Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 130 Adventurers and Villagers
Two days later.

In the countryside near River Valley Town.

The grayish-white mist that filled the air, lingering like the shadow of death, had long since disappeared without a trace.

Instead, there is bright sunshine without any tree canopy blocking it, fresh air mixed with the scent of earth, grassland plains with wide views, winding country roads and curling smoke rising in the distance.

Compared with the Misty Forest, it feels like coming to another world.

There is no need to worry about whether there will be furry and poisonous spiders hanging from the treetops and crawling into your collar; nor do you need to be wary of dangerous monsters lurking in the mist and shadows, coveting your fragrant flesh and blood.

The only thing you need to watch out for is probably the occasional pile of dog poop that appears on the side of the road.

Walking on the undulating dirt road in the countryside, the soles of my feet feel more solid than the mud covered with fallen leaves, and my heart feels more at ease.

Next to my ears, I could hear the slight sound of the chain mail rings rubbing and colliding with the movement of my body.

Already used to it.

But to Xia Nan at this moment, it sounded particularly pleasant and soothing.

The Green Blood Team has now completely left the Misty Forest and returned to the human world.

On the way back to Riverdale.

Although many unexpected events occurred during the adventure, fortunately, the team did not lose any members.

Not even a serious injury.

We also obtained mission benefits far exceeding those of previous missions.

It can be said to be a complete success.

Even Adeline, who rarely showed her emotions to outsiders, had a smile on her face.

"I can earn at least twenty gold coins this time, right?"

Abby's body was slightly hunched, with the equipment they had stripped from the jackals behind him. He looked excited and his steps were brisk.

Knowing that he is a newcomer, he has a clear gap with other people in the team in terms of experience and strength.

Feeling that he had not made much contribution in the mission, he not only actively helped clean up the battlefield and did things within his ability, but also took the initiative to carry most of the team's heavy spoils.

It reduced a lot of burden for Xia Nan and others, and they can be more calm when facing danger.

"There must be twenty gold." Berg, who was hanging at the end of the team with a longbow on his shoulder, replied in a relaxed tone, "The bounty for the Flesh Eater alone and the bounty for the goblins combined, it's already a lot for everyone."

"Plus this second-hand equipment you're carrying, and some odds and ends."

"Maybe I can get thirty gold!"

Freed from the high-pressure environment in the forest, Berg completely recovered from his restless and anxious state and returned to his original "old fashioned" self.

The whole person finally calmed down.

Hearing this, Abi's expression showed some reverie, and he estimated with his fingers:
"If I calculate it based on 25 gold coins, I can send 7 gold coins back home and pay back the 5 gold coins I owed before, and I will have ..."

"A full thirteen golds!"

Abby's eyes suddenly lit up.

"When I get back to town this time, I'll go to the Rock Hammer Shop and buy the fine leather armor I liked before."

"It's just a dozen gold coins. Grit your teeth and take it!"

"Just spend it all, not leaving some for yourself?" Berg joked behind him.

"You've just started, so you haven't saved much, right?"

"We've spent it all this time. If the next few missions don't go well, won't we be able to afford even normal supplies?"

After hearing what the other party said, Abi's originally excited expression suddenly became tangled.

"Well, how about... saving some more?"

“Hahaha.” Berg laughed and moved closer, patting the other person on the shoulder. “I was just kidding. If you want it, just buy it.”

"I'm already an adventurer, why would I even think about tomorrow?"

"Just live well now!"

"Can……"

Xia Nan stood aside and said nothing.

Listening to the two of them chatting, I had some ideas in my mind.

I used to be a lone wolf, going out on missions alone.

I was lucky and had some strength. There were many twists and turns, but I managed to get through it.

Great harvest.

All the profits from the adventure belong to you and you don't have to share them with other teammates.

Therefore, I have no personal experience of the income of ordinary adventurers.

Now that I think about it, for 10% of the low-level adventurers in River Valley Town, changing to a set of equipment worth more than gold is obviously not an easy decision to make.

You may even have to use your savings.

It is impossible for him to change all his equipment every ten days or half a month and even save on maintenance.

