When Xia Lin heard, "You get first pick," he felt as if his battered body had been instantly injected with Dwarven Spirits and Goblin stimulants.
Fatigue? Pain? What were those? Could he sell them for money?
He sprang to his feet so quickly that Lila, who had been about to help him up, froze in surprise.
Barrett and the other two wisely stepped aside and watched Xia Lin begin his "treasure hunt."
Xia Lin first went to the nearest Kobold corpse and scanned it.
A pale blue screen swept across his field of vision like flowing water.
[Deceased ordinary Kobold] [Value: Chitinous scales (poor quality), teeth (possibly with cavities), maybe enough bones to grind into a little bone meal?] [Assessment: Standard cannon fodder, died as it was meant to. Friendly reminder: be careful not to get splashed by any lingering bodily fluids while looting. Who knows what diseases they might carry?]
Scanning dead creatures used a negligible amount of Mental Power.
Xia Lin let himself go, quickly scanning every Kobold corpse in the Cavern. While he was at it, he opened his [Attribute Panel] to check his condition.
[Name: Xia Lin · Tolemo] [Race: Human] [Class: None] [Status: Minor injuries (through-and-through wound in right shoulder, slowly recovering), moderate fatigue, Arcane Pool depleted] [Attributes:] [Strength: 9] [Agility: 10] [Constitution: 8] [Intelligence: 14] [Perception: 11] [Charisma: 16] [Skills:] [Item Appraisal] [Basic Swordsmanship lv.1 (186/1000)] [-Pommel Strike lv.0 (45/50)] [-Block Counterattack lv.0 (41/100)] [-Pierce lv.0 (52/100)] [-Furious Slash lv.0 (48/100)] [Arcane Pool 0/1] [Equipment:][Weapon: Mercenary Standard Longsword (Durability: 12/80)] [Assessment: It endured more weight than it should have, and the fact that it still holds its shape is a miracle. Find a reliable blacksmith to salvage it, or sell it as scrap metal.] [Armor: Iron-Clad Hard Leather Armor (Durability: 25/60)] [Assessment: Damaged in several places, with the right shoulder practically ruined. At least it can still keep the wind off? Some defense is better than none.] [Accessory: Ring of Swift Wind (Levitation Spell: used, on cooldown)] [Items: Light Crossbow (Durability: 38/40), crossbow bolts x9, Lockpicking Tools, hemp rope, Simple Space Bag (contents: silver coins x9, some copper coins, Low-Quality Copper Ore Chunk x1, Crude Beast Fang Amulet x1, Unknown Scroll x1, Locked Tin Box x1, daggers x2)]
Real combat really was the best teacher. His proficiency in several key skills had improved significantly.
After checking his own condition, he turned his attention back to the Kobold Shaman and the Chosen of God.
[Deceased Kobold Shaman] [Value: Tattered Mage Robe (covered in unidentified stains), Bone Staff (poor quality), a few strange stones (might be useful to an alchemist?), a pouch full of teeth and copper coins.] [Assessment: This fellow's spellcasting was probably about as good as a troll's personal hygiene. Its only real achievement might have been successfully leading its people to worship the right "god"?]
Next, he approached the corpse that reeked of burning and acid.
[Deceased Kobold Chosen of God (Candle Divine Power Contaminated Body)] [Value: Mutated golden scales, sturdy bones, a heart that had lost its luster.] [Assessment: The evidence is indisputable! These brainless reptiles bowed before a giant candle and actually managed to get a "god" out of it!]
Holding his breath against the stench, he took out his dagger and painstakingly pried several of the most intact golden scales from the corpse, then carefully put them away.
The things looked extraordinary. They might fetch a good price, or perhaps he could ask a blacksmith if they could reinforce his equipment.
The screen flickered, then displayed more detailed information.
[Attributes:] [Strength: 16 (+11 Divine Power bonus)] [Agility: 16 (+11 Divine Power bonus)] [Constitution: 16 (+11 Divine Power bonus)] [Intelligence: 5] [Perception: 5] [Charisma: 5] [Special Abilities: Divine Power Scale Armor, Regeneration, Golden Flame Eyes]
"Jeez..." Xia Lin drew in a sharp breath.
All its physical attributes were 16? No wonder it had punched an old hand like Barrett flying.
And was the threshold to becoming a god in this world really that low?
He shook his head, giving up on trying to make sense of this "unscientific" setup, and continued searching the Cavern.
His gaze passed over the "shiny" junk the Kobolds had collected and scattered across the floor.
Before long, he spotted several items that clearly didn't belong to the Kobolds.
In a corner, half-buried in rubble, lay a Dwarven Standard Helmet with a warped rim and scratches all over it.
[Item: Damaged Dwarven Helmet] [Assessment: Judging by the impact marks, its previous owner probably ended their adventuring career by landing face-first. Good quality, but it's already bent out of shape. It would leak even as a chamber pot.]
Not far away, another dagger was stuck in a crack in the rock. Its hilt bore a blurry family crest he had never seen before.
[Item: Rusted Noble Dagger] [Assessment: Decent craftsmanship, but terribly maintained. Perhaps some runaway young master met the last "surprise" of his life here.]
There was also a hardbound book, torn nearly to pieces and soaking in a puddle, its cover lettering blurred beyond recognition.
