Chapter 229 The Inexplicably Enthusiastic Verol

[Quest Number]: T-12031

[Type]: Collection [Reward]: 50-300 gold [Quest Summary]:

Requires mental polymers/emotional viscous solids or items of a similar nature; exact compensation is negotiable.

Sitting in the corner of the White Chickadee Tavern's main hall, Xia Nan leaned back, resting comfortably against his chair as he stretched his legs and let out a long yawn.

On the table before him sat a few scattered plates with only scraps of food remaining. The faint, sweet, and savory scent of cream still lingered in the air.

In his mind, however, he was reflecting on his encounter in the appraisal room earlier that afternoon.

Regarding the Resonance Relic in his possession—the broken Yew Staff from Mint—the appraiser Downs had advised him to hold onto it for now, rather than consigning it to the Association or any other organization.

This was because, just a few days ago, the Rivervale Town Adventurer Association had received a commission specifically seeking similar items.

And the Resonance Relic in Xia Nan's hands was highly likely to meet the quest's requirements.

According to Downs, given the rarity of Resonance Relics and the scarcity of mental/emotional polymers, Xia Nan should be able to secure a substantial offer during the face-to-face negotiation.

It would earn him far more than putting it up for consignment at the Association, and he could sell it immediately without waiting endlessly for an interested buyer.

After listening to the appraiser outline the pros and cons, Xia Nan thought it over and agreed to the plan.

They arranged for him to meet the buyer in three days, right when he would go to the Association to collect his reward for the Lycanthrope investigation quest.

The Association would use these few days to contact the buyer and make the necessary preparations.

"Speaking of which..."

The blissful satisfaction of a full stomach and the lingering aroma of cream of mushroom soup on his tongue made Xia Nan involuntarily narrow his eyes.

His mind subconsciously flashed back to the sight of Downs appraising his items.

After all, not all Magic Equipment possessed distinct visual differences from ordinary gear.

For example, the [Deathline] ring and the [Bone-Bound Iron Greaves] Xia Nan wore showed barely any visible changes even when their abilities were activated, let alone during normal times.

And for weapons with such harsh usage conditions as the [Tide-Surge Lure Pole], if he didn't have his Attribute Panel, hundreds of years could pass without anyone discovering its bizarre properties.

Under such circumstances, an ordinary person without the Identify spell naturally required a broad and profound accumulation of knowledge to notice an object's unique traits.

It was just like the master antique appraisers of his previous life, who could conduct a comprehensive evaluation of an item with a single glance based on its design style, origin of materials, and craftsmanship.

This also completely dispelled Xia Nan's thoughts of using his Attribute Panel to pose as an appraiser for quick cash.

For one thing, he lacked spellcasting ability, making it impossible for him to master Identify. For another, his understanding of this world and his accumulation of relevant knowledge were far too lacking; he would easily slip up and draw suspicion.

If someone noticed something amiss and his Golden Finger Attribute Panel was exposed, it would be ten thousand times more dangerous than someone discovering the [Tears of Spring Breath].

There was no need to face such a massive risk for some gold coins he could earn at any time.

In this regard, it was best for him to keep a low profile.

At this point, the loot from the quest had basically been dealt with. Anything of no particular value that could be liquidated had already been exchanged for gold coins.

Excluding the [Tears of Spring Breath], which he intended to keep, the [Tide-Surge Lure Pole] had been left at the Association to go through the consignment process, and the broken staff was about to be sold off.

Xia Nan's previously tense heart finally relaxed.

'Then I'll rest for three days first.'

'Once the investigation quest's reward comes in and the Resonance Relic is sold, I'll decide based on my gold whether to rest and relax for a few more days, or to hurry up and make money so I can save enough for the Arm Shield's upgrade as soon as possible.'

In the nearly two months since joining the Sea Thorn Squad, he hadn't had a proper rest. Xia Nan figured he would use this recent free time—after clearing the hidden danger of Lycanthropy from his body with a Remove Curse scroll—to find a few Goblin Lairs and blow off some steam, earning a little extra cash on the side.

Eating, sleeping, and training. A disciplined routine always made the time fly by.

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

Inside a small conference room on the second floor of the Rivervale Town Adventurer Association.

