Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 150: Results are in!

In his previous life, Xia Nan didn't have any particular hobbies.

If during his student days he could often get together with a few friends to play sports on the court, after starting work, his only form of entertainment was sitting in front of the computer playing games on his days off.

If time travel hadn't happened to him, perhaps in another ten years or so, when he turned 4 or 5, he would have developed hobbies like fishing or collecting antiques.

However, they themselves do not possess the relevant knowledge, skills, or artistic literacy.

Therefore, in most cases, laymen like Xia Nan can only judge the quality of a sculpture by its appearance, material, price, and other basic aspects.

The more exquisite the content, the better; the more eye-catching the texture, the better; and the more expensive the price, the better.

But right now, the gray-black wooden carving in front of him gave him a completely different feeling.

Dust settles silently on the shelf like rocks, inconspicuous, yet inexplicably attracting the attention of passersby, making them unable to resist turning their gaze to it, thus discovering its rough yet subtly delicate wood texture.

The statue itself is not complicated; even upon close inspection, it is impossible to discern the specific content of the carving.

But those smooth lines that subtly conform to the texture of the material seem to arise naturally, curving and extending, carving out the sculptor's thoughts in an almost intuitive way.

Although it's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes it good, one can still sense the exquisite craftsmanship and ingenious design through the lines and facets of the sculpture.

The sheep-deer humanoid figure, which stands upright like a humanoid creature, has a severely disproportionate body. Its hooves and fingers are almost indistinct, not to mention details such as fur and muscle outlines.

Yet it gives one a strange sense of harmony that blends into the darkness.

It was as if it were always meant to be this way.

The two branches of the human figure extend upwards like withered branches, eventually disappearing into the deep gray-black lines at the bend, which seems to support a large blank space above it.

It makes people unconsciously imagine what kind of scene must be on the fork in the road.

It is the lush canopy of a forest swaying in the wind, the surging waves of an endless sea, the brilliant stars dotting the vast universe, the bubbling bubbles in crimson blood, the enormous creature writhing in the deathly darkness...

"grass!"

Xia Nan suddenly cursed inwardly.

He almost forced himself to clear his mind of the churning and spreading thoughts and looked away from the statue.

He involuntarily took two steps back.

"What the hell!?"

Panting, my alertness spiked to its maximum in an instant.

I wish I could turn around and run away.

But the next second, with each breath, the air inside the grocery store was filled with the fragrant aroma of incense, mingling with the bustling noise of the street outside.

This made Xia Nan realize that he was not currently on an adventure, and there were no dangerous monsters around him.

Instead, it's in the incredibly safe river valley town, where the Adventurers' Guild is located and high-level professionals are frequently seen.

Then look around.

The statue sits quietly in the corner of the shelf, its carving still exquisite and natural, the material still attracting attention with its rustic charm.

But the terrifying feeling of being swallowed up like a vortex was gone.

If it weren't for the fact that the fabric behind him was soaked with sweat and the semi-transparent text gradually fading from his sight, he might have thought that what he had just experienced was just a hallucination caused by his overwork.

"Something's wrong!"

"There's definitely something wrong!"

Recalling the despair he felt when his body and mind were separated, his consciousness felt like it was falling into the deep sea, getting further and further away from the surface, and darkness gradually spreading and enveloping him, Xia Nan felt a lingering fear in his heart.

It was precisely because of the excessive concentration that the attribute panel automatically appeared, interrupting the process and helping me to extricate myself.

Let your thoughts sink deeper and deeper until they are completely swallowed by darkness.

He didn't even dare to think about what might happen.

"Guest, is there anything I can help you with?"

Behind the counter, Farillo looked at Xia Nan, who was pale and stiff, with concern.

Clearly, the other party's abrupt behavior caught the attention of the grocery store owner.

Along with the middle-aged adventurer who had just been kicked out of the blacksmith shop by Barn and only dared to glance at him out of the corner of his eye, the person hiding in the corner of the shop also looked over when they heard the commotion.

"The price I quoted you is actually already a bit higher than the market price, especially in the last two years..."

"It's nothing, that's not the reason."

