Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 264 Human Nature, Desire, and Bottom Line

More than forty goblins, along with an adult goblin.

In most cases, they are terrifying enemies that are impossible for low-level adventurers who have not yet obtained a professional rank to defeat.

The sheer number of goblins, enough to fill almost every crevice in the forest, their ferocious and fearless nature, combined with the goblin's on-the-spot command, was enough to tear a well-equipped ordinary adventurer party to shreds.

Even though Xia Nan had not yet advanced a long time ago, he had already mastered the [Fang Hunt] skill. When he was earning extra money and practicing his combat skills by using the greenskins in the Misty Forest, he was rarely willing to venture into goblin lairs that were clearly led by earth goblin leaders and had set up many traps.

But now, the situation has changed.

On the one hand, although the goblins are numerous, the terrain is not a narrow and cramped underground lair that is inconvenient for using combat skills.

Instead, it became a flat, dense forest with no rock walls to block the view.

The dense trees may be just as troublesome, but compared to the goblin lair, the combat environment is undoubtedly much better.

On the other hand, and most importantly, Xia Nan's combat ability has soared as he has now become a level 2 professional.

Pure crushing strength.

With 8 points in Strength and 10 points in Agility, without enough comparison, he didn't know where his current physical abilities would be compared to those of a normal professional.

But for those ugly goblins with thin arms and legs, Xia Nan could literally "tear them apart with his bare hands".

Yes, by hand.

He had already checked this on his way here, so it was quite easy for him.

You don't even need to use special body parts like bones and joints; you can just grab your shoulders with both hands, or simply reach horizontally from your chest and abdomen.

With just a little force, accompanied by gushing and splattering foul-smelling blood, the familiar and pleasant sound of flesh tearing will once again echo in your ears.

Those arms, as thin as rotten wood, and the ridiculous wooden sticks they wielded, appeared to him as if they were moving in slow motion, slowed down countless times.

If you are careful, you won't even leave a mark on the armor.

The vast difference in strength meant that, until the number of goblins reached an astronomical figure to achieve a qualitative change, the number of goblins was no longer meaningful to Xia Nan.

Given this premise, if we add the [Fang Hunt] skill, which has now reached the level 5 "Mastery" level, then it would be an unstoppable force.

Take the battle just now as an example.

After using his keen senses to determine the approximate number of enemies and the elite individuals among them, Xia Nan launched his first attack—using [Fang Hunt] to crush through the goblin horde and behead the giant goblin.

The passively triggered feat, [Night Mother's Gaze], completely shattered the will of all the remaining greenskins on the field.

Not a single one dared to swing a stick at him; they simply screamed and ran away under the influence of boundless fear.

Let the battle degenerate into a massacre with no suspense.

Given Xia Nan's personality, it was impossible for him to let any goblin escape under his nose.

The iron-gray sword light flickered incessantly under the night sky, a disaster that could have wiped out Gray Valley Village and displaced hundreds of civilians was thus averted.

……

……

late at night.

In the center of Grey Valley Village stands a simple wooden house that looks just like the surrounding houses.

Two longswords were crossed and leaned against the wall at an angle.

Xia Nan sat on a creaking wooden chair. On the table in front of her were a basket of barley bread, several stacks of smoked meat, a roasted chicken with a crispy skin, a bowl of steaming porridge with an egg in it, a large piece of yellow and white cheese, and some fresh green vegetables.

Although he was disappointed that there were no dishes he liked, he knew that this was the highest standard the village could offer to entertain guests.

He showed no dissatisfaction, but ate bite by bite, recovering the strength he had expended walking in the forest for many days.

Following the common practice of adventurers in this world, they saved Ashenvale Village from its impending doom and helped them deal with the goblins besieging the village.

Xia Nan could easily demand exorbitant payments from the villagers, or even, as he had heard countless times in the tavern, lord it over the village.

In fact, the elderly but robust and remarkably energetic village chief, "Klapam," had also prepared for this purpose.

