The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 144 A Recreation and the Forest Ranger (10,000 words, please subscribe and vote!)
"If it's not those adventurers... then it's the underground creatures lurking in the shadows, or the Red Scarf Gang? Can you sense their exact numbers?"

"That's impossible."

The spirit honed through the past is the most complete part of Chenxi's entire body.

This makes her very sensitive to and perceptive of emotions, but she cannot detect the direction, number, or even source of gazes like magic.

"Try using [Divine Perception]."

A ripple of light swept silently across the surroundings:

"I cannot sense the existence of the celestial realm or demonic creatures."

If we can't figure out what's going on, then we can only pay more attention.

With [Alertness] active, Tang Qi wasn't afraid of being ambushed.

After a while, Hope walked back to the campsite somewhat dejectedly, carrying almost nothing. As he approached the campfire, he couldn't help but stomp his foot.
"Damn profiteer, he's charging me 50 gold coins for a bottle!"

"You bought it?"

Tang Qi purchased three vials of antidote through Chuck's connections, spending only 50 gold coins in total.

However, to enter the third level of the swamp, antidote is indeed an indispensable item. Presumably, seeing her urgency, they gambled that she wouldn't turn back, regroup, and then venture deeper, thus choosing to charge an exorbitant price.

"I won't fall for that."

The Tiffany children who grew up on the streets are always exceptionally sensitive to prices and transactions.

"Judging from their appearance, they seem to have just come up from the third level and are probably planning to leave the underground city."

Since the antidote isn't working, let's just leave them hanging for a while and try to lower the price.

Tang Qi nodded, his gaze sweeping over her shoulder before turning to the adventurer slowly approaching from behind her:
"Which group of adventurers did you ask for the price from?"

"Of course we asked them all. But only that group of humans had the goods..."

"So, why did that half-goat man come over?"

Hope raised an eyebrow, turned around, and saw a thin but handsome man.

You couldn't tell his age, since half-goat people habitually have goatees.

However, one can see that the goat horns on both sides of his forehead are similar to those of Hope, except that the lines are not complicated, unlike the slightly twisted horns of Tifflin.

His fur was generally dark brown, like that of an ancient oak tree, and his ears were large and round, but what was most striking were his hooves covered in scales.

This makes him walk with a hopping gait, sometimes high and sometimes low.

Tang Qi and Chen Xi instinctively gripped the weapons at their waists. Their opponent, clearly noticing their wariness, raised his hands, attempting to introduce himself:
"Please forgive my intrusion, but I am not carrying any weapons and have no malicious intent."

His words were not enough to dispel Tang Qi's doubts, but they were not enough to warrant drawing a knife to his head.

"What do you want to do?"

“I’m just trying to buy a bottle of [Stress Potion] from you; my companion desperately needs it.”

The half-goat man frowned, looking somewhat anxious.
"She suffered a severe emotional trauma, and is still in a coma."

[Stress Potion] can help restore depleted spell slots as soon as possible, and can also help relieve the pain in one's heart.

After all, emotional trauma is a kind of mental injury that is difficult to heal with healing agents that repair physical wounds.

Tang Qi then looked at another group of human adventurers:
"We've only been here a short time, why don't you go and buy from that group of adventurers?"

“If they had them, I would certainly be willing to do so. But it seems that none of them are spellcasters, nor have they prepared such items beforehand.”

Stress potions are so expensive, costing twice as much as healing potions, that most non-spellcasting adventurers rarely prepare such supplies.

The half-goat sighed:

"Judging from your appearance, you seem to come from a shallow underground city, so your supplies should be quite plentiful. I'm willing to pay double the price—or if you have any items you fancy, please feel free to choose."

I won't sell you stress medication.

"Okay, I'm sorry to bother you."

“But I can try to make your companion feel better. Take me to see him.”

The half-goat blinked in confusion, but as if grasping at the last straw, he led Tang Qi to his camp with a try-it-out attitude, even though Tang Qi hadn't said how he would help.

