Token

"Wood, we've already wasted too much time in River Valley Town."

His silver-white hair fluttered in the wind as Hai An spoke softly to the Guard at his side, the one most loyal to him.

Like those "long-ears" who lived deep within towering forests, Half-Elves possessed kind natures nurtured through the teachings of their relatives and elders, yet they occasionally displayed a stubborn side as well.

"Mother once said that the Vina River never stops flowing. We can't delay any longer."

As though he had heard a certain keyword in Hai An's words, Wood, who had originally intended to take a firmer stance, opened his mouth, then ultimately swallowed his words.

Although Larry was usually rather unreliable, the suggestion he had just made was not a bad option.

Hai An weighed it in his mind.

He had yet to become a Professional and possessed limited strength. Though he had learned several Combat Skills from his mother, they all leaned toward ranged combat.

Larry looked frivolous on the surface, but his family was wealthy. He had hired Professional Adventurers to train him since childhood, so he had some fighting ability, though not much.

Doris... setting her aside for now.

Wood was a genuine Professional. There were practically no Monsters on the outskirts of Thin Mist Forest that could threaten him, but judging from his previous outings, no matter how fierce the battle became, he would only remain at Hai An's side.

There was still some distance to their destination. Since they were in Thin Mist Forest, completely avoiding battle was naturally impossible.

With that in mind, their party truly needed an adventurer with decent combat ability who could fight at close range.

Hai An raised his head and looked across the clearing at the wary Black-haired Youth.

After pausing for a few seconds to arrange his words, he slowly said, "As compensation for accidentally dragging you into this, I'll leave you thirty Gold Coins."

Under normal circumstances, no matter how kind one might be, they would not go this far for a stranger.

But in order to repair his party's image in the other man's eyes, and more importantly, for the invitation to join them later, Hai An chose this most practical way to show his sincerity after weighing the matter in his heart.

"Then, I hope to hire you for seventy gold as a temporary member to assist our party with its current mission."

Hearing this, Xia Nan, who had been debating whether to run off with the Gold Coins or hand over the loot in his hands, suddenly froze.

His first reaction was—

Thirty plus seventy equals one hundred gold.

No, no, no. Xia Nan reined in his thoughts and assessed whether the invitation was genuine.

First, he was carrying items worth nearly eighty Gold Coins—the Firefly Garlic Vine and the two men's loot.

As long as he could bring them back to River Valley Town, he would make a huge profit. There was no need to take unnecessary risks for these hundred Gold Coins.

As a low-level adventurer who operated alone, he had to consider the possibility that they were only pretending to invite him over, when in reality they wanted to lure him close and surround him.

Second, Xia Nan found the four people before him rather strange.

Even a bottom-tier adventurer party like the previous Stinky Fish Rotten Shrimp squad had a lineup consisting of a front-line Warrior like Ga Gu, a ranged archer like Maji, and an assassin like Elki.

What about these four?

The Half-Elf and his Guard were fairly normal, but what was the role of that fat man whose equipment did not even fit him and who looked even greener than Xia Nan?

Not to mention the blonde lady at the back of the party, pale-faced as though a gust of wind could blow her away.

Rather than an "adventurer party," they looked more like rich young people from the city on a countryside outing.

At that thought, Xia Nan's train of thought abruptly halted.

He then gave them another careful look, his expression strange.

Don't tell me they really are...

He could not help feeling both amused and exasperated. He had nearly been coaxed aboard a pirate ship.

At this rate, forget one hundred gold. I wouldn't join even for ten thousand.

Though that was what he thought, his face remained expressionless.

Faced with Hai An's invitation, he firmly and decisively shook his head.

"One hundred gold! I'll give you one hundred gold!"

Seeing Xia Nan refuse, Larry beside the Half-Elf seemed to grow anxious. He raised an index finger and shouted.

I said not even ten thousand gold would do! Xia Nan grumbled inwardly.

At the same time, he silently shook his head again.

"You..." Faced with his repeated refusals, Larry's face reddened. He waved his arms, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly as though he were brewing up a number the other man could not refuse.

Smack—

A pale, slender-fingered hand landed on his shoulder.

"Forget it, Larry." In Hai An's Silver-grey eyes was reflected Xia Nan's figure, as though he could vanish into the dense forest at any moment.

"There's no need to force him."

Though the other man had said nothing, the Half-Elf could sense the resolve Xia Nan had shown in refusing.

He took out a purse from the Backpack behind him and tossed it across the clearing toward Xia Nan.

"Thirty gold. Keep it."

Xia Nan was immediately surprised, but he did not lower his guard in the slightest.

He used the tip of his sword to pry open the purse and inspected it carefully, making sure there were no tricks hidden inside.

Only then did he tuck the purse into his clothes.

He's this trustworthy?

Even after confirming that Xia Nan would not join the party, he had still thrown him the thirty Gold Coins he had verbally promised.

Was that simply his nature, or were all elves in this world like that?

Feeling the heavy weight of the purse, Xia Nan could not help finding him somewhat more pleasing to the eye.

At the same time, seeing Xia Nan refuse, Wood, who had remained silent at the side, unconsciously let out a breath of relief. "Young master, Thin Mist Forest is still too dangerous. It'll be difficult for me alone to ensure your safety. How about... we return to River Valley Town first, rest and resupply for a few days, then make further plans?"

"Our destination is only on the outskirts. Aren't you a Professional? What are you afraid of?" Having been refused twice in a row by Xia Nan, Larry was in a foul mood, and his words carried a faint hint of complaint.

In response, Wood merely gave him a cold glance without saying anything. Larry instantly shrank his neck as though he had fallen into an ice cellar and shut his mouth.

He treated Hai An with utmost respect, but Wood had no reason to put on any sort of expression for the others in the party.

"Besides, those people just now didn't look like adventurers." Seeing that Hai An seemed to have been persuaded, Wood pressed on. "I suspect they were from Newm's side..."

He only spoke half the sentence, but Hai An clearly understood his meaning. His expression instantly darkened.

"No. Right now... it's not time yet. They shouldn't go that far."

As though comforting himself, Hai An murmured and took an ink-black token from his clothes.

"Wait!"

Xia Nan's voice suddenly rang through the air.

He had already planned to leave with his fortune of more than a hundred Gold Coins, but he abruptly stopped.

The dark token in the Half-Elf's hand, narrow at the top and broad at the bottom, its surface seemingly etched with some ancient symbol, gave him an intensely familiar feeling at first glance.

He had seen that distinctive classical style countless times in his memories.

But those "memories" did not come from the original owner of this body.

They came, in the truest sense—

From his Previous Life.