Chapter 188 Return

Nym, the post station.

The Feast of the Moon holidays were not yet over, but the station was already packed with a bustling crowd.

A long-bearded dwarf in a bearskin, looking like a bear cub on its hind legs, cracked his horsewhip and hurled foul curses at the pedestrians blocking his way.

A bare-chested half-orc hoisted several heavy sacks from a carriage, his solid, lean muscles bulging beneath his sweat-slicked, pale green skin, his face hideously contorted from the exertion.

The Feast of the Moon was certainly worth celebrating, but for the impoverished residents of the Slums who struggled just to fill their bellies, it meant little more than a slightly richer dinner on the day of the festival itself.

Things like "holidays" and "rest" were luxuries only those "city folks" with proper jobs and regular incomes could afford.

In their situation, working one less day meant going hungry for one more.

No one was willing to give up a chance to make money for the sake of illusory festival customs.

"Breaking news! Breaking news!"

"Moon Goddess Church attacked! Suspected evil objects circulating in the city!"

"..."

The newsboy's shouts echoed through the dense crowd and reached his ears.

They caught Xia Nan's attention.

He looked over and saw a familiar scrawny figure standing high on the saddle of a nearby carriage, vigorously waving a newspaper to peddle today's news to the passersby.

He had a vague impression of the boy. When he first arrived in Nym, this seemed to be the exact same kid he had run into.

He had wanted to buy a paper back then, but the caravan guards had shooed the boy away before he could.

To think they would run into each other again today.

It felt like quite a coincidence.

Xia Nan stepped forward, took two copper coins from his belt pouch, and handed them over.

"I'll take a copy."

"Right away, sir."

A sudden major incident in the city might be a dangerous event that kept some people up all night.

But for these newsboys who relied on newspaper sales to feed themselves, it was the perfect time to make money.

As long as it didn't affect them personally, they wished for huge news every single day. They wouldn't even mind if the city lord was replaced daily.

The sensational headlines had Little Snot so busy he didn't even recognize the Adventurer he had once seen through a carriage window.

Smiling, he took the two copper coins from Xia Nan and handed him a paper from the stack in his arms.

Xia Nan didn't mind the lack of recognition.

Resting one hand lightly on his belt pouch, Xia Nan pushed his way through the crowd, found a random open corner, and began to read the paper.

The first thing that caught his eye was, naturally, the front-page headline the newsboy had just been shouting—

Moon Goddess Church Suspected to Have Faced Cultist Attack; City Guard Suffers Heavy Losses

Believers of the [Maiden of the Moon], Selune, were widespread, and her clergy had always followed her teachings, guiding the lost and providing aid to those suffering in hardship.

The Moon Goddess Church held an extremely high reputation, not only in the West District where it was located, but even in the distant Slums.

Being attacked on the night of the Feast of the Moon immediately overshadowed Nym's recent upper-class turmoil, becoming the hottest topic of discussion among the vast majority of residents over the past two days.

In taverns large and small throughout the city, all sorts of bizarre theories were proposed surrounding the incident.

Some said a devil from hell had corrupted a nun in the church whose faith wasn't firm enough, causing her to betray the Goddess and stir up chaos.

Others suspected the event was tied to the recent shadow looming over the city lord's position, believing that the church's head cleric, Isidore, was colluding with some great noble.

Some even felt it was connected to the Adventurers returning to Nym after the end of Hunting Day, believing these dangerous, blood-soaked individuals had brought some evil power back with them from Rivervale Town and the Misty Forest.

Of course, upon hearing this last theory, most people simply laughed it off as the sheer nonsense of someone's wild imagination.

Then came the headline situated right below the church attack, also on the front page:

Emergency Recall! Forbidden Statues Circulating in the City. If Seen, Please Contact a Nearby Sheriff. Private Hoarding Will Be Prosecuted as the "crime of blasphemy"

The report linked the statues to the attackers of the Moon Goddess Church, declaring it a conspiracy orchestrated by cultists. It demanded that residents possessing such wood carvings turn them in as soon as possible, warning that holding onto them could pose a danger to their lives.

Beside it, a front-view illustration of the statue was thoughtfully included for citizens to identify.

Looking at the illustration of the [Sheep-Deer Figurine]—with its deer antlers, sheep head, and human body—in the newspaper.

