. You can learn combat skills from him at that time.

  For detailed information, please see the attachment of the letter.

  No need to reply, it may be difficult for me to receive it, and I also wish you to become a professional as soon as possible.

  May the stars shine.

  Your friend, Haian"

  Xia Nan's eyes swept across the end of the letter, the half-elf's fluent and rhythmic signature.

  Thinking in his heart.

  As the other party said, the professional can only reach River Valley Town in the middle of the scorching sun month at the earliest.

  But now it is still the beginning of the flower season.

  According to the calendar of this continent, there is even a whole summer tide month in between.

  Nearly seventy days.

  There is plenty of time left for me.

  To be honest, after two consecutive adventures in the misty forest, the dangerous and high-pressure environment made Xia Nan feel a little resistant in his heart.

  He doesn't want to go in again in a short time.

  In this case, it is also a good choice to find a job as a convoy guard, slow down, and go to the next town for a few days.

  Not only can you earn some change to fill your daily expenses, but you can also experience the customs and customs of this world.

  The most important thing, and the key point that made him change his mind, is the bottleneck he encountered in combat training these days.

  Thinking back to the past, my predecessor spent countless days and nights and many years to practice [Spin Slash] to level 4 (98/100).

  But I just crossed into this world, and in a few days, I have filled in the two most difficult proficiency points before the full level.

  What is the difference between the two, and what does it mean?

  Xia Nan had some ideas in his mind.

  Taking this opportunity, he planned to verify his guess.

  Chapter 53 Tim

  Kalanfor.

  A small town near the River Valley Town.

  It is no different from the countless unknown small human gathering places in the Kingdom of Servia.

  The river is short and shallow, far from meeting the conditions for shipping. It is only enough for the women in the town to wash clothes and dump dirty water.

  It does not produce any rare specialties, and there are no large mineral veins around that can support the economy of the entire town.

  Even because it is close to the misty forest, the wilderness near the town has a denser number of monsters than other areas, and the travel of caravans is also particularly dangerous.

  To a certain extent, if the River Valley Town did not have the perfect terrain surrounded by mountains on three sides, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and was farther away from the misty forest.

  Kalanfor would be what it is now.

  Fortunately, it is precisely because of the "River Valley Town" that has an Adventurer's Association and provides a large amount of tax revenue to the Kingdom Province every year.

  Kalanfor, with satellite cities surrounding it, can be named "town" instead of "village" by sucking blood like a leech.

  It has not completely declined.

  It is only four or five days away from the valley town, and the relatively flat terrain around it makes it a temporary resting place for many adventurers and caravans.

  It can be said without hesitation that 70% of Kalanfor's annual tax revenue comes from adventurers who pass through the town and spend lavishly.

  But on the other hand, it is like a delicious sweet drink that invisibly affects physical health.

  Adventurers who walk on the edge of a knife, with huge incomes and huge risks, need to vent their stress in various ways after each mission.

  While giving the town a bright future, countless filth has also bred in the shadows behind it.

  On the west side of Kalanfor, at the end of a street that looks a bit deserted.

  There is a tavern called "A Bag of Gold".

  The simple name of the store and the pattern of a sack full of gold coins on the signboard.

  While expressing the good wishes of the tavern owner, it also implicitly reveals its functions.

  "Click, click..."

  In the air filled with alcohol and hormones, there is the crisp sound of dice being shaken.

  The slightly yellowish soft light, accompanied by the warmth of the burning fireplace, is like a quilt in the early morning of winter, making people unconsciously immersed in it.

  The tavern lobby, which should have been spacious and bright, became narrow and cramped because of the dense crowd in front of the gambling table.

  However, it has also become a place of fanaticism and excitement.

  Unlike a big city like Neum, which is full of nobles and educated intellectuals.

  There is no expensive large-scale horse farm in Kalanfor that requires huge funds to build and maintain; few people can be patient enough to play a game of dragon chess with interesting and complicated rules.

  These low-level adventurers just use the simplest and most direct way to vent their greed in endless excitement and games.

  "Four, five, two..."

  Tim stared at the dice on the table in front of him. His sweaty face showed a concentration that he had never shown when facing the gnoll hunter in the wilderness many years ago.

  "Eleven o'clock, fuck!"

  Without any intention of lowering his voice, he cursed with dissatisfaction, melting into the noise of the surrounding gamblers like a drop of water into the sea.

  The coins that originally belonged to him were taken away mercilessly.

  Tim touched the somewhat shrunken wallet on his waist, looking hesitant.

  As a former adventurer, the high-risk and high-reward job allowed him to save a considerable amount of savings in just over a decade.

  Even if he has no income now, he can rely on this money to live a good life in Kalanfor, and even spend his old age in peace.

  However, the income of the adventurer far exceeded that of ordinary civilians, and the bad habits he developed under the high-pressure environment, made him accustomed to the kind of lavish spending and living a life of drunkenness in the tavern.

  In just a few years, the savings that were originally enough for a family to live a comfortable life were squandered.

  Now he was not much richer than an ordinary porter in the city.

  "Hey, is it over? Is it my turn?"

  Behind him, the gamblers who were queuing up to get on the table urged impatiently.

  Tim turned his head suddenly, and his red eyes showed the fierce look that he had only shown when fighting monsters.

  "Why are you urging me? Get out!"

  The dissatisfied shouting disappeared in an instant, replaced by the back of the other party who shrank his head and looked for another card table. He could vaguely hear the complaining muttering:

  "You are just a poor guy, why are you pretending, even..."

  Perhaps it was the other party's words that stimulated Tim's heart, which was becoming more and more sensitive due to his embarrassing life,

  or it might be that the pile of coins on the other side of the table, shining with gold and silver, was particularly eye-catching.

  He clenched his teeth, and his red face showed the madness unique to gamblers.

  "Bang!"

  The shrunken wallet was slammed on the table.

  ...

  Pfft -

  a mouthful of saliva with a hint of alcohol was spat on the stone brick floor.

  The cold wind at night made Tim subconsciously tighten his worn coat, and the wallet on his waist was empty.

  "Fuck, I should have chased after that hand earlier, otherwise I would have made back my money by now!"

  With a strong unwillingness, he replayed the scene on the card table just now.

  It seemed that if he was given another chance, he could win back all the losses.

  His legs moved mechanically, and his feet were on the most familiar road.

  In a trance, he had returned to the door of his home.

  This is a two-story building, and there is even a small garden at the back.

  The location is not bad, only a few dozen minutes away from the town center.

  It was because of Tim's work as an adventurer that he could buy such a house in his middle age.

  Suddenly he came back to his senses.

  His lips moved slightly, and he felt his mouth dry.

  He pushed the door open.

  The first thing that came into view was a petite and cute figure.

  "Dad, you're back!"

  With a tender female voice as sweet as a silver bell, Beth ran into Tim's arms.

  The little head rubbed against the father's collar, which was a child's deep attachment to his parents.

  Tim stroked his daughter's smooth golden hair and picked her up carefully.

  Suddenly, as if he remembered something, he looked annoyed and said apologetically:

  "I'm sorry, little Beth, Daddy forgot your favorite muffins."

  "I'll buy it for you tomorrow, okay?"

  "It's okay, Daddy!"

  The girl showed a trace of disappointment on her face, but then she was worried that her father would think she was angry, so she smiled and shook her little head, saying sensibly.

  Dong——

  "Beth, come to eat."