Tang Qi followed closely behind, taking the opportunity to inquire:

"Mr. Half-Goat, did you climb up from the third level?"

"Yes—you can call me 'Little Mustache.' We almost became 'fallen leaves of the sandalwood forest' on the third floor."

"What do you mean?"

"Sorry, that's a local saying in our Sandalwood Forest—fallen leaves fall into the soil and gradually decompose into nutrients for the soil."

This means that we will all eventually die and become part of our homeland.

"But thankfully you are still alive."

"Yes, thanks to a kind villager."

"Oh?"

"He was a very talkative dwarf. He really talked a lot, especially since my hearing is quite good. When I first met him, I always found him noisy—but now I'm willing to listen to his chatter until nightfall."

Tang Qi seemed to realize who they had run into:
Is there a dwarf beside me?

"Yes, you've seen them too? They call themselves the Silver Medal, and their target seems to extend beyond the third level of the dungeon."

Do you think they have a clear sense of purpose?

"The goal... is pretty clear, isn't it?"

"Damn it."

Tang Qi spat inwardly.

Remember what Lady Wendy said about leading her team to find the Dragon Vault?

Could it be that we've already found some clues?
The thought that the rubble, once gone, was about to unearth a dragon's treasure and make a fortune made Tang Qi grit his teeth.

He was genuinely afraid that his friend would suffer.

But I'm even more afraid of my friends suddenly becoming rich.

The half-goat man with the mustache sensed that Tang Qi's mood seemed somewhat complicated, but having arrived at the camp, he didn't have time to think about it too much. He quickly lifted the tent flap, allowing Tang Qi to see clearly what was lying in the camp...

Little girl?
"She is... a fairy spirit?"

It looked like a young girl who hadn't fully grown up; her hair, eyebrows, and even fingernails were colored like leaves, and she had a pair of thin, translucent wings on her back, like those of a dragonfly.

Two illusory antennae on its forehead shimmered with a faint emerald green, yet its brows were furrowed as if it were having a nightmare.

"Yes, you have a lot of knowledge."

The man with the mustache looked worried.
"While exploring the third level, we encountered a witch—she seemed to be blessed by this dungeon, and attacked [Little Rascal]'s mind with a mental spear, leaving her unconscious."

"Hey, little mustache, did you manage to buy the stress medication?"

Besides the unconscious fairy, there was also a Goliath in the tent, shirtless and carrying a giant hammer as tall as a man on his back—

He has blue skin and tattoos on his face, but his nose is a bit big, making him look like a bald, but giant, Smurf.

But his actions towards the "little rascal" were not as rough as he appeared; he almost used his fingertips to pick up a cloth and wipe away the cold sweat from the delicate girl.

"Hey, there's a spellcaster here. They must have stress potions."

A shrill voice came from behind. Tang Qi turned around and saw a goblin in leather armor standing behind Kuru.

Compared to goblins, bear goblins have thicker, coarser fur covering their long, monkey-like limbs, and when they smile, they reveal sharp teeth, making them look like natural villains.

Contrary to their rather imposing appearance, the bear goblin is actually quite adept at hiding.

Their flexible bodies allow them to squeeze into spaces that only small creatures would occupy, without even having to squeeze in.

He held a magic wand and several jet-black fangs in his hand, and the more he looked at them, the more familiar they seemed...

"Rua!"

Kuru also realized that it was the 'giant spider collection' he had recently acquired.

"Enough, you little devil! They're here to help our friends!"

"Ah, sorry sorry!"

Despite its menacing appearance, this goblin bear was surprisingly polite.

He even bowed repeatedly to Kuru, returning the items in his hands and also handing over the several fangs from his pocket.
"My occupational hazard has kicked in. I just can't help but steal things—"

These are wolf fangs I stole from someone. I was originally planning to sell them to the orcs in the Spine District, but I'm giving them all to you now.

"Rua? Thank you!"

It's true what they say, 'A big forest has all sorts of monsters.'

Tang Qi found it hard to imagine that one day he would see a kobold and a goblin bowing and thanking each other...

"In any case, let's finish the important business first."

