Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 246 Concealment and Detection, and the [Gorilla Armor Lord]

Layer upon layer of gray clouds piled up in the sky, churning and swirling as if struggling for something, yet they could only fall helplessly in a few pale wisps at the edge of the clouds, amidst the misty vapor.

The wind is picking up.

The cold, sticky air seemed to seep through the gaps between the armor and the lining, clinging to the skin and causing discomfort.

Suddenly, a moist, cool sensation came from the tip of my nose.

Xia Nan subconsciously looked up at the sky, his dark eyes reflecting the heavy, leaden clouds.

"It is going to rain?"

Frowning slightly.

Whether in his past life or after his transmigration, he didn't dislike this kind of weather; in fact, he even secretly liked it.

He enjoyed the raindrops hitting the glass, even though it was gloomy and the wind was howling outside, the room was warm and peaceful, a sense of comfort and security that came from his genetic instincts.
They also enjoy the refreshing coolness of the drizzling rain enveloping their entire bodies, or the fresh air of the streets after the rain, carrying the scent of earth.

But right now, even if I have a particular fondness for this kind of gloomy and damp weather.

Facing the crowded street in front of me, which was almost packed with people and filled with all sorts of odors.

It's inevitable to feel a bit annoyed.

"What do you mean? Are you not letting people leave?"

Beside him, the dragonborn Sava complained with considerable dissatisfaction.

She is not a cold-blooded animal, but perhaps it is her upright lizard-like appearance that gives her a certain same quality, an instinctive aversion to any environment lacking sunlight.

The mottled, yellowish-brown scales trembled slightly due to the increasing moisture in the air, and the scales on the back of the arms and neck were even slightly raised, like bristling hairs—similar to human goosebumps.

"What could be the situation? I'm not entirely sure either."

During their trip to the casino, Luca, who shared his peculiarities, had a noticeably better relationship with the Dragonborn than before, and was now taking the initiative to speak.

At the same time, it also stood on tiptoe, stretching its neck to look ahead, taking advantage of its tall and robust physique.

The escort team has now left the Dragon Nest Inn and arrived at the main road near the exit of Molten Scale Town.

Although we occasionally saw guards hurrying along the way, there was nothing particularly unusual.

But as they approached the intersection leading from the town to the Molten Scale Mountains, the already narrow road, built against the mountain and surrounded by dense buildings, suddenly became crowded.

Merchants, pedestrians, adventurers, and a few carriages filled the road to the brim, and to move forward even a few steps required the physical prowess of a professional to squeeze through.

Xia Nan instinctively protected his waist pouch and looked around.

Without a doubt, those crowding the streets right now are travelers like them, planning to leave the town.

Given this situation, there must be a problem at the export end.

Molten Scale Town is not large, but it is the only human settlement in the vicinity.

If you want to cross the Molten Scale Mountains and enter the Abyss Province from the Sticky Tree Territory side, you usually need to stop in a town to rest and replenish your supplies.

This resulted in a much larger population flow in the town than its actual size should have allowed.

Due to its unique terrain and architectural design, the town has only two entrances, one in the front and one in the back.

Unless you have the ability to fly, or are confident that you can scale the towering rock walls on both sides by hand, you can only pass through these two openings.

This means that if something really happens in the town, they can send people to block both exits, and they will become trapped like turtles in a jar.

hum-

As I was observing, a commotion suddenly arose behind me.

Looking around, one could see two or three young knights in standard uniforms hurrying toward the exit.

Without any attempt to conceal it, the full set of equipment that Xia Nan had already changed into made Xia Nan recognize the other party's identity at a glance.

He was the same knight from the Morton family, one of Terry William's men, whom I had met once before in the hotel lobby.

I couldn't help but recall my experience at the casino, and I already had some guesses in my mind.

Having also recognized the other party's identity, Wood quickly stepped forward, stopped one of them, and asked:

"What happened? Are you still able to go out today?"

Naturally recognizing the personal guard of the second son of the Lord of Newm, the young knight who had been stopped showed no anger, only an apologetic smile, and replied:
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Wood."

“We have an emergency here. If you want to leave the town now, you may have to undergo a rather rigorous search, which you may not be willing to do.”

"I suggest you find a safe place in town and wait for a while."

"It won't take too long, one night will definitely be enough, and traffic should be restored by tomorrow morning."

Although Terry William was forced to start his operation ahead of schedule and go to war with Lawson because his brother who was responsible for keeping watch was captured.

