Chapter 123

Evening.

Outskirts of the Mist Forest.

The campfire burned with a reassuring "crackle," and the warm flame illuminated the dim air around it.

Fine cloth sleeping bags, cashmere blankets, hot iron cups, and boiling water bubbling...

An ordinary small camp.

It looked as if there was no obvious difference from the hundreds of adventurer camps scattered in the vast forest at this time, deep in dangerous places to pan for gold on the "Hunting Day."

But if someone could really stay in this seemingly ordinary camp for a while, they would be surprised to find:

The temperature in the camp was clearly much warmer.

It was already the "Month of Falling Leaves," the temperature had dropped significantly, and coupled with the special environment in the Mist Forest, the nights here were particularly difficult.

Adventurers with average constitutions, if they didn't have hot water and fire to drive away the cold, would easily catch a cold and get sick after one night.

But in this camp, the space shrouded by the firelight was like another world, and the temperature was adjusted to the most suitable range for the human body.

Even the mosquitoes, which were the most numerous and annoying in the forest and were attracted by the fire in the past, seemed to have been driven away by this touch of firelight and were nowhere to be seen.

If you observe more carefully, and even have some magic attainments, you might be able to discover the fundamental reason for the difference between the camp and the outside world.

——The mist is flowing.

Every corner filled with the Mist Forest, those grey-white mists floating quietly in the air, were now like small streams, centering on the campfire, circling and flowing.

Like a vortex made of mist, the magic particles in the air were driven into shape by some invisible force in a regular and complex state, stirring the physical rules of the surrounding area.

"There should be a mage in the team, it's much more convenient than usual!"

The tall male elf leaned lazily against the tree trunk, holding a crystal fruit with a green skin in his hand, his expression comfortable.

"It's been almost half a year since the season, and I'm afraid I'm the only one who can still eat the specialty leaf fruit of 'Ivelius'."

He gently pinched the fruit with his fingertips, and under the reflection of the fire in front, the thin fruit skin was almost translucent, and the texture fibers of the pulp inside could be seen.

He threw it into his mouth casually, not even needing to chew, just gently pressing it with his tongue against his palate, the sour, sweet, and refreshing juice and the crisp and tender taste of the fruit pulp seemed to make him return to his hometown.

"Hmm~~~"

The elf with smooth blonde hair couldn't help but narrow his eyes comfortably.

Not far away, the elegant man wearing a simple indigo robe and holding a book in his hand smiled at the elf who was sighing, and then withdrew his gaze.

Unlike the casual posture of the other party sitting on the ground with his back against the tree trunk, the mage named "Cornell" was sitting on a spacious recliner covered with delicate goose down and exquisitely crafted.

Clearly, like the out-of-season green fruit in the elf's stomach, they were luxury items that should never appear at this time and place.

And the reason for this, in the final analysis, is just a few words:

The convenience of magic.

"It's a pity that when we left 'Ivelius', we only had time to buy two small bags."

"It makes me only able to pick a few to taste every day now, and it's not satisfying at all."

Saying this, the elf couldn't help but straighten up, his gaze looking at the other end of the campfire, near the edge of the camp——

The red-haired warrior wearing full heavy armor with a serious and determined expression.

Complaining:

"I said there's no need to rush, with the environment of Cui Lin, that 'Alpha Cave Grabber' can't escape very far!"

"Even if we rested in the city for two more days, it wouldn't delay the progress much."

Facing the elf's complaints, the red-haired man didn't even lift his head, just treated it as if he hadn't heard, focusing on wiping the reddish-brown longsword that glowed faintly in the night.

"Hey! Speak!"

The man's silent posture made the elf feel a bit overwhelmed instantly, and it seemed that even the leaf fruit in his mouth was no longer fragrant.

Seeing this, Cornell on the recliner opened his mouth to persuade:

"It's not rushing, I remember at that time, the Grabber had been chased by us for almost half a month and was in a state of extreme hunger. If we didn't hurry to deal with it, it would very likely attack the elf settlement near Cui Lin."

"Care about their life or death..." He just wanted to find a topic and didn't mean to blame much, just felt indignant because of the other party's silent attitude.

Persuaded by Cornell, the elf also calmed down.