  The steaming plate was placed on the table, making a cold sound.

  A white-skinned woman with a bun called to the girl while untying her apron.

  She didn't even look at Tim who was holding her daughter, as if he didn't exist.

  The guilty man just smiled and walked to the table.

  "I'm here."

  He said so.

  ...

  At the table, a girl with blonde hair was lively telling her mother what friends she made today and what happened.

  The woman with her hair in a bun also listened to the other person's words patiently and seriously, and asked a few questions from time to time.

  Tim said nothing, just lowered his head in silence, drinking the broth spoon by spoon.

  "Again?"

  Suddenly, the gentle tone of his wife's chat with her daughter became cold and short.

  I know she is asking me.

  The spoon in his hand paused, Tim lowered his head and nodded slightly.

  No scolding.

  Tim only heard a faint sigh from the other side of the table.

  "Mom and Dad miss little Beth, I plan to take her back to the country to live for a while."

  Tim looked up suddenly, his face stunned.

  "No, no! I will make money! Just a little capital, just a little! I will definitely make a profit."

  Faced with his promise, his wife just looked at him coldly.

  Without saying a word.

  Tim became more and more anxious.

  "I, take risks... Yes! I can still go out to take tasks, it will get better, it will! I promise!"

  The atmosphere at the table fell into silence.

  After a long while, his wife sighed again and took out a bulging purse from the pocket of her worn-out clothes.

  She gently placed it on the table.

  "This is the little money I saved from working as a laundry worker."

  "Whether you want to use it to maintain your equipment, continue your previous business, or to organize your clothes and find a job..."

  "No more talking, it's up to you."

  "I'll go wash the dishes."

  His wife slowly stood up, cleared the dishes on the table, and walked to the kitchen.

  Tim stared at the purse in front of him for a long time without saying a word.

  Suddenly, the corner of his clothes was gently pulled.

  He turned his head to look.   

  Little Beth, who had stopped talking because of the cold atmosphere at the table,

  raised her little head and said carefully,

  "Dad, don't buy pancakes tomorrow."

  "Beth, I don't like them."

  ...

  The next day, just after dawn,

  Tim left home early with the purse left by his wife.

  As an adventurer with experience in fighting many monsters, even if he didn't step into the misty forest,   there were many jobs he could do

  in this town where there was no danger.   However, after so many years of decadence, the spirit of fighting desperately with the blood of monsters had long been worn out.   Even if he used the money saved by his wife to buy a decent outfit,   the decadence that filled him and the reputation that had long been spread in the relevant circles   made Tim repeatedly rejected.   At dusk, the sky gradually darkened.   Tim walked alone on the way home, looking tired.   He knew that it was not easy to find a job with satisfactory salary under his current conditions.   It would not be easy to make progress in one or two days.   But...   thinking back to the cold faces of those people who rejected him just now.   Tim gritted his teeth and hated:   "Why are you all so arrogant in front of me? Ten years ago, I..."   "Money, isn't it just a little money?"   "I got more than 10 gold after a mission back then!"   He was immersed in his fantasy, but his legs seemed to have some kind of muscle memory.   Obeying his deepest desire.   One step, one step...   When Tim reacted, he was already standing in front of the familiar door.   Warm and bright light, accompanied by the intoxicating aroma of wine and noise, flowed out from the crack of the door.   His expression was dazed, and there was some indescribable emotion in the depths of his eyes.   He subconsciously raised his hands and slowly pushed the door.   ...   The room was clean and tidy, but it seemed a little embarrassing because of the empty furnishings inside.   The wife looked out the window at the sky outside, which had completely darkened.   In the distant street, the figure who should have returned home long ago did not appear as usual.   She lowered her head and stopped sighing. She   just quietly packed her luggage.   "Beth, have you packed your clothes?"   "Yes, Mom! But Dad..."   "Go to bed, we will leave tomorrow morning. Grandpa and the others miss you so much."   "Well... OK."   ...   "Bang!"   The door of the two-story building was pushed open.   Tim's face was flushed after a night of excitement. He returned home excitedly in the bright sunshine outside.   He was holding a bag of exquisitely packaged muffins in his hand.   "Hahaha, little Beth, look what Dad brought you back?"   The petite figure who would rush to greet her with a smile every night no longer appeared, and there was no sound of fireworks from the spatula rubbing against each other in the kitchen.   Only his high-pitched and excited voice echoed in the empty house.   He seemed to realize something.   The paper bag in his hand fell to the ground. He called out, pushing open every door in the house, even the closet was opened for careful inspection.   The originally excited look gradually solidified.   It was not until the sun set again and he sat in the messy living room that Tim finally recovered from the extremely empty and unbearable mood.   A firmness that had not been seen in many years appeared on his face.   "Swish!"   The old wooden box covered with dust was carried from the basement to the living room by him. He   struggled to find the keyhole in the dust, inserted it, turned it, and opened it.   What appeared in front of him was a set of half-body scale armor with faint traces of rust, and two metal daggers that were no longer sharp.   Gently stroked it, feeling the familiar cool touch on its surface.   Tim touched the bulging purse in his arms, which made him feel extremely uneasy.   He thought to himself:   "This money is definitely not enough to buy a new set of equipment, but it is more than enough to send these old things of mine to the blacksmith shop for maintenance."   "I don't know if the captain and the others..."   Knock knock knock -   the knock on the door suddenly sounded.   Tim showed an unbelievable look on his face, and hurriedly got up and rushed to the door.   Even if he accidentally knocked his feet, he still got up awkwardly.   "Creaky!"   The wooden door was suddenly opened from the inside to the outside.   Tim's face, which was originally surprised, was stunned.   Looking at the familiar figure outside the door, he subconsciously said:   "Captain?"   The man who appeared in front of him was a middle-aged man who was no longer young.   But compared to the decadent Tim, the other party was particularly energetic. He   had a fierce temperament, a strong body, and even wore a well-maintained set of armor.   "Captain, why are you here?" Tim forced a smile on his face and stepped aside. "Come in!"   Unexpectedly, the captain of his former adventurer team stood there motionless, just frowned and glanced at him, and said coldly:   "The team has a newcomer recently, and there is not enough space. I went to River Valley Town and helped you cancel your name in the team."   "Anyway, you are not doing this business now, right?"   As he said that, the man took out a purse from the backpack behind him and threw it to Tim.   "There are still tasks, so I won't bother you anymore."   "See you again someday."   ...

  "Bang."

  The door was slowly closed.

  Tim sat alone at the dining table.

  The dim light shone softly on him through the window behind him.

  His calm face, so calm that it was a little scary, was shrouded in shadows, and his specific expression could not be seen.

  He just looked quietly at the table in front of him, the half-worn armor that had not even had time to wipe off the dust.

  His fingertips twitched slightly.

  ...

  Pawnshop,

  scale armor and two short knives were thrown onto the table mercilessly.

  In exchange for a purse with a golden glow inside.

  In the tavern,

  Tim's face flushed and he roared, and the shaking dice were reflected in his bloodshot eyes.

  It seemed that even his soul was pushed to the card table.

  Late at night,

  Tim was drunk and staggered on the empty street.

  He muttered something in his mouth, and I don't know what he was mumbling.

  "Bang!"

  A strong force came from the front, and Tim fell to the ground suddenly.

  "%#￥% (swear words)!"

