Chapter 114 Spellcaster

Female Class Holders were not an uncommon sight on the Aifala Continent.

There were elf archers who roamed the forests, chasing the rushing winds and falling leaves; there were mages who threw themselves into the arcane sea to explore the mysteries of mathematics and the stars. These great beings, hailed in epics and known as living legends, commanded such presence that people subconsciously overlooked their gender, focusing entirely on the monumental achievements they attained in their respective fields.

But because of objective physical differences, very few women appeared among the lower-tier adventurers—those who had yet to grasp sufficiently powerful Transcendent Tier abilities and had to rely mostly on their bodies and combat techniques.

If such a woman actually existed—one who remained a steady, long-term presence in the Association hall, and who even managed to earn a relatively unironic moniker from those deeply pragmatic adventurers who lived by the survival of the fittest...

...then, to a certain extent, it meant the surrounding adventurers acknowledged her capabilities in every aspect.

It was enough to prove her strength.

"Greenblood" Adeline.

This burly woman with a closely cropped buzz cut had looked exactly like this since the day she first arrived in Rivervale Town many years ago.

No one knew if she had ever grown her hair out, if she had ever had a family, or if she had once been like the peasant women in the fields, wrangling children while taking care of endless household chores.

Adventurers, tying their heads to their belts to trade their lives for gold coins, rarely had the spare time to dig into it.

Only occasionally would some drunkard in a tavern, brain numbed by alcohol and mouth unguarded, let slip a few idle rumors.

And hardly anyone cared.

At least in the eyes of the vast majority of lower-tier adventurers in Rivervale Town, gender aside, Adeline was really just an adventurer who pushed herself extremely hard and occasionally seemed a bit paranoid.

Unlike how most bottom-rung adventurers replaced their actual names with physical traits like "Fatty," "Tumor," or "Big Mouth"—

...or took on predominantly negative titles like "Cowardly **," "Despicable **," or "Stingy **"—

"Greenblood",

taken purely literally, carried a much more neutral tone.

And the truth was exactly that.

Adeline displayed an extraordinary obsession with the green-skinned goblins that infested every corner of the forest like cockroaches.

She had stayed in Rivervale Town for many years, and her personal strength had nearly reached the level required to obtain a Class Level.

She could clearly accept more cost-effective quests—ones that required less effort while rewarding more gold coins.

Yet from beginning to end, she remained entirely focused on exterminating goblins.

Even if it meant braving the elements in the forest for days on end, only to return to town with a meager dozen or so gold coins.

She never tired of it.

And when the members of her party gradually grew through these successive quests, eventually wanting to take on tougher challenges and earn greater rewards...

Adeline never stood in their way, simply letting them leave the team without a fuss.

Over the years, as her former teammates scattered into various other parties, her reputation in Rivervale Town steadily rose and spread.

Under the indirect guidance of a few perceptive individuals among them, she earned the title of "Greenblood."

It meant that every time she returned to town, she was drenched in the blood of those greenskins.

"They have a good reputation. They're a proper team that takes quests to earn money."

"They're quite reliable, and they just happen to be short one person right now."

"Adeline and I have a bit of history. If you're willing, I can go over and put in a good word for you," Chapton said, setting down his plate and looking toward Xia Nan.

Xia Nan nodded in thanks. 'Only killing goblins?' he thought. 'That's just like me.'

However, while his own focus on these green-skinned goblins might be partially due to his experiences right after transmigrating, the main reason was that their threat level relied almost entirely on sheer numbers.

With the effects of [Fang Hunt] granting him high mobility, he could easily escape dangerous situations.

He knew the goblins' strength and attack patterns inside and out.

That was why he treated them as his primary targets to grind proficiency, making a little pocket money on the side.

As for Adeline... she probably had her own reasons.

Right now, in order to accept the special goblin-related quests for the Hunting Day, he really did need a party.

Not to mention how much help they could provide—at the very least, they shouldn't hold him back too much and affect his training progress.

Since Chapton said Adeline's party was reliable and a good fit, and Xia Nan wasn't exactly in a position to shop around...

And they had even proactively invited him.

Maybe... it wasn't a bad idea?

Xia Nan scooped up a spoonful of cream of mushroom soup, savoring the fresh, savory sweetness that lingered on his tongue.