An expression of helplessness appeared on his face, shrugging his shoulders toward the other party.

"It's just that there is a normal person like you in the team, otherwise I don't know how I would have spent ten days or half a month with these guys."

Still returning a smile, Cornell lay back on his recliner, pillowing on the silk cushion, his mind moved slightly, and the small teacup with rising heat on the tray beside him floated steadily, swinging obediently to his mouth.

Taking a sip of tea, feeling the fragrance lingering on the tip of his tongue.

His attention returned to the book page in his hand, which was almost thicker than a brick.

Through the gaps between his fingers, one could vaguely see the book title printed on the cover:

"Dialect Evolution of Giant Language—Phonetics from Thunder to Stone Tremor"

"You've been reading this book for several days, I remember you bought it in Niumu." The elf looked at the heavy book in Cornell's hand and clicked his tongue, "Is there really anyone else who reads this kind of big volume besides mages like you?"

To this, Cornell just shook his head.

"Just a hobby, nothing to do with spells."

"You say that, and it's really true." Seeming to be reminded of memories by the mage's answer, an expression of agreement appeared on the elf's exquisite face unique to his race.

"I remember before I left..."

Bang——

Before he could finish speaking, a huge sound suddenly sounded in the nearby forest.

The mist that was originally flowing gently in the air stagnated in an instant, the magic particles were disordered, and the threads of coldness from the outside world permeated into the camp.

In his line of sight, he could vaguely see a burly figure, carrying the dazzling light that lingered around his body after triggering magic traps along the way, approaching the camp rapidly.

That posture of being fearless of all kinds of traps and moving forward should be a powerful enemy that would make the entire squad nervous.

But whether it was the human warrior who was maintaining his equipment alone, or the elf leaning against the tree trunk, there was no action to prepare for battle.

The latter even looked at Cornell beside him with a joke.

"Bang!"

Broken branches mixed with flying broken leaves, the burly figure rushed out of the forest shrubs suddenly.

The surface of his green skin was still stained with Goblin blood, and he was still wearing that totem breastplate.

His two lower limbs, as thick as elephant legs, kicked the ground, and the Orc walked straight to the mage.

"Volga, hungry, hot meat, eat!"

Cornell looked at the Orc who had just destroyed all the traps he had set up, and a deep sense of helplessness appeared in his eyes.

"Didn't I say, you have my mark on you, when you come back..."

"Forget it."

Having said it countless times, he glanced at the saliva flowing from the corner of the other party's mouth and stopped talking nonsense.

He waved his hand casually, and a ring on his finger suddenly flashed with silver light.

Immediately, dots of silver light flickered, turning into several large pieces of cooked, fragrant beast meat, landing on the tray placed in advance on the ground.

The Orc Volga did not stand on ceremony, pouncing on it and eating it, like a starving beast.

After eating, he slept, picked out the last bit of meat from his teeth with a twig, burped, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.

The snoring was deafening.

Now, less than ten minutes after he returned to the camp.

Volga's profession is special, seemingly a variant under the "Barbarian" category, with "anger" as the core power source.

Although it gave him explosive power far beyond ordinary professionals, every breath and every heartbeat, the anger in his heart also accumulated silently.

It needs to be released regularly, venting the anger that exceeds the upper limit of endurance, so as not to lose control in a rage.

Therefore, the few people in the squad were very used to Volga's sudden departure.

And now that they are on the outskirts of the Mist Forest, the creatures that can threaten them are almost non-existent, and the other party's solo action basically has no danger.

Spending some time resetting the traps destroyed by the Orc, Cornell sat back on his recliner.

The blonde elf beside him was doing nothing, drawing something in the air with a twig.

Glancing at the bloodstains on the Orc, he seemed to remember the topic discussed by the professionals on the second floor of the Association before leaving the town, and said casually:

"Hunting Day... I heard that the number of Goblins this year is much higher than before, and many adventurer squads in the town haven't returned."

"Isn't it the same every year." Cornell turned the book page, his gaze sweeping over the dense characters, and replied without lifting his head, "Adventurers, trading lives for money, it's normal."

