Lv. 5. It looked somewhat like the Boss great goblin mentioned in the intelligence, but judging by its size and aura, I had clearly hit the jackpot.
The Giant Goblin stared at Bai Xuan for a moment, seemingly assessing the strength of the tiny human before it.
In the next second, it suddenly swung the thick wooden club in its hand, bringing with it a whistling gale as it smashed down ruthlessly toward Bai Xuan.
Bai Xuan did not dodge. Instead, he steadily raised the Staff of Guidance in his hand and met the thick wooden club head-on. At the moment of contact, the Staff of Guidance’s unique trait instantly activated.
With a loud crack, the seemingly sturdy wooden club instantly exploded from the middle, sending wood splinters flying everywhere.
A few wood chips grazed Bai Xuan’s cheek, leaving a faint white mark, but they did not break the skin.
The Giant Goblin froze in place, its murky eyes full of confusion. It looked down at the half-club remaining in its hand, seemingly completely unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Before it could react, Bai Xuan’s second strike followed immediately, landing steadily on its raised left arm. The crisp sound of bone shattering rang out once more.
The Giant Goblin let out a shrill scream and stumbled back several steps, its left arm hanging limp. It was clearly broken.
Only then did it finally realize how terrifying the human before it was.
For the first time, a look of fear appeared in its murky eyes. All its previous ferocity vanished as it turned to run. Its heavy footsteps were frantic and disorganized, making it look exceptionally pathetic.
But it was too late.
Bai Xuan’s figure flickered, catching up to it in just a few steps. He then activated the skill 【Redemption Strike】, slamming his staff ruthlessly into its back.
A massive boom echoed through the cave, causing the entire cavern to tremble slightly.
The Giant Goblin’s body was a bloody mess as it collapsed heavily under Bai Xuan’s staff. The ground beneath it cracked like a spiderweb. After a few convulsions, its breath left it entirely, and the battle came to an end.
Bai Xuan stowed the Staff of Guidance and crouched down to extract the Giant Goblin’s Magic Core.
A Lv. 5 Magic Core was a size larger than those of the smaller goblins, with a deeper color and a faint luster.
He placed the Magic Core into his bag and then looked at the Giant Goblin’s long, sharp tusks. He broke them off and kept them; these could serve as proof of encountering an unusual Boss.
Bai Xuan circled the cave once more but found nothing of value.
In the corner was a pile of junk: weapon fragments discarded by adventurers, rusted farming tools, and some tattered clothing stolen from who-knows-where. None of it was worth anything.
Bai Xuan lingered no longer and turned to walk out of the nest.
The sunlight outside the cave was exceptionally piercing. He subconsciously narrowed his eyes. After orienting himself, he headed straight toward Gray Ridge Canyon.
This was the place where the assassin said Barend had been thrown.
Along the way, monsters in the forest were everywhere.
A Dreadboar suddenly lunged out from the bushes, its sharp tusks aimed directly at Bai Xuan, looking menacing.
Bai Xuan couldn't help but recall how, ten days ago when he had just crossed over, he had encountered a Dreadboar outside Blackcreek Town. Back then, he was so weak he couldn't even stand his ground and could only dodge pathetically.
But now, facing the charging Dreadboar, he simply raised his hand and struck down with his staff. The Dreadboar collapsed instantly, its breath gone.
【EXP +7, Pleasure +5】. The system notification flashed by, but Bai Xuan didn't even spare it a glance as he continued on his way.
He encountered several more low-tier monsters along the way, all of which were dealt with in a single strike. His Pleasure continued to rise, but he remained in no mood to look closely.
Passing by a small stream, Bai Xuan halted his footsteps.
He crouched by the stream and took off the white robe stained with blood.
It was covered in both his own blood and, more significantly, the foul blood splattered from the four assassins and the goblins. It was a mess.
He placed the white robe in the stream and scrubbed it vigorously. The blood water drifted slowly away with the current. Although he couldn't get it completely clean, it was at least no longer so eye-catching.
He took a spare set of clean robes from his Space Ring and changed into them. He carefully folded the damp white robe and put it back into the ring before continuing his journey.
While traveling, Bai Xuan gripped the Staff of Guidance and swung it a few times, having already mastered the use of “Spirit-Weight Equilibrium.”
By activating the skill to increase the staff's weight at the moment of impact, the force of the strike would be several times stronger than usual.
Furthermore, when he had healed that assassin earlier, he noticed that this staff’s healing effect was also significantly stronger than before.
He was very satisfied with this Staff of Guidance.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Gray Ridge Canyon finally appeared before him.
