Cornflower Witch

Chapter 174 Gifts and the Return Trip

The secret adventure of 'Gateway to the Distant Mountains' has come to an end.

The group spent an entire day carefully dealing with the petrified lizard's corpse, as it was a rare Tier 3 creature, full of treasures.

“We can’t take the flesh and blood with us, but you still have the seeds of the Demon Blood Vine, right? How about we just transform them into ‘Blood Red Fruit’?” Bad Apple and Karl decided after discussing it for a while.

“No problem.” Hilti nodded, then placed the seed into the dead lizard’s body.

"Oh, right, don't move the lizard's eyeballs, they're very useful," Karl remembered something.

In the afternoon, after cleaning off the excess flesh, the rotten apple carefully peeled off its scales and then looked at it.

"Unfortunately, this guy's scales are of average quality, about the same as some second-tier creatures."

"If it's really that strong, it'll be difficult for Tia to defeat it," a companion nearby remarked.

"Haha, you're right. It's already pretty good that we survived." Bad Apple rarely expressed such sentiments.

In the evening, the spoils were harvested and laid out beside the fire.

[Petrified Lizard Eyeball] (Tier 3, Excellent): An eyeball containing the 'Stiff Pupil' effect, which can be used in the creation of certain special artifacts or as an offering in special rituals.

[Petrified Lizard Scales] (Tier 2, Excellent): Tough scales that can withstand most attacks of the same tier.

[Petrified Lizard Bone] (Tier 3, Good): Can be used with the 'Ember' spell or to create undead creatures.

"One eyeball is worth about 300 gold coins, so two would be 600 gold coins. The scales are worth about 100 gold coins, and the bones are worth about 200 gold coins. That's a total of 900 gold coins," Bad Apple wrote in the book.

"Considering that we were all saved by Tia, and that Tia was the one who defeated us all, we'll give all of these to Hilti. You don't have any objections, do you?"

"No objections." The other two indicated they didn't care; they were lucky to have survived this time.

"So, is Tia planning to sell these materials, or keep them for herself?" Bad Apple asked the girl who was cooking dinner nearby.

"These things... what does the captain suggest we do?" She couldn't think of anything right away, so she asked directly.

"The eyeball is quite valuable, I suggest you keep it for now. As for the other parts, you can sell them directly."

"As for the bones, it depends on whether Karl wants them. If he does, he can buy some from Tia."

Carl, on the other side, thought for a moment and then replied, "Two will do." He didn't need many at the moment.

After assigning the lizards, it's time to get to our target this time: 'Water of Stone Mist'.

Because of the previous battle and the death of the lizard in the pool, the original Stone Mist Water was severely polluted, and only a small bottle of relatively clean water was extracted in the end.

“This is enough. I’ll pay the alchemist a little money to help me purify it further, and then I can create ‘Breath of Mist’.”

Afterwards, the group took stock of their spoils along the way, including the fruits and prey they found, which totaled about 100 gold coins.

"It wasn't a wasted trip, and I've achieved my initial goal." Bad Apple finished writing in the ledger and lay down on the blanket contentedly.

"The luckiest thing about this trip to Beige Town was finding Tia that day and getting her to join the team."

Hearing this, the other two nodded repeatedly, saying that if it weren't for Tiya, they would have really gotten lost in the mountains.

Feeling a little embarrassed by all the praise, Hiltiya decided to share her own feelings.

"Actually, I've learned a lot from everyone's experience. After all, it was my first time on an adventure, and there were many things I didn't understand." This was indeed true. If it weren't for the guidance from the other members of the team along the way, she probably would have taken many detours and fallen into many pitfalls. "Alright, don't be so polite now." Bad Apple flipped herself up.

"Here, this is for you." He handed over a piece of light gauze.

【Light Mist Veil】(Tier 2 - Mist Shadow): A very thin veil that won't obstruct breathing, but can conceal the face, making the appearance and temperament hazy, while also possessing a certain ability to conceal one's aura. (Concealment +3, Aura Concealment +2)

“I noticed you don’t really like going to crowded places, so using this will probably make you feel much more comfortable.”

"The captain is being so generous this time, giving away equipment directly," Yann commented with a smile.

"Let me see if there's anything I can give to Tiya." He sat down and rummaged through his things.

Karl, on the other side, also came over and handed a formula and powder to Hilti.

"Many of my things are not suitable for Tiya to use, but you should be able to use this."

[Revealing Powder Recipe]: Can be used to create revealing powder, allowing ghosts, invisible creatures, color-changing creatures, and other beings to appear.

【Show Powder】(Good): Made from firefly mushrooms, pine powder, and shimmering grass, it makes hidden creatures visible.

"Thank you." After taking it, Hiltiya put it in the small package next to her.

After searching unsuccessfully, Yaen scratched his head sheepishly, "I don't have anything suitable as a gift with me right now. I'll give it to Tia next time."

"It's alright, there's really no need to be so polite." She hadn't really expected to receive a gift.

"Of course we should give her that. After all, Tia saved our lives. Even if she's a teammate, we can't just let it go with a simple sentence." Yann shook his head.

"After that, Tia just needs to tell me an address, and I'll have someone deliver it to you."

“Then I’ll leave it at the Forestry Association in ‘Huijin Plain’. I usually live there.”

"Ok."

The four then spent a peaceful and comfortable night, and the next day they packed their things and began their return journey.

The return journey was equally long, taking them another three days to reach Beg Town. Adding the two days they spent with the petrified lizard, it took them a total of eight days.

"We'll need to recuperate properly after we get back." Because they had stayed in the secret realm for too long, they had all suffered from the distortion and erosion to varying degrees, and had reached a dangerous edge.

"We can't come out for at least a month. After the captain gets the 'Water of Stone Mist', he'll probably be busy with his advancement. It seems our team will have to stop for a while."

"Then let's get together again next time." Although they were a little reluctant to part, everyone understood that there probably wouldn't be another adventure for at least six months.

"Alright, let's skip the sad farewells. We'll find Bonna later, have a big meal at her place, and then share our strange and thrilling journey with her."

"Oh, and of course we can't forget our main character, Tia. We'll have to give her a good shout-out this time, haha~"

As they spoke, another burst of laughter rang out in the group. Only the black-haired girl on horseback looked up at the mountains and fields behind her, somewhat embarrassed.

The area was shrouded in thick fog, and the perilous situation I had experienced just a few days ago seemed like a distant memory.

Is this what adventure is all about? Just a few days felt like an eternity.

(End of this chapter)