Youth

"Right..."

As they gathered the loot, Bern continued, "To be honest, the mission our party accepted this time is also most likely related to what we're doing next."

"That Emergency Rescue! mission from the merchant guild?"

From Bern's earlier questions, Lin Mo had already more or less guessed it.

"Sure enough, you saw that mission too."

Bern was not surprised. "Before, I guessed they had run into a large number of Goblins, or perhaps some powerful monster. But now, it seems more likely they were looted by the Blood Sea Gang."

He took out the mission map and pointed at the caravan's planned route. "Look, the Yori Merchant Guild's original route was right to the southeast."

Lin Mo understood what he meant. "If they really were looted by those people, then the merchant guild owner's daughter is very likely still alive."

If that was the case, the mission reward would not be 10 Gold Coins, but a full 100 Gold Coins!

"After it's done, fifty-fifty?"

"I'll take forty percent. You have more people, after all, and you'll be doing more of the work."

The other party's offer of fifty percent was a courtesy, but Lin Mo could not shamelessly nod and accept it.

In terms of numbers, they had more people. In terms of strength, the uncle before him was clearly stronger than he was. Besides, they had just lost one person. If they really counted it up, even forty percent was already taking advantage of them.

By bringing it up himself, Bern was showing sincerity, and Lin Mo naturally had to return the courtesy.

Sometimes, taking the initiative to make a small concession was not necessarily a bad thing.

"Fine."

Bern nodded in satisfaction. Looking at the young man before him, he could not help feeling a little wistful.

If his nephew could be as sensible as this young man, he had no idea how much worry he would save himself.

"It's getting late. Let's find another place to rest and set out tomorrow..."

Bern glanced at the sky. After hesitating for a while, he ultimately gave up on the idea of launching a nighttime raid.

A forced march through the night might indeed catch them by surprise, but there were too many uncertain risks. Leaving aside how much more dangerous the forest itself was at night, they were going to the enemy's camp. If there were traps nearby, they could avoid them during the day. At night, when they could not see anything, they would step right into them.

Besides, they had just gone through an intense battle, and none of them were in particularly good condition. The enemy also clearly outnumbered them and was stronger than them.

It was better to play it safe and find a place to get a good night's rest first.

The group hurried away from the scene, found a suitable spot nearby, and set up camp.

As evening fell, Lin Mo took out a flint and started a campfire. At the same time, Bern set traps around the area and scattered powder to drive away wild beasts.

Lin Mo watched him work the entire time, committing every step to memory.

With the campfire lit and the camp set up, it was time to eat.

"Brother Lin Mo, that move you used during the day was seriously cool!"

They had chatted about quite a few topics along the way and had become much more familiar with one another. Evan gnawed on the bread in his hand as he spoke excitedly.

"With one slash, you chopped that Ranger's head right off..."

Evan could hardly be blamed for being so excited. Ever since he had started adventuring with his uncle at sixteen, nearly two years had passed.

Yet after two full years, he still had not mastered a single skill of his own.

"Uncle Bern is a Knight Profession. His Shield Bash is powerful too, but it doesn't suit me... I really wish I could gain a Professional Skill someday."

Though Evan said that, he did not actually hold much hope.

For low-level adventurers like them, with average talent and little money, they would most likely never learn a Professional Skill in their entire lives.

Even his uncle Bern had only gotten lucky. During an adventure in his youth, he had happened upon a Knight who had died unexpectedly and picked up a Skill Scroll for Shield Bash from his body.

"Who told you not to become a Knight and insist on choosing Warrior instead?"

Miriam, who had barely spoken throughout the journey, suddenly mocked him.

"Warriors are cooler... Besides, our party already has Uncle Bern as its Knight."

Evan scratched his head awkwardly.

"You don't even have a chance of becoming an official professional. What's so cool about that?"

Miriam rolled her eyes, her face full of disdain.

"Don't say that, Miriam. Maybe I'll have an epiphany someday and comprehend a skill on my own."

"If you want to dream, wait until you go to sleep."

After throwing out those words, Miriam got up and left.

"Where are you going? Wait for me..."

Evan immediately chased after her.

"To the bathroom."

"Then I'll protect you."

"Get lost!"

As Lin Mo watched the scene before him, a word suddenly flashed through his mind.

Youth.

Being young was nice...

Though he seemed to be about the same age as Evan and the others, whether in his previous life or this one, it seemed he had never had that feeling of "youth" in his life.

He took a fierce bite of the freshly warmed jerky. It was a little tough, but the flavor was not bad. Especially when the grease soaked into the bread, even the bread became delicious.

Though it really was a little hard to swallow.

He took a drink of water to wash down the food in his mouth, and Lin Mo found himself missing the meal he had eaten at the inn on Flower Street.

"Here, try this."

Uncle Bern walked over and handed him a small square wrapped in paper.

"What is it?"

"Dried Cheese."

Lin Mo's eyes immediately lit up. Huh, they even had cheese?

He opened the wrapping, tucked the cheese into his bread, and slowly heated it until it melted and seeped into the jerky.

A budget Bacon Cheese Sandwich.

"You can eat it like that?"

Bern, who had always eaten Dried Cheese plain, had learned something new. He copied Lin Mo's method and gave it a try. The melted cheese released a richer, sweeter fragrance, and he could not help giving a thumbs-up. "You really are a genius."

"About tomorrow's operation..."

Lin Mo could tell that the uncle had something to say. As it happened, so did he.

"It'll be extremely dangerous—far more dangerous than today!"

Bern's expression immediately darkened. "There were only five of them today, and even then, we barely won. Their captain wasn't there either."

But they had no choice. If they did not take a gamble, they could only wait to die.

"Could their captain be a professional?"

Lin Mo voiced his greatest concern.

Bern froze for a moment, then smiled and shook his head. "That won't be the case. Professionals aren't cabbages growing in a field. Even the Blood Sea Gang doesn't have many. I'd estimate their leader is, at most, about as strong as I am."

"Level 0.8?"

Lin Mo had heard Evan use that description more than once along the way.

Bern looked a little embarrassed. After all, that term was entirely his own bragging.

"Is becoming a professional difficult?"

Lin Mo asked curiously. Up to this point, he still lacked an understanding of so-called professionals—such as how one became a true professional, and why there was said to be an almost unbridgeable gap between official professionals and non-professionals.

At Lin Mo's question, Bern's face filled with emotion. "Extremely difficult! Compared with most people, I consider myself incredibly lucky. Even so, I struggled for a full twenty years before finally seeing even a glimmer of hope of officially taking up a profession..."

"Can you explain it in detail? About professionals."