"Huff..."
The cold of the early morning, the mist in the air exhaled like white smoke with each breath.
Nail Head Hammer, Dual Handed Axe, and two Daggers at the waist.
Xia Nan carried the heavy burden on his back, vaguely feeling a bit tired.
But thinking of the potential prices they might fetch upon returning to town, he secretly steeled himself.
This trip was much more lucrative than farming at home.
Sunlight pierced through the gaps between the treetops, casting spots of light on the verdant meadow.
Walking mechanically, Xia Nan's thoughts began to drift.
Regarding the now-deceased Magi, he felt the other party didn't deserve such a fate.
Even though he had absorbed eighteen years of memories from the former self, the one controlling this body was truly a soul from a modern civilized society in the Otherworld.
It wasn't about putting on airs; Xia Nan felt that Magi didn't need to pretend to be generous like that, just needed to clearly and openly state his requests, and any issues could be discussed slowly.
After all, Bear Goblins were slain by the two of them together; Magi's two arrows played crucial roles by activating the "Deflection Field" cooldown of the Dead Line ring and piercing the enemy's eye, paralyzing it.
Only then did he have the opportunity to utilize his upgraded and enhanced body to kill.
Magi's contributions were indispensable.
In such circumstances, as long as Magi asked frankly, even if he wanted that Enchanted Ring, as long as it covered Xia Nan's rightful share, he was fine with it.
In his view, being able to reap such rewards on his first adventure trip meant that following an experienced adventurer like Magi on future missions would likely yield decent returns.
Upon reviewing everything again, Xia Nan realized he had made two mistakes:
First, his mindset had not yet adjusted.
Though he had crossed over to the Otherworld, he instinctively applied his former life's thoughts and worldview to everything around him.
Perhaps he should be more "grounded"?
The second mistake was "assuming" things without a concrete understanding of matters related to adventuring.
It took someone like Magi, a veteran Hunter, to venture alone.
It seems in this world, or at least among low level adventurers like them, Magic Items are far more precious than he imagined.
As time passed, the mist dissipated.
The temperature in the air gradually rose, and the dense forest in his sight became sparser, revealing small paths opened by humans now and then.
Chimney smoke curled upwards, a few medieval-style brick houses came into Xia Nan's view.
Crystal clear streams meandered along, with several women dressed like farm wives squatting by the side, washing clothes and letting out occasional laughter.
Two young children played by the roadside, one wielding a simple wooden sword, with a serious face full of righteousness; the other pretended to be a monstrous creature, flailing wildly.
Having stayed in the Mist Forest for so long, away from civilization, Xia Nan felt his previously tense mind relax seeing this scene full of life.
The town had the only adventurer association in the vicinity, and people living nearby evidently weren't unfamiliar with adventurers.
Seeing Xia Nan alone, burdened with large packages and walking along the country path, the two children seemed curious but didn't approach, probably being warned by their parents, only watching him from afar with wide eyes.
Xia Nan, having just left the high-pressure environment filled with danger in the Mist Forest, felt a bit relaxed for a moment.
Seeing the children so thin and appearing malnourished from not having enough to eat, he pulled out a piece of dried meat from his pocket, broke it into two halves, and motioned them over.
When the children saw the dried meat in Xia Nan's hand, their eyes lit up, and they quickly ran over.
Watching them devour hungrily, Xia Nan gently patted one of their heads and casually asked:
"What are your names?"
"Mosi." "Fay..."
Xia Nan nodded, about to speak when he heard a rushed and worried voice coming from behind.
"Sir, sir, I'm sorry!"
Turning around, he saw a woman in an apron with blonde hair.
Probably not yet thirty, with a buxom figure, freckles on both cheeks, two braids dangling over her shoulders, looking plain and simple.
She should be the mother of the two children; once she appeared, they both ran to her.
"Didn't I tell you not to talk too much with this... gentleman?"
"But mom, the meat!"
"No matter about the meat or sweet cake! Be obedient!"
The deliberately lowered voice carried through the air, and Xia Nan's previously joyful mood from leaving the Mist Forest started to cool.
Noticing him looking at her, the woman quickly pulled her children behind her, ignoring the sweat running down her face from running all the way, repeatedly bowing to apologize:
"I'm sorry, sir, really sorry."
Glancing at the two boys behind her looking as if they had committed a great wrong, remaining silent, Xia Nan felt suddenly uninterested in speaking.
He waved his hand, turned around, and left.
Meanwhile, not far from Xia Nan, inside a residential building with closed doors and windows.
"What do you think, big brother? Should we act?"
A bulky man with a somewhat vacant look crouched awkwardly below the window sill, sneakily asking.
"No rush, let's observe first."
The response came from a fierce-looking man with a buzz cut.
"What are we waiting for? I saw him alone!" The bulky man seemed anxious, "He's got a hammer, an axe, surely carrying valuable things! If we don't act, someone else might!"
He even took up a pitchfork lying on the ground beside him as if ready to rush out.
His reply was a slap to the back of the head.
"You do realize he's carrying weapons, right?"
The buzz-cut man whispered fiercely.
"Someone strolling out of Mist Forest alone without much injury."
"Really think he's easy prey? Everything good falls into your lap, huh!"
Saying this, the buzz-cut man felt increasingly confident in his assumption.
Unable to resist, he leaned against the wall, peeking through the window seam, pridefully whispering to his ally:
"Look, all the adventurers we usually encounter are in groups."
"Even if someone's alone, they're all wounded, barely escaping alive from the forest."
"Like him, boldly walking in the middle of the road, carrying so much stuff without fear, how many have you seen?"
"Indeed, never seen any." The bulky man scratched his head.
"So big brother, what should we do next?"
The buzz-cut man shot another cautious glance outside, then withdrew his gaze.
"The lad looks young, might have some tricks; not easy to handle."
"Let's forget this one; we'll wait a couple of days for a suitable target."
"We're leaving anyway, just one strike, get it over with. These adventurers die in droves yearly, chuck the corpse into the forest, who would know?"
"Big brother, I'll follow you!"