Chapter 202 Nailed to Death
There is no way to retreat.
Or rather, a blind retreat without a plan will only make the situation more dangerous.
At present, facing the attack of the wolf pack, the only choice for the Seathorn Squad is to fight.
"You two, hold the big one back."
Xia Nan looked calm, staring at the nocturnal wolves in front of him.
"Leave the rest to me."
The battle was inevitable, and the enemies were exposed.
It was impossible to let the wild wolves deploy tactics and defeat them one by one as before.
They must firmly grasp the initiative of the battle in their own hands.
Xia Nan's brain was thinking rapidly, analyzing the situation on the field.
The strength of the newly appeared giant wolf head was unknown, but it was obviously much stronger than the ordinary nocturnal wolf, which was an uncertain factor on the field.
But after the battle just now, he had roughly figured out the strength of the remaining five wild wolves. It
was completely within his ability to deal with.
Although the number was a little more, with Xia Nan's fighting style...
there was actually not much difference between one and five.
In order to really pose a threat to him, he might have to add another zero after the number.
Therefore, he asked his teammates to hold back the alpha wolf whose strength was not yet known, and he used this time to deal with the other wild wolves.
In this way, their team could concentrate on dealing with the wolf pack leader without being disturbed.
"This alpha wolf is not right, it may have special abilities, be careful."
Recalling the strange gravitational ripples observed in the [Heart-gravitating Vision] state, Xia Nan reminded.
Unconsciously, he had taken over the command of the team.
"Mint, you can help me or them in the back."
"Those wild wolves can't come over, but you must pay attention to the alpha wolf and stay away."
The speed of speech was very fast.
Confronting the wolf pack across the moonlight, he explained the key matters to everyone.
In this regard, even if everyone in the team had their own ideas in their hearts before, in this situation, no one took the initiative to raise objections.
Although when Xia Nan asked Veris and Cash to hold back the wolf pack leader, the two showed a surprised expression of "Ah? I fight the alpha wolf?"
But they soon restrained themselves and really thought about the feasibility of the plan.
As for Bohe, he was just as soft as he had shown to everyone before. He retreated to distance himself from the others, and agreed softly with a pale face.
The situation was urgent, and although Xia Nan had deliberately lowered his voice,
his command still seemed a little abrupt and clear in the quiet and high-pressure environment of the forest.
In most cases, facing non-human enemies like wild beasts, this was not a problem.
After all, they couldn't understand.
But at this moment, the situation seemed to be different.
Xia Nan noticed that the moment he finished speaking.
The huge silver-white wolf in front of him, with a face covered with dense mane, actually showed a playful expression in a humanized way. He
immediately reacted in his heart.
No, you can understand the common language too! ?
"Do it!"
Xia Nan roared in a low voice without hesitation.
At the same time, his left hand, which had quietly come to his waist during the confrontation, suddenly crossed his waist bag.
The next second, there were three more kerosene bombs in his hand.
Throw them out!
Boom—
orange-red flames suddenly exploded in the dimly lit forest.
The leader wolf's reaction was very fast. Its long legs lightly kicked the ground, and its huge body jumped in a rather elegant manner to avoid the burning of the flames.
But the other nocturnal wolves obviously did not have such a fast reaction and coping ability.
The fear of fire from the depths of their blood made them howl and scatter.
The formation was disrupted in an instant.
Then, immediately followed by a sharp whistle that tore through the air.
The blue-gray stone spear almost turned into a shadow, leaving a straight mark in the thick fog.
It shot straight at the leader wolf.
Still missed.
This huge silver wolf showed a dexterity far beyond what its body should have.
The sharp furry ears suddenly stood up the moment the stone spear left its hand.
As its toes moved, its body slightly adjusted, and the spear that should have pierced flesh and blood brushed against its swaying mane and fell on the open space beside it.
"Swish!"
The mist suddenly exploded.
Moving at high speed, the blurred figure rolled up the mist, and at a speed far beyond the reaction ability of ordinary people, the toes left the ground and rushed over like a flying shot.
At this moment, the stone spear deeply inserted into the ground was like a long magnet, attracting its owner on the other side of the battlefield.
Huh -
the manic airflow during the high-speed movement made Cash narrow his eyes, and a short blade appeared in his right hand.
He held it backwards, with the blade facing outward horizontally.
He would use the strong inertia brought by the stone spear to cut the enemy's body like the wing of a glider.
The giant wolf was of course keenly aware of the strong danger in the howling sound.
But at this moment, it seemed to have suddenly lost the agility it had just shown.
Under the moonlight, the shadow of its huge body on the ground was like a swamp in the forest, and the slender wolf feet were deeply trapped in it.
And in the shadow at the blind spot of its sight, there was also a dangerous and charming tall figure.
Unconsciously, the wanderer with drow blood had floated behind the wolf leader.
The dagger with a purple-green halo and poisoned surface turned into a shadow and stabbed directly into the back of the giant wolf.
It was attacked from the front and back, and was bound by the shadows.
If it really took these two blows, even as the leader of the nocturnal wolf pack, it would be seriously injured.
But after all, it was a powerful monster that could fight back and forth with the frenzied manticore.
The giant wolf stood on all fours, with a fierce look in its cold eyes.
Buzz -
just like shaking off the water droplets after getting out of the water.
It shook its body violently, and its thick silver-white mane swayed.
Then, a silver-white light of the same color as the moon disk above its head suddenly burst out from its body.
The drow half-elf, the spear, the fisherman... everything around the body was swept away by the moonlight.
In a few seconds, a round was over.
It was not until this time that the wolves on the field that were dispersed by the flames reacted.
They barked and supported their leader.
And then, a louder and longer wolf howl sounded.
"Bang!"
The iron-gray fangs suddenly pierced through the fragile fur of the prey with the wolf kiss that suddenly closed.
Piercing the vitals, harvesting life.
1.
Xia Nan's face was emotionless, as if what he saw was not the corpse of a living creature, but a golden and plump ear of wheat waiting to be harvested.
