Chapter 33: Conditions (4k)

The Mist Forest was vast and boundless. The dense magical energy in the air allowed this mysterious land, covered in thickets and shrubs, to nurture countless creatures.

Four Rust Monsters, five adventurers, and a tense, fierce battle that could decide life or death.

Within the context of the entire forest, however, this was merely one of the countless instances of life and death—predation, hunting, and the cycle of eating and being eaten—that occurred every single second.

The campfire flickered.

The orange-red light seemed to merge with the night, transforming into a hazy mist that drifted lazily through the air.

After the battle, Xia Nan and the others hurriedly packed their belongings. Under Wood's command, they swiftly completed the relocation of their camp before the sun fully sank below the horizon.

"Hiss! Gently, gently."

Lary's forehead was covered in sweat. With the help of Doris beside him, he was carefully unwinding the bandages that had been temporarily wrapped around his arm to save time.

The venom of a Rust Monster is the natural enemy of metal equipment; even a few weak drops, if left untended, are enough to corrode large pits and indentations into it, much like ants building a nest.

When applied to a human body, however, the toxicity was much milder.

It felt like a burn—just a stinging, searing pain, but not fatal.

Faced with Lary's exaggerated, panicked reaction as if he had suffered a grievous wound, Doris showed a look of disdain and muttered something under her breath, yet she still carefully helped him change his medicine.

In the center of the camp, the half-elf was discussing tomorrow's itinerary in low tones with his guard. The atmosphere between them was no longer silent; their previous dispute seemed to have been forgotten with the end of the battle.

Xia Nan remained alone, leaning against a tree trunk by the fire.

However, he was not currently maintaining the polished decapitation longsword by his side.

Instead, he was focused intently on roasting the dried meat in front of him.

Having experienced a day full of twists and turns, he needed to replenish his strength through eating.

As a bottom-tier novice adventurer who had barely completed any missions, even though his modern-day values and his relatively substantial family background from his previous life made him willing to spend a few extra coins on supplies, he had only brought a stack of hard black bread, several large chunks of smoked meat, two incredibly salty dried fish, and some other miscellaneous foods—totaling about a five-day supply.

It wasn't that Xia Nan was stingy; it was simply that the environment of the Mist Forest was unique, and the spoilage rate of fresh food was far higher than usual.

Furthermore, he had thought he would only be gathering some Glow-Garlic Vines and perhaps spending only one night outdoors, so he had simply followed the suggestions in the *Adventurer's Handbook* and made a basic purchase from the general store based on a checklist.

Thinking back now, perhaps he should have spent a few more silver coins to see if there was anything else edible he could bring.

Xia Nan used a dagger to chop the heated smoked meat into small pieces and popped them into his mouth.

"Mmm... at least it's warm," he comforted himself inwardly, feeling the indescribable, strange taste in his mouth.

His mind couldn't help but drift back to the "lavish" meal he had enjoyed a few days ago at the White Tit Tavern, which had cost him three silver coins.

"That mushroom soup really was delicious."

He subconsciously smacked his lips.

Speaking of which, although he hadn't seen one yet, this world certainly possessed actual mages. Perhaps there were things like "spatial rings" or "storage spells."

If he could get his hands on similar items in the future, not only would various supplies be easy to carry, but even battle trophies like today's "Rust Monster Carapace" could be easily brought back to the city.

Thinking this, Xia Nan gave a sudden, self-deprecating smile. He felt like the protagonist of the "Emperor's Golden Hoe" joke from his previous life.

"Xia Nan? What are you thinking about?"

A deliberately lowered voice sounded in his ear.

Xia Nan snapped back to reality. Looking up, he saw that Lary had finished changing his medicine at some unknown point and had come to his side, carrying a small basket.

"Here, this is for you."

Before he could respond, the basket was forced into his arms.

Scanning it, he found a palm-sized glass bottle and several bundles covered in fine cloth inside the basket.

"Double-Needle Bee honey. I bought it from the 'Elf's Leaf' bakery; it's very famous. Try it."

