Chapter 5: Cleaning up the battlefield

Saying "cleaning up the battlefield," there was actually nothing to tidy up.

These green-skinned little things were covered in rags, and the weapons in their hands were all crudely made, not even as sturdy as the hoes used in the fields, and no one wanted them even if they were given away, so there were no extra trophies to speak of.

Xia Nan and the others just cut off the left ears of the Goblins and then found a pit to bury them—

This could prevent the smell of the corpses from spreading further in the air, thus attracting other dangers.

"Clatter."

Moist mud was scattered down, gradually burying the corpses piled in the pit.

It is worth mentioning that Erji was also among them.

The status of being a former squad member did not win him any privileges, but like those equally short Goblins, he was casually thrown into the burial ground.

Captain Maji even "thoughtfully" stripped him of his rudimentary equipment and supplies, leaving only a thin, patched shirt.

Gagu stood by the pit; most of the blood on his upper body had been wiped off, but there were still a few wounds oozing blood drops.

He looked at Erji, who was gradually being covered by sandy soil below, his eyes somewhat reddened.

But don't misunderstand,

This was by no means caused by the agitated emotions resulting from the death of a companion; it was most likely just the aftertaste of the battle that had just stimulated his bloodline.

At least based on Xia Nan's understanding of these people over the past few days.

Perhaps this half-breed Orc really felt sorry for the departure of his teammate deep in his heart, but that must have been only a very weak bit.

More of it should be the resentment that the effort and income of this mission were not proportional.

The relationship between adventurers, especially in such low-level squads where casualties often occur, is far more realistic and indifferent than he imagined.

And in fact, it was indeed so.

After helping Maji fill the pit.

Gagu's first sentence was a complaint:

"&#@%￥ (Orc profanity), one died, and we only earned less than two gold coins, can't even buy a donkey, really bad luck!"

Although in Xia Nan's view, the bounty for five Goblins was already a "huge sum," the Orc was obviously not satisfied.

The resentment in his heart even made him walk harder than usual, leaving deep footprints on the meadow.

And just when Xia Nan thought his first adventure trip had ended so hastily.

Maji, who had remained silent since the end of the battle and was silently packing his luggage, suddenly said coldly:

"Actually, just like the greedy dragons in legends, Goblins also like to hoard their trophies in their nests."

The atmosphere on the field seemed to freeze at this moment.

The Orc Gagu widened his eyes and turned around fiercely:

"You mean..."

"According to the mission information given by the Association, the number of this Goblin community will not exceed twenty at most."

Maji put the replenished quiver back behind him and stood up slowly.

"The ones we just solved are most likely their main force, and this means..."

"Nest!" Gagu's deliberately lowered excited voice sounded a bit sharp. "An empty nest!"

Maji nodded seemingly calmly, but deep in his eyes, he was also filled with excitement and joy.

A Goblin nest that was likely lacking in defense, a low-level adventurer squad that retained most of its combat power.

There was a little risk, but compared to the potential gains, what was this little risk?

More importantly, as an adventurer, if one wasn't even willing to take a little risk... then it would be better to go home and farm.

Immediately, driven by the greed in their hearts, Gagu and Maji quickly planned the location of the Goblin nest, the preparations before entering, and even the distribution of the trophies inside.

Xia Nan did not participate.

As a newbie adventurer who had just transmigrated into this world, he didn't know much about the judgment of the current situation on the field, nor about the habits of Goblins.

Although he vaguely felt that returning directly would be safer, the two's points were not unreasonable.

Moreover, even if he refused, he would have to act alone whether he stayed in place waiting for the two to return or returned to a nearby town.

In a place like the Mist Forest filled with monsters, acting alone was too dangerous.

Therefore, just follow along.

Maybe he could earn a few more gold coins on the way back.

For adventurers, "money" is the best catalyst for all behaviors.

The Scum squad showed strong execution in the face of potential treasures.

In just over ten minutes, Gagu and Maji completed a set of plans that looked rudimentary but weren't exactly unrefined.

They intended to rest patiently for one night, recover their strength, and set off to find the Goblin nest as soon as the sun rose tomorrow.

……

……

The campfire flickered.

Snoring sounds came from the rudimentary sleeping bags beside him, echoing with the unknown insect chirps in the dense forest behind.

The warm firelight shone on Xia Nan's face, reflecting an orange-red.

At this moment, the Scum squad had already changed to another place to camp.

Hunter Maji also set up traps around, but considering Erji, who had already been buried in the ground, Xia Nan didn't quite believe in the quality of these traps in his heart.

Therefore, when it was his turn to keep watch, he was extra focused.

He even moved his seat to the inner circle of the campsite—this way, even if something bypassed Maji's traps, he would have enough time to react.

The night was quiet.

And only until now did Xia Nan finally obtain time that belonged to him without attracting the attention of others.

He placed his one-handed sword horizontally on his knees, holding gauze in his right hand, as if he were carefully maintaining it.

But his eyes were not fixed on the longsword itself.

Instead, he was staring at his own reflection on the surface of the blade by the firelight in front of him.

One second, two seconds...

As his attention slowly concentrated, lines of translucent square characters also floated before his eyes.

……

【Name】: Xia Nan

【Attributes】:

Strength: 5 (Muscle strength, athletic training, and the physical potential that can be exerted)

Agility: 5 (Reaction speed, balance ability, and alertness)

Constitution: 5 (Endurance and vitality)

Intelligence: 5 (Memory, logic, and thinking ability)

Perception: 5 (Observation and insight ability, also represents the degree of coordination with the surrounding environment)

Charisma: 5 (Personality and temperament)

【Skills】:

Spinning Slash lv4 (99/100)

……

"Sure enough!"

Xia Nan muttered in his heart.

Ever since the characters "Proficiency +1" flashed before his eyes during the battle with the Goblins, he had been very concerned.

Now he just tried to verify the conjecture in his heart, and sure enough—

"Not only the numerical values of items and equipment, but through the reflection, I can also see my own attributes!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 6 =====