His dark eyes swept toward the sturdy figure sitting by the table near the tavern's entrance.

His mind recalled the title Chapton had just mentioned, the name the surrounding adventurers gave her: "Greenblood."

He let his imagination wander.

He wondered when he would earn a title like that for himself.

Inside the crowded Adventurers' Association.

Xia Nan, fully armed with two longswords on his back, stood in a slightly more spacious corner of the hall.

Beside him was "Old Berg," who looked to be in his thirties and dressed like an archer.

Adeline and the other young member of the team, Abi, were currently squeezing through the crowd in front of the quest board, searching for a suitable task.

Yes.

After careful consideration, he had ultimately accepted Adeline's invitation.

He joined their party as a temporary member.

Of course, before agreeing, he had already made it clear to Adeline that their partnership would only last for this single Hunting Day.

Once the festival ended, he would leave the party.

After all, Xia Nan had already made plans to accelerate his progression, and he was carrying Magic Equipment like the [Fate Coin] and [Deathline].

Unless he trusted someone implicitly, it was hard to team up with others without any reservations.

Adeline hadn't asked any questions about this and immediately agreed to Xia Nan's condition.

"You look so young. You must have entered this line of work at an early age, right?" Berg, who was standing beside Xia Nan, asked casually as he looked at a face that wasn't much older than Abi's.

He couldn't be blamed for being curious.

If one really counted, Xia Nan was actually just a rookie who had been in the business for about half a year.

But judging from his demeanor and attire, he didn't look much different from those experienced veteran adventurers. In fact, he looked even more seasoned.

There was his high-quality, expensive, and well-maintained metal chainmail, and his distinct combat style that favored dual swords over the common "one-handed sword and shield" setup.

And that calm, effortless composure he exuded.

He didn't look like a rookie at all.

This made it so that despite Xia Nan's youthful appearance, Berg didn't think he was a greenhorn, assuming instead that he had simply stepped into the adventurer profession very early on.

Xia Nan didn't answer directly.

He merely shook his head ambiguously.

A necessary amount of concealment and a few minor misunderstandings weren't a bad thing for him.

"So you usually dual-wield in combat?" Seeing that Xia Nan didn't want to talk about it, Berg changed the subject. He glanced at the two swords on Xia Nan's back, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

Among adventurers, dual-wielding combat styles were not uncommon.

The weapon of choice for their own party leader, Adeline, was two one-handed hammers.

But a combination like Xia Nan's—one two-handed longsword and one single-handed wooden sword—was indeed a bit bizarre.

"One is a spare," Xia Nan answered.

Berg would be his teammate for the foreseeable future, so he would see Xia Nan's combat habits sooner or later. Compared to how many years he had been in the business, there was no need to hide this.

As long as he didn't reveal the special properties of the wooden sword, [Azure Pine], it was fine.

The two of them had only just met and didn't know much about each other.

They merely chatted idly to pass the time while waiting for Adeline to return with a quest.

"Berg! Your team managed to recruit someone?" a voice suddenly called out from the nearby crowd.

A skinny man wearing leather armor greeted him from a distance, a fake smile plastered across his face.

It seemed he and Berg had some history.

Upon seeing him, a stiff, awkward smile immediately formed on Berg's face.

He proactively stepped forward and threw an arm over the man's shoulder.

"I'm in the wrong this time. After the Hunting Day, pick any tavern in town—drinks are on me!"

Pinching Berg's sleeve, the skinny man shrugged off the arm draped over his shoulder and said in a mocking tone, "Oh my, with 'Greenblood' backing you, how could I dare take advantage of you?"

"Kegel, don't be like that." Knowing he was in the wrong, Berg still forced a smile despite the man's passive-aggressive sarcasm. "You know I'm not the kind of guy who takes money and doesn't deliver."

"I brought it up with the captain, but she didn't pick you. There was nothing I could do."

"How about I take you over to talk to her again?"

"If it really comes down to it, I'll risk this old face of mine and—"

"Stop." The skinny man named Kegel instantly dropped his smile and looked toward the other side of the hall.

Over there, several adventurers wearing Fine armor were staring coldly at the two of them.