He certainly saw that when they attacked the wolf leader, Veris and Cash behaved in a completely different way than before.
"Are they hiding something?"
he guessed.
When they were facing the wolf pack's attack just now, these two people did not behave like this.
Was it because he really sensed the threat from the wolf leader, so he had to use his full strength?
But if this was the so-called "full strength", it seemed that there was a big gap between him and the professional adventurers he had expected?
Or was it because he was too supermodel and overestimated the strength of other ordinary professionals?
It didn't matter. He would continue to be vigilant and consider other things after the battle was over.
Swish -
the mane made of mist and blood fluttered, and the illusory and blurred wolf head tore through the air.
[Spin Slash]!
The iron-gray arc of light was fleeting in the night.
A Temple Night Wolf had just reacted and turned back with its back arched.
Its thin and fragile waist had been cut in two by the sword blade.
2.
As a group of monsters, the Night Wolf is actually quite strong.
It has certain tactical capabilities, and its posture is swift and aggressive.
Even if its own defense ability is slightly weak, it can rely on the cover of its companions and relatively agile movements to cover it up.
But when they face an enemy like Shanan who has all-round crushing defense, speed, and mobility.
The so-called high attack, high agility and low defense.
If even the attack and agility are not as good as the opponent.
Then the fatal weakness will be infinitely magnified.
Shuttle back and forth, break each one.
The fangs and claws that are enough to pierce flesh and blood can only leave scratches on the surface of the iron armor in vain. The speed that is proud of is not worth mentioning in front of [Fang Hunting].
The beheading sword just follows the inertia of the body's movement and lightly cuts a night wolf in half.
To a certain extent, in front of Yu Xia Nan, it is almost the same as those clumsy bugbears.
When the short board is too short, it becomes a breakthrough point.
Restrained by nature.
Temple Night Wolf - just a puppy goblin.
"Swish!"
The vines covered with barbs burst out from the mud and entangled on the four feet of the wild wolf.
The high-speed moving body suddenly stagnated.
The iron-gray sword light followed closely.
As blood gushed out, the ferocious wolf head flew to the ground.
3.
The corner of his eyes swept over Mint behind him.
According to the thin girl herself, her profession is a variant of the main profession of "Druid".
And the abilities she has shown so far roughly cover the two aspects of control and healing.
Xia Nan was almost certain that the other party was definitely hiding something.
After all, even a melee profession like him must have three combat skills to obtain a professional level.
Spellcasters... there will be more, not less!
In his impression, the image of a druid, in addition to being a guardian of nature, is always tied to "transformation".
Even though Mint did not show any extra performance in the dangerous moment when facing the wolf pack's surprise attack just now, Xia Nan always remained vigilant against her in his heart.
As of now, this seemingly fragile girl may be hiding deeper than the other two in the team.
Of course, from the perspective of hiding strength... he has no right to say anything about the other party.
"Bang!"
The leather boots fell to the ground, and a vague fluctuation appeared on the surface of the bone leg armor.
The deterrence effect was triggered again.
The hideous and growling night wolf in front of him suddenly revealed a clear stupidity in its eyes, and its body, crouching and gathering strength, stood there in a daze.
The iron sword swung.
The wolf head was split in half.
4.
The action continued, and the illusory wolf shadow condensed by [Fang Hunting] appeared again. The last one to strike was
the first to arrive.
The wolf kiss closed and swallowed the last night wolf.
Chewing and cutting, the fragments of meat and the splashing blood dyed the meadow red.
The wild wolf with thousands of holes lay on the ground, no longer alive.
5.
Without the advantage of surprise attack, and no longer having the ability to siege.
After thoroughly understanding the strength, the five night wolves were neatly eliminated in less than two minutes amid the wolf howls from the ice field.
Xia Nan turned around and looked at the last enemy on the field.
His brows were slightly frowned.
The strength of the head wolf seemed to be much stronger than everyone expected.
Veris and Cash should be old teammates, and they cooperated well.
One of them held a spear and took advantage of his attack distance to stand in front and attract the attention of the wolf leader.
The other wandered in the blind spot of the giant wolf's vision and took the opportunity to leave several wounds on the other side.
However, the effect was minimal.
The white light floating on the body of the wolf leader not only doubled its speed, but also seemed to have some kind of healing ability.
The wounds from the dagger and spear did not even bleed a few drops, and they were healed in an instant, and the poison was also expelled in an instant.
On the contrary, Cash and Veris were a little embarrassed when facing the attack of the wolf leader.
In their hasty evasion, they had several more wounds oozing blood.
If it weren't for Mint's control and support at the necessary moment, the two would have been unable to hold on.
"Sizzle!"
With a harsh noise and jumping sparks, the sharp claws left a deep claw mark on the surface of the metal scales.
The wolf opened and closed its mouth, and was about to bite the fragile prey in front of it.
But the next second, the inexplicable threat from behind made it stop moving again. It used its slender legs to jump sideways and avoided the two vicious slashes that were supposed to fall on its waist and abdomen.
Its cold eyes reflected the tall figure disappearing in the darkness.
It was panting slightly.
The silver-white light from the swaying mane enveloped its body, and the consumed physical strength and wounds on its body were completely restored at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The howling of the wolves had disappeared.
Of course, it knew what this meant.
An inexplicable emotion that it had never experienced before burst out in its heart.
Different from the instinctive desire for hunger and mating, it was a completely different, deeper and more bitter taste.
As the leader of the pack, it had the tallest body among its kind and an intelligence different from that of ordinary wild beasts.
It had eaten many humans with hard shells and sharp claws, and had learned some hunting skills from them.
This was also the reason why it was able to realize the strangeness of the smell of rotten meat in the air and led the wolf pack to ambush outside.
However...
the wolf's eyes turned slightly, and its gaze passed over Kash and Veris, and lingered slightly on the wolf corpse on the ground in the distance.
Finally, it fell on the thin, short-haired girl in a plain robe in the distance of the venue.
It growled, as if expressing some vague meaning that only wild beasts could understand.
But in response, there was only a flash of coldness in the girl's eyes and a long wolf howl from above.
