Biological Research Activated

The [Ouroboros Ring] had indeed given him unlimited room for trial and error, granting him the confidence to face this world head-on.

But it was more than a blessing; it was also a door leading into the abyss.

Death was often the last safety catch on human reason.

If a person no longer feared death, they were not far from being completely consumed by desire.

Because Lance had died once before, he understood the weighty significance of life better than anyone.

So he would never rely on his power of resurrection to indulge himself recklessly.

To him, this talent would always be nothing more than a final safeguard in life, a trump card for turning the tables against the odds—not a bargaining chip to squander his life.

Carrying those heavy thoughts, Lance entered the general store.

Then, clutching his chest with a pained expression, he paid ten copper coins.

A small jar of rustproof grease and a rough whetstone appeared on the table.

Earlier that day, his fine steel shortsword had pierced a Goblin's face and been stained with corrosive monster blood.

It had to be thoroughly cleaned and polished, then coated in a thick layer of grease to prevent rust, so it would remain sharp the next time he drew it.

As for the wooden shield, although several shallow dents had been smashed into its surface by rocks, the handle was still sturdy and secure. It did not need repairs for the time being.

After completing the basic maintenance, Lance turned and headed for the weapon shop next door.

He had not forgotten today's lesson.

As a lone adventurer, lacking ranged attack options was a fatal weakness.

"Boss, do you have crossbows?"

Lance asked as soon as he entered.

In his mind, crossbows were easy to use and powerful, making them the best choice for beginners.

However, the bearded shopkeeper shook his head and pointed at several longbows hanging on the wall.

"Kid, take my advice. If you're heading into a forest or a dungeon, you'd better not use those things."

After the shopkeeper explained, Lance finally understood.

Why most of the adventurers he had seen in the guild hall carried longbows on their backs.

Although crossbows were easy to pick up, maintaining them in a complicated adventuring environment was a nightmare.

Their delicate firing mechanisms could easily jam due to water, mud, sand, or impacts.

Once damaged in battle, ordinary people simply could not repair them in the wilderness.

By comparison, bows had a far simpler structure.

A flexible piece of wood and a tough bowstring were enough to handle most harsh environments.

And in skilled hands, bows were no weaker than crossbows in either firing speed or power.

Taking the professional's advice, Lance eventually chose a shortbow made of hazelwood.

The bow cost him fifty copper coins.

But what truly made his heart ache were the arrows.

Each of these carved wooden-shafted, feather-fletched arrows cost a full copper coin.

Lance gritted his teeth and bought fifty at once.

They were consumables, and early practice would inevitably involve plenty of breakage and loss.

He did not overreach and buy a more powerful hunting bow.

This hazelwood shortbow had an effective killing range of only around thirty paces, but for a beginner like him who had never even touched a bow before, it was already enough.

At any greater distance, he would not be able to hit anything accurately with his current skill.

With his shopping finished,

Lance returned to his lodging.

Rather than calling it a residence, it was more accurate to call it a somewhat cramped attic room.

The room was tiny, with space for only a hard plank bed and a square wooden table with a chipped corner.

The only window was set into the slanted roof, barely allowing a little noon sunlight inside.

Though the walls had been whitewashed with lime, they still could not conceal the moldy smell unique to old wood.

Even for such a cramped "pigeonhole," where turning around was difficult, the monthly rent was as high as four silver coins.

That price was definitely not cheap in Grayrock Town.

But Lance paid it willingly.

Because it was behind the bustling commercial street, less than ten meters from the constable's patrol route.

The surrounding taverns and inns stayed open all night, brightly lit even in the dead of night.

The previous owner of this body had died because he had been tempted by cheap rent and lived on the edge of the lawless slums, giving that thief an opportunity.

To Lance, trading money for safety was an absolutely worthwhile deal.

Once he had more money on hand in the future, it would not be too late to move into a detached house with its own courtyard.

Lance took off the pack on his back and removed the clump of wet Blood-Clotting Moss.

He opened Basic Botany and Simple Potionmaking and began processing the materials according to the steps in the book.

Since he did not have professional alchemical equipment on hand, he could not use the extraction method.

He could only find a clean piece of linen, carefully remove the dirt and impurities from the moss, then spread it flat on the ventilated windowsill.

This moss naturally grew beside waterfalls, with an extremely high water content and thick, sticky sap.

Using this primitive method of natural air-drying would take at least three days.

And during the process, he had to keep turning it over to prevent it from becoming damp and moldy.

Once it became moldy, all the materials he had painstakingly gathered would be ruined.

After handling everything, Lance sat by the bed and habitually summoned the system panel, preparing to check the development progress of the [Hemostatic Ointment] formula.

However, the instant the panel appeared, his attention was drawn to an icon beside it that suddenly lit up.

The previously darkened [Biological Research] section was now emitting a faint glow.

Lance froze for a moment, then quickly realized why.

Today, he had not only encountered monsters, but personally killed four Goblins.

That had clearly triggered the system's unlock condition.

A clear line of text appeared on his retina.

[System Notification: Valid biological samples detected. "Biological Research" module activated.]

As he focused his thoughts, a new page slowly unfolded.

In the previously empty bestiary list, the first card had already lit up.

The card depicted a small, green creature with a vicious face, wielding a bone club, with detailed information written beside it.

Bestiary: Demi-Human Species: Goblin

Current Research Progress: LV 1 (4/20)

That number, "4," undoubtedly corresponded to the four souls that had fallen beneath his sword today.

In other words, he only needed to kill sixteen more of those green-skinned monsters to fill the first stage of the progress bar.

"That doesn't look too difficult."

Lance rubbed his chin.

According to the mechanics of the game he remembered, whenever a creature's research level increased, the player could obtain special rewards.

After reaching research level three, one could draw that creature's racial talent.

Although Goblins occupied the lowest, muddiest rung of the monster hierarchy, that did not mean they were utterly worthless.

On the contrary, their ability to multiply like weeds and survive in the cruel natural world until now meant they possessed certain talents that even humans envied.

For example, the talent known as [Low-Light Vision].

Creatures with this ability could capture faint light to the greatest possible extent.

Even deep within a dim cave, they could see as clearly as humans did on an overcast day.

For adventurers who often had to venture deep into dungeons or move at night, it was practically a god-tier ability.