Starting with the goblin extermination

The battle ended, the passion faded, and an overwhelming sense of exhaustion and excruciating pain instantly regained control of Logan's body.

Logan leaned against the tree, panting heavily. Each breath pulled at his broken bones and cut skin.

Logan felt spasmodic pain, as if he had been pierced by a steel needle.

But more than the physical pain, the lingering fear of surviving the ordeal soaked his back.

If the adventures of the past few days were just minor skirmishes, then today's bloody encounter with three opponents is undoubtedly the most dangerous adventure Logan has faced since coming to this world.

It's even more dangerous than crossing the Hecatetus Mountains.

But that's the true nature of adventurers.

As an adventurer, no matter how meticulous you are, how carefully you plan, or how hard you try to avoid any unnecessary conflicts, trouble will always come knocking on your door like a hyena that has caught a whiff of something.

He had long anticipated this day would come.

Logan looked down at Elsa, who was slumped in his arms.

She fainted again.

The [Basic Healing Potion], worth 5 gold coins, stopped the fatal knife wound in her chest and abdomen, but that was all.

Concealing his form and unleashing his combat skills had exhausted the last bit of strength in this body.

It's very light.

Logan supported her from behind, feeling her slender waist.

She possessed a light yet firm, fleshy physique; she was indeed well-trained.

Elsa's iconic grey cloak had been completely torn apart, and even the mask that had always covered her face was nowhere to be found.

Logan's gaze fell on her profile.

His face was deathly pale, and his features were so exquisite that they took one's breath away.

Amidst her messy golden hair, a pair of slightly upturned pointed ears were visible.

Elf, or half-elf?

Logan had always assumed that Elsa, with her striking blonde hair just like his, must also be a northerner who had fled from North Nordland.

Of course, her identity cannot be confirmed at this time, even though elves are rare in the north.

He learned one of Elsa's secrets, but she had many more.

Why was she being chased by the scarred orc?

Why didn't she just abandon herself and run away alone?

Elsa's steady breathing rhythmically brushed against Logan's neck, tickling him.

Logan's feelings were complicated.

You know, not long ago, when he saw Elsa, his first thought was: abandon her and run for his life.

Although the situation left him with no chance to escape, he did consider the idea of ​​leaving someone to die.

He now believes that this idea was not wrong.

But why do I feel a little uncomfortable?

Because he poured the life-saving medicine into the mouth of someone who might escape on their own at any moment.

He also gambled that once the man regained consciousness, he wouldn't coldly abandon him as he had imagined.

He even won the bet.

If Elsa had escaped alone in the chaos, or hadn't intervened at the last moment, Logan would be the one lying in the mud right now.

Gratitude, guilt, and lingering fear intertwined in Logan's emotions, and he couldn't help but give a bitter smile.

"No matter what, I'm still alive," he muttered hoarsely.

Logan gritted his teeth and carefully placed the unconscious Elsa beside the tree.

Then he stood up and glanced across the woodland.

a mess.

The goblin's corpse, the corpses of two human thugs, and the corpse of the scarred orc were scattered on the ground, creating a nauseating scene.

A strong stench of blood began to fill the air, and it wouldn't be long before it attracted other troublesome creatures from the forest.

We must leave this place immediately.

But he couldn't leave empty-handed.

Logan took a deep breath and dragged his heavy steps toward the orc's corpse.

He groped around the three still-warm corpses, but the results were disappointing.

The three vicious and desperate criminals were found to have only six gold coins and three silver coins on their persons.

Although there were many, they were still far less than the ferocity of this fierce battle.

After all, Logan will definitely be in bed for a while once he gets back.

"Poor bastard. I bet most of his money is in the bank." Logan cursed under his breath as he swept the coins into his pocket.

While rummaging through the orc's inner pocket, Logan pulled out a crimson metal badge.

It is carved with a ferocious hyena head.

Logan didn't know if it was the symbol of some mercenary group or gang. Without thinking much of it, he casually stuffed it into the deepest part of his backpack.

His intuition told him that this thing might be a problem later, but it might also come in handy.

Finally, the main event.

Logan used his bloodied dagger to cut off the orc's ring-wearing finger, prying out the emerald-encrusted ring.

The instant his fingers touched it, lines of text reappeared before his eyes:

......

The Abyss Thorn Ring

Category: Jewelry/Rings

Quality: Standard (Green)

Blessing: [Gluttony Wagner]

effect:

【Bloodthirsty Strangulation (1 ring), 2 times/day】—Consumes a large amount of the holder's stamina, summoning abyssal thorns to entangle and devour the target.

Item Description:

"In the mine's sunless collapse, the last surviving miner, in order to prolong his life, swallowed the last piece of flesh from his former best friend."

In the darkness of bloodshed and despair, he prayed to the gods for the blessing of eternal freedom from hunger.

[Gluttony Wagner] heard his lament and generously fulfilled her promise—she granted him an immortal body and an inexhaustible hunger, at the cost of stripping him of his soul, twisting it into the endless, madly devouring abyss of thorns within this ring.

"The gods are never stingy in responding to despair, as long as you can afford the high price."

......

Logan rubbed the emerald on the surface of the ring.

This was the first time he had seen the equipment trigger panel since he came into this world.

Perhaps only magical items can trigger the board.

What shocked him even more, of course, was the description of [Blessing] and [Deity] on the panel.

He knew that this continent was rife with different faiths, but this was the first time he had truly confirmed that gods were real.

An ordinary ring, when blessed by the gods, can enable a person to unleash a first-level spell powerful enough to turn the tide of battle.

What if a living person directly received divine protection?

It seems that besides the extraordinary path of [Profession], [Blessing] is also a part that Logan will have to face in the future.

Top-tier religious organizations like the Soma Temple definitely harbor monsters with power far exceeding ordinary people's imagination.

He carefully put the [Abyss Thorns] ring on the index finger of his left hand.

The cold touch calmed him down a little.

This was undoubtedly the most important gain from his trip.

He had just experienced the strangling effect of the thorns firsthand; it was utterly devastating.

However, judging from the panel and the battle situation at the time, this thing also had significant side effects.

It consumes a lot of the holder's stamina.

No wonder the scarred orc didn't use it from the start.

With Logan completely suppressed, the orc had no intention of draining himself dry just to kill a rookie.

Of course, the orc might also be wary of his own men. He might have already used the ring once, and if he were weakened by using it again, those two thugs might not hesitate to stab him in the back.

Betrayal is more natural than breathing in the forest.

Logan snapped out of his reverie, his gaze lingering on the goblin corpses scattered on the ground and the goblin camp not far away that had not yet been looted.

The supplies inside, the weapons on the ground, the goblin's bounty ear... that should be a considerable fortune.

Logan felt a sharp pain in his heart.

But he hesitated for only a second before decisively turning his head away.

No matter how much money you have, you need to be alive to spend it.

Logan walked to the tree, gritted his teeth, and struggled to carry the sleeping girl on his back, trudging through the deep forest.

He needed to find a suitable campsite before dark.