Chapter 19: Bargaining

Xia Nan raised his wine cup, feigning composure as he took a sip.

The aroma of malt surged into his nasal cavity, and upon the tip of his tongue was the faint, characteristic bitterness of hops combined with the crisp, clean sweetness of the chilled beverage.

Currently, however, he had no peace of mind to carefully savor this exotic, alternate-world flavored drink. He was even feeling a bit vaguely tense.

After roughly five or six more seconds passed, he did not noticeably breathe a sigh of relief until that sharp, piercing gaze behind his back finally vanished.

“That kind of feeling…”

Xia Nan recalled the scene he had just witnessed and that completely ordinary, average-looking man.

It was absolutely not an illusion!

Even when positioned directly at the center of one’s vision, the man still possessed a faint presence that caused him to be subconsciously overlooked like a random bystander. Furthermore, the moment the man noticed Xia Nan’s line of sight, his gaze instantly condensed with a heavy, warning intent.

It was exactly like seeing those dazzling, incredibly high-level items in his past life’s online games; even without clashing, just a single look was enough to feel the formidable strength originating from the other party.

“Perhaps he is a professional who has genuinely attained an official career class?” Xia Nan speculated in his heart.

Fortunately, he had only noticed the other party’s presence and had not made any abrupt or rash movements. Thus, that gaze had merely condensed for a brief moment before dissolving back into the rowdy clamor of the tavern.

It was just a minor interlude.

No longer turning back to intentionally observe the half-elf’s party by the window, Xia Nan drained the remaining ale from his cup in a single gulp, waves of emotion churning slightly within him.

“I wonder how exactly one goes about acquiring these so-called ‘professional levels’?”

Maji had previously seemed to mention in front of his predecessor that a “career class” was related to the “combat skills” one chose to cultivate. However, the exact nature of that correlation was something the man had never explicitly spelled out.

He had also roughly skimmed through the Adventurer’s Handbook, and it contained no records regarding that information.

“Once I encounter veteran adventurers in the future, I’ll try to ask around. Even if I have to pay a small price for it, that’s entirely acceptable.”

Pondering this, Xia Nan shook his head. Considering these matters now, for someone who was merely a rookie adventurer, was still far too early.

“First, let’s get a good night’s sleep.”

The lodging conditions inside the tavern were not considered good.

Hardwood plank beds bearing a faint, strange odor, terrible soundproofing where even the creaking of the neighboring bed could be heard with crystal clarity, stairs that squeaked loudly, the rowdy commotion from the tavern hall downstairs, and even the occasional rat scurrying through the crawlspaces of the ceiling.

Let alone those star-rated hotels from his past life, even simply spreading out a sheet of newspaper and lying down on a park bench would be far more quiet and peaceful.

Yet, Xia Nan ended up sleeping straight through until noon.

On one hand, it was because he had stayed up late last night flipping through the Adventurer’s Handbook for a long time, carefully acquainting himself with a lot of useful information within Rivervale. On the other hand, it was also due to his body being thoroughly exhausted.

The Misty Forest was teeming with dangers. Even back during the period of their four-man party when Erki and Gagu were still alive and well, they had needed to take turns keeping watch through the night, unable to rest peacefully. Now that he had arrived in a safe town, Xia Nan finally caught the first good night’s sleep since his translocation into this world.

After beautifully enjoying a hearty lunch at the White Titmouse Tavern, he once again arrived before the doors of the Adventurers Association.

For a dangerous profession like “adventurer”—where tomorrow was never guaranteed and one constantly walked on a tightrope—Xia Nan, who was merely an ordinary office worker in his past life, naturally did not find himself suited for it, nor did he yearn for it much.

But by the same token, when a mortal who had spent a lifetime living in a magicless, tech-oriented world suddenly arrived in a genuine fantasy world where supernatural powers existed, expecting him to take the hundred or so gold coins in his hands and return to a peaceful, rural lifestyle—working at sunrise and resting at sunset, entirely detached from the world—was also rather unrealistic.

