Recaps

Hai An tried to hire Xia Nan to help his party travel through Thin Mist Forest, but Xia Nan refused even after the offer rose to one hundred Gold Coins. As Xia Nan prepared to leave, he recognized the ancient style of the black token Hai An had taken out as something from his previous life.

• Hai An offered Xia Nan thirty Gold Coins in compensation and seventy more to join the party temporarily, but Xia Nan refused, suspecting the inexperienced group could not be trusted.
• Larry raised the offer to one hundred Gold Coins, but Xia Nan refused again, and Hai An accepted his decision and gave him the promised thirty Gold Coins.
• Wood urged Hai An to return to River Valley Town, warning that Thin Mist Forest was dangerous and suspecting the men they had encountered belonged to Newm's side.
• Hai An rejected Wood's suggestion for the moment and took an ink-black token from his clothes.
• Xia Nan stopped before leaving because the token's ancient style reminded him of his previous life.

Xia Nan recognized the Wooden Token Hai An carried as resembling artifacts from his former world, though he could not read its unfamiliar writing, and joined Hai An’s party to investigate its source. On the journey toward Thin Mist Forest, Xia Nan saw that the group was more disciplined than he had expected, while Wood remained watchful of him.

• Xia Nan examined Hai An’s Wooden Token and noticed its familiar style and shape, but could not read the character written on it.
• Hai An explained that the party’s mission was to investigate where the token had been found and invited Xia Nan to join them.
• Xia Nan accepted the invitation because he wanted to learn the token’s origins.
• The party traveled in a quiet, orderly formation, and Wood used his experience to detect hazards and guide them around danger.
• Hai An walked ahead of Xia Nan and showed him goodwill, while Wood occasionally looked back at Xia Nan warily.

Xia Nan rested with Larry and Hai An’s party in Thin Mist Forest, where they discussed the unusual number of snakes and the origins of Larry’s Wooden Token. Hai An revealed that he suspected the token was connected to a missing relative, and Wood returned from scouting with something to report.

• Larry complained about the many snakes in the forest while Xia Nan cleaned blood from his armor during a rest.
• Larry told Xia Nan that an adventurer had found the Wooden Token in Thin Mist Forest and that Larry had bought the location where it was discovered.
• Xia Nan questioned why Larry had entered the forest without guards, and Larry muttered an unclear explanation while glancing at the blonde-haired girl.
• Hai An said he had led the party and suspected the Wooden Token was connected to the disappearance of one of his relatives.
• Wood returned from scouting, looked at Hai An, and said he had found something.

Xia Nan and the party investigated a mysterious carriage in Thin Mist Forest, where a swarm of scorpion bugs attacked and Wood drove them away with a clay pot of incendiary liquid. As the group made camp, Wood questioned the origin of Hai An’s token, but Hai An shut him down, leaving the token’s connection to the Wickliff Family unresolved.

• Hai An recognized the carriage’s traditional design, while Larry, Hai An, and Wood noted that it could not plausibly have reached the forest recently without leaving tracks.
• Doris spotted scorpion bugs beneath the carriage, and Xia Nan returned to the fight after retreating as the swarm surged toward the party.
• Wood hurled a clay pot that burst into flames, scattering the scorpion bugs and setting the carriage and nearby grass alight.
• Wood examined a scorpion and told Hai An that something was wrong before suggesting the group move around the area and make camp.
• At the campsite, Wood began to explain that Hai An’s Ink-Black Wooden Token was not High Elf in style and referred to the matriarch, but Hai An angrily told him to stop.

Xia Nan’s party was attacked by four Rust Monsters after one of Wood’s warning traps was triggered in the Thin Mist Forest. As the battle began, Larry was hurt by the recoil of his hammer, and Wood warned that the monsters’ venom could corrode metal.

• A trap’s bells rang at dusk, and Xia Nan, Hai An, Wood, Larry, and Doris took up defensive positions.
• The party realized that whatever had triggered the trap was approaching them instead of fleeing.
• Four Rust Monsters emerged from the fog, and Hai An’s arrow bounced off one monster’s carapace.
• Larry struck a Rust Monster with his hammer, but the recoil numbed his arm and forced him to retreat.
• Doris hit the monster’s mouthparts with her hammer, and its venom corroded the weapon.
• Wood warned that Rust Monster venom could corrode metal, making Xia Nan hesitate with his Beheading Longsword in hand.

