Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 240 Bystanders

Xia Nan stared at the man standing in front of the counter, exuding a gloomy aura.

It's like a weathered, blood-stained old sword.

His dark skin, rough as sandpaper, etched deep furrows on his face; his short, grayish-brown hair was streaked with silver; and his temples were turning gray.

His hooked nose and the indistinct eyes shrouded in shadow beneath his high brow bones added to his gloomy aura.

The "Dragon's Nest" tavern is doing good business. Since Xia Nan and his two companions arrived at the hall, there have been quite a few customers coming and going at the door.

But never before had anyone attracted the attention of so many patrons just by pushing open the door and stepping in, without saying a word, as if the noise in the entire hall had been reduced.

The oppressive aura that a man exudes due to his emotional fluctuations, seemingly tangible, is a hallmark of the strong.

Without a doubt, this is an adventurer with very good skills.

Xia Nan guessed that the other party's professional level should be at least level four or five.

For some niche professions with low potential, it's already time to switch to another profession.

Considering that at this moment, the guests at the tables near the entrance of the tavern are all staring at each other because of the atmosphere.

He didn't avoid eye contact, but instead used his senses to examine the area carefully.

This middle-aged man named Lawson was not particularly burly, but he had a broad frame and thick shoulders, which fully supported the armor lining that was covered in blood and grass clippings, making him look strong and powerful.

His knuckles were slightly deformed from years of high-intensity training. Even when facing a trembling front desk, his rough right hand remained resting on the hilt of his sword, ready to sever the opponent's head in the blink of an eye.

Just standing there, he exudes a suffocating aura of brewing anger, coldness, and melancholy.

All I can say is that anyone with a modicum of sense would never provoke this powerful adventurer, who seems to be on the verge of exploding, in such a place.

Heart can not help but move.

Xia Nan glanced at the young knight who had just stood up and whom he suspected was a pursuer from Newm, who had not yet had a chance to approach them.

She noticed that the other person was also staring at the gloomy man.

She quietly tapped the tabletop with her fingertips, attracting the attention of her deskmates, Hai'an and Weirou'er.

With a knowing glance, they were already planning to slip away from the tavern.

Unexpectedly, the half-elf Hai'an, who had been reminded by him and was already instinctively ready to fight despite not knowing what had happened, was now tense and trusting him.

After Xia Nan pointed towards the source of danger, he saw the handsome knight.

Surprisingly, he felt more relaxed. His right hand, which had been reaching back towards the longbow, fell back down, and he even had time to raise his wine cup and take a sip.

"It's alright, he's someone I know, don't worry."

Xia Nan was puzzled as he realized Hai An's meaning.

Could it be that I guessed wrong, and this knight is not a pursuer from Newme?
Although he remained vigilant, he temporarily abandoned his plan to help Hai'an escape the tavern and reunite with Wood and the others.

At the same time, the gloomy man standing quietly by the counter took the room key from the trembling receptionist.

With a gloomy face, he ignored the gazes directed at him and slowly walked towards the stairs, his figure disappearing around the corner of the stairwell leading to the second floor.

hum-

Less than a second after the man left, the tavern returned to its previous bustling and noisy atmosphere.

And the topics of conversation among the drinkers have clearly expanded to include one more.

They deduced the other party's professional level and wondered what had happened to make an adventurer of this strength behave in this way.

The young knight also withdrew his gaze.

A handsome face beneath his medium-length golden hair revealed a natural and friendly smile as he walked straight to Xia Nan's table.

Before he even reached the table, the other person's words, tinged with surprise, drifted over amidst the scraping sound of the metal plates on his armor.

"Young Master Hai'an, it's been a long time!"

The half-elf also quickly stood up and, as always, took the initiative to step forward to shake hands and hug the other party.

“Terry William, I never expected to see you here.”

"It's been almost three years since we last met, hasn't it?"

"To be precise, it's two years and two hundred and sixty-one days, young master Hai'an." The handsome knight named "Terry William" joked with the half-elf, clearly very familiar with him.

Their gazes also turned to Xia Nan and Wei Rou'er behind Hai An.

"These two are..."

As if he trusted the other party very much, the half-elf introduced the two of them to the knight without any hesitation, and also pointed out the reason why he was so familiar with the other party.

"This is William Terry, the most talented knight commander under the Duke of Morton."

In response, Terry William appeared remarkably modest, waving his hands repeatedly and saying:
"That's all just rumors spread by other people. Anyone else with this many resources wouldn't be any worse off."

