Chapter 5: Cleaning Up the Battlefield

They call it "cleaning up the battlefield," but in truth, there is nothing worth collecting.

These little green-skinned things wear nothing but rags, and the weapons in their hands are crudely made—not even as sturdy as a hoe used in the fields. No one would want them even if they were given away for free; there is simply no such thing as surplus loot to speak of.

Xia Nan and the others merely cut off the goblins' left ears and found a pit to bury them in—

This prevents the stench of the corpses from spreading further through the air and attracting other dangers.

"Splash."

Moist soil was scattered down, gradually covering the pile of corpses in the pit.

It is worth mentioning that Elki was among them.

His status as a former member of the squad did not earn him any special privileges; like those equally short goblins, he was tossed into the burial ground without ceremony.

The captain, Maji, even "thoughtfully" stripped him of his meager equipment and supplies, leaving him with nothing but a thin, patched shirt.

Gagu stood by the edge of the pit. Most of the blood on his upper body had been wiped away, but a few wounds were still faintly oozing droplets of blood.

He stared at Elki, who was gradually being covered by the sandy soil, his eyes slightly reddened.

But don't misunderstand.

This was by no means caused by the stirring emotions of a companion's death; it was most likely just the lingering aftereffects of the bloodline stimulation from the battle just now.

At least, based on Xia Nan’s understanding of these people over the past few days.

Perhaps this thin-blooded half-orc did feel a sliver of regret for the departure of his teammate deep down, but it was certainly only the faintest trace.

More than anything, it was likely resentment that the effort put into this mission was not proportional to the reward.

The relationships between adventurers, especially in bottom-tier squads where casualties are frequent, are far more realistic and cold than one might imagine.

And in fact, that was exactly the case.

After helping Maji fill in the pit, Gagu’s first words were a complaint

"&#@%￥ (Orcish profanity), one dead, and we earned less than two gold coins. Can't even buy a donkey with that. What rotten luck!"

Although, in Xia Nan’s view, the bounty for five goblins was already a "huge sum," the half-orc was clearly unsatisfied.

The resentment in his heart even made him walk with more force than usual, leaving deep footprints in the meadow.

And just when Xia Nan thought his first adventure was going to end in such a sloppy manner, Maji, who had remained silent since the end of the battle and was quietly packing his luggage, suddenly blurted out

"Actually, just like the greedy dragons in legends, goblins also like to hoard their loot in their nests."

The atmosphere on the field seemed to freeze for an instant.

The half-orc Gagu widened his eyes and turned abruptly

"You mean..."

"According to the mission information provided by the guild, the number of goblins in this settlement shouldn't exceed twenty at most."

Maji slung his replenished quiver over his back and slowly stood up.

"What we just dealt with was most likely their main force, and that means..."

"The nest!" Gagu’s deliberately lowered, excited voice sounded somewhat sharp. "An empty nest!"

Maji nodded, appearing calm, though a sense of excitement and eagerness flickered deep in his eyes.

A goblin nest with a high probability of being undefended, and a bottom-tier adventurer squad that still retained most of its combat strength.

There was some risk, but compared to the potential gains, what did that little risk matter?

Besides, as an adventurer, if you aren't even willing to take a little risk... you might as well go home and farm.

Immediately, driven by the greed in their hearts, Gagu and Maji began to enthusiastically plan the location of the goblin nest, the preparations before entering, and even the distribution of the loot within.

Xia Nan did not participate.

As a novice adventurer who had just transmigrated into this world, he didn't know much about the current situation or the habits of goblins.

Although he vaguely felt that returning directly would be safer, their points were not without merit.

Moreover, even if he refused, he would have to act alone whether he stayed behind to wait for them or returned to the nearby town.

In a place like the Mist Forest, which is filled with monsters, acting alone is far too dangerous.

Therefore, just following along would suffice.

Looking back, he might even earn a few more gold coins.

For an adventurer, "money" is the most effective catalyst for all actions.

The "Stinky Shrimp" squad showed great initiative in the face of potential treasure.

In just over ten minutes, Gagu and Maji had completed a plan that looked crude but was not entirely unrefined.

They decided to patiently rest for the night, recover their strength, and set off to find the goblin nest as soon as the sun rose tomorrow.

……

……

The campfire flickered.

The sound of rhythmic snoring came from the simple sleeping bag beside him, echoing the unknown insect chirps from the dense forest behind.

The warm firelight shone on Xia Nan’s face, casting an orange-red glow.

At this moment, the Stinky Shrimp squad had already moved to a different spot to camp.

The hunter Maji had also set traps around the area, but considering the gnome Elki who was already buried in the ground, Xia Nan didn't have much faith in the quality of these traps.

Therefore, when it was his turn to keep watch, he was exceptionally focused.

He even moved his seat to a position closer to the inner circle of the camp—that way, even if something bypassed Maji’s traps, he would have enough time to react.

The deep night was silent.

Only now did Xia Nan finally have time to himself that wouldn't attract the attention of others.

He placed his single-edged sword across his knees, gripping a piece of gauze in his right hand as if he were diligently maintaining it.

But his eyes were not fixed on the sword itself.

Instead, he stared at his own reflection on the surface of the blade, illuminated by the firelight in front of him.

One second, two seconds...

As his focus slowly sharpened, lines of translucent block characters appeared before his eyes.

……

【Name】: Xia Nan

【Attributes】

Strength: 5 (Muscular strength, athletic training, and physical potential)

Agility: 5 (Reaction speed, balance, and alertness)

Constitution: 5 (Stamina and vitality)

Intelligence: 5 (Memory, logic, and thinking ability)

Perception: 5 (Observation and insight, also represents coordination with the surrounding environment)

Charisma: 5 (Personality and temperament)

【Skills】

Spinning Slash lv4 (99/100)

……

"As expected!"

Xia Nan thought to himself.

Ever since the characters "Proficiency +1" flashed before his eyes during the battle with the goblins, he had been very concerned about it.

Now, just by trying to verify the conjecture in his heart, it was confirmed—

"Not only the values of items and equipment, but through the reflection, I can also see my own attributes!"