Chapter 19: Counteroffer

Xia Nan lifted his glass and took a sip, feigning composure.

The aroma of malt surged into his nasal cavity, followed by the faint, characteristic bitterness of hops and the crisp, refreshing chill of the ale on his tongue. Yet, at this moment, he had no heart to savor this exotic beverage. He was, in fact, faintly nervous.

After about five or six seconds, once the sharp gaze behind him had vanished, he let out a visibly noticeable sigh of relief.

"That sensation..." Xia Nan recalled the scene he had just witnessed, specifically the man who seemed utterly ordinary.

It was definitely not an illusion.

Even while standing at the center of attention, the man possessed such a faint sense of presence that people would subconsciously overlook him, like a passerby. Then there was that gaze—the one that had condensed in an instant the moment he sensed Xia Nan’s stare, carrying a heavy warning.

It was just like the dazzling, high-level equipment from the online games of his past life; he didn't even need to engage in combat. A single glance was enough to perceive the formidable strength the other party possessed.

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

Fortunately, he had only noticed the man's presence and had not made any abrupt moves. Because of this, the gaze had only lingered for a moment before dissipating into the tavern's clamor.

A minor interlude.

No longer looking back to observe the half-elf party by the window, Xia Nan drained his ale in one go. His heart remained somewhat stirred.

"I wonder how one actually obtains these so-called 'professional ranks'?"

Maji had previously mentioned to his predecessor that a "profession" was related to the "combat skills" one chose to study. However, the other party had not explicitly stated the nature of that connection. He had also scanned through the *Adventurer's Handbook*, but it contained no information on the subject.

"I’ll try to ask a veteran adventurer when I encounter one later. If necessary, paying a price for the information would be acceptable."

Pondering this, Xia Nan shook his head. It was still too early for a novice like him to be worrying about such things.

"Let's just get a good night's sleep first."

...

The accommodations at the tavern were far from ideal.

There was the hard wooden bed with a faint, peculiar odor, poor soundproofing that allowed him to hear the creaking of the beds next door, the noisy staircase, the commotion from the tavern hall below, and even the occasional scampering of mice in the ceiling rafters.

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

Yet, Xia Nan slept until noon.

Partly, this was because he had spent most of the previous night poring over the *Adventurer's Handbook*, familiarizing himself with useful information about River Valley Town. On the other hand, his body was simply too exhausted. The Misty Forest was fraught with danger; even back when Ergi and Gaguo were still alive and they were a four-man team, they had to take turns keeping watch, unable to rest soundly. Now that he had reached a safe town, this was the first good night's sleep Xia Nan had enjoyed since crossing over into this world.

After enjoying a delightful lunch at the White Tit Tavern, he returned to the front of the Adventurer's Association.

For a dangerous profession like "adventurer," which lived on a knife's edge, Xia Nan—a mere office worker in his previous life—felt neither accustomed to nor particularly drawn to it. However, as a mortal who had spent his entire life in a non-magical, technology-driven world, finding himself suddenly in a fantasy world where supernatural powers truly existed, it was equally unrealistic to expect him to take his hundred-plus gold coins and return to the life of a simple, secluded farmer.

Moreover, his "attribute panel"—the only thing that could be considered a "cheat" in his current life—only functioned in relation to adventurer-related matters. Naturally, he had to make use of it.

"Let's start with the simplest tasks," Xia Nan muttered, gazing at the bustling gates of the Association.

With that decision made, he stepped forward and vanished into the crowd.

"Is something wrong, Wood?"

Hearing the puzzled voice of Haian, Wood withdrew his gaze from Xia Nan’s retreating back and replied softly, "It's nothing, Young Master."

Having discovered that he was in a state of "concealed breath" at the tavern yesterday, and now bumping into him again at the Association entrance as if by chance, how could Wood, a guard known for his caution, not be suspicious?

However, he had observed the young man closely yesterday. Although the black-haired youth with sharp features showed signs of having undergone some training, his attire, habits, and overall demeanor marked him as an out-and-out novice.

Could it really be that he was just overthinking things?

Wood frowned, his expression filled with doubt.

Elsewhere, the silver-haired, gray-eyed half-elf, Haian, was naturally unaware of his guard's thoughts. At the moment, he was explaining the details of their mission to the new member of their party:

"It's roughly within this range. If we don't find anything, we can extend the search further outward."

"So, you're telling me that even you don't actually know what you're looking for?" the lean, dark-skinned man in leather armor and boots—the quintessential adventurer—asked with surprise. "The Misty Forest isn't a place one can just wander around in."

"We'll stay on the outskirts, it won't..."

Haian was cut off midway by a rather high-pitched voice.

"Three days!" The somewhat chubby youth in the party, dressed in luxurious gilded robes, held up three fingers and shouted, "You don't need to help us look; once the time is up, we'll leave. I don't know what there is to fuss about."

"As for safety..." The chubby youth glanced at Wood, Haian's guard, "...that's not something you need to worry about."

Hearing this, the lean man stared hard at him and gritted his teeth. "Fine, but I want 70 gold!"

"70?" The chubby youth's voice turned shrill. "50! This is a massive Adventurer's Association; if you won't do it, plenty of others will!"

Without any effort to lower their volume, the argument between the few at the Association entrance began to draw the eyes of passersby. Perhaps because of this, the blonde girl beside the youth—who had remained silent and impatient the entire time—suddenly urged:

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

The moment she finished speaking, "Larry," the chubby youth, immediately suppressed his aggressive demeanor. He adjusted his expensive custom-made robes, wiggled his hips, and leaned in to flatter her. "Don't worry, Doris, we'll be off soon! I heard from the guards at home that the white mist inside the Misty Forest is actually concentrated magic. They say that if you take just one whiff..."

The half-elf, Haian, withdrew his gaze from the pair with a look of resignation and turned back to the lean man he had just recruited, who was now reneging on their agreement and demanding more pay.

"Our offer remains at 50 gold. If you cannot accept that, then I can only apologize."

His emotional state remained stable. In a way, the chubby guy, Cri, had actually been of some small service.

After this outburst, the lean man didn't want the lucrative job to slip through his fingers, so he put on a look of reluctant agreement and nodded.

"Fine, 50 gold it is."

"When do we set off?"

"Today. Our supplies are already prepared."