Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 188 Association Second Floor
Ding--

Slender, pale fingers landed limply on the table like fallen leaves, followed by a crisp ringing sound that lingered for only a few meters before being swallowed up by the cacophony of voices in the air.

"Next person……"

Jasmine lowered her head, her weak voice barely clearer than the ringing of the bell.

His right hand was tucked under the counter, his fingertips rubbing back and forth on a clean handkerchief that had been prepared beforehand, leaving several bright red wet streaks on the white surface of the handkerchief.

—This is the bloodstain left when counting the spoils of war for some orc who can't even count numbers properly, and who has to take off his shoes and count with his toes if he has more than ten fingers.

She knew perfectly well that no matter how clean she wiped them now, in less than five minutes, when the next blood-soaked bag of spoils was thrown onto the counter, her hands would be sticky and smelly again.

But Jasmine still tried her best to keep herself clean for a short time; at least that made her feel a little better.

Looking back, it's quite moving.

Despite her current state—holding a goblin's head, which is as bloody and mangled as a peeled watermelon, in her hands, seemingly oblivious to the maggots wriggling in the hole in its skull and the stench of decay rising from her nostrils—she remains oblivious to the stench of decay.

Turn it over left and right, examine it carefully.

He calmly and methodically explained to the bearded dwarf behind the counter, who was yelling and spitting everywhere, why he could only pay half the reward.

Who would have thought that this slender receptionist, whose waist was even thinner than many adventurers' thighs, was a delicate young girl who, just a few years ago, couldn't help but feel dizzy and nauseous at the smell of blood.

However, although she was somewhat resistant, she definitely wouldn't quit her job and go back to serving dishes and cleaning.

No matter how hard or tiring it is, the generous weekly pay is equivalent to several months' income in other jobs, and it's real.

Not having to endure wind and sun, just sitting behind the counter and earning enough to support a large family by simply talking is a job that countless people dream of.

Of course, even though she thought that way in her heart and actually completed all the tasks according to the standards, it did not affect the listless and exhausted appearance she showed.

"Task number 2136F, type [Collection]... Hmm, the quota has been met, the client should remove the task themselves."

"Take it off the shelves!?"

At the counter stood a young adventurer carrying a rough cloth sack, his leather armor covered in mud and bits of grass, his face filled with disbelief.

"But I remember it was still on the mission wall when we set off two days ago. Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"Removal date: 7th of the last month of the year 1019 in the Arcane calendar."

"It was yesterday afternoon that the client came to the association in person to cancel the task."

Jasmine's voice was as weak and low as ever, but her attitude was not perfunctory. Instead, she carefully checked the commission records and explained to the other party.

These kinds of gathering tasks with time and quantity restrictions mean that after finally collecting all the required items, you arrive at the guild only to find that the task has been taken down.

This is a common occurrence for adventurers in River Valley.

After all, most of the clients here are small shops in the town, and their demand for materials is relatively low, so it is easy to meet their quota.

Furthermore, due to the relatively safe nature of collection tasks and the fairly generous rewards, these types of commissions are updated very quickly.

Often, the materials are posted in the morning and adventurers return from the Misty Forest the very next day, making the competition fierce.

Examples like the one we're seeing now, where people make a wasted trip, are not uncommon.

Adventurers often have no choice but to accept their bad luck and sell the collected materials at a low price.

But right now, this young man with a youthful face doesn't seem to have any intention of giving up.

Even though Jasmine had explained the situation to him and offered several solutions, he still stood in front of the counter with an angry expression, slamming his hand on the table, wanting an explanation.

She sighed softly, then wisely shut her mouth and stopped explaining.

Jasmine touched the ground with her toes, sat down, and moved back a few steps.

There were no extra movements, just quiet waiting.

Seeing her reaction, the young man, who had only recently become an adventurer and whose sword-wielding posture still retained the habits he developed while hoeing the ground, felt slighted and cursed as his right hand reached for the hilt of the sword at his waist.

His fingers had barely touched the hilt of the sword, which was wrapped with thick rope, before he could even grip it tightly.

This inexperienced young adventurer, who considered himself superior, was tackled to the ground by two guards who rushed over after hearing the commotion, all under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers.