But before that, as an "outsider" who had not yet entered the game and was standing in the shadows, he observed very clearly.

Perhaps the treasure has indeed fallen into Lawson's hands, and his actions these past two days were merely a deceptive tactic.

However, there are third-party forces in the town, and the possibility that they stole the treasure before Lawson is quite high.

Currently, he is engaged in a battle with Lawson, and both of them are tied up.

If the force possessing the secret treasure remains in the town, they will definitely not miss this opportunity to slip away.

Therefore, he specifically assigned a small group of his knights to block the entrances and exits of the town after the operation began, and to have them carefully examine those whose behavior was suspicious.

As for whether doing this would make things difficult for the town's sheriff...

It can only be said that the moment he showed the other party his Morton family crest, he had already gained the ability to mobilize the town's guards.

The escort team certainly couldn't accept the "strict" search the knight had described.

Even disregarding the self-defense items that Haian and Wood brought from Newm, it's highly unlikely that the three adventurers in the group, including Sava and Shanan, would allow the other party to search their luggage and personal belongings.

Both Haian and Wood were well aware of this.

Naturally, they wouldn't ask Xia Nan and the others for anything.

He only asked the knight a couple more questions, then let him go without further entanglement.

After all, knowing their identities and still explaining it so directly already indicated that there was no room for maneuver.

"So, what exactly happened?"

Seeing Wood walk back with a serious expression, the half-elf Haian quickly asked.

“They didn’t go into details,” Wood shook his head. “They only revealed that it was related to their mission objectives.”

"So we have to stay in town for another night?"

Sawa crossed his arms, his face filled with dissatisfaction, but his tone of voice carried a subtle emotion.

Clearly, he doesn't object to it.

The towering stacks of chips on the table and the reluctance Luca showed when he pulled Luca out of the casino already explained the reason.

With his luck on fire, the Dragonborn seemed to still have a lingering fondness for the casino known as "Golden Roulette."

"What do you think?"

As Hai'an's bodyguard and the de facto leader of the team, Wood did not make a decision immediately, but instead asked for everyone's opinions.

"I'm fine with anything, whatever you say!" Away from the card table, Luca reverted to his honest demeanor and grinned sheepishly.

"I don't care, I can stay one more night." This was Sawa pretending not to care.

Violet offered no comment, only offering a silent smile.

As always, outside of combat, he does not interfere with the actions of his teammates, nor does he offer any subjective opinions.

It was as if saying just a few more words would make the situation, which was already gradually deviating from the memory in my mind, even more out of control.

Having long been accustomed to it, Wood didn't say much and looked at Xia Nan.

To be honest, as an adventure party composed of professionals, the team has reliable spellcasters like Violet. Even the knights blocking the entrances and exits have already obtained their professional ranks.

If you want to leave Molten Scale Town, there are probably dozens of ways, if not ten thousand.

However, both involve some risks, as well as the possibility of being misunderstood by Terry William and others.

Under normal circumstances, Xia Nan wouldn't be in a hurry for a day or two; in fact, the team's original plan was to set off tomorrow morning.

However, his experience at the casino had made him vaguely aware of some hidden danger, which is why he suggested that the group leave early.

The image of the gloomy man named Lawson, with his exaggerated speed and explosive power, kept flashing through my mind.

Xia Nan's heart sank, and he looked at Wood in front of him, opening his mouth.

boom--

Before I could even speak, a deafening roar, like an explosion, came from behind.

Turning my head, I saw a flickering light at the end of the street, coming from the center of town, through the gaps between the dense buildings.

The plume of white smoke rising from behind the roof tiles was even clearer against the backdrop of the gray-black sky.

Faintly, one could hear the screams and cries of the townspeople coming from afar.

The crowd on the street immediately stirred.

Xia Nan paused, his keen senses seemingly making him realize something.

His pupils contracted slightly, and his dark eyes subconsciously scanned the rooftop of a house on the side of the street.

It appears to be empty, with only eaves, tiles, and somber, leaden clouds in the background.

But as he looked over, the air above the roof seemed to distort slightly.

Suddenly sensing a chilling killing intent, as if his eyes had been stung, he blinked instinctively.

When I opened my eyes again, the subtle feeling that had been hanging above the roof had disappeared.

From turning my head to the final sting, it all happened in just two seconds.

Apart from Violet glancing in Xia Nan's direction twice after he blinked unnaturally, no one around, including Wood, noticed anything unusual.

"Om..."

Another whooshing sound echoed from the distance of the street.

