Chapter 5: Cleaning Up the Battlefield
Though they called it 'cleaning up the battlefield,' there wasn't much to collect.
These little green-skinned things only had a piece of tattered cloth on them, and their weapons were crude and poorly made, not even as sturdy as a field hoe. Nobody would want them, so there were no extra spoils to speak of.
Xia Nan and the others merely cut off the Goblins' left ears and then found a pit to bury them in.
This prevented the smell of the corpses from spreading further in the air, which might attract other dangers.
'Whoosh.'
Moist soil was scattered down, gradually burying the stacked corpses in the pit.
It's worth noting that Aier Ji was among them.
His former status as a team member didn't earn him any special privileges; like the equally short Goblins, he was casually thrown into the burial pit.
Captain Maji even 'considerately' stripped him of his simple equipment and supplies, leaving him with only a patched, thin shirt.
Gagu stood by the edge of the pit. Most of the bloodstains on his upper body had been wiped away, but a few wounds were still faintly oozing drops of blood.
He looked down at Aier Ji, who was gradually being covered by the sand, and his eyes were slightly red.
But don't misunderstand.
This was definitely not due to the emotional turmoil caused by a comrade's death; it was most likely just the afterglow of the bloodline activation from the recent battle.
At least, based on Xia Nan's understanding of these people over the past few days.
Perhaps this Half-orc with a thin bloodline genuinely felt regret deep down for his teammate's departure, but it was certainly only a very faint trace.
More likely, it was resentment over the disproportionate effort and reward for this mission.
The relationships between adventurers, especially in low-level teams like this where casualties are common, are far more realistic and cold than one might imagine.
And in fact, that was indeed the case.
After helping Maji fill in the pit.
Gagu's first words were a complaint:
'&#@%￥ (Orcish profanity), one died, and we earned less than two gold coins. Can't even buy a donkey, how unlucky!'
Although to Xia Nan, the bounty for five Goblins was already a 'huge sum,' the Half-orc was clearly not satisfied.
The resentment in his heart even made him walk with more force than usual, leaving deep footprints on the meadow.
Just as Xia Nan thought his first adventure was ending so hastily.
Maji, who had remained silent since the battle ended and was quietly packing his belongings, suddenly said out of the blue:
'Actually, just like the greedy dragons in legends, Goblins also like to hoard their spoils in their lairs.'
The atmosphere seemed to freeze at that instant.
The Half-orc Gagu's eyes widened, and he spun around abruptly:
'You mean...'
'According to the mission information provided by the association, the number of Goblins in this settlement won't exceed twenty at most.'
Maji slung the refilled quiver back over his shoulder and slowly stood up.
'What we just dealt with was most likely their main force, and that means...'
'Lair!' Gagu's deliberately lowered excited voice sounded a bit sharp. 'An empty Lair!'
Maji nodded seemingly calmly, but deep in his eyes, excitement and eagerness were also flickering.
A Goblin Lair that likely lacked defenses, and a low-level adventurer team that retained most of its combat strength.
There was a little risk, but compared to the potential gain, what was a little risk?
Moreover, as an adventurer, if you're not even willing to take a little risk... you might as well go home and farm.
Immediately, driven by the greed in their hearts, Gagu and Maji quickly began to enthusiastically plan the location of the Goblin Lair, the preparations before entering, and even the distribution of the spoils inside.
Xia Nan did not participate.
As a new adventurer who had just transmigrated to this world, he didn't have a good understanding of the current situation on the field or the habits of Goblins.
Although he vaguely felt that returning directly would be safer, the two men's viewpoint was not without reason.
Moreover, even if he refused, whether he stayed put waiting for them to return or went back to a nearby town, he would have to act alone.
Acting alone in a place like Thin Mist Forest, which was full of monsters, was too dangerous.
Therefore, it was better to just follow.
Maybe he could earn a few more gold coins later.
For adventurers, 'money' was the best catalyst for all actions.
The Rotten Fish and Shrimp Squad showed strong initiative when faced with potential treasure.
In just over ten minutes, Gagu and Maji completed a plan that seemed crude but was actually not particularly intricate.
They decided to rest patiently for a night, replenish their stamina, and set off to find the Goblin Lair as soon as dawn broke tomorrow.
...
...
The bonfire flickered.
Undulating snores came from the simple sleeping bags beside them, echoing the unknown insect chirps from the dense forest behind.
The warm firelight shone on Xia Nan's face, casting an orange-red glow.
At this moment, the Rotten Fish and Shrimp Squad had moved to another location to set up camp.
Hunter Maji also set up traps around them, but considering the gnome Aier Ji who was already buried in the ground, Xia Nan didn't have much faith in the quality of these traps.
Therefore, when it was his turn to keep watch, he was especially focused.
He even moved his seat closer to the inner part of the camp – this way, even if something bypassed Maji's traps, he would have enough time to react.
The late night was quiet.
And it was only now that Xia Nan finally had time to himself that wouldn't attract others' attention.
He placed his single-handed sword horizontally across his knees, holding gauze in his right hand, as if he were carefully maintaining it.
But his eyes were not looking at the long sword itself.
Instead, using the firelight in front of him, he gazed at his reflection on the surface of the blade.
One second, two seconds...
As his attention slowly focused, lines of semi-transparent square characters also appeared before his eyes.
...
【Name】: Xia Nan
【Attributes】:
Strength: 5 (Muscle strength, athletic training, and physical potential)
Agility: 5 (Reaction speed, balance, and alertness)
Constitution: 5 (Stamina and vitality)
Intelligence: 5 (Memory, logic, and thinking ability)
Perception: 5 (Observation and insight ability, also representing coordination with the surrounding environment)
Charisma: 5 (Personality and temperament)
【Skills】:
Whirlwind Slash Lv4 (99/100)
...
'Just as expected!'
Xia Nan thought to himself.
Ever since the characters 'Proficiency +1' flashed before his eyes during the battle with the Goblins, he had been very concerned about it.
Now he just tried to confirm the guess in his heart a little, and as expected—
'Not only the values of items and equipment, but through the reflection, I can also see my own attributes!'