When he went downstairs, the lobby had already been tidied up. The mess and bloodstains from last night had been carefully cleaned away.
The tables and chairs were rearranged, and several groups of adventurers were sitting together having their meals.
The scar-faced leader’s squad was sitting by the window. Seeing him come down, the scar-faced man gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
“Yo, you’re awake?” the owner greeted from behind the counter while wiping a glass. “You slept quite deeply; you missed breakfast entirely. Want to go straight to lunch?”
“What do you have?” Bai Xuan sat down on a high stool.
“Stewed meat soup, black bread, and some sourberry juice squeezed this morning.” The owner pushed a wooden menu over. “It’s all-you-can-eat.”
The food was served quickly.
The meat soup was light in color, with droplets of oil and unidentifiable chunks of meat floating in it. The black bread was rock-hard, requiring significant effort to tear off a piece.
The sourberry juice was refreshing, though it was so sour it made him wince.
As Bai Xuan ate, he couldn’t help but think of the meat Nora had roasted—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and bursting with flavor from the spices.
Compared to that, the meal in front of him was simply...
If I had known, I should have asked her for the spice recipe.
He sighed inwardly. In this world, good cooking skills might be rarer than combat skills.
“Well? How’s the taste?”
The owner leaned against the counter, watching Bai Xuan’s expression with a grin.
“It’s alright, just a bit worse than yesterday’s.” Bai Xuan picked up his pace and finished the meal.
As he was finishing, the owner leaned in and lowered his voice. “Young man... that healing magic of yours last night was quite special.”
Bai Xuan’s movements paused for a moment, but he didn’t respond.
The owner pointed to the black rod leaning against Bai Xuan’s table. “Carrying that thing around all day—it looks like an iron rod. You don’t look like a proper Healer. Everyone else uses proper staves.”
Bai Xuan’s heart tightened, but he kept a smile on his face. “I’m used to it. Besides... this one feels right in my hand.”
“No matter how right it feels, you still need to look the part.”
The owner turned and rummaged under the counter for a while before pulling out a long object wrapped in cloth. “Here, take this.”
The cloth was pulled back to reveal a wooden staff about one point two meters long.
The shaft was made of ordinary vine wood and looked somewhat aged.
The top was set with a white crystal. The craftsmanship was rather crude; the crystal wasn't even fully embedded, and there was a small chip on the edge.
“This is...” Bai Xuan frowned.
“A staff! A real tool for spellcasting!”
The owner had a look on his face that said “you’re getting a steal.” “A few months ago, a traveler didn’t have the money to pay his bill and used this as collateral.”
“At the time, he claimed it was an ancestral treasure. In a moment of impulse, I not only cleared his tab but even gave him ninety silver coins on top of that!”
As he reached this part, his expression turned pained. “The more I thought about it later, the more I realized I got fleeced. What use does a dilapidated post house have for a staff? I’m not a mage!”
The owner pushed the staff toward Bai Xuan. “But you’re different. You’re a Healer; you actually need this. I won’t ask for much—eighty silver coins and it’s yours.”
“With a proper staff, your healing effects will definitely be better, and clients will trust you more, right?”
Bai Xuan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he reached out and gently gripped the shaft.
Almost simultaneously, he felt a faint trace of vitality coming from within the wood.
He concentrated his mind to check the information, and the panel in his vision displayed:
【Emeraldshade Gold: Rarity ★★★★. A metal nourished by the root system of the Tree of Life deep within the jungle. It has undergone a century of natural tempering and contains pure botanical life force and earth essence. Commonly used as the core material for high-level healing staves and life-attribute holy artifacts.】
There’s something inside! And it’s good stuff!
Although it felt light in his hand, meaning there was likely only a small amount of Emeraldshade Gold, even that small amount was worth a fortune!
Just then, the owner’s voice drifted over. “You felt it, didn't you? That’s how I was tricked back then—by the slight secondary effect of this staff.”
“Because of that incident, I don't allow people to pay with items anymore.”
Bai Xuan looked up at the owner, his expression controlled and flawless.
“Boss,” he said, weighing his words, “the craftsmanship on this staff... is a bit lacking. The crystal looks damaged too. The magic amplification probably isn't very high.”
“That’s why I’m selling it cheap! Normally, if I found the right buyer, it would be worth at least a gold coin,” the owner said quickly.
“If you carry this while wearing your robe, everyone will know you’re a Healer at a glance. It’s called a professional image!”
Bai Xuan felt the staff again, sensing the faint pulse of the Emeraldshade Gold inside.
“Sixty silver coins,” he said.
“Seventy-five! I can’t go any lower!”
“Sixty-five. As you said, this staff is useless in your hands.”
“Seventy! That’s my absolute bottom line!”
Bai Xuan remained silent for a few seconds, putting on an expression of struggling to compromise. He then counted out seventy silver coins from his pouch and lined them up on the counter.
The owner’s eyes lit up, and he quickly swept the money into a drawer as if afraid Bai Xuan would change his mind. “Deal! I hope your healing business flourishes!”
Bai Xuan took the staff and paid another thirty copper coins for some dry rations and water, which he packed into a simple travel bag.
He took one last look at the post house where he had spent the night and walked toward the door.
“Mr. Bai Xuan, please wait a moment.”
A voice came from behind him. The scar-faced leader and his squad had finished eating and were standing up.
Bai Xuan turned around and nodded politely. “Is something the matter?”
“I am Owen, the captain of this squad.”
The scar-faced man, Owen, took a few steps closer.
He was tall, and the scar running from the corner of his eye to his chin made him look fierce, but his gaze was sincere.
“We are preparing to head back to Blackcreek Town. Since you’re heading that way as well, would you like to travel together? We can look out for one another on the road.”
His team members also gathered around—three men and one woman, all familiar faces from those who had resisted the monster tide last night.
Bai Xuan’s gaze swept over them, and the panel information naturally surfaced:
【Lv.3 Light Swordsman】, 【Lv.3 Archer】, 【Lv.3 Shield Warrior】, 【Lv.3 Axe Warrior】.
Owen himself was a 【Lv.4 Heavy Swordsman (Practitioner)】.
“It’s too dangerous for you to travel alone,” Owen continued.
“Even though this area was cleared last night, there’s no guarantee there aren't any monsters that slipped through the cracks.”
“After all, you’re a Healer with limited combat capability. With us around, it will at least be safer.”
Bai Xuan calculated in his mind. They had only met once. If it were one or two people, it might be fine, but with this many, if they intended to harm him, it would be difficult to escape.
“I appreciate the kind offer, Mr. Owen.”
Bai Xuan gave a gentle but distant smile. “But that won't be necessary. I prefer acting alone.”
He paused and added, “Besides, I have some business along the way, so my itinerary might be different from yours.”
Owen laughed. “I understand. I won't insist then.”
He pulled a small wooden badge from his coat, carved with the image of a sword. “This is the badge for my team, 【Hammerfall】. If you run into any minor trouble in Blackcreek Town, you can show this.”
“If nothing else, our team has some decent connections in Blackcreek Town.”
Bai Xuan took the badge. It felt slightly heavy and was finely crafted. “Thank you.”
“Stay safe. Things haven't been peaceful in Blackcreek Town lately,” Owen reminded him one last time before waving and leading his team toward the post house’s backyard.
Bai Xuan put the badge away and pushed open the door of the post house.
He straightened his robe, wrapped the Goldsand Iron rod tightly in cloth before strapping it to his back, and set off with the “shabby” staff in his left hand.
Rate on N.U.
