Archer's Adventure Manual

In the end, Loran chose to dine at a small tavern and ordered four servings of black bread with rabbit meat, which cost 80 copper coins.

It's very expensive, but for Loran, a native of Sichuan before her transmigration, not being able to satisfy her hunger could really lead to death.

So paying 80 copper coins equals saving a life.

"Come on, guys, let's have a good drink to celebrate the success of this mission!"

"Cheers, cheers!"

A noisy conversation could be heard coming from the tavern; it must be a group of adventurers who had recently completed a mission.

Brian savored the black bread and rabbit meat with relish. He was a little confused as to why his new owner didn't take him to the delicious restaurant he had carefully chosen. Surely no one could resist such a temptation?

"Brian, the food there will give you diarrhea, it's not good for you," Loran said while eating.

"Woof woof." Brian responded twice, though it was unclear whether the guy actually listened. In any case, he certainly provided plenty of emotional support.

Loran chewed on the bland black bread, then carefully savored the few pieces of rabbit meat. She felt her whole body lighten up; ah, the rare taste of meat!

"Hey, what happened to that 'Grande Blade' adventurer team lately? It seems like they're struggling to complete missions, and they've been demoted by the Adventurers' Guild."

"I've heard about it. They used to be so smug. But I heard that recently their team is missing someone, and their team isn't fully equipped. It would be strange if they could even complete the mission. Being demoted would be a good thing. If they die because of this, then... tsk tsk tsk."

"Why is someone suddenly missing? They're usually quite united, and with their grades, there's no need for them to leave."

"Hey, listen up, I have some inside information. I think that the ranger from their group who used to be there is dead! But the cause of death is very strange!"

While eating, Luo overheard the adventurers drinking next to him chatting and immediately perked up, listening intently.

"Yes, yes, I remember there was a guy who specialized in scavenging corpses in the wild. He heard about this and wanted to try to find the wanderer's body, but he hasn't come back yet. He's probably dead out there."

Corpse pickers are not uncommon in this world; Loran has relevant information in his memories.

This group of people often travel in the wild and are well-informed. They will inquire about the situation of adventurer teams, and if there are deaths and the remaining team members have to choose to retreat, they will set off.

The beasts will only covet the adventurers' flesh and blood, leaving behind their valuables and weapons.

The task of a corpse scavenger is to wait for the wild beasts to leave, then collect the spoils left behind by the corpses and profit from them.

This is a high-risk, high-reward profession. After all, if the wild animal hasn't left when you go to collect the carcass, you'll just end up as its snack.

The shriveled corpse that Loran encountered earlier was probably not an adventurer, but a corpse collector. After all, what adventurer goes on an adventure with just a shovel?

"Hehe, it's only been a few days. Maybe they ran into a big truck and are afraid of attracting attention, so they've moved to another town. It's not impossible."

"Hehe, third brother, if you ever die, I definitely won't let some corpse collector take your body. I'll personally collect it for you!"

"Damn it, what happened to living and dying together? You ungrateful bastard!"

The adventurers joked with each other, gossiping about everything in town that was worth gossiping about. This was the norm for people in this era; with no entertainment facilities available, chatting naturally became the best option.

Loran fell into thought, having heard that someone from the very strong adventurer team known as "The Blade of Excellence" had apparently died.

Although the death of adventurers is not uncommon, Loran felt that something was amiss. What was the connection between that withered corpse and the vanished ranger?

Or was it the work of a monster that existed in my imagination?

These thoughts unconsciously appeared in Loran's mind, making her somewhat better mood turn anxious again.

Why, why am I having these wild thoughts when everything is fine in town?

"Am I just being overly anxious, or have I noticed something amiss...?" Loran thought to himself.

By the way, if you want to uncover some answers, there are clues to follow: that shovel!

The shovel has an owner, and so does the backpack. If that guy was a corpse collector, many adventurers in town might have seen him. After all, this kind of profession is not well-liked by adventurers, so it's normal to have a strong impression of him.

Also, that skull—the adventure manual once said that the skull has high research value, so maybe someone can deduce where the skull was found?

Loran took a big bite of bread, chewed it vigorously, and said, "Mmm, it smells delicious."

I took another big bite, and oh no! I accidentally ate all the rabbit meat; all that's left is the black bread...

"Brian, let's go!"

......

"Hey, we meet again, what a coincidence." The adventurer carrying the greatsword greeted Loran with a smile as he walked towards him.

Loran hadn't expected to run into this kind greatsword adventurer again on the street, and smiled in response, "Yes, what a coincidence. Are you alone?"

"Yes, we haven't found a suitable team yet. I was injured before, and I need to be observed for a few more days. I need to make sure I can adapt to the intensity of the battle."

"I see. My name is Zhao Xin. What's yours?" Luo Lan extended her hand.

"Noah Ban." Noah also politely shook hands with Loran.

When shaking hands, Noah lowered his body slightly, not out of gentlemanly manners, but because he was so tall that he couldn't shake hands without lowering himself.

It could be said that compared to the strong and tall Noah, Loran was merely... ( )

"I actually wanted to ask about something here. Can we talk in private?" Loran said bluntly, thinking that this burly man might know something.

Noah was taken aback, but did not refuse, and went with Loran to a corner of a small alley.

Loran took the shovel out of his backpack and asked, "Have you seen this shovel before?"

Noah stroked his chin, lost in thought. After a long while, he nodded slightly. "I... I think I've seen this shovel before. It seems to belong to a despicable corpse collector. You see, the mark is quite obvious."

Noah placed his finger on a spot on the shovel.

Looking in the direction of the finger, Loran saw a funny face etched on the back of the shovel — (‵▽′).

Uh... Loran was a little dumbfounded. How could he say that this corpse collector... really did have a mischievous soul?

"Who was that person who picked up the corpse?" Loran pressed.

Noah thought for a moment and said definitively, "It should be called Pete."

"Okay, thank you very much."

"Hmm, it's nothing."

Loran left, and Noah didn't seem inclined to press Loran for answers.

He seems to be a very enthusiastic adventurer.