Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 198 Temple Night Wolf
On the continent of Aifara, there are different definitions of "extraordinary" and "legendary".

If we set aside the complex power systems and focus solely on job levels, it's actually quite simple.

Extraordinary: lv11-lv20;

Legendary: Level 21 and above.

Once you break through level 10 in your profession, you will be able to become a true extraordinary professional.

Of course, even among those who belong to the "extraordinary" category, the strength between professionals can be greater than the gap between level 1 and level 10 due to various factors such as the accumulation of combat skills, equipment, and profession category along the way.

But compared to before, it can be described as a qualitative change.

Since the concept of "profession" appeared in this world, and after countless years of evolution, basic professions such as "warrior" and "rogue" have been able to spread to every corner of the continent, becoming the first choice for adventurers to embark on their professional path.

A clear path to advancement, a vast selection of combat skills, and a relatively simple job selection process... these have all been mentioned earlier.

But there is another crucial reason.

It's something you only realize after becoming a professional and embarking on this path.

—Level cap!
This includes all the basic professions in the eyes of the world, such as "Ranger", "Barbarian" and "Priest".

Their level cap is "10".

This means that once you become a "warrior," you don't need to worry about anything else; you only need to focus on collecting the combat skills you need and improving your proficiency.

You will then be able to steadily and step by step reach the final stage before achieving the extraordinary.

Furthermore, if you have a plan for your career path, the combat skills you practice along the way are all necessary for changing jobs.

Once you reach the bottleneck, you can easily complete the job change and advance to the extraordinary level without much effort.

This is almost a matter of course.

However, for niche classes like [Tide Hunter], [Fellow Knight], and even [Meteor Blade Hunter], the challenge lies in...

There are reasons why it failed to spread throughout the continent and become one of the basic professions.

Stringent job requirements are one aspect.

On the other hand, it's also because the level cap for these professions is often only "5".

This means that after they have maxed out their professional level, they are still halfway to the level 10 required to become "extraordinary"!
This requires those who have taken up unpopular jobs to take on a different job as a side job, starting from scratch.

The conditions required to achieve the extraordinary are met by combining two professional levels, "5+5".

Xia Nan was almost certain that his class, [Meteor Blade Hunter], was definitely stronger than most basic classes at the same level (lv5).

However, the other party still has room for steady advancement, while I need to find another part-time job to make up for the "extraordinary" level requirements.

"Ugh……"

At this point, Cash couldn't help but sigh again, and even the way he was cutting the corpse slowed down.

"Otherwise, do you think I'm perfectly fine at sea, and there are adventurers' associations nearby, so why would I come all the way to Panyun Province?"

"Isn't it all to accumulate more points, exchange for some suitable combat skills, and pave the way for the future?"

Xia Nan remained silent, lost in thought.

Cash's aura strength, as perceived by him, was probably far below level 5; he was likely just preparing for his future part-time job.

According to the other party, their [Meteor Blade Hunter] is an extremely niche skill, and its maximum level should only be lv5.

After reaching the maximum level, I will need to find other part-time jobs.

tsk...

We need to build a combat skill system, pave the way for future extraordinary achievements, and slowly accumulate the points needed for the exchange.

I couldn't help but feel that there were too many things to consider, and it was a bit troublesome.

I plan to find some time to make proper plans after the task is completed.

For now, let's remain vigilant, complete the mission with the Seathorn team, and get the money first.

You can also ask Cash and Veris for advanced career knowledge along the way.

"You're a warrior, right?" Cash asked casually. "Have you decided which direction you want to develop in the future?"

Xia Nan immediately became wary.

After carefully organizing his thoughts, he replied ambiguously:

"We'll just have to take it one step at a time. We don't have any connections anyway. We're already pretty satisfied with just getting the professional level."

"Heh, you're quite lucky then." Cash grinned, his words carrying a hint of sarcasm. "To be able to get a job at this age without connections."

"When I was your age, I was still struggling with where to get my next meal."

"You were really lucky."

Xia Nan continued to pretend to be confused.

And so, the two of them, while butchering the wild boar meat, subtly probed each other through seemingly casual conversation.