Four Rust Monsters attacked the camp, and Wood and Xia Nan fought to protect the others. Xia Nan killed the bug that nearly ambushed Hai An, while the remaining Rust Monsters were still engaged elsewhere in the camp.

• Xia Nan rushed to support the camp when he saw a Rust Monster threaten the group.
• Wood killed one Rust Monster by stabbing through a gap in its neck plates.
• Wood spotted another Rust Monster circling toward Hai An and shouted a warning.
• The Rust Monster lunged at Hai An from behind as Hai An realized one of the bugs was missing.
• Xia Nan killed the attacker with [Whirlwind Slash] and told Hai An not to get distracted.

Xia Nan and his party survived a sudden attack by four Rust Monsters, with Xia Nan and Hai An working together to kill one and Wood defeating the last. After collecting valuable poison glands, Wood questioned why the cave-dwelling monsters had appeared in the Thin Mist Forest.

• Wood checked that Hai An was unharmed after Xia Nan killed the Rust Monster threatening him.
• Hai An shot an arrow into another Rust Monster's eye, allowing Xia Nan to kill it with a thrust through its lower jaw.
• Wood defeated the final Rust Monster, and the party prepared to move camp after Larry suffered a minor injury from its venom.
• Wood explained that Rust Monster poison glands were valuable and warned that their shells spoiled quickly in the forest.
• Hai An gave Xia Nan the poison glands from the other three monsters as compensation, while Wood wondered what had drawn the Rust Monsters into the Thin Mist Forest.

After the battle with the Rust Monsters, Xia Nan shared food with his companions and learned why Hai An had come to the Thin Mist Forest. Wood explained how Combat Skills worked, and Xia Nan discovered that mastering one was a requirement for gaining a Profession Level.

• Xia Nan and the others moved their camp after the Rust Monster battle, and Doris treated Larry's injured arm.
• Larry gave Xia Nan honey and cheese, and Hai An explained that Larry and Doris had grown up together.
• Hai An revealed that he sought his mother's homeland with the Wooden Token and feared he might not be able to leave home again after the commission.
• Xia Nan told Hai An and Wood how he had learned [Whirlwind Slash] from a partial Skill Book, surprising them with his combat talent.
• Wood explained the three grades of Combat Skill proficiency, and Hai An revealed that mastering a Combat Skill was one requirement for obtaining a Profession Level.
• Xia Nan eagerly asked what other conditions were needed to become a Professional.

Xia Nan learned how adventurers gained Profession Levels by mastering three Combat Skills that belonged to the same class category. He realized he needed two more compatible skills alongside [Whirlwind Slash], and Hai An pointed him toward the Adventurers Association as the easiest place to learn them.

• Xia Nan asked Hai An what was required to become a Professional, and Hai An explained the three-Combat-Skill requirement and the need to train one skill to Mastery.
• Hai An clarified that mismatched Combat Skills usually did not qualify for advancement, though rare combinations could lead to an uncertain profession.
• Wood explained that common Basic Classes had clear advancement paths, while rare professions relied on scarce skills and secret combinations.
• Xia Nan concluded that pursuing a common class was his best option and realized he needed two more compatible Combat Skills to gain a Profession Level.
• Xia Nan asked where adventurers could learn Combat Skills, and Hai An told him the Adventurers Association was the most convenient place.

Hai An explained how people in the Servia Kingdom obtained Combat Skills and why Xia Nan’s former self had been unusually lucky to learn one from half a Skill Book. He offered to use his family’s connections to hire a Warrior-type Professional to train Xia Nan, and Xia Nan accepted as they prepared to part ways.

• Hai An told Xia Nan that Skill Books were sold on the Adventurers Association’s second floor, which was generally accessible only to Professionals, and Wood explained that the world did not need many adventurers.
• Hai An described the main ways to learn Combat Skills: joining a major organization, hiring a Professional, or trying one’s luck with circulating Skill Books, most of which were worthless.
• Xia Nan realized his former self had been talented and lucky to learn a Combat Skill from half a Skill Book, and considered how to advance from there.
• Hai An said Wood’s Wanderer skills could not help Xia Nan with [Whirlwind Slash] and offered to find a reliable Professional to train him in a [Warrior]-type Combat Skill.
• Xia Nan accepted Hai An’s offer, and Hai An asked for his address so he could write after returning to Newm; Xia Nan said he would be in River Valley Town.