Swish -
the iron-gray long sword stung from top to bottom like a bee sting.
Following the gap between the spines, it pierced through the flesh and blood and passed out from the soft jaw.
It nailed the giant wolf to the ground.
Chapter 203: Not easy to deal with!
The place filled with wolf howls and human roars fell into dead silence in an instant.
In the air, there were only the sounds of rapid panting and swaying branches.
The giant wolf leader lay motionless on the ground, and the eyes that should have shown ferocity and brutality in front of the prey were closed.
Shrouded in the faint light, the silver-white, pure and flawless fluffy mane swayed slowly with the air flow.
The iron-gray sword blade pierced through its back from top to bottom, pierced out from the lower jaw, and nailed to the ground.
The steaming scarlet blood gushed out from the wound, along the straight and smooth sword body, soaking the soil below and dyeing it red.
Along the sword body, there were slender fingers holding the hilt upside down, with distinct joints, a snake-scale arm shield with a dark luster deeper than the night, a gray-black thick iron plate and metal ring, and a pair of cold and sharp black eyes.
A figure in iron armor rode high on the wolf corpse.
Behind him, a cold silver moon leaked out from the dense tree canopy, covering the whole person.
"Sizzle."
The friction between metal and flesh and bones made a sluggish sound.
Xia Nan pulled the beheading sword out of the wolf's body.
With a twist of his wrist, he made a sharp sword flower and shook off the blood on the surface of the sword.
He sheathed the sword.
His meticulous perception and the instinct formed after thousands of slaughters allowed him to determine that the leader of the nocturnal wolf pack was dead. He
had to admit that he was a little surprised at the moment.
Although he had not fought directly with the opponent before, he also clearly saw the details of the battle between the wolf and Cash and Veris in the gap between cleaning up the miscellaneous soldiers.
The strength is quite strong.
Under normal circumstances, if he did not use his trump card or was not so lucky, he should not be able to defeat the opponent in one or two rounds.
Therefore, before launching an attack on the opponent, Xia Nan had already made sufficient contingency plans in his mind.
First, use [Fang Hunting] to attack. If the leader wolf reacts, use [Spinning Slash] to expand the range and strengthen the attack effect, strive to cause effective damage to the enemy, and in the gap between swinging the sword, launch [Fang Hunting] again to retreat and avoid the opponent's possible counterattack.
But what he didn't expect was that
the plan only went to the first step of "using [Fang Hunting] to attack", and the battle came to an end.
What happened in the middle?
Why did the leader wolf's body suddenly stop in place?
It is highly unlikely that it didn't react or ran out of energy.
Although he also secretly applied gravity control to it to slow down its movement speed.
But with his current development of [Gravity Control], the effect would never be so strong.
Obviously, there are other reasons.
"Click... click..."
There was a hurried and empty sound of footsteps in the sparse woodland ahead.
Bohe, who was at the back of the battlefield and provided support to everyone, saw that the battle was over and was trotting over to meet up with his teammates.
I remember that the last direction that the wolf leader, who had now become a corpse, looked at before dying seemed to be... the location where Mint was.
Is there any connection between them?
Xia Nan was puzzled and could not help but become more alert.
"Yes, huh... Is anyone injured?"
"I'll treat... treat."
The water drop-shaped light green earring on the left ear swayed as the body moved.
The pale and bloodless face due to excessive spellcasting was covered with sweat. Before he came close, Mint's panting voice had already come from the air.
Xia Nan did not respond.
He just focused his attention in secret and used his perception to carefully observe the details of the other party's performance.
Under the moonlight, the body trembled slightly, and the lips moved and pursed from time to time, as if he was enduring something. It was probably the sequelae of excessive mental power consumption caused by multiple spellcasting in a short period of time.
I have experienced this feeling myself and can understand it.
And the movements of other aspects of the body are also based on the instinctive reaction of exhaustion after the war.
Well... at least it doesn't look fake.
At the same time, behind Xia Nan.
Veris stood quietly in the bushes, her slender and tall figure almost blending into the shadows.
Her eyes, which glowed slightly in the darkness, stared at the huge, motionless wolf corpse.
Her sight followed the traces of broken branches and leaves in the forest, swept across the broken nocturnal wolf corpses, and finally stopped at Shanan.
A complex and subtle strange expression appeared on her face.
She subconsciously turned her head to look at Cash beside her.
But she didn't expect that the other party was also looking at her at this moment.
The two looked at each other, and although they didn't speak, they both noticed the meaning of each other's eyes.
"Ahem..."
Veris's face suddenly changed, as if she heard Mint's voice in front of her, and she deliberately showed some weakness.
She gently pressed the wound on her right forearm left in the battle and called out:
"Here, little Mint, come and let your sister see the wound."
Cash took two steps forward and took the initiative to meet Shanan who jumped off the wolf corpse.
He nodded at him.
"We need to clean up the battlefield as quickly as possible."
"The misty forest is very dangerous in the second half of the night. I'm worried that the smell of blood here may cause some unnecessary trouble."
"Fortunately, the mission has been completed. We can set off directly back to town tomorrow morning."
Xia Nan had no objection to this.
To be honest, although this battle looked dangerous, it was actually easy after he actually entered the combat state.
Not only did he not suffer any injuries, but even the plate chain composite armor that he was worried about being scrapped again and had no time to maintain did not have many obvious scratches.
He was slightly relieved.
In comparison, the profit should be pretty good.
In addition to the mission rewards provided by the association, the fur and body materials of the nocturnal wolves on the field alone can be sold for a lot of money.
Even if it is divided among four people, it should be able to replenish his almost dry treasury.
All of them were veterans. The four members of the Seathorn Squad took only half an hour to deal with the wolf corpses in the forest.
They called each other to rearrange their formation, and led by Cash holding a lantern, they rushed towards the direction of the camp.
Still hanging at the end of the team.
Xia Nan glanced back at the position of the leader wolf.
It was no longer as elegant as before.
The fluffy silver fur had been completely peeled off, and the claws and canine teeth had been pulled out of its body.
