Chapter 301 Quest Selection and the Underdark

Exploration, investigation, and bounty.

These three quests were entirely different in nature, but after careful analysis, Xia Nan determined they were the most suitable choices for his current situation.

He urgently needed funds to fill the financial hole left by reforging his longsword. Replacing his weapon of choice had also slightly diminished his combat prowess, so he needed to avoid powerful enemies and stick to hunting weak monsters.

Moreover, having just returned from a lengthy adventure, he didn't want to travel far—at least not before his sword was finished. He only planned to operate around Rivervale Town for now.

Taking all this into account, he had narrowed his options down to these three commissions.

As for which one to choose...

To a certain extent, Xia Nan could actually "take them all."

He was, after all, a proper Class Holder who had ascended to the Association Second Floor. The Association placed no limits on how many quests he could take on at once.

The Association would even prefer its adventurers to complete five or six quests in a single go. Such efficiency counted toward the Adventurers' Association's own performance metrics, earning them processing fees and boosting their reputation.

In practice, however, anyone who understood this line of work rarely took on multiple commissions at once—long-term tasks excluded. This held true from rookies who had just obtained their Class Level at Level 1, all the way up to Legendary figures beyond Level 20.

Often, even if two tasks were of similar difficulty and well within an adventurer's capabilities, tackling them simultaneously was far harder than doing them separately. "1+1" didn't equal 2; it could reach "3" or even "4."

A prolonged mission duration drastically increased the chances of unexpected accidents. Spending extended periods in the Wilderness without proper rest in a human settlement would also cause an adventurer's physical and mental state to plummet in the later stages, degrading their combat ability and inviting unnecessary danger.

Xia Nan was undoubtedly short on money, but not to the point of sacrificing his safety and risking his life just to earn a few gold coins.

Furthermore, as an adventurer without spatial storage equipment who had to carry all his supplies, he had to factor in resource consumption.

If he took on multiple tasks and an emergency left him completely drained of supplies deep in the woods... Xia Nan had no desire to play Wilderness Survival in a monster-infested territory.

Therefore, taking things one step at a time and completing quests sequentially was the wisest and safest choice.

His eyes swept over the quest manual Molly had organized for him, carefully weighing the pros and cons of these three commissions to make his decision.

The first to be eliminated was the investigation quest, number "E-10257."

The Rotten Root Mire was located in the core zone of the Misty Forest. Normally, any adventurer squad daring enough to delve that deep was at least Class Grade.

Even so, no less than six teams had been attacked and gone missing there. The danger was palpable.

In fact, considering the casualties already caused, Xia Nan felt the Association's reward was a bit meager, even for an "investigation" quest.

Most importantly, the main reason he abandoned this task was the Association's vague description of the potential threat.

Until he actually encountered the target head-on, he would have no idea what he was facing.

It might just be a young Owlbear that barely reached a Challenge Rating of 3, or it could be an adult black dragon with a Challenge Rating of 14 that had taken a liking to the mire and claimed it.

If his luck was bad and he ran into an enemy capable of restricting his movement, neutralizing the high mobility he relied on, he wouldn't even be able to escape. That would be a true disaster.

Thus, out of caution, Xia Nan passed on this investigation quest first.

The second item he crossed off his list was the exploration quest, number "D-7693."

Although it offered the highest reward of the three, it was also the most complicated.

He might meet the requirements of being "familiar with Wilderness Survival" and "possessing a good sense of direction."

But he had absolutely no experience with "cartography." He was entirely clueless in that regard.

Under those circumstances, if he went to all the trouble of drawing a map only to have the reward slashed to the lowest tier—or even fail the quest entirely—because of poor draftsmanship, it would be a total waste of time.

Moreover, in his understanding, drawing a map wasn't something that could be completed in a day or two. If he took it on, setting aside safety concerns, he might have to travel back and forth between the basin and the town multiple times to restock supplies. It would drain too much time and energy, ultimately lowering his earning efficiency.

With all that considered, he was left with only one choice.

The bounty quest, number "E-9368."