Lary pointed to the glass bottle containing the golden, viscous liquid, his vivid expression resembling a salesman in a live-stream from his previous life.

"And these pieces of sheep cheese—they're made by Doris's family. They taste great, especially with dried meat. Tsk, that flavor..."

"Oh..." Xia Nan held the wooden basket, looking somewhat surprised, but he nodded in thanks. "Thank you."

He had intended to exchange a few more pleasantries and perhaps chat about the mission, but Lary seemed to have come specifically to deliver the items. Leaving only a sentence—"When we get back to Neum, I'll treat you to a few days of fun in the city"—Lary scurried back under Doris's urging.

*Sizzle—*

Under the heat of the fire, the cheese, sliced thin with a dagger, melted halfway onto the reddish-brown dried meat, releasing a fragrant milky aroma.

As it entered his mouth, the salty-sweet taste of the otherworldly cheese made the originally dry and bland dried meat seem like an entirely different ingredient.

Xia Nan's eyes lit up instantly, and the fatigue in his body and mind eased significantly.

He looked toward Lary and Doris, who were whispering in the distance, with a complicated expression.

When he first joined this small team, he thought the two of them had the cliché "suitor and pursued" relationship common in his previous life. After all, given Lary's fawning manner and Doris's indifferent attitude, it was hard not to think that way.

But now, after spending the whole day together, Xia Nan realized that although Lary always maintained a sycophantic posture, he wasn't quite that without principles in his flattery; and although Doris often showed disdain, she wasn't quite so distant at certain times.

"I don't get it." He shook his head in confusion.

"It's strange, isn't it?" As if sensing Xia Nan's gaze, the half-elf beside him showed a smile and spoke up. "What if I told you that the two of them actually grew up together?"

*Huh? Childhood sweethearts?*

Xia Nan's confusion deepened, and he asked instinctively, "Then why do they..."

"They look awkward, right?" Heian watched the two from a distance, lowering his voice. "The actual situation is indeed somewhat complicated."

"Lary's father is a famous merchant in Neum; and before Doris's parents opened their cheese shop, they were stewards for Lary's family."

"That is why they have known each other since childhood, and after that..."

At this point, the half-elf seemed to realize his current behavior was inappropriate, so he trailed off, concluding with: "What happened after that is like the stories in a stage play."

Xia Nan still didn't understand.

But since Heian didn't intend to continue, he didn't press further, instead turning the topic to the other man.

"What about you? Why did you come to the Mist Forest?"

Upon hearing this, Heian's body stiffened slightly.

His silver-gray eyes flickered. After a moment of hesitation, he let out a long sigh, as if letting go of something.

He took a jet-black wooden plaque from his waist pouch.

His fingertips gently brushed its surface as he whispered

"When I was small, before going to sleep, I would always pester my mother to tell me stories."

"Even though it was always the same few, and she wasn't as vivid a storyteller as Auntie Polly."

"But..." The evening breeze blew, revealing the long ears hidden beneath the half-elf's silver hair. "Those stories all came from my mother's homeland."

"Mischievous flower elves, treants guiding lost travelers, dreamscapes woven from emerald and jade..."

"Only on those nights, amidst my mother's gentle narration, could I stop dwelling on the gazes of others during the day and stop caring about... myself."

The silver-gray eyes unique to elves reflected the flickering firelight before him.

Heian suddenly turned to look at Wood, who stood beside him looking as if he wanted to speak but couldn't.

He sighed.

"I actually know that the design of this wooden plaque is different from the style passed down by my mother's clan."

"But this is the last chance. I must try."

"Once this mission is over, regardless of whether I gain anything, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to ever leave my house again, won't it?"

"No, Young Master!" Wood replied decisively, but then, as if thinking of something, a hint of hesitation and struggle appeared on his face, and he repeated in a murmur, "It won't."

It had been a casual question, but unexpectedly, it had caused the atmosphere of the group to fall silent again.

Xia Nan glanced at the two of them, his brain working rapidly, and changed the subject.

"By the way! I've actually been wanting to know—Wood, you must be a Professional, right?"

"The kind who has actually obtained a Professional Level," he added.