Xia Nan learned about Professions and Combat Skills from Hai An and Wood, then continued with the party toward the place where they had found the Wooden Token. As they explored newly ruined buildings in the Thin Mist Forest, Xia Nan recognized the towering Wooden Tower as a restaurant and suspected the structures had been displaced from another place or time.

• Xia Nan spoke with Hai An and Wood about Professions, Combat Skills, and adventuring, and Hai An agreed to help him find a mentor in Newm.
• The party set out at first light and traveled through the forest without encountering Monsters, except for a Golden-Eyed Black Panther that watched them before retreating.
• Larry used his damaged One-handed Hammer to probe the undergrowth and drive away snakes as the party approached its destination.
• Xia Nan saw several oddly styled ruined buildings, including a five-story Wooden Tower, and found a fragment of porcelain among the rubble.
• Wood estimated that the Wooden Tower had been built only a month or two earlier, while Xia Nan recognized it as a restaurant and suspected the buildings had been randomly brought from another world.

Xia Nan and his companions explored an intact courtyard whose architecture and strange anomalies strengthened his suspicion that it came from another world. Hai An ended the mission and agreed to return, but Wood’s discovery of a Rust Monster statue left the group on alert.

• Xia Nan noticed that the courtyard had bridges and pavilions but no water, and saw a rockery fused with an Oak Tree.
• Wood confirmed that the courtyard’s architecture did not belong to the matriarch’s tribe, so Hai An declared the mission over.
• Xia Nan decided against venturing farther into the Thin Mist Forest, and Larry promised to pay him the 100 gold reward.
• Larry found a detailed Stone Statue of a Venomous Snake, then spotted a Rust Monster statue that looked like the creatures they had fought.
• Wood moved in front of Hai An and warned everyone to stay alert.

An invisible petrifying force struck the party in the ruins, turning Larry and Doris to stone while Hai An and Wood narrowly survived. Xia Nan resisted the attack, but the enormous creature behind the courtyard emerged from the mist as the survivors fled.

• Larry and Doris were petrified while holding onto each other.
• Hai An's protective Magic Item shattered and shielded him from the attack.
• Wood resisted the petrifying force and rushed to carry Hai An away, shouting for everyone to run.
• Xia Nan endured the force with the help of his attributes and will, though his extremities turned gray.
• Wood fled toward the forest with Hai An as the enormous creature crawled out of the mist behind the courtyard.

Xia Nan fled after witnessing the Petrification Lizard turn his companions to stone, but the Monster pursued him through the forest. His [Dead Line] ring deflected one bite, yet the lizard slammed its body into him.

• Xia Nan recognized the Petrification Lizard as a Challenge Rating 3 Monster and realized he could not fight it.
• Xia Nan ran deeper into the forest as the Half-Elf and Wood fled in another direction.
• The Petrification Lizard chose to pursue Xia Nan and charged through the forest, crushing trees and brush.
• The lizard nearly bit Xia Nan, but his [Dead Line] ring activated its Deflection Force Field and turned the bite aside.
• The Petrification Lizard crashed its massive body into Xia Nan.

Xia Nan was badly injured by the Petrification Lizard, but Hai An and Wood distracted it long enough for him to escape. He vanished into the mist near the strange ruins, leaving Hai An and Wood searching for him while the lizard refused to cross an unseen boundary.

• The Petrification Lizard struck Xia Nan and left him unable to fight as petrification spread across his fingers.
• Hai An’s arrow and a firebomb distracted the lizard, allowing Xia Nan to drink half a Healing Potion and flee.
• Xia Nan ran deeper into the Thin Mist Forest until the lizard’s pursuit abruptly stopped and the ruins around him disappeared.
• Space twisted around Xia Nan, and he vanished into the mist.
• Hai An and Wood found Xia Nan’s footprints ending abruptly and decided to search for two more hours before retreating.
• The Petrification Lizard destroyed trees near the ruins but would not cross an invisible boundary, then turned back into the forest.