  He cursed vaguely, and turned his head, which was a little dizzy due to the alcohol paralysis, and saw a burly figure walking away quickly.

  He stood up with difficulty, thinking about causing trouble for the other side.

  When he supported himself on the ground, he suddenly felt a strange touch.

  It was a thin book made of strange leather.

  There was no words on the cover.

  Only in the corner, there was a white human skull pattern.

  Chapter 54 Caravan

  In the evening.

  The orange-red sunset like molten gold slowly sank into the sky, and the scattered and floating clouds were stained with a layer of twilight, like an oil painting dotted on the sky.

  The golden wheat fields swayed gently in the dim light, and the water-like sparkling made a subtle and grand "rustling" sound.

  The sturdy wooden wheels covered with dust rolled over with a "creak", splashing a few mud stars and leaving a deep rut on the soft meadow.

  Xia Nan sat outside the carriage, leaning against the heavy goods piled behind him.

  On both sides of the road, the pastoral beauty at sunset quickly retreated in the ups and downs.

  Feeling the soft breeze brushing across his cheeks, he couldn't help but squint his eyes comfortably.

  Now, it was the second day since he left the tavern.

  After confirming that the professional contacted by Hai'an would pass through Hegu Town for at least seventy days, leaving him plenty of time.

  It was also to confirm some of his guesses.

  He agreed to the commission of Barn, the owner of the Rock Hammer, and joined the convoy from River Valley Town to Kalanfor as a guard.

  To be honest, this round trip of four or five days is a job that Shanan needs to complete with all his heart.

  In fact, he did prepare seriously and abide by his duties.

  But on the other hand, for him who has entered the Misty Forest twice in a row in the past few days since he traveled through time.

  These days of traveling away from the gathering place of monsters can be regarded as a small vacation for himself.

  Unlike the vast entertainment methods in modern society, Shanan stayed in River Valley Town. In addition to eating, sleeping, and training combat skills, he would at most drink a few glasses of wine and chat with adventurers in the hotel.

  It was okay for one or two days, but for a long time, although it was within the tolerable range, it was still a bit boring.

  Now...

  "Crack."

  The wheels gradually slowed down their speed, and under the influence of the heavy cargo in the carriage, they made a sluggish and noisy sound.

  It called Shanan back to reality from his divergent thoughts.

  The sentry in charge of the alert did not make a sound, and there was no disturbance in the convoy.

  Most likely, nothing went wrong.

  But he jumped off the carriage neatly, not caring about the wet mud on the surface of his leather boots.

  He looked to both sides.

  A sound of footsteps came from the front of the convoy. The

  person who appeared in front of him was the honest man who had been silent in the face of the provocation of "Drunk Bernie" whom Xia Nan had seen twice in River Valley Town.

  He was also the captain of the convoy he was in at the moment -

  "Jeff".

  From the other party's steady and unhurried pace, it can be seen that the convoy's stop was not an accident.

  And the fact is indeed so.

  Seeing that Shanan had already jumped out of the car, the middle-aged man in plain clothes scratched his head and said honestly:

  "Mr. Shanan, we have come here today."

  "Dinner is already prepared. It is... uh, the stew made by Mr. Alton. If you don't mind, you can go and taste it later."

  "Although we are close to Kalanfor, we still have to trouble you to help keep watch at night."

  "Don't worry, this is what we should do." Hearing this, Shanan smiled and nodded.

  There was something strange in his heart.

  Alton? Stew?

  Recalling the memories of the past two days, his expression remained unchanged, but he was already thinking in his mind whether to make do with the dry food he brought with him.

  ...

  There were not many people in the convoy. Even with Shanan and other temporary guards, there were only a dozen people in total.

  And it was just like the two children and their mother he met on the way back at the end of his first mission.   

  On this continent, there is an invisible barrier between ordinary civilians and adventurers.

  During the two-day journey, the number of times the team members took the initiative to communicate with Shanan was very few.

  Even when they were resting and eating, they were often the adventurers sitting in one circle, and the others sat in another circle.

  Only occasionally, the team leader "Jeff" would come with some snacks and communicate the itinerary arrangements.

  Tonight was no exception.

  Shanan and several adventurers sat around the campfire.

  Not far away, several carriages were deliberately parked crookedly on the side of the road.

  This would not only not hinder the vision of the adventurers on night watch, but also allow them to use the sturdy body of the carriage as a cover in time when they encountered danger.

  Naturally, some simple warning traps were set up long before it was confirmed that they would stop to rest.

  The order of night watch had also been confirmed internally.

  Shanan was in charge of the second half of the night and needed to rest early to maintain his physical strength. At

  the moment, he was applying honey that he had bought from the grocery store before leaving on the warm roasted dried meat in his hand.

  In front of him, several adventurers were chatting casually:

  "Hey, have you heard that some strange-shaped buildings were recently discovered in the Misty Forest? Maybe they are the remains of some ancient ruins?"

  "That... Didn't the high-level adventurers in the association go to see it? Nothing was found."

  "Ah? I thought there were secret realms, space layers or something."

  "Even if there were, would it be our turn?"

  "That's right..." "

  By the way, you know about Bernie's incident?"

  "Of course, I was there at that time! That scene..."

  On the other side,

  Xia Nan said nothing, seemingly concentrating on processing the ingredients, but in fact he quietly pricked up his ears.

  From the "strange buildings with unique shapes" mentioned by the other party, he could probably guess. What

  the other party was discussing was the alien things that he and the half-elf group had encountered before.

  The dilapidated ruins almost extended from the depths of the Misty Forest to the periphery, and it was impossible to escape the eyes of the adventurers in the association who roamed around the forest all day long.

  It's just...

  "Didn't find anything?"

  Speaking of which, the half-elf and Wood had mentioned that they had clearly arrived at the place where they disappeared, but were not teleported into the cave.

  Now even high-level professionals have not been able to discover the secret.

  Does it mean that there is something special about his existence that can have some connection with the cave that seems to be a "secret place"?

  And if we talk about the biggest difference between him and the natives of this world, it is only one thing, that is...

  "Dong, Dong."

  Heavy and slow footsteps came from behind.

  Xia Nan turned around subconsciously.

  What came into view was a shaky iron pot with hot soup splashing out from both sides from time to time.

  In the dim light, the pot seemed to be under some kind of magic, suspended in the air, shaking and struggling to approach them.

  But if you observe more carefully, you can see a pair of exquisite high-top leather boots embroidered with four-leaf clover patterns right below the pot.

  "The stew is here!"

  "Help me quickly, I can't hold it!"

  Chapter 55 Alton

  "Bang!"

  The metal pot bottom collided with the small stones in the soil, making a crisp sound.

  The iron pot, which exuded the aroma of food, fell heavily on the grass.

  "Eat it quickly, I've been stewing it for a long time, it must be delicious!"

  At this time, a small man who was just as tall as his waist appeared in front of Shanan.

  A pair of hazel eyes, shining slightly under the twilight of the sky; the skin was white and rosy, and on the short curly brown hair, a pointed soft hat decorated with feathers was worn. The

  clothes on his body were simple and neat for adventurers, but the color combination was conspicuous and bright. If you look closely, you can see small and exquisite decorations such as "the four-leaf clover pattern on the shoes".

  Alton,

  a halfling, is also one of Shanan's companions on this mission.

  Different from the "dwarves" he had seen before, who seemed to be flattened and stretched horizontally, as solid as tree stumps; nor like those dwarves with big heads and light bodies.

