Chapter 147 Intelligence 5

Sensing eyes on him, Xia Nan turned around in confusion, only to see two figures hurrying away.

Shaking his head, he dismissed it as his imagination and thought nothing more of it.

He gently stirred the cream of mushroom soup with his wooden spoon.

The thick, milky-white broth swirled, with thinly sliced brown mushrooms and emerald parsley leaves bobbing and tumbling in the vortex.

He lifted the spoon, drawing up a translucent film of cream amid the rising, milky steam, revealing a few specks of black pepper submerged in the broth.

Between the color and the aroma, just looking at it let him imagine the wonderful sensation of the rich, savory broth melting across his tongue.

Sitting in a tavern after an adventure, drinking a piping-hot bowl of cream of mushroom soup paired with a crisp, refreshing glass of iced ale...

To him, this had already become a true luxury.

It had been five days since Xia Nan returned to Rivervale Town.

He hadn't asked anyone to deliberately downplay his performance in the battle, nor did he care that his combat achievements were spreading.

After all, Emerald Creek Village was located near Rivervale Town. A goblin attack of that scale was impossible to cover up anyway.

In fact, by his second night back, thanks to the villagers he had saved and the passing adventurers, the story of Xia Nan successfully advancing his class mid-battle and slaying a Bugbear in one-on-one combat was already widely known.

Black hair, black eyes, sharp features, youth, a Gray Two-Handed Greatsword, a Class Holder...

His reputation steadily grew.

By now, even when he stood next to the long-famous Adeline, the first thing many people called out was his moniker, "Greysword."

Even Xia Nan's slight quirk, developed from using the Decapitating Longsword, had been given the classic adventurer exaggeration treatment until it distorted completely, merging with his "Greysword" nickname.

He didn't mind this at all. If anything, he was happy to see things develop this way.

In Xia Nan's view, having a bigger reputation—even one slightly extreme and carrying a somewhat tolerable "infamy"—

genuinely saved him a lot of trouble.

Take Scar in Emerald Creek Village, for instance. Xia Nan hadn't even needed to lift a finger; simply recognizing him and Adeline had been enough for the man to shrink back, avoid a fight, and flee in a panic.

Now, the fame of "Greysword" had risen right alongside his acquisition of a Class Level.

With the White Chickadee Tavern as his main hub, he was far more famous among the lower-tier adventurers than before.

"Clack, clack."

A slightly hurried set of footsteps approached the table.

A young woman dressed as a tavern server hurried over, carrying a tray.

"Sir, this is a special gift from the boss..."

Halfway through her sentence, her foot suddenly slipped, and she was about to fall.

But just then, the waitress felt her lost balance suddenly stabilize.

It was as if something invisible had tugged at her backward-falling body.

She stumbled back two steps, miraculously managing to stay on her feet.

Still shaken, she didn't overthink it, though a few drops of cold sweat formed on her forehead.

She bowed, stepped forward, and gently placed the bottle from her tray onto the table, offering a respectful smile.

"Sir, this is a complimentary drink from our boss. Please enjoy."

Nodding, Xia Nan looked past the waitress toward the bar counter in the back.

The tavern owner, Chapton, stood there holding a freshly polished glass, raising it in a toasting gesture.

Xia Nan smiled and nodded in thanks.

"Rockheart Dark Beer... buying a bottle of this normally would cost more than five silver coins, right? And he just gave it to you? Tsk, tsk... is this the kind of treatment a Class Holder gets?" Sitting across from him, Abi stared enviously at the bottle on the table, muttering sourly.

"I wonder when I'll be able to get my first combat technique."

"Don't rush it. Take your time, it'll happen eventually," Adeline replied casually, swirling her glass beside him.

Compared to before the mission, both of them had undergone a degree of change in demeanor and personality since the battle at Emerald Creek Village.

Abi still looked immature and wore his simple, obviously rookie-level gear.

But deep within his previously ignorant and fearless eyes, there was now a touch of maturity.

He was clearly taking steps toward becoming a veteran adventurer.

As for "Greenblood" Adeline, the changes were even more drastic in Xia Nan's eyes.

Most noticeably, the massive, suffocating pressure that had once hung over her head like a dark cloud...

...had completely dissipated the moment the Red-Mane Bugbear's head was blown to pieces.

