Chapter 190: Night Shadow Bride

The tavern lobby was crowded with people, and the other party seemed to be discussing something with his teammates, so Xia Nan didn't intend to go up and disturb them.

But now Kashi saw him and even took the initiative to greet him.

Naturally, he had no reason to refuse.

After all, he had just explained some advanced knowledge to him quite enthusiastically earlier.

Thinking of exchanging a few pleasantries and then finding an opportunity to say goodbye.

On the other side, he didn't know if it was because of his personality or if he had discovered some traits in Xia Nan.

Kashi was exceptionally enthusiastic, acting like an old acquaintance who hadn't seen each other for a long time, even though they had just met in the morning.

He reached out and put his arm around Xia Nan's shoulder, introducing him to his teammates:

"This is the Xia Nan I mentioned to you before; 'Grey Sword', remember? I just happened to run into him on the second floor of the Association today."

Xia Nan could clearly feel that along with Kashi's voice, a gaze with some curiosity was sizing him up.

That mixed-blood Drow half-elf sitting opposite the table didn't have the gloomy coldness of the underground races as imagined; on the contrary, she revealed a quite enthusiastic appearance.

With a gentle smile on the corner of her mouth and her crystal-clear eyes turning slightly, she took the initiative to speak:

"Your attire doesn't look like the novice Kashi described."

Rich adventure experience and the unique eye of a veteran adventurer—for senior professionals like her and Kashi who had been in the industry for a long time, perhaps they couldn't immediately distinguish whether a piece of equipment had an enchantment effect.

But just from the texture and workmanship, they could already see that the several pieces of equipment on Xia Nan were worth a lot.

"Oh, almost forgot to introduce myself." The dark-skinned Drow half-elf with long, silver-bright hair stood up leisurely amidst the crisp sound of hair accessories colliding behind her head and reached out to Xia Nan.

"Weiruisi, member of the 'Sea Spine' adventure team."

"Hello."

The cool feeling on her palm touched and separated.

Not hiding his gaze, Xia Nan's gaze swept quite naturally over the other party's body with excellent proportions.

He pondered in his heart.

She was quite tall, standing straight, her eyes almost level with his; he estimated she could be about 1.8 meters tall.

But there were no calluses on her palms, which were exceptionally delicate and smooth.

Judging by her attire, she didn't look like a spellcaster; perhaps... she eliminated the keratin on her hands through some method?

"Sit, sit." Kashi cleared a seat and pulled Xia Nan to sit down. "Eat something; my treat."

He waved his hand, indicating he had already ordered.

Xia Nan's expression remained unchanged on the surface, but he felt increasingly confused and even raised a trace of vigilance in his heart.

In this world where productivity wasn't particularly developed, facing two veteran adventurers in the true sense.

He didn't think that with his current charm attribute, he could make these two professionals, who were strangers before today, behave like this.

Clearly, they had ulterior motives.

Xia Nan, who had just finished a long journey and returned from Niumu, was too lazy to waste time probing them again.

After responding politely a few times, he took the initiative to state his attitude.

Seemingly not expecting the black-haired young man beside him to be so direct, Kashi was stunned for a moment before exhaling and exchanging a look with the half-elf Weiruisi opposite the table; seeing her nod, he explained:

"We need a teammate."

"No need to officially join the team; just form a temporary squad. Of course, if you have the intention to partner with us long-term, we can talk about it later."

He rubbed the blade tip of the stone spear beside him lightly with his fingers, and the tattoo covering half of his face became even more conspicuous because of his serious expression.

"You should be able to see that Weiruisi and I are not from Hegu Town."

"The reason we came here is because of a mission."

Xia Nan didn't speak, just nodded silently.

It could indeed be seen.

The man and woman before him, one was clearly from the coastal area, likely having been a sailor or fisherman for a long time; the other was a Drow mixed-blood, a half-elf.

Even if both were professionals, with such distinct identity characteristics, he had been in town for more than half a year and sat in the Baishanque Tavern collecting information every day, where many adventurers came and went; it was impossible not to have heard of them.

Their identity as outsiders was certain.

"Regarding the specific content of the mission, because it involves some important information, I apologize that I cannot disclose it."

Kashi continued.

"But what is certain is that the recent beast turmoil in the Mist Forest is likely related to it."

