Starting with the goblin extermination

Chapter 110 Traces of the Giant Praying Mantis

Logan walked along the cobblestone street in Iron Felt Alley, carrying the berry pastries he had just bought.

Unlike the filthy West End, there is no sewage everywhere here, nor the vomit of drunkards. The sturdy stone houses on both sides stand like silent fortresses in the night wind.

Every so often, the lamps hanging on the wall cast a warm, dim glow, and the occasional dull clang of blacksmithing in the distance did not seem noisy at all, but rather reassuring.

He looked at the stone house with its lights on in the distance, picked up the berry pastry and examined it.

The pieces were baked to a golden brown and crispy exterior. Logan tried one at the stall and found it sweet and sour, but he didn't know if Elsa and Lily would like it.

After all, Lily only comes back one day a week. In the temple, she not only eats bland food but also has to learn all sorts of knowledge. Now that Logan has more money, he naturally wants his sensible sister-in-law to have a good meal.

Push open the door.

"Brother Logan!"

Hearing the click of the latch, Lily threw herself into Logan's arms. For some reason, the little girl was always very attached to Logan. Although Logan was usually quiet, Lily didn't find him dull. On the contrary, she liked to stay by his side and chatter away, sharing her experiences in the temple.

"Wash your hands and get ready to eat."

Elsa was carrying a steaming plate of food out of the kitchen. She was wearing an apron and loose casual clothes, and her full breasts, which were usually tightly constricted, finally relaxed and swayed slightly with each step. The coldness on her face had long since faded, leaving only a gentle smile.

The dining table was already laden with several fragrant dishes.

A large pot of creamy mushroom soup with a rich, creamy flavor; pan-fried capelin with a crispy exterior and tender interior; a large plate of roasted rock lamb; and several large pieces of soft bread spread with butter.

Today was Lily's first meal in her new home, and Elsa had clearly put in a lot of effort, preparing a very lavish meal.

Logan couldn't help but marvel at how this half-elf girl was truly a woman of exceptional grace and domesticity, capable of taking lives both in the forest and in bed at night.

He couldn't help but hug Elsa's waist, making her blush. She gently patted his restless hands with her small ones, but couldn't forcefully break free.

Logan's berry tarts were already on the table, adding the final dessert to the meal.

The greedy Lily couldn't wait to grab a piece and stuff it into her mouth. Crumbs of pastry fell onto the table, and her little face, stuffed full, looked particularly funny and cute.

The cozy dinner passed by amidst Lily's chattering conversation.

Besides sharing gossip about the various priests in the temple, Lily brought some good news.

"The day before yesterday, the High Priest personally conducted a magical talent test for all of us! Those with talent can be promoted to junior priests of the temple ahead of schedule!"

Lily waved the leftover bread in her hand, her eyes sparkling, looking very happy.

"Oh?" Elsa leaned closer and pinched Lily's cheek. "Then tell your sister quickly, who passed the test?"

Lily proudly puffed out her chest and, as expected, announced loudly.

"Of course it's me! Soon I'll be the youngest junior priest in the Soma Temple!"

Logan looked at Lily's smile and was genuinely happy for her.

He didn't know if he had any magical talent... but he preferred to use his longsword to directly cut off his enemy's head rather than cast spells.

Moreover, magic and combat skills are two completely different paths. Even if they exist, it would take a lot of time and effort to learn the most basic tricks to get a glimpse of the basics. Logan couldn't afford to spend that much time.

Come to think of it, after all this time in this world, the only spellcasters Logan has actually seen are the half-elf from Soben's team and Adele from the herbalist's shop. Perhaps as their strength increases, the [Shadow of the Raven] team will need to find a trustworthy mage member in the future.

Logan collected his thoughts and quietly watched Elsa and Lily laughing and playing in front of him. A sense of belonging, called home, was deeply imprinted in his heart and stirred his thoughts.

late at night.

Elsa nestled lazily in Logan's arms, wearing a fitted red silk nightgown. Logan was truly surprised that Elsa had bought such a boldly colored nightgown, but he really liked it, his large hands restlessly stroking the silk.

Logan was only wearing a pair of loose shorts, revealing his well-defined muscles. His gaze wasn't falling on the soft, fragrant woman in his arms, but rather fixed on the semi-transparent panel that only he could see, as he pondered his next move.

Life is indeed satisfying now, and the house is safe enough. But Logan always believes that in this turbulent world, living a peaceful life is never an easy thing.

He needs to keep moving forward and become stronger.

The deep-level monster known as the Giant Mantis is his next target.

What will be the next goal?

As he pondered, his thoughts suddenly drifted away, and he thought of his father.

He hadn't dreamt of his father in a long time. Time might really heal all wounds; although his father's weathered face was still familiar in his mind, what about a year from now, or ten years from now?

