Chapter 505: Chapter 258: Key, Energy, and Mission Rewards
"I hope we won’t encounter any more trouble, so we can safely reach Nianshu Territory."
When Xia Nan heard these words coming from Wood’s mouth.
The experience accumulated from countless entertainment works in his previous life made him feel uneasy.
It’s a "jinx," also known as "Murphy’s Law."
As everyone knows, many times, especially after saying it out loud, the more you don’t want something to happen, the more likely it is to occur.
The unease swirled in his heart, making him, as one of the only two remaining combatants in the team, even more cautious than usual.
A group of four, crossing the Melted Scale Mountain Range, taking the opportunity to slow down and focus on recuperating their injuries and strength.
But what surprised Xia Nan was.
Perhaps all their bad luck was used up during the encounter with that adult Red Dragon, Lawson, and Terry William.
An entire week, seven days.
Until the escort team actually set foot on the other side of the Melted Scale Mountain Range, on the land belonging to Yuan Sha Province, the four encountered no attacks.
Not even a single Green-skinned Goblin, which are usually as pervasive as cockroaches everywhere on the continent, was seen.
As if all the demons in the Melted Scale Mountain Range had died out.
They managed to reach the end of their mission very smoothly.
...
Yuan Sha Province, Nianshu Territory.
Vilgrove Town.
A tavern called "Three Wild Boars," private room.
Xia Nan sat on a solid wooden chair with cushions underneath, which wouldn’t make cheap squeaky sounds even when shaken vigorously.
In front of him, on the dining table, was an abundance of various delicious dishes, most of which had been devoured, leaving only some food residues.
A unique preference developed from experiences in his previous life made this young adventurer feel particularly content after enjoying a sumptuous meal.
He leaned back almost reclining in the chair, eyes slightly squinted, with the fresh sweet aroma of cream and mushroom lingering in the air.
Across the table sat Hai’an and Wood.
Compared to a few days ago, after the battle, their faces were ashen pale as if lifeless, and they were in a lethargic and gravely injured state.
Their energy and spirit had clearly improved significantly now.
Only the middle-aged man’s left sleeve hung limp, and the bandage revealed beneath the Half Elf’s collar, hinted at their earlier ordeal.
"This is your reward for this mission."
A Crystal Card containing 630 Gold was handed over by Hai’an with both hands.
Xia Nan’s expression turned serious as he solemnly accepted it, tucking the Crystal Card into his chest.
Among this 630 Gold, 500 Gold was the promised reward for the escort mission agreed upon previously by the two and Xia Nan.
Having a father who is the Neum City Lord certainly offers significant financial power.
To know, even Xia Nan’s previous "E" Level Association commission targeting the Beastman Mint, the max reward was only 300 Gold, and that was when opting for all payment in coins, instead of converting to points.
Gold is a whole two-thirds more.
As for mission difficulty...
Frankly speaking, if it wasn’t for bad luck getting involved in the battle between Lawson and Terry William, encountering the Red Dragon named Crawbarry.
This 500 Gold basically felt like a freebie.
After all, along the way, there wasn’t a single attack genuinely targeting Hai’an and Wood, meant to strike at the team.
The reason for all the tumult was simply bad luck.
As for the extra 130 Gold, it was paid by the duo for the relics of the Dragon Descendant Sava, including her left armor and Fine Sword.
—According to the tacit rules amongst adventurers, the equipment of fallen teammates, to some extent, is also part of the spoils of war.
However, the reality is not so cold.
After all, being able to team up, they must know each other; they’re brothers and sisters who put their lives on the line, and they would help return the relics to each other’s families.
The mentioned tacit rules often occur in temporarily formed teams like this escort group.
Xia Nan and Sava were indeed teammates, but from the first meeting until her death, it was only a matter of dozens of days, with very little interaction, not even close to being friends.
So, he had no intention to go out of his way and take care of her aftermath.
After the battle, merely helping to bury the body was all he could do.
But for Half Elf Hai’an, Sava was someone he hired through connections with the Wakefield family and the Clan of Dragon Descendant.
Unexpected casualties in the mission are understandable, as adventurers live for this, it’s bound to happen someday.
But with his character, he would certainly want to account for Sava’s clan.
Thus, he offered to buy the spoils assigned to Xia Nan previously.
There was no reason to refuse.
He didn’t plan to keep them, intending to deal with the items at a miscellaneous shop, faced with the generous offer from the Half Elf, Xia Nan naturally couldn’t refuse.
A Fine Sword, a set of armor plus some miscellaneous items, totaling 130 Gold, included in the mission reward.
"So... you still plan to stick to the original plan, staying in Nianshu Territory?"
Xia Nan raised his glass, lowered his head for a sip, and spoke pointedly.
What he meant to express was quite simple.
Nianshu Territory belonged to Duke Morton, and the Knight Captain of the Duke Family had just died by their hands a week ago.