Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 195 Night Shadow Bride
The tavern lobby was crowded and noisy, and the other person seemed to be discussing something with their teammates, so Xia Nan didn't plan to go up and disturb them.

But now Cash saw him and even greeted him.

He naturally had no reason to refuse.

After all, he had just been quite enthusiastic in explaining some advancement knowledge to me.

I planned to exchange a few pleasantries and then find an opportunity to take my leave.

On the other hand, it's unclear whether it's due to his inherent personality or because they discovered certain traits in Xia Nan.

Cash was unusually enthusiastic, acting as if they were old acquaintances who hadn't seen each other in a long time, even though they had just met that morning.

He put his arm around Xia Nan's shoulder and introduced him to his teammates:

"This is Xia Nan, whom I mentioned to you before. Do you remember 'Gray Sword'? I happened to run into him on the second floor of the association today."

Xia Nan could clearly feel that, along with Cash's words, a curious gaze was looking him over.

The half-elf drow sitting across the table was not the gloomy and cold creature one might expect from an underground race; on the contrary, he appeared quite warm and friendly.

A gentle smile played on her lips, her bright eyes shifted slightly, and she spoke first:

"Your attire doesn't seem like that of a newcomer Cash mentioned."

With their rich adventure experience and the discerning eye unique to seasoned adventurers, veteran professionals like her and Cash might not be able to immediately discern whether a piece of equipment has an enchantment effect.

However, judging from the quality and workmanship alone, it is clear that Xia Nan's equipment was quite expensive.

"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself." The drow half-elf with slightly dark skin and long, shiny silver hair rose leisurely to the sound of her hair ornaments clinking behind her head and extended her hand to Xia Nan.

"Veris, a member of the 'Seathorn' adventure team."

"Hello."

The slight coolness in the palm of the hand dissipates upon contact.

Without concealing his gaze, Xia Nan's eyes naturally swept over the other person's well-proportioned body.

He pondered it to himself.

He's quite tall; when he stands up straight, his eyes are almost level with mine, so I'd guess he's over 1.8 meters tall.

But I couldn't feel any calluses on my palms; they were exceptionally smooth and delicate.

Judging from their attire, they don't seem to be spellcasters or anything like that. Perhaps... they removed the calluses from their hands through some method?

"Please sit down, please sit down." Cash made way for Xia Nan and pulled her to sit down. "What would you like to eat? It's on me."

He waved his hand, indicating that he had already ordered.

Xia Nan's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he felt increasingly suspicious and even a sense of vigilance arose.

In this world where productivity is not particularly advanced, they are facing two truly seasoned adventurers.

He didn't believe that with his current charisma, he could make these two professionals, who were strangers before today, behave like this.

It's obvious that they have ulterior motives.

Having just returned from a long trip to Newme, Xia Nan was too lazy to waste any more time testing the waters with the other party.

After a few polite words, he took the initiative to express his attitude.

Seemingly surprised by the directness of the black-haired youth beside him, Cash paused for a moment before exhaling and exchanging a glance with the half-elf Veris across the table. Seeing her nod in acknowledgment, he then explained:
"We need a teammate."

"You don't need to officially join the team, just form a temporary team. Of course, if you are interested in working with us long-term, we can talk about it later."

His fingers gently stroked the tip of the stone spear beside him, the tattoo covering half of his face becoming even more conspicuous due to his serious expression.

"You should be able to tell that neither Veris nor I are from Riverdale."

"The reason I came here is because of a mission."

Xia Nan didn't speak, but just nodded silently.

You can definitely tell.

The man and woman before them were clearly from a coastal region; one had likely been a sailor or fisherman for a long time. The other was a drow hybrid, a half-elf.

Even if both are professionals, with such distinct identities, it's impossible that I hadn't heard about them after spending more than half a year in town, sitting in the White Sparrow Tavern where a large number of adventurers came and went almost every day to collect information.

Both of them are definitely outsiders.

"I cannot disclose the specific details of the mission because it involves some important information. I apologize."

Cash continued speaking.

"But what is certain is that the recent wild animal disturbances in the Misty Forest are most likely related to it."

