Chapter 321 Ratio Allocation and Material Processing

Things were heading in a good direction.

When Xia Nan and the Oathkeeper Blackwood squad walked out of the Misty Forest, his proficiency in [Afterglow Echoes] had already reached (6/100).

Just as he had guessed, proficiency in this powerful combat technique from a foreign Secret Realm wasn't gained only through that precious, once-a-month use.

Although it was slow, he could accumulate it through daily training.

The specific training method was just like his attempt to reach Novice proficiency a few days ago.

Following the circulation route demonstrated by the Flame Crystal on the [Ashen Blaze Instructor's Cane], he controlled the energy in his body—suspected to be Ember—to flow along a fixed path.

Perhaps because he had only recently acquired it, or simply because it demanded such high concentration, Xia Nan had to remain entirely focused during training without letting his mind wander.

In a way, it resembled a Spellcaster's meditation.

Unfortunately, having tested it a bit on the return trip over the past few days, he found that while this training didn't tax his physical stamina much, maintaining that intense focus continuously drained his mental energy.

An entire training session was hardly any easier than practicing [Spinning Slash] or [Fang Hunt].

Therefore, he still needed at least six hours of sleep a day to recover.

He couldn't replace his daily rest with [Ember Echoes] meditation as he had imagined.

Fortunately, [Fang Hunt] was already maxed out. Though he wouldn't completely drop it, it was obviously no longer his training focus.

The freed-up time could be perfectly allocated to [Afterglow Echoes].

'Hmm... the improvement speed of this combat technique is much faster compared to [Gravity Control]. I can focus my training on it.'

'It's just that both of these combat techniques mostly consume mental energy during training. In my current state, I don't have the conditions for prolonged, repetitive practice.'

'Maybe I can intersperse some sword practice in between?'

After all, they hadn't returned to a safe town yet. Even on the outskirts of the forest, he needed to guard against potential dangers. Therefore, Xia Nan only tentatively arranged his training plan on the road while ensuring he remained in fighting condition.

The specifics would have to be adjusted later based on actual circumstances. Perhaps all his bad luck had been exhausted during the battle with that Purgatory devil, because Xia Nan didn't encounter any more troublesome opponents on the return trip.

The few squads of goblins they occasionally bumped into were treated as temporary entertainment and beheaded. Originally, he had thought about following the vine to find the melon—tracking them back to their nest for a good, relaxing massacre.

But considering that Margaret and Thordin were following behind him, Xia Nan suppressed his building urges.

Notably, the two adventurers—both having sustained some injuries in battle—behaved very "obediently" on the return trip. Not only did they actively help him carry a lot of loot and materials, but they also did whatever they could during the journey, such as setting up camp and lighting campfires, giving the impression that they knew their place.

Before resting for the night, they would even discuss past adventuring experiences, mysterious rumors of nearby regions, and gossip about famous people in town. Listening from the side, Xia Nan found it very interesting, and his impression of the two gradually improved.

He knew very well they were doing this on purpose. Out in the wild, without the order and supervision of civilized society, power became the foundation of everything. The strong could trample the weak without any scruples.

Even though Xia Nan's killing intent had dissipated the moment they offered him a share of their quest rewards, Margaret and Thordin still did their best to prove their value on the road, hoping to reduce any hostility the strongest person in the party might hold over their previous unpleasant encounters.

It was nothing surprising; this was the survival code of adventurers.

As the group walked out of the forest, they encountered other adventurers on the road more frequently. Buildings gradually appeared on both sides as they drew closer to Rivervale Town.

Margaret and Thordin's guarded expressions clearly relaxed. They were no longer as tense as they had been in the forest, where they had seemed constantly under high pressure.

They didn't start acting dismissively just because they were back in a safe human settlement. The moment they returned to Rivervale Town, Margaret proactively suggested heading to the Adventurers' Association first to sort out the agreed-upon share of the quest rewards.

Seeing the female Swordsman act so straightforwardly, Xia Nan—who had wondered if they might try to renege on the debt—naturally had no objections.

Carrying bags big and small, the trio didn't even stop at the inn, walking straight through the doors of the Adventurers' Association.