Without using any weapons, a few punches were enough to knock him unconscious. He was then carried out of the association's gate like a dead pig.

Already used to it.

Jasmine's expression remained unchanged. She dragged the chair forward two steps and returned it to its original position.

With a slight lift of his head, his left hand, guided by muscle memory, reached for the bell on the table.

"Next..."

The voice suddenly stopped, and the hand that was about to press down on the bell also stopped in mid-air.

Beyond the crowd, in the direction of the mission wall, a black-haired figure wearing a thin shirt and carrying two swords suddenly came into view.

Her tired eyes, partially hidden by golden bangs, suddenly flashed with a dazzling light.

Performance...my performance!
They sprang up like springs, their passion, worn down by monotonous work, igniting like flames.

"Lina, cover for me for half a day, I'll pay you back next week."

She greeted her familiar colleagues and, in the blink of an eye, left the front desk and walked into the crowd.

……

……

[Task ID]: 09C
[Type]: Bounty
[Reward]: 100-300000 gold coins (negotiable)
[Task Summary]:
A moon elf (hybrid) named "Windstring" was suspected of being possessed by an evil spirit during a resurrection ritual, causing widespread damage and casualties to buildings and residents in areas including the Luna Church in Newme, several streets in the West End, and parts of the slums. She is now missing.

If you witness this, please contact the relevant personnel of the association nearby. A reward will be given based on the accuracy of the information after verification.

[Time Limit]: None

[Additional Information]:
Warning! Extremely dangerous!
Non-professionals are advised to avoid close contact!

……

Xia Nan looked at the top of the mission wall, at the bounty commission that had clearly only been posted recently.

A strange, unsettling feeling stirred within me.

Based on the detailed information provided in the [Mission Summary], and the realistic portrait attached to it.

no doubt.

This half-moon elf named "Wind String" was the same golden-haired elf he had encountered before.

While still in Newme, he heard about the horrific events of that night through various channels, knowing that the other party had escaped the pursuit of the authorities and the church and disappeared into the depths of the night.

To some extent, the presence of the elves was one of the reasons why he hurried back to Riverdale after only a few days.

But to his surprise, Newme's side was quite efficient.

Even though he had only just returned to River Valley Town, the golden-haired elf's bounty had already been posted on the quest wall.

Moreover, this bounty...

Xia Nan's gaze swept over the "Rewards" section, and the long string of "0"s following it made him a little dizzy from counting them.

If we replace everything with mushroom soup...

That should be enough for him to drink until the end of time.

Of course, it was just a thought. There was absolutely no way he would return to Newme and plunge back into the dangerous vortex for such a small amount of money that was almost impossible to earn.

As for any useful clues, without revealing too much, he didn't seem to have anything worth reporting to the association...

As I pondered this, my thoughts suddenly paused.

He keenly sensed that a figure with a strong purpose, targeting him, was rapidly approaching him from the crowd nearby.

Look away.

What came into view was a familiar figure with blond hair and a beautiful face.

"Mr. Xia Nan, you're back!"

Looking ahead, she saw the receptionist, "Jasmine," walking briskly towards her with a smile and greeting her.

Xia Nan nodded in acknowledgment and replied:
"Yes, mainly because it took too long to get here."

"The mission can be considered complete, we..."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Xia Nan, I was being presumptuous." Jasmine tidied her slightly messy bangs, her face showing apology. "Please come with me, let's find an empty conference room and talk about this in more detail."

……

……

"So... you really went to the Newm Sewers in person and fought that adventurer infected with the Beast Transformation Disease?"

Jasmine sat across the table, her expression indescribably strange.

"Yes, it's a pity the sewers are too complicated, I'm not familiar with them, and he escaped." Xia Nan nodded. "Isn't that what the mission required?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jasmine in front of him stood up again and apologized to him repeatedly.

"I'm so sorry, sir, I'm really sorry!"

"Although I don't know if the colleague in charge of the handover reminded me, he must have forgotten to emphasize that the nature of this promotion task was 'investigation'."

"It does not require you to kill a target or bring someone back alive."

Xia Nan's outward expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he suddenly felt uneasy.

Could it really be as I suspected...?

"So how do I know when I've finished?"