She seemed entirely refreshed, as if she inhabited a new body.

In the five days since they returned to Rivervale Town, Xia Nan had seen her smile more than he had in all their previous time together combined.

To some extent, Adeline now gave off the vibe of someone elderly about to retire and enjoy life.

If she suddenly told him the next second that she was quitting to return to the countryside and farm for the rest of her days, he wouldn't be surprised in the slightest.

As for Xia Nan, his gains from this mission went without saying.

First and foremost, the most practical and direct reflection of his "harvest" was the skyrocketing number in his bank account.

Due to his outstanding contributions during the expedition, he received a much larger cut of the bounties from the goblin eradication and gnoll bounty quests upon settlement, totaling 75 gold coins.

Then there was the Hunting Day period. With the goblin bounty raised to 5 silver coins each, plus an equal share of the corpses left behind by high-level adventurers in the lair, and his personal kill count calculated from the Emerald Creek Village battlefield, that brought in another 45 gold.

Add in the small amount of gold they had finally managed to scrape together over the past few days by selling the second-hand junk equipment from the gnolls and the Scar Squad, along with all the other task and bounty profits during the entire Hunting Day...

...and Xia Nan's savings had reached an unprecedented 756 gold, 3 silver, and 9 copper!

Enough for half a set of heavy plate armor!

If he didn't care about anything else and just slacked off, eating and drinking at the White Chickadee Tavern, it would be enough to sustain him comfortably for over three years at his current spending level.

Secondly, there was the greatest gain of this adventure:

—Class Level!

He had thought advancing to a Class Holder was still a distant dream, with no clue where to find his remaining combat technique. He never expected to fulfill the final condition during what seemed like a routine goblin eradication quest.

1 point of Agility, 1 point of Strength, 2 points of Perception, plus one combat technique and two Feats.

If Xia Nan, now a Level 1 [Meteor Blade Hunter], were to encounter the Bugbear that had nearly wiped out the Ragtag Party right after his transmigration...

With the extreme mobility of [Fang Hunt], the flexible application of [Gravity Control] in combat, and the extraordinary quality of his Magic Equipment...

He could easily handle it entirely on his own, without anyone else's help.

His previous accumulation had pushed Xia Nan's physical template beyond that of an ordinary Class Holder, gradually approaching the templates of "elites" and "bosses."

To some extent, right now, his Challenge Rating had already surpassed his Class Level itself.

At the very least, a fully equipped, well-constructed party of four average Level 1 Class Holders would find it absolutely impossible to defeat him without casualties.

Given Xia Nan's combat style, even if he couldn't beat them in the end, he would definitely drag two of them down with him before dying.

Additionally, there was the [Fate Coin] from the Halfling Alton.

Previously, Xia Nan hadn't fully grasped how to use it, treating it merely as a trump card to guarantee the physical damage immunity effect of [Bronze Sinews and Iron Bones].

This recent encounter, however, had given him some inspiration.

Clearly, the effects this Epic-grade item could produce extended far beyond combat itself.

He needed to carefully plan out its two remaining uses to maximize his returns.

Finally, and what surprised Xia Nan the most...

...was his Attribute Panel.

In the hundred or so days since his transmigration, he had long grown accustomed to this golden finger of his—the ability to view equipment and his own attribute information simply by focusing his attention.

It wasn't wildly overpowered, but it had played a massive role in helping him gain a foothold in this world.

What he hadn't expected was that the Attribute Panel could also step in during his class advancement.

Recalling the countless words that had flashed before his eyes—special classes like [Dawn Ranger] and [Ironcast Brawler], along with their corresponding combat techniques, Feats, and compatibility levels...

'Perhaps... aside from displaying item information, my golden finger has other effects I haven't discovered yet?' he thought.

"Hunting Day is over. What are you planning to do now? Are you staying in Rivervale Town?"

Adeline's voice in front of him interrupted Xia Nan's thoughts.

Scooping up a spoonful of mushroom soup, he pondered for a moment but didn't give a definitive answer.

"I'll take it one step at a time. I finally got my Class Level; I can't just retire straight away."

Adeline didn't suggest that he stay in the party.

For one, Xia Nan was now a Class Holder, and his combat strength had undergone a qualitative leap. It wouldn't be appropriate to have him tag along to clear out goblin lairs for a measly two or three gold coins.

