Cleaning Up the Battlefield

Calling it "cleaning up the battlefield" was a bit of an exaggeration. There was not much to clean up at all.

These little Greenskins had nothing but a scrap of rag on them, and their weapons were all crudely made—not even as sturdy as the hoes used in the fields. No one would want them even for free, so there was no such thing as extra loot.

Xia Nan and the others merely cut off the Goblins' left ears, then found a pit and buried them—

The damp soil scattered down, gradually covering the piled-up corpses in the pit.

It was worth mentioning that Elki was among them.

His former status as a party member earned him no special treatment. Like the equally short Goblins, he was casually tossed into the burial pit.

Captain Maji had even "kindly" stripped him of his crude equipment and supplies, leaving him with only a thin, patched shirt.

Ga Gu stood beside the pit. Most of the blood on his upper body had been wiped away, though a few wounds still seeped droplets of blood.

He watched Elki gradually disappear beneath the sandy soil, his eyes slightly red.

But do not misunderstand.

This was certainly not because his companion's death had stirred up intense emotions. It was more likely the lingering aftereffects of the bloodline awakened by the recent battle.

At least, that was how Xia Nan saw it after getting to know these people over the past several days.

Perhaps this Half-Orc with his diluted bloodline truly felt some regret deep down over his teammate's departure, but it was surely only the faintest trace.

Far more likely, he was resentful that the effort put into this mission had not matched its returns.

Relationships between adventurers, especially in low-level parties like this one where casualties were common, were far more practical and coldhearted than Xia Nan had imagined.

And indeed, that was exactly the case.

After helping Maji fill in the burial pit,

Ga Gu's first words were a complaint:

"&#@%￥(Orc curse), one guy died, and we made less than two Gold Coins. Can't even buy a donkey. What rotten luck!"

Although Xia Nan considered the bounty for five Goblins a "huge sum," the Half-Orc was clearly dissatisfied.

The resentment in his heart even made him walk more heavily than usual, leaving deep footprints across the meadow.

Just as Xia Nan thought his first adventure would end so hastily,

Maji, who had remained silent since the battle ended and was quietly packing his luggage, suddenly said, "Actually, like those greedy Great Dragons in the legends, Goblins also like to hoard their loot in their nests."

The atmosphere seemed to freeze in that instant.

Half-Orc Ga Gu's eyes widened as he abruptly turned around. "You mean..."

"According to the mission information provided by the association, this Goblin settlement should have no more than twenty Goblins at most."

Maji slung his replenished quiver over his back and slowly rose to his feet.

"What we dealt with just now was most likely their main force, and that means..."

"The nest!" Ga Gu's deliberately lowered voice was sharp with excitement. "An empty nest!"

Maji nodded seemingly calmly, but his eyes were also filled with excitement and anticipation.

A Goblin Nest that most likely lacked defenses, and a low-level adventurer party that still retained most of its fighting strength.

There was some risk, but compared to the potential gains, what did that little risk matter?

Besides, if an adventurer was unwilling to take even a little risk... they might as well go home and farm.

Driven by the greed in their hearts, Ga Gu and Maji swiftly began enthusiastically planning the Goblin Nest's location, their preparations before entering, and even how the loot inside would be divided.

Xia Nan did not join in.

As a rookie adventurer who had only just crossed into this world, he did not know much about either the current situation or Goblin habits.

Though he vaguely felt that returning directly would be safer, the two men's reasoning was not without merit.

Besides, even if he refused, whether he stayed here and waited for them to return or went back to the nearby town, he would have to act alone.

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

So he might as well follow them.

Perhaps he could earn a few more Gold Coins as well.

For adventurers, "money" was the most effective catalyst for every action.

Faced with the possibility of treasure, the Stinky Fish Rotten Shrimp party displayed tremendous initiative.

In just over ten minutes, Ga Gu and Maji had completed a plan that seemed rough, though it was not exactly ingenious either.

They planned to rest patiently for the night and recover their strength, then set out at daybreak tomorrow to search for the Goblin Nest.

The campfire flickered.

Snores rose and fell from the crude sleeping bags beside him, echoing with the unknown chirping of insects in the dense forest behind them.

The warm firelight shone on Xia Nan's face, tinting it orange-red.

By now, the Stinky Fish Rotten Shrimp party had moved to another campsite.

Hunter Maji had also set traps around the area, but considering Gnome Elki, who was now buried underground, Xia Nan did not have much faith in their quality.

Thus, when it was his turn to keep watch, he was especially focused.

He even moved his seat closer to the inner part of the camp—so that even if something bypassed Maji's traps, he would have enough time to react.

The deep night was quiet.

Only now did Xia Nan finally gain some time of his own, time that would not draw anyone else's attention.

He laid his One-handed Sword across his knees, gripping a piece of gauze in his right hand as though he were carefully maintaining it.

But his eyes were not fixed on the Longsword itself.

Instead, using the firelight before him, he stared at his reflection on the blade's surface.

One second, two seconds...

As his attention slowly focused, lines of semi-transparent square characters appeared before his eyes.

[Name]: Xia Nan

[Attributes]:

Strength: 5 (muscular strength, athletic training, and physical potential that could be brought out)

Agility: 5 (reaction speed, balance, and alertness)

Constitution: 5 (endurance and Life Force)

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

Perception: 5 (observation and insight, also representing coordination with the surrounding environment)

Charisma: 5 (personality and temperament)

[Skills]:

Whirlwind Slash Level 4 (99/100)

Just as I thought!

Ever since the words "Proficiency +1" had flashed before his eyes during the battle with the Goblins, Xia Nan had been deeply concerned about it.

Now, with just a small attempt to confirm his guess, it turned out exactly as expected—

"Not only can I see the stats of items and equipment through reflections, I can see my own attributes too!"