Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 258 [Cooly's Sting] and [Morton's Oath of Loyalty]

"Tick."

Crystalline water droplets dripped from the top of the cave, splashing tiny water droplets on the slightly damp ground.

The campfire flickered, accompanied by the crackling sound of sparks bursting, and wisps of pale white smoke rose up, lingering on the rock face overhead.

The rain is still falling.

But it no longer possessed its previous violent nature, and as the clouds gradually melted into the dazzling sunlight, it transformed into a fine, drizzling rain.

Xia Nan stood at the cave entrance, arms crossed, leaning against the wall.

His jet-black, tousled hair was damp, and he was only wearing a dark-colored, close-fitting shirt. The plate chainmail armor with obvious silver-white corrosion marks inside had been removed and placed on the ground next to him.

His head was tilted slightly to the side, and his calm, dark eyes reflected the fine rain.

Behind him, by the campfire, lay his "unlucky" teammates, some lying down and some sitting.

After the battle ended and emergency treatment was administered, it was confirmed that the three surviving members of the escort team were out of danger.

At Wood's suggestion, in order to avoid being discovered by pursuers from Molten Scale Town as much as possible, and in order to recover more efficiently, Xia Nan led the group to a safe and secluded place near the battlefield for a short rest.

Of course, the spoils of war belonging to Lawson and Terry William, and even the equipment belonging to the deceased dragonborn Sava, were promptly recovered.

As for the specific results...

From Xia Nan's perspective, it's hard to say.

Killed by Lawson's sword, Dragonborn Sava's armor was preserved intact. The armor itself was of a fairly good quality, brand new and unused, and could probably sell for three figures of gold coins in the "Rockhammer" shop.

Even after the buyback discount, selling it for dozens of gold coins should be a breeze.

Her rapier was of equally good quality. Although it didn't have any special enchantments on its attribute panel, it was undoubtedly made of special steel and was quite expensive.

Having spent a long time with this gambling lizardman, even if I didn't know him very well, I could roughly guess that he wasn't wealthy.

He didn't have anything valuable on him, which was within his expectations.

I didn't have high expectations to begin with.

Compared to the "poor guys" in the team, Xia Nan was more looking forward to the loot from the two seasoned adventurers who were clearly quite strong.

And the result... he was somewhat disappointed.

Lawson died just as quickly, his head swiftly severed by Xia Nan.

But before Xia Nan entered the arena, this middle-aged man with a gloomy face seemed to have already gone through a very intense battle.

The armor on its body may have been of good quality when it was first encountered, but it looked dirty and worn when it was first encountered, and now it is almost unusable, with countless cracks of all sizes on the surface.

Even the best-reputed general store in River Valley wouldn't accept a product in this condition.

Fortunately, his rapier, which resembled a bee sting, was quite sturdy, and its attributes on the panel gave Xia Nan a pleasant surprise.

……

Cooley's stinger

Type: Rapier

Level: Common (White)
effect:

+5% Piercing Damage
+3% Thrust Speed
+15% durability
Introduction:

A finely crafted rapier with an exceptionally well-designed blade, its long, straight, and sharp edge resembling a bee's sting. (The user must be proficient in thrusting techniques to unleash its full power.)
Remarks:

"Don't be fooled by its 'slenderness,' this thing can sew your mouth shut more permanently than a tailor's needle."

—Basso, the court swordsmanship master and swift swordsman "Calendula"

……

Lawson planned his plan to infiltrate the dragon's lair for nearly two years.

From luring the red dragon out of its lair, to avoiding various magical traps and the protection and surveillance of its kin, to sending the dwarf rogue Lame Gu, who has special stealth abilities, into the dragon's lair, and finally to the cleanup work.

Lawson squandered almost all of his wealth, and even his longtime teammates sacrificed themselves during the mission.

All the equipment and items I carry are prepared for this mission and will be used extensively during the mission.

When they returned to Molten Scale Town, they were practically penniless again.

The so-called foundation of a seasoned adventurer, apart from the knowledge in his mind about various secrets and professional advancement, and his physical body as a level 6 professional, is only the sword in his hand.

Xia Nan was unaware of the details.

In his view, the only valuable item left after the death of such a seasoned adventurer who seemed to have been deeply involved in the industry was this white-edged rapier.