To this, Wood's expression turned somewhat strange.

"You didn't know? I thought you had realized it long ago."

"Haha, after all, this is only my second mission," Xia Nan scratched his head and laughed. "I've never encountered a true Professional before, so I was a bit curious."

"Second!?" As if catching a keyword, the half-elf's ears instantly perked up. "So when you told Lary you were a novice, you were serious?"

Before Xia Nan could respond, Heian turned his astonished gaze toward the iron-gray decapitation longsword beside him.

"That combat skill you just used didn't look like something a novice should have."

Hearing that the half-elf seemed surprised by his [Whirlwind Slash], Xia Nan couldn't help but feel confused.

"What's wrong? Combat skills... don't you all know them?"

Hearing this, Heian looked as if he had discovered a new continent, exclaiming in surprise

"Wait! Your mentor never taught you these things?"

"Mentor? I've never had a mentor."

"Then where did you learn that combat skill?"

In Xia Nan's view, there was nothing in his predecessor's past worth hiding, and that half-page skill book recording the training method for [Whirlwind Slash] had been fed to the old ox in the shed years ago after the whole family had made no progress with it.

He told them everything: how his predecessor had obtained the skill book, and the sudden change that occurred after years of bitter practice.

!?

"So, you swung a sword for several years facing half a piece of paper, and you actually mastered it!?"

An expression more vivid than anything seen during the battle appeared on Wood's face.

Beside him, Heian had stopped speaking entirely, merely staring at him without blinking, as if looking at an alien—

It wasn't a wrong assessment; in a sense, Xia Nan truly was an "alien."

By now, even if his reactions were slow, Xia Nan realized from their behavior that something was unusual about this body.

In his previous life, he was just an ordinary office worker who had rarely even been in a fight, yet after transmigrating, he could go toe-to-toe with various magical creatures.

Although he was somewhat unpracticed, every time he reviewed his actions, the instinctive choices he made during combat were often correct and precise.

Coupled with the fact that he had arrived in this world with a [Whirlwind Slash] that was already nearly maxed out...

Could it be that this body, and his previous self, actually possessed a talent for combat?

Seeing that Xia Nan's reaction didn't seem fake, Wood's face, though still showing surprise, quickly returned to its original calm, and he took the initiative to introduce Xia Nan to the knowledge regarding "Combat Skills" in this world.

According to Wood, due to differences in profession and effect types, the number of combat skills on the continent of Aifala was as numerous as the stars in the sky.

However, neither the Adventurer's Association nor other organizations had established a clear and definite grading system for these skills.

They were only roughly divided into three tiers based on proficiency: Novice, Proficient, and Master.

Even the distinction between "Novice" and "Proficient" was exceptionally vague.

"What about 'Master'?" Xia Nan asked, frowning slightly.

To this, Wood—who had long since lowered his guard and accepted him—gave a quite vivid smile and said mysteriously

"Compared to the first two, 'Master' level combat skills are actually the easiest to distinguish."

"Because once you temper a true combat skill to the 'Master' level, all the effort you've put in previously will be rewarded to you in that instant."

"In short, the moment you train a combat skill to 'Master,' you will clearly feel certain aspects of your physical attributes surge instantly."

"Some combat skills even grant you certain special techniques in related areas after reaching mastery."

Hearing this, Xia Nan immediately thought of the two attribute points and the feat called "Slashing Expert" he had gained a few days ago after raising [Whirlwind Slash] to "Lv5" against the Hobgoblin.

So, the Lv5 on the system panel corresponded to the so-called "Master" in the real world?

Then accordingly, Lv1-2 was "Novice," and Lv3-4 was "Proficient"?

Xia Nan understood, and simultaneously couldn't help but ask

"So, are 'Master' level combat skills rare?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Heian's eyes widened.

"Of course!"

"Mastering a related combat skill is one of the essential requirements for obtaining a Professional Level!"

Professional Level!?

Xia Nan felt a surge of excitement, and even his breathing grew heavy.

"What else? What are the other conditions?"

"How does one become a Professional?"