"Alright. Thank you once again for your support of the Adventurers' Association, Mr. Xia Nan!"

In the small meeting room, the Association receptionist Molly put down her recording pen, closed the fully written quest report on the wooden table, and carefully set it aside.

She stood up from her seat and gave a solemn bow to Xia Nan across the table.

Only then did she revert to her gentle, friendly smile from earlier, her eyes curving as she spoke.

"The Association will confirm the quest results within three days. Please rest assured."

"Regarding the quest rewards, how do you plan to allocate the exchange ratio between gold coins and Points?"

"Oh, the recent exchange rates in Rivervale Town haven't changed. It's still '1:30', same as last time."

"If you haven't decided yet, I can hold it for now, and you can decide in three days."

For commissions with formal rank designations on the Association Second Floor, quest rewards usually consisted of gold coins and Points. The former went without saying, while the latter could be used to redeem various internal Association benefits, such as discounted potions, rare materials, formal combat techniques, and special intelligence.

Xia Nan was currently short on money. He had made his decision long before departing for this quest, so he naturally didn't need to think it over. He nodded immediately and replied,

"Just exchange it all for gold coins."

"Understood, Mr. Xia Nan!"

A bright smile beamed across Molly's face as she nodded vigorously. Her short blonde hair swayed, revealing the metal stud on her earlobe.

Her enthusiastic and friendly demeanor formed a stark contrast with the half-dead, drowsy look she usually sported while sitting behind the counter.

One could clearly see a wage earner's burning desire for performance metrics and bonuses.

Very considerately, she refilled the remaining third of the light tea in front of Xia Nan with hot water.

"Mr. Xia Nan, it's the same steeped sweetleaf as last time. How is it? Are you used to the taste, or would you like me to change it to something else?"

With business concluded, Molly keenly read the room, timing her actions perfectly to maintain her relationship with the client. To her, Xia Nan was undoubtedly a very high-priority adventurer.

Even before he had obtained his Class Level, she'd had a strong impression of this black-haired young man.

Later, she personally witnessed his journey—from his initial Advancement Quest to eventually ascending to the Association Second Floor and completing commission after commission.

In a way, Molly had witnessed Xia Nan's entire progression: from an ordinary bottom-tier adventurer surviving on goblin bounties to someone who could sit in a meeting room on the Association Second Floor and calmly select formal commissions.

She could even clearly remember the changes in his equipment—the periodically replaced armor, the mysteriously upgraded Arm Shield, and even that longsword he used to carry on his back, which had suddenly disappeared a while ago.

Molly also knew clearly that Xia Nan had no fixed team, often completing quests as a lone wolf that would normally require an entire Adventurer Squad.

Such performance and speed of advancement were enough to make her pay close attention, placing him at the very top of her client list.

If the black-haired youth before her could climb a few more steps in the future, perhaps it would even give her a chance to leave this branch. Completely unaware of the blonde girl's daydreams—and unlikely to care even if he knew—Xia Nan merely held his teacup and took a couple of gentle sips.

The light tea, which usually tasted quite good, seemed rather flavorless with his pending matters piling up like a mountain.

Not lingering any longer now that the quest-related matters were handled, Xia Nan stood up and took his leave.

Stepping out through the door that Molly had trotted over to open for him, he found Margaret and Thordin waiting not far ahead.

As veteran Class Holders, their squad also had a dedicated Association staff member handling their affairs. They had clearly finished dealing with their commission matters. Seeing Xia Nan walk out of the meeting room, the two quickly stepped forward.

The braid at the back of her head swaying gently, Margaret handed a thin contract to Xia Nan.

The contents were very simple, clearly outlining a few clauses regarding the distribution of the quest rewards.

Xia Nan would receive seventy percent of the Blackwood Squad's final earnings.

He had dealt with all the devils in the nest, and Margaret and Thordin had only survived because of him. This seventy percent wasn't considered a lot.

A slightly greedier person could easily use the disparity in strength to apply a little pressure and push this ratio above eighty-five percent.

Under the threat of death, the two of them would have had no choice but to agree.