Xia Nan's emotions were a bit complicated.

After heading back, he had naturally reviewed everything that happened that night in his mind.

He also realized that the blonde Elf in that bizarre state had delved deep into the Slums to find him, highly likely to make him speak the so-called "true name" mentioned in the notes.

And his catching the Elf's attention likely stemmed from his first encounter with the [Sheep-Deer Figurine] in Fey Wind.

This wood carving was the origin of it all.

It was only because he was relatively calm and fairly lucky that he managed to find the key to escaping the secret realm built primarily upon his own memories.

And relying on his resilient will, he had forcefully endured the mental shock from that faceless carver.

It was a blessing in disguise, allowing him to gain Feats and attributes.

Otherwise...

Recalling the eerie environment within the secret realm and the unspeakable encounter in the attic that he couldn't bear to look back on.

Xia Nan felt incredibly fortunate.

His gaze continued downward, automatically skimming past promotional and recruitment ads like Elf Leaf Bakery's New Fresh Goods Cause Overcrowding and Hearth Tavern Urgently Hiring Receptionist.

The only thing that drew a bit of his attention was news he might have had contact with, such as Massive Gray-Skinned Rat Swarm Confirmed in West District Sewers, Causing Casualties; Nym City Hall Warns Nearby Residents to Stay Away Unless Necessary!

He suddenly remembered the scene of encountering Buck in the sewers that night.

After so much time had passed, the corpses of those Gray Badger Gang members had probably been eaten clean by the gray-skinned rats.

Instead, that lucky thug leader, Ironhead, had survived because of him.

Who knew what he was up to now.

Shaking his head, Xia Nan didn't dwell on it.

Be it the rat swarm or the Gray Badger Gang.

For the current him, thinking about them any further was meaningless.

Because he was about to leave Nym and return to Rivervale Town.

The blonde Elf officially dubbed a "cultist," the quietly circulating yet urgently recalled Sheep-Deer Figurine, and even the chaos among the city's upper echelon—it all felt like a profound shadow looming over Nym, making it impossible to uncover the truth.

The waters were too deep!

Xia Nan was just a rookie Class Holder who had recently gained his Class Level; naturally, it was impossible for him to actively involve himself in an event that likely involved high-tier powers.

Right now, Buck was dead, and the mission was over.

He certainly didn't want to linger in the city and was already prepared for the return journey.

"Xia Nan, over here!"

He followed the direction of the voice.

In the crowd, he saw Jeff waving at him, standing on the prosthetic leg from the Rockhammer blacksmith shop.

Behind Jeff stood a few slightly younger men dressed as coachmen.

Just after the Feast of the Moon, the countless people who had rushed back from surrounding towns for the festival were also ready to leave.

This made the post station exceptionally busy these days; without advance booking, securing a spot was almost impossible.

But having traveled with caravans for so many years, Jeff had quite a few connections at the post station.

Learning that Xia Nan planned to return to Rivervale Town, he had taken the initiative to contact some acquaintances and found an empty spot in a caravan heading that way.

"Are you really not staying a few more days? There must be many places in Nym you haven't visited yet, right?"

Jeff looked at the approaching Xia Nan and urged him to stay with sincere earnestness.

"No thanks," Xia Nan declined with a smile. "I need to return to the Association to turn in my quest. I'm not even sure if it'll be considered complete. If not, I might have to make another trip out of town."

"You're already a Class Holder, there's no need to work so hard."

Jeff patted Xia Nan's shoulder consolingly.

"You're so young. You should take a few days off when you have the time, or find a suitable woman and settle down."

Xia Nan didn't say anything; he merely shook his head.

Regarding the gaps between quests, although he spent a lot of time training his combat techniques every day, he actually recovered quite well both physically and mentally.

If he really felt too pressured, taking a couple of days to properly rest wouldn't make him feel guilty at all.

As for starting a family...

He had deeply considered this long before he even obtained his Class Level.

Until he possessed a certain level of strength and could provide a secure enough environment for those he cared about, he wouldn't consider it.

Looking at the plain-looking middle-aged man in front of him, Xia Nan reminded him with a serious expression:

"Although I've said it before, I have to remind you one more time."

"Do not, under any circumstances, touch those bizarre-looking statues again. Stay far away from them."

