Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 197 Tide Hunter
Xia Nan remembers it clearly.

The day after he decided to join the "Seathorn" team, in a corner of the lobby of the White Sparrow Tavern.

The scene of my first meeting with Mint.

He could recall very clearly the change in the girl's expression when Cash led him to the table.

Firstly, it stems from his introverted personality, which leads to an instinctive resistance to new things.

As a newcomer who had just joined the team, I was not yet fully familiar with the two team members, and then suddenly another teammate joined me.

It is perfectly normal to feel uncomfortable.

But immediately after the fleeting resistance, a hint of curiosity lurked deep in his eyes.

Especially after she saw Xia Nan's overly young face and his absolutely excellent equipment.

As a newcomer, she couldn't decide whether the team members stayed or left, but she was still a proper professional.

They do have a certain level of discernment.

Especially when the class itself belongs to a branch of "Druid" and uses "Perception" as its main spellcasting attribute.

Mint could sense the solid aura emanating from Xia Nan's body.

Then, under Xia Nan's subtle, hesitant expression, Cash introduced her to the nickname "Gray Sword" and emphasized its outstanding strength.

Xia Nan took the initiative to greet her.

Some stood up awkwardly to shake hands, and others stammered and shyly introduced themselves.

Finally, it was when Xia Nan sat at the dining table, seriously discussing the mission plan with Cash and Veris.

It was evident that he was gradually adapting to the new team members, and at times he even took the initiative to speak to Xia Nan in a low voice.

From initial resistance, to later curiosity, shyness, and finally adaptation.

That's normal, absolutely normal.

It almost perfectly demonstrates the changes in expression and demeanor that should occur when an introverted rookie spellcaster faces a new member of the team.

This stands in stark contrast to Cash and Veris, who are both "naturally mature."

But like a pure method actor with superb acting skills, who can control facial muscles and body posture through indirect feeling and external techniques, he can portray the character as if he were a real person.

In reality, there is no sense of immersion; the self and the character are completely separated and detached.

A perception ability far beyond that of ordinary people, even those who are ordinary professionals.

Xia Nan always felt that this frail and thin girl was somewhat strange.

He also followed up the conversation by tentatively asking about the other person's background and origins.

After all, support characters who can both heal and control the battlefield are always incredibly sought-after and popular figures in the eyes of adventurers.

Even before achieving a professional rating, professional teams may extend offers to them.

Is it too coincidental that I joined the Seathorn Squad just like this?
Cash explained that Mint had been training with one of her druid mentors deep in the forest until she became a professional and was then allowed to leave and go on adventures.

The Seathorn Squad was the first squad she joined after leaving the forest.

Ok……

Hard to say.

It's not impossible for such a coincidence to happen.

But if you add to that my previous strange feelings about mint...

Then things took a rather delicate turn.

Xia Nan became more vigilant, even placing the possibility of the girl's threat above that of the two of them.

Even when you occasionally need to expose your back to your opponent during a fight, keep your attention focused, allow enough time to react, and be on guard in secret.

"Well……"

Having finally broken free from Veris's restraints, Mint was slightly out of breath, her bangs already soaked with sweat.

Clearly, the spell that could quickly heal others' injuries was not easy for her either, and it took a toll on her.

Even so, the thin girl in the plain-colored robe still looked at Xia Nan, who was sitting on the other side, the first thing she did after finishing her treatment.

He put his five fingers together and gestured with both hands.

It seemed as if they were asking him if he was injured and if he needed help.

Xia Nan waved her hand to indicate that she was in good condition and nodded politely to express her gratitude.

He didn't say anything extra, maintaining his usual cold persona, and simply drew the decapitation sword again, placing it horizontally across his knees for maintenance.

Meanwhile, Veris, now fully recovered, seemed to be in high spirits.

With his smooth, unscarred arms moving, and his long legs striding, he walked straight toward the wild boar's carcass.

She was still wearing the same close-fitting leather jacket she wore when they first met at the tavern.

Xia Nan had previously thought that these were simply clothes used to show off one's figure and for decoration.

However, after several days in the misty forest, there were no traces of thorns or branches scratching the surface of the leather jacket.

Clearly, while being lightweight, it also possesses a certain level of defensive capability.

"Snapped!"

