Chapter 19: Bargaining

Xia Nan raised his glass and took a sip, pretending to be composed.

The aroma of malt surged into his nostrils, while his tongue met the characteristic slight bitterness of hops paired with the crisp, refreshing sweetness of chilled liquid.

However, he currently had no appetite to carefully savor this exotic beverage from another world.

In fact, he felt a faint sense of tension.

After about five or six more seconds, it wasn't until the sharp gaze behind him vanished that he visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"That feeling..."

Xia Nan recalled the image he had just seen—that seemingly ordinary, unremarkable man.

It was definitely not an illusion!

Even while positioned in the center of one's vision, his presence was so weak that he was subconsciously ignored like a passerby; yet, the moment he had caught the man's eye, a gaze had instantly condensed, carrying a powerful sense of warning.

It was like those dazzling, high-level pieces of equipment in the online games of his previous life; one didn't even need to engage in combat—a single glance was enough to feel the overwhelming strength of the opponent.

"Perhaps, a professional who has truly completed their Class Job?" Xia Nan speculated inwardly.

Fortunately, he had only noticed the other's presence and had not made any impudent moves. Therefore, that gaze had only intensified for a moment before dissipating into the clamor of the tavern.

A minor interlude.

No longer turning back to deliberately observe the half-elf squad by the window, Xia Nan drained the ale in his cup.

His heart was somewhat restless.

"I wonder how one actually acquires this so-called 'Class Level'?"

Maji seemed to have mentioned to the original owner of this body before that a "Class" was related to the "Combat Skills" one chose to cultivate. But the specific nature of that connection had not been explicitly stated.

He had also skimmed through the [Adventurer's Handbook], but it contained no such information.

"I'll try asking when I encounter a veteran adventurer later. If all else fails, I can accept paying a price."

Thinking this, Xia Nan shook his head.

To consider such things now was still too early for a mere novice adventurer like him.

"First, I should get a good sleep."

...

The accommodation in the tavern was not particularly good.

Hard wooden beds with a slight odor, terrible soundproofing that allowed him to hear even the rocking of the cradle next door, creaking stairs, the boisterous noise from the tavern hall downstairs, and even the occasional rat scurrying through the ceiling crevices.

Forget the star-rated hotels of his previous life; even lying on a park bench with a newspaper would have been much quieter and more comfortable.

Yet, Xia Nan slept straight through until noon.

On one hand, it was because he had stayed up late last night flipping through the "Adventurer's Handbook" to learn useful information about Valley Town; on the other hand, it was because his body was utterly exhausted.

The Misty Forest was full of danger. Even during the time when the four-person squad of Elki and Gagu were still alive, they had to take turns keeping watch and could never rest peacefully.

Now that he had reached a safe town, Xia Nan was finally having his first good sleep since transmigrating into this world.

After enjoying a delicious lunch at the White Tit Tavern, he arrived once again at the entrance of the Adventurer's Association.

Regarding the "Adventurer" profession—a dangerous occupation where one lived on the edge of survival—Xia Nan, who had been an ordinary office worker in his previous life, was naturally unaccustomed to it and did not particularly yearn for it.

However, when a mortal who had lived his entire life in a non-magical, technological world suddenly arrived in a fantasy world where supernatural powers truly existed, it was unrealistic to expect him to take the hundred-plus gold coins in his hand and return to a peaceful, pastoral life of working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

Moreover, the only "Attribute Panel" Xia Nan had that was connected to his "cheat" only applied to adventurer-related matters. He naturally had to make use of it.

"I'll start with the simplest tasks first," Xia Nan murmured to himself, looking at the bustling entrance of the Association.

Having made his decision, he stepped forward, his figure disappearing into the crowd.

"Is something wrong, Wood?"

Haian's questioning voice reached his ears. Wood withdrew his gaze from Xia Nan's retreating back and replied softly, "It is nothing, Young Master."

Yesterday, he had discovered himself in a state of "Breath Concealment" in the tavern, and today, he had seemingly encountered the same person again at the Association entrance as if by chance.

As a qualified guard known for his extreme caution, how could Wood not be suspicious?

However, he had observed carefully yesterday as well. That young man with black hair and sharp features showed signs of some training, but judging by his attire and habits, he was an unmistakable novice.

Could it be... that he was merely overthinking it?

Wood frowned slightly, his expression suspicious.

On the other side, the silver-haired, gray-eyed half-elf, Haian, was naturally unaware of his guard's thoughts. At this moment, he was introducing the details of the current mission to the new members of the squad

"It's roughly within this range. If nothing is found, we can extend the search further out."

"In other words, you don't even know what you're looking for?" Hearing this, the dark-skinned, thin man in front of Haian, dressed in classic adventurer leather armor and boots, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. "The Misty Forest is not a place you can just wander around in."

"We will stay on the outskirts, we won't..."

Before Haian could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a rather loud voice.

"Three days!" In the group, a somewhat chubby young man wearing luxurious gold-trimmed robes raised three fingers and said loudly, "It's not like we need you to help us search. Once the time is up, we'll leave. I don't see why we need to dawdle."

"As for safety..." The chubby youth glanced at Wood, the guard beside Haian, "You don't need to worry about that."

Upon hearing this, the thin, dark-skinned man stared intently at him and said through gritted teeth, "Fine, but I want 70 gold!"

"70?" The chubby youth's voice suddenly became shrill. "50! With an Adventurer's Association this big, if you won't do it, there are plenty of others who will!"

Unable to control his volume, the dispute between the group in front of the Association entrance gradually drew the attention of passersby.

Perhaps because of this, the blonde girl beside the youth, who had remained silent and impatient the entire time, suddenly spoke up to urge them

"Larry, we've been in town for days and it's boring. I want to go home!"

As soon as she spoke, the chubby youth named "Larry" instantly shed his aggressive demeanor. Dragging his expensive custom robes, he wiggled his hips closer to her in a fawning manner

"Don't worry, Doris, we'll leave soon! I heard the guards at home say that the white mist in the Misty Forest is actually concentrated mana. They say if you take a sniff..."

The half-elf Haian withdrew his gaze from the two with a look of helplessness and turned back to the thin, dark-skinned man—the one who had just joined the team and immediately went back on his word to demand a price hike.

"We can only offer 50 gold. If you don't accept, then I can only say we're sorry."

His emotions remained stable.

In a sense, the fat man, Larry, had actually achieved a small victory.

After this ordeal, the thin man did not want to let such a lucrative job slip away. He put on an expression of reluctant agreement and nodded.

"Fine, 50 gold it is. When do we depart?"

"Today. The supplies have already been prepared for us."