Of course, to some extent, the high damage rate of equipment is actually the price he pays for being a "lone wolf".

Now that he has joined the "Green Blood" team, he hasn't even visited the "Rock Hammer" blacksmith shop for a long time.

Oh...something needs to be mentioned here.

According to Xia Nan's observations over the past six months, although adventurers have the habit of saving, a considerable number of them often squander the gold coins they have worked so hard to obtain in taverns.

Living a life of drunkenness and dreaming, using alcohol to numb the nerves and relieve the anxiety in the heart.

Considering that this industry is like walking a tightrope, the pressure is incredible and your head could fall at any time.

I can barely understand it.

After all, even Xia Nan was used to having three meals a day at the "White Tit Tavern" at a cost far beyond that of ordinary people.

I said to myself, yes, I finally got a chance to live my life again, I can’t treat myself badly.

But it is also a way to relieve stress through delicious food.

It’s just that their spending is far less than that of gamblers and drinkers.

"I suggest saving it for now. The hunting day is almost over, and the price of supplies in town will soon return to normal. There won't be as many goblins in the forest for you to kill as there are now."

Still walking at the front of the team, Adeline, as the team leader, explained her views to Abby.

"If the armor is not obviously damaged, you can use it first."

"What Berg said before is actually correct."

"Having enough savings to start over is quite important, at least for adventurers."

As the "noble person" who brought her into the industry, Adeline's advice is undoubtedly much more important than Berg's.

Abby nodded seriously, having already given up his original plan of spending a lot of money to update his equipment.

"Is the hunting day almost over?"

Xia Nan listened to the conversation between several people and muttered to himself.

Indeed, the number of "Hunting Day" related bounties on the association's task wall has been significantly reduced compared to before.

Then it’s about time for me to leave the team.

There was no hesitation. He had already expressed his thoughts when he first joined the "Green Blood" team.

Adeline and the others also knew this. On the one hand, his attribute panel and a series of magical equipment made him unsuitable to team up with adventurers he was not completely familiar with;
On the other hand, he also had to take some time to find the final combat skill needed to obtain a professional level, and he could not sustain long-term, high-intensity adventure missions.

Even if you want to use goblins to improve your proficiency in [Tooth Hunting].

The amount of combat and benefits of acting alone are far greater than those of working in a team.

And by only choosing a nest located on the outer edge of the forest, with his current mobility, he would basically not encounter any danger.

In short, at least in the short term, Xia Nan had no intention of following the team.

Thoughts are racing through my mind.

Suddenly, a loud noise brought Xia Nan back to reality.

My eyes subconsciously looked in the direction where the sound came from.

I saw a large group of people gathered at the entrance of a small village on the side of the road.

"Sir, all the villagers of Cuixi Village sincerely thank you for helping us solve the problem of the goblin tribe near the village."

"But you also know that the 30 gold offered by the association was collected by me from door to door."

"In the village... I really can't take out a single gold coin."

An elderly man who looked like the village chief, wearing simple linen clothes, leaned on a cane and spoke carefully as he lowered his body.

One can feel the deep sincerity and honesty in the words.

However, the people standing in front of him obviously did not appreciate it.

He should also be an adventurer from River Valley Town.

The five-man team was not well-equipped, but the armor and sharp blades that emitted a metallic luster and reflected cold light made the civilians in front of them lower their heads unconsciously and dared not look at them.

“No money!?”

The leader of the adventurers was a middle-aged man with a scar on the corner of his eyebrow.

"Do you know how many goblins are in that nest?"

"For the safety of your village, my brother's new armor was almost scrapped!"

As he spoke, he turned sideways and pointed his right hand at the chest of a sharp-faced adventurer behind him.

On the leather armor that was covered with dust and mud, there was a large broken scar, and you could almost see the lining underneath.

"100 gold!"

Scar raised his neck and looked down at the hunchbacked old man in front of him, his voice sharp and loud.

"Give me 100 gold and we'll let this matter go. When we brothers are in trouble, we won't bother you anymore."

The sound of words came into my ears through the air.

Xia Nan couldn't help but frown.

