Old Ruins District

Renato's leisure did not last long, nor did his purse allow him to keep studying for long.

Never before had he found reading so enjoyable: all those bizarre tales and accounts, supernatural powers and knowledge...

After three easy, happy days of reading, the rapidly dwindling silver coins in Renato's pocket forced him to put his holiday on hold.

Before setting out on an adventure, Renato spent his money on better equipment as usual, improving his chances of survival.

He sold his cowhide breastplate and added another five silver coins to buy the basilisk-scale breastplate he now wore.

Tanned and hardened basilisk belly hide was tougher than cowhide and fit more snugly. Hard scales from the basilisk's back were then sewn onto the leather with sinew thread, overlapping from top to bottom.

Although the scales were nowhere near as hard as steel, they were lighter, quieter, and more resistant to magic.

Wearing his new equipment, Renato arrived at Brekka Town's square. As usual, he listened to One-Eyed Holly shouting from the platform.

Renato examined the [Adventurer's Guide]-there were still no good quests to take, but he had no other choice. He selected the one that offered the most experience.

[Quest]

Explore the Old Ruins District in the Phantom Forest and report any unusual occurrences. Also collect 30 calmflowers. Payment: 1 silver coin.

[Quest description]

Ancient stone walls are covered in ivy, and whispers of history echo through the silence. Recently, however, strange noises have disturbed the balance here. As an observant adventurer, you must not only search for the little blue flowers with their delicate fragrance, but also remain alert for unknown beings that may lurk in the shadows.

Quest reward: 100 experience points.

Although the pay was low, reaching the Old Ruins District required crossing only a short stretch of the Misty Path. It was effectively on the outskirts of the Phantom Forest, making it nearby and low-risk.

As for the quest description, Renato had long since grown used to it. On his first visit to the Old Ruins District, he had been on edge, but after taking the quest a few more times, he understood: unless the description explicitly said something would happen, he could simply ignore it.

After all, he might even transmigrate back to Earth tomorrow. There were countless unlikely events-how could he just happen to stumble into one?

Turning off at the fork, the adventuring party left the Misty Path.

The ten of them agreed to meet beside the huge rock at the junction at noon, then split up on the spot to gather their own flowers.

The Old Ruins District had once been on the fringes of a mysterious ancient kingdom. During the catastrophic subsidence, this section had remained aboveground for some unknown reason.

Renato walked along a shattered stone-paved road that ended at a bottomless cliff.

He did not keep going. Instead, he searched the various collapsed ruins for his target: a small, bell-shaped flower with pale blue petals.

Calmflowers grew abundantly in the Old Ruins District. They soothed the mind and dispelled fear, making them an ingredient in many potions. A whole plant could sell for three copper coins.

He turned over chunks of fallen rubble and slowly dug away the soil, extracting a calmflower with its roots intact.

After putting the material into his backpack, Renato straightened and looked around.

Weeds covered the ruins, and even large trees had sprouted inside the crumbling stone buildings, looking all the more vibrant against the dilapidated surroundings.

Many novice adventurers visiting for the first time would eagerly duck into the buildings that were still intact, dreaming of discovering treasure in the abandoned ruins, just like in adventure novels.

Even setting aside the dangers of those half-collapsed buildings, Renato considered this a complete waste of time.

"Aboveground ruins from a thousand years ago. Time destroys everything. Even if there were valuables that wouldn't corrode, earlier adventurers would have cleaned them out long ago."

From start to finish, Renato's only goal was to gather calmflowers, not just to complete his quest, but more importantly, to earn extra money.

Three copper coins per plant meant a hundred plants were worth three silver coins!

The temperature had dropped, leaving fewer calmflowers to gather, but that did nothing to dampen Renato's enthusiasm for making money.

The rustle of branches and leaves reached his ears. Renato immediately tightened his grip on the Silent Lady and scanned his surroundings.

There were no other adventurers nearby. Some wild beast had probably set its sights on him.

Renato understood why. To maximize efficiency, he had not partnered with anyone and was working alone in this area.

Shrill, gibbering cries sounded in the distance. Seeing the little greenskins charging toward him, Renato relaxed.

"What, just some harmless goblins..."

After he killed the third goblin, the irritating little monsters scattered.

Renato could not be bothered to chase them. Ruins surrounded him, and the creatures were small and fast. There was nothing to gain.

That was precisely why he dared gather calmflowers alone. These ruins provided excellent cover for both sides. Large creatures could barely move through them, and without trees to conceal them, they were easy to spot.

As for small beasts like goblins and cockatrices, Renato was confident he could handle them alone.

When the sun reached the middle of the sky, all the adventurers had assembled at the junction.

Everyone ate their own dry rations while Renato took stock of the day's haul.

"Fifty-seven calmflowers, six goblin fangs, and a pile of other herbs."

"Not bad. Looks like hardly anyone's visited this patch lately. The calmflowers are growing nicely!"

Renato had gathered a plentiful haul, but the others in the party had found little, especially the four "novices" dressed in rags and carrying spears.

They had not completed their quests and were unwilling to leave.

As the ten of them wavered over whether to stay or go, Renato knew it was time for him to say a few words.

"Listen, I think you all know me, Brekka Town's 'young master.' When it comes to working in the Phantom Forest, I don't think anyone here is more efficient than I am."

Renato's reputation, the two-handed sword on his back, and his basilisk-scale armor successfully silenced all the adventurers.

"The Misty Path is full of vicious beasts and man-eating monsters. They often lurk in the fog, watching us and picking off anyone who's alone. So the fewer people you travel with, the more dangerous it gets."

"If you wait until evening, the fading light will leave you as good as blind. You won't even see what the monster looks like until its claws are in your throat."

A novice adventurer with a mouthful of yellow teeth, skeletal and visibly malnourished, challenged him.

"You've finished your quest, so you're in a hurry to get back and collect your money. We haven't finished ours."

"You can just sell the calmflowers you already have and get paid anyway. Why do you have to complete the quest?"

Renato had thought persuading these people to leave would be easy. His words were blunt, his reasoning simple, and their lives were at stake.

But he had still overestimated these novices' ability to understand. They seemed determined to twist Renato's intentions into "wanting to get back first to collect his money," entirely missing the other points.

Renato could not be bothered to argue with these illiterates. His spontaneous idea had been to try acting as a free "guide" for practice.

But life was dramatic and unpredictable. If the novices wanted to learn the Phantom Forest's rules firsthand, Renato was under no obligation to stop them.

He took the other five with him and headed back.