When Vera finished inspecting the traps, she chuckled and led Mint back to the camp.

The enormous wild boar had been neatly cut into several piles of meat.

"It's getting late, let's eat first."

Cash reminded him to put the cleaned dagger back into its leather sheath.

"You can take a nap, and we'll set off when it gets dark."

……

Xia Nan felt like she had been deceived.

The taste of wild boar meat was far from as wonderful as Kash had described.

After being roasted, the meat is rather tough and has a somewhat indescribable fishy or gamey smell.

It was nowhere near as tender and sweet as the stewed meat at the White Sparrow Tavern.

It has a good chewy texture, but some parts taste like chewing on leather shoes.

Considering that cash was only sprinkled with salt and not much seasoning when it was roasted.

Perhaps it's due to his cooking methods.

Or maybe I just have a picky palate?
After all, the other people in the group seemed quite satisfied with the pork.

Cash held a pig leg and gnawed on it, his mouth full of oil, looking like he was enjoying a delicious delicacy.

Mint, just as Xia Nan remembered her as an introverted and delicate girl, ate small bites of the meat slices cut from the wild boar in her bowl.

Even before the meal, they made a few gestures in a serious manner towards the wild boar that had already been dismembered into pieces, as if to thank nature for its gift.

Xia Nan couldn't help but feel a little puzzled by this.

Druids eating meat... that shouldn't be a problem, right?

In response, Mint stated that the vast majority of cases were unaffected.

Except for a few more extreme groups, Druids are not averse to eating meat.

After all, "survival of the fittest" is a crucial part of nature.

What they truly oppose is behavior that disrupts the balance of nature.

Simply put, if you're hungry, killing one or two animals to replenish your energy won't bother anyone; but if you commit a large-scale massacre, wiping out an entire species, or even setting fire to a mountain, then these guardians of nature will probably have to come and "have a chat" with you.

According to Mint, some druid societies, in order to maintain their perceived natural balance, would periodically and at designated locations burn forests with controlled flames, claiming that this would promote the reproduction of the entire life community.

Xia Nan noticed that when the girl mentioned the relevant content, her brows furrowed noticeably, and her tone carried a rare hint of resistance.

Conversely, the Drow-Mixed "Veris" sitting next to her didn't show any particular reaction.

It makes sense, considering that the drow elves are a group that has lived underground for a long time, dealing with all kinds of underground monsters, and whose racial culture includes torture, murder, and enslavement.

Set some fire and burn down a few patches of forest.

Almost none of them could be described as evil acts.

At this moment, Vera was holding a rather exquisite dagger—not the two poisoned ones, of course—and grilling a small piece of wild boar meat.

Those eyes, gleaming faintly in the night, stared quietly and cruelly at the slices of flesh on the short blade, sizzling and dripping with grease as they burned under the flames, turning black and curling.

It was as if what lay on the blade was not the carcass of a wild boar that had been dead for a long time, but a living creature that still retained its consciousness.

Xia Nan keenly noticed that the vine-like pattern on the surface of the Veris dagger had a similar style to the dark purple tattoo on her skin through the cutouts of her leather jacket.

However, since he did not know the relevant knowledge, he could only guess that it might be the emblem of the other clan, or simply a pattern that he liked.

"The surface dwellers always say that drow elves are very dangerous, even their fingernails are coated with poison."

They seemed to sense a gaze coming from the other side of the campfire.

With a slender yet strong wrist, she gently turned her head, her thin lips parted slightly, revealing the soft, tender red flesh inside, and a steaming slice of meat was placed into her mouth.

"But whenever I pick up the whip, there's always a group of people who get excited. Why do you think that is?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Cash burst into laughter.

The jokes, which are slightly risqué and would normally go unnoticed, are actually quite entertaining and lighthearted during the otherwise tedious and stressful adventure.

It must be admitted that Vera is a very good mixed-race person.

While inheriting the exquisite facial features and perfect body proportions unique to drow elves, the human bloodline also lightened the originally overly dark skin tone, and the figure was also much taller, making the body curves show to the fullest.