Although there was some distance between them, he could clearly see that the leather armor that the other party claimed was destroyed in the battle with the goblins was actually an "antique" that should have been eliminated long ago.

If you want to return to River Valley Town alive to drink, there is no way you can wear this kind of thing.

I sent it to the grocery store and they wouldn't even pick it up.

What's more, even if it was really as the other party said, it was a brand new and excellent leather armor.

It is impossible for that value to be as high as "100 gold".

Damn, he was wearing a chain mail shirt and studded leather armor from the famous blacksmith shop "Rock Hammer", and the two pieces together only cost ninety-five gold.

He dared to ask for 100 gold for a nearly scrapped leather armor. Did he really think that kind of garbage was an antique?

Xia Nan even doubted whether the damage on the leather armor was really caused in the battle.

Instead of just picking up an item from the scrap pile in the blacksmith shop and extorting money from you.

"What do they mean? Hasn't the mission bounty been entrusted to the Adventurer's Association by the villagers? Why would they ask the publisher for the bounty a second time?"

"Besides, even if we suffer losses during the mission, it has nothing to do with these villagers, right?"

Before Xia Nan could speak, the rookie adventurer Abi in the team could no longer suppress his anger and accused him.

Putting aside the simple concept of good and evil, as a newcomer who has just entered the industry, I might have been working in the fields on this day last year.

Almost immediately, he stood on the side of the villagers and condemned the adventurers who extorted money.

In contrast, Berg, a veteran adventurer who has been in this business for many years, seems somewhat ambiguous in his attitude.

He was seen with his hands clasped across his chest, looking at the crowd on the roadside as if he was watching a play, and making "tsk tsk" sounds with his mouth.

"I feel the mission rewards are not enough, so I want to earn more."

"This kind of thing is too common."

"But 100 gold... I can't even afford it even if I sell all these villagers, how can I..."

"Are you stupid?" Berg laughed and scolded Abi, and reminded him, "Even a rookie like you knows that they can't come up with so much money. How could these adventurers not know that?"

"It's just to make it easier for me to ask for the price later. Just wait and see, it'll be here soon."

"Common?" Xia Nan noticed the other party's choice of words and murmured in his heart.

It has been more than a hundred days since I traveled to this world, and I have gained a certain understanding of the profession of "adventurer".

He knew very well that not only Abby, but also his original self, Adeline and Berg in the team, and even 80% of the low-level adventurers in River Valley Town, were once ordinary villagers in front of him who dared not raise their heads when facing swords.

But as long as he puts on a piece of tattered leather armor that no one wants on the roadside, he can be transformed into an "adventurer".

They can then show off their power in front of these ordinary civilians with the same background as themselves, and force them to hand over all their belongings like bandits.

Just as Berg had expected.

They knew that the villagers could not afford the huge sum of "100 gold" they asked for.

Just a few more words made the village chief's already hunched body bend even more.

The adventurers, led by Scar, revealed their true purpose.

"Not enough gold coins, it doesn't matter."

"Use something else to offset it!"

"Wine, livestock, fabrics... take out everything that can be sold, and let me take the loss."

He had a ferocious grin on his face and stared at the old man in front of him with greedy eyes.

The village chief was no fool, so he knew that the other party's goal could not be the 100 gold that he could not possibly come up with.

Now that I see the other party making a request, I am planning to step forward and negotiate further.

The originally quiet crowd behind him suddenly burst into commotion as Scar finished speaking.

"Village Chief, Bonnie was just born, I really can't..."

"Jack was taken away by a giant eagle last year. We only have one ox left. We will have to plow the field next spring..."

"Village Chief, aren't you acquainted with Mr. Fran from River Valley Town? Can you talk to him? I..."

Seeing that the old man was instantly surrounded by the villagers behind him, the adventurers had no intention of urging him. They just stood there leisurely and waited.

And at this moment, the adventurer with a pointed face and wearing worn leather armor seemed to have suddenly discovered something.

Suddenly his eyes lit up.

He pointed at the crowd to his companion beside him, and they looked at each other with strange smiles on their faces.

She was a blonde girl with a simple braid and freckles on both sides of her cheeks.

(End of this chapter)