Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 480 Secret Realm 1
Xia Nan made no attempt to hide his gaze.

Although he didn't rush to clean up the battlefield after the battle, he focused his main energy on taking care of the wounded.

But he had to admit that the small briefcase, which was lying quietly on the sofa in the operating room of the altar and was suspected to be the core of the secret realm, was indeed something that caught his attention.

Having recovered somewhat from the side effects of overusing combat skills, Lorraine leaned against a dilapidated wall with an exotic style, lying on the ground, panting heavily.

Beside him, Druid Hein was carefully bandaging the wound on her captain's right arm that he had sustained in the battle.

Lorraine's expression was equally complex.

To some extent, Xia Nan's performance in the battle just now surprised her even more than Hein's.

After all, when this mission had just begun, her impression of this black-haired youth was that he was just a relative who had joined the fleet as a temporary member in hopes of attending the Moonlit Feast, thanks to his acquaintance who was a tavern owner.

did not expect……

Lorraine looked at Xia Nan, blinked, and suddenly said:

"Don't worry about us, you can look around and see if there's anything on the field that interests you."

She certainly noticed Xia Nan's gaze.

As an experienced adventurer who had sailed the seas for many years, how could Lorraine possibly overlook the towering altar in the center of the site, a blend of strange buildings?

Her adventurer's instincts allowed her to vaguely sense that if there were any special loot items on the field besides murloc equipment and shark beast materials, they would probably be on this altar.

Lorraine's sudden statement to Xia Nan was almost a clear indication that she could claim the possible spoils from the altar for herself.

The key to the "Blade of Vengeance" squad's ability to maintain relatively stable internal relations despite years of adventures in the Southern Islands lies in the fair distribution of loot and mission rewards.

As captain, Lorraine has her own goals to pursue, and her pursuit of gold coins is not as vigorous as that of ordinary adventurers. In many cases, she is even willing to share a lot of her income with ordinary crew members, and she has a very high prestige in the team.

When distributing loot, we should take into account the contributions made by the team members in the mission, and try our best to be fair and just.

Currently, the Blade of Vengeance squad has suffered heavy losses in the battle against the Shark Beast, with most of the adventurers, who are core members, seriously injured.

However, if we consider individual contributions in battle, Xia Nan is undoubtedly the most outstanding among them.

If we really analyze the situation carefully, the opponent used his highly mobile movement skills to save his teammates more than once in normal combat.

In the final moments, it suddenly erupted, completely killing the incredibly powerful deformed shark beast.

To put it bluntly, if Xia Nan hadn't joined the team for this mission, the group of just the few of them definitely wouldn't have lasted this long.

It's likely that the Shark Beast's first surprise attack was enough to kill or wound most of the Oath of Vengeance squad, and it's only a matter of time before they are wiped out.

Xia Nan deserves much credit for the fact that the people, including Lorraine herself, are able to lie here breathing fresh air.

Given this premise, the other party should also have the highest priority in the distribution of spoils.

On this point, not only Captain Lorraine, who was the leader of the team, but also the other members had no objection.

Hearing Lorraine say this, Xia Nan naturally understood what she meant.

He didn't refuse, after all, he was indeed somewhat concerned about the briefcase on the altar.

After a final check of the surroundings, it was confirmed that there was no danger.

He nodded slightly to Lorraine and the others, then turned and walked towards the altar.

This towering altar, constructed from sea rock and fish bones, has a wet and uneven surface, making it easy for ordinary people to slip and fall while climbing it.

However, the balance bonus from the adventurer's physical attributes and [Tidal Shaping] allowed Xia Nan to walk on flat ground as if on solid ground.

A few steps up, and you arrive at the very top, where half of the operating room is strangely integrated into the space.

His gaze swept carefully across the room, making sure there was nothing else of note.

Xia Nan's gaze was fixed on the leather sofa and the suitcase that showed obvious signs of use; he was already prepared.

Based on his previous experiences in the secret realm, there are likely several possibilities for what will happen to him next.

