CHAPTER 413: CHAPTER 215: THE INVERTED FIRMAMENT AND THE DECAYING LEAF EARTH

Adventurers,

A group that exists outside the mainstream structure of society, complex and contradictory.

They hunt demons in exchange for Gold Coins, saving farmlands and villages from disasters, allowing many who would have starved in alleyways to have a meal, and their vast profits nourish countless industries that take them as their core pillar.

At the same time, the relatively low entry barrier in the industry and the individual power far surpassing that of ordinary people make this group a mixed bag of good and bad.

Snatching food, harassing women, pillaging villages, and fighting to the death over a disagreement are all too common.

They are an unstable factor in society, a potential source of danger.

For the noble lords in their lofty castles, they require adventurers to accomplish some dirty work that their noble blood both cannot and scorn to do, yet they also view these armed individuals, not tied to any land, as a threat.

Meanwhile, farmers working in the fields might worry that adventurers passing by will plunder their villages and disrupt their peaceful agrarian life, but when attacked by demons, they have no choice but to desperately seek the adventurers’ help, even at a high cost.

Different positions and perspectives result in very different views on this group.

But even so, over countless years, some stereotypes or "common traits" about adventurers, especially those at the bottom, have been summarized.

Actually, it’s just two words:

——Desire.

From the most humble desire for survival: "stay alive," "not go hungry," "not freeze"; to dreams of class mobility: "become a lord," "buy land," "become a sheriff"...

From instinctual indulgence in sensory pleasures: "alcohol," "procreation," "slaughter"; and finally to the pursuit of Strength and freedom.

Even those "human legends" that are renowned in history cannot escape the cage called "desire."

Many times, those who realize the essence of desire, the sober ones, even willingly let desire control them, driving their bodies and wills toward their goals.

As for the Sea Thorn Squad, an adventurer group composed of low-Level professionals, of course, they no longer worry about filling their stomachs, but they don’t have any noble aspirations either.

Mostly, it’s just for Gold Coins.

Vireis and Cash are both professionals and long-time partners.

Ever since the founding of the Sea Thorn Squad, their names have been on the Association’s registration list.

Even after spending so much time together, just like in occasional crisis situations where they still guard against each other, neither has ever revealed their detailed past to the other.

They only roughly know, one lived by the sea as a child, coming from a fisherman background, and the other roamed both the Dark Territory and the Surface since childhood, being a half-blood between humans and Zor Elves.

Whether they joined other squads or had other teammates, no one knows.

At the beginning, the Sea Thorn Squad was actually like most adventurer groups on this continent, just an ordinary group that took on missions, hunted demons, and lived off bounties.

But somewhere along the line, maybe in Arcane Calendar 1014, when facing that Displacement Beast, a Half orc warrior was deserted by the duo; or maybe three years ago, when tidying up the battlefield, they found that red ruby short blade worth 150 Gold on a dead Dwarf Ranger comrade.

Cash and Vireis gradually got used to making a little money off of teammates beyond completing missions.

If the profit was large enough, they wouldn’t mind personally showing those poor newcomers the true cruelty of adventurers.

Thanks to their rich adventure experience and ability to judge people, they never made mistakes. Even if they occasionally misjudged and recruited someone hard to deal with, they often got along as teammates until the end, then left the chance.

Of course, such high member loss rates under such conduct, if they stayed in a fixed human settlement for a long time, it would easily stir up a reputation in the adventurer circles, affecting recruitment and potentially causing trouble.

Therefore, they are accustomed to "roaming and committing crimes," moving between various Association branches, using time and space to dilute the impact of their actions.

Perhaps in their managed range, there aren’t too many spoils on adventurers with lower Professional Levels, but after years of accumulation, the duo managed to save a considerable fortune.

Even with significant daily expenses, they stored a significant number of Gold Coins in the bank or purchased property and shops in some major cities.

Thus, their despicable adventurer career continued until a few months ago.

In a not-so-prosperous small town, the Sea Thorn Squad welcomed a new member.

——A young, lovely, kind Priest.

And during a mission, the two further discovered that this teammate seemed to carry a precious piece of Magic Accessories, capable of fetching a retirement-worthy price in the market.

What happened next doesn’t require much elaboration.

But lamentably, at the last moment, that necklace woven of thorns was stolen by a disgusting, nauseating thief - a thick-haired black bear.

This was the reason Cash and Vireis tracked for months and finally arrived at River Valley Town.

Fortunately, persistence always pays off.

Only the most patient and resilient fishermen can catch big fish in that chaotic ocean — these were the words of Cash’s father while he was still alive.