Exploration, investigation, bounties.
These three types of tasks were different, but after careful analysis, Xia Nan determined they were the most suitable choices for his current situation.
He urgently needed funds to fill the deficit caused by the reforging of his longsword. Furthermore, because his combat effectiveness had dropped due to the replacement of his preferred weapon, it was best to avoid fighting overly powerful enemies or simply kill some weak monsters.
Additionally, having just returned from a long adventure, he didn't want to travel far in the short term—at least not until the reforging of his sword was complete. He intended to stick to the outskirts of Rivervalley Town.
Taking all this into account, he selected these three commissions.
As for which specific one to choose...
To some extent, Xia Nan could actually "have it all."
He was, after all, a legitimate professional who had gained access to the second floor of the Association; the Association did not restrict the number of tasks he could accept simultaneously.
In fact, the Association wished its adventurers would complete five or six tasks at once. After all, this counted as performance for the Adventurers Association itself—there were processing fees to be earned and prestige to be raised.
But in reality, even knowing this was possible, from newcomers who had just reached Level 1 to legendary figures above Level 20, anyone with a modicum of experience in the industry rarely accepted two or more commissions at once (long-term tasks notwithstanding).
Often, even if two tasks were of similar difficulty and within the acceptor's capabilities, the difficulty of completing them simultaneously far exceeded doing them separately. The result of "1+1" was not 2, but could reach "3" or even "4."
Prolonged task duration significantly increased the likelihood of accidents occurring during the journey. Moreover, spending long periods in the wild without the proper rest found in human towns would cause an adventurer's physical and mental state to decline sharply in the later stages of the mission, thereby affecting combat ability and leading to unnecessary danger.
Xia Nan was certainly short on money, but not to the extent that he needed to sacrifice essential safety to scramble for gold coins.
On the other hand, for an adventurer like him who lacked spatial storage equipment and had to carry all supplies on his person, the consumption of resources was a factor that had to be considered.
If he took on multiple tasks and some sudden emergency occurred midway, leaving him devoid of food and ammunition in the forest... Xia Nan had no desire to play "wilderness survival" in a monster-infested area.
Therefore, completing tasks one by one in a sequential order was the wisest choice for the sake of safety.
His gaze swept over the task handbook Molly had organized for him. He carefully weighed the pros and cons of the three commissions, intending to make a choice.
The first to be excluded was the investigation task, numbered "E-10257."
The "Rotten-Root Mire" was located in the heart of the Mist Forest. Normally, adventurer parties daring enough to venture that deep were basically professional grade.
Even so, at least six teams had been attacked and disappeared; the danger was self-evident.
In fact, considering the harm already caused, Xia Nan felt the reward offered by the Association was a bit low, even for an "investigation" type commission.
Furthermore, the primary reason he abandoned this task was the uncertainty in the Association's description regarding the potential source of danger.
Until he actually encountered the target head-on, he wouldn't know what he was facing.
It might be a recently matured Owlbear with a Challenge Rating barely reaching "3," or it could be an adult Black Dragon with a Challenge Rating as high as "14" that had taken a liking to the mire and intended to incorporate it into its territory.
If his luck were poor and he encountered enemies capable of restricting his movement, preventing him from utilizing the high mobility he relied upon, he wouldn't even be able to escape. That would be truly disastrous.
Thus, out of caution, Xia Nan first gave up on this investigation task.
Next, the second one he crossed off the list was the exploration task, numbered "D-7693."
Although it offered the highest reward among the three commissions Xia Nan was considering, it was equally the most complex.
He might fit the requirements mentioned in the task—"familiar with wilderness survival" and "possessing a good sense of direction."
However, he had no experience regarding "cartography"; one could say he was completely clueless.
Under these circumstances, if he struggled to draw the map only for the reward to be drastically reduced—or for the task to be judged a failure—because the quality of the map was poor, it would be no different from a waste of time.
