Chapter 112: Hunting Day

Hunting Day.

A festival unique to Hegu Town.

To some extent, it is less of a festival and more of a large-scale event organized by the Hegu Town Adventurer Association.

Its timing is not fixed; sometimes, it does not occur for several years in a row.

Furthermore, it is not limited to a single short day, but lasts anywhere from fifteen days to two months (also unfixed).

There is only one custom for the festival.

——Hunting.

Even the target of the hunt is singular.

——Goblin.

Much like a "fish run" on the ocean, every so often, the Green-skinned Goblins within the Mist Forest seem to be stimulated by something, causing them to breed and multiply frantically.

This causes their already mosquito-like, massive population to swell to an exaggerated degree in a short period.

Under these circumstances, these naturally cruel and vicious monsters, whose morale doubles with their group size, are driven by survival instincts to naturally begin expanding and invading outward.

The forest is filled with many high-level transcendent creatures and a harsh environment; even with their massive numbers, the Goblins are not enough to break the balance within.

By comparison, the fertile and open lands outside the Mist Forest, along with the ordinary civilians living on them, become their targets.

Long ago, before the concept of "Hunting Day" existed, and when Hegu Town was still just a remote and desolate small town.

The Servia Kingdom stationed a large number of troops here year-round; although this incurred high military expenses, it protected the local residents while curbing the Goblins' growth momentum.

After all, no one could guarantee that these Green-skins—who returned to the Aifala Continent after that secret event in ancient times and possessed a reproductive capacity so exaggerated they seemed to come from another world—

would not grow into a disaster capable of threatening the Pan Yun Province or even the entire kingdom if left unchecked.

Later, as the Adventurer Association established a branch in Hegu Town and attracted a large number of adventurers from all over the world.

The Servia Kingdom gradually withdrew its troops and reached a cooperation agreement with the Association.

They diverted a portion of the expenses originally used for garrisoning troops to subsidize the adventurers around Hegu Town during "Hunting Day," the period when the Goblin population surges.

The bounty for a Goblin was raised from the original 3 silver and 7 copper per head.

To five silver coins per head!

Using money to drive those money-grubbing adventurers to curb the Goblins' growth and expansion, replacing the role once held by the kingdom's legions.

On the other hand, for the adventurers of Hegu Town.

Hunting Goblins is already part of their work to earn gold coins.

Even if the bounty remained unchanged, or even slightly decreased, the sudden surge in the Goblins' numbers would attract a large number of low-level adventurers who, limited by their strength, had no other sources of income, to go hunting.

Now that the bounty has nearly doubled, their enthusiasm is naturally much higher.

The kingdom reduced its expenses, and the adventurers gained gold coins.

A win-win!

Today, "Hunting Day" has been held for many years and has become a tradition of the valley, even gaining a certain reputation within the kingdom.

The adventurers, who have always shown immense wisdom regarding gold coins, have gradually mastered some of the patterns associated with it.

The sudden surge in the Goblin population is not without warning.

It is like a compressed spring.

Before the Green-skins begin their frantic breeding and proliferation, the Goblin communities appearing in the wild will significantly decrease.

The Goblins, which previously could never be killed off—where a new batch would spawn right after the previous one was cleared—seem to lose their proud reproductive capacity in a short period.

Their numbers plummet!

Presented in another form, this manifests as the sudden increase in adventurers in Hegu Town and the rapid clearing of Goblin extermination tasks on the Association's mission board, with no new ones being issued.

Immediately following this, the adventurers who predict that "Hunting Day" is approaching and intend to make a fortune will inevitably hoard a large amount of supplies in advance.

The suddenly soaring demand, coupled with some greedy merchants...

The prices of supplies naturally rise with the tide.

"Understand now? Why things in town have become so expensive lately."

"So that's it, just like the rise in fishing gear prices during the fish run over at South Bay."

"Still profiteers, damn it!"

Seeing that their companion was still immersed in complaints about rising prices and had not focused on the main point.

That adventurer, who had stayed in Hegu Town for many years and had just explained so much to their companion, first sighed, then leaned in abruptly and draped an arm over their companion's shoulder.

"A slight price hike is nothing; others have to eat too."

"The most important thing is that when the time comes, the bounty for a single Goblin will be a full five silver coins."

"One head, five silver coins, understand?"

