Chapter 20: Glow Garlic Vine

【Mission Number】: 26

【Type】: Bounty

【Reward】: 150,000 gold (negotiable)

【Mission Summary】:

A transcendent-level Swamp Druid (Spore Society) has polluted the water source of Niumu's Lower City District, directly leading to the deaths of 153 civilians and nearly two months of water outages in the nearby blocks.

Please contact association staff for specific information. Those who provide location intelligence will receive a reward from the Meadow Church.

【Time Limit】: None

……

Xia Nan looked at the long string of "0"s after the 【Reward】 column, and his eyelids couldn't help but twitch.

At this moment, he was standing in front of the mission board in the Adventurer Association hall.

Having made up his mind to walk the path of an "adventurer," he planned to find a few simple tasks to practice with and familiarize himself with the whole process.

Then, harboring the simple mentality of "if I can't afford it, can't I at least look at it?", he took two glances at the top of the mission board, where the tasks with the highest rewards were listed.

"Tsk tsk."

Xia Nan clicked his tongue, memorizing several terms in the mission information such as "transcendent-level" and "Swamp Druid"—terms he didn't yet understand the meaning of, but which were clearly useful.

Then he moved his gaze downward to the end of the mission board.

……

【Mission Number】: 201D

【Type】: Investigation

【Reward】: 200 gold

【Mission Summary】:

A caravan departing from Hegu Town for nearby villages went missing on the road from Kalanfur to Green Creek Village, located on the east side of the Mist Forest. The caravan owner suspects they may have encountered bandits or magical beasts and requires adventurers to investigate.

【Time Limit】: 15 days

【Additional Information】:

Recently, adventurers have discovered traces of "Spined Devil" around Green Creek Village, which may be related to the caravan's disappearance.

……

"Wait, what on earth is a Spined Devil?"

Not to mention the two place names in the mission summary that he had never heard of in the predecessor's memories, the two words "Spined Devil" alone couldn't help but remind him of the painful memories of facing the Bugbear in the Goblin cave.

"For magical beasts whose names I haven't heard, until I buy books like a 'Magical Beast Compendium' and figure out their specific strength, I will treat them all as powerful magical beasts that I cannot handle alone."

Moreover, the uncertainty of this type of investigation mission was too high; it was hard to guarantee whether the mission difficulty would suddenly skyrocket to the level of the six-figure bounty above.

"Sure enough, I should find an experienced squad to stay with for a while." Xia Nan rubbed his somewhat sore brow and pondered in his heart.

Otherwise, relying solely on the thin 【Adventurer's Handbook】 in his hand, he was afraid he wouldn't even know the names of the magical beasts he encountered along the way.

He moved his gaze further down.

Finally, after a long search, in the corner of the mission board, he found an option that he was fully capable of handling with his current abilities.

……

【Mission Number】: 387H

【Type】: Collection

【Reward】: 1 gold/cluster

【Mission Summary】:

Ms. Edwinna, owner of "Green Grass Crucible" at 17 West Street, Hegu Town, is preparing a batch of new antidotes and urgently needs a large amount of "Glow Garlic Vine" (see attached image) that grows on the outskirts of the Mist Forest.

【Time Limit】: 3 days

……

Comparing it with the illustration and description displayed on the mission board.

Xia Nan's eyes lit up instantly.

He remembered very clearly that this plant, which emitted a faint, greenish glow like a firefly at night, was something he had seen a large cluster of on his way back from the Mist Forest a few days ago.

He remembered that at the time, he had mistakenly thought it was some kind of magical beast that used light to attract prey, so he had detoured far away and set up camp elsewhere.

Thinking back now, the number of those "Glow Garlic Vines"……

"Must be at least thirty clusters!"

And that meant an income of over 30 gold coins!

You have to know, the original Rotten Fish and Shrimp squad had fought tooth and nail, and after being wiped out until only he—a temporary member—remained, the reward for their mission to investigate Goblin activity was barely 30 gold.

This money was practically being delivered to his face; it would be a waste not to earn it!

"Could it be that my novice luck is still continuing?"

Xia Nan couldn't help but think happily.

His body, however, had already turned and was walking toward the exit of the Adventurer Association.

Before going out on a mission, he still needed to make some necessary preparations.

……

Xia Nan was clear about his positioning.

Even though he had mastered the combat technique 【Circle Slash】, which had been raised to the max level of lv5, and his physical fitness had improved due to the acquisition of attribute points.

He himself was still in the ranks of low-level adventurers.

The tragedies of Erji and Gagu were still vivid in his mind.

Even a seasoned adventurer like Maji had fallen at the hands of a "greenhorn" like himself.

Being cautious and considering more was never a mistake.

Therefore, for his first solo mission, Xia Nan made preparations that were so thorough they were practically exaggerated, referencing the suggestions given in the 【Adventurer's Handbook】:

For a trip that would take a day at most, while keeping storage space for the Glow Garlic Vines, he brought enough food and water to survive in the wild for five days—8 silver, 2 copper;

A medical kit containing bandages, ointment, and splints, enough for ten uses. Xia Nan even had the owner of the sundry shop throw in 20 feet of hemp rope—5 gold;

Compass, simple map, flint, sleeping bag, blanket, water canteen, and other essential daily supplies—6 gold, 2 silver.

It is worth mentioning that to avoid the awkward situation of having to abandon his backpack and luggage during an adventure, losing his entire net worth.

Xia Nan deposited most of the gold coins he had harvested from the last mission into the only bank in Hegu Town—the interest was negligible, but it was very safe.

Although the prices of these items involving adventure were practically in another dimension.

But he understood very well that this was an expense that had to be paid to ensure his own life safety.

What's more, this mission trip was very short. If things went smoothly, by this time tomorrow, he would already be back at the White Tit Tavern, clutching the thirty gold coins from the mission reward and enjoying a big meal.

The things he prepared above would at most use up one-tenth of it.

They could still be used for the next mission.

"Clatter!"

Crossing off the second-to-last essential item on the note in his hand.

Xia Nan tightened the backpack behind him and let out a breath.

Thanks to the "one-stop" service on the street where the Adventurer Association was located, he had completed most of the preparations before departure in just one afternoon.

Recalling how he had just been carrying big and small bags, holding a shopping list in one hand, weaving through the strange-looking pedestrians, and going back and forth between various shops.

Xia Nan suddenly had a sense of déjà vu, like shopping in Diagon Alley before the start of school at Hogwarts in the movies from his previous life.

"Can't go back now."

Shaking his head with a smile, he looked at the last column on the list.

【Weapons and Equipment】

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 21 =====