Lying quietly in the bushes, there was only a bloody and smelly corpse.
The soft moonlight sprinkled on it, making it look even more hideous and curious.
Looking up.
The silver moon like a jade plate hung high in the night sky, dotted with a few shining stars.
The dim clouds were like gauze, against the moonlight, drifting quietly.
Time quietly accelerated.
The bright moon quietly slid down the sky, and the sun rose, and the purple-red clouds rippled in the sky like colorful silk.
The sun rises and sets, day and night alternate, and thick or thin clouds shuttle back and forth, lingering above the sky.
In the blink of an eye, another month and a half has passed.
...
River Valley Town, White Sparrow Tavern.
"Creaky."
Accompanied by the noise of the hinges rubbing against each other, the wooden door of the tavern was slowly pushed open.
In the deep winter, the cold chill from the streets outside was dispersed by the warm air filled with the aroma of alcohol and food in the inner room.
Verice was still wearing her hollow leather coat that showed off her figure. The physical fitness of a professional and the drow blood flowing in her body, coupled with the relatively warm climate of Cloud Climbing Province, allowed her to ignore the impact of the temperature here on her body.
Feel free to show off her exotic style of dressing from the Dark Region.
The metal pendant at the end of her hair collided with a crisp sound, and the slightly dark skin overflowing from the hollow of the close-fitting leather coat looked even more delicate and smooth under the light.
Verice could feel the hidden or fiery gazes from the countless wine tables around her.
She had long been accustomed to it. Her half-blood identity and her long-term experience living on the surface and underground made her clearly aware of the differences in culture and habits between the drow elves living in the Underdark and the intelligent creatures outside.
Her rich experience as a senior adventurer also made her fully adapt to this environment.
To a certain extent, the evil tendency from the depths of her blood made Veris even enjoy this kind of tangled gaze with a bad taste. She was obviously eager in her heart, but she was afraid to approach because of her identity as a drow half-blood and a professional.
Her pointed leather boots clicked crisply on the ground, and she walked with her two plump long legs to a corner of the tavern hall where there were not many customers.
Cash was sitting here.
Seeing the half-empty wine bottle on the table in front of him and the plate with only food residue left, it was obvious that he had been waiting here for a while.
"Is everything ready?"
He raised his eyebrows and glanced at the drow half-elf. There was no extra expression on his face, and he asked casually.
"Of course." Veris sat directly opposite Cash, picked up the bottle and poured herself a glass. "It's true that this River Valley Town doesn't look big, but the shops are quite complete."
"Just the 'Green Grass Crucible', even the fungus poison from the Underdark is sold there. I don't know where Ms. Edwina got it from, but it saved me a lot of effort."
"Very normal."
Cash held the wine glass, his eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was savoring the taste of the wine.
"Such a large misty forest, everything that comes out of it has to go through the town."
"There are so many adventurers coming and going every year, and they all have their own needs. The products are not complete, the prices are not affordable, and there are too many defective products. This store can't be opened."
As he said this, it seemed that he thought of something, and his words suddenly brought some memories.
"Back then, my family opened the one in Barracuda Bay. It was called a fishing tackle store, but it sold potions, manuals, and other things."
"If there's money, only a fool wouldn't make money."
But he was only sighing because of the alcohol. He remembered the unbearable past, which made him shut his mouth and put down his wine glass.
The atmosphere at the table fell into silence.
After a while, Veris opened her mouth and asked in a low voice:
"We've been here for so many days, and there's no progress at all."
"When are we leaving?"
In a month and a half, the association took on a lot of beast cleanup tasks, but they never found any traces of their target.
"No hurry." Cash shook his head. "Let's talk about it after we finish this last one."
Hearing him say this, Veris's delicate face suddenly showed a hint of amusement, and she joked:
"Haha, are you really going to fulfill your promise and help that Gray Sword with the mission?"
"You think too much."
Cash sneered and explained:
"I just feel that his commission to investigate the beastman may be related to our goal, and maybe we can find some useful information."
"Besides, it has been in the town for so long. If it wants to run away, it is estimated that it will not be in the forest long ago."
"A few days more or less, there is no point."
Although Veris did not reply, she nodded silently and agreed with the other party's opinion.
"Mad!"
Seeing that the topic came to Shanan, Cash, who was under the influence of alcohol, suddenly fluctuated.
"What a bad luck!"
"I was thinking of finding two new people to make some extra money during the gap between tasks, how could I meet such a person."
He acted particularly puzzled.
"I saw him with my own eyes, being taken to the second floor by the receptionist, and he didn't even know how to level up!"
"He's obviously a newcomer with no background who got three combat skills by luck and got to a professional level."
"Now, I have to be on guard against him on the way to do some tasks, for fear that he would chop my head off with a sword at any time, and I have to be gentle when talking to him."
"If I couldn't find any suitable teammates temporarily, and he was really useful in the mission, I..."
Hearing this, Veris, who had always had a smile on her face since entering the tavern, looked gloomy.
"This kid is indeed a bit problematic."
"In all these days, I haven't seen his back properly a few times. There were a few times when I wanted to go up and ask him questions, but he looked over after just two steps, as if he had eyes on his back."
"Besides, you should have seen his two combat skills, right?"
Cash nodded solemnly.
"Trouble."
"We both held back a bit against the wolf leader a few days ago, but if we really want to take down the beast in a few rounds... we definitely can't do it."
"But that guy only used one sword, although there was an element of luck, but..."
"Not easy to deal with!"
"And I think, no, it's certain."
"He definitely hid something!"
Cash looked certain, raised his head, and drank the wine in the glass.
"The risk is too great, forget it this time."
"Save his life."
"When this mission is over, we will just leave and don't bother with him any more."
Hearing this, Veris couldn't help showing some regret on her face.
"It's a pity for my little mint, sister can only meet you again later."
Cash only raised his eyebrows and said meaningfully:
"What a pity, when we leave, we can just take her with us."
"Once we leave River Valley Town, how do we deal with her? It's all up to you to decide."