He tapped the tabletop lightly with his fingertip and asked tentatively.

“Uh…” Jasmine paused, then turned her head to look at the tightly closed door behind her.

He lowered his voice and leaned closer to say:
"Actually, all you need to do is go to Newme at the address we provide, ask someone in the know for relevant information, and then write a report based on your own speculation, or just dictate it to me."

"The task is pretty much complete."

The finger that was tapping the desktop paused involuntarily.

Xia Nan stared directly at the apologetic blonde girl in front of him, and his impression of the Adventurers' Guild as a "makeshift organization" was reinforced once again.

She was worried that Xia Nan was angry, or perhaps the silent atmosphere made her nervous.

Before a reply could be given, Jasmine quickly added:
"The colleague responsible for the handover is, normally speaking, derelict in his duty and will be punished by the association."

"But... he was fired last month and he's no longer in River Valley Town—apparently, he made a mistake at work even earlier, causing serious losses to a high-level adventurer team."

"Please rest assured, Mr. Xia Nan, I will definitely help you apply for a higher-level mission reward, and you will absolutely not have made a wasted trip!"

"You guys decide for yourselves."

He waved his hand.

Now that things have come to this, Xia Nan only hopes that the rewards from the missions the association will provide later will cover the cost of those two pieces of armor.

Back in town, there were many things to take care of, and I didn't plan to waste any more time.

Xia Nan went straight to the point:
"Now, may I go to the second floor?"

“Of course!” Jasmine took small steps and opened the door for Xia Nan. “Please come with me.”

……

It's a rather peculiar feeling.

Shortly after I arrived in this world, I learned from other adventurers that the second floor of the guild was an area that only so-called "professionals" could enter.

Even if she didn't have any strong feelings, under the influence of such an environment and the envious tone of the people around her, Xia Nan couldn't help but imagine herself walking up the stairs whenever she came to the association.

Right now, he's being guided by Jasmine to complete his professional identity registration.

And following the other person, under the watchful eyes of many adventurers in the hall, they stepped, one step at a time, onto the wooden stairs leading to the second floor.

My heart, on the contrary, did not experience much emotional fluctuation.

He glanced one last time at the corner of the stairs at the adventurers coming and going in the hall before turning his head and looking upwards.

Looking around at the layout of the association's second floor.

The first thing that catches the eye is also a rather spacious hall.

Maintaining the design concept of a misty forest, the main material is dark oak from deep in the forest, complemented by a variety of common plants in misty forests such as vines, branches, and shrubs.

It gives people a simple and elegant natural aesthetic.

The overall area is very large, only slightly smaller than the lobby downstairs.

However, because of the sharp drop in the number of adventurers, the area appears to be three or four times wider.

In the center of the hall, there was even a miniature fountain garden, with several wooden benches scattered around for people to rest.

Then came the atmosphere around us, which had changed dramatically.

Unlike the lobby downstairs, where adventurers thronged and the air was thick with the smells of sweat and blood, creating a tense and urgent atmosphere.

It's as if if you fall behind by even two seconds, the task you want will be snatched away, and the gold coins that should have gone into your pocket will be lost.

It makes you want to quicken your pace.

On the second floor of the association, at least for now, the adventurers in the lobby all appeared calm and composed.

Although one could occasionally hear the sounds of debate and argument, the solid aura and calm, efficient movements that came with being a professional were qualities that ordinary adventurers did not possess.

Beside him, Jasmine led Xia Nan into the hall and quietly introduced him to the functions of each room on both sides.

"This is a special apothecary for professionals. It has a partnership with the Alchemists' Guild and has stocked many potions that are impossible to buy elsewhere, all of which are subsidized by the guild."

"If you are interested, you can take on some material collection tasks commissioned by the Alchemist Guild. Upon completion, you may be rewarded with a certain discount."

"This is where you can exchange items. Rare plant materials, special metals, and even custom enchanted equipment can all be exchanged here with the staff, as long as you have enough points."

"This room contains intelligence..."

"Wait a moment." Xia Nan reached out to interrupt Jasmine's introduction. Noticing a particular word in her words, he raised an eyebrow and asked.

What does this 'points' mean?

(End of this chapter)