Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 230 Omens of Death and Memories

The outer edge of a misty forest.

It was daytime, and the light gray mist, like a delicate veil, drifted gently in the air.

Only occasionally does a gentle breeze stir, causing the branches to rustle softly and the thin mist to swirl, revealing the outline of the forest in the stillness.

crunch--

With a soft thud as crisp leaves collided and rubbed against the decaying soil, a not-so-thick branch was snapped in two by a leather boot falling from above, making an untimely and abrupt sound.

A cream-colored robe draped down to her ankles, the hem adorned with bits of grass and Saturn; a neat, dark chestnut-colored high ponytail swayed gently from side to side as she moved, like a lively, delicate, fluffy tail.

Violet walked alone deep in the forest.

Her slender and frail physique, coupled with her completely undefended clothing, made her seem unlike someone who could move around normally in the misty forest.

Her overly calm and composed demeanor, coupled with her fair and delicate girlish face, made it seem as if they were not in a gathering place full of dangerous monsters, but rather in a quiet and safe little garden.

Compared to the fear and trepidation she felt when she first left the Adventurers' Guild, Violet had now regained the composure that a veteran should display.

A staff, entirely grayish-white in color with naturally dark, thread-like patterns on its surface, had appeared in his hand without him noticing.

Its seemingly unassuming appearance may not reflect its true value, but the black opal set at the top of the staff—of extremely high purity, with black shadows and gold spots inside, a single piece the size of a fingernail that could sell for nearly four figures in gold coins at a jewelry store—is enough to demonstrate the staff's exorbitant cost.

As the staff spun smoothly along its body, the magical glow that erupted from the black opal at its tip further revealed its status as an "enchanted equipment" of considerable quality.

If sold on the market, its price might be several times higher.

hum-

The pale glow transformed into a semi-transparent light blue shield, keeping the fog and danger outside.

——1st Ring Protection System [Alarm Spell - Arcane Calendar 932 Improved Version VII]

While retaining the original alert function of the [Alarm Technique], it also adds multiple effects such as physical protection and concealment of presence.

Although the spell model is much more complex, the required casting materials and mental energy consumption have also changed compared to the original.

However, for Violet, whose mental manipulation ability and spiritual power reserves far exceeded those of mages of the same level, it was almost no difficulty.

He pulled out an exquisitely crafted brass pocket watch from the leather pouch at his waist and glanced down at the time.

The girl slowly stopped, her cautious gaze sweeping carefully over her surroundings. The semi-transparent light shield enveloping her quietly expanded, then suddenly contracted.

After confirming that there was no danger around, she dragged her tired body to the nearest sturdy oak tree.

He didn't mind the mud on the ground and just sat down right there.

At the same time, I'm mentally assessing:
My body is currently close to being overloaded due to a prolonged period of insufficient rest.

Considering the current environment and the enemies we might encounter later... a 20-minute efficient rest should be enough to maintain my condition until we set up camp for the rest of the night.

While pondering, my eyes closed, and my consciousness sank to a resting state as quickly as possible.

For ordinary people, sleep is a basic necessity, but for Violet, it is a luxury that only those whose bodies and minds are close to overload and collapse are entitled to enjoy.

The urgency that lingered and roared in her heart was like an invisible hand, pushing her forward relentlessly.

Not a single second could be wasted.

"Susu."

A sudden, subtle movement from the bushes ahead made Violet abruptly open her eyes, which she had just closed.

Although he was very confident in his improved [Alarm Spell], he knew that there were basically no dangerous creatures on the outskirts of the Misty Forest that could bypass his defenses and get close to him.

But even at this moment, she was still instinctively taking countermeasures against the unknown attackers.

First, there are several magical items stored close to the body beneath the beige robe, their connection already established by thought, ready to trigger the defensive spells they are imbued with at any time.

At the same time, before even fully standing up from the ground, while supporting himself with one hand, bending his knees, pressing his feet to the ground, and using his muscles to get up.

Deep within her mind, a spell model specifically designed for the current situation had already been prepared and infused with her mental power.

Evoking, bewitching, transformation... spell models from various schools of thought are rapidly charged under the impetus of will.