"Hey." Veris' eyes suddenly lit up and she chuckled sinisterly.
She wanted to say something else, but suddenly she saw Cash in front of her suddenly sitting up straight for some reason.
The sinister expression on his face suddenly disappeared, replaced by the integrity and seriousness of a team leader.
The reaction was very fast and quite natural.
Veris also changed her expression and a gentle smile appeared on her face.
She stood up, turned around, and waved from afar:
"Xianan, here!"
"Why are you here just now? Sister has been waiting for you for a long time."
Chapter 204 Promotion and Sudden Discovery
Xia Nan was in a good mood.
On the one hand, it was naturally because of the increasingly full treasury these days.
In a month and a half, including the initial commission of "Temple Night Wolf", the Seathorn Squad completed a total of four tasks.
Of course, the targets of the tasks were all the beasts that had been inexplicably rioting in the forest recently, and they were all the lowest "F" level in the second-floor tasks.
The task rewards, plus the spoils gained during the adventure, were divided among the four people in the team.
It can only be said that the income of professionals is much higher than that of ordinary adventurers.
At present, Xia Nan's deposit in the bank has soared from more than 270 gold to 463 gold, 7 silver and 6 bronze.
The average income of each commission is close to 50 gold.
It doesn't seem to be much more than before.
But you have to know that this money is the result of the distribution of the four people in the team.
If Xia Nan used the previous lone wolf mode, he didn't have to share the money with others.
If he had the same efficiency as the team, if everything went well, he could even directly earn nearly four-digit gold coins in a month.
It's an exaggeration!
And one thing that must be explained.
The average income of 50 gold per task, the proportion of "task rewards" is actually relatively small.
After all, after obtaining the entry conditions for the second floor of the association, a new concept was introduced -
points!
There are many ways to obtain gold coins, beast fur, crystals, second-hand equipment... If you want to make money, there are ways everywhere in Hegu Town.
But "points", at least for now, the only source is to complete the association's tasks.
And if you want to exchange for precious combat skills, rare materials, and discounted potions on the second floor that are not available through ordinary channels, points are indispensable.
Therefore, when handing in the task, Xia Nan exchanged part of the gold coin rewards for corresponding points.
The number is not much. After all, he has to spend money on daily supplies and living expenses, and he also needs to prepare for the customization of enchanted equipment in the future, so a certain amount of savings is indispensable.
But it can be regarded as a good start.
Over time, you can always save up and exchange for a combat skill that suits your heart.
Sometimes, Xia Nan's thoughts can't help but extend outward.
For those high-level professionals who have already entered the "supernormal" stage and have a huge amount of wealth to spend.
After they complete the association's tasks, the ratio of gold coins to points in the task rewards may reach "1:9" or even "0:10".
Accepting commissions is simply to earn points to exchange for high-level materials or other uses.
Although there is also the possibility of "the emperor's golden hoe", he guessed that the actual situation should be similar to what he thought.
On the other hand, what made Xia Nan feel a strong sense of achievement was in the proficiency of combat skills.
Four missions and high-intensity battles with various beasts greatly accelerated the speed of improving proficiency.
Among the few combat skills that have not yet reached the maximum level, [Fang Hunting] is one of the most commonly used moves. It has long been revealed in the battle with the night wolf. There is no need to hide it, so it has been used freely these days, and the proficiency has improved very quickly.
At present, it has reached a level close to lv4.
In comparison, the speed of [Gravity Etching] is much slower.
As for the reason, it was because of the daily usage limit and the special force field damage mechanism that ignored armor, which made Xia Nan regard it as one of his hidden trump cards.
It was not exposed yet, so it was naturally impossible to use it in front of the team in battle.
Occasionally, I practiced it, but I only took advantage of the fact that a few people were not paying attention and found a corner where no one was around to train secretly.
In one and a half months, the proficiency increased by twenty points.
It came to "lv1 (82/100)".
Compared with its level 1 proficiency level, the speed is definitely not fast, but it is almost about to upgrade.
It was still under the condition of sneaky training.
Overall, it is satisfactory.
As for [Gravity Control], well...
——lv1 (8/100).
Good news, it has increased.
Bad news, it has only increased by 2 points.
Xia Nan has long been accustomed to it, and he is neither sad nor happy.
I just hope that before the arrival of spring, the proficiency of this combat skill can break through the double-digit "barrier".
In summary, in this more than a month, more than forty days.
Xia Nan earned a lot of gold coins and saved some points. At the same time, he improved his proficiency in various combat skills.
Oh, I almost forgot, the armor is still intact.
Although there are some bumps on the surface, there is no serious damage that requires major repairs or even replacement.
He sent it to the blacksmith shop for maintenance twice after a long absence. Even "Rock Hammer" Barn was surprised and asked him if he had been slacking off recently.
This is also the reason why he can save money.
"The old rules, a set meal number three, yes, and a glass of dark beer."
Seeing the two people waving at him from a distance in the corner of the tavern hall, Xia Nan raised his chin slightly and greeted them.
At the same time, he smiled and ordered food from the owner of the White Sparrow, "Chapton".
Carrying two long swords on his back, he ignored some of the eyes from other tables.
He walked straight forward, pulled out a chair, and sat down at the table.
"Why are you so late today? I've been waiting for you here for a long time."
Veris held the wine glass and took a sip. There was a hint of moisture between her full lips, and she leaned closer.
I don't know if she sprayed some special perfume before going out. The air around her was filled with a sweet smell.
"I went to the association."
From the rumors in the tavern and the stereotype of drow elves, Xia Nan suspected that there might be some kind of charm effect or hidden toxin in the fragrance.
He glanced at the other person, and there was no expression on his face.
The breathing rate, however, slowed down a lot.
"I went to the second floor for two rounds and was delayed for a while."
"You are still so young, why are you working so hard?" Sitting across the table, Cash took over the conversation, "Enjoy it when you should. It doesn't matter if you indulge yourself a little."
"I remember when I first got my professional level, I was walking with my eyes looking up at the sky."