Moreover, in Xia Nan's understanding, drawing a map was not a task that could be completed in a day or two. If he accepted it, setting safety issues aside, he might have to travel back and forth between the basin and the town to replenish supplies. It would consume too much time and energy, actually lowering his earning efficiency.
Looking at it this way, he was left with only one choice.
The bounty task, numbered "E-9368."
The target was a goblin colony located in the core area of the forest, led by a Hobgoblin.
The primary difficulty to note was the complex environment of the goblin nest.
To be honest, the moment Xia Nan first saw this commission, he already had a preference.
After all, for him now, slaughtering those filthy, ugly green-skinned goblins felt less like a task and more like a pleasure.
When "work" and "hobby" are combined, and the interest in the latter does not diminish due to compulsory requirements, the work itself becomes a pleasant, "wonderful" thing.
Of course, before making a final decision, Xia Nan had some specific information to confirm.
"In the task summary, regarding this super-giant goblin settlement that was once wiped out—exactly how large was its scale? Is there any additional intelligence, such as how it was destroyed at the time or the number of elite goblin individuals within?"
"And as for the goblin tribe that is the current target, is there any substantial connection between them and the previous owner of the nest they occupy?"
Facing Xia Nan's questions, Molly—who had been an omniscient and professional receptionist since his promotion to a professional—showed a clear look of apology on her face and bowed.
"I am truly sorry, Mr. Xia Nan."
"Regarding the large goblin settlement you mentioned, I actually specifically queried the Association's internal records while screening tasks for you, but..."
"Insufficient permissions."
"Normally, intelligence regarding goblins wouldn't have such a high restriction level; this is the first time I've encountered such a thing."
"Therefore, I do not know more about the situation than you do."
"But regarding your second question—whether the goblins currently occupying the nest are related to the previously cleared colony—my answer is that there is a high probability they have no direct connection."
Hearing her answer, Xia Nan frowned slightly. After sitting in the chair and pondering for a moment, he finally made his decision.
"Alright, this one then."
Xia Nan pointed his finger at the task handbook in front of him and spoke to Molly, the receptionist who was waiting quietly beside him.
"Very well, Mr. Xia Nan." Closing the handbook, the girl nodded and responded softly, "I will go and handle the paperwork for you right away."
...
...
Meanwhile, deep within the Mist Forest.
Underground.
After spending the three happiest days of his life in Rivervalley Town, Abby entered the darkest period of his life since he could remember, both in terms of mental state and objective environment.
He had thought he would quickly reach the destination under Lord Saloyan's guidance, receive the other's blessing, and become a powerful professional.
Unexpectedly, since entering the Basilisk nest, the dim, narrow tunnels seemed to lead straight to the center of the earth. They went downward continuously, with only darkness ahead.
The mysterious, strange noises echoing from unknown places added a touch of horror to the deathly silent environment.
If not for Mr. Saloyan's frequent comforts, he feared he would have completely lost the courage to move forward in this environment.
With only the similar scenery of stone walls and glowing fungi in sight, Abby completely lost his sense of time after one overly exhausted sleep, making it impossible to accurately estimate how much time had passed.
Until not long ago, the tunnels that seemed to descend endlessly finally changed.
It was an experience that could almost be described as "suddenly seeing the light."
First, a spirit-lifting, extremely bright point of light appeared at the end of the tunnel in the dim environment.
Even knowing he was currently underground and it was impossible to find an exit, Abby instinctively quickened his pace.
Then, as Abby drew closer to the light and finally stepped out of the tunnel.
What entered his vision was an extremely open cavern, so vast it was breathtaking.
Grey-black rocks hung overhead like a stone firmament, and stalactites hung down like a forest; eerie green phosphorescence and the pale blue light of glowing fungi became the primary light sources for this space.
It wasn't particularly bright, but it was enough to illuminate most objects in the grotto.
The air flowed faintly, damp and smelling of mold; when inhaled, one could feel an indescribable chill spreading from the throat throughout the body.
