Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 147 Intelligence 5
Noticing the gaze, Xia Nan turned around in confusion, only to see two figures walking quickly away.

He shook his head, dismissing it as a figment of his imagination and not giving it any further thought.

With a wooden spoon in hand, gently stir the cream of mushroom soup.

The milky white, viscous broth swirls and churns, with thinly sliced ​​brown mushrooms colliding and floating alongside emerald-green parsley leaves.

As the ladle is lifted, a translucent membrane rises with the aroma of milk, revealing a few black peppercorns submerged in the broth.

Just by looking at the color and aroma, he could already imagine the wonderful sensation of the sweet and thick soup melting on his tongue.

After an adventure, you can sit in a tavern and enjoy a bowl of hot creamy mushroom soup, along with a refreshing glass of chilled ale.

For him, it has become a source of enjoyment.

It is now the fifth day since Xia Nan returned to River Valley Town.

He did not ask those around him to deliberately conceal or downplay his performance in battle, nor did he care that his achievements would be spread.

After all, Cuixi Village is located near Hegu Town, and it's impossible to suppress such a major event as a goblin attack.

In fact, on the second night after returning to town, thanks to the word of the villagers he had saved and passing adventurers, the story spread.

Xia Nan's feat of successfully advancing in battle and killing a bear goblin in a one-on-one fight had already spread.

Black hair, black eyes, sharp features, young, gray two-handed longsword, a professional...

His reputation gradually grew.

Even now, when he stands next to the well-known Adeline, many people still call him by his nickname "Grey Sword".

Even Xia Nan's little quirk, which he developed because of the "decapitation sword," was exaggerated and distorted in a classic way, typical of adventurers, and became integrated with his nickname "Gray Sword."

He didn't seem to mind this at all; on the contrary, he was happy to see it develop this way.

In Xia Nan's view, many times, those with greater fame, or even those who are slightly more extreme, carry a less offensive "notoriety."

It really can save you a lot of trouble.

Just like the Scarface we encountered in Cuixi Village, he didn't even need to lift a finger. Just recognizing our identities made him shrink back, afraid to start a fight, and he hurriedly ran away.

Now, "Gray Sword's" fame has risen along with the level he has gained in his profession.

With the White Sparrow Tavern as its core location, it is now much more famous than before among many low-level adventurers.

"Clap, clap."

Slightly hurried footsteps came from the table.

A young woman dressed as a tavern waitress, carrying a tray, was walking briskly toward him.

"Guest, this is a special gift from the boss..."

He had only spoken halfway when his foot suddenly slipped, and he was about to fall.

At that moment, the maid felt her balance suddenly stabilize.

As the body slid backward, it was as if something had pulled it back invisibly.

He staggered back two steps but didn't fall.

Still shaken, the waitress didn't think much of it, a few beads of cold sweat glistening on her forehead.

He bowed slightly, gently placed the wine bottle from the tray on the table, and said with a smile and respect:
"Guest, these are drinks specially provided for you by our boss. Please enjoy."

Nodding, Xia Nan looked past the waitress and towards the bar behind her.

The tavern owner, Chapton, was holding a freshly wiped glass and making a toasting gesture.

Xia Nan smiled and nodded in thanks.

"Rockheart Black Beer... If you were to buy a bottle of this properly, it would cost at least five silver coins."

"I'm just giving it to you like this?"

"Tsk tsk... Is this how professionals are treated?"

Sitting across from him, Abby looked at the drinks on the table with envy and muttered sourly in a low voice.

"I wonder when I'll be able to acquire my first combat skill."

"Don't rush, take your time, everything will come eventually."

Beside her, Adeline swirled her wine glass and replied casually.

Compared to before the mission, the two men had undergone certain changes in demeanor and personality after the battle in Cuixi Village.

Abby still looks young and is wearing his simple, unassuming outfit.

But deep within those eyes, which were once filled with innocent fearlessness, a hint of maturity had emerged.

He is clearly moving towards becoming a "veteran adventurer".

The changes in "Green Blood" Adeline were even more dramatic in Xia Nan's eyes.

It was extremely obvious that the immense pressure that had been hanging over her like a dark cloud, making it hard to breathe, was now very noticeable.

