Arrogant Noble

Fortunately, the damage wasn't too high. While it felt a bit wasteful, Lin Yun still used a Channel Divinity to forcibly revive the guy. Only magical healing could instantly wake a creature that had fallen unconscious, akin to splashing cold water, but far more effective.

"2d6=3"... As expected, my healing isn't as good as a proper healer's, Lin Yun thought, glancing at Goddess Priestess with teary eyes.

Goddess Priestess noticed Lin Yun's gaze and turned to look at him. However, her vision was obscured by his helmet, so even her keen senses couldn't discern his thoughts. She simply smiled at him, her expression filled with reverence.

To her, the ability to directly heal a group was a true miracle.

Just as Lin Yun considered using another Channel Divinity to bring the centaur back, the centaur let out a muffled groan.

The centaur, clutching his head, looked at Lin Yun with a pained expression and a frown.

Lin Yun braced himself for another attack, but to his surprise, the centaur knelt before him and pleaded, "Brother, please, I beg you to help me save my sister."

"Sister? A centaur?" the young warrior asked curiously.

"No, not my biological sister, but I consider her as such. Once, when I came to the human world to buy supplies for my tribe, I saw that little one all alone, like a wild beast hunting prey. She was trying to catch a mouse. I couldn't bear to watch, so I gave her some bread. She ended up following me back to the tribe. She's grown quite a bit now. I felt it wasn't right for her to live with me on the great plains; she's human and should be in the human world. So, we were on our way, but then, on the road, she spotted some prey and chased after it. By the time I caught up, a group of Goblins had stopped me. They trapped me with a net. Though I'm strong and quickly broke free, the Goblins had already taken the child with them." The centaur grabbed Lin Yun's arm, and Lin Yun...

"d20-1=18, opposed check successful." He successfully dodged the centaur's grasp. Otherwise, seeing how agitated the centaur was, Lin Yun suspected he might have lost some HP.

Now that the centaur was awake, things would be easier. "Alright," Lin Yun said, his voice muffled by the helmet, "since you're convinced, it's time to go. You don't want anything to happen to the child you mentioned, do you?"

"Yes, boss, let's go now!" The centaur's spirits immediately lifted.

"Wait, before we go, I want to buy some potions," Lin Yun turned to the receptionist.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Silent. Please follow me," the receptionist, slightly startled, quickly scurried off, her high heels clicking.

The Adventurer's Guild also sold potions. In theory, by posting quests, adventurers skilled in potion-making could contribute their skills to create magical potions.

Incidentally, using the collected herbs and with the available funds, they had also produced some ordinary healing and antidote potions.

To be precise, Lin Yun's were called "healing potions," while the Adventurer's Guild's were "minor healing potions." The name "healing potion" sounded more potent.

However, in reality, Lin Yun's healing potion only restored d4+1 HP, while the minor healing potion restored d8+1 HP. The difference in stats was significant. Some of the finer, or rather, higher-level crafted potions could restore d8+2 HP, or even +3.

Furthermore, Lin Yun's antidote potion couldn't compare to the Adventurer's Guild's "Nature" antidote. However, at the very least, Lin Yun's antidote provided a +4 bonus to poison resistance over 2 rounds, effectively doubling the original +2 bonus.

Lin Yun lacked the proficiency for potion crafting, so he could only create potions with normal effects. These couldn't compare to the "Nature" ones.

A minor healing potion cost 25 gold coins, not too expensive... well, for Lin Yun, who had special ways of making money. Again, the poor Dwarf blacksmith, what a tragedy for the Dwarf blacksmith.

In any case, for safety's sake, he wouldn't find himself in such a dire situation again. Lin Yun bought 10 bottles at once, costing 250 gold coins. As the receptionist handed over the small pouch of gold, she retrieved 10 potions from a nearby cabinet. However... Lin Yun's sharp eyes noticed something.

"d20+2=20, success." With his knowledge of potions, Lin Yun could sense that one of the bottles had a significantly higher purity than the others. If he wasn't mistaken, this was likely...

