Chapter 82

Kalanfur, Church.

Holy beams of light illuminating countless tiny dust particles fell from the dome of the auditorium; the magnificent stained glass windows depicting the images of saints refracted mottled colors in the air.

Holy, quiet.

The priest, dressed in judge-style robes, stood on the altar.

His eyelids were lowered, his lips moved.

The golden sun holy emblem hanging under the crimson silk on his chest flickered with a faint light under the sunlight.

"Sir, the negative energy in that merchant's body has dissipated."

Below the steps, a nun, also dressed seriously, reported in a low voice.

The priest slowly opened his eyes, and there was no ripple on that kind and benevolent face.

He raised his head slightly, and in his old and tranquil pupils, the figure of the Lord he devoutly believed in was reflected on the glass stained window.

"Let him go."

The steady voice without any ups and downs echoed faintly in the vast auditorium.

"Yes."

The nun's light footsteps disappeared at the end of the side corridor.

The air seemed to return to silence.

"Cough, cough..."

A coughing sound with a rotten aura rang out abruptly in the church.

At the overlapping boundary of the magnificent corridor pillars and bright light, under the only shadow in the entire auditorium.

A thin, elderly figure struggled to get up from the cold bench.

On his cheeks, which were filled with wrinkles and age spots like rough tree bark, there was a strange smile.

"Failed?"

His lips, full of dead skin and bloodless, opened and closed lightly, and a hoarse, low voice rang out in the air.

"The merciful and great Lord spreads glory to the world, the holy rules cannot be trampled upon, and order should also be followed."

"Heh."

A laugh with ambiguous meaning rang out harshly.

The old man opened his only remaining turbid eye and looked at the kind priest on the altar who was draped in holy light.

There was only mockery in his eyes.

Three days later, Hegu Town.

White Tit Tavern.

The fireplace with burning flames, the clinking and high-raised wine glasses, and the noisy people amidst the aroma of food...

Everything seemed to be no different from before.

"Friends!" Caravan captain Jeff, holding a wooden cup with crystal-clear wine swaying in his right hand, cleared his throat.

"Remember when I first came to Hegu Town, I was just a green boy who hadn't even touched a woman's hand. Dreaming of becoming a famous adventurer, and then returning to my hometown with gold coins that could fill an entire warehouse, eating white bread every meal, and occasionally drinking meat soup."

"It's a pity that on my first mission, I was so scared by those three goblins that weren't even as big as a stray dog that I peed my pants."

A burst of good-natured laughter rang out in the tavern.

Jeff leaned on a wooden crutch with his other hand, his face flushed red with the smell of alcohol.

"For so many years, I've traveled north and south with the caravan, and although the dangers I've encountered definitely can't compare to yours, they haven't been few, and there were a few trips where I almost lost my life."

"Every time I came back, sitting here, I told myself, this is the last trip, retire after earning one more."

"But every time I couldn't help it, one trip, two trips... After all, who can go against fragrant gold coins?"

"But this time is different."

Seeming too drunk, Jeff swayed.

Below his left leg, which was severed at the knee, the makeshift prosthetic limb touched the floor, making the sound of wood colliding.

"Your good old Jeff, after today, is officially retired."

"Everyone is a bitter person living with their heads tied to their belts, so I won't say anything discouraging."

"I wish everyone here can earn enough gold coins to fill an entire warehouse!"

"Cheers!"

The already lively tavern became even more boiling in an instant.

Although Jeff wasn't an adventurer, he was kind-hearted and often hired adventurers to work as guards in the association.

Over the years, he had a bit of a reputation among bottom-level adventurers.

Seeing that he could retire safely in this state, even if some people had slander in their hearts, they still maintained the most basic decency on the surface.

Nothing unpleasant happened.

Xia Nan sat in the corner of the tavern, with a bowl of cream mushroom soup that he had half-drunk in front of him, and next to it were the stewed meat chunks he had finished eating.

Recalling the encounters of the past few days, he couldn't help but feel puzzled.

After pinning Ingram to the tree that day, he actually didn't intend to return to Kalanfur and wanted to run away directly.