I don't know where they bought it, but the pointed leather boots with a few dark patterns embroidered on them were suddenly stomped on the wild boar's head.

Vera crossed her arms over her chest, bent down, revealing her full curves while carefully examining the wounds on the wild boar carcass.

A pair of bright eyes moved slightly, their gaze sweeping over the wounds on the wild boar's back and sides.

Finally, it remained on the deep wound on the back of his neck.

His face, which was turned away from everyone, suddenly darkened, then returned to normal in an instant.

With a smile playing on her lips, she deliberately raised her voice and teased:
"Tsk tsk, a fatal blow."

"Mr. Gray Sword, your skills seem to be much more agile than the rumors suggest."

"Did you often come to the forest to hunt wild animals before?"

Xia Nan remained calm, gently wiping the longsword with gauze in his hand, without raising his head.

"Chop down more goblins."

He didn't directly answer the other person's question, but that doesn't mean he was lying.

Respond to the other party's probing with ambiguous words.

It wasn't that there was a mistake during the battle that exposed their true strength.

The marks left on the wild boar were what he wanted the people in the team to see.

Xia Nan had thought it through very clearly.

They are all seasoned adventurers who have obtained professional ranks; there are no newbies who will be unconditionally trusted simply by joining a team.

While he was observing the others, they were also probing him.

He analyzed Cash and Veris's professions, levels, and fighting styles based on their performance in the battle, and he was sure that they were also secretly assessing his skills.

And it was obvious that both sides held back and did not go all out.

In this situation, he could certainly fight using only the Spinning Slash, but if he hid too much, it would only exacerbate the distrust between them and create a rift in the team.

Therefore, at the very beginning of his adventure, he made no attempt to conceal his combat abilities.

Neither his physical abilities, which surpassed those of ordinary adventurers, nor his mastery of the [Whirlwind Slash] technique were held back.

Xia Nan doesn't even intend to hide the [Fang Hunt], it's just that he hasn't encountered a strong enough opponent yet.

After all, they are all professionals, and no one can hide anything from anyone else. Everyone knows that advancing requires three combat skills.

The other party hasn't shown any hostility yet, and I'm currently part of the team.

He only used one combat skill from beginning to end during the mission, which was obvious to everyone that he was just going through the motions, and that's not like him at all.

Xia Nan's true trump cards are the [Gravity Control], which is extremely difficult for outsiders to detect when in use, the [Gravity Etching], which can ignore armor defense and detonate from the inside, and the flexible combination of various combat skills.

This is enough for him to handle most unexpected situations.

He still has a few valuable pieces of equipment and items that could turn the tide in a real crisis.

On the other side, Cash also completed the material extraction work.

This muscular man, with a lean build and tattoos running from his neck to the side of his face, walked towards the group, carrying a leopard skin in one hand and a slightly bloodstained bag of spoils in the other.

"We're lucky. We definitely can't eat this jungle leopard, but the usable parts are all in good condition and of good quality."

"We should be able to sell it for a few gold coins when we get back."

As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily fell to the wild boar carcass lying on the ground beside him.

"Its two fangs are in good condition. I think I saw a general store in town buying them before. Maybe I can negotiate a price."

"Hmm... we've made up for the cost of supplies on this mission."

Cash laughed heartily, seemingly in a very good mood.

Professionals, perhaps because of the extremely difficult promotion conditions and the formidable strength they gain after leveling up, are often deified by lower-level adventurers.

But once you actually achieve a professional level, you'll find that...

An adventurous life, in reality, isn't that much different.

They would also feel excited about the unexpected gains during the mission, and equally grateful that the adventure would not be a loss.

At most, it just means a slightly higher tolerance for error.

"Take advantage of the time before it gets dark and get some rest to recharge your energy."

After tidying up the spoils, Cash looked up at the sky and gave instructions to the group.

"We'll set off in about three or four hours when Silver Moon wakes up."

In most cases, venturing into the misty forest at night is something adventurers are absolutely forbidden from doing.

Many dangerous predators are accustomed to hunting at night, and without the illumination of sunlight, visibility is extremely low in the dark, shrouded in dense fog.

An adventurer with slightly poorer senses might not even notice a venomous snake lurking right at their feet.

Extremely dangerous!

But the Seathorn team's target was a pack of "Tempur Night Wolves" who only hunted at night.