Bai Xuan stood at the edge of the cliff and looked down. Thick mist swirled in the depths of the canyon, making it impossible to see the bottom.
The howling wind blew up from the canyon floor, carrying a damp, fishy smell mixed with a faint stench of rot that made one shudder.
He walked along the cliff for a while and found a spot where vines hung down. He gave them a tug; the vines were sturdy enough, but looking down, their length was far from sufficient to reach the bottom.
He continued walking along the cliff for a long distance, checking several different spots, but every place was the same. The cliff was too deep, and there was no path down.
Bai Xuan returned to the cliff’s edge and stood in silence for a long time.
He knew that if Barend had truly been thrown down, the monsters at the bottom likely wouldn't have left a single trace.
Ultimately, he turned and began the walk back. Along the way, thoughts churned in his mind: the assassin’s words, Barend’s smile, and Mora’s haggard appearance.
There was also the strange look the young man in the Information House had given him. Each image flashed before his eyes.
He knew very well that he could not go directly to Mora right now.
The people from the Information House were dead. When their men failed to return, the organization would certainly become suspicious.
At this moment, returning from the wilderness and heading straight for The Fire God’s Forge would be a dead giveaway. It would practically be telling them that the deaths of those four assassins were related to him.
Furthermore, if he told Mora now that Barend had been killed by the Cross family and thrown down Gray Ridge Canyon...
Given her dwarven temperament, she would surely lose her mind. She might recklessly seek revenge against the Cross family, which would undoubtedly be a death sentence.
Besides, it wasn't entirely certain whether Barend was dead or not.
The assassin’s words weren't necessarily true. Even if they were, as long as he hadn't seen the body with his own eyes, there was still a glimmer of hope.
Therefore, staying put for now was the best choice.
He planned to stay in Blackcreek Town for a few more days to gather more information and see if there were any useful clues. If staying became impossible, he would then go to the White family.
When he thought about it, he currently had no reliable allies. The Inner Wall was the Cross family’s territory; entering it would be walking into a trap.
He didn't know if the Mulan family was still in town. Even if they were, that family’s motives were too deep; he couldn't read them and didn't dare approach them easily.
Kaylon, the captain of Silver Heart, had only been polite in passing. If Bai Xuan actually sought him out, the man might not necessarily help. And then there was that mage with the gold-rimmed glasses... he remembered that man’s gaze; there was something wrong with it.
Thinking it over, he could only rely on himself in the end.
However, Bai Xuan wasn't panicked. Even if the Information House suspected him, they wouldn't dare move against him openly in town.
The Outer Town was the territory of the Adventurer’s Guild. They would have to exercise some restraint. As long as he didn't actively cause trouble, he was safe for the time being.
Even if the other side truly came knocking, with his current strength, escaping would not be difficult.
While he was lost in thought, the gates of Blackcreek Town appeared before him.
The Guard looked up at him, his gaze lingering for a brief moment. There weren't many adventurers returning from the wilderness at this time. But it was only for a second before he waved his hand, signaling that he could enter.
Bai Xuan pulled himself out of his thoughts and stepped into the town, his figure quickly blending into the crowd.
Before long, the silhouette of the Adventurer’s Guild appeared. Bai Xuan walked straight up and pushed open the guild’s doors.
There weren't many people in the hall. A few adventurers sat at long tables talking in low voices, and the atmosphere was quite quiet.
Bai Xuan didn't linger. He went straight to the appraisal counter and gently placed the bag containing the Magic Cores on the surface.
Behind the counter sat a middle-aged man dressed in clean gray robes. Seeing Bai Xuan approach, he looked up, a polite smile appearing on his face.
“Need some materials appraised?” he asked warmly.
Bai Xuan nodded slightly and then opened the bag, taking out the Magic Cores one by one.
Finally, he placed the Giant Goblin’s Magic Core and the two tusks on the counter as well.
The middle-aged man picked up the Giant Goblin’s Magic Core and examined it carefully against the light. He then picked up the tusks, rubbing the cross-section with his finger, his expression gaining a touch of professional rigor.
“This kind of mutant Giant Goblin isn't common,” he said with a hint of appreciation in his tone.
“The strength of this type of goblin varies, but the energy fluctuations of this Magic Core are very strong. It must have been a tough Boss to deal with when it was alive.”
He looked up at Bai Xuan with an evaluating gaze, but he didn't ask a single unnecessary question. He lowered his head and began writing the appraisal receipt.
Bai Xuan appreciated this man’s professional boundaries. Compared to the cold old man at the dungeon market who was used to life and death, this sense of propriety was much more comfortable.