After the Redmane Bear Goblin's head was blown off, it completely dispersed.

I felt completely refreshed, as if I had been given a new body.

In the five days since Xia Nan returned to River Valley Town, she has seen more smiles on her face than all the smiles she had seen before.

To some extent, Adeline gives him the feeling of an elderly person about to retire and enjoying life.

He wouldn't be surprised at all if the next second he suddenly told himself that he was quitting and planned to go back to the countryside to farm and spend the rest of his life.

As for Xia Nan, the gains from this mission are self-evident.

First and foremost, the most tangible and representative sign of his "gain" is the dramatic increase in his bank account balance.

The goblin extermination mission and the gnoll bounty mission resulted in him receiving a larger share of the bounty after the settlement, totaling 75 gold.

Then, during the Hunting Day period, the bounty for goblins increases to 5 silver coins per goblin. The corpses of high-level adventurers who clear out the lair are divided equally, while those on the Green Creek Village battlefield are counted individually based on the number of kills, for a total of 45 gold.

In addition, there were the few gold coins they had painstakingly dealt with over the past few days from the secondhand, broken equipment from the gnolls and Scarface's squad, as well as all the mission and bounty earnings from the entire hunting day.

Xia Nan's savings have reached an unprecedented 756 gold, 3 silver, and 9 copper!
A full half-set of heavy plate armor!

If he didn't consider anything else, and simply ate, drank, and lazed around in the White Sparrow Tavern, his spending power would be enough to keep him comfortably idle for more than three years.

Secondly, and this is the biggest gain from the adventure:

—Professional Level!
I thought that becoming a professional was a long way off, and I had no idea where to find the last combat skill. But I didn't expect to meet the final condition during this seemingly ordinary goblin extermination mission.

One point of Agility, one point of Strength, two points of Perception, one combat skill, and two specializations.

If Xia Nan, who is now a level 1 [Meteor Blade Hunter], were to encounter that bear goblin from the beginning of his transmigration—the one that nearly wiped out the entire lousy fish and shrimp team—it would be a different story.

[Fang Hunt]'s exceptional mobility, his skillful use of [Gravity Control] in battle, and the extraordinary quality of his magical equipment...

He can easily solve the problem on his own without needing anyone else's help.

Previous accumulation has allowed Xia Nan's physical template to surpass that of ordinary professionals, and he is gradually approaching the "elite" and "boss" templates.

To some extent, his challenge level has already surpassed his career level.

At least a well-equipped, well-structured squad of four average level 1 professionals would have no chance of defeating it without suffering casualties.

Given Xia Nan's fighting style, even if he is ultimately defeated, he can definitely take two people down with him before he dies.

Additionally, regarding the [Coin of Fate] from the halfling Aldon.

Previously, Xia Nan had not fully mastered its usage, only regarding it as a trump card that would definitely trigger the [Copper Bones and Iron Body] physical damage reduction effect.

This encounter, however, gave him a newfound inspiration. Clearly, the effects of this epic-quality item went beyond the battle itself.

He needs to plan carefully for the remaining two usage opportunities to maximize his profits.

Finally, and most surprisingly to Xia Nan.

This is his attribute panel.

Having been in the world for over a hundred days, he had long since become accustomed to his cheat ability—the ability to display equipment and personal attribute information as long as he concentrated.

While not extremely exaggerated, it played a significant role in helping him establish himself in this world.

Unexpectedly, in addition to this, the attribute panel can also play a role when you advance in rank.

Recalling the countless eyes that had flashed before his eyes, those special professions such as [Dawn Ranger] and [Iron Cast Warrior], as well as their corresponding combat skills, specialties, and compatibility.

Perhaps... besides displaying item information, his cheat ability has other effects that he hasn't discovered yet?

"The hunting day is over. What are your plans now? Are you going to stay in River Valley Town?"

Adeline's voice interrupted Xia Nan's thoughts.

He scooped up a spoonful of mushroom soup, pondered for a moment, but still couldn't give a definite answer.

"Let's take it one step at a time. We finally achieved our professional level, so we can't just retire like this."

Adeline did not suggest that the other person stay in the team.

