Chapter 287 Adeline, Abi, and Sulfur

Swirling.

No utensils were needed. Silken ripples undulated across the thick surface, churning until a small vortex emerged within.

Carrying finely minced mushroom bits, warm steam rose from the milky-white soup—a sweet fragrance of blended cream and butter, the umami of mushrooms unleashed by the heat, and the distinct, fresh herbal scent of parsley.

He scooped up half a spoonful. The thick white broth clung to the bowl of the spoon, and the black-pepper-speckled diced mushrooms trembled as he brought them to his mouth.

A gentle press against the roof of his mouth felt like draping velvet over his tongue. Silkiness and fresh sweetness flooded his palate, the smooth cream forming a wondrous contrast with the grainy texture of the minced mushrooms.

All stray thoughts and tangled emotions were washed away by an indescribable sense of satisfaction. His mind went blank, leaving only the purest, most primal, and simplest sensation—

Happiness.

Sitting across the dining table, Adeline stared at the black-haired young man in front of her. He looked like a severe mana-addict inhaling magic, his soul seemingly leaving his body for a fleeting moment.

Her expression was incredibly bizarre.

"Is it really that good?" she muttered, scooping up a spoonful and stuffing it into her mouth.

Unlike her usual habit of swallowing food whole, this veteran adventurer—who was manlier than most men and possessed arm muscles capable of strangling a goblin to death barehanded—actually pursed her lips. She let the cream of mushroom soup linger on her tongue to savor it for a few extra seconds before slowly swallowing.

"It does taste pretty good," she said, smacking her lips with a baffled look. "But there's no need to exaggerate..."

"It's just a bowl of mushroom soup. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were drinking some dragon-blood medicinal stew."

"You don't understand."

Xia Nan simply narrowed his eyes in enjoyment and gently shook his head.

Whether it was goblins or cream of mushroom soup, he was certainly aware of the little quirks he had gradually developed as he ventured further down the path of an adventurer.

But he had no intention of reining them in.

With so much pressure, he ultimately needed an outlet.

Drinking a few bowls of cream of mushroom soup and tearing apart a few Green-Skinned Goblins was much better than wasting his energy at the card tables or on alcohol.

At the dining table, Xia Nan didn't say much else.

Instead, right in front of Adeline, he scooped the wooden bowl completely empty with an expression of absolute, blissful enjoyment, swallowing the last trace of soup clinging to his tongue.

Only then did he gradually recover his senses, shifting his gaze toward Greenblood Adeline, who had long since finished her "battle" and wiped her plate clean.

"Looking at you, did you gain a Class Level?"

Compared to before, Adeline's appearance hadn't changed much.

She still wore that "battle-hardened," bloodstained Scale Armor, and her hair remained a messy, unkempt buzz cut, looking like a pelt roughly sheared by a butcher.

However, beneath the armor, her solid muscles were visibly bulkier, bulging against the inner lining. The condensed aura surrounding her was also distinctly different from that of ordinary adventurers.

This allowed the sharp-sensed Xia Nan to immediately detect the qualitative change in his old acquaintance the moment he laid eyes on her.

Recalling what she had mentioned many days ago before he took on the escort mission—that she was only one step away from becoming a Class Holder—the reason for Adeline's transformation was easy to guess.

Sure enough, without the slightest attempt to hide it, she nodded earnestly.

"Not too long ago. Just a few days ago, while I was training on my own in the outskirts of town, I caught a brief moment of insight."

"And I just crossed that threshold."

Following the unspoken rules among adventurers, Xia Nan had no intention of prying into her class information. He just silently guessed it was likely something along the lines of "Warrior" or "Barbarian," and took the initiative to ask, "You haven't done your Advancement Quest yet, right? Need a hand?"

As former teammates, even though they had parted ways after Hunting Day ended, they maintained a very good relationship and frequently grabbed meals or chatted during their free time.

Adeline was also one of Xia Nan's few friends in this world.

If she ran into any difficulties, lending a helping hand within his capabilities was perfectly normal.

In fact, long ago, he had made an agreement with her that once she gained a Class Level and needed to do the Association's Advancement Quest, she should come straight to him for help—no need to overthink it, just ask.

At the time, Adeline had patted her chest and promised, saying she "wouldn't waste her connections with Greysword."

But unexpectedly, now that the time had actually come for her Advancement Quest, she was the one hesitating.

Her fingers, calloused at the knuckles from gripping weapon handles for extended periods, pinched the soup spoon for quite a while before she finally spoke.

"You know I'm not the greedy type who makes endless demands just because we're friends."

"You were out on that mission for so long. You haven't even rested in town for two days, and I'd be dragging you out again... We aren't in the same party anymore, so it's not very appropriate."

"On top of that, I've looked at the quest details assigned by the Association. It's nothing difficult; an ordinary adventurer could complete it. Plus, it has to be done within a temporary party assembled by the Association..."

"I get what you mean."

Xia Nan waved his hand, signaling her not to say any more.

He certainly understood what Adeline was trying to express.

Relationships between people couldn't always remain static.