Sensing that Farillo seemed to have misunderstood something, Xia Nan, panting, waved his hand to tell the other party not to worry about it.

A hint of hesitation suddenly appeared on his face.

He paused, then asked tentatively:
"Did you hear any sounds or have any other unusual sensations just now?"

“Unusual…” Farrillo’s expression grew increasingly puzzled. “I don’t think so?”

Feeling even more uneasy, Xia Nan involuntarily took two more steps back.

Then, pointing to the wood carvings on the shelf, he asked:
"What's the story behind that statue, the one that looks like a dull gray stone?"

Upon hearing his question, Farrillo's eyes behind his glasses lit up, and his voice unconsciously rose as he enthusiastically introduced:

"Sir, you have excellent taste!"

"The style of this statue is quite popular in Newme recently."

"It is said to be the work of a master sculptor, and it is very popular among the upper-class nobles."

"I had to pull a lot of strings to get in."

"Since you have such a good eye, I'll give you a 20% discount, since I'm only earning a meager living."

"Twenty-nine gold coins, what do you think..."

"No! No! No!" Seeing that he had only mentioned it briefly, the other party began to introduce it enthusiastically.

Xia Nan waved his hands repeatedly, immediately refusing.

I was terrified of having anything to do with this monstrous thing.

joke!

Just one glance was enough to almost take me away.

If you were to actually buy it and keep it with you, you'd be asking for trouble.

Without listening to Faris's attempts to persuade him to stay, he turned around and walked straight out of the grocery store.

"boom."

The hinges rubbed together, and the doorbell rang.

Their gaze shifted from the figure that had disappeared behind the door.

Farrillo sat back down behind the counter, feeling a pang of regret.

Although the black-haired adventurer looked young, his equipment was definitely not cheap, indicating that he was quite wealthy.

What he introduced to the other party was actually correct; this style of wood carving has indeed become very popular in Newme recently, and it does indeed possess a master-level level of craftsmanship.

However, he added two extra zeros to the price.

I was originally thinking of making a big profit, but I didn't expect the other party to be scared away by my price. They didn't even try to bargain and just turned around and ran away.

He shook his head in annoyance:
"If I had known, I would have signed up for the 19th gold medal; I could have made a profit."

Suddenly, footsteps sounded in front of him.

There stood the middle-aged adventurer who had been dawdling in the shop without buying anything.

After the black-haired youth left, he went straight to the counter.

What he was holding in his arms was the very wooden sculpture for which he regretted having paid too high a price.

"Boss, could you... make it cheaper?"

"Easy to say, easy to say!"

Farillo quickly stood up and greeted him warmly.

……

A strong sense of curiosity can sometimes be a bad thing for adventurers.

Unlike the legends and epics created by bards.

The cries for help that suddenly come from outside the camp at night are most likely not from a lost princess in distress; and the ancient treasure chest that suddenly appears by the roadside is very likely a "mimicry monster" that is planning to make you its lunch.

The longer Xia Nan worked in this industry, the deeper his understanding of it became.

He had clearly sensed the danger and suspiciousness of the wood carving, and even the ambiguous description on the attribute panel was subtly reminding him of it.

He could no longer linger in the grocery store, much less spend money to buy such an unlucky item.

Pretending not to see it and making a quick getaway is the best option.

They successfully left the "Fairy Wind" and walked on the bustling street.

Xia Nan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He recalled the attribute panel that had just brought him back to reality from his illusion, a testament to its great contribution.

"【Sheep and Deer Statue】, no item level."

"The description is also too obscure and hard to understand."

"But this [note]..."

……

Remarks:

Ef'tisuuHai'lot'vhuVurahkia
……

Unlike the previous skill and equipment panels, which featured a variety of messages that resembled famous quotes, this one was different.

The description of the "sheep-deer human figure" is a string of chaotic characters whose meaning is impossible to discern.

But strangely, it's not the kind of meaningless musical note byte that rolls its face across the keyboard.

Upon closer inspection, a certain pattern does indeed exist.

Xia Nan kept his mouth tightly shut, recalling the characters on the panel's notes, but driven by some lingering influence, he instinctively began to silently recite them.

