Chapter 320: Perfect Organism

River Valley Town, second floor of the White Tit Tavern.

Xia Nan never considered himself a narcissistic person.

Whether it was his past life as a wage slave or his current life after crossing over, this remained true.

Yet, it must be admitted that the human instinctual pursuit of survival advantages had long been deeply etched into his bloodline, quietly influencing his perspectives and behaviors in daily life.

He formulated strict training plans and executed them firmly; clear, phased goals provided him with constant forward momentum through the positive feedback gained after completing each plan.

Every sword swing, every page of knowledge, even every point of proficiency...

The intense sense of control over his own body and life allowed him to gradually alleviate the pressure and anxiety brought by this strange, alien world amidst the sweat and the process of growing stronger.

Morning sunlight, refracted through the glass, cast water-like light spots on the bed, with tiny dust motes dancing in the air.

Returning from morning training, Xia Nan, who had taken a cold bath in the creek on the outskirts of the town, had jet-black, messy hair that was still slightly damp, swaying gently with the breeze from the window.

The mirror surface was mottled and faintly blurred, its edges rimmed with rust, yet it still completely reflected the body before it, which looked as if it had been tempered a thousand times:

Nearly 1.9 meters tall, with a robust physique far exceeding the human average, he stood tall and straight; just standing there gave one a faint sense of oppression.

His shoulders and back were broad and thick, his trapezius muscles resembling two sturdy corridors extending naturally from the base of his neck to both shoulders, connecting to well-developed, full deltoids.

Long hours of wielding a longsword had made his shoulders round and solid; the aesthetic of power was vividly displayed as his arm muscles stretched and contracted. His chest, thick as plate armor, outlined sharp contours—the result of long-term wear of heavy armor, the core of his body's load-bearing and force generation.

Further down, the defined abdominal muscles in his waist and abdomen area resembled interlocking, stacked rocks, clear and deeply embedded in the skin and flesh, firm as if they could withstand heavy blows. Running, jumping, slashing—this was the hub of his body's power transmission.

In his past life, Xia Nan was not keen on exercise, or rather, he did not have enough time and energy to pour his sweat into those fitness machines.

Perhaps during his student days, he had felt a healthy body full of vitality, but after graduation, in just a few short years, the busy work of "wearing stars and moon" had covered his once-clear muscle contours with a thick layer of fat, making them unrecognizable.

And now, it had been over a year since he crossed over to the Aifala Continent.

The hard training he insisted on every day, the gradually improving physical fitness, and even the Ember energy flowing within his body at this moment...

The leaping life level was urging his body to develop in the direction of a "perfect organism."

Standing quietly in front of the mirror, looking at his robust, shirtless upper body, carefully sensing the lean, tough physique he had honed through day after day of training and slaughter.

Xia Nan only felt a sense of inexplicable achievement rising from the depths of his heart.

His chest rose and fell, his breathing long and steady.

Perhaps it was the noise gradually rising from the street outside the window that reminded him. Xia Nan turned around, picked up the dry shirt neatly folded on the bed, shook it twice, and put it on.

The slightly loose, soft, dark-colored fabric covered his skin, isolating the firm muscles beneath from sight, leaving only blurred outlines appearing and disappearing within the folds of the clothing.

The fine chain mail, shimmering with a metallic luster, was lifted with both hands. It pressed down heavily with the sound of rings rubbing against each other, like a steel waterfall flowing from the top of his head, its weight evenly distributed across his chest and shoulders, pressing the inner lining tightly against him.

Bending over, the finely textured, light-gray leg guards were tied tightly onto his legs one by one; the hard, tanned leather provided a clear sense of being wrapped.

His right hand reached toward the umbral arm shield on the table to the side, his left arm passed through the inner strap, and it fit tightly against his forearm muscle and bone with a "click" as the buckle closed.

He rubbed and tightened the two silver rings on his right index and ring fingers, gently lifted the necklace hanging outside the chain mail, and carefully tucked its crystal-clear, emerald-green, teardrop-shaped pendant inside his shirt, leaving only a faint metal chain faintly visible from the gap between the chain mail and the shirt, clinging to the skin of his neck.