A magical glow appeared between the strands of hair, and the bangs moved automatically without any wind.

Less than a breath after the sound reached her, Violet had already instinctively prepared for battle.

She only needs to wait for the enemy to show up, or for the moment she completes the identity verification, before she can unleash her rage, materialized from magical particles, upon him.

next second.

"Sasha."

The bushes ahead swayed slightly again.

Then, a fluffy, large tail and two innocent, innocent little eyes came into her view.

"A bright-tailed squirrel?"

Looking at the squirrel in front of me, with its light red fur, clear yet foolish eyes and big tail.

Violet did not let her guard down. Instead, she used her spells to confirm hostility and detect changes and concealment effects to confirm that the squirrel was not an enemy in disguise before she finally felt relieved.

He slowly breathed a sigh of relief and sat down again.

She tried to close her eyes and take a nap again, but the momentary concentration and the highly active brain under the flow of magic made it impossible for her to fall asleep for a short time.

Perhaps it was the improved Vigilance spell that diminished Violet's presence as a living being, or perhaps it was the magical particles pulsating around her body.

The culprit that disturbed her rest, the bright-tailed squirrel, actually hopped over to Violet's side with its short limbs.

Her amber-like, crystal-clear eyes reflected the tiny figure on the ground. She subconsciously reached out and gently stroked the little one's head with her fingertips.

Feeling the soft, furry touch on her fingertips, she suddenly remembered her encounter at the Adventurers' Guild and that sharp figure.

Violet's breathing suddenly stopped, and her heart felt as if it were being gripped by an icy hand.

"A bright-tailed squirrel..."

Her lips parted and closed, she murmured unconsciously, her thoughts flowing quietly.

These small creatures with their brightly colored fur are not very well-known among ordinary people these days, and only occasionally appear in the market.

But five years later, at a noble banquet in a major city, the Duchess wore a shawl made of bright red squirrel fur.

Clothing made from its fur quickly became a symbol of status and luxury, sweeping through high society.

An organization called "Jinmai Chamber of Commerce" sensed a business opportunity.

While weaving the lie that "the fur of the velvet squirrel can bring good luck and protection," they secretly inflated the price.
They cleared a path with kerosene and steel axes, demarcating a restricted area in the forest, accompanied by well-trained falcons and blowguns coated with paralyzing toxins.

They hunted these innocent little creatures, no bigger than the palm of your hand, yet incredibly valuable, in large numbers.

Driven by greed, even a baron who refused to sell his ancestral woodland, along with his family castle, relatives, and servants, was consumed by fire on a certain dark night.

In response, the Golden Wheat Merchant Guild, which swiftly purchased the woodland at a low price, claimed that the accident was caused by the Baron himself and had nothing to do with them. However, this organization, which had briefly monopolized the squirrel fur trade through bloody means, soon attracted real predators due to its brutal and cruel treatment of those who blocked its way, as well as the huge profits hidden in the fur.

—The Brotherhood of the Anvil.

A behemoth lurking in the shadows, its sphere of influence encompassing over a dozen major cities, composed of assassins and wanderers.

A chilling assassination and purge ended swiftly within a week.

The Golden Wheat Merchant Guild became history, its accumulated wealth was divided among its peers and nobles, and the business of the Fiery Squirrel was naturally taken over by the fraternity's overt organization.

Violet gazed at the small creature in her palm, which cast a bewildered look at her. The memory was deeply imprinted in her mind, and the distant memory suddenly became clear.

The "Anvil Brotherhood" is a behemoth that brings together a large number of professionals through interests and iron-fisted methods.

Its downfall stemmed from a trivial "entertainment" incident.

Two wanderers who had just finished their hauling mission, carrying a cart full of squirrel pelts, joined a group of young girls they had kidnapped from various villages, intending to sell them on the underground black market.

On the way back to rest, I planned to go to a nearby town to find some "fun".

Then, they provoked that being and had their heads chopped off on the spot.

The Brotherhood of the Anvil would naturally not tolerate such heinous acts against its members within its sphere of influence.

And so... the Brotherhood of Anvils, hidden deep in the darkness, ushered in their dawn.