After all, the Sheriff had a close relationship with the priest suspected of being a professional in the Sun God Church. If there was the priest's will in the other party's actions, then his return was undoubtedly seeking his own death.

But what he didn't expect was that the death of a Sheriff didn't even cause a ripple in the small town of Kalanfur.

Everything operated regularly and silently according to the original order.

Even Jeff, who was recuperating in the church before, successfully returned to the hotel to reunite with the caravan.

And until now, three days later, he hadn't heard any information related to this incident.

"Could it really just be Ingram's personal action, unrelated to the church?"

"But how could there be no movement at all when an important Sheriff in the town suddenly disappears?"

Xia Nan just felt it was strange.

As if touching the tip of an iceberg above the water, he only vaguely saw a bit of the huge outline hidden behind it, and then he shrank his movements in fear.

With his current strength, it was better not to get involved too much.

"Tap, tap, tap."

Accompanied by the light sound of the wooden prosthetic limb landing, Jeff, full of alcohol, walked over staggeringly.

Before Xia Nan could even speak, just by looking over, he raised his head and drank the wine in his hand in one gulp.

"Although I've said it many times, but... hiccup."

"If it weren't for the two of you that night, let alone retiring, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to return to Hegu Town."

In his drunken eyes, a serious look suddenly appeared.

"My ability is limited, and I can't help with adventurer matters."

"But if you come to Niumu in the future, find me."

Having made the decision to retire, the caravan he had saved for half his life was naturally put on the shelf.

He had already found a buyer,

and perhaps because of Jeff's own good reputation, the offer was quite good.

Enough for him to return to Niumu and open a small tailor shop with his family. The income definitely wouldn't be as high as before, but it was safe and stable.

Plus the savings of so many years, saving a little on expenses and not being overly extravagant, Jeff should be able to live a decent old age.

"You don't plan to treat this leg of yours?"

Xia Nan glanced at the prosthetic limb on the other party's left foot and asked.

"Where would I get the money? It's too expensive!" Jeff smiled freely, shaking the wine glass in his hand, "Anyway, I won't be running with the caravan in the future, I'll just live in the city, it doesn't matter whether I treat it or not."

Xia Nan nodded slightly, respecting the other party's decision, and didn't say much more.

But in his heart, he was faintly moved:

Come to think of it, if he didn't have the golden finger of the "Attribute Panel," as well as decent physical talent, allowing him to see the path upward.

Like Jeff in front of him, saving money for a few years and finding a safe place to open a small shop seemed to be a good life.

"No!"

The thought had just arisen, and it was instantly extinguished by Xia Nan.

In his sight, the skin at the wound of Jeff's severed limb was like a dead tree, a deathly gray without any blood color.

The bones and flesh severed by a sword, just one glance, and one could feel the phantom pain within.

Before his eyes, the terrifying scene from that night a few days ago, when the undead Tim forcibly pulled Jeff's calf bone out of his muscles while he was sleeping, flashed.

Different from the civilized society with highly developed technology in his previous life.

The fantasy world he was currently in might possess supernatural powers with a higher level of development, but it didn't have an official institution strong enough to broadly check and balance high-level professionals on a large scale.

To some extent, "law" was almost no different from waste paper for certain powerful existences in the evil camp.

With this as a premise, if he were just an ordinary person, or an adventurer slightly above the bottom level.

He might be able to live a peaceful and stable life.

But he might also die miserably in the aftermath of a high-level professional's venting just because they were in a bad mood one day.

If he were involved in a conspiracy like the one Ingram planned, he wouldn't even know the reason for his death.

Even if he really achieved the wealthy life he once dreamed of, retired to the countryside, and lived a plain and happy life with his family.

He absolutely could not tolerate any random cat or dog on the road being able to easily threaten his own life and the safety of those he valued.

The happy life he dreamed of, the huge savings enough to live a wealthy life, and even everything he pursued...

Strength was the most fundamental thing for him to stand in this world!

Looking at Jeff, who was walking away, limping and swaying because he hadn't completely adapted to the way of moving with the prosthetic limb.

The cognitive concept that had been deeply rooted and built up over more than thirty years of modern social life in Xia Nan's previous life was quietly changing invisibly.

