Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 203 is not easy to deal with!

The place, which had been filled with howls of wolves and roars of humans, fell into dead silence in an instant.

The only sounds in the air were rapid breathing and the soft rustling of leaves.

The massive alpha wolf lay motionless on the ground, its beastly eyes, which should have displayed ferocity and savagery in front of its prey, now closed.

Bathed in soft light, its pure, flawless, fluffy, silvery-white mane swayed gently in the breeze.

The iron-gray blade pierced its spine from top to bottom, protruding from its jaw and landing on the ground.

Steaming crimson blood gushed from the wound, flowing down the straight, smooth blade and soaking and staining the mud below red.

Following the blade upwards, there are long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles gripping the hilt upside down; a snake-scale arm shield with a dark luster deeper than the night; a thick, gray-black iron plate and metal rings; and a pair of cold, sharp, jet-black eyes.

A figure clad in iron armor rode high atop a wolf carcass.

Behind him, the sky was filled with a cool, silvery moon peeking through the dense canopy of trees, enveloping his entire body.

"Shoot."

The metal rubbed against flesh and bones, producing a dull, grating sound.

Xia Nan pulled the decapitation sword from the alpha wolf's body.

He flicked his wrist, performing a clean and crisp sword flourish, and flicked away the blood that clung to the surface of the blade.

Sheath the sword.

His keen senses and instincts honed from countless slaughters allowed him to confirm that the leader of the night wolf pack was dead.

He had to admit that he was somewhat surprised at that moment.

Although he had not directly fought the opponent before, he clearly saw the details of the battle between the alpha wolf, Cash, and Veris while clearing out the grunts.

They are quite powerful.

Under normal circumstances, if he doesn't use his trump card, or if he's not lucky, he shouldn't be able to defeat his opponent in one or two rounds.

Therefore, Xia Nan had already made ample contingency plans before launching an attack on the other side.

First, use [Fang Hunt] to launch a surprise attack. If the alpha wolf reacts, use [Spinning Slash] to expand the range and enhance the attack effect, striving to inflict effective damage on the enemy. During the pullback after swinging the sword, use [Fang Hunt] again to retreat and avoid possible counterattacks from the opponent.

But what I didn't expect was.

The battle ended after only the first step of the plan, "using the [Fang Hunt] for a surprise attack."

What happened in the middle?
Why did the alpha wolf's body suddenly freeze in place?

It's highly unlikely that he didn't react in time or was exhausted.

He also secretly applied gravity control to it to slow its movement.

However, given my current level of development in [gravity control], the effect should not be that strong.

It's obviously due to other reasons.

"pat...pat..."

hurried and unsteady footsteps echoed through the sparse woodland ahead.

Mint, who was positioned at the rear of the battlefield to provide support for everyone, is now jogging over to rejoin her teammates as the battle ends.

I remember that the alpha wolf, now a corpse, seemed to have looked in the direction where Mint was before it died.

Is there some kind of connection between these two things?
As Xia Nan pondered these questions, his vigilance deepened.

"Yes, phew... Is anyone injured?"

"I will treat...the illness."

The light green, teardrop-shaped earring on her left ear swayed as she moved.

Her pale, bloodless face, glistening with sweat from excessive spellcasting, was already visible through the air even before she got close.

Xia Nan did not respond.

Simply concentrate your attention in secret, using your perception to carefully observe the details of the other person's behavior.

Under the moonlight, his body trembled slightly, his lips moved and then tightened from time to time, as if he was enduring something. This was most likely a side effect of excessive mental energy consumption from casting spells multiple times in a short period of time.

I've experienced this feeling myself, so I can understand it.

Other bodily movements were also based on instinctive reactions to exhaustion after the battle.

Hmm... at least it doesn't look fake.

Meanwhile, behind Xia Nan.

Vera stood quietly in the bushes, her slender, tall figure almost blending into the shadows.

The eyes, faintly glowing in the darkness, stared at the motionless, enormous wolf carcass.

His gaze followed the broken branches in the forest, swept over the mangled corpses of night wolves, and finally settled on Xia Nan.

A strange expression, complex yet subtly peculiar, appeared on his face.

He subconsciously turned his head to look at Cash beside him.

Unexpectedly, the other party was looking over at that moment as well.