"And if you see that blonde Elf from the newspaper, run immediately. Do not hesitate."

"Business can be rebuilt at any time, but you only have one life."

"If you ever encounter an issue you truly can't handle, go to the City Lord's Estate and find a man named Wood. Mention my name, and he might be able to help you out."

Mrs. Daisy with her superb cooking and incredible creamy mushroom soup; Lilina, who seemed shy on the surface but was actually quite lively once you got to know her; Jamie, who was studying at the academy and was always very polite whenever he came home occasionally...

Although they hadn't spent much time together, Jeff's entire family had left a very good impression on Xia Nan.

Even though it was their first time meeting, they had treated him like family, taking meticulous care of him and looking out for every aspect of his stay in the city.

Therefore, upon parting, Xia Nan inevitably offered a few extra words of advice.

Always reliable, Jeff listened carefully to everything Xia Nan said, then nodded seriously and earnestly, signaling that he had taken it all to heart.

Only then did a smile return to his face. He stepped aside, clearing a path through the crowd.

"It's getting late. You'd better get going."

"The next time you come to Nym, make sure to find me. That guest room at our house will always be kept for you."

Waving goodbye, Xia Nan stepped into the carriage.

The wheels creaked into motion.

Outside the window, Jeff stood in place, his eyes watching him leave.

...

...

Resupplying along the way and making camp to rest.

Stopping and starting on the road, more than half a month quietly slipped by.

They encountered no dangers like bandits or monsters. Aside from a wolf pack passing by the camp one night that gave the caravan captain a start, the most tiresome things were the unchanging Wilderness outside the window and the bumpy, swaying carriage.

Finally, on a bright and sunny morning.

The caravan returned to Rivervale Town.

The all-too-familiar clamor filled his ears; even the curses mixed within it sounded remarkably pleasant at this moment.

Pushing open the carriage door, his leather boots planted firmly on the stone-paved ground.

What met his eyes were no longer the ordinary citizens of Nym, whether dressed in rags or polished finery.

Instead, it was the piercing, cold gleam of blades reflecting the sunlight, and the crisp clatter of metal armor scraping against sword scabbards.

Even the air held that incredibly familiar, faint scent of blood.

"Greysword, you're back?"

Someone who recognized him shouted a greeting from afar, their gaze sweeping over the Decapitating Longsword on his back.

Xia Nan nodded in greeting.

He took a step forward, heading down the street toward the center of the town.

With the quest over, it was naturally time for the classic routine of dealing with his loot.

On this "adventure," although he didn't have any biological materials like Goblin ears or rust monster poison sacs, he had obtained a few shiny little stones from the Gray Badger Gang.

A trip to Fey Wind should be able to exchange them for a few bags of gold coins.

On the way to Nym, he had helped the caravan deal with attacking bandits.

Calculating the time, the horses and equipment taken as spoils should have already been converted into gold coins as agreed and left at the White Chickadee Tavern, waiting for him to pick them up.

He hadn't suffered any injuries, but the two pieces of armor he wore had been melted into molten iron by the blonde Elf's bizarre power, completely ruined.

He needed to go to Rockhammer and buy two new sets.

Of course, he hadn't forgotten.

Before leaving Rivervale Town and heading to Nym.

He had spent a full 500 gold to commission Barn at the Rockhammer blacksmith shop to forge a defensive Magic Equipment for him.

Doing the math, after nearly two months, it had to be finished by now.

He didn't know exactly what type it would be.

If it happened to be armor, it could save him a bit of money.

He felt a surge of anticipation.

Of course, before all of this.

Xia Nan had to first visit the Adventurers' Association and turn in his Advancement Quest.

If it was considered complete, he would gain the right to access the Association Second Floor, enjoy the benefits provided to Class Holders by the Association, and perhaps even gain some advanced knowledge about leveling up and class transitions.

If it wasn't complete... he still needed to formally register this current quest before he could accept a new Advancement Quest.

If possible, he would base his resupplying on the details of the new quest.

The pending tasks flashed through his mind one by one. On this familiar street he had walked countless times, there was no need to check his bearings as the scenery naturally receded past him.

When Xia Nan raised his head again.

Before him stood a towering, natural wooden building that looked much like a giant treehouse.

He had arrived at the doors of the Adventurers' Association.