The adventurer at the bottom is fantasizing again.

Chapter 10 The Uninvited Guest in the Barn

"Boss, do you know where the Adventurers' Guild is around here?"

Lorraine returned to the tavern with her pack on her back, wanting to see what a proper adventurer's quest was like.

He's a man who can't sit still. Piper will need five more days to recover from his injury, so he can't just sit in the tavern counting coins every day.

Use this time to take on a few simple tasks to practice, familiarize yourself with the surrounding terrain, and accumulate some exploration points. That way, if you encounter anything dangerous later, you'll at least have a better chance of survival.

After this trip, I'll ask the little guy if he'd like to go on an adventure with me... Lorraine thought to herself.

When Piper was willing to risk his life to delay the goblin alone, Lorraine no longer regarded him as an ordinary passerby, but genuinely believed that he was someone she could entrust with her life.

He'd been through these past few months, and to say he wasn't panicked would be a lie.

He opened his eyes to a strange world, fragmented memories left by the original owner, and the loneliness of being in a foreign land constantly eroded him.

Until Piper appeared.

That talkative, usually polite halfling who, when he got into a fight, would swing a hammer and charge forward swearing dwarven profanities, was like a moving torch, melting away all the discomfort he had been suppressing with this world.

The tavern owner, who was busy cleaning, stopped what he was doing when he heard him speak.

He tossed aside the rag in his hand, placed his hands on the bar counter, and laughed:

"This is it."

"what?"

Lorraine looked puzzled.

"Shallow Beach Town is too small, and there's no tavern there, so I turned the guild into a tavern." The tavern owner pulled out a stack of crumpled parchment from under the counter. "Looking for a quest? Take a look for yourself."

Lorraine put down the package, rummaged through the stack of parchment, and randomly pulled out a sheet.

【Dragon Shadow Tracking】

[Type: Survey]

[Reward: 500 Gold Coins]

[Posted by: Adventurers' Guild Headquarters]

[Task Summary]

Adventurers have sighted a dragon in the upper reaches of the River of Winter, but its species and age are unknown. If you learn anything about the dragon's species or purpose, please report it to the Guild immediately.

[Time Limit: None]

[Note 1: The guild does not recommend that any class below "Transcendent" provoke the Dragon race.]

[Note 2: To claim the reward, you must bring any item that can prove your dragon species identity, such as scales, blood, or feces.]

......

Five hundred gold coins?

Lorraine raised an eyebrow. He had never seen so much money in his previous life; it was enough for him to buy a two-story house in the market district of Frostvale.

He had been eyeing it for a long time; it had two bedrooms upstairs and shops downstairs.

However, this is far too stingy for a dragon.

He thought about it again and understood the guild's intention.

Setting a low price will filter out those reckless fools who don't know their own limitations. True experts wouldn't stoop to earning such a small fee, and low-level adventurers wouldn't dare to risk their lives.

In the end, those willing to take on such tasks are mostly cautious and self-aware individuals who only dare to follow far behind the dragon, picking up scales and droppings to make a small fortune.

The guild can also use this to determine the dragon's purpose.

This is a win-win situation!

However, the middle and upper reaches of the River of Winter are almost frozen frost, more than two months' journey away from Shallow Beach Town.

Lorraine put the mission scroll back and shook her head.

He continued scrolling down.

.......

Strange noises from the Blackwater River

[Type: Investigation/Clearance]

[Reward: 80 Gold Coins (10 Gold Coins deposit already paid)]

[Task Summary]

Recently, several caravans have reported hearing strange noises near the lower reaches of the Blackwater River, resembling the breathing of some enormous creature, mixed with the sound of rocks cracking.

The Chamber of Commerce hopes someone will investigate what exactly it is. If it's just wild animals occupying the area, it would be best if they could be driven away; if it's something more troublesome, find out what it is and report back.

[Limited Time: Five Days]

[Note: Some returning caravan members reported that the creature was an amphibian, possibly a rock-dwelling salamander. Please proceed with caution.]

......

"A rock-dwelling salamander? What the hell is that?"

Putting aside whether he could actually attack the amphibious creature, the power to shatter rocks was something he couldn't currently contend with.

Lorraine now has a very clear understanding of her own position.

That goblin almost killed them both. This kind of monster is clearly only for professionals to deal with, so let's leave it to the professionals.

He only planned to do some simple tasks like chopping down goblins or gathering herbs to explore the surrounding area first.

It's not too late to do these things after you've accumulated more exploration experience and gained a certain level of strength.

So he simply started rummaging through the parchments, ignoring those tasks that were clearly not his responsibility.

After a while, Lorraine finally found a commission that she could handle safely.

An Uninvited Guest in the Barn

[Type: Crackdown/Posting on Behalf]

[Reward: 1 Gold Coin and 15 Silver Coins]

[Posted by: Old Hunter, Farm Owner Outside Shallow Beach Town]

[Task Summary]

Old Hunter's barn was recently taken over by a group of large rats, about seven or eight of them. They made it their base, ate half the barn of wheat, and killed two laying hens.

The biggest of those beasts was as big as a half-grown puppy, with eyes that glowed red in the night and a tail thicker than an arm.

I hope someone will get rid of these beasts soon.

[Limited Time: 1 day]

[Note 1: Just don't burn down my barn, this year's entire harvest is there.]

[Note 2: Urgent! Urgent! Urgent!]

[Note 3: This is a task posted on behalf of someone else. Please contact the person who posted the task to claim your reward. If they are unwilling to deliver the reward, please contact your guild.]

......

"A big rat?"

Lorraine rubbed her chin.

They were about the size of puppies, around seven or eight in number. They sounded like some kind of mutated creature, but they should be within my control.

Now that he has leather armor and a Rusty Throat, he can heal himself with the Ring of the Burning Whisperer if he gets injured. If all else fails, he can always use the Burning Hand to explode them!

Isn't this a sure win?

The reward is pretty good too, 1 gold and 15 silver, which is better than escorting a caravan.

Lorraine was once again reminded of the fear of being dominated by the earth spirits.

Looking at the map, I saw that old Hunter's barn was not far from the town, and if we were quick, it might not even take a day to get there and back.

Okay... this will do!

Lorraine put the parchment into his pocket.

So the most urgent thing right now is... to have a good meal.

After a busy morning, his stomach was growling with hunger.

"Boss, one order of Masha's bean stew with pork, please!"

"Mmm, it smells so good..."

......

The following afternoon, Lorraine stood outside old Hunter's barn, staring blankly at the enraged man before her.