Chapter 33: The Condition

The Misty Forest stretches infinitely, its air thick with potent magic. This mysterious expanse of dense woods and thickets serves as a cradle for countless living creatures.

Four rust monsters, five adventurers, and a fierce, life-or-death battle.

In the context of the vast forest, however, it was merely one of the innumerable cycles of predation—the eternal alternation of eating and being eaten that repeats every single second.

The campfire flickered.

The orange-red glow seemed to dissolve into the night, transforming into a hazy mist that drifted lazily through the air, encircling those nearby. After the skirmish, Xia Nan and the others hurriedly packed their gear. Under Wood’s direction, they quickly relocated their camp before the sun sank completely below the horizon.

"Sss! Easy, easy!"

Larry’s forehead was beaded with sweat as he, with Doris’s help, carefully unwound the bandages he had wrapped in haste.

The venom of a rust monster is the natural enemy of metal equipment. Even a few stray drops, if left unattended, are enough to corrode a large, jagged depression in armor, much like ants building a nest.

When it comes to human skin, however, the toxicity is significantly milder.

It feels like a burn—stinging and inflamed, but not lethal.

Facing Larry’s dramatic wincing, as if he were suffering from a grievous wound, Doris, despite a look of disdain and some muttered complaints, continued to dress his wounds with care.

In the center of the camp, the half-elf was whispering with his guard about tomorrow’s route. The silence between them had lifted; the previous tension seemed to have been forgotten with the conclusion of the battle.

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

He was not, however, maintaining the gleaming decapitation sword at his side. Instead, he was focused intently on roasting his dried meat.

After a tumultuous day, he needed to replenish his strength through food.

As a rookie adventurer at the very bottom of the hierarchy, having completed few missions, he was not well-established. Even though his modern sensibilities from his previous life and his once-decent family savings made him willing to spend a few extra coins on supplies, his provisions were meager: a stack of hard black bread, several large chunks of smoked meat, two strips of fish jerky so salty they burned the throat, and other miscellaneous items—totaling about five days' worth of rations.

It wasn't that Xia Nan was stingy; it was simply that the unique environment of the Misty Forest caused fresh food to spoil far faster than usual.

He had originally thought he would only be gathering some fire-garlic vines and spending at most one night outside, so he had simply followed the checklist in the *Adventurer's Handbook* to make his purchases at the general store.

Thinking back, perhaps he should have spent a few more silver coins to see if he could bring along better provisions.

Xia Nan used his dagger to slice the heated smoked meat and popped it into his mouth.

"Hmm... at least it’s warm."

Feeling the indescribable, strange flavor in his mouth, he comforted himself inwardly.

Yet, his mind couldn't help but drift back to the "grand feast" he had enjoyed a few days ago at the White Tit Tavern, where he had spent a "whopping" three silver coins.

"That mushroom soup was truly delicious."

He smacked his lips unconsciously.

Come to think of it, although he hadn’t encountered one yet, there must be proper mages in this world. Perhaps there were things like "space rings" or "storage spells."

If he could get his hands on such items in the future, it wouldn't just make carrying supplies easier; he could easily bring trophies like the "rust monster carapace" back to the city.

With that thought, Xia Nan gave a self-deprecating smile.

He felt like the protagonist of the "Emperor's Golden Hoe" joke from his past life.

"Xia Nan? What are you thinking about?"

A hushed call sounded in his ear.

Xia Nan snapped back to reality. He looked up to see that Larry, his dressings now changed, had come to sit beside him, holding a small basket.

"Here, this is for you."

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

A quick glance revealed a palm-sized glass bottle and several small parcels wrapped in fine cloth.

"Twin-needle bee honey. I bought it at the 'Elf Leaf' bakery—it’s very famous. You should try it."

Larry pointed to the golden, viscous liquid in the bottle, his lively expression resembling a salesman from a livestream back home.

"And these pieces of goat cheese—Doris’s family makes them. They taste great, especially with the dried meat. Tsk, the flavor..."

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

He had intended to exchange a few more words and perhaps discuss the mission, but Larry acted as if he had only come to deliver the gift. Leaving behind a quick, "Once we’re back in Neum, I’ll treat you to a few days of fun in the city," he hurried back toward the others at Doris’s urging.

*Sizz-le.*

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

As he took a bite, the salty-sweet taste of the otherworldly cheese transformed the dry, bland jerky into an entirely different dish.

Xia Nan’s eyes lit up, and even his weary body and mind felt a sense of relief.

He looked toward Larry and Doris, who were whispering to each other in the distance, his gaze complex.

When he had first joined the party, he assumed they were just the classic, cliché "pursuer and pursued" dynamic so common in his previous life. After all, with Larry’s sycophantic demeanor and Doris’s indifferent attitude, it was hard not to think that way.

But after spending the whole day with them, Xia Nan realized that while Larry was always fawning, he wasn't without a bottom line; and although Doris was often dismissive, she wasn't as distant as she seemed at certain moments.

"I don't get it."

He shook his head, puzzled.

"It’s strange, isn't it?" The half-elf, seemingly noticing Xia Nan’s gaze, smiled and spoke up.

"What if I told you that the two of them grew up together?"

Hm? Childhood sweethearts?

Xia Nan’s curiosity deepened. He asked instinctively, "Then why are they..."

"Looking so awkward, right?" Haian watched them from afar, his voice lowering. "The reality is actually quite complicated."

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

"That’s why they’ve known each other since they were children. And afterwards..."

As he spoke, the half-elf seemed to realize that his current behavior wasn't entirely appropriate, so he cut himself off, concluding, "What happened after that is just like the stories in the stage plays."