  Although halflings are also short, they are only three or four feet tall when they grow up.

  But the proportions of his body are more similar to humans.

  At the same time, his limbs are covered with brown fur like small animals.

  However, the Alton in front of him seems to be the "light-footed halfling" of their race.

  There is much less fur all over his body, and only his legs are furry - after all, he is wearing thick linen pants, and Shanan is just guessing.

  "Radish, honey, and even a little secret pepper I brought from the village."

  "You must have never tasted this taste!"

  Alton held the pot lid in one hand and put the other hand on his waist, with a smug look on his smiling face.

  Shanan quickly nibbled the dried meat in his hand, pretending to be full, and recalled the information about "halflings" he had learned from various places during this period.

  Compared with dwarves, there are many dwarf subspecies such as "hill dwarves", "mountain dwarves", and "gray dwarves" according to various factors such as living environment and clan origin.

  There are two main types of halflings on the continent of Efala, namely "Strong-hearted Halflings" and "Light-footed Halflings".

  The former have thicker hair and a slightly sturdier body.

  They are keen on comfortable home life and often choose to settle down in one place and live for a long time.

  Harmonious neighborhood relations, warm fireplaces, and a piece of freshly baked walnut pie are what the Strong-hearted Halflings pursue.

  In contrast, the Light-footed Halflings are more keen on traveling.

  They do not deliberately pursue a certain goal, but just enjoy all the interesting things during the journey.

  In most cases, only the "Light-footed" species are willing to leave the community and become adventurers running between various tasks.

  It is worth mentioning that compared with the love and hatred between the "subspecies" of the major tribes on the continent, the relationship between the Light-footed Halflings and the Strong-hearted Halflings is very good.

  Although sometimes conflicts arise due to their different pursuits, with their racial family-like way of getting along, it is just like the daily quarrels between brothers and sisters, which is not serious.

  After all, I couldn't escape.

  When Alton opened his big, sparkling eyes and looked at Shanan with an extremely expectant look that longed for your approval,

  he agreed to take a bite .

  Hiss -

  the taste was unexpectedly good.

  The various seasonings mixed together actually neutralized the conflicting tastes to a certain extent, leaving only a mild and comfortable fragrance in the orange-red soup.

  In addition, the meat pieces that were stewed to a soft state with the right amount of fat and lean, and the radish slices that were soaked with soup...

  With some surprise in his eyes, Shanan made a "thumbs-up" gesture to Alton and praised:

  "The taste is indeed good, not much worse than the food in the tavern."

  As for Shanan's praise, Alton was very consistent with his racial characteristics and maximized the emotional value.   

  He smiled happily and heartily:

  "Hahaha, thank you! It's not that good."

  He poured two more spoonfuls into his bowl.

  It's not that Shanan has any prejudice against Alton, but the character he has shown in the past two days is too "distinct".

  Like most light-footed halflings, he is easy-going and open-minded. He is curious about everything he encounters on the road and is keen to try all kinds of new things.

  Whether it is the specific operation of the wheel or the cost of a day's fodder for packhorses...

  Almost everyone in the team was enthusiastically pulled by him to chat for a few words.

  He tried driving a carriage and learned the skills of setting traps from an adventurer who was quite kind, but the final result was often not as expected. He is

  even a little superstitious -

  Shanan saw Alton take off his hat and salute to an inconspicuous bush on the side of the road.

  According to him, this is a tribute to one of their halfling gods, the goddess of nature "Sheela Perilor" who holds the power of agriculture and climate.

  All in all, although he looked a little strange at times, Alton, at least for now, was a good person.

  Gurgle—

  his Adam's apple rolled.

  Shanan scooped two mouthfuls of stew into his mouth and chatted with Alton beside him.

  "So, you believe in the goddess of agriculture of your race?"

  There are many gods on the continent of Efala, and the various pantheons are even more complicated, and there are many overlapping powers.

  The halflings alone have seven gods in charge of different fields.

  They call it the "Heyin" pantheon.

  ——"Heyin" is the self-name of the halflings for their own race. It originated from rural slang and gradually spread to all parts of the continent.

  Shanan was also a little curious about how the halflings themselves viewed these direct gods who were as kind as parents but difficult to contact.

  Unexpectedly, Alton shook his head at Shanan's doubts.

  The community relationship of the halflings, like a big family, allows them to regard the gods who protect their own race as part of the family.

  In this case, it is not appropriate for the halflings to serve devoutly like the priests in the outside world.

  "So, you..."

  Just when Shanan thought that the other party did not believe in gods like himself.

  Alton suddenly smiled.

  He took out a coin with a metallic luster from his waist bag.

  Ding -

  the coin bounced high with force on his fingertips.

  Spinning and falling.

  Alton opened his fingers, and the coin was facing up in his palm.

  The pattern engraved on its surface was revealed:

  a long-haired woman with a blurred face, but a faint smile could be found at the corner of her mouth.

  "Ms. Smile",

  the goddess of luck who holds the power of "fate" -

  [Tamora]

   Chapter 56 Smiling Lady

  "Tamora?"

  Shanan was quite surprised by the halflings' beliefs. He

  could not help but recall the various mystical knowledge that he had recently learned urgently.

  In his impression, compared to the "Tyr", the God of Justice and Incompleteness, who has a large number of knight orders and is committed to exorcising all injustices;

  or the Blood Skull Cult, which lurks in the depths of the haze and believes in the "God of Murder" "Baal", and every time it appears, it is accompanied by bloody storms.

  The Smiling Lady can be said to be very low-key.

  She is neither keen on spreading her doctrines eagerly nor likes to show off the so-called "miracles" in front of people.

  In the Kingdom of Servia, you rarely see large temples dedicated to Tamora, and even birdcage-sized shrines are not often found.

  Only those fanatical believers who are the most pious and implement the teachings of the goddess of luck in their daily words and deeds have the opportunity to accept the test and become a priest in a related field.

  But on the other hand, because of the special nature of the power it holds, Tamora has an exaggerated number of pan-believers throughout the continent.

  Merchants, sailors, gamblers... and even many adventurers are all believers of this goddess.

  Even if they have never mentioned it before, and even don't know what their specific functions and holy emblems are.

  It doesn't affect them to silently recite the name of Tymora in their hearts and pray for good luck when they face a treasure chest they suddenly find, or the dice that are about to be opened. What

  's new is that the smiling lady never hesitates to use her power.

  Idle gamblers, adventurous and radical businessmen... Those who dare to put their important things on the other side of the scale and let luck determine the future results can often attract Tymora's lowering eyes.

  Therefore, it is often heard that another lucky boy has won a lot of money in the casino, or a small businessman happened to do a big business.

  ——Even if the gold coins won are quickly squandered by the generous gamblers, and the merchants suffer losses in subsequent businesses.

  In short, in scenes that have nothing to do with interests, those who can still call themselves Tymora believers obviously believe in this goddess who is indifferent by nature.

  After explaining his faith to him, the halfling stopped talking and showed no intention to preach. He was indeed a believer of the goddess of luck.

  However,

  Shanan ate the stew in his bowl and looked at Alton from the corner of his eye.

  He studied the spoon in his hand with great interest, as if he was curious about its forging process. He got up in a hurry because of the night owl flying over his head, and shook his soft hat in his hand three times superstitiously. There

  was something strange in his expression.