"Two Goblins, which are only as big as wild dogs, can be exchanged for a fragrant, piping-hot gold coin—enough for you to live it up all night at the 'Baishanque' and drink until you drop!"

"In just those few dozen days, grit your teeth and go all out. If you're lucky, you'll have enough money for a house in Niumu."

"Get it!?"

With the words made so clear, even a fool would understand the meaning.

Coupled with the beautiful prospects pointed out in the other's words.

The adventurer, who had just been sullen and complaining non-stop, suddenly changed their expression, lowered their voice with some anticipation, and said:

"You mean..."

"Don't go out and take any missions for the next two days, kid; the scraps aren't worth it." Patting the other's shoulder from behind, they took a fierce gulp of ale, a look of pride appearing on their face.

"Get your gear ready; I've already made arrangements with Jamie and Li Fu Si. Once 'Hunting Day' arrives, we're heading into the forest to get to work!"

Useful information ends here.

Then, the conversation between the two adventurers at the neighboring table gradually turned to whether, after earning gold coins, they should buy a few slaves with Elf bloodlines to enjoy themselves, or save money to buy a title and become a wealthy landlord in the countryside.

Hearing the two drift further and further away, eventually even talking about which territory they should demand from the king after expanding their borders.

Xia Nan withdrew his attention.

He pondered in his heart:

"Hunting Day, huh... that suits me perfectly."

His short-term plan now is to hunt a large number of Goblins and, while ensuring safety, grind proficiency for 【Tooth Hunt】 through combat.

He aims to train it to Lv5 "Mastered" as soon as possible.

At the same time, he will save money to prepare for upgrading equipment or hiring a combat technique instructor in the future.

Hunting Day is approaching; at that time, the number of Goblins will surge, and the bounty will also increase by a small margin.

It unexpectedly satisfies both of his current needs.

After considering for a moment, he had already made his decision.

【Mission Number】: 1121D

【Type】: Special-C

【Reward】: 15 Gold

【Mission Brief】:

A small Goblin lair located on the edge of the Mist Forest needs to be cleared by adventurers.

(Please contact the relevant Association staff for specific location information after accepting the mission)

【Time Limit】: 3 days

Xia Nan's gaze swept quickly over the mission board, memorizing the bounty number located in a corner of the wall.

He squeezed through the crowd, quickened his pace, and walked toward the front desk.

By this time, five more days had passed since he heard the news about "Hunting Day" in the tavern.

Time was still ample, and his solid financial foundation allowed him to easily prepare the overpriced supplies in advance.

He stopped taking missions.

He just stayed in town, practicing 【Tooth Hunt】 against the air.

It could be considered a small harvest; in a few days, his proficiency increased by two points, allowing his upgrade progress to break through the ninety mark.

But compared to before, the speed was significantly slower.

The difficulty of increasing proficiency for 【Tooth Hunt】 after upgrading was much higher.

Without the boost of combat, training in a vacuum yielded very slow progress.

At the same time, he also kept a constant watch on every move of the adventurers in town, so as not to miss the opportunity.

Sure enough, this morning, when he came down from his room to the tavern lobby to order breakfast.

He suddenly noticed that the adventurers, who had not gone out for the past two days because of the approaching Hunting Day and had just been crowding the tavern waiting for the event to start, had collectively and eerily disappeared.

This left the Baishanque Tavern, which should have been filled with noise and the smell of alcohol day and night, empty overnight, as if business were poor and it were about to close down.

Looking out at the main street, the passing adventurers were all fully armed, hurrying toward the outskirts of town with excited and joyful smiles on their faces.

Xia Nan immediately understood.

Hunting Day is today!

He packed his luggage, hurried to the Adventurer Association, squeezed into the bustling crowd, memorized the mission number, and lined up at the front desk amidst the noise that seemed to pierce the roof.

It was still that listless short-haired girl named "Moli."

"1121D."

Without wasting time, Xia Nan crisply reported the number of the mission he wanted to accept.

Moli did not even lift her head, just kept her head lowered, her hands operating under the counter.

"Number: 1121D, Status: Available..."

Two seconds later, her hand movements suddenly paused, as if waiting for something.

After another three seconds, seeing that the information he wanted still hadn't come from in front of him.

Moli couldn't help but look up, her eyes half-hidden by her bangs looking at Xia Nan in front of her.

"Squad name?"

"Huh?"