He decided to ask later how these adventure teams, which were even more 'odd' than his own, came together.

"I come."

Chenxi volunteered and began to squat down, attempting to activate [Holy Healing].

"What are you doing here? Step back!"

Tang Qi quickly grabbed her shoulder armor.

I was originally thinking of saving some money. If I use the restoration gel to release holy light, wouldn't that be throwing money away for nothing?
Before dawn could even process his confusion, Tang Qi immediately picked up the lute behind him, sat down on the ground, and slowly began to play a melodious folk tune:

"Let the song create ripples, let worries dissipate and fade into silence. Let the hurt stay away, let us rest here..."

Tang Qi used the simplest chords to repeat the melody, only changing the key at the end of a few notes to prevent the simple music from becoming an annoying, irritating sound.

But the melodious tune didn't seem to dispel the worries of others.

The little bear goblin couldn't help but mutter:

"What is this? Singing a lullaby to the little rascal? Are you sure you won't let her fall into a deep sleep forever? Well, that would certainly let her rest well—her soul rests too."

"Shh, don't talk."

The man with the mustache covered his mouth and quietly watched the girl who had fainted on the ground, trying to observe her condition.

As half-sheep, being active and rhythmic is almost an innate trait rooted in their blood.

This made him extremely sensitive to music.

It also made him realize that this seemingly simple melody contained an indescribable musical force—

It was as if it were harmonizing with Tang Qi, laying a layer of harmony for him, making his singing no longer dry or monotonous.

Amidst the harmony, the 'giant' who had been carefully tending to the fairy spirit suddenly whispered with joy:
"Her brow relaxed, which seemed to be working."

Even as the little rascal hesitated, he also sensed a warm current flowing into his blood, seemingly cleansing the impurities from his body and making him feel lighter than ever before.
"Why do I feel like I'm taking a hot bath in a hot spring?"

"Is this... the bard's magic?"

Hope also felt that indescribable comfort.

However, considering the small part of Tang Qi's abilities that she had revealed during their journey together, she was not as surprised as the others.

"A bard? Magic?"

Clearly, these adventurers also find it difficult to associate the two words together.

Regardless, after nearly half an hour of playing and singing, the fairy-like girl's expression had become calm, and a slight smile appeared on her lips, as if she had a pleasant dream.

"This, this is simply unbelievable."

The man with the mustache then voiced his surprise.
"Music actually contains the magic to help people restore their energy?"
Where did you learn this? At the Bard's Song Academy?

Why didn't the bards we encountered before know this?

He loved music, but ultimately became a soldier.

Because learning music cannot protect the sandalwood forest.

Right now, he has a strong urge to go to a poets' academy for further studies.

"It's just that few people have discovered it."

Tang Qi didn't explain much, he just wiped the sweat from his forehead and cleared his throat—

【Resting Song】There is no limit to the number of times it can be used; it can be played whenever you are resting.

However, only by playing for a full 30 minutes can the effect of 'restoring injuries and energy' be truly triggered.

It can be considered a magical effect, but it is quite different from a real spell.

But it does have the effect of healing emotional trauma.

After all, it's meant to be 'listened to,' not 'drunk.'

The only strain is actually the pressure on my throat from singing continuously for thirty minutes.

Goliath, noticing that Tang Qi's voice was a little hoarse, quickly took his water bag and moved closer to Tang Qi.

"Thank you—um, Mr. Giant."

Just call me "Little Baldy".

Tang Qi resisted the urge to spit out the water in his mouth. After moistening his throat, he looked curiously at the four-person team.
"These are your code names, not your real names, right?"

The man with the mustache answered matter-of-factly, “Of course, don’t adventurers use code names to address each other? Like that Mr. Gossipy from before.”

Oh yes, I don't know how to address you, sir poet.

“Donkey, my name is Donkey Weinberg.”

Tang Qi would never miss an opportunity to promote his reputation.

This is why he insisted on using music to help the group of adventurers instead of using stress-relieving drugs.