  He had heard about the secrets of the halfling race from an old drunkard in the hotel.

  It was like the protagonist in a poetic novel who would never die before the end of the story.

  These curious, cheerful and enthusiastic little people seemed to be born with the favor of the goddess of luck.

  Falling off a cliff and having a branch hooked on the trouser leg, encountering a monster and unexpectedly getting support from a passing adventurer...

  Under normal circumstances, halflings often attribute their good luck to their mother goddess "Yonda La".

  Rather than the smiling lady outside the Heyin pantyhose.

  Therefore, a halfling who believes in the goddess of luck is reasonable but rare.

  Noticing that the stew in Shanan's bowl was almost finished, Alton, who had finally calmed down, immediately stood up and scooped two more spoonfuls for him.

  With a smile on his face, he seemed to be particularly satisfied with Shanan's recognition of his cooking skills.

  "Thank you."

  Shanan thanked him after taking the wooden bowl handed over by the halfling.

  But he couldn't help thinking in his heart.

  He was an adventurer, dealing with all kinds of monsters every day, which could be said to be dancing on a tightrope.

  Although he was not interested in such gods on this continent, the words of the goddess of luck... maybe he could still believe in them a little?

  So, he took the opportunity to raise relevant questions to the halfling.

  Of course, his words were very restrained and cautious.   

  Even a casual word in daily life has to be turned around twice in the stomach before it is spoken.

  After all, there are real gods in this world!

  If you accidentally say something offensive and it happens to be heard by Tymora.

  She moved her hands and shaved a few points of luck for herself, then she would have a good life.

  However, the answer of the halfling disappointed Shanan.

  "Of course!" Alton waved the spoon in his hand, still with a thick smile on his face, "No god in this world will refuse to have one more believer."

  "Then what is needed specifically? A ceremony, or some kind of sacrificial item?"

  "Hmm..."

  Alton scratched his head through the pointed soft hat on his head.

  "It should be... not necessary."

  "You think you are a believer of the lady, that's it."

  "Anyway, I suddenly received the oracle of the lady in my dream one night."

  Seeing Shanan's gradually stiff expression, the halfling quickly added.

  "Maybe, you can try to pick a four-leaf clover and put it under your pillow when you sleep, maybe it will work!"

  Shanan shook his head.

  But he knew that if he didn't have a very devout faith in a god like Tymora, or was born to be favored by the goddess like the halfling in front of him, he

  would not be able to have a real connection with her.

  He didn't believe it.

  Even if he prayed to her three thousand times every night before going to bed, it might be better to find a casino and gamble away more than a hundred gold coins on him, so that he would have a greater chance of getting Tymora's attention.

  He stopped worrying about it.

  Shanan continued to drink the unique stew while chatting with Alton. He

  was very enthusiastic, and chatting with the halfling would never be boring.

  Often, when he just mentioned it casually, Alton would blurt out countless topics like pouring beans.

  In a few dozen minutes, Shanan even knew what seasonings the other party's mother put in the dishes and what time the old man next door watered the plants every morning.

  It was really exaggerated.

  Fortunately, before he was completely lost in the halfling's endless topics like the stars in the sky.

  The captain of the caravan, "Jeff", a simple man,

  came to the temporary camp of the adventurers with a big bowl of stew. He

  came to discuss tomorrow's itinerary and the arrangements after that.

  "We will reach Kalanfor at the latest tomorrow morning. If you are free, I will find a tavern and treat everyone to a meal as a reward for the hard work on the way."

  "In fact, if you are in a hurry, it is not impossible to travel overnight. After all, we are very close to the town now, and there will be basically no danger."

  "But to be on the safe side, we should..."

  Ding-ling-ling -

  the trap is triggered!

  The rapid and loud ringing of the bell instantly interrupted Jeff's words.

   Chapter 57 Refreshing

  "Ding-ling-ling!"

  A quick bell rang in the night.

  The wooden bowl fell to the ground, and the half-drunk orange stew splashed onto the meadow.

  Buzz -

  accompanied by the sharp sound of the sword being drawn with the trembling of metal, the cold iron-gray light flashed in the air.

  The next second, the beheading sword was already in Shanan's hand.

  Beside him, Alton reacted just as quickly.

  Just now, he was still smiling and sharing the story of his hometown with Shanan, but the moment the bell rang, his expression suddenly froze.

  The two legs almost stepped out of the shadow.

  In a flash, he had already jumped onto the top of the carriage on the side of the road.

  While looking in the direction of the sound, a miniature and exquisite lute appeared in his hand.

  The cheerful, enthusiastic and lively personality of the halflings does not mean that they are fools who allow others to bully them.

  The strong sense of responsibility in their hearts allows these little people to often show outstanding courage and firm will far beyond their stature when defending their relatives, friends and villages.

  Their small and unobstructed bodies also gave them extraordinary agility and stealth abilities similar to those of wanderers.

  In fact, the fact that a light-footed halfling was allowed to leave the community and go out as an adventurer

  proved Alton's ability.

  The reactions of other adventurers around him were not much different.

  There was only a sound of pots and pans colliding on the ground. In just a few seconds, the guards had already grasped their weapons and stood in position according to the formation arranged in advance.

  It was only at this time, when all the adventurers were ready for battle, that a noisy noise came from the camp of the caravan on the other side.

  "Goblin, 23, no subspecies found."

  Quickly adjusting the strings of his guitar, the halfling calmly and accurately reported his findings to everyone.

  As soon as the voice fell, Shanan felt that the tense adventurers around him were obviously relieved.

  "Fortunately, it's just goblins."

  Come to think of it, at this location close to the town, the only ones who dare to take the initiative to attack the human convoy, except for some monsters that have lost their ability to perceive threats due to excessive hunger, are these brainless green-skinned bastards.

  "Chris, Wilson, get ready!"

  The leader-like guard in the team shouted loudly to the two adventurers with longbows on their backs.

  They acted quickly, as if they had cooperated many times before.

  The two archers, using their hands and feet, quickly climbed onto the carriages placed on the roadside in advance and occupied the commanding heights.

  Then they aimed at the goblins that were shadowy in the distance and rushing towards them at a fast pace in the dark night.

  Bend the bow and put the arrow.

  "Swish!"

  The wooden arrow with tail feathers turned into a thin and blurred outline and disappeared into the darkness.

  Two black shadows fell to the ground in response.

  "Keep going!"

  The adventurer continued to shout.

  The sound of breaking through the air sounded again, but compared with the previous one, there were several more grooms in the convoy in the attack this time.

  ——Their clothes were disheveled, and some of them were even covered with mud and grass roots. It was obvious that they had fallen on the way here.

  Holding a crossbow in his hand, he squinted his eyes and aimed and shot in the direction of the distant figure.

  This time, three goblins fell.

  But it was all the credit of the two professional shooters, because one of the arrows pierced through the chests of two green-skinned rats at the same time.

  The visibility at night was too poor. Ordinary people without combat experience were far inferior to the adventurers who often fought in the misty forest in terms of strength and accuracy.

  Accompanied by sharp roars, the sound of dense footsteps approaching quickly became more and more obvious.

  The adventurer in charge of command glanced at the goods on the carriage behind him, hesitated for a moment, and looked at the captain of the team "Jeff" beside him, who was holding a long-handled gun tightly with both hands.

  Only then did he make up his mind, raised the one-handed sword in his hand high, and shouted to the people around him:

  "Don't let these beasts get close to the team!"   