"It was only after I took on a few missions and encountered some problems that I slowed down."
"With your current income, even if you only earn gold coins for three or four months a year and spend the rest of the time on vacation in Neum, you can still live a very comfortable life."
"If I became a professional at your age, I would..."
Shanan leaned back in his chair, thinking, while Kash's boasting filtered out of his mind.
In a month and a half, he could clearly feel that the attitudes of the two people towards him had changed slightly.
On the surface, he was still enthusiastic, just like before, and even became closer because of his performance in the mission, as if he really regarded him as a reliable teammate.
But in some details, he was alienated and defensive.
For example, they never arranged for him to keep watch alone. Every night, he was accompanied by either Cash or Veris.
When they were on the road, although he was arranged at the end of the formation, the two of them never stood close to each other in front, showing their backs to him without reservation. Mint often blocked them in the middle, or simply wandered on the side of the team.
And the first node of all these changes seemed to be the night when he stabbed the leader of the night wolves to death in front of everyone.
Xia Nan roughly understood the reason.
Maybe he was secretly afraid of him?
Speaking of which, although he had teamed up with the half-elf guard "Wood" before, the time was short after all. For the so-called "professionals", under the influence of countless low-level adventurers in the tavern, there was a natural filter.
But after staying with the Seathorn Team for so many days, he realized that under normal circumstances, "professionals" did not seem to be as strong as he imagined. He
only retained two combat skills, [Spinning Slash] and [Fang Hunting], and his strength was mostly hidden. He fought purely on his physical fitness.
It seemed that among low-level professionals, his strength was already quite good.
He couldn't help but sigh in his heart that the expertise and attribute points on the panel were indeed not accumulated in vain.
At the same time, he once again realized that even if they were professionals of the same professional level, there was a huge gap in actual combat power between them due to the influence of combat skill quality, equipment, physical fitness, etc.
And this gap will be further widened as the professional level gradually increases.
From level 1 to level 10, there are only ten mastery-level combat skills in total, and he must choose carefully.
"You are young and have not traveled far, so you may not know."
"In addition to the differences in the types of combat skills included in the Adventurer Association in each region, the specific decorations and arrangements are also very different."
At the wine table, it seemed that the topic was about Cash's expertise.
He held the wine glass and was in high spirits.
"For example, the association branch in River Valley Town is built with oak from the depths of the Misty Forest. Although there are green plants such as shrubs, the overall dark color tone is not too conspicuous, giving people a deep atmosphere of fog under the canopy."
"And the association in Barracuda Bay is decorated with a large number of fish specimens and coral decorations. The entire underground floor is soaked in sea water, and there is a whole wall of glass, so you can see the fish and coral reefs coming and going." "
I have also been to several association branches near the Underdark. Artificial spider webs, mushrooms, skeleton specimens... Hehe, they are all very interesting."
"If you are interested, just go out to see the scenery, the experience should be good."
Hearing the other party say this, Xia Nan couldn't help but think about it.
Since the time I traveled through, I seem to be in a hurry and have constant tasks.
In fact, I have only been wandering between River Valley Town and Neum.
Although I don't like traveling, after all, I have a second chance. If there is a chance, I can take advantage of the gap between tasks, or simply take a task that requires traveling far away, go out for a walk, and experience the local customs and customs of various places. It is not a bad choice.
"Tatt, tatt."
The sound of slightly hurried footsteps came from my ear, interrupting Xia Nan's thoughts.
Looking over, I saw Bohe trotting towards them.
In the deep winter, he was still wearing the thin plain robe, but he didn't show any cold.
After all, he is a serious professional, and his physical fitness is still better than that of ordinary people.
If you randomly find a big and strong man from the tavern, his strength may not be as great as that of the thin and weak girl.
"Sorry, sorry."
Bohe apologized repeatedly.
"I stayed in the herbal medicine shop for a while."
She panted, and there was a little mud on the bottom edge of her robe.
Xia Nan didn't say anything, but moved the chair and let the other party sit in the empty seat on the other side of the table.
His eyes swept over her naturally.
Mint behaved normally these days, without any special features.
In battle, she cast thorn spells in the back row to support teammates and control enemies;
after the battle, she helped several people in the team heal their wounds.
Control and healing, from beginning to end, these two tricks.
There must be something hidden.
But everyone in the team is the same, so there is nothing to say.
As for her origin, the forest located northwest of the valley town is far away from the so-called "druid" mentor, and there is no way to verify it.
There is nothing to doubt.
But it is precisely because of this that the more normal it is, combined with the subtle feelings he perceives, the more he cares about it.
But... it doesn't matter.
Xia Nan shook his head slightly.
It took so long to come here, no matter what the few people in the team think or what purpose they have.
Just wait for this mission to end and get the "Skeleton Etched Steel" as a reward, everything else has nothing to do with him.
While waiting, the steaming mushroom soup has been brought over by the waiter of the tavern.
"Have you prepared everything? We'll set off tomorrow morning."
"This trip will probably take a little longer, so try to prepare as many supplies as possible."
Cash's instructions echoed in his ears.
"The goal of this mission is to investigate the traces of beastmen in the eastern part of the forest. We've discussed the detailed plan before."
"Before we set off today, I'd like to remind you of a few points..."
Sitting at the table, Xia Nan concentrated his attention and listened to the other party's introduction of the key points of the mission.
The spoon in his hand stirred the soup bowl unconsciously.
The slightly sticky soup was dotted with green parsley leaves, swirling and surging under the stirring of the metal spoon.
Without paying attention, a small piece of brown mushroom slice flew out of the bowl and landed on the table.
Xia Nan came back to his senses, and the surface of the wooden table was reflected in his dark eyes. The mushroom slices wrapped in the sticky soup, his brows slightly frowned.
As if he noticed his gaze, he suddenly looked up.
He saw Mint on the side, who seemed to be looking at him.
Seeing him looking at her, her fair and delicate face was stunned for a moment, then she quickly lowered her head in line with her character, looking away inwardly to avoid looking at Xia Nan. Her
previously flawless acting skills seemed to reveal a flaw in an abrupt moment.