For another, with Red-Mane dead, her life's goal was complete, and she was currently lost on what to do next.

If she didn't have the rookie Abi tagging along, she might have genuinely retired and gone back to her hometown.

She also needed some time to think about what path she should take next.

"You should make a trip to the Association, shouldn't you?" Adeline tapped her finger lightly on the table, reminding him. "If you plan on continuing as an adventurer, that is."

Although she had been in Rivervale Town for many years, she hadn't had much contact with Class Holders.

She only vaguely knew that there was a stark difference in how the Association treated adventurers who had gained a Class Level versus ordinary, lower-tier adventurers.

And one point was the most widely circulated of all.

The very thing lower-tier adventurers longed for but couldn't attain, the thing they might spend half their life's savings on only to buy a fake, yet also their fundamental means of survival—

Combat techniques.

On the Association Second Floor, there was an official channel for purchasing them.

And they were guaranteed to be one hundred percent authentic.

For that reason alone, she felt he ought to go.

Xia Nan agreed.

But before that, he still had two minor matters left to handle.

First, a trip to the blacksmith shop.

Both pieces of his armor had sustained varying degrees of damage during the fight with the Bugbear.

Whether he replaced or repaired them didn't matter.

When it came to his life and safety, this effort definitely couldn't be spared.

Oh, and there was that Hollow Bone Club left behind by Red-Mane.

As the greatest contributor to the battle, he had naturally been awarded this piece of loot afterward.

Its hardness was impressive, able to take the Decapitating Longsword's slashes head-on without a scratch.

When the Bugbear wielded it, it had even shown the ability to bewilder the mind.

It was just a pity that it didn't match Xia Nan's combat style, and he already carried two weapons.

Hanging a bone club on himself would not only look weird but also make him too bulky.

He didn't have a "Three-Sword Style Swordsman" Feat, after all.

He needed to ask Rockhammer if there was a suitable way to deal with it.

If worse came to worst, selling it for cash was also an option.

After all, he was still a large sum of money short of completing the Snake-Scale Arm Shield for his arm, and he had no idea how long it would take to scrape that together.

Second, after dealing with his equipment, he needed to find a general store.

He still had half a bag of small stones on him, also loot from this mission.

It was just that a few days ago, because there was too much other second-hand gear, he had even had to make another round trip between Rivervale Town and Emerald Creek Village to finish selling it all.

He'd been so busy he temporarily forgot it in his inn room, only remembering it this morning.

Once sold, it should be another decent chunk of income.

Aside from that, there was nothing else urgent.

If possible, he planned to rest for a while before his next mission.

It wasn't out of laziness.

He mainly wanted to familiarize himself with his newly acquired Feats and combat techniques, at least practicing them until he could use them flexibly in high-intensity combat.

But it would probably take a lot of time.

The reason mainly stemmed from [Gravity Control].

Speaking of which, though no one had ever mentioned it, and it had never been displayed on the Attribute Panel...

By comparing his maxed-out Level 5 [Spinning Slash] and his Level 3 [Fang Hunt]...

It was clear that combat techniques had different grades of quality.

[Fang Hunt] was obviously several tiers stronger than [Spinning Slash]. He had only recently mastered [Gravity Etching] and hadn't used it much, so it was hard to judge.

And as for [Gravity Control]...

Xia Nan only needed to point out one thing.

Like how he had just helped the waitress stabilize her balance—ever since he advanced and mastered this technique five days ago, he had maintained the highest intensity of training and usage possible without overly exhausting his mental and physical stamina.

Yet, its proficiency on the Attribute Panel remained a lonely "1."

It was honestly a bit absurd that its proficiency hadn't increased by even a single point.

For Xia Nan himself...

As much as he didn't want to admit it, the more he used [Gravity Control] and fumbled around to develop ways to use it...

...the more he realized just how unfathomable this combat technique was.

It felt like an ability someone of his level shouldn't possess.

And whenever he focused his mind, perceiving the gravitational ripples spreading through space, trying to interfere with them and bend them to his will...

...he always got the illusion that his brain's CPU was about to burst into flames.

He couldn't help but recall his "whopping" Intelligence of 5.

'It... shouldn't be because of that, right?' he thought.