"These two look so much younger than me, how could I dare to boast like that?"

While it was more of a self-deprecating remark, Terry William wasn't entirely wrong in some respects.

The three people in front of him, leaving aside Hai'an for the moment, had fair and delicate features. Her mage-like attire added to her mysterious aura, making it impossible to tell her exact age. She could be in her teens or early twenties.

Xia Nan's body is truly young.

It's been a year since I transmigrated, and I'm only nineteen years old.

A professional under twenty years old can be considered a young talent anywhere.

However, considering that it has only been a little over 300 days from when he trained his first combat skill to level 5 to when he completed his job and is close to leveling up.

The speed of improvement is even more astonishing.

Even if you brag about it in a pub, people will criticize you for exaggerating too much.

Not to mention, the combat skills he later mastered were all of a much higher quality than ordinary ones, and it was relatively difficult to improve his proficiency in them.

Of course, Terry William couldn't possibly know all that.

Even though Xia Nanfang was the first to notice his gaze and paid some attention, he stopped paying attention after learning from the half-elf that the two were guards.

Then he asked Hai'an why he had come to Molten Scale Town.

"Where's Uncle Wood? Didn't he come out with you?"

"But Mr. Wycliffe is really at ease with you bringing such a small number of people to such a long distance. If it were Duke Morton, if the young master and young lady were to travel a long distance, the cavalry alone would probably fill the roads."

Contrary to his usual behavior, when faced with the knight's joke, Hai'an, though still wearing a polite and agreeable smile, clearly stiffened in expression.

He didn't reply, but simply lowered his head slightly.

Upon noticing Haian's behavior, Terry William frowned. Recalling the rumors he had heard before, he realized that the other party's current activity was probably not a simple outing.

He lowered his voice and asked with concern:

"Is things already this tense over in Newme?"

The half-elf nodded silently, his expression downcast.

"We should be able to hold on, as my father and brother are still in the city."

High-level power struggles are clearly not something this young knight commander can get involved in, and he naturally doesn't know whether Duke Morton, whom he serves, will lend a hand.

However, upon learning that their destination was Nian Shu Ling, he sighed with regret.

"It's a pity that my brothers and I have important matters to attend to, and we might stay in Molten Scale Town for several months. Otherwise, we would have escorted you back with us."

"Okay, I'll give you the route we took later. We've already dealt with the monsters and bandits along the way, so there shouldn't be any danger."

Terry William's appearance was already a pleasant surprise, but this additional gain was something Hai'an had never imagined.

While repeatedly expressing his gratitude, he insisted on pulling the other person to sit down, saying that he would also treat the other knights at the other table to their meal.

Since it was the half-elf's own money, Xia Nan naturally had no objections. Meanwhile, Violet beside him remained silent, merely smiling and nodding when she greeted Terry William, clearly unwilling to interact with others.

Strangely enough, despite being the only spellcaster in the team, Violet's reliable performance on the journey had earned her everyone's approval.

Along the way, he rarely took the initiative to communicate with others, unless it was the magical glow that frequently appeared during battles and journeys to provide assistance to his teammates.

Xia Nan even felt that the other party was like some kind of "bystander".

But when facing herself, even in casual conversation that has no meaning, the girl's aloof demeanor crumbles instantly, revealing the behavior of a normal teammate.

Just like when she asked the other person what they wanted to order, it was just a casual question, but Violet's originally calm face suddenly became flustered.

As if receiving a command, a pair of amber eyes scanned the menu on the wall with tension and speed. Before she could even react, she heard the other person clearly and completely state all five dishes she wanted to order, including the main course, appetizer, and soup, and provide the alternatives according to priority.

This made Xia Nan even more suspicious, and he glanced at the other person a few more times.

……

……

pain!
The intense pain from all parts of his body made even the most basic breathing difficult for Bogu.

With each rise and fall of his chest, air rushed into his chest and abdomen through his nasal cavity, accompanied by a strong, pungent smell of blood. The intense pain felt like invisible needles piercing every inch from his throat to his lungs.

In this situation, let alone the "Shadow Step" which requires holding one's breath to use, even ordinary walking had exhausted all his strength.

The exceptional skills he had honed over two hundred years of his life could only be used to maintain his balance and prevent him from falling.

As a level 5 professional, a seasoned dwarf rogue working for the [Swamp Thief].