Last year, before he had advanced to become a Class Holder, his combat capabilities might have been slightly higher than hers, but the two still maintained a relatively balanced dynamic. With her status as captain and a veteran adventurer, she might have even occupied a more central position in the party.

But after Hunting Day ended, he had reached the Novice tier in [Gravity Control] and obtained a Class Level. Even though his daily interactions with acquaintances hadn't noticeably changed due to the worldview he carried over from his past life, their attitudes toward him had subtly shifted, even growing somewhat distant.

Abi's drastically different behavior was a tangible manifestation of this change.

To a certain extent, the fact that Adeline—who previously hadn't gained her Class Level—could maintain their familiar friendship without much change was already quite a rare occurrence in this world.

This required both parties to have matching personalities and ways of handling things, refusing to let the inherent biases deeply ingrained in the people of this world drive a wedge between them.

Right now, Xia Nan could certainly wave his hand and help her clear the Association's Advancement Quest with a simple "we're buddies."

But then what?

More often than not, when there was a significant gap in power levels, maintaining a harmonious and normal friendship required careful and cautious upkeep from both sides.

"You have a point. This mission of mine took me almost halfway across Cloudclimb Province around the Molten Scale Mountains. I hacked down who knows how many goblins on the road. I really do need to rest in town for a while."

"Goblins? Those bastards are like cockroaches, they're everywhere. A few months ago, I swept almost every lair near Rivervale Town, but two days later they sprouted right back out of the ground. If you ask me, the kingdom should just..."

Clearly, the shared topic of Green-Skinned Goblins enlivened the previously cooling atmosphere at the table once again.

They chatted until the night shrouded the windows, and only then did Adeline say her goodbyes, returning to her rented single-room cabin near the tavern.

"Tap, tap."

His fingertips tapped gently against the wooden table as he nodded to the waiter who was clearing the dishes.

Xia Nan revealed a thoughtful expression.

Over the course of the entire day, he had completely processed all the loot from his mission.

The items left at the blacksmith shop went without saying. The monster materials gathered along the way, coupled with the coins looted from the half-orcs and the Goblin Lairs, came to a total of 42 gold, 3 silver, and 5 copper.

Add in the 630 gold reward for the escort mission (of which 130 gold came from selling the dragonborn Sava's equipment).

And finally, subtracting the 198 gold he spent on the Plate-Chain Composite Armor that morning.

Right now, Xia Nan's cash assets had reached exactly 1,089 gold, 9 silver, and 6 copper.

He was only one-third short of his past dream—that heavily armored, full-body plate armor armed to the teeth, which was still displayed right in the center of the shelves at the Rockhammer blacksmith shop.

Minor expenses like the mushroom soup were not even worth mentioning.

Yet, he didn't have the slightest intention of squandering it; he was even thinking about where to scrounge up some more money.

After all, the Decapitating Longsword was currently sitting in the blacksmith shop. In three days, once Barn had thoroughly studied the properties of the [Molten Ash Silver Ingot], they would have to start on the longsword's forging process.

Judging by the Arm Shield in his possession, even though he had provided the main material himself, it still cost him a full 1,000 gold to finally get the finished product.

As a weapon—which always commanded a significantly higher price than other types of equipment—the cost of reforging the Decapitating Longsword would only be higher, not lower.

In the end, 1,000 gold would very likely be far from enough.

He would rest for three days first, and once Barn confirmed things on his end, Xia Nan would have to set his money-making plan in motion.

Speaking of which, the [Tide-Surge Lure Pole] he had consigned at the Association still hadn't seen any movement. It was quietly sitting in the warehouse on the Association Second Floor, unable to be converted into cash.

'Could it be that the fishing enthusiasts in this world never come up empty-handed?'

'The usage conditions for this piece of equipment are indeed a bit harsh, but if someone deliberately looked for a loophole, it's not entirely unavoidable. It shouldn't be particularly hard to sell.'

Xia Nan mused.

However, there was nothing he could do about it. He could only wait patiently for a fated buyer.

It was worth mentioning that the [Iron-Stomach Flail] he had brought back—and even briefly tested out in a few Goblin Lairs along the way—had also been added to the item listing on the Association Second Floor.

Although it was white-grade gear, its several affixes were actually quite decent. As long as one could meet the weight trigger restriction, it counted as a pretty good weapon.

Selling it directly to a general store would honestly be a bit of a loss.

So he deposited it in the Association warehouse as well, waiting to see if someone with a discerning eye would come along and contribute a sum of extra income for him.

...

...

Meanwhile, on the other side of Rivervale Town.

Inside a boisterous tavern masquerading as a casino.

Abi squeezed through the crowd, his eyes wide and bloodshot, his chest heaving as he subconsciously panted.

Reflected in his eyes was the continuously shaking dice cup on the table ahead, rattling with crisp clacks.

The dice violently tumbling inside would decide the outcome of this gamble, as well as the fate of the last few chips he had on him.

—That was the only harvest he had left from this mission.

The result... was naturally the same as the previous rounds.

Abi lost the very last copper coin in his hands.

"Phew..."

Leaning against the wall and feeling the freezing outside air, he gazed out at the pedestrians coming and going on the street ahead.