“E-F'Tisuhailo…”

I don't know which region's language it is, but while it's full of exoticism, the pronunciation is thick and hesitant, with a lot of guttural sounds and repeated syllables, and it also has irregular pauses.

As his thoughts shifted.

Xia Nan suddenly felt his perspective shift from his body upwards, and he saw himself in the crowd, carrying two swords on his back and moving stiffly.

It's like looking out through the peephole of a security door; the scenery on both sides is dark and distorted, while only your own body in the middle is magnified and expanded.

It was as if some unseen force was casting its gaze from some unknown place, searching...

hum-

Xia Nan suddenly came to her senses.

He only silently recited two byte by byte before realizing that this was not his true intention.

His forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Even after leaving the general store, the wood carving seemed to still have a slight influence, causing him to silently recite the note he had left.

Fortunately, thanks to the effect of the attribute panel, he reacted in time and did not let his consciousness get too caught up in it.

Like the mist in a misty forest, once you get away from it, these slight effects become like water without a source, quickly dissipating completely.

Because he was only reciting silently and not actually making a sound, and he quickly realized that his behavior was wrong, he forcibly stopped reciting.

This makes the eerie feeling of being watched by an invisible force fleeting, disappearing in an instant like an illusion, without any further impact.

I dare not think about it anymore, and I will bury all the memories, including the appearance of the statue and the notes, deep in my mind.

Only when his mind was completely at peace did his tense body finally relax.

In this fantastical world where supernatural powers exist and gods truly watch over you from the heavens.

There are some things I really dare not, and cannot say more about.

Otherwise, who knows if you'll be struck by divine lightning the moment you finish speaking?

Xia Nan even suspected that the note was some kind of blasphemous statement that he was unaware of.

Fortunately, he responded quickly.

Otherwise, something terrible might happen.

The road came to a halt as a lively commotion arose from ahead.

What comes into view are fully armed adventurers coming and going, and the huge treehouse-like buildings in the misty forest style unique to the River Valley Adventurers' Guild.

I felt at ease without realizing it.

Xia Nan strode towards the association's gate.

……

……

Adventurers' Guild, lobby reception.

Jasmine sat listlessly behind the counter, just as she always had.

"Boom!"

A trophy bag, its bottom stained with blood, was tossed onto the table, but there was no one in sight in front of the counter.

Only a smear of reddish-brown scalp could be vaguely seen on the edge of the table.

"I've been writing letters to complain for almost five years now. Doesn't your branch office ever consider making the front desk window lower?"

A deep, bell-like voice came from below.

“I worked in Dumb Ironforge for a few years, and the Adventurers’ Guild there wasn’t like yours, not even the most stocky dwarves…”

“Fifteen goblins, a total of five gold, five silver, and five copper coins.” Jasmine placed the money bag on the table, interrupting the dwarf’s complaint.

"I believe the Silent Ironforge Association has also received many complaint letters from orc adventurers, if only they could write..."

"Ding!"

"Next person."

Her brain habitually shut out the fading murmurs, the lingering smell of goblin blood still clinging to her fingertips. Jasmine wearily pressed the bell.

He glanced at the sky outside the gate, guessing that he would have to sit for several more hours before he could leave work, and then lowered his head again.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

She could hear footsteps approaching in front of her.

But the cloth bag filled with "spoils of war," seeping with blood, emitting a putrid stench, and occasionally with maggots wriggling, was not on the table.

"New guy?"

With a slight frown, Jasmine subconsciously raised her head and looked ahead.

The person who came into view was a young adventurer with black hair, black eyes, and sharp features.

The blinding sunlight reflecting off the gate behind it was the cold metallic gleam refracted from the chainmail rings.

And that aura, so different from that of ordinary adventurers, that defies description, is unique to professionals.

"Hello, if I want to go to the second floor of the association, do I need to register here?"

The words enter the ears, are received by the brain, and are transformed into a clear and understandable meaning in a fraction of a second.

call out--

Jasmine, who had been slumped dejectedly on the table, suddenly straightened up.

Her short, golden hair swayed violently on both sides of her face, and an invisible light flashed in her eyes.

"Our sales figures are in!"

(End of this chapter)