Under the cover of dark clouds, the dim light was used to its fullest extent. The heavily armored figure was like a heavy artillery shell, tearing through the air and carrying with it a dazzling silver light emanating from its body.

In just a few seconds, it moved from a faint dot in the distance to right in front of us.

"boom!"

Gravel flew everywhere, and cracks appeared on the ground covered with rubble.

The figure, draped in silver light, leaped high into the air, passed through the crowded streets on the rooftops, and vanished from sight in an instant.

“Terry William?”

In just a few seconds, Xia Nan still clearly caught a glimpse of the other person's face.

They should be in a state of combat.

Compared to his polite demeanor when he first met the other person, all that remained now was his expressionless face when he was highly focused.

His entire right arm, gripping the sword hilt, along with the area below his neck extending to his inner collar, was covered in a flowing silvery-white.

Xia Nan guessed that this must be some kind of special ability of the other party.

He was pondering this in his mind, and hadn't had a chance to communicate with his teammates yet.

The crowd that had been packed together on the road ahead suddenly began to flow rapidly, as if a bottle had been uncorked.

"Let's go!" Wood called to his team behind him. "We can't stay in this town any longer!"

……

……

scoff-

The sharp blade gleamed with a deadly cold light in the frigid air, tearing through the air with a whooshing sound, leaving a blurry afterimage.

The young knight, who had been blocking the road with his longsword held horizontally across his chest as if to parry, let out a muffled groan and collapsed in agony amidst the bursting blood from his neck.

Along with his two teammates, he instantly turned into corpses.

Three knights from the Morton family, who had undergone rigorous training since childhood, lived and died in less than three seconds.

The vast difference in strength may be part of the reason.

But more crucially, there was the enemy who inexplicably appeared in the previously empty air, his figure as swift as a ghost.

With a flick of his right hand, which was gripping the sword hilt, he shook off the remaining blood on the blade and stepped forward with his right leg.

The middle-aged man with a gloomy face disappeared from the spot in full view of everyone.

It wasn't some highly skilled, stealthy wanderer.

This is the professional ability that the Bloodseeker Veteran grants Lawson.

As one of the less popular branches under the [Warrior] class, the [Bloodseeker Veteran] class provides its members with the ability to fight harder and have strong endurance, like a barbarian berserker, while also allowing them to hide on the battlefield and increase their survival rate.

The inherent weaknesses of the profession, such as a relative lack of close combat skills and explosive power, are compensated for by his level 4 [Warrior] skill.

Lawson knew, of course, that taking on another profession midway through the path of the Warrior, which should have been able to climb all the way to the level 10 transcendental limit before hitting a bottleneck, would in most cases lower his potential ceiling and reduce his possible future upward mobility.

After all, in terms of job change, a pure level 10 Warrior is much easier and simpler than a level 5 Warrior + level 5 Bloodseeker Veteran.

Furthermore, if you have enough points, you can directly exchange them at the Adventurers' Guild for methods to obtain advanced job qualifications.

But many years ago, when he was still a bodyguard for the Morton family, he had a special encounter during a mission.

Lawson also learned the detailed method for changing to a powerful, extraordinary advanced class called [Gorilla Armor Lord].

The part-time jobs of [Warrior] and [Veteran Bloodseeker] are one of the essential requirements.

Their abilities are also a perfect match.

In this situation, the disadvantage of part-time jobs having an unstable career path no longer exists.

If he could obtain the treasure stolen from the dragon's nest, even without discovering the secret that led to the rise of the ducal family, simply exchanging it for resources would be enough to support him in taking the final step before becoming extraordinary.

But right now...

Out of the corner of his eye, Lawson caught a glimpse of a dazzling silver light coming from afar behind him, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

The figure, almost blending into its surroundings, quickly wandered out of town.

In a one-on-one situation, Terry William was no match for him.

However, although the enemy's subordinates were of average strength, their combined strength was somewhat troublesome, and the cramped and narrow environment of the town was not conducive to his own performance.

He needs to lead the other party to an open area outside the town.

Lawson's level 2 "Bloodseeker Veteran" ability allows him to move stealthily and swiftly, leaving traces intentionally without being noticed by others.

Thinking of this, for some reason, he suddenly recalled the very strong gaze he had felt when he passed by a street near the exit.

What came to mind was a black-haired youth wearing matte black chainmail and carrying two swords.

"It must just be a coincidence."

Thoughts flashed through my mind.

The almost invisible figure had disappeared at the end of the road.

(End of this chapter)