"This is also the reason we have stayed in Hegu Town until now."

During the conversation, the waiter had already delivered the mushroom soup Xia Nan ordered to the table.

Holding the spoon, he stirred it lightly, and the rich milky fragrance surged into his nasal cavity with his breathing.

The sweet and delicious taste made Xia Nan swallow his saliva imperceptibly.

"So, you two should already be senior adventurers who have obtained a professional level for a long time; what do you need a novice like me for?"

Facing Xia Nan's inquiry, Weiruisi took the topic smoothly.

Her slender fingers tapped the table lightly, and her moist, smooth nails refracted the soft light of the tavern above.

"We need to rely on these beasts fleeing from the forest to find the target's trail, but the Mist Forest is so big; if there is no clear direction, even if we spend several years here, we might not gain anything."

"And you should know that the Adventurer Association... has some special information channels; whether it's the goblin clearing mission or other commissions, after accepting the mission, it will provide some relatively useful intelligence to help you complete it."

"And just a few days ago, regarding the beast pack that suddenly appeared on the outskirts of the Mist Forest, the Association also issued a bounty commission for hunting and clearing."

"It's just that, like the Hunting Day that has already passed in your town, the acceptance condition for the mission is a squad of at least four people."

Xia Nan took two spoonfuls of mushroom soup.

His teeth ground the chopped mushroom slices, feeling their fragrant and delicate texture.

He pondered in his heart.

Simply put, it was actually the same process as when he first got to know "Green Blood" Adeline.

Because of mission requirements, they just needed to supplement team members.

Frowning slightly, he asked:

"We haven't met before, right?"

"So confident, inviting me to join the team directly?"

Seeing him ask this, Kashi couldn't help but sigh, a helpless expression appearing on his face.

"I said before, the two of us are not locals near Hegu Town; we are new here, and we don't know many professionals, and those we do know have their own fixed teams."

"If it weren't for the mission requirements, I wouldn't want to be so hasty."

"But don't worry." Kashi patted his chest, and the tight muscles under his bronze skin bulged slightly. "This clearing mission regarding beasts itself isn't too difficult, and the time span is relatively long."

"In many cases, we don't even need to enter the interior of the Mist Forest; it can be said to be very safe."

"In this way, we should all have sufficient opportunities to consider each other."

Before Xia Nan could reply, the Drow sitting opposite him seemed to want to use some classic side-door tactics.

Only to see Weiruisi crossing her legs, her plump legs under the tight leather clothing overlapping up and down, and the smooth skin squeezed out from the cutouts on the side of her thighs almost overflowing, her leather boots shaking slightly in a subtle way.

"I've always had a good eye for people." A reserved and seductive light smile hung on the exquisite face unique to the elf race.

"You are trustworthy."

I believe you, my foot.

Xia Nan slandered in his heart.

In the battle of Niumu, he had stared directly at such an indescribable strange existence in the Secret Realm, yet he still maintained his sanity and returned here safely.

His willpower had almost undergone a qualitative change.

Those 3 perception attributes were just the concrete manifestation on his attribute panel. At the moment, it was just the shallowest temptation, not even triggering his mental resistance feat 【Stare into the Abyss】, so how could it cause ripples in his heart?

He was just drinking mushroom soup while analyzing and considering the mission information given by the two.

He didn't give a direct reply.

Xia Nan looked up and glanced at the empty seat between Kashi and Weiruisi.

"Still one short?"

"Didn't you say it requires a four-person squad? Even adding me, there are only three people."

"Haha, there's another newcomer." Kashi smiled and poured wine for Xia Nan. "Went to the grocery store to buy supplies; not in the tavern."

"Wait until she comes back later, and I'll introduce her to you."

Nodding, thoughts flowed in his mind.

Regarding what he should do next, and his short-term goals, Xia Nan had already summarized them before.

Accumulate points, improve combat technique proficiency, and upgrade the Snake Scale Arm Shield.

Oh, and he had to earn some small money to bring his net worth back.

If he agreed to Kashi's request and temporarily joined the "Sea Spine" squad, what could he get?

First, as a professional-level commission, even if the proceeds had to be split among four people, gold coins, points, and the like would definitely not be few.

Combat technique proficiency went without saying; the speed of improvement in battle was far beyond daily life.