"What's wrong? Is there anything?"
He carefully recalled the change in the other person's expression just now, and took the initiative to ask.
"No, no..."
Mint lowered her head, and replied hesitantly with her lips moving.
Under the light, her short dark brown hair with a slightly green sheen swayed gently, revealing her teardrop-shaped light green earring.
Chapter 205 Maple Syrup
I was born in a small village called "Maple Rest Village".
Because it is too remote, it takes many days to walk to the nearest large town, so it is difficult to describe its location specifically.
It should be located in a mountainous area southeast of the Cloud Climbing Province.
The village is small and the mountains are high.
It is far away from the trade route, and the Misty Forest is even farther away.
Therefore, even the green-skinned goblins that are rumored to be as rampant as cockroaches only occasionally appear in the mouths of drunken men in the village.
But the scenery should be good.
At least that's what my father said - he used to follow the caravan for a few years.
Every year in the "Ilai" and "Mano" months, the entire valley will be dyed golden red by maple trees.
When the strong wind blows, the leaves that are more red than the sunset sway, layer by layer, as if the valley is breathing.
This is also the origin of the name "Maple Rest Village".
The memory of childhood is already vague, but it should be like "Little Allen" now, running wildly in the woods all day long.
He is very obedient and always comes home before dark, at least he is more obedient than when I was a child.
Of course, I suspect that he is just too timid and was frightened by the horror stories my mother made up before going to bed.
I am a little dissatisfied with this.
As my younger brother, he should be braver. In the future, he may not become an apprentice knight like "William", but at least he should be able to support this family at critical moments.
William is the second son of the village chief.
He is handsome and brave. He was valued by the knight master in the neighboring town a few years ago and trained as an apprentice.
I have to admit that as a teenage girl who is just beginning to fall in love, I had a different feeling for him at that time.
Until now, I can't help but sigh in my heart when I think of it occasionally.
Of course, I can only sigh.
That day should be in the afternoon.
I collected maple sap as usual.
Use a wooden drill to drill a small hole in the bark, about an inch deep, insert the tenon, and hang the leather bucket underneath, and the crystal clear maple sap will fall drop by drop.
This is the main profit-making method for our family, or the entire Maple Rest Village, throughout the year.
How well we can survive the winter depends on these two months.
Although I am not very old, I have some experience in this area.
This year's profit should be good.
At least there will be no problem filling my stomach in the winter.
And just when I thought that today was no different from the past, when the sun was about to set and I was about to go home with a full leather bucket,
a short and sharp bird song suddenly came from the depths of the woods nearby.
There are often various animals in the woods, and it is normal to make some strange noises. I have never been particularly curious about this.
But for some reason, I became interested in this that day.
Thinking of taking a casual look, I walked in the direction of the sound.
Then, I saw the feathers scattered on the ground, the twitching body of the jay, and the black cat lying in the shade of the tree, enjoying its prey.
Well, it looks a bit strange.
Its body frame was much thicker and more robust than those wild cats in the village. Its head was long, its cheekbones were wider, and its limbs were obviously shorter, but its muscles and fat under the skin were particularly thick.
Its tail was very short, with only a small tuft sticking out from behind its buttocks. Its ears were semicircular and drooped on its head. Its small eyes were as black as buttons and reflected a faint light.
Rather than being a "cat", it looked more like a miniature black bear.
This strange creature did not have any special reaction to my appearance, nor did it have the unique food-guarding behavior of wild animals that I imagined.
Even when I approached it, only a few dozen centimeters away from it, it did not show any resistance.
This inevitably aroused some curiosity in my heart, and under some inexplicable impulse, I stretched out my left hand towards its furry head.
"Shua!"
The miniature black bear was very fast, but it disappeared into the deep shadows of the woods in the blink of an eye.
Only the half-eaten jay corpse on the ground
and a bloody wound on the back of my hand were left.
I have forgotten how I got home that day.
But then I was probably lectured by my parents, and then the wound was carefully bandaged.
Although the tone of the lecture was very harsh, neither they nor I took it seriously.
After all, in this corner deep in the mountains, it is normal for children to run around and get injured.
"It's no big deal."
I thought to myself.
Until a few days later, a sudden fever made me lie in bed for three whole days.
Then I was exhausted all day, and intermittent extreme excitement.
I gradually heard the light sound of mice gnawing on wood in the attic in the middle of the night, and the roar from the depths of the night.
I hated the touch of the insole, and enjoyed the direct contact between the soles of my feet and the soil and fallen leaves; my appetite gradually subsided, but I had an inexplicable desire for raw food that exuded fishy smell.
Even the ignorant feelings for my peers, after an inadvertent brush, turned into a twisted desire for muscles and smells from instinct.
I realized that my body was undergoing some changes.
The cause of all this is most likely the black bear that disappeared deep in the forest.
Time passed day by day.
My condition became worse.
Not only did I often hear inexplicable whispers in my ears, as if someone was whispering, but even the way I looked at the people around me changed.
Little Allen said that I have become a little scary now, with eyes as cold as a beast in the jungle, and several former playmates in the village have gradually become distant.
I don't know what happened.
I want to go back.
But I can't control it.
Later, on a moonlit night, I had a dream.
In the dream, I seemed to have become a pocket black bear the size of a cat, running freely in the woods, catching a few birds and squirrels to eat when I was hungry, digging a hole in the tree to suck honey when I was thirsty, and taking a nap in a corner next to the roots when I was sleepy.
All the pain and suffering during this period seemed to be relieved in this short dream.
Then, I woke up.
I have never had the habit of sleepwalking, but when I opened my eyes this morning, my body had already arrived at the entrance of the village.
I suddenly realized that something was wrong.
What was hanging high in the sky was not the rising sun, but a round, clear, silver moon.
And the golden red in front of me was not maple leaves, but the blazing flames that ignited the entire village.
I felt a sticky touch on my fingertips, and when I looked down, it was a piece of scarlet mixed with minced meat.
I subconsciously licked my lips.