Just as usual, Xia Nan, who was waiting for the other party to finish registration, couldn't help but be stunned.

What does that mean?

Moli, who had been working here for several years and had experienced several Hunting Days.

Didn't even need to ask, she had already guessed the confusion in Xia Nan's heart.

She quickened her speech and explained:

"During Hunting Day, 'Special' type missions must be accepted in the form of a squad, with a minimum of four people."

Not waiting for him to reply, seeing his expression, she already knew he was likely an adventurer acting alone.

Moli lowered her head again, her arms moving as if switching some page under the counter.

"If you don't have a squad but want to participate in Hunting Day activities, leave your name and address; I can register it here. Later, squads in need of additional members will come to contact you."

Xia Nan thought quickly.

Listening to what she meant, all bounties related to Hunting Day, i. e., those marked as "Special-C" on the mission board, required a squad to be accepted.

He couldn't help but feel it was troublesome.

He had just scanned the entire mission wall.

Compared to before, the number of missions during Hunting Day had indeed increased several times over.

But the vast majority of them, nearly ninety-five percent, were special types that could not be completed alone.

And this meant that if he wanted to enjoy the benefits of the doubled Goblin bounty during Hunting Day.

He had to find a squad to join, even if it were just temporary, to be disbanded after the event.

"Or, don't take the mission, stay alone, and go straight into the forest to hard-search for Goblin lairs, just earning the bounty for the monsters themselves?"

The thought flashed through his mind, and in the blink of an eye, he rejected it himself.

Although the number of Green-skins would indeed surge in the near future.

But with the suppression of the many adventurers in Hegu Town, it was impossible to reach a qualitative change.

Given this premise, even if the total number far exceeded the past, compared to the entire Mist Forest, it was equivalent to pouring the water of a small lake into the ocean, having basically no impact.

Even if he ignored other dangers in the forest, without the Association providing rough coordinates, forcibly entering to search for Goblin tracks would likely yield no results.

The efficiency of increasing 【Tooth Hunt】 proficiency might not even be as high as staying in town, doing nothing, and hard-training until Hunting Day ended.

But...

His experience in the former "Stinking Fish and Rotten Shrimp" squad made him instinctively reject teaming up with strangers.

If not for mission requirements, or special circumstances like the Half-Elf token, he was more accustomed to adventuring alone.

Registering at the Adventurer Association, what if he were assigned to an unreliable squad...

He didn't want to have to spare energy to guard against teammates backstabbing him while staying alert for other dangers in the forest.

"Perhaps, I could ask Chaputun, the owner of the 'Baishanque Tavern'?"

Having rested in Hegu Town for so many days, all three meals, including lodging at night, were solved at the Baishanque.

Xia Nan and Chaputun could be considered to have a bit of a friendship.

The other party was well-informed and might know of some squads that were short of people and trustworthy.

It wasn't Xia Nan bragging.

Although his current combat power was certainly not comparable to those professionals who had already obtained professional levels, among ordinary adventurers, he was definitely outstanding.

Showing a little strength, as long as he revealed the willingness to join a squad, he should be considered a relatively sought-after type.

He wasn't in a rush for a day or two.

Xia Nan greeted Moli in front of him and turned to leave.

"Thanks, forget the registration; I'll come back next time."

Without saying anything more, Moli just lowered her head listlessly again.

Ding—

Accompanied by the light sound of a bell, a listless voice sounded from behind.

"Next."

"Boss, how about Ke Ge Er?"

In the Association lobby, Old Berg crossed his arms, leaned his back against the wall, and asked Edwinna beside him.

"I've teamed up with him before; although he doesn't always listen to commands, his combat power is pretty good. Both combat techniques should have been trained to the 'Proficient' level."

"Did you take his money?" Edwinna didn't turn her head, her tone steady, her gaze sweeping over the crowded crowd in front of the mission board.

"Uh..." Being pointed out directly by Edwinna, Berg's face was slightly embarrassed, but he didn't deny it, just coughed twice. "Not really, when we were drinking two days ago, he bought me a cup of 'Lava Sigh', so he asked me to mention it to you."

"How about Si Tai Xi? I actually..."

Before he finished speaking, Edwinna seemed to have finally found her target.

Striding with her two thick and powerful legs, she walked straight toward the Association gate.

"Hey, boss, wait for me!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 113 =====