Xia Nan leaned back in an oak chair, his fingertips tapping rhythmically against the armrest.

His face showed no obvious change in expression, but his relaxed posture and the natural, slight curve of his lips suggested he was in a rather good mood.

And indeed he was.

The rewards for the Lycanthrope investigation quest had been fully credited to his account.

Considering the massive amount of cash required for the Snake-Scale Arm Shield and the magic scroll, he hadn't chosen to convert any part of it into Points, exchanging it all for gold coins instead.

A full 300 gold!

This instantly boosted his net worth to 853 gold, 3 silver, and 7 copper!

It was more than enough to buy a Remove Curse scroll worth 500 gold.

The 200g of Bone-Eroded Patterned Steel from the quest reward was currently sitting at the very bottom of his backpack.

Today he could hand it over to Barn at Rockhammer to begin the Snake-Scale Arm Shield's upgrade forging.

Regarding this, Xia Nan's biggest realization was: 'Being a lone wolf really brings in the money fast!'

He didn't have to split the money with teammates, he didn't have to worry about whether others could keep up with his pace, and he certainly didn't have to constantly guard against backstabbing during combat.

Maxing out the rewards for an E-Rank Quest like this netted him a direct 300 gold coins. He didn't even know how many Goblin Lairs that was equivalent to.

If every adventure from now on could yield this kind of harvest, his progression speed would skyrocket, and he would soon be able to save up the Points needed for advanced combat techniques.

At that thought, he vaguely began to look forward to his future. He felt an urge to charge right into the forest and find a few goblins to vent his energy.

Of course, no matter how his emotions surged, he still had to sit here for now.

That was because the meeting time Xia Nan had arranged with the Association to trade the Yew Staff was fast approaching.

He subconsciously glanced at the clock on the wall.

[9:29]

There was still one minute left until the agreed-upon meeting time of 9:30 AM.

Yet he was still the only one in the conference room.

He figured the buyer was going to be late.

It didn't really matter. He had just returned to town anyway and didn't have much urgent business.

As long as the trade went through in the end, adding another few hundred gold coins to his account, he'd be fine waiting here all day.

And just as the second hand ticked through the final minute before the agreed time, sweeping more than halfway around the dial to land on the "11" mark—leaving only five seconds until 9:30—

A series of brief, oddly steady, yet light footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the door.

It was as if they had deliberately timed it to the exact second—not a moment early, not a moment late.

The instant the second hand hit zero.

"Creak."

The conference room door was gently pushed open from the outside.

It revealed an exceptionally young, slim girl dressed in a robe.

Her long, dark chestnut hair was tied up seemingly casually with a leather cord into a sharp, lively high ponytail. Yet the strands framing her cheeks and the fluffy bangs on her forehead weren't the least bit messy; they had clearly been carefully styled before she left the house.

Her clear, translucent amber eyes sparkled. As the light shifted within them, they revealed a depth and composure unsuited for a girl her age, carrying a faint, deeply hidden trace of exhaustion.

The beige robe looked quite old, with some areas washed nearly white, yet it was spotless and perfectly neat. A practical dark brown cloak draped over her shoulders.

'A mage?' Xia Nan thought.

His high Perception quietly kicked in. In the split second he saw the girl, a multitude of details impossible for an ordinary person to catch rushed into Xia Nan's brain.

The pale fingers stained with ink and faint burn marks half-hidden by her drooping sleeves, the slightly active magic particles in the air swirling with her movements, and the small leather pouch at her waist, which differed from the typical styles used by adventurers...

Combined with an inexplicable but reliable intuition, he was certain that this girl who had just opened the door was a genuine Spellcaster.

Definitely not a fake who used innate abilities and equipment effects to masquerade as one, like Mint.

Out of courtesy, and out of respect for the upcoming trade, Xia Nan stood up and greeted her.

"Hello, I'm Xia Nan. You must be the client who posted the collection quest?"

"Hello. Yes, I—"

The soft female voice, carrying a trace of weariness, came from the doorway as she prepared to introduce herself.

But halfway through, her originally fluent voice suddenly hitched and cut off in an abrupt pause.

He looked over.