  "Brothers, go!"

  As one of the front row in the team, Xia Nan could not drag on the back of the group in the face of the upcoming battle.

  He rushed forward with his footsteps.

  At the same time, his eyes followed the sprinting body and scanned the surroundings. He

  was relieved after confirming that there were no signs of ambush on both sides and that there were teammates behind him to support and guard.

  Buzz -

  a high-pitched and passionate piano sound suddenly sounded in the air condensed by the high-pressure atmosphere.

  It was not complicated, as if it was just made up of high notes, repeating continuously.

  But it seemed to contain some strange rhythm, making people unconsciously immersed in it.

  Muscle strength was not enhanced, and consciousness was not clearer.

  Those notes were just like invisible illusions in the air, penetrating into the flesh and bones through the pores.

  It gave people the illusion that they were more conducive to fighting.

  It seemed that the body suddenly became lighter, and the power accumulated in the arms was more abundant.

  Xia Nan's body rushed forward and accelerated.

  Suddenly, he recalled the lute in the hands of the halfling, and the light and colorful outfit.

  "Bard?"

  The thought flashed through his mind.

  In the blink of an eye, he had come to the front of the team.

  Beside him, there were the roars of his teammates fighting and the sharp sounds of metal collision.

  Xia Nan focused and ignored the noise in his ears.

  In front of him,

  four goblins were waving sticks in their hands and rushing towards him with their teeth and claws bared!

  The tip of the sword touched the ground.

  After absorbing the dew drops, Xia Nan's physical fitness increased by 8 points, so he didn't need to worry about the impact of combat skills on his body functions.

  Just step forward!

  The leather boots immediately sank into the soft soil under the meadow.

  And those brown and moist soils, while swallowing the heels, seemed to suddenly send the power from the depths of the earth!

  The strong force rushed straight from the soles of the feet, scooping and gathering the power that was usually hidden deep in the flesh and blood, and concentrated in one place in an instant.

  The hilt of the sword was swung from the palm of the hand, and the sword was driven in a delicate way that had become muscle memory after countless practices.

  [Spin Slash]

  Whoosh -

  under the flame, the iron-gray sharp arc of light tore through the night.

  Xia Nan only felt four slight stagnations in the sword in his hand.

  Flesh and blood were like paper, and bones and tendons were like firewood.

  The sharp blade under the strong force, the goblins didn't even have time to scream in pain, and their lives were snatched away by the cold light.

  The smelly and dirty blood gushed out like a spring, carrying the broken limbs and internal organs, and was thrown high.

  The scarlet blood stained on the sword body flew onto the ground with the pouring power.

  The broken hair on his forehead swung violently, and the bloody smell that rushed into his nose with his breath made Xia Nan frown slightly.

  But what emerged in his heart was an inexplicable feeling of refreshment.

  Just like a butcher skillfully dismantling pork on a chopping board, the unspeakable pressure that had been pent up in his heart because of the bugbears, petrified lizards, and even the giant snake that had died but still could not be broken

  was released in an instant with the death of the four green-skinned bastards. At

  this moment, Xia Nan had only one thought in his mind:

  "It feels so good!"

   Chapter 58 Experiment

  Lacking elite individuals, the goblins may be able to rely on their own numerical advantage to boost morale and charge the enemy.

  However, whenever they find a huge gap in strength between the enemy and us and encounter a strong and resolute counterattack, their combat power will drop sharply.

  At the moment, Xia Nan's exaggerated record of "killing four with one sword" obviously scared those despicable and cowardly green bastards.

  He even saw a goblin who was dragging at the end of the team and was late, after discovering the tragic end of the four of his kind in front of him.

  The body that was originally rushing over with its fangs and claws bared stopped in place as if it had braked suddenly, leaving two embarrassing footprints on the soft grass.

  He turned around suddenly,

  even threw the wooden stick in his hand aside, and ran away with fear and wailing.

  At the beginning of the journey, the scene in the goblin cave was still fresh in my memory.

  Xia Nan would never let go of these disgusting bastards like cockroaches. He

  caught up with him, holding the iron-gray beheading sword high up and tilted it. If it fell, it would end the opponent's short life.

  Suddenly, he seemed to remember something.

  He paused, raised the sword high and put it at his side, with the tip of the sword facing forward.

  He bent his arms and turned into a posture of accumulating power.

  Just like a machine executing a pre-set program, Xia Nan's originally smooth posture became stiff and awkward.

  He stepped forward with his right leg.

  "Thrust forward!"

  The cold light flashed, and the sluggish feeling of the sharp blade entering the body came from the hilt in his hand.

  Without any suspense, the panic-stricken goblin was pierced through the chest and abdomen by the sword tip.

  The enemy has completely lost its ability to fight.

  Xia Nan was not satisfied with this, and his brows were slightly frowned.

  Even if he had a high talent, he could only practice like this in half a month.

  And this kind of unskilled and rigid combat skills, used in a high-intensity battle, would undoubtedly be a dead end.

  Now it was just to prove his own conjecture.

  The expected translucent character "Proficiency +1" did not appear, and Xia Nan couldn't help but show a thoughtful look on his face. He

  casually stabbed the struggling goblin on the ground to death.

  He looked to the side.

  There were two goblins crouching, wandering around the edge of the battlefield, as if they wanted to sneak from the side to the back and attack the ordinary people in the convoy.

  But they seemed to be too focused and didn't realize that the battle on their side had ended.

  Without hesitation or hiding his movements, Xia Nan stepped forward quickly.

  Facing the two goblins who turned around in panic, the beheading sword slashed down in an instant.

  The sharp blade easily tore the flesh.

  The goblin's thin body was split in half.

  The other green-skinned rat that was deliberately left behind also smashed the stick in his hand at Xia Nan in fear.

  The morale of the goblins had already fallen to the bottom, and the attack was purely a reaction of survival instinct.

  The falling stick was light and had no power at all.

  But Xia Nan was particularly focused, his eyes fixed on the wooden stick with dust and blood on the surface.

  He pressed his wrist down, and the tip of the sword was tilted downward.

  "Bang."

  A dull sound rang out in the air.

  The wooden stick weakly hit the sword, and the reaction force caused the goblin's slender arms to tremble violently.

  "Block the upward strike!"

  Xia Nan's hands tightly grasped the hilt of the sword and suddenly exerted force. The next moment he blocked the opponent's attack,

  he stepped forward and slashed upward.

  Blood splattered.   

  Half of the goblin's head, splashing with a viscous liquid of red and white, spun and rolled to the ground.

  The attribute panel was still motionless.

  "Take your time."

  Xia Nan sighed slightly in his heart.

  First of all, through the way to obtain the last two points of proficiency of [Spin Slash], it can be clearly seen that:

  at the level of combat skills, he has a much faster improvement speed than his predecessor.

  But the specific reason is that there is a lack of experiments, and he can only blindly guess that it is the convenience brought by the attribute panel, or because "actual combat" can greatly improve the efficiency of acquiring proficiency compared to daily training.

  The reason why I used those two "suspected" combat skills that I was not proficient in just now was to try whether I could speed up their training process through actual combat.

  As for the results... I have seen them all.

  "Maybe the amount of experiments is too small to achieve the degree of qualitative change?"

  Xia Nan said secretly.

  His eyes, however, looked at other directions of the battlefield, those goblins who were retreating step by step under the counterattack of the adventurers.