Thinking about his own outfit, with its rings, necklaces, wooden swords, and leg guards, it would take him half a day to read through all the equipment and items on the information panel in his previous life's game.

It's hard not to suspect that high-quality equipment is inherently scarce in this world, and that one's current abilities are the result of accumulated advantages from the cheat codes in the attribute panel; or that the current situation is simply special.

After examining the spoils of war on Lord Terry William of the Morton family... although he didn't think that was necessarily the case, he guessed it was the former's fault.

It is true that Terry William left a "legacy" for his successors that was more than Lawson's, but the difference was only limited.

His standard heavy armor was very good.

I have to admit that it might be influenced by the full plate armor I saw in the Rockhammer shop at the beginning of my transmigration, which cost as much as four figures.

Xia Nan has always had a special interest in this kind of equipment that has maximum defensive capabilities but limited flexibility.

Even as their fighting style gradually took shape, before [Gravity Control] was developed to the point where it could routinely reduce the body's gravity, it was not compatible with this type of equipment.

He still harbors a deep-seated obsession.

Unfortunately, Terry William's heavy armor was severely damaged, with a crack that almost cut it in two on the most important and expensive plate armor on his chest.

It must have come from Lawson's desperate counterattack before his death.

Leaving aside the question of whether this excessively heavy equipment could be brought out of the mountains, the repair costs alone, just carrying it all the way back to River Valley Town, would probably be astronomical.

Even if it is eventually repaired, all that will be left for Xia Nan is a second-hand item that has undergone major repairs and been sent back to the factory, and has been through many battles.

He takes on tasks on his own and earns money very quickly, so why should he put himself through such hardship?
Therefore, after careful consideration in a short period of time, Xia Nan did not take the armor off Terry William.

Instead, he took the heavy steel sword that was tightly gripped in his severed arm:
……

Morton's Oath of Loyalty

Type: Longsword

Level: Common (White)
effect:

When Morton family blood relatives and those who have sworn allegiance wield this sword—

+7% slash damage, +20% durability, increased toughness;
Introduction:

A heavy longsword symbolizing the honor and responsibility of the Morton family, its blade engraved with the family motto—a perpetual reminder of the wielder's identity and oath. (Note:)

"Offer your loyalty!"

—Bilbohm, Duke of Iron Heel and Blood, founder of House Morton

……

The heavy sword was wider and heavier than the decapitation sword in Xia Nan's hand.

But with his current physical condition, it wouldn't be difficult for him to use this longsword as a daily weapon after a little practice and adaptation.

Given his fighting style, the length and size of the sword would not affect his actual combat effectiveness.

The greatsword itself has superior attributes; the 7% slashing damage bonus and the "toughness enhancement" attribute alone are enough to crush the "good" weapons in the hands of most low-level adventurers.

But all of this is predicated on having Morton family blood or swearing allegiance to the family.

Xia Nan didn't think that in this fantasy world where gods existed, "swearing allegiance" only required reciting a few words and making a gesture.

There must exist some kind of constraint that he is not yet aware of, but which certainly exists.

And naturally, he couldn't just bind himself to a completely unknown force just to get the blank longsword.

Therefore, no matter how superior the attributes of the greatsword are, it is destined to be out of his reach.

It can only be sold to the blacksmith along with the two rapiers. Of course, considering the family motto engraved on its surface, the specific handling method still needs careful consideration.

In addition to this, compared to Lawson, Terry William also had a heavy silver ingot the size of two palms.

This was found by Xia Nan in the fanny pack the other party was carrying.

Recalling the silvery-white metal flowing on the knight's skin during the battle, perhaps this silver ingot was used by the opponent to replenish their combat strength, or perhaps to train some kind of combat skill.
In any case, judging from its smooth and shiny appearance, its purity should be quite high, and it will definitely fetch a good price.

Of course, these are all important items worth mentioning, and there are many other miscellaneous gains that are not worth mentioning.

For example, some supplies needed for the trip, equipment maintenance items...

Oh, all three of them had some gold coins on them, totaling about thirty gold coins, which was a decent income.

In summary, you'll need a set of fine armor, a rapier, the [Curly's Sting] and the [Morton's Oath of Loyalty], plus a silver ingot.