After Shanan killed the last goblin in front of everyone, Krapam, while leading the villagers in sincere gratitude, very proactively offered to reward him.

Even Xia Nan, who didn't know much about this world besides his original body's memories, could clearly tell from the figures given by the other party that they had probably gone all out.

As for the reasons, on the one hand, it was out of the most simple and sincere gratitude for his help to the village; on the other hand, it was probably also to show the village's attitude through monetary compensation, hoping that Xia Nan would not bully the villagers too much later.

Knowing that if they accepted the money, Gray Valley Village would likely have a tough few winters ahead of them.

Because of the sound values ​​he had developed from his good education in his previous life, and his own abundant wealth, Xia Nan refused this reward, which was insignificant to him but could be a heavy burden for the simple villagers.

And to be honest, he's not short of money right now.

The reward for the escort mission alone increased his net worth by 630 gold.

The weapons from the two veteran professionals had been disposed of by Xia Nan because they were inconvenient to carry due to the long distance.

Lawson's rapier has decent stats on its stat panel, but it's not an enchanted item, so it'll fetch a lower price when recycled as a secondhand item.

He sold it to a blacksmith in the town of Vergrove. The offer was modest, but time was short, and he didn't want to waste any more time negotiating there, so he settled on 95 gold.

Terry William's heavy longsword, with the family motto engraved on its surface, made it highly recognizable, especially since the Morton family was investigating Terry William's disappearance at the time.

After careful consideration, and out of caution, Xia Nan ultimately decided not to sell it. His previous idea of ​​melting it down into metal and then selling it was also abandoned because he could not find a trustworthy blacksmith in a short period of time.

Finally, he found a suitable place to bury it in a remote wilderness far from human habitation.

For your own safety, there's no need to be greedy for the gains of a few dozen gold coins.

Of course, Xia Nan hadn't yet made a move on the silver ingot left behind by Terry William after his death, as it was easy to carry. It was currently lying quietly deep inside the backpack behind him.

He planned to have Barn appraise it after returning to River Valley, hoping it might surprise him.

With this accumulation, plus his original savings, he finally returned to four figures once again!
— 1246 gold, 3 silver, 7 bronze

Such a large sum of money, even in a bustling metropolis like Newme, could easily cover the expenses of a large family for many years with proper financial management.

Given Xia Nan's usual spending habits—only on adventure-related things, or things like food and lodging that don't deprive him of himself—he could do nothing and just lie around in the White Sparrow Tavern for five or six years.

However, the village chief of Gray Valley Village was unaware of Xia Nan's personality and actual situation. (This is from the other party's perspective.)

In the midst of a disaster that could destroy the entire village, an adventurer from out of town suddenly appears and helps the villagers solve their problem.

Although he appeared fully armed, his metal armor was clearly worn and damaged. In addition, after hiking in the forest for a long time, he was inevitably covered with fallen leaves and dirt, making him far from being "wealthy".

In this situation, however, she coldly refused the generous reward he offered, only asking for a hot meal.

It's inevitable to have many thoughts in one's mind, and even feel increasingly fearful and uneasy.

If Xia Nan hadn't forcefully dissuaded him by emphasizing his words, the other party would have even taken one of the oxen, which were important tools for production in the village, and slaughtered it to cook for him.

He then scooped up a spoonful of hot soup, glanced up at the several restless, seemingly extremely nervous men across the table.

Xia Nan didn't speak, but he understood their behavior.

In this fantasy world where extraordinary powers exist and powerful individuals exist.

For a small place like Ashvale Village, which is remote and lacks regulatory protection.

An adventurer has so many things to do.

The only thing that can restrain them is the incredibly thin moral bottom line in their hearts, which can be easily pierced.

The adventurers at the bottom of this world have basically not received any education. It is already good enough if they can master the common language. They rely entirely on the teachings of their parents and elders for manners, morality, and a sense of shame.

A single thought, the smallest idea, can send them plummeting into the abyss.