1. Traverse into the pocket space of the secret realm itself, similar to the giant serpent cave where you obtained the wooden sword [Green Pine] and the Gourd of Dew;
2. Enter the world of the origin of the secret realm from a first-person observer's perspective and experience a short segment of the story related to it, similar to the Ashenvale Ruins where you can obtain the materials [Echoes of Ember] and [Emberfall].

3. Nothing happened.

Take a deep breath.

Xia Nan stepped forward slowly, bent down slightly, and reached out with both hands towards the suitcase.

And at the very instant his fingertips touched the leather case, time and space around him seemed to freeze.

The towering rock walls on both sides vanished into nothingness under the sunlight, and the weeds and shrubs inside the canyon also quietly disappeared.

In contrast, the dilapidated foreign buildings were restored quickly, almost like a video replay.

The broken beams grew and extended, the collapsed dome floated up, and the bricks and tiles scattered on the ground flew up into the air and landed back in their rightful places perfectly.
The original discontinuous stone brick pavement was connected to form a complete road section, and the dilapidated benches on both sides of the road for people to rest were also restored to their original neat appearance.

The sound of distant waves still drifted through the air as white noise, but the Twin Valleys had vanished like a mirage.

Instead, it has become a leisurely town filled with 20th-century European-style architecture.

As for Xia Nan himself, he could feel his consciousness drifting away like willow catkins in the wind, losing control of his body.

Despite his powerful sensory abilities allowing him to clearly perceive the conversations of his teammates not far away, his mental state seemed to have entered another world.

He immediately understood.

It seems that the core of this secret realm is similar to the ruins of the Ember Ash Valley.

Then she stopped resisting and let her consciousness sink.

His dark eyes, gradually losing focus, reflected the stethoscope logo on the surface of the briefcase in front of him, which symbolized the so-called medical association.

……

……

Mande removed the stethoscope from the peasant woman's back and sat behind his desk in his clinic. With a practiced ease, as if he had done it countless times, he wrote lines of scribbled words on the medical record.

Suddenly, I noticed the peasant woman's anxious expression, her wrinkled and weathered face, and her patched, coarse linen clothes.

The pen tip paused involuntarily.

He quickly crossed out several items before writing down the expensive medicines.

Despite the exhaustion from a long day's work, he forced a smile and said softly:
"There's nothing wrong, you're very healthy."

"You just caught a cold. Make sure to get plenty of rest these next few days."

Hearing him say that, the peasant woman in front of him couldn't help but show a relieved smile.

Nodding repeatedly, he said gratefully:
"Thank you, thank you so much, Dr. Mande!"

"Thank you so much! No wonder everyone says you are a responsible and good doctor!"

"..."

The peasant woman's words of gratitude faded into the corridor as the door closed.

Mande sighed wearily and casually put the copper coin that the other party had forcibly left on the table into the drawer.

I glanced out the window and saw the setting sun casting a dim glow; it was already evening. I got up, took off my doctor's uniform, gathered my things, and left the consultation room.

"Have you heard? Old Mark over at the port was swept into the sea by the waves during the storm."

"This old bachelor doesn't seem to have married or had any children. Who's he planning to ask to take care of his funeral arrangements?"

"Hehe, I didn't say he was dead."

"How is that possible?! Considering the scale of that storm last month..."

Seeing him emerge from the examination room, the two nurses sitting at the front desk fell silent and respectfully greeted him:
"Mr. Mand, are you done with work?"

"See you tomorrow, Dr. Mande."

Mande nodded slightly in response and then pushed open the door to leave.

What came into view was a street that looked particularly desolate under the twilight.

It was evening, which should have been the busiest and most crowded time of day.

The streets were nearly deserted, and the majority of the pedestrians were elderly, much like the setting sun hanging in the sky, casting a gloomy atmosphere over the entire town.

This is Mande’s second year working in the seaside town called “Fishhook Town” since graduating from the Royal College of Physicians and passing the examination to officially become a “trainee member” of the Physicians’ Association.

Compared to the fishermen in town who toil day and night at sea but struggle to even afford new clothes, his life was actually quite good.

