Goblin Heavy Dependence

Don't read Chapter 153 too much!

White Sparrow Tavern, private room.

The light, sweet, and slightly cool aroma of mint mingles with the hot fragrance of the dishes, wafting gently through the air.

The dark, dull floor, illuminated by the glass crystal chandelier on the ceiling, revealed fine, irregular textures—the result of high-grade oak wood from the depths of a misty forest.

Delicate and soft velvet cushions are laid on each seat around the table, and the flawless silver-white cutlery reflects an expensive luster.

If it weren't coming from deep inside the door crack, after layers of soundproofing, all that would remain is a thin layer of white noise from the hall.

It's hard to associate this luxurious room, which exudes extravagance, with the words "White Sparrow Tavern".

The difference between inside and outside is like that between a high-end restaurant and a roadside food stall; once the wooden door is closed, it's a completely different world.

There's really nothing surprising about it.

Located in a prime location next to the guild, the White Sparrow Tavern's clientele consists mostly of lower-level adventurers, but it also frequently attracts high-level professionals with considerable strength.

For these seasoned adventurers whose mere piece of equipment is equivalent to decades of income for an ordinary person, even if many of them don't mind finding a seat in the hall, ordering a few beers, and chatting casually with the drunk dwarf next to them.

But after all, they are professionals who have already embarked on the path of the extraordinary. Many times, what might just be casual remarks made by team members when they are bragging are, for ordinary adventurers, useful information that they would normally pay money to buy.

When necessary, a quiet and undisturbed place is also needed to discuss topics that are inconvenient to mention in public.

In this situation, faced with these generous and wealthy "big clients," the shrewd and experienced tavern owner "Chappton" would certainly not let these glittering gold coins slip through his fingers.

Unlike the main hall, where a classic set meal with drinks can be had for "only" a few silver coins.

For private rooms of this level, the room fee alone needs to be settled in gold coins.

The menu inside is specially made, and while the taste may only be about 20% better, the fancy names of the dishes and the prices are almost ten times higher than those in the main hall.

Even so, despite being fully aware of the shady dealings involved, these high-class private rooms located in the corner of the tavern's main hall still maintain an extremely high usage rate.

It must be admitted that when a person's wealth expands to a certain extent (especially for adventurers walking on a tightrope), it can lead to significant financial losses.

One silver coin and one gold coin.

Even 10 silver coins and 10 gold coins.

In their eyes, there was no difference anymore.

After so many years as adventurers, everyone knows that retiring peacefully is actually very simple, but the condition is that you need to give up everything you have right now.

And if you keep going, who can guarantee that you'll be able to spend all your hard-earned savings before you die?

Cornell understood this principle well.

Therefore, during breaks from missions, he never hesitated to spend the gold coins in his pocket.

"Clang!"

Metal plates, now reduced to scraps of food, are stacked high, while the table is covered with all sorts of high-calorie foods.

The human warrior, with his short red hair and burly build, was still wearing his heavy armor, which made the wooden chair beneath him creak.

He didn't make a sound, but focused intently on cleaning the plates of food in front of him.

Stewed beef, roast chicken, or even half a plump lamb sprinkled with spices...

He accepted everything offered and swallowed all the food in front of him.

Beneath that human skin, it was as if a giant cannibal was lurking.

In contrast, on the table in front of Cornell, there was only a bowl of exquisitely plated roasted goose breast, a few slices of honey-soaked walnut bread rolls, and a small cup of his own tea.

"Dang Cang..."

The silver-white iron spoon stirred at a steady pace, making a soft, crisp sound as it struck the cup wall.

Deep within the clear tea water, where tiny whirlpools swirl, one can faintly see a few slender, oval leaves, each the size of a fingernail, rising and falling, carrying a natural fragrance with the rising steam from the cup.

Emerald Leaf is a specialty of the "Emerald Forest" near the Elf Kingdom of Ivilius.

It is known for its ability to accelerate the recovery of mental energy.

It also has some detoxifying properties.

Unfortunately, due to its demanding growing conditions, it is quite difficult to cultivate and grow in other regions. The only option is to purchase it from the local wood elf clan near the Emerald Forest.

“That kid lied to me before, saying he’d finished it all, so I knew there was still some left.”

"Tsk, look at this huge bag."

"If I hadn't been so observant and thought of 'helping' him tidy up his backpack, I really wouldn't have noticed."

