Chapter 1 The Bottom of the Barrel

Worn Standard Longsword

Type: One-Handed Sword Rarity: Common (White) Description:

25 gray rats, 12 goblins, and even a bugbear… buddy, how could you have the heart to ask more of it.

Remarks:

“Initial! Intent!”

—Titus, Legendary Blademaster of the Thousand Iron Torrent, Vice Commander of the “Ever-Shining Throne” Adventurer Group …

“This must be my cheat, right?”

By the campfire, Xia Nan stared at the longsword laid horizontally across his knees, murmuring to himself.

This was his second day since transmigrating into this world.

In his past life, Xia Nan had not experienced any major storms. Born into a well-off family, he relied on studying and taking exams all the way to get into a respectable university.

After graduation, he followed the crowd into an internet company, enjoying the blessing of working a nine-nine-six schedule, and finally secured the position of department head on his thirty-second birthday.

After the celebration party ended, completely drunk, he refused his colleagues’ offer to see him home, intending to walk instead to clear his head in the night breeze.

He never expected that shortly after leaving the restaurant, as he walked along the dark night road, he would hear a sudden blare of a horn and the screech of brakes from behind.

Then his vision went dark, and he arrived in this world, reborn into the body of an eighteen-year-old youth.

“Sigh…”

With a silent sigh, Xia Nan became slightly distracted by his memories.

The attribute panel floating above the one-handed sword, which only he could see, vanished along with his focus.

Having inherited all of the youth’s memories, he had gained a rough understanding of this world he had transmigrated into.

The good news was that this world was a fantasy world where supernatural powers truly existed.

Whether it was the bard who stayed overnight in his village during his childhood memories, performing a few tricks to cover the cost of his meal, or the glowing two-handed axe carried on the back of a burly barbarian he saw passing by a tavern not long ago, both could prove this point.

But the bad news was that in this life, he was just the most ordinary farmer who had to worry about his next three meals.

Aside from the few things brought over from modern society in his past life, the most abundant knowledge in his mind consisted of techniques like “how to till the land with less effort” and “which crops should be sown in the corresponding seasons,” skills that had absolutely nothing to do with the supernatural powers of this world.

It was not that Xia Nan held any prejudice against such occupations that provided the source of life for countless people. In fact, in his past life, he had often fantasized that once he earned a large sum of money, he would move out of the big city, find a place with a nice environment to rent a small piece of land, and live a pastoral life working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

It was just that in this world, relying on a few meager fields could not support a large family at all.

And this was precisely the reason why the original owner of this body had left the village where he had lived since childhood to come out into the dangerous wilderness.

Xia Nan withdrew his gaze from the one-handed sword.

Lifting his head slightly, he looked straight ahead.

This was an incredibly rudimentary campsite, lacking even a single tent, with only a few sleeping bags arranged in a messy circle around the campfire.

Several figures of varying statures sat scattered around the fire.

Accompanied by the crackling sound of the burning wood, a few low whispers could be vaguely heard, though it was impossible to tell what they were talking about.

A human, a gnome, and a half-orc.

It seemed to be a classic four-person adventurer party composition.

But in reality, Xia Nan could say without any hesitation that he and his companions were nothing but a bunch of bottom-of-the-barrel amateurs.

The gnome, Erki, despite his race having a lifespan of up to five hundred years, gained no advantage from it since he was currently barely in his early twenties.

His knowledge and experience could not even compare to a face-to-the-ground, back-to-the-sky eighteen-year-old farmer like the original owner of this body.

With two daggers tucked into his waist, he looked quite decent, as if he belonged to an assassin class or something similar.

But in truth, Erki was a genuine right-hander. Let alone holding a dagger, his left hand struggled to even grip a fork. Xia Nan had once watched the gnome spend three whole minutes just using his left hand to unbuckle the bracer on his right arm.

The only thing about him that slightly exceeded an ordinary person was probably his cheerful mindset and rather ill-timed sense of humor, which he claimed to be a family heritage.

The half-orc, Gagu.

Although he was called a “half-orc,” Xia Nan estimated that the orc bloodline in this guy’s body was a thirty-second or even less.

Because other than his slightly sharper canine teeth and a sturdier build, his appearance looked almost identical to a normal human.

But regardless, he could barely count as a frontliner. “At least he can let the wild beasts in the jungle take a few extra bites,” those were the gnome Erki’s exact words.

The last member was also the leader of this ragtag party.

Maji, a human hunter.

He was probably the most reliable member of their squad.

It was said that he used to be a famous hunter in several villages along the western border of the kingdom, but because he offended a certain noble, he had no choice but to conceal his identity and flee his hometown.

Regarding this matter, Erki seemed to know some inside information.

“Ah, women,” the gnome had said when Xia Nan mentioned it once.

All in all, a right-hander, a mutt, a hunter, and a farmer made up the entire composition of their team.

Normally, at least in Xia Nan’s understanding, a standard adventurer party composition should consist of a warrior, a priest, a mage, and an assassin or a ranger.

The classic trinity of tank, healer, and damage dealer.

But for this bottom-of-the-barrel party, that was undoubtedly an extravagant wish.

Let alone a rare spellcaster, there was not even a single lowest-level professional class in their group.

Even the most experienced hunter, Maji, was still miles away from becoming a ranger and gaining his first class level.

To some extent, calling their team an “adventurer party” was a massive overstatement for Xia Nan and the others.

Of course, it was not that professional classes did not exist in this world.

It was just that the requirements to obtain any class were quite strict. Unless someone possessed exceptional luck or a wealthy background, ordinary people would never be able to touch that level in their entire lives.

After all, the bounty for just a single goblin was three silver and seven copper coins, which was nearly two days’ wages for a laborer at the docks!

High risk and high reward was the common understanding of adventurers held by all intelligent creatures in this world.

And this was exactly why this ragtag group had come here.

“We are still half a day’s journey away from the sighting location in the mission report,” the hunter Maji said as he sat by the campfire, organizing his quiver. “We should be able to arrive around tomorrow morning.”

“Tsk tsk, that’s a whole pack of goblins. This guy has never taken on such a big job before!”

Erki brandished a dagger with his right hand, his face reflecting excitement under the firelight, though his short stature made him look somewhat comical.

“What, scared?” The half-orc on the other side grinned maliciously. “No need to worry, they’re just green-skinned little mice about your size. I could crush two of them to death with my toes.”

“That’s for sure!”

Erki nodded solemnly, looking entirely in agreement as he said:

“A tough guy like you definitely won’t cry and call for his mommy when talking in his sleep at night.”

“%@#*&!”

[End of Chapter]