Starting with the goblin extermination

Chapter 105: Friends, Not Enemies

Logan looked down at the black-haired young man on the ground. Before he could speak, he subconsciously turned his arm, his sword flashing as he faced the oncoming gale.

The Cracked Claw Bear, having lost a hand, roared and swung its remaining right claw. The blood and excruciating pain made it even more ferocious, but Logan's longsword instantly blocked the claw, then slid to the side, causing the Cracked Claw Bear to tilt to the right, just in time to expose the opening Logan needed.

He slammed his right leg into the ground, causing the soil to crack and transform into a beam of sword light that plunged into the massive embrace of the Cracked Claw Bear. The longsword swept towards the monster's chest with overwhelming force, piercing through its thick fur and taut muscles, intending to cleave its heart and end this farce.

At this moment, the Cracked Claw Bear seemed to sense fear and tried to retreat, but it was too late. Amidst the spurting blood from its left arm, the blinding sharpness of the longsword had vanished, and its enormous heart, like a ripe peach, had been shredded to pieces by the blade.

The Crackclaw Bear struggled to move its body, but even it, dull as it was, knew that its life was coming to an end. In the end, its huge body crashed to the ground, leaving only the black-haired young man still slumped on the ground and the old orc who arrived late.

Logan had actually noticed the situation on this side of the riverbank long ago.

The sounds of their fierce battle with the Crackclaw Bear were particularly jarring. Out of caution, Logan did not reveal himself rashly.

He observed secretly for a moment.

The Cracked Claw Bear is strong and has powerful claws, but it is not fast. Compared to the Shadow Leopard, a level one monster that Logan faced before, which was as fast as the wind, this Cracked Claw Bear was like a dull meat target, which he could easily deal with.

The panting old orc and the unarmed black-haired youth were both in poor condition, unemployed, and had no other hidden accomplices. Even if they repaid kindness with enmity the moment they were rescued, Logan was absolutely confident he could cut off their heads in three seconds.

Therefore, after assessing the current situation, Logan finally made his move, and even during the battle with the Crackclaw Bear, he kept a close eye on their movements.

He wouldn't mind having two more corpses on the ground if there was any unusual activity.

Logan doesn't consider himself a bad person; he can't stand by and watch someone die. But he's not a purely good person either, since helping strangers is something he can only do if he's sure he's safe.

"Phew...cough cough...that was fucking great, Logan!"

The old orc let out a heavy sigh, forcing back tears, making no attempt to hide his respect.

"Without you, this beast would be enjoying some tender, fatty meat and tough old bones today. Thanks, consider it a debt we owe you."

The old orc who spoke was quite large, with a wrinkled, green face. He leaned on his battle axe, panting heavily, his legs trembling slightly. Seeing this face, Logan unconsciously thought of the old dwarf Thorin, and his tense nerves relaxed a little.

Do you know me?

This was a seasoned adventurer even more experienced than Thorin, as evidenced by the few remaining white hairs on the old orc's head. Such a person was highly experienced and would think twice before acting when encountering other adventurers.

Moreover, the old man in front of him was accompanied by a newcomer, which would make him even more cautious. While not completely letting his guard down, Logan had lowered their danger rating to the minimum in his mind, and his tone became a little more relaxed.

"Young blond northerners always attract attention."

The old orc slowly stepped forward, his axe falling to the ground. He raised his hands high, trying to appear relaxed under Logan's wary gaze. After all, with Logan's strength, whether he had a weapon or not was irrelevant.

"Moreover, he's a professional."

"name."

They all call me Old Bones.

"Ka... Kadi." The black-haired young man staggered to his feet and, like the old orc, raised his hands.

"Put your hand down. I have no interest in the lives of the old man and the newcomer." The sword tip slowly fell, but it was still not sheathed.

Old Bones knew what Logan hadn't said.

He knows the rules.

Old Bones slowly untied the cloth bag from his waist, and threw it, along with his money pouch and the enchanted ring on his index finger, onto the muddy ground between the two of them, making a metallic clanging sound.

"We came here specifically for the mineral crocodile; all the blood crystal ore is inside. And this money pouch, eight gold coins. As for this ring... it's enchanted with one level of [Lightness]."

The old man didn't hesitate for a second.

"I know this junk can't buy two lives, but it's all we can afford right now."

Logan glanced at the ring on the ground, weighed it in his hand, and stuffed it into his pocket. As for the other items, he didn't even look at them. He had already collected enough ore on the other side. He decided to take the most valuable enchanted ring as their thank you gift.

Saving people was just a side effect, but he liked money, so he decided to leave the remaining gold coins and ore to them.

"I'll take the ring. You can keep the rest." Logan looked into the old man's eyes, his voice calm. "Get out of here now."

Old Bones looked at Logan in disbelief, then looked down at Cardi and let out a long sigh of relief.

"You're a man of principle, Logan. We're getting out of here."

The dark-haired young man named Kadi nervously scratched his chin and rubbed his stubble, seemingly both relieved to have escaped with his life and embarrassed by the meager reward.

After all, life is priceless, especially one's own life.

"Mr. Logan," Cardi couldn't help but say, "wherever you are, if you ever need my help, Cardi, then..."

"5

Old Bones grabbed Cady by the back of his collar and pulled him aside, a hint of relief showing on his wrinkled face. Gratitude was a precious quality, but this wasn't the place for idle chatter. If possible, Old Bones would much rather talk to Logan in the safety of a tavern.

"Shut up, kid. Those two pieces of scrap metal of yours can't even scratch a bear's head. Stop causing trouble."

Old Bones nodded to Logan as he pushed Cardi backward.

"If we happen to meet at a bar in Riverwood, I'll buy you the strongest drink. Thank you, Logan."

The two figures slowly receded into the distance and eventually disappeared.

Logan flicked away the blood droplets from his longsword, wiped it clean, and gazed thoughtfully in the direction the two had gone.

If the two of them hadn't encountered him, there would have been two more unnoticed corpses in the forest.

Logan's recent adventures in the forest have been going smoothly without any mishaps, which may have made him lose some of his awe of the profession of adventurer.

Danger always strikes unexpectedly. Even if you're a seasoned adventurer, like Old Bones; or even if you're a professional, like yourself, you'll always encounter trouble that puts you in dire straits. And this time, saving them actually served as a wake-up call for Logan, making him reflect on his somewhat arrogant mindset.

That's a good thing.

Logan left the blood-stained mud, and of course, he didn't leave behind the Cracked Claw Bear's pelt and claws, taking them with him as well.

The task assigned by Dalark has been exceeded. Although it was called helping out, the old dwarf's reward was so generous that Logan felt embarrassed. He would probably receive 40 gold coins.

Furthermore, after this little incident, the Crackclaw Bear's pelt and claws should fetch 20 gold coins whether taken to the guild or sold to Darak.

In addition, I also picked up four raiding quests from the guild, so this trip into the forest earned me at least 70 gold coins.

This doesn't even include Old Bones' enchanted ring.

The profits were good, but this is not the end.

Logan smiled contentedly, sunlight filtering through the gray-spotted leaves onto his face as he continued walking into the woods.

He also needs to complete a long-delayed commission.