Chapter 20: Firefly Garlic Vine

[Task ID]: 26

[Type]: Bounty

[Reward]: 150,000 Gold (Negotiable)

[Task Brief]

An extraordinary-tier Marsh Druid (Circle of Spores) has contaminated the water source of Neum's Lower District, directly resulting in the deaths of 153 civilians and nearly two months of water shortages in the surrounding neighborhoods.

For specific details, please contact the Association staff. Those who provide location intelligence will receive a reward from the Meadow Church.

[Time Limit]: None

……

Xia Nan’s brow twitched slightly as he stared at the long string of "0"s following the [Reward] column.

He was currently standing before the mission board in the Adventurers' Association hall.

Having made up his mind to pursue the path of an "Adventurer," he planned to find a few simple tasks to practice his skills and familiarize himself with the overall process.

Then, driven by the simple mindset of "just because I can't afford it doesn't mean I can't look," he cast a few glances at the top of the board, where the highest-rewarding tasks were listed.

"Tsk, tsk."

Xia Nan clicked his tongue, committing several terms from the task descriptions—such as "extraordinary-tier" and "Marsh Druid"—to memory, even though he didn't yet understand their full meaning but knew they were clearly significant.

His gaze then shifted downward toward the end of the mission board.

……

[Task ID]: 201D

[Type]: Investigation

[Reward]: 200 Gold

[Task Brief]

A merchant caravan traveling from River Valley Town to a nearby village went missing on the road from Caranford, located on the eastern side of the Misty Forest, toward Green Creek Village. The owner of the caravan suspects they may have encountered bandits or monster attacks and requires adventurers to investigate.

[Time Limit]: 15 days

[Additional Information]

Recently, adventurers have discovered traces of "Thorn Demons" around Green Creek Village, which may be related to the disappearance of the caravan.

……

"Wait, what on earth is a Thorn Demon?"

Setting aside the two place names in the brief that were unheard of in his predecessor's memories, the mere words "Thorn Demon" brought back painful recollections of facing a Bugbear in a goblin cave.

"Until I purchase something like a 'Monster Encyclopedia' and figure out their specific strength and intensity, I will treat any monster with an unfamiliar name as a powerful threat that I cannot handle alone."

Furthermore, the uncertainty of investigation tasks was too high; there was no guarantee that the difficulty wouldn't suddenly spike to the level of those six-figure bounties above.

"I really should find an experienced party to stay with for a while first," Xia Nan thought, rubbing his aching temples.

Otherwise, with only that thin [Adventurer's Handbook] in hand, he feared he wouldn't even be able to identify the names of the monsters he encountered along the way.

His gaze continued to move down.

Finally, after a long search, he found an option in the corner of the wooden mission board that was well within his current capabilities.

……

[Task ID]: 387H

[Type]: Gathering

[Reward]: 1 Gold / Cluster

[Task Brief]

Ms. Edwina, owner of the "Green Grass Cauldron" at No. 17 West Street, River Valley Town, is preparing a new batch of detoxification potions and urgently needs a large quantity of "Glow-Garlic Vines" (see attached image) that grow on the outskirts of the Misty Forest.

[Time Limit]: 3 days

……

Comparing the illustration and description on the board, Xia Nan's eyes instantly lit up.

He remembered very clearly seeing a large cluster of these plants—which emitted a greenish-blue glow like fireflies at night—on his way back from the Misty Forest a few days ago.

He recalled thinking at the time that they might be some kind of monster that used light to lure prey, so he had bypassed them and set up camp elsewhere.

Thinking back now, the number of those "Glow-Garlic Vines"...

"There must be at least thirty clusters!"

And that meant an income of over 30 gold coins!

To put that in perspective, when the "Stinking Fish Squad" fought desperately only to be wiped out until he was the sole temporary member, the reward for their goblin investigation task was barely 30 gold.

This money was practically being handed to him; it would be foolish not to take it!

"Is my newcomer's luck still holding up?" Xia Nan thought happily.

His body, however, had already turned, walking toward the exit of the Adventurers' Association.

Before heading out on a mission, he still needed to make some necessary preparations.

……

Xia Nan knew his own position.

Even though he had mastered the combat skill [Whirlwind Slash], which had reached its maximum level of Lv5, and his physical fitness had improved due to his attribute points, he was still part of the bottom tier of adventurers.

The tragedies of Elki and Gagu were still fresh in his mind.

Even a seasoned adventurer like Maggie had fallen at the hands of a "green kid" like him.

Being cautious and thinking things through would never go wrong.

Therefore, for his first solo mission, Xia Nan followed the suggestions in the [Adventurer's Handbook] and made preparations that were thorough to the point of being almost excessive

The trip was only a day's journey, so while ensuring he had space to store the Glow-Garlic Vines, he brought enough food and water to survive in the wild for five days—8 silver and 2 copper;

A medical kit containing bandages, ointment, and splints, sufficient for ten uses; Xia Nan even had the grocery store owner throw in 20 feet of hemp rope for free—5 gold;

Essential supplies including a compass, simple map, flint, sleeping bag, blanket, and water bottle—6 gold and 2 silver.

It is worth mentioning that to avoid the predicament of having to discard his backpack and lose his entire fortune if he encountered an unavoidable situation during his adventure, Xia Nan had deposited most of the gold coins from his last mission into the only bank in River Valley Town—the interest was almost negligible, but it was very safe.

Although the prices of these adventure-related items were almost in another dimension, he understood perfectly that this was a necessary expense to ensure his survival.

Moreover, this mission was a short trip. If all went well, he would be returning to the White Sparrow Tavern with the thirty gold coins from the reward to enjoy a feast by this time tomorrow.

He would likely use at most one-tenth of what he had prepared.

He could use them again for the next mission.

*Swish!*

Crossing off the second-to-last essential item on the note in his hand, Xia Nan tightened the backpack on his back and let out a sigh of relief.

Thanks to the "one-stop" services available on the street where the Adventurers' Association was located, he had completed most of his pre-departure preparations in just one afternoon.

Recalling how he had just been lugging various bags and bundles, clutching a shopping list in one hand while weaving through strange-looking pedestrians between different shops, Xia Nan suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he were shopping in Diagon Alley before the start of the term at Hogwarts.

"No turning back now."

With a smile, he shook his head and looked at the final column on his list.

[Weapons and Equipment]

(End of Chapter)