The two looked at each other without speaking, but they both understood the meaning in each other's eyes.

"cough……"

Seemingly hearing Mint's voice from ahead, Veris's expression suddenly changed, and she deliberately appeared weak.

Gently pressing the wound on his right forearm sustained in the battle, he called out:
"Here, Little Mint, come quickly and let your sister see your injury."

Cash took two steps forward and proactively met Xia Nan, who jumped down from the wolf carcass.

He nodded at him.

"We need to clean up the battlefield as quickly as possible."

“The misty forest in the middle of the night is very dangerous. I’m worried that the smell of blood here might attract some unnecessary trouble.”

"Fortunately, the mission is complete. We can head back to town as soon as it gets light tomorrow."

Xia Nan had no objection to this.

To be honest, although the battle looked dangerous, it was actually quite easy once I got into combat mode.

Not only was it not damaged, but even the plate chainmail nails, which I was worried might be ruined again and hadn't had time to maintain, didn't have many obvious scratches.

This gave him a slight sense of relief.

In comparison, the returns should be quite good.

Aside from the mission rewards provided by the association, the pelts and body materials of these few night wolves alone could fetch a considerable sum of money.

Even if it's divided among four people, it should be enough to replenish his nearly depleted savings.

All of them were experienced, and the four members of the Seathorn Squad finished processing the wolf carcasses in the woods in about half an hour.

They greeted each other and rearranged their formation, then, led by Cash carrying a lantern, they hurried toward the camp.

Still hanging at the back of the line.

Xia Nan glanced back one last time at the location of the alpha wolf.

The elegance it once possessed is gone.

Its fluffy, silvery-white fur had been completely stripped off, and its claws and canine teeth had also been pulled from its body.

Lying silently in the bushes was only a bloodied and gruesome corpse.

The soft moonlight shone on it, yet it appeared even more grotesque and eerie.

Look upward.

A silver moon, like a jade plate, hangs high in the night sky, adorned with a few bright stars.

The dim clouds, like thin gauze, drifted by softly in the moonlight.

Time seemed to speed up.

The bright moon glides serenely down the sky, the sun rises, and crimson clouds ripple across the horizon like colorful silk.

Sunrise and sunset, day and night, clouds, thick or thin, drift and linger in the sky. In the blink of an eye, another month and a half has passed.

……

River Valley Town, White Sparrow Tavern.

"Crench."

With the creaking of hinges, the tavern's wooden door was slowly pushed open.

In the depths of winter, the chilling cold from the streets outside was dispelled by the warm air inside, filled with the aroma of alcohol and food.

Vera was still wearing her figure-hugging openwork leather outfit. Her professional physique and the Drow blood flowing through her veins, combined with the relatively warm climate of Panyun Province, allowed her to ignore the effects of the temperature on her body.

Feel free to showcase your unique and exotic fashion sense, hailing from the darker regions.

The metal pendants at the ends of her hair clinked together, making a crisp sound. The slightly dark skin peeking out from the openwork of her close-fitting leather jacket appeared even more delicate and smooth under the light.

Vera could feel the gazes, some hidden, some fiery, coming from countless tables around her.

Having long been accustomed to it, her mixed-race identity and her long experience of living both on the surface and underground made her clearly aware of the cultural and customary differences between the Drow elves living in the Underdark and intelligent beings from the outside world.

His extensive experience as a seasoned adventurer also allowed him to adapt perfectly to this environment.

To some extent, due to the evil tendencies deep in her blood, Veris even enjoyed the conflicted gaze of those who, despite their deep longing, were afraid to approach her because of their drow hybrid and professional status.

With a crisp tap of her pointed leather boots, she strode her two plump, long legs to a quiet corner of the tavern's main hall where few customers were.

Cash is sitting here.

Seeing the half-empty wine bottle on the table in front of him and the plate with only food scraps left, it was clear that he had been waiting there for quite some time.

"Is everything ready?"

He raised an eyebrow and glanced at the drow half-elf, his face expressionless, and casually asked.

“Of course.” Veris sat down opposite Cash, picked up the bottle and poured herself a glass. “I must say, this valley town doesn’t look very big, but it has a pretty complete range of shops and such.”

"That 'Grass Cauldron' even sells the Fungus Corpse Poison from the Underdark. I don't know where that Ms. Edwina got it from, but it saved me a lot of trouble."