Selling medicine can indeed solve the problem, but it is obviously not as popular as 'relieving pain with music'.

"This is Dawn, Kuru, and our guide Hope."

"They look like a group of seasoned, professional adventurers."

"We are a group of adventurers."

"Yes. Adventurers as outstanding as you must have a resounding name. We are the [Forest Ranger Squad]."

“What I mean is—the team’s name is ‘A Gang of Adventurers’.”

"..."

The half-goat man was stunned for a moment, and Tang Qi could see the complex changes on his handsome face.

"Haha, you are truly a humorous poet."

He wanted to change the subject, so he took out his money pouch and handed a bag of gold coins to Tang Qi.

"Please accept this regardless."

Those who do good deeds should be rewarded; this serves as both an encouragement to the doer and a comfort to the recipient.

Only in this way can goodwill have the possibility of continuing to be passed on.

Tang Qi blinked, having no reason to refuse. He simply accepted the gift and quickly took out his notebook to record his feelings at that moment.

Who would understand that after experiencing the trampling of orcs, the obstruction of nobles, the deception of the headless horseman, the provocation of the Red Scarf Gang thugs, and the conspiracy of an attack by an unknown assassin, they would suddenly encounter the salvation of a group of adventurers with such kind hearts?

For a fleeting moment, I felt that the world was so beautiful and my heart was so full of sunshine.

So much so that I almost forgot that I had originally planned to ask for payment...

I am guilty, I repent, but I probably can't change.

"If you don't mind, may I invite you to dinner as a way of expressing my gratitude? Of course, I don't actually know if it's nighttime on the surface right now."

Tang Qi wasn't sure if it was the effect of the "Commoner Hero" ability that made them so friendly towards him.

"A banquet? You're not eating dry rations and drinking spring water?"

"In fact, our hometown recipes in Tanmu Forest contain many edible ingredients and seasonings found in the underground city and even in the wild. So when food is scarce, we can use what we have nearby."

"Oh? May I take a look?"

"If you're interested, I can give them to you without any problem. They're just some hometown dishes, and I've already written them all down."

This time, Tang Qi really didn't hold back. After all, food shortages had always been a problem during long adventures, and having the opportunity to solve it was a pleasant surprise.

After storing the recipe in his dimensional bag, he asked in confusion:

"So you came all the way from Sandalwood Forest? I remember that's not exactly close to Dragongold City. Did you come all this way to be adventurers?"

In fact, he didn't think this team was like a group of "gold diggers" who had come for treasure. Judging from their demeanor, they probably didn't care much about money.

Sure enough, the man with the mustache shook his head:

“We are forest rangers from our hometown. We were sent to Longjincheng because some of the materials needed for the ceremony in the forest were missing.”

"What do you need? Mushrooms?"

“The ‘wealth footprints’ of some flail snails.”

"Flaked snails? Those are quite rare."

Tang Qi quickly wrote it down:

As a rare species composed of earth elements, the flail snail is practically a treasure from head to toe.

When undisturbed, they move slowly along the ground, digesting the rocks, sand, soil, and even crystals and minerals.

Therefore, it leaves a shimmering trail, which then quickly solidifies into a thin, almost transparent glassy substance with many functions.

So much so that simply following behind it and collecting these materials is enough to make one rich.

Most notably, it has a colorful, glowing outer shell, which is the basic material for making the extremely rare "anti-magic shield" and "rainbow robe".

This explanation might not be intuitive enough.

Let me put it another way—

A complete shell is worth at least 5000 gold coins, and there's no market for it.

"We used to keep one in the woods, but it mysteriously disappeared a year ago."

Later, the Woodland Elder heard that there was a flail snail in the underground city, which is why he sent us to collect 'footprints'.

The man with the mustache sighed, but ultimately shook his head.
"But we didn't see it at all on our way here."

We only managed to spot some of the giant snails' habitat, and nearly lost our lives in the process...

"Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Tang Qi's eyes sparkled like stars as he handed the paper and pen to the man with the mustache.

Please mark the location of the giant snail.

This is really important to me.

(End of this chapter)