Under the cover of night, the blurred silhouette contrasted sharply with the silvery-white hair reflecting the moonlight, creating a unique aesthetic.

Xia Nan secretly became more vigilant in response.

The night was deep and the fog was thick, making even the swaying shadow beneath him somewhat indistinct.

For a wanderer who lives in the shadows, this is almost the perfect environment for combat.

Fortunately, my senses are good, and I should be able to react immediately if the other party makes a move.

Moreover, the distance between the two is quite subtle.

Take one step forward, and the decapitation sword can sever the opponent's neck; conversely, it would be difficult for those two daggers to touch him.

The iron-gray longsword lay askew beside him. Xia Nan ate the increasingly pungent wild boar meat, chatting casually with Veris, mentally estimating the distance between the blade and her neck.

Ouch——

Suddenly, a high-pitched, eerie wolf howl came from a great distance, coming from the depths of the thick fog.

Silence fell instantly, and the relatively relaxed atmosphere in the camp suddenly froze.

Although the wolf howls were slightly muffled and indistinct due to their origin from afar, they were still clearly distinguishable from ordinary wolf howls.

The tone is noticeably higher and shorter.

Without anyone noticing, he found himself holding the stone spear in his hand. Cash silently looked up and glanced at the silvery crescent moon in the night sky.

"ready to go!"

……

Temple Night Wolf.

As its name suggests, it is a nocturnal wolf, and the prefix "Tempel" is a transliteration of an Elven word in the Common Language.

It means "dangerous group collaborator".

These wolves possess an intelligence far exceeding that of ordinary wild animals. Although they do not reach the level of intelligent beings, they are still able to execute relatively complex hunting tactics.

They are enormous, almost twice the size of a typical wolf, with sharp claws that can easily tear through thick, tough cowhide. They are also agile and nimble, with outstanding endurance, allowing them to run long distances at great speeds even in dense forests full of obstacles.

Even taken out alone, it already exceeds the category of ordinary wild beasts and reaches the level of "monster".

Not to mention, they are social animals that hunt in family units.

A wolf pack of more than fifteen individuals can even put adult cave bears on their prey.

As for the elite individuals among them, the leader of the wolf pack.

A more robust and powerful physique is only one aspect.

Adventurers have witnessed firsthand how, when faced with a wounded and berserk scorpion lion, a wolf-like individual bursts forth with a dazzling silver light, its combat power multiplying, buying time for the wolf pack to retreat.

The target of the Seathorn Squad's mission was a pack of about 10 Tempel Night Wolves.

According to information provided by the association, no alpha wolf has yet emerged in the wolf pack.

It was entirely within the capabilities of their squad.

In fact, under normal circumstances, these nocturnal wolves rarely operate on the outskirts of the Misty Forest, let alone leave the forest to attack nearby human villages.

However, recently, along with strange wild animal disturbances, there have been numerous sightings of nocturnal wolves on the outskirts of the forest.

Many adventurers also suffered casualties.

Moreover, the location is increasingly outward, gradually approaching the safe area on the edge where villagers often go.

This prompted the association to issue a professional-level commission, hiring a specialized team to carry out the cleanup.

The Seathorn team made detailed and thorough preparations before setting off.

This includes, but is not limited to, lighting tools for nighttime operations, some targeted traps, incendiary bombs, and decoys.

Having detected the presence of wolves through howling, as is the case now, a plan for how to proceed had been made several days in advance.

Cash pulled a small bag, about the size of a palm, from his pouch. He carefully examined it by the light of the fire, and after confirming that he hadn't taken the wrong one, he...

He untied the string binding the bag and reached inside with his right hand.

When I took it out again, my fingertips were covered with a lot of bluish-brown dust.

Without caring about the cost, they sprinkled a lot on everyone in the team.

Even the surrounding air was filled with a rich, complex, and persistent aroma, like a mixture of pine resin and plant sap.

He then put the small bag containing the powder back into his waist bag.

This will help them conceal their human presence.

　Thank you S for the generous donation!

　　There will definitely be an extra chapter!

　　But... I still have to owe you one...

　　Once I have a sufficient number of drafts saved up, I will pay back all the debts at once.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)