The target was a goblin tribe located in the core region of the forest, led by a hobgoblin.

The main difficulty to note was the complex environment of the Goblin Lair.

To be honest, the moment Xia Nan laid eyes on this commission, he had already leaned toward it.

After all, to him right now, slaughtering those filthy, ugly green-skinned goblins felt less like a chore and more like a form of enjoyment.

When "work" and "hobby" merged—and the mandatory nature of the job didn't ruin his interest in the latter—the work itself became a pleasant, "wonderful" thing.

Of course, before making his final decision, Xia Nan still had a few specific details to confirm.

"In the Quest Summary, this super-giant goblin settlement that was wiped out before—how large was its actual scale? Is there any additional intel available, like how it was destroyed, or the number of elite goblin individuals inside?" Xia Nan asked.

"And does the goblin tribe targeted by this quest have any substantial connection to the previous owners of the lair they occupy?"

Facing Xia Nan's questions, Molly—who had been answering his every inquiry flawlessly and acting with utmost professionalism ever since she became his exclusive receptionist upon his promotion to a Class Holder—showed a clear look of apology and bowed. "I am truly sorry, Mr. Xia Nan."

"Regarding the large, annihilated goblin settlement you mentioned, I actually looked into it specifically within the Association when filtering quests for you, but..."

"My authority wasn't high enough."

"Normally, goblin-related intel wouldn't have such a high restriction level. This is the first time I've encountered something like this."

"Therefore, I don't know any more about the situation than you do."

"As for your latter question—whether the goblins currently occupying the lair are related to the previously cleared settlement..."

"My answer is that there is a high probability they have no direct connection."

Hearing her answer, Xia Nan frowned slightly. He sat in his chair and pondered for a moment before finally making his decision.

"Alright, I'll take this one," Xia Nan said, pointing at the quest manual in front of him as he spoke to Molly, who was waiting quietly beside him.

"Understood, Mr. Xia Nan," the young woman replied softly with a nod, closing the manual. "I will go handle the paperwork for you right away."

...

...

Meanwhile, deep within the Misty Forest.

Underground.

After spending the happiest three days of his life in Rivervale Town, Abi had ushered in the darkest period he could remember, both in terms of his mental state and his physical environment.

He had thought he would soon reach his destination under Lord Saloyan's guidance, receive his blessing, and become a powerful Class Holder.

But to his surprise, ever since entering through the Petrification Lizard Lair, the dark and narrow tunnel seemed to lead straight to the center of the earth. It angled endlessly downward, with nothing but eternal darkness ahead.

And the inexplicable, bizarre noises drifting from unknown depths added a touch of terror to the deathly still environment.

If it weren't for Mr. Saloyan constantly comforting him, he likely would have lost all courage to press forward in such surroundings.

The monotonous sights of stone walls and luminescent fungal moss had also caused Abi to completely lose his sense of time after a sleep brought on by sheer exhaustion. He could no longer accurately gauge how much time had passed.

It wasn't until moments ago that the seemingly endless, plunging tunnel finally changed.

It was an experience that could almost be described as "suddenly seeing the light."

First, an uplifting speck of light—blindingly bright against the gloomy backdrop—appeared at the end of the tunnel.

Even knowing he was deep underground and couldn't possibly have found an exit, Abi unconsciously quickened his pace.

Soon after, as Abi drew closer to the light and finally stepped out of the passageway, a staggeringly expansive and breathtakingly massive cavern entered his view.

Grayish-black rock hung overhead like a stone canopy, with stalactites dangling down like an inverted forest. The eerie green phosphorescence and the pale blue glow of luminescent fungal colonies served as the primary light sources in this space.

It wasn't blindingly bright, but it was enough to illuminate most of the objects within the cavern.

The air flowed faintly, damp and carrying a hint of mildew. When he inhaled it into his lungs, he could feel an indescribable chill spread from his throat throughout his entire body.

The surroundings remained shrouded in silence, which only served to amplify the distant sound of running water, the wails of cold drafts seeping through crevices, and the bizarre howls echoing from the depths of the darkness. These sounds were incredibly piercing, causing his body to tense subconsciously as he stayed on guard against potential dangers.