This young man, whose face still carried a hint of immaturity but whose aura was now no different from the gamblers, seasoned sleazebags, and bottom-tier adventurers inside, didn't look particularly angry.

He was already used to it. His empty pockets were just like his heart after blowing off steam—hollow and devoid of anything.

A few months ago, back when Abi was still in the Greenblood party, it would have been impossible for him to approach this kind of venue, and he absolutely would never have pushed his hard-earned blood money onto a gambling table.

Whether it was the teachings of his parents and elders back home or the stubborn yet responsible captain of his party, neither would have allowed him to do so.

But right now...

He hadn't sent any money home for three months.

Just a few days ago, his parents had asked his literate uncle to mail him a letter, worried that he might have encountered some danger, and they had even enclosed a large portion of the savings he had previously sent back.

That had made Abi make up his mind: once this mission was over, he absolutely had to send the money back first before keeping any for his own expenses.

And the process had gone quite smoothly. Thanks to his former teammate, the renowned Greysword of the small town, their party hadn't even needed to kill a single goblin to claim the mission reward.

As the only old acquaintance of Greysword in the party, he had received nearly half of the reward.

Abi genuinely did want to send the money home, because he knew very well just how vastly those few gold coins could improve life for his parents and his two younger sisters.

But on the way back to the inn... he ultimately hadn't been able to hold himself back.

By the time he came back to his senses, the gold coins that should have been stuffed into an envelope had already been converted into chips and pushed onto the gambling table.

'Fuck,' Abi cursed inwardly, growing increasingly frustrated.

Sometimes he thought how great it would be if he could become a Class Holder like Greenblood or Greysword.

Then, any casual professional-grade mission would easily rake in dozens or even hundreds of gold coins.

Even if he only sent half of it back home, he would still have a solid few dozen gold coins left on him—plenty to drink himself into a stupor at the tavern and indulge all night long in the casino.

Perhaps he once had a chance. If he had just kept following behind Boss Adeline, with her personality, she would have definitely looked out for him even after becoming a Class Holder.

Whatever, there was no point thinking so much about it now.

That country boy in the party would probably send his rewards home tomorrow morning. Later, Abi would go back and see if he could "borrow" a few gold coins from him. If...

Suddenly, a sharp wave of stomach pain interrupted Abi's thoughts.

Subconsciously hunching over and clutching his stomach, his face contorted hideously.

"Damn it, it must be those meat skewers I ate by the roadside this afternoon!"

"No wonder they tasted sour when I chewed them! That damned stall owner, tricking me into thinking it was beef... Just wait till I... Hss..."

The casino was too far from the inn where he was staying, and with so many people inside the building, squeezing into a restroom would take several minutes.

Abi looked left and right down the street. Seeing that a nearby alleyway in the corner was empty, he hunched over, grabbed his stomach, and jogged toward it with quick, shuffling steps.

Before he even got close, a few burly half-orcs with black cloth covering their faces walked out of the alley, brushing right past him. They carried a heavy stench of blood.

They were all adventurers, and out in the wilderness, there were no facilities for bathing, so no one was particularly fussy. Let alone carrying a bloody smell upon just returning, even having bits of minced meat and viscera hanging off one's body was a common sight. With his stomach cramping unbearably, Abi paid them no mind.

He merely kept his head down, rushed into the alley, found a corner, dropped his pants, and let it rip.

It wasn't until over ten minutes later, after thoroughly emptying out the filth, that he wiped off his cold sweat and heavily leaned against the wall to stand up, muttering, "Fuck, what kind of meat was that? It hit so hard."

"It couldn't be goblin meat, right...?"

As the intense pain in his stomach dissipated, his wits returned to his brain.

Immediately afterward, he caught the thick scent of blood deep within the alley.

His expression faltered, and he recalled those few sneaky half-orcs he had passed on the street.

His Adam's apple bobbed as Abi swallowed hard.

Bolstering his courage, he carefully crept forward step by step.

At the end of the alley, two short, stocky corpses came into view.

They were covered in stab wounds, their blood pooling all over the ground. They were clearly as dead as could be.

Abi recognized these two dwarves. Earlier that day, when he followed the party back to Rivervale Town, they had been performing by the roadside. They seemed to be street buskers from who knows where.

At the time, he had even complained to the captain about how awful their singing was. He never expected that now...

Under the pitch-black cover of night, his eyes flickered uncertainly.

Abi sharply whipped his head around to check his surroundings. Seeing that the alleyway was dead silent, he threw caution to the wind, crouched down, and closed in.

Feeling the thick, warm texture of blood against his fingertips, he groped his hands over the corpses.

Suddenly, as if touching upon something, a look of pleasant surprise flashed across his face.

"Those half-orcs didn't even loot the bodies after killing them? Works out perfectly for me."

He was just about to stuff the dwarf's coin pouch into his shirt.

Suddenly, an inexplicably burnt, reeking smell of sulfur rushed into his nasal cavity with a breath, piercing straight to the top of his skull.

His face froze in a daze. Before he could even register what was happening, a hoarse, magnetic, and deep male voice—one that seemed to contain some indescribable charm—rang out in his mind:

"Boy, come here... get a little closer..."