After escaping the Petrification Lizard, Xia Nan found himself trapped in a strange cave and cautiously searched for a way out. He discovered a colossal dead serpent pinned to the ceiling and began considering whether to take some of its remains as loot.

• Xia Nan woke in a sealed cave, killed a reddish-brown snake, and treated his injuries with supplies from his Medical Tool Kit.
• He checked his equipment, found his leather armor ruined and his [Dead Line] ring on cooldown, then cautiously explored the cave alone.
• Xia Nan followed a bone-filled corridor to a black, scale-textured barrier and uncovered a small opening beside it.
• He crawled through the opening into a vast chamber and realized the black barrier was the body of a colossal serpent.
• Xia Nan saw that a stone spike had pinned the serpent's head to the ceiling and, after inspecting its scales, considered taking some of it as loot.

Xia Nan failed to harvest the Giant Snake’s scales and gall, then searched the cavern for an exit and found a valuable scale lodged in a skeleton’s chest. He took the scale and discovered that an Old Wooden Sword beside the remains displayed translucent information when he focused on it.

• Xia Nan tried several ways to cut or climb the Giant Snake but could not penetrate its scales, so he gave up on collecting loot and focused on finding an exit.
• Xia Nan examined the cavern and found a largely intact skeleton in dark blue robes, with a black scale embedded in its chest and the wall behind it.
• Xia Nan pulled out the Steel-Tough Snake Scale and stored it in his backpack, considering having Rock Hammer in River Valley Town turn it into equipment.
• Xia Nan noticed an Old Wooden Sword beside the skeleton and saw a string of translucent information appear when he focused on it.

Xia Nan discovered that Li Haoran and the giant snake had come from another world, buried Li Haoran’s remains, and used the wooden sword to reveal a hidden chamber. After catching the Golden Dewdrop, Xia Nan returned to Thin Mist Forest as messages flooded across his Attribute Panel.

• Xia Nan examined Dewdrop and realized the cave, the giant snake, and Li Haoran’s relics had come from another world.
• Xia Nan identified the skeleton as likely belonging to Li Haoran, buried him beneath a pile of stones, and marked the grave with his name.
• Dewdrop grew hot and pointed toward the place where Li Haoran’s skeleton had been sitting, revealing a hidden stone chamber when Xia Nan tapped the wall.
• Xia Nan caught the Golden Dewdrop as it fell, and it seeped into his skin.
• Xia Nan reappeared in Thin Mist Forest while messages streamed across his Attribute Panel.

Xia Nan absorbed a golden Dewdrop in a vanished cave, recovering from his injuries and gaining Constitution and the Bronze Sinew, Iron Bone Feat. After reuniting with Hai An and Wood, he learned about Secret Realms, and the three returned safely to the edge of the Thin Mist Forest, where Hai An and Wood said farewell.

• Xia Nan absorbed the Dewdrop, healed his injuries, gained three Constitution points and the Bronze Sinew, Iron Bone Feat, and emerged from the vanished cave with Blue Rare Equipment.
• Xia Nan reunited with Hai An and Wood, then gave them a partial account of what had happened in the cave.
• Wood explained Secret Realms but doubted that Xia Nan's cave had been one because of its unusual effects and the fact that Hai An and Wood could not enter it.
• Hai An asked whether the cave had contained anything with an Elven style, and Xia Nan said it had not.
• Xia Nan, Hai An, and Wood returned to the edge of the Thin Mist Forest in a day, where Hai An gave Xia Nan 100 gold and promised to find him a Combat Skill instructor before departing with Wood for Newm.

Chapton ran the bustling White Tit Tavern in River Valley Town and watched a black-haired youth enter after an apparent adventure. The youth reached the bar, where a drunken patron approached and asked if he was new.

• Chapton cleaned glasses and reflected on how he managed the tavern and maintained relationships with its customers and associates.
• Chapton considered sending gifts to Edwina of the Green Grass Crucible and Mr. Frank’s son.
• A black-haired youth entered the tavern wearing bloodstained, damaged leather armor and carrying two swords, but looked unusually energetic.
• Chapton wondered how the youth could have traveled through the dangerous Thin Mist Forest at night, then decided not to pry.
• A drunken patron staggered up to the youth and asked whether he was new there.

Xia Nan avoided a tavern confrontation with the drunkard Bernie and celebrated his completed mission with a meal at the White Tit Tavern. While reflecting on his improved Constitution after absorbing Dewdrop, he realized how much his stamina and resilience had increased.