The girl with the dark chestnut ponytail was staring blankly at him.

And on her pale, delicate face was an inexplicable expression that Xia Nan hadn't seen since his transmigration.

To give an inadequate example, it was like an ordinary person in his past life who didn't follow celebrities, finally agreeing to a blind date after much persuasion from family. Yet, upon arriving at the agreed location, they unexpectedly discover that the date sitting across the table has a familiar face that frequently appears on TV.

That momentary daze—a complex mix of shock and bewilderment—was absolutely impossible to fake.

And after the shock, even though she covered it up quickly, Xia Nan still sharply detected the instinctive terror welling up from the depths of her eyes.

'What does this mean?' he wondered in confusion. 'Does she know me?'

Xia Nan frowned slightly, searching through all the memories in his mind, but he simply couldn't find an image matching her face or figure.

The pause lasted only a moment.

The young mage reacted extremely quickly. All changes in her expression were retracted in a flash, and her face lit up with a polite smile that didn't feel overly distant as she continued.

"Hello, the Association mentioned that you have a Resonance Relic in your possession?"

"To tell you the truth, I currently need some similar items to assist with my experiments. I wonder if you would let me take a look?"

"Of course, I will definitely offer a price that satisfies you!"

"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself, how rude of me."

"You can just call me Verol, Mr. Xia Nan."

Seeing her act so enthusiastically, Xia Nan pushed down his doubts and nodded in response, shaking the hand Verol proactively offered.

His outstanding Perception took effect once again.

He could clearly feel that the soft warmth in his palm had suddenly stiffened unnaturally the moment they touched. It was as if she had been electrocuted and wanted to pull away, but she forcefully suppressed the urge with her willpower, completing the handshake with a slight tremble.

He couldn't help but shift his gaze up to the girl in front of him.

Then he saw Verol instinctively tuck her chin in, hiding her fragile neck behind her jaw.

'How strange. Do I know her?' he thought.

Her odd behavior made Xia Nan feel even more puzzled. Nevertheless, he released her hand, turned to retrieve the Yew Staff from his backpack, and handed it across the table.

Knowing that her unnatural demeanor had already been noticed by the sharp-eyed, black-haired young man, Verol didn't dare make any more small talk or spout meaningless nonsense. Cutting straight to the point, she took the staff and examined it closely.

"Please wait a moment, Mr. Xia Nan," she said very politely.

About five minutes passed before she gave a soft nod.

Her pale, slender index finger traced a few light strokes in the air around the staff.

Whoosh. A gentle breeze suddenly swept through the tightly sealed conference room.

As she tapped the body of the staff, a magical glow flashed from her fingertip.

Verol's translucent amber eyes briefly clouded over.

A second later, she returned to normal.

Smiling at Xia Nan, she replied, "It is indeed a rare Resonance Relic. Have you decided on a price, Mr. Xia Nan? It's fine even if it's a bit high, we can discuss it."

'So honest?'

'This is the first time I've seen someone willingly offer to pay more.'

Hearing her words, Xia Nan couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

He didn't know if this young mage named Verol naturally had such a personality, or if it was because...

He recalled her bizarre expressions and movements when they first met.

After pondering for a moment, he didn't rush to close the deal.

Wanting to fish for some information, he changed the subject and asked, "I don't know if this is offensive, but before we proceed, I have a question."

"Please go ahead."

"What you just cast on the Yew Staff... was that the Identify spell?"

"Yes, Mr. Xia Nan," Verol smiled and nodded, patiently and politely explaining it to him. "It's an improved variant of the Identify spell, specialized for appraising materials like Resonance Relics, and the casting process has been greatly simplified."

"But I am terribly sorry, Mr. Xia Nan. Bound by my school's oath, I'm afraid I cannot provide you with the corresponding spell model. If you are interested, I—"

"No need, no need," Xia Nan waved his hands repeatedly.

Since they met, the young mage's inexplicable enthusiasm left him feeling somewhat uncertain.

It naturally couldn't be some melodramatic cliché like "love at first sight." There had to be a reason for her behavior.

But in his memories, he had absolutely no impression of Verol. He was certain that neither his original body's owner nor his transmigrated self had ever met her.

'Then why?'