Faced with the betrayal of his team leader, with whom he had worked for many years and whom he had once deeply trusted, Limp Gu's body was on the verge of collapse.

His short body was once mocked and looked down upon by countless drunks in the tavern, but he silenced them with shadows and daggers.

Right now, just as those low-level adventurers he once looked down on mocked, he wasn't even as strong as a goblin.

He was draped in a smock, which also shrouded his muddy and blood-stained leather boots in shadow.

The lame old man staggered as he walked along the narrow streets of Molten Scale Town.

He knew perfectly well that, given his current physical condition, staying in the wild meant certain death.

I must take advantage of this precious time while I'm off guard by Lawson to find a suitable and safe place to recover my strength.

Ideally, there would be a doctor or someone with treatment skills available.

Once he recovers his body to the point where he can use "Shadow Step" normally, he is confident that he can completely shake off Lawson's pursuit.

As long as they can leave the Molten Scale Mountains...

Bo Gu felt the cold, hard touch beneath his shirt.

My mind wandered.

Previously, they had to share the spoils with their teammates, but now they've reached this point.

This precious treasure, containing the secrets of the rise of the Morton family and originating from the Red Dragon's lair, naturally can only be enjoyed by him alone.

Once it's safe, you must...

"boom!"

His divergent thinking had already brought him to the brink of collapse, and his attention, which he was forcibly holding together by his will to survive, began to scatter.

Suddenly, he bumped into a burly figure who was walking briskly out of a shop on the street.

His head slammed into the metal armor on the other's waist and abdomen, making a crisp sound like hitting a ripe watermelon.

His vision went black, and he immediately fainted.

"Um!?"

Carrying a bag full of supplies, I learned a simple, convenient, and delicious recipe from the grocery store owner and was thinking about what seasonings I still needed to prepare.

Luca stared blankly at the small figure lying on the ground before him, then touched the iron armor on his stomach.

"I'm warning you, don't try to scam me!" Realizing what might have happened, his expression suddenly changed, and he hissed, "My teammates are nearby. If you get up now, I can pretend nothing happened, but if..."

"Sorry, sorry!"

Before he could finish speaking, two simply dressed men came running up from behind.

He bowed and scraped, his face full of flattery.

"The child is ignorant; we'll definitely give him a good talking-to when we get home!"

With that, he tucked the figure shrouded in his robe into his arms and disappeared into the crowd as if fleeing.

So far, only five seconds have passed since the "child" bumped into him.

Feeling completely bewildered, Luca reached up and unconsciously scratched his head.

But his right hand had only been raised halfway when it suddenly stopped.

His nostrils twitched as he caught a faint, lingering smell of blood on his hands.

His gaze sharpened instantly.

……

……

"Kid, did you see that? Learn from me!"

The middle-aged man, dressed in simple linen clothes, threw the short figure he was carrying under his arm onto the ground.

His smugness almost overflowed from his pockmarked face.

"It's only because I reacted quickly that we were able to get things done. Otherwise, if that big guy had messed things up, neither of us would have been able to afford wheat porridge this month!"

"Yes! Thanks to you, boss!" The younger man nodded perfunctorily, already used to the other man's personality.

His hands were already reaching out towards the figure shrouded in a long robe on the ground in front of him.

"I don't know who's so careless as to let their child walk on our street."

"This is a real bargain for us two brothers. If they were a bit fairer and more delicate, we might be able to sell them for double digits of gold coins at 'Rotten Toes'!"

"A dwarf! Boss, it's a dwarf!"

"dwarf!?"

The pockmarked middle-aged man stared blankly at the ground, where the limping Gu, whose face was covered in blood and whose breathing was weak, lay.

For a moment, they didn't react.

He stood there for several seconds before bursting into curses and kicking the wanderer’s face repeatedly with his right foot, which was wearing a tattered open-toed shoe.

"Damn it, why is a dwarf wrapped up so tightly?"

"Damn it! You wasted my time, fuck it!"

"Boss, wait, there's something here!"

The young man's low whisper calmed the pockmarked man down a bit. Ignoring the unfortunate dwarf who was already lifeless, he looked down at the man's chest.

A soft, silvery-white sheen was visible peeking out from beneath his shirt.

Suddenly his eyes lit up.

Just as he was about to bend down and pull the item out of the other person's collar, a burly figure appeared behind him without him noticing.

"Didn't you say it was your child? How come it's a dwarf?"

(End of this chapter)