Chapter 14: Cooling Down

“Phew…”

The early morning air was cold, and the mist hung like white smoke, gently exhaled with each breath.

A spiked hammer and a double-handed axe were slung across his back, with two daggers tucked at his waist.

Xia Nan carried a heavy pack on his back, feeling a faint weariness creeping in.

Yet, the thought of the price these items might fetch upon returning to the city quietly bolstered his spirits.

This journey had earned him far more than farming back home ever could.

Sunlight filtered through gaps in the tree canopy, casting dappled patches of light across the verdant meadow.

As he walked mechanically, Xia Nan’s mind began to wander.

Regarding Magi, who was now dead, he felt the man’s end did not quite add up.

Even though he had absorbed memories spanning eighteen years from his predecessor, the soul inhabiting this body was genuinely from a modern civilized world, an otherworldly spirit.

It wasn’t about putting on airs here; Xia Nan sensed that Magi had no need to feign generosity as he once had. He could simply make clear demands, and if there were issues, they could be discussed calmly.

After all, they had slain the bear goblin together. Magi’s two arrows had respectively triggered the cooldown of the “Deflection Field” on the [Deadline] ring and pierced the enemy’s eyes, paralyzing it.

Only then had Xia Nan gained the chance to finish it off with his upgraded body.

Magi’s contribution was undeniable.

Under such circumstances, had Magi been straightforward—even requesting that enchanted ring as long as Xia Nan received his rightful share—he would have accepted without hesitation.

To Xia Nan, this was an impressive haul for his very first adventure. He imagined that future missions with an experienced adventurer like Magi would bring similarly rewarding returns.

Reflecting on the whole experience, Xia Nan realized he had made two mistakes:

First, his mindset had yet to fully shift. Though he had crossed into another world, he instinctively clung to the ideas and values from his previous life when dealing with people and situations.

Perhaps he needed to be more pragmatic.

Second, he had presumed too much without a clear understanding of adventuring matters.

If even seasoned hunters like Magi were willing to risk everything to seize magical items alone, it was clear these artifacts were far more precious in this world—or at least among low-tier adventurers—than he had imagined.

Time passed, and the mist gradually dissipated.

The temperature rose steadily, and the dense forest gave way to sporadic clearings, where small, man-made paths appeared here and there.

Wisping smoke curled upward as a cluster of brick and tile houses with a medieval flair came into view.

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A clear stream meandered nearby, where several women dressed as farmers squatted washing clothes, their laughter ringing out occasionally.

Two young children played by the roadside—one brandished a crude wooden sword, his face set with righteous determination; the other flailed his arms wildly, pretending to be some fierce monster.

Having spent so long in the misty forest, far from human habitation, Xia Nan’s tense nerves relaxed as he took in this lively, homely scene.

The town housed the only adventurer’s guild in the vicinity. The locals were evidently familiar with adventurers.

The two children eyed Xia Nan curiously as he walked the country lane, laden with heavy packs.

Perhaps warned by their parents, they kept their distance, only watching with wide eyes from afar.

Xia Nan, having just escaped the perilous environment of the misty forest, allowed himself a moment’s ease.

Noticing the children were thin and looked malnourished, he pulled out a piece of dried meat from his pouch, broke it in half, and beckoned them over.

Their eyes lit up at the sight of the meat, and they hurried over eagerly, devouring it greedily.

Gently stroking one child’s head, Xia Nan casually asked, “What are your names?”

“Moses.” “Faye…”

Xia Nan nodded, about to reply, when a hurried, worried voice called from behind.

“Sir, sir, I’m sorry!”

Turning around, he saw a blonde woman wearing an apron.

She appeared under thirty, with a robust figure, freckles on her cheeks, and two braids dangling from her shoulders—a plain but wholesome appearance.

She was likely the mother of the two children, who immediately ran to her upon seeing her.

“Didn’t I tell you not to talk to strange men, sir?” she said sharply.

“But mom, the dried meat!”

“Not just dried meat—no cakes either! Behave!”

Her lowered voice carried an unmistakable warning, and Xia Nan’s earlier excitement upon leaving the misty forest cooled swiftly.

Noticing his gaze, the woman hastily pulled her children behind her, sweat glistening on her face from running, and kept bowing her apologies.

“I’m sorry, sir, truly sorry.”

Glancing at the two boys, who looked as if they had committed some grave offense and now hid silently behind their mother, Xia Nan suddenly lost interest in speaking further.

He waved his hand lightly and turned to leave.

Meanwhile, not far from Xia Nan, inside a closed house with shuttered windows…

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“What do you say, big brother? Shall we make a move?”

A burly man with a somewhat dull expression squatted by the windowsill, asking in a rather awkward tone.

“Not yet. Let’s observe a bit more.”

The reply came from a crew-cut man with a fierce face.

“What’s the hold-up? I’ve been watching him—he’s alone!” The burly man grew impatient. “Hammer, axe… he must be carrying valuable stuff! If we don’t act soon, someone else will snatch it!”

With that, he picked up a pitchfork resting on the floor, looking ready to burst through the door at any moment.

Instead, he received a sharp slap on the back of the head.

“Do you realize he’s armed to the teeth?”

The crew-cut man hissed under his breath.

“There’s only one of him, striding boldly out of the misty forest, and he’s not even injured.”

“Think he’s an easy mark? Luck’s really on his side!”

The crew-cut man pressed close to the wall and whispered proudly to his companion through the window crack.

“Look, every adventurer we meet travels in groups of three or five.”

“Even the lone ones are usually battered and barely escape with their lives.”

“But someone like him, walking openly down the road carrying so much gear without fear of being targeted—how many have you seen like that?”

“Never seen one before,” the burly man admitted, scratching his head.

“So, big brother, what’s the plan now?”

The crew-cut man glanced cautiously outside, then pulled his gaze back.

“This kid looks young, but he’s probably got something valuable. Not easy to deal with.”

“Let’s pass this time. We wait another couple of days to see if a better target comes along.”

“We’re leaving soon anyway. We’ll hit one big score, grab what we can, and run. So many adventurers die each year—we just toss the bodies in the forest, and who’d know?”

“Big brother, I’m with you!”