  ...

  The battle came suddenly and ended quickly.

  Less than ten minutes after Shanan swung his sword [Spinning Slash], the grass beside the caravan returned to peace.

  It is worth mentioning that, as if it was some kind of unspoken rule among adventurers, none of those goblins could escape their blades.

  23 of them died neatly.

  One of them even fled to the edge of the nearby forest and was about to disappear in the dense bushes.

  It was also chased by a fast adventurer and brought back with its head.

  The disgusting habits of this green-skinned rat may be one reason.

  But Shanan felt that it was more likely that the adventurers in the team were reluctant to part with the three silver and seven bronze bounties.

  Cleaning up the battlefield.

  These goblins, who were only covered with rags and sticks, had nothing to fight for.

  Just like before, cut off their left ears and keep them to exchange for bounties at the association.

  "Hu... Hu..."

  Jeff panted heavily, his long-handled gun propped on the ground, and some goblin blood was still stained on his simple linen clothes.

  This simple and honest middle-aged man, who didn't even say a word when provoked by a drunkard

  , was unusually brave and fearless in the face of the goblins attacking the convoy.

  He seemed to have changed into a different person, gritting his teeth and standing at the front of the queue, rushing even faster than Shanan.

  If it weren't for his somewhat clumsy fighting skills, people would believe that he was a barbarian from nowhere.

  Looking at the people who were about to clean up the battlefield, Jeff hesitated for a moment and suddenly cleared his throat.

  "Everyone, we plan to rest in Kalanfor for two days, but there is no Adventurer's Association there, plus the time it takes to return, it may not be convenient to carry these 'trophies'."

  "If you don't mind, the bounty of these goblins can be counted as the reward for the guards, and I will settle it with you after we return to River Valley Town."

  Now is the month of flowering, which is almost one of the hottest months of the year.

  A few days are enough to make the ears of those goblins deteriorate and stink.

  However, for the bounty, adventurers often don't care.

  At this moment, the captain of the team proposed this, and the guards on the scene were naturally happy to save some energy and cheered.

  After inserting the dagger in his hand back to his waist, Xia Nan looked at Jeff in surprise.

  He only ate the cheapest set meal in the tavern, and even his clothes were patched coarse linen.

  But he was extremely kind and spent nearly double-digit gold coins to provide subsidies for the accompanying adventurers.

  It's really your turn to make money.

   Chapter 59 Favor

  "Hey, that sword you just used was amazing!"

  Halfling Alton held his exquisite mini lute in his arms and looked at Shanan with wide eyes.

  As an adventurer who is developing in the direction of "bard", even if he has not yet officially obtained the professional level, his fighting style tends to stand at the end of the team and use the sound of the lute to help his teammates.

  Therefore, standing in the back carriage, he almost saw the whole process of the battle.

  "Thank you." Shanan smiled and nodded, and replied.

  "Your lute helped a lot."

  It's not that he said it for the sake of emotional intelligence. The halfling's lute just now did improve his combat ability to a certain extent.

  Although even if he didn't, the four goblins would still be a matter of one sword, but he did feel the changes in his body.

  "Really! No, no, hahaha!"

  Alton laughed with joy when he heard it.

  Most halflings are like this. A simple compliment can get huge feedback and they are very easy to satisfy.

  No wonder they have such a good reputation on the continent of Efala.

  At the same time, despite his enthusiastic and curious nature, Alton was very tactful and did not ask Shanan about sensitive topics such as his "combat skills" and "weapons".

  It was as if he suddenly remembered something.

  The halfling quickly put down the lute in his hand, restrained his smile, and turned to the direction where the night owl had just flown.

  He put his ten fingers together, crossed his hands in front of his chest like two daggers, and bowed slightly.

  Seeing that the other party's movements were different from before, Shanan couldn't help but ask:

  "Are you praying to the goddess of luck?"

  "No." After the salute, Alton's face was smiling again, "It's Mr. 'Alvorin'."

  The brain quickly retrieved relevant memories.

  It was also one of the gods of the halfling's silver pantheon.

  —— [God of Vigilance and War] "Alvorin".

  Shanan couldn't help but feel more confused when he heard this.

  Although it's nothing strange for halflings to salute the gods of their own pantheon.

  But...

  "Ms. Smile... don't you need it?"

  He asked cautiously with a little tentativeness.

  Unexpectedly, the halfling didn't care at all. He just lowered his head to check the strings of the lute and said casually:

  "She doesn't care about these."

  Tsk.

  Xia Nan smacked his lips in silence.

  Come to think of it, there are not even a few related temples and shrines in the entire kingdom.

  This existence obviously doesn't care about these insignificant and dispensable rituals.

  ...

  Now we are very close to Kalanfor.

  There are basically no other dangers in the nearby wilderness except goblins.

  The group hastily dealt with the bodies of these green-skinned rats, walked a little further forward, and then rested.

  Continue to eat.

  The battle that may happen at any time is common for adventurers.

  Even if they have just chopped a goblin and are stained with dirty and smelly blood, they just sit by the campfire and chat as usual.

  There is even one person, who, at the reminder of others, took off a piece of goblin intestines from his clothes on his back and threw it into the fire while chewing on the dried meat.

  Xia Nan sat alone in the corner of the camp, wiping the long sword on his knees with gauze.

  It seemed no different from before.

  But he could sense the atmosphere in the camp changing subtly.   

  The adventurers in the caravan, except for himself and the halfling, were either in a small team or had cooperated before.

  Naturally, they were somewhat repulsive to him as a stranger.

  Although it was not to the extent of hostility, he could also feel the alienation and indifference coming from the other side.

  He was happy to be quiet about it.

  But with the end of this battle, this situation changed invisibly.

  It might be because Xia Nan's [Spinning Slash], which had been trained to the maximum level, was too eye-catching, or the battle had proved his credibility.

  Several people in the team had obviously become much better to him. The adventurer who had just directed the battle and looked like a leader even took the initiative to come over and talk to him in a low posture.

  Xia Nan himself didn't care much about these things, but seeing the other party's behavior, he also socialized a little and said hello.

  "Crack."

  Sparks burst.

  The orange-red flames swirled softly against the night.

  Xia Nan sat on the mat, with the fire reflected in his eyes.

  In his previous life, he worked tired all day, and on the day off that he finally got, he just wanted to lie at home.

  Now, looking at the bonfire in front of me that is constantly changing with the evening breeze, I feel the gentle warmth on the surface of my body.

  It is as if my whole mind is also immersed in it. Just looking at the lingering flames, I can stay like this for a whole night.

  In my ears, I can faintly hear the chat between Jeff and the halfling.

  "Captain, you just tried too hard!" Alton said lightly, "We didn't hire you, just leave these things to us!"

  "How can that be? This caravan may not be a big deal to you, you can earn it by taking on a few more missions. But for me, I have to save up for most of my life."

  Jeff's eyes revealed determination, and he replied seriously.

  "Are there only these carriages?"

  "Hehe." Hearing this, this honest and simple man showed an embarrassed smile on his face.

  "My two children are both studying at the academy in Neum, and the tuition alone costs a lot every year."

  "We have to make money..."

  "What about the future?" The halfling, as always, continued the topic with strong curiosity, "What do you plan to do when they grow up?"

  "Inherit your caravan, or become adventurers?"