Deep down, Abi had a slight suspicion about where he currently was. But terrified by the horrifying rumors he had heard in the taverns, he didn't dare confirm it, deliberately refusing to dwell on it like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

That lasted until just moments ago, when a small swarm of bloodthirsty and vicious giant bats flapped their membranous wings and swooped down from above, only to be driven off by Abi, who was temporarily empowered by the devil's strength. Only then did the powerful and erudite Lord Saloyan confirm the name of this place to him:

—The Underdark.

Unlike Rivervale Town or the Servia Kingdom, which referred to fixed locations, the Underdark was a collective term for the vast, complex, and multi-layered subterranean ecosystem of the Aifala Continent.

It was extremely dangerous—a nightmare for any adventurer whose strength was insufficient to survive its lethal miasmas, perilous monsters, and treacherous environments.

Even those powerhouses who had already obtained a Class Level and completed their promotions needed to tread carefully here. They had to maintain the utmost caution at all times lest their throats be torn out by some sharp claw reaching from the depths of the darkness, or they plummet off a towering, jagged subterranean cliff.

Abi had heard of this environment's infamous reputation, but he never thought he would one day set foot in this mysterious land deep underground—especially not when he hadn't even trained a single combat technique to the Proficient tier, and was nowhere near obtaining a Class Level.

And yet, he had suddenly stumbled into this realm completely unprepared.

"Lord Saloyan, we... we'll be alright, won't we?" Abi asked. Panting heavily, he stared with lingering fear at the corpse of the giant bat he had hacked to death with his longsword. The tension and anxiety on his face were practically overflowing.

"Of course!" A hoarse male voice that inexplicably put one at ease echoed languidly within his skull. "It's only the Underdark, no different from the Misty Forest. Just relax. With me here, nothing will happen."

"We might even stumble across some Rare materials. Once you get back, they'll be perfect for forging enchanted equipment suited for a Class Holder."

Using beautiful promises of the future to mask massive immediate risks was second nature to this devil noble from the Nine Hells.

Under the influence of his leading rhetoric and minor mind-control spells, this rookie—who had been in the business for less than two years—had long since imperceptibly become a marionette in the devil's hands.

With just a couple of comforting words, Abi immediately relaxed.

It was as if he truly believed he could traverse the Underdark completely unimpeded, relying solely on the small mirror he carried, which housed the projected consciousness of a devil from Hell.

In reality, even Saloyan himself was surprised that the tunnel led all the way to a place like this.

His intelligence network in the Material Plane had only provided a few hidden paths leading from the outskirts of the Misty Forest straight to the Goblin Lair. As for the potential encounters along the way—including the Petrification Lizards earlier and the Underdark now—he had only learned of them for the first time while guiding Abi deeper in.

Fortunately, they were likely only at the outermost boundary of the Underdark right now. With the backing of his power, this naive and foolish young adventurer shouldn't run into much trouble. They just needed to follow the path and hurry through without lingering.

Inwardly, he couldn't help but feel excited.

This super-giant goblin tribe mentioned in the intel was extraordinary indeed.

Although it had already been purged by that high-level adventurer squad, prior to its annihilation, the goblins had burrowed underground like ants, digging out a complex network of tunnels connecting to various regions—even reaching as far down as the Underdark.

This far exceeded the capabilities ordinary goblins were expected to possess in the eyes of the world.

In his mind, the credibility of the intel stating that this goblin tribe had once possessed technological artifacts of unknown origin, bestowed by their patron deity, surged even higher.

Just like Abi fantasized about becoming a Class Holder through his power once the mission was over...

...Saloyan couldn't help but dream of finding some residual clues about that object, eventually getting his hands on it, and presenting it to the Archduke of Dis.

If he did, his current title of Baron at the very bottom of the Nine Hells' nobility might just get bumped up a rank.

An inexplicable emotion swelled in his heart as he urged Abi, "Don't stop. Keep moving forward."

"We will arrive... very soon."