Even now, Violet still remembers that night when she followed her mentor to the headquarters of the Brotherhood of Anvils.

Representing shadow and death, yet symbolizing glory, the banner most cherished by the Brotherhood members has been reduced to tattered pieces of cloth, lying quietly in the corner like rags on a tavern table.

Minced flesh mixed with internal organs, severed limbs soaked in thick blood, scattered throughout the room, as if even the air itself was frozen in blood.

And that ambitious leader of the organization, who dreams of developing the Brotherhood into the most powerful underground force on the continent of Aifara, has already completed his transcendental transformation.

That same evening, he was with all the members of the Brotherhood headquarters.

They were piled up with heads to form a towering mound of corpses.

It wasn't until that day that Violet learned the name of this being for the first time from her mentor:
— “Omen of Death” Xia Nan.

The fingers stroking the squirrel's head unconsciously tightened, and a stinging pain shot through the fingertips.

A light red figure flickered before my eyes. Startled, the bright-tailed squirrel squeaked and disappeared into the depths of the grass.

On Violet's finger, there was a small, bleeding wound.

"Damn it!" Recalling the black-haired youth sitting across the table in the association's meeting room, her face suddenly froze, and her expression turned ugly.

"It was just a normal request, so why did I encounter something like this?"

"and……"

Violet's head was lowered, and the shadow cast by her bangs made her expression appear unpredictable.

In my memory, this infamous figure should not have made his mark until three years later, during some adventure mission.
Judging from the timeline, the other party should have only recently entered the industry and is far from being a professional.

But right now, they clearly have the qualifications to step onto the second floor of the association.

This also means that the other party has not only obtained a professional level, but has also completed the association's promotion task.

Moreover... in the conference room on the second floor, Violet was worried about arousing the other party's suspicion, so she did not dare to use her mental powers to perceive carefully.

But in those brief few tens of minutes spent in the same room with him, she could clearly feel the powerful aura emanating from him.

It is far more substantial than that of a newcomer who has just become a professional.

It's like a seasoned professional who has been exploring their career path for many years.

"why?"

Violet's doubts almost overflowed.

"Why so fast?"

"Could it be because of the chain reaction I caused?"

"No! Impossible!"

"It's only been a few years since I came back. Just memorizing spells again, gathering information, and meditating to improve my mental strength in the city took up a lot of time, and the distance from River Valley Town is very far."

"There's no way it could affect this area!"

"Then why?"

Violet was completely baffled by the increasingly unpredictable events that were slipping out of her control and altering her memories of the future, which made her feel vaguely uneasy.

At the same time, a sense of relief welled up inside me.

Fortunately, she had seen Xia Nan's face in many underground organizations' bounty posters at different times, knew what he looked like, and roughly knew that he was from Panyun Province.

It was only upon entering the conference room that he realized the other person's identity.

Otherwise, if you offend the other party because of your attitude or some other reason.

She didn't want her head chopped off and piled up on a mound of corpses.

Looking back now, I realize that my behavior at the time was perhaps too enthusiastic and a bit abrupt, compared to how we were when we first met.

"Won't this arouse Xia Nan's suspicion?"

Violet thought uneasily.

Regardless, he managed to buy the resonance relic from the other party at a price far exceeding the market average.

They even offered him a purification service, solving his problem of the beast-like curse.

Having gone this far, even if it leaves a good impression, we can't let the other party feel dissatisfied, can we?

"Not necessarily..." Recalling Xia Nan's reputation among professionals, she was unsure.

"Never mind, we've already left the meeting room safely. Just be careful in the future and avoid contact with it again."

Xia Nan's mission has no conflict with or connection to Violet's. There is no need for him to force himself to get close to her and curry favor just because she will become a big shot in the future.

Besides, given the infamous reputation she had of him... it was best to keep a distance.

Although I don't know why Xia Nan's growth rate is so much faster than I remember.

But time was of the essence, and she neither wanted nor dared to approach and explore the changes.

"Should be arriving soon?"

Clearing her mind of distractions, Violet stood up, gazing into the dense forest ahead, and mentally estimating the distance to her destination.

(End of this chapter)