  "No, no, no, not adventurers." Jeff subconsciously waved his hands repeatedly, with a look of resistance, and then realized the identity of the halfling in front of him, and stopped his actions, "Sorry, I don't mean that."

  Alton naturally didn't care about these, just smiled and motioned for the other party to continue.

  "As for Jamie, the academy teacher said that he has some talent in linguistics, maybe... be a common language teacher?"

  "Lilina told me before that she wanted to open a tailor shop. I have saved a lot of money over the years, but I'm still a little short."

  As he said this, Alton seemed to suddenly remember something.

  With expectation on his face, he asked Alton in front of him:

  "I heard that you believe in the goddess of luck?"

  "Yes!"

  "Then may I ask... if I pray to the goddess, will she bless me?"

  "That depends on what you pray for."

  "Hey." Jeff scratched his head and smiled honestly, "Just make more money, and keep my family safe and healthy."

  "You know, in our line of work, we travel all over the world, and we can always meet..."

  "Yes."

  Alton answered word by word with a serious and sincere look.

  "Ms. Smile favors the brave, and also favors those who work hard."

   Chapter 60 Invitation

  Compared to the bustling "River Valley Town" which is far beyond the ordinary towns, Kalanfor is much quieter.

  Whether it is the number of pedestrians on the road or the density of various shops and buildings on both sides, it is far inferior.

  Even the ratio of adventurers to ordinary people on the street has reached "three to seven" or even "two to eight".

  Among ten people, only two or three can be clearly seen as adventurers.

  And you have to know that Kalanfor is already the human gathering place with the highest proportion of adventurers in the nearby area, except for River Valley Town.

  Xia Nan was quite surprised by this.

  It was also because he had been traveling back and forth between River Valley Town and Misty Forest since the beginning of his journey, and he did not have an accurate understanding of the relevant situation.

  At present, it seems that the number of adventurers in this world is far less than he imagined. Following

  the convoy to a hotel on the west side of Kalanfor.

  After arranging rooms for each person, the team leader Jeff did not break his promise and directly invited everyone in the convoy to have a hearty lunch.

  To be honest, the taste is average.

  Let alone the luxurious set meal at the White Tit Tavern, even the stew from the halflings might not be comparable.

  But after all, it was someone else's treat, so he didn't have to spend his own money.

  Overall, Shanan was quite satisfied with the meal.

  It is worth mentioning that, unlike the water and broth on the way here, there were many more drinks on their table after arriving at Kalanfor.

  After all, they were still on a mission, so for the sake of safety, Shanan did not drink as much as the adventurers around him. He

  just sipped a few glasses to satisfy his craving.

  With his 8-point physique, these few glasses were actually no different from water.

  Not enough wine but full.

  Sitting at the table, Shanan was considering whether to go back to his room to rest and take a nap, or go out and find a deserted place to practice combat skills while it was still early.

  Someone suddenly patted his shoulder.

  He turned his head and looked.

  I saw the halfling Alton, looking at me with eyes wide open, not blinking:

  "It's too boring to stay in the hotel, let's go out and have some fun, how about it?"

  As a light-footed halfling who yearns for travel, his natural curiosity makes it impossible for him to stay in one place for a long time.

  And the career direction of "bard" also makes him unconsciously think about collecting local poems and anecdotes every time he arrives in an area.

  After a few days of travel, and even fighting side by side, he and Shanan have become a little acquainted.

  Now he took the initiative to invite.

  Shanan did not agree directly, but asked:

  "Have fun? Where to go?"

  Alton seemed to have a destination in mind.

  He took out the copper coin engraved with the head of the goddess of luck from his waist bag, held it in his hand, and gently tossed it up.

  "I heard that there is a tavern called "Bag of Gold" near the hotel, which seems to be quite interesting."

  "Bag of Gold?"

  Shanan frowned slightly.

  Just now during lunch, he heard several adventurers at the table mention the name of this tavern, and he roughly knew what kind of business was going on there.

  Nine out of ten times you gamble, you lose.

  He worked so hard to save up this little bit of gold coins, and he would not waste money on such a place.

  He was about to refuse, and just as he opened his mouth, he suddenly saw the coin in the halfling's hand

  that was constantly thrown up, dropped, and spinning in the air.

  As if he had thought of something, his eyes suddenly lit up.

  "Uh... it's okay to go and take a look."   

  ...

  The two people, who were full of enthusiasm, stopped before they could even walk out of the hotel door.

  Captain Jeff was standing in front of the hotel, chatting with a sturdy blond man.

  Seeing Xia Nan and the other person coming, he couldn't help but waved at them and said with a smile:

  "What a coincidence? I was thinking of introducing you later, but now is the perfect time."

  Jeff turned slightly and looked at the man next to him:

  "Ingram, the best sheriff in Caranfor and my old friend."

  "Hey, you're flattering me!" The other party was very modest and waved his hands repeatedly, "I'm just an ordinary townsman, not as good as you say."

  Glancing at him, Xia Nan looked at his appearance: his

  half-long golden hair that hung down to his ears was meticulously combed, his facial features were deep and three-dimensional, and his face was handsome; he was wearing a clean and tidy set of standard armor, and a well-maintained metal hammer was hung around his waist.

  "These two are adventurers who are responsible for the escort of the convoy. They are very skilled. Thanks to them, I can stand here safely now."

  Hearing this, the sheriff nodded to the two people in a gentle and friendly manner.

  "Oh, thank you very much, otherwise Brother Jeff would not be able to repay the meal he owes me."

  "Hahaha, you are still thinking about that?"

  The convoy escaped from the dangerous wilderness, and Jeff was obviously in a very good mood.

  Facing the other party's teasing, he laughed and patted Ingram's shoulder, and the collision between his flesh palm and the metal shoulder armor made a dull sound.

  The other party didn't care at all, as if they were really old acquaintances, and responded with a hearty smile.

  It was just a small episode that happened by chance, and Xia Nan and the others didn't want to disturb each other's reminiscing. They just exchanged a few pleasantries and said goodbye and left.

  Walking out of the door, the conversation between Jeff and the sheriff could still be vaguely heard behind him.

  "Come on, I'm free today, I'll treat you to a nice meal!"

  "Haha, no need, Brother Jeff, I was just kidding."

  "We've known each other for so many years, why are you still being polite to me, come on!"

  "Really, I've already eaten."

  "I can believe what others say, but you...everyone knows that you can't rest before the end of your work."

  "I'll just cook something to fill my stomach when I go back, it really doesn't cost a thing."

  "Don't worry, this time I'll..."

  ...

  ...

  The sky was gloomy.

  Gray-black heavy leaden clouds silently accumulated above the sky, and the cold wind with rich water vapor blew across the street corner, rolling up a few pieces of waste paper that were balled up.

  Xia Nan glanced left and right at the deserted streets beside him, and then looked at the "Bag of Gold" tavern in front of him with a purse sign and a closed door.

  "Is this the place?"

  The halfling beside him tiptoed.

  Tossed the lucky coin for the last time.

  Spinning, falling, and clenched in the palm.

  Then he stuffed the copper coin into the interlayer of the clothing room.

  "Well! Let's go in."

  Alton walked straight forward and pushed open the door.

  The cold atmosphere on the street was swept away, replaced by the warm air and soft lights under the firelight of the fireplace. And the fanaticism   and madness

  hidden in the depths of the dice collision, hidden in the noisy voices, driven by human desires