Oh, it turned out that it was not maple syrup, but the taste of blood.
But... it was equally sweet.
It was memorable.
…
…
"Pah!"
Xia Nan stuck out his tongue with a grin, as if he had eaten something unclean.
In his hand, he held a palm-sized jar.
It was a "little surprise" he suddenly found when he was packing his backpack when he set out from the camp this morning.
It was probably the supplies prepared for a previous mission, and he didn't pay attention and dropped it deep into the backpack.
The jar contained the high-quality honey he had bought from the "Green Grass Crucible" before. He
spent a lot of money on it, and originally wanted to enjoy it during his adventure.
But he forgot about it later, and only took it out of his bag just now.
In his impression, honey should be able to be stored for a very long time, so in order not to waste it, he took it out and tasted it.
Unexpectedly, it had completely deteriorated, and it almost made his tongue astringent.
"Is this the honey of the snail bee?" Cash reminded kindly with a smile on his face, "It tastes good, but it can only be stored for a month. If it is stored for longer, it will become sour."
"Speaking of which, if you really like similar seasonings, I recommend the maple syrup produced by the Cloud Climbing Province. It tastes better and is easier to preserve. It should be sold in River Valley Town."
Hearing this, Xia Nan nodded to show that he understood. He had
already made a note of it in his heart.
The mission was boring, and he didn't have any special hobbies.
He had long been accustomed to using food to make up for the pain.
Even if he spent a little more money to make himself happier on the road, it was completely worth it.
Xia Nan even considered whether he should learn a musical instrument to enrich his boring life in the other world.
But considering that the adventure environment was full of dangers, the sound of the musical instrument could easily attract unnecessary dangers, so he didn't do it.
It won't be too late to consider it later when there is a way to block the spread of sound.
The two chatted casually, Veris wandered on the side of the team, and Mint moved behind.
The entire Seathorn Squad looked a little relaxed, not like they should be in the Misty Forest.
In fact, they were not in the Misty Forest.
The Seathorn Squad was walking on a country road.
There were vast plains on both sides, with few obstructions. It was not an exaggeration to say that they could see everything.
It was even bright in the daytime.
Even the most experienced wanderers would find it difficult to ambush in such an environment.
The reason why they did not go directly into the forest based on the location information provided by the association was due to other considerations.
Unlike the previous beast cleanup commissions, the type of beastman mission was "investigation".
It did not require you to bring back the beastman's head directly. To a certain extent, as long as you confirmed the existence of the beastman and provided some specific information about the other party, the mission would be completed.
Of course, if you really just perfunctorily do it, the mission reward will be greatly reduced.
After all, the [Reward] column on the bounty originally stipulated the reward range:
——30-300 gold/1-10 points.
If Xia Nan wanted to obtain enough skeleton steel to upgrade the snake-scale arm shield, it would definitely not be enough to simply find out some information and go back to complete the task.
In his opinion, for the sake of safety, of course, it would be better to do it in one step and completely clear up the trouble of the beastman.
But the forest is so big, although the association has provided location information, if the beastman really exists, how can he stay where he is. If
they enter rashly, not to mention the time that may be wasted in the middle, if a battle really occurs, they know nothing about the enemy and are naturally at a disadvantage. They even need to worry about the problem of beast infection. It
is very troublesome.
Therefore, before officially entering the forest, the Seathorn team plans to go to "Qingmai Village" first.
- A small village near the east side of the misty forest.
It is said that it has received several adventurers who are suspected of being attacked by beastmen.
At present, these adventurers cannot be found, so they wonder if they can get some relevant information from the villagers here.
Qingmai Village is not a prosperous human gathering place.
Otherwise, its suffix would not be "village".
The overall environment is not comparable to River Valley Town and Kalanfor, even the "Cuixi Village" where Xia Nan was promoted cannot compare.
Looking from afar, there are only a few houses that look a bit shabby scattered on both sides, and residents in simple clothes can be seen walking on the road.
Of course, after all, it is close to the Misty Forest, and adventurers often come and go.
Although the villagers are a little curious about the Seathorn Team that suddenly entered the village, they did not do much too much.
At most, they stood on the side of the road and watched a few people.
The village is small and news spreads quickly.
Just after entering the village and walking a few steps, an old man with relatively clean clothes took the initiative to greet them.
The visitor is naturally the village chief of Qingmai Village.
And the person responsible for negotiating with him is the team leader Kash.
Without too much greetings, he also declined the invitation of the village chief to let a few people go into the house to talk in detail. He went straight to the point and explained the purpose of the visit to the other party.
Xia Nan stood behind the team, did not speak, and just silently observed the expressions and actions of several people in the team.
Mint remained silent, lowered her head, and gently stroked her branch staff with her fingertips.
Veris seemed to be doing nothing, looking around boredly, with a completely different expression from when she was in River Valley.
If I had to say it, it was the difference between the office in the previous life and the subway on the way to and from work, a feeling of no longer needing to socialize with colleagues and isolating the people around.
Cash, who was talking to the village chief, was even more obvious.
Although he himself did not show too much aggression, his subconscious body movements and some of the words he used in his speech showed a superior attitude everywhere.
It was as if the person standing in front of him was not an old man who was several generations older than him, but a subordinate or a housekeeper.
Unexpectedly, but also within reason, the village chief did not show any disgust or anger about this. On the contrary, he took the initiative to put himself in a relatively low position during the conversation.
In just a few minutes, Xia Nan had a new understanding of the relationship between "adventurers" and "ordinary civilians" in this world.
He was stunned again.
"I myself... shouldn't have changed much, right?"
He felt that less than a year was not enough to change the three views that he had built up over decades in his previous life.
But he also knew in his heart that whether a person is strong or not has no direct correlation with whether his heart is strong or not.
Power, status, and wealth can easily transform a kind person into a twisted and greedy beast.
He subconsciously reviewed his recent exchanges with ordinary villagers and town residents.
But before he had time to think more,
Cash, who was at the front of the team, turned around and called a few people.
"Let's go, we found the person."