Xia Nan still didn't understand.

But since Haian didn't intend to elaborate, he didn't press the issue and instead turned the conversation toward the half-elf himself.

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

At this, Haian’s body stiffened.

His silver-gray eyes flickered. He hesitated for a moment, then, as if setting down a heavy burden, he let out a long breath.

He took the jet-black wooden token from his belt pouch.

Rubbing his thumb gently over its surface, he whispered, "When I was young, I used to pester my mother to tell me stories before bed."

"Although there were only a few, and she didn't tell them as vividly as Aunt Polly..."

"But..." The evening breeze blew, revealing the long, elegant ears hidden beneath his silver hair. "Those stories all came from my mother’s homeland."

"Flower sprites that like to play tricks, tree-folk that guide the lost, dreams woven from emerald and green jade..."

"Only on those nights, under the sound of my mother’s gentle voice, could I stop thinking about the way others looked at me during the day. I didn't have to worry about... who I was."

The silver-gray eyes, unique to the elves, reflected the flickering flames.

Haian suddenly turned to look at Wood, who was standing nearby, hesitant to speak.

He sighed.

"I actually know that the design of this token is different from the traditional style of my mother’s clan."

"But this is my last chance; I have to try."

"After this mission is over, regardless of whether I find anything, I doubt I’ll be able to leave the house again, will I?"

"That won't happen, Young Master!" Wood replied firmly, but then, as if something occurred to him, his expression clouded with hesitation and struggle, and he repeated, as if to himself, "It won't happen."

It had been a casual question, and he hadn't expected it to dampen the team's spirits.

Xia Nan looked between the two, his mind racing to change the subject.

"Right! I’ve actually always wanted to know—Wood, you’re a professional, right?"

"The kind who has officially attained a class level," he added.

Wood’s expression turned peculiar.

"You don't know? I thought you had figured it out long ago."

"Haha, well, this is only my second mission," Xia Nan said, scratching his head.

"I’ve never come into contact with a true professional before, so I was just curious."

"Second mission!?" As if catching a keyword, the half-elf’s ears pricked up.

"So, when you told Larry you were a rookie, it was true?"

Without waiting for Xia Nan to respond, Haian looked at the iron-gray decapitation sword at his side with astonishment.

"The combat technique you used earlier didn't look like something a rookie would have."

Hearing the half-elf’s surprise regarding his [Spinning Slash], Xia Nan felt a bit confused.

"What’s wrong? Combat techniques... aren't they something you all know?"

Upon hearing this, Haian looked as if he had discovered a new world, exclaiming, "Wait! Your mentor didn't teach you these things?"

"Mentor? I’ve never had a mentor."

"Then where did you learn that combat technique?"

To Xia Nan, the experiences of his predecessor were nothing worth hiding. The half-page of the skill book detailing the training method for [Spinning Slash] had been fed to the old ox in the shed years ago, after the whole family failed to make any progress with it.

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

!?

"So, you spent years swinging your sword at half a piece of paper, and you just... mastered it!?"

Wood’s face displayed a look of amazement that hadn't even appeared during the battle.

Beside him, Haian had stopped speaking entirely, simply staring at him with the eyes one might use for an alien—which, in a sense, wasn't entirely wrong. In some ways, Xia Nan was indeed an "alien."

By now, no matter how slow his reaction, the expressions of the two men made Xia Nan realize that something was "off" about this body.

Even though he had been an ordinary office worker in his past life who had barely been in a fight, after crossing over, he was suddenly able to trade blows with various monsters.

Though he felt a bit clumsy, every time he reviewed his performance, the choices he made in the heat of battle based on instinct were usually correct and precise.

Added to that was the [Spinning Slash] skill, which had been nearly maxed out when he first arrived in this world...

Could it be that this body, and perhaps his own past life, truly had a talent for combat?

Seeing that Xia Nan’s reaction didn't seem feigned, Wood, though still surprised, regained his composure and began to explain the knowledge of "combat techniques" in this world.

According to Wood, because of the different classes and effects, the number of combat techniques on the Aifala Continent was as numerous as the stars in the sky.

However, neither the Adventurers' Guild nor any other organization had established a clear and explicit grading system for these techniques.

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

Even the distinction between "Novice" and "Skilled" was notoriously vague.

"And what about 'Mastered'?" Xia Nan asked, his brow furrowing slightly.

To this, Wood, who had lowered his guard and accepted him, smiled mysteriously.

"Compared to the first two, 'Mastered' level techniques are actually the easiest to distinguish."

"Because as long as you refine a true combat technique to the 'Mastered' level, all the effort you have invested will be returned to you in that very instant."

"In short, the moment you train a technique to 'Mastered,' you will clearly feel a sudden, violent surge in certain aspects of your physical attributes."

"Some techniques will even grant you special skills related to that area once they are mastered."

Hearing this, Xia Nan immediately thought of the two attribute points and the "Cleave Expert" feat he had gained a few days ago when he leveled [Spinning Slash] to "lv5" while facing the hobgoblin.

So, the "lv5" on the system panel corresponded to what this world called "Mastered"?

And by extension, "lv1-2" was "Novice," and "lv3-4" was "Skilled"?

Xia Nan had a sudden realization and couldn't help but ask:

"So, are 'Mastered' level combat techniques rare?"

The moment he finished speaking, Haian’s eyes widened.

"Of course!"

"Training a related combat technique to 'Mastered' is one of the essential requirements for obtaining a class level!"

Class level!?

Xia Nan felt a surge of excitement, his breathing growing heavy.

"What else? What are the other requirements?"

"How does one become a professional?"