"It's normal."

Cash held his wine glass, his eyes slightly narrowed, seemingly savoring the taste of the drink.

"This is such a large misty forest, and anything that comes out of it has to go through the town."

“So many adventurers come and go every year, each with their own needs. If the selection is incomplete, the prices are not affordable, and there are too many defective products, this shop cannot stay open.”

As he spoke, as if he had thought of something, his words suddenly carried a hint of reminiscence.

"Back then, the shop my family ran in Suoyu Bay was supposed to be a fishing tackle shop, but they sold things like medicine and manuals too."

"Only a fool wouldn't make money if it's available."

But after he finished reminiscing under the influence of alcohol, he remembered the unpleasant things of the past, which made him shut his mouth and put down his wine glass.

A silence fell over the dining table.

After a while, Vera opened her mouth and asked in a low voice:

"I've been here for so many days, and there's been no progress at all."

"When are we leaving?"

Over the course of a month and a half, the association took on numerous beast-clearing missions, but they still couldn't find any trace of their target.

“No rush.” Cash shook his head. “Let’s talk about it after we finish this last one.”

Hearing him say that, a playful look suddenly appeared on Veris's delicate face, and she teased:
"Heh, you're really planning to keep your promise and help that Gray Sword with his quest?"

"you think too much."

Cash chuckled and explained:
"I just have a feeling that his commission to investigate the beastmen might be related to our goals, and we might actually find some useful information."

"Besides, it has been in town for so long. If it wanted to run away, it probably wouldn't be in the forest anymore."

"A few more days or a few less days doesn't make any difference."

While Vera did not reply, she nodded silently in agreement with the other party's view.

"Made!"

When the topic turned to Xia Nan, Cash, under the influence of alcohol, suddenly became somewhat emotional.

"What the hell is wrong with me!"

"I was planning to find a couple of newbies to earn some extra money during the breaks between tasks, but how did I end up with someone like this?"

He seemed extremely puzzled.

"I clearly saw him being led upstairs by the receptionist, and he didn't even know how to upgrade!"

"He's obviously a newbie with no background who just got lucky and managed to acquire three combat skills to reach a professional level."

"Now it's all good. When I do some missions, I have to be wary of him on the way, afraid that he might cut my head off with a sword at any time. I have to speak to him in a very polite manner."

"If it weren't for the fact that we couldn't find a suitable teammate at the last minute, and that he was indeed useful in the mission, I..."

Upon hearing this, Veris, who had maintained a smile on her face since entering the tavern, also turned serious.

"This kid definitely has some issues."

“Over the past few days, I’ve barely seen his back. A few times I tried to go up and ask him something, but he would look over as soon as I took two steps, as if he had eyes in the back of his head.”

"Besides, you've probably seen his two combat techniques, haven't you?"

Cash nodded heavily.

"trouble."

"The other day, we both held back a bit when we faced that alpha wolf, but to say we could take down that beast in a few rounds... that was definitely not possible."

"But that kid only used one sword strike. Although there was an element of luck involved, but..."

"Not easy to deal with!"

"And I estimate, no, I'm sure."

"He's definitely hiding something!"

Cash looked certain, tilted his head back, and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

"The risk is too high, let's skip it this time."

"Spare his life."

"Once this mission is over, we'll leave immediately and not get entangled with him any longer."

Upon hearing this, Vera couldn't help but show a hint of regret on her face.

"It's a pity for my little mint, I'll have to see you again later."

Cash merely raised an eyebrow, his words carrying a pointed meaning:

"What's the pity? We can just take her with us when we leave."

"Once we leave River Valley Town, how you deal with her is entirely up to you, isn't it?"

“Hey.” Vera’s eyes lit up and she let out a sinister chuckle.

He wanted to say something more, but then he suddenly saw Cash in front of him and, for some reason, abruptly sat up straight.

The sinister expression that had been on his face vanished abruptly, replaced by the uprightness and seriousness befitting a squad leader.

The reaction was extremely fast and quite natural.

Vera also changed her expression, a gentle smile appearing on her face.

He stood up, turned his head, and waved to the distance:

"Xia Nan, over here!"

"Why are you so late? Your sister has been waiting for you for ages."

(End of this chapter)