CHAPTER 394: CHAPTER 205: INTERWOVEN DESTINIES (PART 2)

Kelli carefully lifted her head and lowered her voice:

"It doesn’t seem like they’ve just fought with Demons."

For a moment, the atmosphere in the room fell silent.

After a few seconds, Cash furrowed his brows tightly and pressed on:

"And then?"

Kelli hurried to answer.

"Because it’s the... Hunting Day period, that’s what it’s called, right? There are far more adventurers coming and going than usual. The village is experienced in hosting, so we found a few empty houses for them to stay in for the night. They left at dawn the next day."

"I was called over to cook dinner because I’m fairly good at it, and I got a few copper coins."

"What else? Is there any other useful information?" Cash’s speech gradually sped up, giving a sense of aggression, "The identities of those adventurers, anything they encountered on the mission."

The urgency in his voice made Kelli instinctively take two steps back, almost causing Little Jack behind her to fall.

"They didn’t talk much and seemed really tired, didn’t mention encountering anything, but..."

"While I was cooking, I inadvertently overheard the adventurers talking. It seemed they weren’t the usual adventurers in River Valley Town; just here temporarily during the Hunting Day for some extra money, and normally have their own jobs."

"Oh, someone among them seemed to be from Neum."

Hearing this, Xia Nan’s slightly distracted gaze paused as if recalling something, and a strange expression appeared on his face.

"Only three adventurers in total?" he suddenly asked.

"Yes, sir," Kelli confirmed with a nod, "Only three adventurers in total."

During the Hunting Day period, with only three people left in the adventurer team, it seems like they encountered a Beastman attack, with one member from Neum...

It wouldn’t be such a coincidence, right?

Xia Nan felt rather peculiar.

"Do you know their names?"

"Uh..." Kelli tried her best to recall, "Among them, there seemed to be someone called ’Colander’ by the others? Sorry, sir, I really can’t remember."

That must be it.

"Colander" Ben,

and Buck, who temporarily left the team during a Beastman attack and got infected with Beastification.

Xia Nan suddenly felt a strange sense of destiny intertwining.

Thoughts flowed, and fragmented events silently connected in his mind.

"Colander" Ben’s team was attacked by a Beastman—Buck got infected with Beastification as a result—on the return journey, passing through Qingmai Village, leaving information—Buck, returning alone to Neum, had his symptoms flare up, killing his own family—I arrived in Neum for a level mission—meanwhile, the investigation commission about the Beastman was also posted on the second floor of the Task Board.

Xia Nan did not hide the change in his expression.

Therefore, at the same time, the few team members in the room realized he had discovered something.

There was no need to hide it. He deliberately omitted potentially sensitive information involving himself, like "Golden haired Elf," "Mirror Secret Realm," and told everyone about his previous encounters.

"In this way, the existence of a Beastman is already confirmed."

With half of his face covered in wave-like tattoos, Cash rubbed the stubble on his chin and concluded.

"After all, someone has indeed been infected with Beastification and transformed into a beast in bear form."

"Moreover, if Xia Nan didn’t see it wrong in Neum at the time, we’ve also obtained some information about the enemy’s identity."

"—It is a Bear man."

"Bear man?" Vireis, who had seemed a bit listless earlier, raised an eyebrow.

"Aren’t these guys typically solitary, rarely interacting with people, reputed to have a good character?"

To this, Cash simply shook his head.

"Just like you, not all Zor Elves stay in the Dark Territory, bears can’t all be as good-natured as the rumors say."

"Exceptions always exist."

The investigation outside of this mission had quite a decent harvest.

While confirming the existence of the Beastman, they also clarified that the opponent was a Bear man.

This way, before officially entering Mist Forest, the Sea Thorn Squad could flexibly adjust their tactical strategies specifically.

They wouldn’t be completely in the dark, not knowing the enemy before the fight began.

Since nothing more useful could be obtained from Kelli, staying any longer had no meaning.

However, it was already late at this point, and dusk was appearing on the horizon.

Entering the forest at this time, even just the outskirts, was too dangerous.

Thus, the Sea Thorn Squad decided to stay in the village for the night and set out again at dawn, heading deep into Mist Forest to search for the Beastman’s traces.

It is worth mentioning that although Qingmai Village appeared shabby, it regularly had adventurers coming and going, knowing how to make a profit from these generous "lords."

The village always had a few empty houses, offering services for passing adventurers at a relatively affordable price, which everyone found acceptable.

Although camping on the nearby open ground was also an option, compared to sleeping on a thin mat on the ground and feeling each stone on your back, a warm and soft big bed was undoubtedly more comfortable, and there was no need to take turns on watch or deal with bugs crawling on your face at night.

"By the way."

Before the team left the house where Kelli was, Xia Nan, who was trailing at the back of the team, suddenly remembered something.

He stopped and turned, his gaze falling on the trembling Kelli standing motionless in front of him.

"You mentioned earlier that you’re good at cooking?"

"S-sorry sir, I just..."

Kelli was taken aback for a moment before responding, quickly explaining while cautiously watching Xia Nan’s expression.

Halfway through speaking, a flash of silver suddenly caught her eye, causing her pupils to unconsciously enlarge.

A silver coin, refracting a dazzling shine under the sunlight, danced between Xia Nan’s fingers.

"There’s a dish, do you know how to make it?"

...

"Ding."

A metal soup spoon clinked against the bowl as it stirred the broth.

The rich aroma of food, rising steam was particularly thick in the winter air.

It wasn’t the imagined cream mushroom soup, sprinkled with parsley and exuding a rich, milky aroma.

At this moment, the bowl in Xia Nan’s hand still contained many chopped mushroom slices, but the milk flavor in the broth was gone.

Instead, it was a complex mixture of beans, grains, wild vegetables, turnips, onions, and slices of cured meat.

If anything, it might be called a mishmash mushroom soup?

Qingmai Village was poor and remote, and Kelli’s family wasn’t wealthy, unable to stock the cream, fine flour, pepper, and other ingredients necessary for cream mushroom soup.

This mushroom soup was the best she could do.

Of course, compared to the meal charge Xia Nan paid, she surely didn’t lose out.

Sitting alone in the empty house prepared by the Qingmai Village chief for the group, Xia Nan gently scooped a spoonful into his mouth.

He savored the blend of flavors on his tongue, complex yet not overly spiced, simply bringing out the natural taste of the ingredients, the honest, simplest of deliciousness.

Squinting his eyes, he nodded in satisfaction.

As Kelli said herself, her cooking was indeed good.

Xia Nan didn’t resist his identity and job as an adventurer, but the immense pressure during missions and threats from the enemy, even if his body wasn’t hurt much, invisibly drained his spirit.

Therefore, during breaks between missions, he habitually took some time to rest. Whether sitting in the White Sparrow Tavern with a bowl of cream mushroom soup or going into the woods to clear a few goblin nests, it always comforted him and helped him recover quickly.

Compared to other adventurers’ fondness for drinking and gambling, his behavior was undoubtedly much healthier.

But this time, because the schedule was too tight, having just returned from Neum and then leaving River Valley Town with the team, there wasn’t much time to rest, leaving some regrets in his heart.

With this opportunity now and a suitable environment, he couldn’t let it slip by.

Sipping the mushroom soup in small mouthfuls, Xia Nan’s thoughts gradually emptied.

If the attribute panel could manifest his rational value, there would undoubtedly be "+1," "+1" numbers continuously appearing in the air around him.

And just then, a sudden scream shattered the peace in the air.