What was more, the only thing currently on Xia Nan’s person that could remotely relate to a “cheat code”—his “status panel”—only functioned on matters relevant to being an adventurer. Naturally, he had to make use of it.

“Let’s start with the simplest missions first,” Xia Nan muttered to himself as he gazed at the bustling entrance of the association ahead.

Having made up his mind, his footsteps moved forward accordingly, and his silhouette quickly vanished into the crowd.

“Is there something amiss, Wood?”

Haian’s bewildered call echoed beside his ear, causing Wood to withdraw his gaze from Xia Nan’s retreating back. He replied in a soft voice, “It’s nothing, Young Master.”

Yesterday in the tavern, the youth had already detected him while he was in a state of “Breath Concealment,” and today, they had actually crossed paths at the association’s entrance as if by mere coincidence. As a qualified guard who had always been renowned for his caution, how could Wood not harbor suspicion?

It was just that he had also carefully observed the youth yesterday. That young man with black hair and sharp facial features did show certain traces of training, but whether it was from his attire and grooming or his behavioral habits, he was an absolute, textbook novice.

Could it be… that he truly was overthinking things? Wood’s brow knit slightly, his expression laced with doubt.

On the the other side, the silver-haired, gray-eyed half-elf “Haian” naturally had no inkling of his own guard’s inner thoughts. At this moment, he was busy introducing the contents of this mission to the newest member of their party:

“The scope is roughly within this area. If nothing is discovered, we can also extend a bit further outward.”

“Meaning to say, you don’t even know what you’re looking for yourselves?” Hearing this, the dark, lean man standing before Haian—who wore leather armor and leather boots, sporting the classic look of an adventurer—could not help but ask in astonishment. “The Misty Forest isn’t a place where you can just wander around casually.”

“We are only staying at the periphery, it won’t…”

Before Haian could even finish half his sentence, he was cut off by a rather high-profile voice.

“Three days!” Within the party, that slightly plump youth clad in a luxurious, gold-trimmed robe raised three fingers and shouted loudly. “It’s not like we need you to help us search together. Once the time is up, you can leave whenever you want. I really don’t know what you’re being so hesitant about.”

“As for safety…” The plump youth cast a sidelong glance at the guard Wood standing beside Haian. “That is not something you need to worry about.”

Hearing those words, the dark, lean man stared intently at the youth, gritting his teeth as he said, “Fine, but I want 70 gold!”

“70?” The plump youth’s pitch suddenly turned piercingly sharp. “Just 50! This is such a massive Adventurers Association; if you won’t do it, there are plenty of people who will!”

Failing to control his volume, the youth’s argument at the entrance of the association gradually drew the gazes of the surrounding passersby.

Perhaps precisely because of this, the blonde girl beside the youth—who had remained completely silent from start to finish with a face full of impatience—suddenly spoke up to urge them:

“Larry, we’ve already stayed in this town for several days, it’s not interesting at all. I want to go home!”

The moment her voice fell, the slightly plump youth named “Larry” instantly reined in his originally somewhat aggressive demeanor. Dragging his high-priced, custom-made long robe, he swayed his hips and sidled over to flatter her:

“Rest assured, Doris, we will leave very soon! I’ve heard the guards back home say that the white mist inside the Misty Forest is actually all concentrated magical energy. Supposedly, if you take just one breath of it…”

The half-elf “Haian” withdrew his gaze from the duo with a helpless expression, turning back to look at the dark, lean man before him—the one he had just pulled into the team, only for him to go back on his word and demand a price hike.

“We can only offer a quote of 50 gold on our side. If you cannot accept it, then we can only say our apologies to you.” His emotions remained perfectly stable.

In a certain sense, the fat youth, Clee, had actually earned a bit of credit. Following this turn of events, the dark, lean man did not want to let a lucrative, easy job slip away from his grasp either. Thus, putting on an appearance of reluctant agreement, he nodded and said:

“Fine then, 50 gold it is.”

“When do we set out?”

“Today. Our supplies have already been completely prepared.”
(End of Chapter)