Before Lin Yun could speak, the receptionist discreetly made a "don't say a word" gesture to him. Looking at her slender fingers, Lin Yun... very bluntly shook his head and took out 50 gold coins, placing them in the receptionist's hand.

As far as Lin Yun knew, a "moderate healing potion" cost 50 gold coins, exactly double the price of a minor healing potion. This was why the receptionist could produce it. After all, 25 gold coins wasn't an exorbitant amount, and for the receptionist, with a little maneuvering, it was manageable, though difficult.

Silent was a noble. He believed in buying and selling. He disdained such clandestine gifts. It was either a public donation, like the Dwarf blacksmith, or he could afford it himself.

However, Silent was a man who differentiated between favors and debts. Since the receptionist had given him a 25-gold coin advantage, he would reciprocate with a 50-gold coin return. That was his domineering style. The cost was that his once-substantial little treasury was suddenly depleted to only 15 gold coins...

But in Lin Yun's eyes, this was a profit, because Lin Yun had succeeded.

As Lin Yun handed over the 50 gold coins, before the receptionist could react, he swept all the potions off the table, completing a domineering act of "forced purchase."

Lin Yun's inspiration dice, or hero points, increased by one again.

Clearly, the Dungeon Master was very satisfied with his portrayal. He had perfectly captured Silent's aristocratic arrogance and his reasonable, yet ostentatious, display of wealth.

Two hero points! This was an ability that could "resurrect" him in critical moments. A smile spread across Lin Yun's face beneath his helmet.

Meanwhile, the bard, who had been watching Lin Yun's actions from the side, looked at him with a puzzled expression, unconsciously touching his chin, his eyes gleaming.

And so, Lin Yun and his companions finally set off. Since Lin Yun had bought the four-wheeled carriage, they went to the carriage shop to retrieve their repaired vehicle. After paying one silver coin, Lin Yun and the others began to gallop alongside the centaur. Yes, alongside the centaur.

Given the centaur's size, Nature couldn't have him ride in the carriage. Besides, a centaur's speed was far more convenient and faster than that of a horse pulling a four-wheeled carriage. Lin Yun also knew that barbarians were stronger than most other classes. Without heavy armor or significant loads, barbarians could run about a third faster than other classes of their own race, which was terrifying.

This time, Lin Yun's driving was somewhat more reliable; at least, he didn't flip the carriage.

"d20+4+2+2=20, success." The carriage followed the centaur smoothly yet incredibly quickly towards the village near where the centaur had been attacked by Goblins.

On the map, Lin Yun saw that passing through the village was unavoidable. Moreover, if they didn't use the carriage, by the time they arrived on foot, that girl might already be... So, Lin Yun drove the four-wheeled carriage.

However, Lin Yun was quite worried about the centaur. Although Channel Divinity had restored his HP to a safe level, could the centaur recover his stamina after this round of running? Lin Yun felt helpless. Clearly, no matter what he said now, the centaur wouldn't listen.

He could only take it as it came.

Soon, they arrived at the village near what was likely the Goblin lair. Following the plan they had devised, despite the urgency, Lin Yun did his best to question the villagers. Firstly, to find out where the Goblins might have built their lair, and secondly, to ascertain if the Goblin leader was a shaman, a chieftain, or something else.

The centaur, though anxious, could only follow Lin Yun's lead as they had no clear information.

After questioning several villagers, Lin Yun finally identified a location suspected to be the Goblin lair. It was said to be ruins, formerly an Elven fortress. However, due to the wilting of the ancient tree it was built upon, the fortress had been abandoned and subsequently occupied by Goblins.

As for why an Elven fortress was near a human village, it was because this village was, strictly speaking, a semi-wild, frontier settlement. It was a place with no clear jurisdiction, established under a government policy to reduce or eliminate taxes for villages dedicated to developing new territories.

Because they paid no taxes, local lords weren't particularly inclined to manage these villages, let alone protect them. And let's not forget, the world's background involved a war against demon gods.

Upon hearing about the Elven fortress, Lin Yun's eyebrows subtly twitched. He instinctively glanced at Goddess Priestess. Could this be the ruins where Goddess Priestess had first... used the incredibly miraculous, all-powerful, invincible Holy Wall spell?