[Item: Severely Damaged Spellbook] [Assessment: It might once have contained earth-shattering secrets, but now it would barely make kindling. The only ones who could understand the knowledge inside are probably water elementals.]
Xia Lin shook his head. The items might have some research value, but they meant little to him right now.
His gaze was finally drawn to the base of the altar.
In an inconspicuous hollow among the charred stones lay a stub of a candle barely thicker than his thumb.
It looked completely unremarkable. Compared with the giant candle that had once blazed atop the altar, it was like a speck of dust.
He walked over, crouched down, and carefully reached out to pinch the little candle.
It felt cold to the touch, with a strange texture that didn't seem like real wax.
[Item: ??? Remnant Candle (material unknown)] [Condition: Energy depleted? Dormant?] [Assessment: Utterly baffling. It definitely has something to do with that big one above, but what exactly... Who knows? Maybe it's a battery? A remote control? Or maybe just a useless candle stub?]
The moment Xia Lin picked up the little candle—
"Pfft."
Atop the altar, the giant Golden Candle seemed to have had its final spark snuffed out. Its glow abruptly dimmed and vanished completely.
The last of its warmth disappeared with it. Only a beam of sunlight, spilling through the hole in the cavern ceiling, remained, drifting alone through the swirling dust.
"This is the one." Xia Lin stood up, tucked the unremarkable candle into his shirt, and nodded toward Barrett and the others. "I'll take this."
Barrett and Kasimir exchanged a glance, both looking distinctly confused.
Lila's mouth fell open. "Xia Lin, are you sure? That's... that's just a candle stub! There's plenty of golden wax on the altar! That's the valuable stuff!"
"I'll take this one," Xia Lin repeated calmly.
Barrett gave Xia Lin a long look. He didn't understand, but he nodded anyway.
"Fine, your choice. We agreed you'd pick first." He turned to Kasimir and Lila. "We'll split the rest among the three of us."
Looting didn't take long.
Aside from the few bundles of "goods" Barrett had wrapped up tightly in thick oilcloth, there was very little of real value.
The Kobold Shaman's money pouch contained only a pile of copper coins and a few silver fragments, along with some spellcasting materials Xia Lin couldn't use. Kasimir took them.
Lila carefully scraped up all the golden wax she could find and filled a small jar with it, more than making up for the loss of her expensive scroll.
As for the Chosen of God, they found nothing special beyond the scales and bones.
After everything was counted, Xia Lin's share of all the "party loot" came to just over three silver coins.
By the time they left the mine, dusk was drawing near.
Back at the gates of Changhe City, Barrett clapped Xia Lin on the shoulder.
"We're heading to the nearby Graystone City to take care of this 'private job.' We'll probably be gone for a while."
His expression turned serious. "Xia Lin, we owe you a lot for this. Would you be interested in officially joining us? Our little team's short on money, and none of us are exactly pleasant, but when it matters, you can count on us."
Kasimir stood nearby. He didn't say anything, but gave a slight nod of agreement.
Lila looked at Xia Lin with shining eyes, her face full of hope.
Xia Lin smiled and shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, Barrett. But I feel like I still need more experience. If I joined you now, I'd probably just hold you back."
"Fair enough." Barrett didn't press him. "Then we'll part ways here. When we get back, drinks are on me!"
"Take care," Kasimir said succinctly.
"Xia Lin, you be careful too!" Lila waved at him reluctantly.
As Xia Lin walked away, Barrett was the first to break the silence.
"That kid..." Barrett rubbed his chin as he walked, then turned to Kasimir. "What do you think?"
Kasimir kept his eyes forward, his tone even. "Good potential, sharp combat instincts, and ruthless. He just lacks experience, gets impulsive, and is a bit too fond of money."
"Hey, don't set your standards so high!" Lila cut in. "He saved us, after all! And..."
Her voice dropped, and her cheeks flushed. "And... he's pretty handsome, too..."
Barrett and Kasimir stopped at the same time and looked at her as if she were beyond saving.
Xia Lin had no idea about the "little incident" that happened after he left.
On his way home, he pulled a tough piece of jerky from his shirt and took a hearty bite.
He was as exhausted as a dead dog, and his whole body ached, but he felt more secure than ever.
He'd survived, gotten his hands on a mysterious candle that might be incredibly powerful, and figured out what he could do.
Not a bad haul!
"Meow~"
A soft, sweet meow interrupted his thoughts.
He looked down. A plump white cat was sitting by his feet, the fur at the tip of its tail a little sparse. It stared at the jerky in his hand with big green eyes, looking both pitiful and hopeful.
"Hm? Where'd this fat cat come from?" Xia Lin crouched and tore off a small strip of jerky to offer it.
The white cat took it without hesitation, swallowed it in a few bites, then rubbed its furry head against Xia Lin's fingers and purred contentedly.
Xia Lin scooped it up. It was surprisingly heavy, and felt softer than he'd expected.
He scratched under the cat's chin and watched it close its eyes in bliss.
"White fur, a bit of a bald spot on its tail..." A sudden thought struck him, and he remembered the bizarre missing-cat notice at the Adventurer's Guild.
"Could you be the one? Mimi?"
The cat gave a comfortable "meow," as if confirming it.
Xia Lin checked the sky. The last glow of sunset hadn't completely faded yet.
"The Adventurer's Guild... should still be open, right?"
He hefted the hefty cat in his arms.
"Hey, my luck's pretty good today."
Before you continue