The work allowance from the Medical Association might not seem like much in big cities, but in Fishhook Town, it allowed him to live in a two-story detached house on the main street and live a life free from worries about food and clothing.

As the only doctor in town with a legitimate medical association license, Mande enjoys a prestigious position among the townspeople comparable to that of the mayor and sheriff.

As he walked down the street, everyone who saw him would nod and smile at him from the bottom of their hearts, and his doorstep would be piled high with gifts from the townspeople during holidays.

Mander should feel satisfied.

But in fact, the opposite is true.

Having graduated from the Royal College of Physicians, how could a young man in his early twenties possibly be content with a life where he could see the end from the beginning?

He barely even performed his duties as a "psychiatrist".

Over the course of two years, they have become increasingly adept at treating diseases common among people living by the sea, such as arthritis, asthma, and bacterial infections.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, Mand returned to his small home in Fishhook Town.

A simple yet clean two-story building.

As was his habit, he first checked the mailbox in front of the door.

My breath hitched.

Inside lay a pristine white envelope bearing the seal of the Royal College of Physicians.

Suppressing his excitement, he quickly took the envelope out and stuffed it into his pocket.

He opened the door and strode inside.

He crouched down and gave the head of the golden retriever named "March," whose tail was wagging like a propeller, a good rub.

"Little March, we'll be able to leave here soon!"

"Look how happy you are, haha."

Back home, Mande could no longer contain his joy; his smile stretched almost to his ears.

After feeding March two more handfuls of dog food, he came to the study with an excited look on his face.

He swept the books and papers on the table aside with his arm, took a deep breath, and with an expectant yet serious expression, gently unfolded the letter in his hand.

……

Dear Dr. Mande:
I have received your research on innovative treatments for patients with bipolar disorder, which you submitted in June, and frankly, I am disappointed with it.

I did not see the insight you displayed in your graduation thesis. The case sample size was too small, the observations lacked depth, and the conclusions were something that any medical student from a second-rate college could write.

I know you're not having a good time in Fishhook, but if you want to come back here, if you want to truly establish yourself in the medical field, and even become a full-fledged physician in the association, you need more down-to-earth research findings, not these empty words that have no basis in reality.

P.S.: Karin got engaged last week to an assistant lecturer at the college next door. I think you should know that.

Your mentor

Adonis Pope
……

It's hard to describe the expression on Mande's face after reading the letter.

It was a fear of having one's once-proud talents wasted by a numb life, a sense of shame and indignation at having failed one's mentor's expectations, and a feeling of confusion and helplessness about work, love, and the future.

The next day, for the first time since he arrived in Fishhook Town, Mande missed his alarm and was nearly two hours late.

Perhaps noticing the disappointment on his face, the two caregivers in the clinic did not react in any way and greeted him as warmly as ever.

Several patients were already waiting in the lounge.

The first one was the blacksmith's wife in town, who suffered from headaches and insomnia.

Based on the blacksmith's income, Mande prescribed two doses of tonic that were quite effective.

The second one is the grocery store owner, who is coughing.

Not wanting to spend money, I finally decided to go home and rely on my own immune system to get through it.

Third, a farmhand on the outskirts of town cut his arm with a sickle.

Mande mechanically bandaged and prescribed medicine, muttering the same platitudes he had repeated countless times, but his mind was filled with the letter from his mentor from the previous night.

The door to the examination room was pushed open for the fourth time, and the caregiver led a man in.

Mande looked up and saw a middle-aged man with a hunched back and a weathered face.

His temples were gray, and the corners of his mouth drooped down, carrying an expression of accustomed forbearance.

His skin was rough, but his complexion was not the dark tan that was common among the town's residents, which came from long hours of working in the sun. Instead, it had an eerie paleness, as if it had been soaked in water.

He was wearing a shirt made of coarse linen and had a faint fishy smell about him.

“Mark, from the port.”

Seeing that the middle-aged man seemed a little shy, the caregiver took the initiative to introduce Mande.

Then he turned and left, closing the door behind him.

mark?

Mande felt the name sounded vaguely familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before, but instinctively he asked:

"Tell me, what's wrong with your health?"

　There will be more later.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)