It allows the ugliness of human nature to be endlessly amplified by instinctive desires.

To put it bluntly, Xia Nan is now demanding that the villagers move out of Huigu Village and find another place. Faced with the threat of death, they have no choice but to pack their bags and leave their hometown where they have lived for generations.

Of course, he wouldn't do that.

Seemingly unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere in the room any longer, after exchanging tense glances with the people around him...

Driven by inner turmoil, the village chief of Gray Valley, "Klapam," carefully took advantage of the moment when Xia Nan finished chewing and swallowing his food, before he could lift his spoon.

With an extremely cautious and carefully chosen tone, as if afraid of offending the adventurer before him, he spoke timidly:

"Mr. Xia Nan, all the villagers of Gray Valley sincerely thank you for your heroic act."

"Although we are all farmers from the countryside, dealing with crops in the fields all our lives, it does not mean that we are all ignorant people who do not understand morality and etiquette."

"You helped the village get rid of those insidious and cruel green-skinned goblins, so it is only right and reasonable for us to reward you."

"If you feel this isn't enough, we..."

Xia Nan waved his hand, interrupting the other person.

I was originally thinking of taking a slightly roundabout approach to find out about the situation in the village.

But if things continue like this, and he doesn't say anything, these people in front of him might not be able to sleep tonight.

He then put down his spoon, his attitude serious but his tone gentle, and slowly began to speak:

“I appreciate your gratitude, but to be honest, this reward is not enough to tempt me, and I have no intention of asking you for any payment.”

“Those goblins were just an easy target for me. They are not difficult enemies to deal with, and I will not use them to blackmail you for anything.”

Xia Nan's face showed no emotional fluctuation when he spoke; in fact, he was very serious.

But this, on the contrary, made the people across the table, who had seemed particularly uneasy, visibly calm down and listen carefully to what he was saying.

"Although I briefly mentioned it just now, I may not have explained it clearly due to the limitations of the occasion. Now I will explain it again."

"I am certainly not a lost soul in the forest, nor an adventurer who strayed into this place during a mission."

"Grey Valley Village is clearly and unequivocally my destination."

"The reason I'm here is because of a friend's request."

Xia Nan didn't say anything polite, nor did she use any fancy words that required understanding to embellish her intentions.

He simply and directly explained to the people in front of him the reason and purpose of his visit to Gray Valley Village in a rather efficient manner.

Faced with his frankness, it was clear that Klapam and the others relaxed a little. Obviously, his straightforward explanation eased the originally suppressed and uneasy mood of these farmers in the village.

"Then may I ask for the detailed reason why you came to our village... If it is possible, all the villagers of Gray Valley are willing to help you, as long as you ask."

"Hmm..." In her mind, she recalled the small request that Violet made after handing her the note with the address of Gray Valley Village on it on the day they parted.

Xia Nan pondered for a moment, then looked at the village chief of Gray Valley in front of him, opened his mouth, and tentatively asked:

"Is there a man in your village named 'Leon,' who is probably not very old, maybe in his teens?"

Upon hearing the name "Lyon," the eyes of the people across the table visibly flickered, clearly indicating that they were familiar with the name.

As soon as he finished speaking, someone carefully got up at the village chief's signal and quickly walked towards the door.

“If you’re looking for a fifteen-year-old named ‘Leon,’ then we do have one in our village.”

Village chief Klapam hesitated for a moment before answering cautiously:

"But Lyon from Ashvalley has lived here since birth and has never left the village."

"We know the few outsiders we've met well; they're all ordinary people making a living in the fields."

"Perhaps... he is not the same person as the 'Leon' you are looking for."

Xia Nan remained expressionless, but a subtle feeling stirred within him.

He simply replied with one sentence:
"So, there really is a teenager named 'Leon' in Ashvale Village, right?"

"Yes, Mr. Xia Nan."

"That's fine."

After all, that was all the information Veroro had given him.

There's more... Xia Nan himself doesn't know.

(End of this chapter)