"That's why we've stayed in River Valley Town until now."

During the conversation, the waiter had already brought the mushroom soup that Xia Nan had ordered to the table.

Hold the spoon and stir gently; the rich aroma of milk fills your nostrils with each breath.

The sweet taste made Xia Nan swallow almost imperceptibly.

"So, you two must both be seasoned adventurers who have held professional ranks for a long time, right? What do you need a newbie like me for?"

In response to Xia Nan's question, Veris took over the conversation.

Long, slender fingers lightly tapped the table, their glossy nails reflecting the soft light of the tavern overhead.

"We need to use these wild beasts that have escaped from the forest to find the target's trail, but the Misty Forest is so vast that without a clear direction, even if we spend years here, we may not find anything."

"And as you should know, the Adventurers' Guild... has some special information channels. Whether it's a goblin extermination mission or other quests, after accepting the mission, it will provide some relatively useful information to help you complete it."

"Just a few days ago, the association also issued a bounty for the hunting and clearing of the beasts that suddenly appeared on the outskirts of the Misty Forest."

"However, just like the hunting days that have passed in your town, the condition for accepting the mission is that there must be a team of at least four people."

Xia Nan scooped up two mouthfuls of mushroom soup.

Grind your teeth into the chopped mushroom slices, savoring their fragrant and delicate texture.

He pondered in his heart.

Simply put, it's actually the same process as when I first met "Green Blood" Adeline.

The mission requires additional team members.

He frowned slightly and asked:

"We haven't met before, have we?"

"You're so comfortable inviting me to join the team right away?"

Upon hearing his question, Cash couldn't help but sigh, a helpless expression on his face.

"As mentioned before, neither of us are locals from the vicinity of River Valley Town. We are newcomers and don't know many professionals, and they all have their own fixed teams."

"If it weren't for the requirements of the mission, I wouldn't want to be in such a rush."

“But don’t worry.” Cash patted his chest, the firm muscles beneath his bronze skin bulging slightly. “This task of clearing out the beasts isn’t particularly difficult in itself, and it will take a relatively long time.”

"In many cases, you don't even need to go inside the misty forest, so it's quite safe."

"In this way, we should all have ample opportunity to consider each other."

Before Xia Nan could reply, Zhuo Er, who was sitting opposite him, seemed to want to use some classic underhanded tactics.

Vera crossed her legs, her full legs overlapping beneath her tight leather coat, the smooth, tender flesh almost overflowing from the cutouts on the sides of her thighs, her leather boots swaying slightly.

"I'm always good at judging people." A reserved yet alluring smile graced the delicate face unique to the elves.

"You are trustworthy."

I believe you.

Xia Nan thought to himself.

During the battle of Newme, he faced those indescribable and bizarre beings in the secret realm, yet he remained conscious and returned safely here.

His willpower underwent a near-qualitative change.

Those three points of perception attribute are merely a visual representation of his abilities on the attribute panel. Right now, it's nothing more than a superficial temptation, not even triggering his mental resistance feat of "Looking Directly into the Abyss," so how could it possibly stir any emotion within him?

He simply sipped his mushroom soup while analyzing and considering the task information given to him by the two men.

No direct reply was given.

Xia Nan looked up and glanced at the empty space between Cash and Veris.

"One more missing?"

"Didn't they say it was a four-person team? Even with me, there are only three people, right?"

"Haha, there's another newcomer here too." Cash chuckled as he filled Xia Nan's glass. "He's at the general store buying supplies; he's not in the tavern."

"I'll introduce you to her when she gets back."

He nodded, his mind racing.

Xia Nan had already summarized what she should do next and her short-term goals.

Accumulate points, improve combat skill proficiency, and upgrade the Serpent Scale Arm Shield.

Oh, I still need to earn some more money to recover my losses.

What would he gain if he agreed to Cash's request to temporarily join the "Seathorn" team?
First of all, as a professional-level commission, even if the rewards are to be split among four people, the amount of gold coins and points will definitely be substantial.

Needless to say, combat skill proficiency improves much faster in battle than in daily life.

Secondly, both of the people in front of me are seasoned professionals. If I become their temporary teammates, they will surely be willing to share some professional advancement knowledge with me.