Secondly, the two people before him were both senior professionals; if he became their temporary teammate, they probably wouldn't be stingy about telling him some advanced knowledge about the profession.

Finally, regarding the upgrade of the Snake Scale Arm Shield.

He remembered that he was currently stuck on the "teammate" threshold.

With "Corrosive Pattern Steel" as a reward, the beastman investigation mission on the second floor of the Association also had the condition of a "four-person squad" mentioned by Kashi.

A faint light flashed in the depths of his pitch-black eyes.

Xia Nan wiped his mouth and looked directly at the two people before him.

"I can join your squad."

"But..."

"There is one condition."

Baishanque Tavern, second-floor guest room.

Xia Nan sat at the desk, leaning against the back of the chair.

His right palm was facing up.

A glittering gold coin reflecting the sunlight outside the window was floating in the air above his palm.

Just like a satellite in outer space, it was rotating regularly around his palm while spinning leisurely.

He looked thoughtful.

The "Sea Spine" squad had agreed to the condition he put forward.

After completing the beast clearing mission, regardless of whether they obtained clues related to the target, they would continue to conduct the investigation mission for beastman traces with Xia Nan as a four-person squad.

Regarding specific rewards, they would be distributed based on contributions during the mission.

Of course, because the materials required for the Snake Scale Arm Shield had weight limits, after the mission ended, Xia Nan would exchange for the "Corrosive Pattern Steel" in the hands of others at the cost of points or gold coins to gather enough quality for Ba'en to forge and upgrade.

Regarding this point, he had already agreed with the two when he was downstairs just now.

At the moment, all that was left to do was to organize equipment, purchase supplies, and wait three days later to gather at the Baishanque Tavern and head to the Mist Forest.

"Clap!"

The floating, rotating gold coin fell sharply, and his five fingers closed, gripping it tightly in his palm.

Xia Nan suddenly felt a bit irritable.

Returning from Niumu, he had originally thought about resting in Hegu Town for a while or finding a few goblin lairs to relax.

Now, he had to get busy again.

At the same time, in the tavern lobby.

Kashi and the Drow half-elf Weiruisi were still sitting in their original places.

But the atmosphere between the two was far from as enthusiastic as when Xia Nan was present.

It appeared quiet and cold.

Slender fingers wrapped lightly around the wine glass, shaking it, and the crystal-clear wine slipped between her plump lips.

"You should have told me in advance." Weiruisi narrowed her eyes, as if savoring the fragrance of the wine on the tip of her tongue, but in the depths of her half-lowered eyelids, she revealed a sharp light hidden extremely deep. "That Xia Nan is far more dangerous than he looks."

"I know." Kashi didn't raise his head, just dealing with the beef on the dinner plate on his own. "But you should have seen it just now."

"That armor on him, that leg armor... tsk, even if thrown into the black market, it's worth several hundred gold."

"Just consider it adding a meal for ourselves."

"Besides, we really need a teammate, don't we?"

Weiruisi shook her head noncommittally, but in the eyes staring at the wine glass before her, a flash of greed passed by fleetingly.

"Are you sure he's a novice?"

"Of course, I watched him being taken to the second floor by the Association receptionist, not even knowing how to upgrade or change classes."

"Probably someone without connections, who happened to gather three combat techniques and mixed into a professional level."

"What about that so-called 'Grey Sword'?"

"Heh, those nicknames circulating among bottom-tier adventurers—who hasn't had a few before if they climbed up step by step? Don't you have one? Do I need to remind you, our respected 'Night Shadow Bride'?"

Weiruisi didn't reply, but the slightly raised corner of her mouth already indicated her attitude.

"There's another newcomer in the team; how do you plan to deal with her?"

"Her?"

"Guess why I dare to pull another newcomer into the team?"

"When the time comes, just kill her and be done with it."

Ta—

The wine glass suddenly landed on the table, making a sound abruptly.

The slightly reddish wine shook and spilled.

Kashi closed his mouth instantly.

There was no need to express anything; he already understood what the other party meant.

The cold atmosphere that seemed to have fallen into the shadows suddenly became enthusiastic again.

Smiles reappeared on both their faces, as if they were discussing some interesting topic.

Until a petite figure approached gradually along with the sound of footsteps.

He then turned around, his tone gentle and intimate:

"You're back, sit down."

"We found a new teammate."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 191 =====