Subconsciously taking out the brass coin engraved with the Goddess's head from his bosom, he rubbed it with his fingertips, feeling the cold touch on the surface of the copper coin.

Focusing his attention, translucent characters emerged before his eyes.

【Fate Coin】

Category: Consumable/Prop

Grade: Epic (Pink)

Remaining uses: 3

Introduction:

A special copper coin lingering with the divine power of luck, the trigger for "miracles."

Note:

"It's this one, I! Want! To! All-in!"

——Destiny Gambler·Full Collection of Blacklists of 126 Casinos in the Shoal Islands·Tymora's Eyebrow·Alin

Alton had already left the team two days ago and traveled far away alone.

As a lightfoot halfling who was on a journey, it was almost impossible for him to stay in a fixed place for a long time, or even turn back and walk the path he came from again.

Regarding this, Xia Nan was not worried at all.

Although he was short and looked like someone who was easily deceived, his actual combat power wasn't particularly outstanding.

But...

Just kidding!

This was an existence that could chat about family matters with gods in his dreams!

With the protection of the Lady of Smiles, Xia Nan even suspected that if someone really had evil intentions toward the halfling.

It wouldn't even be their turn to make a move before they accidentally tripped and fell to their death because they stepped out with their left foot first when going out.

Possessing the ability to communicate directly with gods, Alton was definitely not the ordinary believer he once thought.

At least he was at the level of a "God-Favored."

"I don't know if there will be a chance to meet again in the future."

Xia Nan pondered in his heart, but the coin in his hand was tossed high by his palm subconsciously, quite dashingly, just as the halfling often showed off in front of him.

But the moment the copper coin left his hand, he suddenly felt insecure in his heart, and a strong sense of insecurity emerged.

Somewhat disheveled, he moved his hands upward, clutching the tossed coin tightly in his palm.

This was a genuine epic-grade pink item!

Let alone losing it because of unnecessary movements, even if he accidentally scratched or bumped it, it was a result he absolutely couldn't accept.

Carefully stuffing it into his bosom and placing it close to his body.

Perhaps because the quality grade of the 【Fate Coin】 was too high, even involving the great power of gods.

The usually reliable attribute panel didn't detail its efficacy.

It just vaguely added a sentence, "the trigger for 'miracles'."

Making Xia Nan somewhat confused.

He just guessed that perhaps this precious prop, which could still be used three times, could increase the probability of certain things happening.

Probably similar to winning the jackpot in the lottery, or guessing all the multiple-choice questions on the test paper correctly?

He didn't know the scope of the coin's efficacy and the degree of its specific influence.

And he couldn't bear to sacrifice the only three chances to test it.

At least, through practical verification, it could be determined that:

【Fate Coin】 could 100% trigger the physical damage immunity effect of 【Copper Sinew and Iron Bone】.

Even just looking at this, its effect had reached an exaggerated degree.

It could be said that with the copper coin in hand, Xia Nan had three extra lives!

It was a trump card in the absolute sense.

Not to mention, the 【Light-Bather】 expertise he obtained in battle before was, strictly speaking, also obtained by chance through the divine power of fate when using the coin.

Maybe...

Xia Nan licked his somewhat dry lips, and messy thoughts flew in his mind.

The banquet lasted until late at night.

It wasn't until Jeff, who was completely drunk, was helped into the guest room by a few familiar friends that the originally lively and boiling atmosphere in the tavern cooled down slightly.

It is worth mentioning that during this period, a few familiar adventurers actually took the initiative to come over and talk to Xia Nan to build a friendship.

Apparently, because of the strength he showed during the mission, he had gained the recognition of these peers.

He even faintly heard a drunk adventurer describing his fierce record of killing four goblins with one sword in the exaggerated tone common after drunkenness to the surrounding colleagues who were also full of drunkenness.

Although it was just bragging at the wine table, few people took it to heart, and even most of them had forgotten Xia Nan's name when they woke up the next day.

Only vaguely remembering that last night, a drunkard was bragging to himself, saying he met a fierce person who could cut goblins like piglets.

But there was no doubt that more than a month after he crossed into this world.

Among the bottom-level adventurers in Hegu Town,

for the first time,

Xia Nan had his own story.

(End of chapter)