On the one hand, Xia Nan has become a professional, and his combat strength has undergone a qualitative change. It is not appropriate to let him follow them to clear goblin nests to earn a few gold coins.

On the other hand, for her, with Hong Zong dead, her life's goal was achieved, and she was in a period of confusion.

If it weren't for the newcomer Abby by his side, he might have actually retired and returned to his hometown.

She also needs some time to think about what the next step should be.

"You should go to the association, right?" Adeline tapped the table lightly with her fingertip, reminding her, "if you still plan to be an adventurer in the future."

Although she had lived in River Valley for many years, she didn't have much contact with professionals.

It is only vaguely known that there is a significant difference in the guild treatment between adventurers who have obtained a professional rank and ordinary low-level adventurers.

One of the most widely circulated points.

For low-level adventurers, it's something unattainable; spending half a lifetime's savings might only buy them counterfeit goods, yet it's also their livelihood—their very skill.

Combat skills.

There are clear sales channels on the second floor of the Adventurers' Guild.

And it's 100% authentic.

On this point alone, she felt that the other party should make a trip.

Xia Nan thought so too.

But before that, he had two last few small things to take care of.

First, go to the blacksmith's shop.

Both of his armor pieces sustained varying degrees of damage during the battle with the goblin bear.

Whether it's a replacement or a repair.

When it comes to life safety, this is an area where we absolutely cannot skimp on effort.

Oh, and there's that hollowed-out bone club left behind by the red-maned creature.

As the greatest contributor to this battle, he naturally received the spoils of war after the battle.

It has good hardness and can withstand the head-on slash of a decapitation sword without leaving a scratch.

When used by the bear goblin, it even demonstrated the effect of confusing consciousness.

Unfortunately, it didn't suit Xia Nan's fighting style, and he was already carrying two weapons on his back.

Adding a bone club would not only create a peculiar visual effect, but also make the whole thing look overly bulky.

He doesn't have the expertise of a "three-sword style swordsman".

We need to ask "rock hammer" if there's any suitable way to handle this.

If all else fails, selling it to raise cash is also an option.

Anyway, the snake-scale arm shield he has is still a long way from being fully equipped, and he doesn't know when he'll be able to collect enough money.

Second, after you've dealt with the equipment, find a general store.

He also had half a bag of small stones on him, which were also spoils of the mission.

However, a few days ago, because there were too many other second-hand equipment, I even had to make another trip between Hegu Town and Cuixi Village to get them all sorted out.

I was so busy that I forgot about it in my hotel room and only remembered it this morning.

After selling it, it should bring in a good income.

Apart from that, there's nothing else of importance.

If possible, he plans to take a break before his next mission.

It's not laziness.

My main goal is to master the new specializations and combat skills I've acquired, at least to the point where I can use them flexibly in high-intensity battles.

But it will probably take quite a bit of time.

The reason for this mainly stems from [gravity control].

To be honest, although no one has ever mentioned it, and it has never been shown on the attribute panel.

However, comparing the level 5 maxed-out [Whirlwind Slash] with the level 3 [Fang Hunt].

There are definitely differences in quality among combat skills.

[Fang Hunt] is clearly several levels stronger than [Spinning Slash]. I've only recently mastered [Gravity Etching] and haven't used it more than a few times in total, so it's hard to judge.

And [gravity control]...

Xia Nan only said one point.

Just like when he helped the waiter stabilize his center of gravity, since he advanced and mastered this combat skill, he has maintained almost the highest intensity of training and use for five days without excessively consuming his mental and physical strength.

The proficiency level on the attribute panel is still a lonely "1".

It's absurd that there hasn't been even the slightest increase in proficiency.

As for Xia Nan himself.

Although he was reluctant to admit it, he was exploring how to use the skill by repeatedly using [Gravity Control].

The more they realized how unfathomable this combat technique was.

It doesn't feel like he should have the ability at his level.

And whenever he concentrates his mind, senses the gravitational ripples that permeate the space, and tries to interfere with and control them, changing them in the direction he desires.

I always have this feeling that the CPU in my brain is about to explode.

I couldn't help but recall my "high" intelligence of 5 points.

"It shouldn't be...that's the reason, right?"

(End of this chapter)