That was all Xia Nan gained from this battle.

Less?

If we consider that his two enemies are both powerful and experienced adventurers, then it is indeed a bit lacking.

But if we add to that, which he didn't mention, the [Fang Hunt] which has reached level 5, and the [Dream Corridor] he's currently wearing on his finger.

His gains in this battle can be described as extremely substantial.

For this, Xia Nan only received a piece of plate chainmail that was suspected to be scrapped—the inside of which was damaged by Terry William's silvery-white metallic venom.

And a precious opportunity to use the [Coin of Fate]... Well, it seems like the price paid wasn't small.

As for the team distribution of loot.

According to the rules previously established by the escort team, as the main force fighting Lawson and Terry William, Shanan was entitled to the vast majority of the spoils.

Wood, along with the half-elf Haian who had just recovered from his severe injuries, made it clear that they did not need to make any distribution and would give their share to Xia Nan.

Luca and Sava are dead, and their pensions are being paid by Haian.

Violet wasn't present at the time, but considering that the other party seemed to have also made some sacrifice, she banished the adult red dragon to another dimension.

They made a huge contribution to the team in dire straits.

Xia Nan didn't mind discussing the distribution of the spoils with the other party.

But... the other person hasn't spoken to him since waking up from his unconscious state.

His eyes darted around, his gaze sweeping over the slender figure in the cave who was sitting cross-legged by the campfire, concentrating on meditation.

A strange expression appeared on Xia Nan's face.

On the one hand, the moment he saw her, he followed Violet's instructions and fed her the pale blue potion from his pouch.

However, during the evacuation, on the way back from where Yu Weirou had come, Xia Nan saw another empty medicine bottle with the same words printed on it, obviously she had already drunk it after returning.

The current unexpected turn of events is equivalent to drinking two bottles in a row, leaving the young mage seemingly suffering from indigestion.

On the other hand, after Violet regained consciousness.

That was an extremely panicked reaction when faced with someone who clearly avoided eye contact and didn't dare to say a word.

Xia Nan guessed that the other person fainted upon seeing him.

Perhaps it's not just due to excessive mental and physical exhaustion; part of it is also due to the fear effect of the "Night Mother's Gaze."

After all, at that time, I genuinely believed that another enemy was trying to launch a sneak attack, and regarded it as a hostile target.

Theoretically, Violet isn't considered a friendly unit, so it's entirely possible for her feat of fear to trigger...

His gaze shifted away from Violet, whose body tensed abruptly as if she had noticed him watching.

Xia Nan glanced at the gradually subsiding rain outside the cave, then looked towards the other side of the campfire, where Wood and Hai'an sat on either side, and asked:
"What are your plans for the future?"

"Should we return to Molten Scale Town to recuperate, or continue our journey and cross the Molten Scale Mountains?"

"No, we absolutely cannot go back!" Wood made a decisive decision, his pale face filled with determination and resolve.

“Terry William is dead, but we haven’t found the bodies of his men. Even if these men don’t know that their knight commander died at your hands, in our current state, we’ll inevitably be suspected when we go back to town.”

As he spoke, he looked at his arm, which was severed at the root, and at the half-elf beside him, whose arm was also bandaged, and a bitter expression appeared on his face.

"And if you get into trouble then, you might have to face a whole squad of Morton’s well-trained knights, as well as the sheriff and guards of Moltenscale Town."

Upon hearing this, Xia Nan nodded.

Although he felt that he had made great progress in strength after training [Fang Hunt] to level 5, it did not mean that he had become so arrogant that he could ignore potential dangers.

Right now, only he and Violet are still capable of fighting in the entire squad. If they are careful and avoid battle as much as possible, they should be fine.

But if we don't return to town, but instead proceed with the original plan to cross the mountains...

"Are you sure you can hold out?" Xia Nan frowned slightly, looking at the two seriously injured men who had been on the verge of death just a few tens of minutes ago.

"That's all we can do." Wood looked extremely tired and listless.

"I just hope we don't encounter any more trouble and can reach Nian Shu Ling smoothly."

　I've recently been watching "What Kind of Immortal Cultivation Without Money?", and it slightly broke my heart. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it.

(End of this chapter)