"You say that as if you've participated before. If it weren't for the Association mission, I'm afraid you wouldn't even want to go out the door?"

Cornell was noncommittal.

"After this mission ends, I should take a break for a while."

"Hmm? Preparing to advance to transcendence?"

"How is that possible, still far away." Cornell replied with a smile, "The mentor asked me to go back to Huan Cai City. His experiment is at a critical moment and he lacks manpower, so he asked me to go over and help for a few days."

"Oh..." The elf's expression didn't look very disappointed, but instead revealed a touch of relief, "It just so happens that I've taken too many missions recently, too tired. After this ends, I'll go home and rest for a few days too."

Hearing this, Cornell nodded slightly.

"The target is located inside the forest. According to the mission information given by the Association, there is probably still a two or three-day journey."

"It's time to take a break for a while."

At the same time.

On the other side of the forest.

It was already dusk and evening.

After cleaning up the trophies in the cave, the "Green Blood" squad, which had completed the mission and was on the way back, was also looking for a suitable location to set up camp for the night.

For the Orc who helped them clear the Goblin lair in advance, although Xia Nan felt surprised and vigilant at the beginning.

But as the other party left the cave without nostalgia and had no hostility toward them, he didn't care so much anymore.

Just treat it as a small episode in the adventure.

What's more, the Orc left all the trophies in the lair to them, including a Hobgoblin.

Adding up the bits and pieces, each person could get about ten gold coins, so it couldn't be said that there was no harvest at all.

By comparison, it was Berg, who was guarding the cave entrance and keeping watch for them, who appeared exceptionally excited.

"I said before that we shouldn't take such a long mission. It takes four or five days to go back and forth, and the uncertainty is too strong!"

Seeming to hold a grudge against the Orc who suddenly appeared in the cave, he complained to Adeline at the front of the team.

The shadows of the past and the powerful professional encountered during the mission made this middle-aged man, who had been in the adventurer line for many years, lose control of his emotions.

Adeline walked silently at the very front of the team without saying much, just letting the other party vent his deep sense of insecurity through words.

She knew that the other party had this kind of personality.

And it was precisely because of this that Berg, who was experienced and possessed a certain combat power, would always stay in the "Green Blood" squad and make a living by hunting Goblins.

Xia Nan watched from the side, and couldn't help but recall the time he met "Scar" Bennett during an adventure shortly after joining the squad.

I remember that after the battle ended, Berg's performance was basically the same as it is now.

It's just that at that time, the reason "Scar" targeted everyone was because Berg revealed the squad's information to his old acquaintance Ke Ge Er, and the latter joined the "Scar" squad after being rejected by Adeline, so their information was exposed.

It was Berg's own fault.

So at that time, no matter how intense his emotions were, his performance on the outside was only guilt and self-blame.

At that time, Xia Nan thought the other party was this kind of person.

But as the number of times they went out on adventures together increased, he slowly realized Berg's true personality hidden beneath his jokes and experienced appearance.

Simply put, it's "afraid of death."

But on the other hand, if he really feared death, finding a big city far away from monster gathering places and well-governed would be much safer than his current life of making a living in the Mist Forest all day.

In the final analysis, it was still a choice between danger and high income, and he chose the latter.

Feeling that gold coins are more important.

Fortunately, the mission has ended, and there is no need to continue deep into the forest. Several people are already on the way back.

The sense of insecurity in his heart stabilized slightly.

After venting his emotions, Berg gradually calmed down.

Although he didn't return to the relaxed posture of an old-school adventurer, he didn't say any more complaining words, just followed the team silently.

On the side, Xia Nan, who witnessed the whole process, didn't get involved. He wasn't the kind of personality who liked to meddle in other people's business.

And Abi, who was always talkative and had a good relationship with Berg, as a rookie, also shut his mouth very sensibly.

Until nightfall approached and the atmosphere in the team cooled down.

Only then, because of some unexpected discovery, did he passively say his first sentence:

"Hey, what is this?"

Xia Nan's gaze looked over.

Only to see Abi holding a special-shaped, silver-white metal piece in his hand.

Feeling inexplicably familiar.

In his ear, Adeline's surprised voice suddenly came:

"This is... 'Iron Hand' George's arm armor?"