Xia Nan wasn't that ruthless. Since this was enough to pay off his debts, he felt no need to squeeze them to such a degree just for a difference of a dozen or so percent.

Since both sides had shown goodwill, it was better to be straightforward and settle on a ratio that both could accept without harboring resentment later.

On the other hand, because the Blackwood Squad had accepted the quest, Xia Nan had no way of knowing the final reward amount or the assessed completion level. Under these circumstances, the female Swordsman chose to use the Association as a platform and supervisor. They signed the relevant contract so the rewards wouldn't pass through their hands; once the Association confirmed completion, the gold coins would be distributed directly.

This guaranteed the security of the entire process. It also served as a form of self-protection for her—otherwise, if Xia Nan felt the gold coins he received didn't match the actual earnings, he might think she had shortchanged and deceived him.

That would turn a good deed meant to improve his impression of them into a negative.

It was simpler to let the Association handle it with full authority. They would take a minor handling fee at most, but it was much fairer and clearer.

"Because the investigation quest itself is a 'temporary' type, it doesn't have a commission rank classification, but the rewards are quite generous, roughly falling between E-rank and D-rank."

Margaret stood before Xia Nan, explaining the relevant details.

"Based on the quest's completion level, I estimate the final total reward should land in the 500 to 600 gold range. When the time comes, the Association will directly transfer the gold coins to your account according to our agreed ratio."

"The relevant handling fees will be deducted on our end."

Happy to save the trouble, Xia Nan nodded slightly.

"Lastly, thank you for coming to the aid of our Oathkeeper Blackwood squad. I hope we'll have the chance to cooperate again in the future."

With a sincere expression, Margaret reached her hand out to Xia Nan.

He reached out and gripped it tightly. Her palm had the rough texture of calluses formed from holding a sword for long periods—steady and strong.

Xia Nan looked at the female Swordsman in front of him. His expression remained unchanged, but he couldn't help muttering internally.

He knew it was just a courtesy, but if he were in her shoes, he probably wouldn't have added that last line about hoping to cooperate again.

After all, among all the teammates he'd had during his year-plus adventurer career, those who were still alive right now were... well, 'relatively' few.

For their sakes, it was better not to have any opportunities to cooperate.

He was fine on his own.

There was no further small talk. Having just finished the quest, both sides had a lot of things to deal with, and the loss of their teammates left Margaret and Thordin in less than stellar moods.

They said their goodbyes and left.

Carrying a heavy load of miscellaneous gear on his back, Xia Nan walked out the doors of the Adventurers' Association, pondering.

He had perfectly completed the goblin extermination quest for the Association. He estimated he could get the maximum gold coins in the reward range, which would be a full 300 gold;

And for the Blackwood Squad's investigation quest, they had directly given him a seventy percent share. Calculating based on Margaret's estimate, he would get around 400 gold from that.

Added together, a profit of around 700 gold would instantly wipe out the deficit from reforging his longsword and give him the money for his armor.

Xia Nan breathed a sigh of relief.

The anxiety caused by his debt gradually eased at the thought of his soon-to-be expanded little treasury.

He looked up at the sky and saw the sun still hanging right in the center; it seemed to be just past noon.

Flexing his arms, he hefted his heavy backpack and considered his next moves.

'First, I'll go to the Green Grass Crucible and Kukunur's place to sell the materials from the Armored Lurker and Spined Devil, along with some miscellaneous trinkets, to scrape together some money.'

'The weapons from the Imp and Barbed Devil aren't urgent; they can wait till later.'

Then came the most crucial, most important, and what Xia Nan looked forward to most—Rockhammer Smithy!

'So much time has passed. Judging by the progress before I left for the quest, the Decapitating Longsword should be fully reforged.'

That was a full 3,000 gold coins!

It was the largest expense Xia Nan had incurred since his transmigration.

And his deep involvement in the forging process made him incredibly confident in the final product.

Unprecedented anticipation!

Just thinking about it while standing at the entrance of the Association made his heart rate quicken.

Taking two deep breaths, Xia Nan calmed his surging emotions.

Looking left and right to get his bearings, he set off toward his destination.