The surrounding environment was still shrouded in silence, which made the sound of flowing water from some distant unknown place, the wailing of yin-winds seeping through crevices, and the mysterious shrieks echoing from the depths of the darkness exceptionally piercing. It caused his body to tense instinctively, alerting him to possible dangers.
Deep in his heart, Abby had a guess as to where he was, but because of the terrifying rumors he had heard in the tavern, he didn't dare be certain, deliberately ignoring the thought as if covering his ears to steal a bell.
This continued until just now, when a small group of bloodthirsty and ferocious giant bats flapped their membranous wings down from above, only to be driven away by Abby, who had been temporarily buffed with demonic power. Only then did he confirm the name of this place from the powerful and knowledgeable Lord Saloyan
—The Underdark.
Unlike "Rivervalley Town" or the "Kingdom of Servia," which referred to specific regions, the "Underdark" was a collective term for the vast, complex, and multi-layered underground ecological environment of the Efara Continent.
It was extremely dangerous, a nightmare for any adventurer whose strength was insufficient to survive its lethal miasmas, dangerous monsters, and treacherous environments.
Even those strong individuals who had obtained professional levels and completed their promotion needed to proceed with extreme caution, step by step, lest they have their throats torn open by a sharp claw reaching out from the darkness or fall off a towering, abrupt underground cliff.
Abby had heard of the fame of such environments, but he never imagined that one day he would set foot on this mysterious land deep underground—especially while he hadn't even practiced a single combat skill to "proficient" and was still far from obtaining a professional level.
Now, in an abrupt manner, he had suddenly intruded into this realm.
"Lord Saloyan, we... we'll be alright, right?"
Panting and still shaken, Abby looked at the corpse of the giant bat he had killed with his longsword on the ground. His face was filled with almost overflowing tension and anxiety.
"Of course!" A raspy male voice, which instinctively brought peace of mind, echoed leisurely within his skull. "It's just the Underdark; there's no difference between this and the Mist Forest. Just relax. With me here, nothing will go wrong."
"We might even find some rare materials, which you can use to forge enchanted equipment for professionals once you return."
Using beautiful expectations of the future to mask the immense risks of the present—for this devil noble from Hell, this was a skill he had mastered completely.
Under the influence of suggestive rhetoric and slight mental control spells, this newcomer of less than two years had long since subtly become a puppet in the devil's hands.
With just a few words of comfort, the young man immediately relaxed.
It was as if he truly believed that by relying solely on the small mirror he carried—which held the projected will of a hell-devil—he could move through the Underdark without hindrance.
In reality, even Saloyan himself was surprised that the tunnel led all the way to such a place.
His intelligence network in the Material Plane had only provided a few hidden paths on the outskirts of the Mist Forest that led directly to goblin nests. As for the encounters in between, including the Basilisks and the current Underdark, he only learned of them for the first time as he guided Abby deeper.
Fortunately, they should currently be in the outermost boundary region of the Underdark. With the addition of his power, this naive and foolish young adventurer shouldn't encounter any trouble. He just needed to not linger and pass through along the path quickly.
In his heart, he couldn't help but feel excited.
The super-large goblin colony mentioned in the intelligence was indeed unusual.
Although it had been purged by that high-level adventurer party, before its destruction, it had still dug such complex tunnels leading to various regions like ants in the earth, even touching the Underdark.
This far exceeded the abilities a normal goblin was expected to possess in the eyes of the world.
The credibility of the intelligence regarding this goblin tribe once possessing technological artifacts of unknown origin bestowed by their chief god increased in his mind.
Just as Abby fantasized about becoming a professional through his power after the task ended.
Saloyan also couldn't help but imagine that if he could find traces of that object's remnants and eventually get his hands on it to present it to Archduke Dis.
Perhaps his current title of "Baron," located at the very bottom of the Nine Hells' noble hierarchy, could be raised a bit higher.
Strange emotions surged in his heart as he urged Abby
"Don't stop, keep moving forward."
"Soon... we'll be there soon."
(End of Chapter)