Seeing Kegel look his way, the burly man who appeared to be their leader suddenly broke into a sinister grin, revealing a mouthful of rotten, yellowish-brown teeth.

"Without you, did you really think I couldn't find a team?" Kegel sneered.

Berg followed his gaze. The moment he barely recognized their identities, his eyes snapped back as if he had been shocked by electricity.

"'Gap-Toothed' Bennett!? How did you end up mixing with them?"

He lowered his voice, his words subconsciously speeding up as a hint of anxiety appeared on his face.

"Don't you know? He—"

"I need to make money!" Kegel interrupted again, his tone freezing cold. "Without gold coins, how the hell am I supposed to feed my family?"

"If you won't help, I'll find my own way."

With that, he didn't even wait for Berg's reply. He merely cast a cold glance at Xia Nan standing behind him.

Then he turned around and walked straight toward Gap-Toothed's group.

Berg originally wanted to chase after him and explain a bit more, but perhaps deterred by the notoriously foul reputation of Gap-Toothed Bennett...

He only took two steps before halting in his tracks.

Hanging his head, he returned to Xia Nan's side with a heavy sigh.

Standing not far away and witnessing the whole exchange, Xia Nan roughly pieced together what had happened through their conversation:

Adeline's party was exactly one person short of the four-person requirement for the Hunting Day. That skinny man named Kegel had used his connections (and likely paid a price) to have Berg pull him into the team.

In the end, for whatever reason, Adeline didn't fancy him and had instead invited Xia Nan to fill the vacancy.

Kegel had spent the money, but the job didn't get done.

This caused Kegel to fall out with Berg and join Gap-Toothed Bennett's adventurer team.

Judging from Berg's tone, this Bennett didn't seem to have a very good reputation.

"Gap-Toothed? How come I haven't heard of him?" Xia Nan couldn't help but scratch his head.

Regardless of the expense, he had chosen to live long-term at the White Titmouse Tavern just to gather intelligence in the place where the most adventurers gathered in town.

Over the past few months, although he had indeed acquired a lot of intelligence, he had also picked up no shortage of obscure, shady rumors and dirty curse words.

The name "Gap-Toothed" sounded vaguely familiar; he might have heard adventurers at a neighboring table mention it some night.

But as for Bennett himself, he knew absolutely nothing about the man.

Berg's expression darkened considerably after returning, looking heavily weighed down by his thoughts.

He stopped talking.

Xia Nan thus minded his own business, observing the crowd coming and going in the Adventurers' Association hall.

Suddenly, his gaze fixed on something.

It was a man dressed in a plain robe.

His slightly messy black hair fell to his shoulders, and his features were refined. A few crow's feet creased the corners of his eyes, yet strangely, it was impossible to discern his approximate age.

The surface of his indigo ramie robe looked faintly white as if faded from washing, but upon closer inspection, one would realize it was intentionally distressed. As the hem swayed, it revealed the soft, fine texture of expensive silk that Xia Nan had once seen in a tailor's shop.

On the ring finger, index finger, and thumb of his left hand, he wore three rings of varying textures and colors. As his body moved, his right sleeve occasionally rode up, revealing a Silver-Iron Bracelet carved with intricate patterns around his wrist.

He was unlike the other adventurers in the hall, who would have loved to line even their underwear with metal, wrapping themselves tight in three inner and outer layers of various armor.

This man only wore a simple, lightweight robe, and he didn't carry any heavy bags on his back.

A delicate, compact leather pouch hung at his waist.

As his arms swung with his strides, his left hand rested lightly in the air, as if he could plunge his fingers into the pouch and pull out whatever he needed the very next second.

For some reason, looking at that figure leisurely crossing the hall...

Xia Nan was suddenly reminded of a famous professor from a top-tier domestic university who had been invited to speak at a corporate conference in his past life.

'A Spellcaster?' an inexplicable flash of intuition made him subconsciously conclude.

Then, he watched with his own eyes as the man walked up the stairs, heading toward the Association Second Floor, a place only Class Holders were qualified to enter.

"The quest is accepted. The location is on the outskirts of the forest. The round trip will take about two days," Adeline's raspy yet slightly thin voice sounded by his ear.

Xia Nan retracted his gaze.

He tightened the straps of the scabbards on his back.

"Then let's head out."