River Valley Town.
Thanks to the Mist Forest, teeming with monsters, this remote town is a hub for a large number of adventurers year-round, making it arguably the most "free" human settlent in the entire Pan Yun Province.
In big cities like "Neum," known for their developed economy and culture, the luxury and indulgence of the nobles and wealthy rchants need not be ntioned. Even the roughest boys from the slums would slick their hair with so filched pomade and cover the patches on their shirts to maintain a basic level of decency before leaving the house.
In contrast, the rural countryside where interaction is mainly with wheat and bean sprouts, and seldom visited by outsiders, poor farrs wear simple smiles. Though shadowed by the weight of heavy taxes, their human essence is often suppressed under scorching, relentless sunlight, with any gri hidden deep within. Unless you get close and truly understand them, everyone seems like a factory-produced robot with similar personalities and behaviors.
River Valley Town, however, is entirely different.
Its distinct nature as a "stronghold of adventurers" bestows upon this small town a rare and peculiar charm on this continent.
To put it nicely, it’s "free," "individualistic," and "unconventional."
More bluntly, as Xia Nan would say in his past life’s internet slang...
Uh, "freaks" are everywhere.
"Grumble grumble..."
The sound of wooden wheels rolling, accompanied by a pungent stench, erged from the road beside.
A few poorly dressed adventurers were dragging a large cart piled with bodies of various creatures, returning from outside the town.
Among the bodies Xia Nan glimpsed were five goblins, two unidentified deer-like creatures, a skinned Jungle Leopard, and a few "cute" little creatures crawling out from the carcasses, greedily feasting.
Where these bodies were being transported, Xia Nan had no idea.
He had so vague guesses and decided to only dine at the White Sparrow, avoiding the temptation of street food for a while.
By the roadside, two dwarves, looking windblown and weary, had picked up several stones to elevate the ground as their "stage" and were passionately singing a traditional ballad from their holand, seemingly hoping to earn so travel and drink money through their performance.
As for their singing quality... Let’s just say, even for soone like Xia Nan, who had been exposed to all sorts of music in his past life and developed a high resistance to internet junk, found his pace quicken when passing by.
Well, at least they were loud.
To be fair, being loud has its advantages—their shouting attracted many of their dwarven compatriots, who generously contributed a good number of copper coins. It seed that these "street perforrs" would enjoy a lavish evening at the tavern.
The Half orc beside Xia Nan seed to share his taste, finding the duo’s noise unbearable.
He was just more irritable and less rational.
Without regard for his leather apron, primitive and nearly exposing half his rear, he strode into the scene, showering the two street perforrs with spittle in a fit of rage before the surrounding dwarf audience.
The insults he spat included "slag" and "rock belly"—words filled with extre racial malice and scorn.
What happened next was predictable.
Effortlessly blocking out the sound of the ensuing brawl, Xia Nan walked down the street, recalling his previous experiences in the Mist Forest.
Not that he wanted to linger longer in the forest; he just happened to encounter a band of Green-skinned Goblins on a hunting trip.
With the Goddess of fortune smiling upon him so favorably, he couldn’t let her down.
Hoping to reward himself for completing the task and relieve so stress,
he followed their trail to their goblin nest, where he indulged himself in combat with glee using his flail and fists.
As for Abi and his crew, they were nothing more than a minor incident on his way back, unworthy of much concern.
Many days before, Adeline had ntioned during a casual chat in the tavern how Abi was dissatisfied with his current earnings and critical of the internal regulations, considering leaving their team. She had even arranged for soone to look after him.
Aware of the adventurer environnt being what it is and having worked with them as temporary teammates for only a short ti, Xia Nan had gradually distanced himself and not involved.
It had been a long ti since their last eting, and he didn’t expect to run into him in the forest.
At the ti, Xia Nan considered so pleasantries, perhaps to ask Abi how he was doing.
But seeing how this youth, tainted by the adventurer’s surroundings, naturally displayed fear and aloofness towards professionals, Xia Nan lost interest.
After a few obligatory words, he departed alone, heading back to town.
He dismissed further thoughts, walking alongside bustling streets with a contemplative expression.
Entering the goblin nest to vent was partly a reason, but he also aid to train in his newly acquired Battle Skill through real combat, hoping to master it soon.
It had been many days since he obtained the Embers Resonance from the Secret Realm.
Regarding his progress... While it wasn’t particularly rapid, he couldn’t say there was no developnt.
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