Cornell picked up his teacup and took a leisurely sip.

A gentle breeze suddenly appeared around him, consisting of softly flowing, invisible magical particles.

"The corpse is taking up so much space in my ring, it's not unreasonable for me to charge a little 'room fee,' is it?"

silence.

It's unclear whether the human warriors across the table were too engrossed in eating to hear, or whether they heard but chose not to speak.

The only response the monk received was the sound of chewing and swallowing.

Having long been accustomed to it, and not expecting any particular reaction from the other party anyway, Cornell put down his teacup and slowly said:

"The expenses for this mission are too high, and the mission reward is only so small, which has to be split among the three of us. If we include the cost of reviving that guy in a couple of days, it's a huge loss."

"I'm still negotiating with the association, it should take a few more days, and I don't know if I can get some extra gold coins, but..."

Cornell sighed and shook his head, saying:
"Okay, the chances aren't high."

Without a doubt, the goblin lair they had previously cleared was far more dangerous than the warnings the association had given before the mission.

However, after communicating with the relevant staff over the past few days, the information they provided was indeed somewhat ambiguous. Even if we continue to make a fuss, it will likely end in failure, wasting our time and energy.

Moreover, their team was not an official team of the Adventurers' Guild. Including themselves and the human warriors on the other side, they were all free members who were not bound to the guild, and their strength had not yet reached the "extraordinary".

There won't be any special preferential treatment.

Cornell could only swallow this bitter pill in silence.

"Fortunately, I have an acquaintance in Newme, which should save me some money."

"As you know, most resurrection spells have many restrictions, and the longer the time interval between deaths, the higher the cost."

"Setting up the ceremony will take another ten days to half a month. If I really have to wait until I return to Huancai City to be resurrected... this kid will probably have to compensate me with his ancestral tree of spirits from his hometown."

While the golden-haired elf's corpse was still lying in the ring, Cornell teased her about topics that would usually make her furious if he only mentioned them briefly.

"By the way, do you want to come with me to Newme? We can..."

He had only spoken halfway when Cornell seemed to suddenly remember something and raised his hand to pat his forehead.

"Look at me, I forgot again."

"The Land of Molten Wood, right? You are indeed only one step away from 'Transcendent', but I've heard that the trials there are not simple, so you have to be careful."

"It failed... and it can't be revived."

The soldier remained silent, his head buried deep in his plate.

"To be honest, I still find it strange."

Cornell frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on the plate in front of him.

There, a translucent hand, floating in the air like a ghost, was holding a knife, helping him slice the goose breast into thin slices and dip them in sauce.

“That nest, that goblin priest… something’s not right, there’s something strange about it that I can’t quite put my finger on.”

"Oh, and that silvery-white metal device."

"I have never seen such a special item that can manipulate gravity without using magical particles."

"At first I thought it might be high-level magical equipment they got from somewhere, but now I think it's more likely to be something from the dwarves."

“When I return to Huancai City, I will ask my mentor about this in detail.” “If possible…” Cornell hesitated for once, “when you get back, please also mention the relevant situation to Master Yangci.”

The reddish-brown longsword rested quietly against the table. The heavily armored, red-haired warrior remained silent, chewing and swallowing as before.

His head nodded almost imperceptibly.

Seeing this, Cornell breathed a sigh of relief, and a relaxed expression returned to his face.

"Volga's tribe should already know about his death. If I go there again, those old men with tattoos all over their genitals will probably cause me trouble."

"Do you have a suitable candidate? They don't need to be too strong, just level 5 or above in their profession, someone who can be a temporary replacement."

silence.

"All right……"

……

……

Five days later.

River Valley Town, post station.

It is located next to the Misty Forest and is the only town in the surrounding area where the Adventurers' Guild is stationed.

The post stations in the valley town were always bustling with activity, with a constant stream of horse-drawn carriages and merchant caravans.

Now, a few days after the hunting day, the inn is bustling with even more travelers.

Judging from their attire, the vast majority of them are adventurers.

On hunting days, goblins appear in large numbers, and the bounty is increased to 5 silver coins per goblin.

For many people, working hard during this period is enough to earn a very good income.

This attracted many adventurers from surrounding villages and towns to come and seek their fortune.