• Xia Nan prepared to fight Bernie, who confronted him while drunk, as Chapton recognized the troublemaker and grew uneasy.
• Two adventurers apologized for Bernie, paid for Xia Nan’s expenses, and dragged Bernie back to their table.
• Xia Nan ordered Meal No. 3 at the White Tit Tavern and accepted a glass of liquor from Chapton.
• Xia Nan reflected on how Dewdrop’s Constitution boost improved his endurance, combat resilience, and ability to use [Whirlwind Slash].
• Xia Nan imagined surviving another charge from the Petrification Lizard but decided he would rather not test it.

Xia Nan dealt with the spoils from his recent adventures in River Valley Town, earning a large sum from Firefly Garlic Vine and Rust Monster Poison Glands. After tallying his savings, he asked Kukunur whether the general store sold Combat Skills, and Kukunur presented him with a dusty box of them.

• At the Adventurers Association, Xia Nan learned that the Firefly Garlic Vine mission had expired, and a staff member suggested he ask Edwina about selling the plants directly.
• Xia Nan brought Lava's Sigh to Edwina at Green Grass Crucible, sold her thirty-two clusters of Firefly Garlic Vine for thirty-two Gold Coin, and sold four Rust Monster Poison Glands for twenty-four Gold Coin.
• Xia Nan sold miscellaneous items from the two adventurers he had fought to Kukunur for 3 Gold Coin and 7 Silver Coin.
• Xia Nan calculated that his savings totaled 236 Gold Coin, 2 Silver Coin, and 7 copper coins, then asked Kukunur if he sold Combat Skills.
• Kukunur hauled a dusty box onto the counter and offered its Combat Skills for three copper per pound, with a discount for buying ten pounds.

Xia Nan searched for usable combat skills at the General Store but found that his Golden Finger could not identify the books. He left with two cheap manuals and went to Rock Hammer, where Barn offered to buy back his damaged armor.

• Xia Nan tried to use his Golden Finger on combat skill books at the General Store, but it did not respond.
• Kukunur warned Xia Nan that the cheap books were unreliable, and Xia Nan bought [Forward Thrust] and [Block Upward Slash].
• Xia Nan went to Rock Hammer and saw a middle-aged man buy a spear from Barn Steel Beard.
• Barn recognized Xia Nan's bloodstained leather armor, and Xia Nan said it had helped him survive a dangerous mission.
• Barn offered Xia Nan three Silver Coins for the damaged armor.

Xia Nan sold his damaged leather armor to Barn Steel Beard, commissioned a scabbard for the [Green Pine] Wooden Sword, and began choosing replacement armor at Rock Hammer. He narrowed his options to chainmail and scale armor but had not yet decided which to buy.

• Xia Nan sold his battle-damaged leather armor to Barn Steel Beard for three Silver Coins.
• Xia Nan praised the Beheading Longsword and suggested its Gray Steel might make it unusually durable, but Barn said its quality could not be reliably replicated.
• Xia Nan commissioned a simple, durable Rock Carbon Steel scabbard for the [Green Pine] Wooden Sword for 10 gold, to be ready in three days.
• Xia Nan decided to prioritize protection without significantly reducing his Agility and considered 50-gold chainmail and scale armor.
• Xia Nan compared the armor’s different strengths and drawbacks but had not made his choice.

Xia Nan bought a chainmail shirt suited to hunting Monsters in the Thin Mist Forest, then asked Barn to make equipment from the Snake Scale he had found. Barn proposed forging it into an arm shield and suggested it might even become a magic item, leaving Xia Nan willing to wait and asking about the cost.

• Barn advised Xia Nan to choose between scale armor and a chainmail shirt based on his usual work, and Xia Nan chose the chainmail shirt for hunting in the Thin Mist Forest.
• Xia Nan paid for the chainmail shirt and put it on, feeling more secure in the metal armor.
• Xia Nan showed Barn the Snake Scale he had found and asked whether it could be made into equipment.
• Barn examined the Snake Scale and proposed using it to make an arm shield.
• Barn said the scale might be suitable for a magic item, but the shop had many orders and few materials, so Xia Nan agreed to wait and asked how much it would cost.