Finally, regarding the upgrade of the Serpent Scale Arm Shield.

I remember that I'm currently stuck on the "teammate" hurdle.

The reward for the investigation mission involving the beastmen on the second floor of the association is "corrosion-patterned steel," and the condition for this mission is the "four-person team" that Cash mentioned.

A glimmer of light flashed deep within his dark eyes.

Xia Nan wiped his mouth and stared directly at the two people in front of him.

"I can join your team."

"but……"

"On one condition."

……

……

White Sparrow Tavern, second-floor guest rooms.

Xia Nan sat at her desk, leaning back in her chair.

Right palm facing up.

A glittering gold coin, reflecting the sunlight streaming through the window, floats in the air above the palm of the hand.

Like a satellite in outer space, it slowly rotates on its own axis while also regularly circling around the palm of your hand.

He looked thoughtful.

The "Seathorn" team agreed to the terms they had set.

After completing the beast-clearing mission, regardless of whether they obtain any clues related to the target, they will continue to work together as a four-person team with Xia Nan to investigate the traces of the beastmen.

The specific rewards will be redistributed based on contributions made during the task.

Of course, since the materials required for the Serpent Scale Arm Shield are limited in grams, after the mission ends, Xia Nan will exchange points or gold coins for "Corrosion Steel" from other people to make up enough for Barn to forge and upgrade.

He had already made an agreement with the two of them about this when he was downstairs.

All that's left to do now is organize our equipment, purchase supplies, and then meet at the White Sparrow Tavern three days later to head to the Misty Forest.

"Snapped!"

The floating, spinning gold coin suddenly fell, and I gripped it tightly in my palm with my five fingers together.

Xia Nan suddenly felt a little irritated.

After returning from Newme, I was planning to rest in Riverdale for a while, or perhaps find a few goblin lairs to relax.

Now, however, I have no choice but to get busy again.

……

Meanwhile, in the tavern lobby.

Cash and the drow half-elf Veris remained seated in the same spot.

However, the atmosphere between the two was far less intense than when Xia Nan was present.

It appeared quiet and cold.

Her slender fingers gently cupped the wine glass, swirling it as the glistening liquid slid between her full lips.

“You should have told me beforehand.” Vera squinted, as if savoring the aroma of the wine on her tongue, but a sharp glint was hidden deep in her half-closed eyelids. “That Xia Nan is far more dangerous than he looks.”

“I know.” Cash didn’t look up, continuing to work on the beef on his plate. “But you probably saw it too.”

"His armor, his leg armor... tsk, even if you threw them on the black market, they'd still be worth several hundred gold."

"Just treat yourself to a nice meal."

"Besides, we do need a teammate, don't we?"

Vera shook her head noncommittally, but a fleeting glint of greed flashed in her eyes as she stared at the wine glass in front of her.

"Are you sure it's a newcomer?"

"Of course, I saw him being taken to the second floor by the association's receptionist, without even knowing how to upgrade or change jobs."

"I guess he's someone who had no connections and just happened to come up with three combat skills to get a professional level."

"What about the so-called 'Gray Sword'?"

"Heh, these nicknames that circulate among low-level adventurers—everyone who climbs up step by step has had a few before. You don't have one? Should I remind you, our esteemed 'Nightshade Bride'?"

Vera didn't reply, but the slight upturn of her lips already showed her attitude.

"Isn't there another newcomer on the team? What are you planning to do with him?"

"she?"

"Guess why I dared to bring in another new member to the team?"

"When the time comes, we'll just kill them and be done with it."

despair--

The wine glass suddenly fell onto the table, making an abrupt sound.

The slightly reddish wine swayed and spilled.

Cash immediately shut his mouth.

He understood what the other person meant without needing to say anything.

The previously gloomy atmosphere suddenly became warm again.

Smiles returned to their faces, as if they were discussing something interesting.

Until a petite figure gradually approached with the sound of footsteps.

Only then, as if belatedly realizing something, did he turn around, his tone gentle and kind:

"You're back, come and sit down."

"We've found a new teammate."

(End of this chapter)