Don't be fooled by their fierce and menacing appearance. Many of them are actually semi-retired. In their daily lives, they might be the kind, smiling owner of a bakery on the street, or the security guard who likes to doze off in front of a small bank.

On hunting days, they would transform themselves again, taking off their uniforms, picking up weapons, and coming to River Valley to earn some extra money.

Now that the hunting day is over, they are all gradually leaving River Valley Town and returning to their original lives.

"Brother, slow down, I can't keep up."

Jimmy, his face covered in sweat, clutched his wallet as he weaved through the crowd.

He jogged along, peering ahead, but could only catch a glimpse of his cousin's back.

"Hurry up! Don't waste time. If you miss the train, I won't wait for you."

Hearing his cousin say this, he could only force his aching legs to quicken his pace.

But even at its fastest, it can't go much faster.

After all, everyone around seemed to be a seasoned adventurer. If he accidentally bumped into one of them and offended him, he would be in trouble.

Fortunately, the post station itself wasn't too big. Although they wandered around in the crowd for a while, the two of them managed to arrive before the caravan set off.

Watching his cousin fawn over the team leader, handing him a few copper coins, Jimmy, sweating profusely and catching his breath, couldn't help but mutter a complaint:

"Brother, it's just a bus ride, is it really that big of a deal?"

"What do you know!" Back beside him, his cousin, who had been wearing a fawning expression, suddenly turned stern and scolded, "Do you know how hard it has been to find a convoy these past two days?"

“We’re still going to Newme. If it weren’t for my connections, you would have been stuck in Riverdale for another two months!”

Upon hearing this, Jimmy couldn't help but purse his lips.

Over the past few days, he has gradually become familiar with his cousin's personality.

I won't comment on his actions for now, but as for his words... just take half of what he says with a grain of salt.

Jimmy stood still, watching the crowds coming and going, waiting for the convoy to start.

His right hand unconsciously touched the one-handed sword at his waist, which he had just bought not long ago and hadn't even cut down a goblin yet.

She quietly turned her head and glanced at her cousin, at the package he was tightly holding in his arms.

The scene from five days ago involuntarily flashed through my mind.

I remember that the two of them had just finished lunch at White Sparrow, and my cousin said he was going to take me to a herbal medicine shop called "Green Grass Crucible" to buy some cheap healing ointments.

Unexpectedly, they ran into some adventurers causing trouble.

He was kept out of the crowd and couldn't see the details.

When he came to his senses, the middle-aged adventurer was already lying motionless on the ground.

And her cousin, who had suddenly disappeared, returned to her side with an excited expression.

He now held a blood-stained package in his hand.

They must have taken it from the dead in the chaos.

Jimmy was shown the package by his cousin; there wasn't much inside.

A few changes of shirts, three silver coins, and a strange statue the size of a palm.

My cousin said he had seen the same style in "Fairy Wind" before, which was worth dozens of gold coins!

Worried that the items might be unclean and that others might have something to use against them, he decided to take them to Newme and have them dealt with by the "shady shop" he knew.

Jimmy was actually a little worried at the time, wondering if this was not a good idea.

After all, the adventurers he imagined should be those who fight monsters to the death in the forest during the day and drink and brag in the tavern at night, living a very carefree life.

As for his thoughts, his cousin simply examined the statue in his hand and scoffed:
"Adventurer, how noble do you think you are?"

"It's all about making money; it doesn't matter what industry you're in."

These are his exact words.

After that, Jimmy stopped talking and just followed the other party in a daze, asking for information and making connections along the way, until now.

"Nium... Come to think of it, I've never been there before, so I don't know anything about it..."

While pondering this, Jimmy was taken aback.

The team leader, who had just been arrogant and disdainful of his cousin, was now standing there.

At this moment, he bent down, put on a fawning smile, and took the initiative to greet her.

They approached a fully armed, black-haired youth carrying two long swords on his back...

"Grey Sword?"

Jimmy remembered the other person's name; his cousin had introduced him to her five days ago.

Now, compared to when they met at the tavern, the other party has an extra silver coin in his hand.

It was rising and falling in his palm, being tossed up and down by him.

I suddenly feel something's off.

The speed at which the silver coins rose and fell seemed to be...

"Snapped!"

I was suddenly slapped on the back of the head, and I heard my cousin's low growl in my ear:

How many times have I said that?

Don't look at it too much!

(End of this chapter)