He didn't have a photo of his father, and he didn't know if such a thing existed in the world. Perhaps decades later, he would completely forget what his father looked like, and forget any trace of the home that once existed in the North.

Despite having lived two lives, he still couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

Elsa keenly sensed the man's gloomy mood and snuggled closer to him, like a kitten, gently rubbing her head against his chest.

Although she didn't know why Logan looked so vulnerable, she wanted to comfort him with her body heat.

Looking into the half-elf girl's eyes, Logan told her about his father.

He didn't know why he said it, but he felt relieved nonetheless. After speaking, however, he became nervous again. Showing a vulnerable side to a woman was not a good thing; this was a lesson he learned from his past life, yet he still repeated it.

But Elsa didn't show any disdain; she just listened quietly. In exchange, she then recounted her bittersweet memories of her deceased parents in the West End.

She understood Logan's longing for his father, just as she longed for her own parents. The cold lessons of her past life did not apply in this life, and Elsa was certainly not one of those demanding women Logan had encountered in the past.

In the exchange of memories in the darkness, a man and a woman, like two wolves licking each other's wounds, huddled together and found warmth that belonged to each other.

As the iron felt alley outside the window gradually fell silent, a cool night breeze swept into the room. Soon, heavy, suppressed breathing and rhythmic thumping sounds inevitably filled the bedroom again.

The stone house built by the dwarves was indeed impeccably soundproof. But of all his calculations, Logan never anticipated that someone would be eavesdropping through the door.

At that moment, outside the master bedroom door, a small figure who had come out to use the bathroom was pressing his ear tightly against the door panel.

She stared with wide, curious eyes, listening to the strange sounds of fighting coming from inside, along with her sister's suppressed sobs, her mind a jumble of chaotic thoughts.

As dawn broke, the heavy breathing inside the house had not yet subsided.

Early the next morning.

After Elsa took Lily, who had dark circles under her eyes, back to the temple, the two went to the Adventurers' Guild together.

Before this, Logan had already memorized the information about the giant mantis in the manual at home, but the manual did not record the specific locations where this rare monster appeared in the forest.

The lobby on the first floor of the guild was still bustling with noise. Logan carefully scanned the top of the bulletin board, but there was no giant mantis hunting quest as he had hoped.

If you want to enchant your longsword before the joint raid begins in the middle of the month, the Giant Mantis's Blade is an indispensable material.

Although with Logan's current money, it wouldn't be a bad idea to just go to the blacksmith and buy a finished enchanted weapon.

Thinking of this, Logan touched the longsword at his waist again. If possible, he still hoped that this longsword given to him by his father could continue to accompany him further.

It seems the only option is to turn to the goblin Kruger. As a senior guild member, the inside information he has access to far exceeds Logan's imagination.

Kruger was intently counting a small bag of sparkling gems.

Upon seeing Logan arrive, he instantly swept the gems into the drawer, a lewd smile immediately appearing on his face.

"Good morning, gentlemen! What business do you have here today?"

Before Logan could speak, Kruger boasted mysteriously, "If you two are interested in taking on a dangerous raid, to be honest, the guild is about to issue a joint raid announcement! The bounty will increase significantly then."

"Mr. Logan, I suggest you conserve your energy and stop taking on those small, miscellaneous jobs. Prepare for the big events to come!"

Logan looked at him speechlessly.

Although Kruger had subtly reminded Logan to rest, he hadn't said it directly, leaving Logan completely confused. Meanwhile, Instructor Soben had already revealed the truth to Logan, and that old fox Kruger had held back until five days before the announcement to do Logan a favor.

But he still nodded in thanks.

After all, we still need his help.

"Thank you, but before that, I have something else I'd like to ask you for help with."

I want to buy information on the recent locations where the Giant Mantis has been spotted.

"7

"A giant mantis?" Kruger's eyes darted around, but he didn't answer immediately.

"Please wait a moment, Mr. Logan. This thing is hard to find."

He turned around and began rummaging through the filing cabinet on the rickety ladder. Because of his short stature, his tiptoeing movements looked quite comical.

After a long while, Kruger finally pulled out three reports.

"Thank you for your patronage. This is a two-platinum-coin intelligence fee."

Kruger rubbed his hands together. After all, Logan wasn't a Bronze-level adventurer yet, and there was a certain risk in Kruger doing this.

Logan readily handed over two platinum coins.

Three lists were pushed in front of Logan. Kruger pointed to a map on one of them, his tone becoming somewhat serious.

"Mr. Logan, these are the three most recent reports of giant mantis sightings, and all three sightings point to a specific location deep within the Ash Forest—"

Kruger paused, then tapped a mark marked with a red cross on the map.

"Jiaomu Forest".

17