During the day, they mostly hide deep inside their nests.

Unless you have some kind of reconnaissance ability, it is very difficult to catch a glimpse of the other party.

Therefore, the group had already developed a detailed plan and made ample preparations before setting off.

We traveled in the morning, rested briefly in the afternoon, then searched for targets in the relatively safe first half of the night, and returned to camp to rest in the second half of the night.

They are all professionals, and are still on the outskirts of the misty forest.

Nighttime operations are certainly dangerous, but compared to lower-level adventurers, they still possess considerable combat strength.

There is still some time before the operation begins.

Vera took Mint to check the warning traps around the camp.

Xia Nan then joined Cash in dismembering the wild boar carcass he had dragged back.

"Squeak".

The dull sound of a sharp blade slicing through flesh echoed eerily in the air filled with the chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves.

From the Rockhammer Craftsman's shop, a small dagger specially designed for cutting loot. After severing countless goblin ears, I finally got to taste the fresh fruit.

Nourishes—

The thick, coarse mane trembled slightly, its sharp, cold light like a shark fin on the sea surface, smoothly gliding along the muscle texture and through the flesh.

With a focused expression, Xia Nan grabbed the wild boar's hoof with his left hand and yanked it off, severing a complete right foreleg.

Cash looked surprised.

"You don't look that old, how come you're so skilled?"

"Does your family have a butcher?"

Xia Nan shook his head, didn't say much, and simply replied calmly:
"Practice makes perfect."

That's not a lie either.

Although he has been an adventurer for less than a year, he has already killed quite a few creatures with his sword.

Especially those goblins, they were cut down one nest at a time.

This is the premise.

The boar's body structure is indeed very different from that of the goblin.

However, in some subtle ways, such as the way bones and muscles are connected and the arrangement of tendons and fascia, there are similarities.

With a little touch and a couple of cuts inside with a dagger, I already knew about 70-80% of it.

In a way, a wild boar is just a big-nosed goblin.

Dismemberment and division, a piece of cake.

"You're quite skilled and have some reputation in town. Why don't you form your own team?"

It was partly casual conversation, and partly a test.

Cash asked casually.

“You don’t earn enough by teaming up.” Xia Nan said intently as he cut into flesh. “A mission takes half a month, and when we come back, we can’t even afford to buy new armor. It’s better to go solo.”

"Uh……"

Xia Nan's answer made Cash choke for a moment.

The words that were about to come out were stuck in his throat.

He glanced at the finely crafted, highly defensive plate and chainmail armor on the man's body with a strange expression.

I didn't think much of it and just assumed the other person didn't want to discuss the topic.

Kash paused for a moment, then deliberately sighed.

"Ugh……"

"You should be able to tell that I come from the mainland coast."

"I was born by the sea, and even the milk I drank as a child had a salty taste."

"I've been dealing with fish and shrimp in the sea since I was a child. I followed my father and spent more time on the boat than at home all year round."

"Even if I got lucky later and learned a few combat skills, barely managing to reach a professional level, I still couldn't break free from that sea."

Have you heard of "Tide Hunters"?

"It's my profession."

Xia Nan suddenly stopped what he was doing, feeling a sense of surprise.

He had only recently joined the team, and the two of them weren't even friends yet.

So you've revealed all your secrets to me?
Thinking it couldn't be that simple, he secretly noted down the name "Tide Hunter," but didn't completely believe it.

Cash, oblivious to Xia Nan's reaction, continued:

"Speaking of which, my profession should be a branch of the 'Ranger' category, but it is more suitable for sea battles than jungles and plains."

"You can tell that from the name itself."

Xia Nan nodded silently.

“There are advantages to having an unpopular profession like mine – as long as you live near the sea, adventurers of the same level are basically no match for you.”

"But the drawbacks are equally obvious, and even particularly severe."

Upon hearing the words "unpopular profession," Xia Nan instantly perked up.

After all, the [Meteor Blade Hunter] he himself works for is an extremely rare and niche profession, with a high probability that only one person in the world possesses it.

He suppressed his pent-up emotions, remained outwardly calm, and did not look back.

"How to say?"

"When I first met you on the second floor of the association, I mentioned that a profession's future job advancement is determined by the combat skills learned previously, right?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"That's the problem!"

(End of this chapter)