That's right, that's what adventure is like!

Competing for quests is an inevitable part of adventurers' lives, but Roland really didn't expect to encounter it again.

Following the thick, black-haired arm, a half-orc wearing half-armor came into view, staring at him with a fierce expression.

However, upon closer inspection, the orc's horns were not long, and his canines were only slightly more prominent than normal, indicating that his orc bloodline was not strong.

Just as Roland was about to speak, another voice came from the side: "Forget it, Torger, they took a liking to this mission first, let's just find another one."

The gaze bypassed the orc, and the speaker was a female half-elf with a full head of smooth golden hair, a gentle and delicate face, and a slender figure.

But like the orc, her elven bloodline was also thin, except that her ears were slightly longer and her skin was whiter.

"Hmph—consider yourself lucky."

The orc reluctantly withdrew his arm, allowing Roland to retrieve the quest sheet, before turning and walking towards the other side of the quest log.

Roland nodded slightly to the female half-elf, then ignored the little incident and walked toward the counter in the center of the hall.

But a thought began to flash through his mind.

"Orcs are characterized by their loyalty. They will swear a blood oath to serve their benefactors for life. Coupled with their strong physique, they are an excellent choice as teammates."

"If you have the money, you might as well buy an orc from a slave trader. It would be a good choice whether you're covering the rear or clearing the way."

However, that's all for later. After completing the formalities for accepting the mission at the counter, Roland immediately began preparations for the mission.

Given the unique circumstances of the Black Ash Dungeon, he had no intention of seeking out teammates, which meant that this journey would require some special items to solve the problem of seeing in the dark.

In the trading market on the west side of the city, Roland walked through the noisy stalls and crowds and found the familiar repair shop.

"Your leather armor has been repaired and reinforced." The shop owner was a nimble middle-aged woman who handed over the newly repaired leather armor.

Roland took it and put it on, then stretched his shoulders. The damaged area was now neatly covered with fine stitches and matching leather. "The craftsmanship is excellent, thank you."

"Thank you for your kindness, 35 copper coins."

The price was cheaper than expected, and it only took one night, so the efficiency was quite high.

Even though he saved some money on repairs, Roland still faced financial difficulties.

"I still have 1 gold and 18 silver left. This money really flies by."

Logically, after each adventure, being able to use the money earned to buy better equipment would be a virtuous cycle, but for Roland there is another important expense: extracting items.

Two gold coins—he wouldn't have wasted that money on a coin that couldn't improve his combat power if it weren't for the extraction ability.

As a result, he is now finding it difficult to choose new equipment.

"How much is this night vision solution?"

Stopping at a shop selling extraordinary items, Roland asked the kind-looking girl in a low voice.

"120 silver coins, no bargaining."

"...It's too expensive, and it only lasts for thirty hours...Are there any other alternatives?"

"You can try this, Night Owl's Tear Bottle. Each drop grants you 30 minutes of dark vision. It costs 50 silver coins."

"This is not good; the frequency of the drips is too high. What if I get ambushed while using it? Let's switch to another one."

"And this one, the low-grade shadow lens, just clips onto your eye to provide a continuous field of vision, priced at 65 silver coins."

"...Let's try another one. Do you want me to occasionally adjust my glasses during combat?"

"Oh dear, you are quite a discerning customer. Well then, this next item is definitely acceptable to you."

"What is this?"

Roland took the reagent bottle from the girl. Inside, a murky yellow liquid was swaying, with some willow-like particles floating around. Roland frowned as he looked closer.

The girl enthusiastically explained, "This is also a night vision potion, but it's diluted with water and some special substances have been added. The effect is the same as the original, but it only lasts for fifteen hours. It costs 50 silver coins."

Roland squinted at the girl and said suspiciously, "If it's so good, why didn't you take it out sooner?"

"This..." The girl shrank back guiltily, "It's probably because most adventurers can't accept the kind of substance that's added."

"What substance?"

"Um... that... the digestive fluid of the Shadow Worm."

"Digestive juices?" Roland raised an eyebrow. "You mean worm saliva or gastric juices?"

"Uh, somewhere in between," the girl hesitated slightly, then pointed to the bottle and said confidently, "but don't worry, it's absolutely purified and filtered, without any impurities, it's just that the taste is a bit...unique."

Unique taste?

Roland pondered for a moment, then suddenly felt a surge of curiosity and decisively said, "If you lower the price a bit more, I'll take it."

The girl's eyes lit up: "45, 45 silver coins, plus a bunch of mint leaves as a bonus!"

"make a deal."

After buying two bottles of the degraded night vision potion, Roland left amidst the girls' cheers and headed to the last shop around the corner.

He hadn't forgotten the painful lessons learned from the cemetery mission and was preparing to supplement his existing equipment to address the pain point of lacking ranged attacks.

Compared to items with extraordinary abilities, these commonly used items are quite affordable, and Roland quickly found suitable equipment.

A light crossbow, crafted from dark hardwood and matte black iron, with an exquisite design, smooth lines, and balanced weight, making it easy to hold with one hand and aim quickly.

For a complete novice like Roland who had never used a bow and arrow before, the light crossbow was the most cost-effective piece of equipment. Although its range was a bit short, the dungeons were full of narrow openings, so it was more than enough.

The key point is that a brand new one only costs 5 silver coins and comes with more than twenty metal arrows.

After purchasing some necessities and having everything prepared, Roland stood at the entrance of the trading market and headed towards the inn where he would be staying.

Tomorrow, a new adventure begins.

……

……

Adventurers' Guild Hall.

While Roland was still haggling over the silver coins, the orc Togel, based on his employer's requirements, determined the mission objective for this trip.

Task ID: 96666

Bounty: 500 gold coins

Objective: Kill the Kobold Chieftain

Location: Level 7 of the "Black Ash Dungeon"

"This task," he said sullenly, "I don't think we can handle it."

The half-elf smiled brightly: "Yes, we can do it. I believe in the few of us."

Tolger scratched his head, then looked at his two younger brothers who had gathered around him. Seeing the same surprised expressions on their faces, he firmly refused, saying, "No, it's too dangerous. It would take at least a dozen low-level adventurers to handle this!"

"What if I pay more?"

"That won't do either!"

"Do you want to breach the contract?"

"Breaching the contract is better than losing your life, and our contract doesn't cover such a high-risk activity at all!"

"How about this, I'll reveal a secret to you, a secret about the Black Ash Dungeon."

"What secret?"

"..."