Finally, Xia Nan reached for the two longswords leaning against the bed—the straight sword cold and deep, the wooden sword flexible and resilient. Both were already sheathed. He skillfully crossed them left and right, and with a soft "clang," the scabbard straps were buckled tight, turning the two blades into an "X" on his back.

At this moment, when he looked at the mirror in front of him again, what was reflected was no longer the "perfect organism" that nakedly displayed the aesthetic of power; in its place was a cold entity, armed to the teeth, steady and lethal, as if cast from steel and flesh, a killing machine.

After checking one last time to ensure nothing was missed, Xia Nan picked up the supply backpack he had prepared by the door, pushed open the door, and walked downstairs.

By now, seven more days had passed since he and the Black Wood Squad returned to the town.

Both Association missions had been settled.

Much as expected, they totaled 703 gold.

Added to the profits from selling miscellaneous spoils and materials related to the Devil, his total earnings from this trip reached a staggering 901 gold, 6 silver, and 2 copper.

However, before this money could even warm up in his hands, it was transferred to the bank account of the Rock Hammer Shop.

Having previously paid a deposit of 1,000 gold, Xia Nan settled the remaining 2,000 gold balance for the 【Ember Meteor】 straight sword as soon as the mission rewards arrived.

His savings plummeted, falling from the original four digits to only 430 gold, 2 silver, and 1 copper—this included the 50 gold deducted for purchasing the chain mail.

It looked like quite a lot, enough to live comfortably in the town for a while.

But in reality, Xia Nan was still in debt.

After all, the new armor, custom-made with the Bearded Devil scimitar as the main material, was still in the forging process.

According to Ba'en's estimate, the finished product would cost between 500 and 600 gold, roughly in the same tier as the 【Bone-Binding Iron Greaves】 leg guards he was currently wearing.

Compared to the arm shield and straight sword, it wasn't particularly expensive, but it was far beyond his current savings.

Fortunately, they were old customers, and having just finished such a big deal, Ba'en didn't even take a deposit and started the forging process, giving Xia Nan sufficient financial space to purchase supplies for his adventures.

Compared to the exaggerated debt pressure of the 【Ember Meteor】 straight sword before, Xia Nan's current gap was only about one or two hundred gold; with a bit of luck, he could earn it back in a month.

The pressure dropped sharply.

And for this, he had already made corresponding plans.

"Creak, creak."

Accompanied by the faint friction between metals, the wooden stairs made a series of dull sounds under the weight of his footsteps.

Xia Nan walked down from the second floor and scanned the tavern hall.

Immediately, a familiar figure came into view.

There was no obvious difference from when they met a few days ago; "Green Blood" Adeline was still in her usual messy state. Her short hair, which had been roughly buzzed, had grown a little longer, but it was still shorter than Xia Nan's, and looking at that disheveled appearance, it was clearly not grown out on purpose, just that she was too lazy to groom it.

As if she had just returned from a mission, there were bloodstains on the surface of her armor.

There was no need for careful identification; just by the lingering scent on her body and the color of the dried blood on her armor, one could judge that it was left by those green-skinned Goblins.

Greeting Chaputun, the tavern owner behind the counter, she ordered a classic No. 3 set meal with cream mushroom soup.

Xia Nan walked straight up and sat opposite Adeline.

"The promotion mission is already finished, and you're still holding a grudge against those green-skins?"

He joked casually.

Both were professionals with keen observation skills. The moment Xia Nan sat down, Adeline noticed the more condensed, unfathomable aura on him.

It hadn't even been ten days since they last met, and it seemed... he had become stronger again?

She felt a bit surprised in her heart, but didn't show much on her face, just curled her lip and replied:

"As if you could let those green-skins go. I bet you've even memorized the locations of those few Goblin lairs near the town, haven't you?"

They were old teammates who often gathered for meals during mission gaps, knowing each other inside and out. Adeline, of course, knew about the strange, peculiar hobby of this black-haired young man in front of her. ===== CHAPTER 321 =====