The appraisal was quickly completed. Bai Xuan took the receipt and walked to the front desk. Jiwa was currently looking down, organizing commission slips. Hearing footsteps, she looked up.
She took the receipt and glanced at it, momentarily stunned.
She then looked up at Bai Xuan, her tone filled with surprise. “A Giant Goblin? There was actually something like that in that goblin nest?”
Bai Xuan gave a faint response. “Yes.”
Jiwa lowered her head and quickly recorded it in the personal register, explaining as she wrote, “The base points for this Bronze Rank commission are four. However, the commission content misjudged the Boss’s strength, which counts as an exceptional circumstance.”
“According to guild regulations, an additional three points will be added for the part that exceeded expectations, totaling seven points.”
She straightened up and closed the register. “As for the reward, the base commission is 60 silver coins. Including the additional buyback price for the Magic Core and tusks, it’s a total of 2 gold coins and 80 silver coins. Is that acceptable?”
Bai Xuan nodded slightly, having no objections.
Jiwa took a coin pouch from under the counter, carefully counted out the gold and silver coins, and pushed them gently toward Bai Xuan.
Bai Xuan took the pouch but didn't leave immediately. He spoke with a calm expression.
“I wanted to ask something,” he said. “Is it possible to take multiple commissions at once? It would save me the trouble of having to come back specifically after finishing each one.”
Jiwa shook her head gently and explained patiently, “I’m afraid not. The guild has a rule against taking multiple commissions simultaneously.”
“It’s mainly to prevent people from taking too many and being unable to finish them, which would waste the clients' time. Moreover, each commission has different time sensitivities; some urgent matters need to be handled quickly. If someone takes them and doesn't do them, it affects the guild’s reputation.”
She paused and then added, “However, if you want to earn more money, you could consider taking Bounties.”
A flash of interest appeared in Bai Xuan’s eyes as he asked, “Bounties?”
“Yes,” Jiwa said, pointing in the direction opposite the commission board. “The ones posted on that wall over there are Bounty Notices. Bounties don't count toward your commission limit, and you can take several at once.”
“As long as you encounter the bounty target, you can just take them down and bring them back, or provide effective clues to claim the reward. Even if you haven't officially accepted the bounty, if you happen to run into them and bring them in, you can still get the reward.”
Bai Xuan walked over in the direction she pointed. He saw a few papers scattered across that wall, forming a sharp contrast with the densely packed commission board next to it.
He slowed his pace and began to read them carefully, one by one.
【Bounty Notice】
【Name: Lame Hank】
【Crime: Fled after defaulting on gambling debts, involved in petty fraud】
【Clue: Last seen near the slums; may still be hiding in that area】
【Reward: 5 silver coins for effective clues, 50 silver coins for capture】
...
【Bounty Notice】
【Name: Wolf Gang Remnants (Three people)】
【Crime: Robbing passing merchants outside town, involved in violent acts】
【Clue: Often seen around the Eastern Hills】
【Reward: 15 silver coins for effective clues, 50 silver coins for each capture】
These were all insignificant small-time characters, and the rewards weren't very high. Bai Xuan’s gaze continued to move down until it came to a stop at a certain notice.
【Bounty Notice】
【Name: Carson】
【Crime: Theft of a family treasure, currently a fugitive】
【Clue: This person is still within Blackcreek Town; all entrances and exits are under surveillance. 1 gold coin for effective clues, 20 gold coins for capture.】
【Issuer: Inner Wall-related organizations of Blackcreek Town】
Theft of a family treasure.
Bai Xuan’s heart stirred. Within Blackcreek Town, anyone who could issue such a bounty with such a generous reward was undoubtedly the Cross family.
He looked at the Bounty Notice, his thoughts churning rapidly.
He suddenly recalled what the assassin had said—“You and that dwarf touched something you shouldn't have.”
Was this man named Carson truly a thief, or did he know a secret he wasn't supposed to know, leading the Cross family to frame him for theft?
And what exactly was it that was touched? The reward amount was so high that it clearly indicated the importance of the item.
Bai Xuan stood there and watched for a long time, firmly memorizing the contents of the Bounty Notice before turning back to the commission board.
Next, he needed an unobtrusive task.
One that would allow him to move around town freely and search for Carson’s traces without raising the suspicion of the Information House.
After all, their men had just gone missing. If he acted too abnormally, he would easily be targeted.
His gaze slowly swept across the slips on the board before finally landing on a somewhat weathered piece of paper.
Rate on N.U.
