Chapter 115: Chapter 115

Lin Mo didn't want to argue with the dwarf owner's explanation. Maybe they had some special hidden use for it, but in any case, he'd already double-checked the value of the crystal coin—no problem there. One crystal coin saved him 10 gold; by any calculation, it was a deal that wouldn't lose money.

Besides weapons, his armor also needed an update. The leather armor he wore was decent, but after some time of use it had developed noticeable wear. It was still usable, but there was no reason to keep it.

Adventurers couldn't be sloppy with gear.

"Armor? You're planning to replace it with leather?"

The dwarf boss sized up Lin Mo's equipment from head to toe: "If you're thinking about defense, leather isn't actually the best choice."

Perhaps because he had received the crystal coin, his tone had eased considerably. Lin Mo noticed that, of course. In fact, many fighters—including Alden and Ellie—preferred iron armor for its stronger defense.

But Lin Mo's fighting style differed from typical warriors. Beyond raw combat power, he had to consider mobility for stealth and assassination. Heavy iron armor would hamper some combat maneuvers and make stealth much harder due to noise.

He had thought about this problem many times.

"Of course we can. What do you want made?"

"A leather cuirass paired with iron bracers and greaves—is that feasible?"

"You mean composite armor? We can stitch together existing pieces in a shop ."

"What about a small arm shield?"

"Also available. Removable."

Lin Mo's eyes lit up. This city was different—much more reliable than Edgar's shop.

The dwarf boss rummaged in the storeroom and pulled out a full set that matched Lin Mo's requests. The quality looked excellent—much better than his current set. The main leather cuirass was an exceptional-grade piece with an augmentation.

[Black Rhinoceros Hide Armor]

Equipment Type: Armor

Rank: Excellent (Green)

Attributes: Durability +40%, Solidity +50%, Flexibility +20%

Hidden Attribute: Coarseness II: Reduces piercing-type damage taken by 10%

Equipment Augmentation: Power of the Black Rhinoceros: When taking damage, Constitution +1, lasting until the end of combat.

This leather armor's value was not much lower than the Black Sword. The other components were also excellent-grade equipment—no augmentations, but their base quality was outstanding.

"180 gold. If you use crystal coins, one crystal coin plus 55 gold."

Lin Mo thought for a moment. Although it stretched his budget, these were genuinely good pieces—buying them would not be a loss. As for the mithril gloves... tempting as they sounded, until his magic level and other professions improved, they weren't that practical. He could buy them later.

He nodded and paid without hesitation.

Weapons plus armor cost him two crystal coins and 55 gold. After that, he had only 206 gold and 58 silver left.

"Do you take old equipment?"

After switching into the new set and wanting to restore some HP, Lin Mo carried the Wolf Bone Sword and his old leather armor to ask.

The dwarf boss picked up the Wolf Bone Sword and examined it carefully: "The material's average, craftsmanship average, and without testing, if you're in a hurry I'll give 25 gold."

He had originally spent 30 gold on that sword. While he had gotten a discount from Edgar, the actual value had been higher; considering wear from usage, the price was fair.

"As for this leather armor..."

The dwarf shook his head: "Too many damaged spots. I can only offer 18 gold."

That cuirass had originally been worth nearly 40 gold. He'd bought it for 32 gold; getting 18 gold back now was acceptable.

In the end, selling both pieces recouped 43 gold.

"Goodbye, old things—see you next time."

After bidding farewell to the dwarf boss, Lin Mo headed straight for the auction house.

The dwarf snorted: "No crystal coins, no entry..."

He was, of course, joking—just in line with the shop's rough manner of banter.

Consigning magical scrolls turned out to be simpler than Lin Mo expected. Perhaps spell scrolls were easier to evaluate. Before long he received a stamped consignment slip.

He asked and learned the next auction would be next week; about ten days later he'd be able to collect the auction proceeds. Fortunately he wasn't in urgent need—the money would be saved either way and not spent immediately.

With the important tasks done, the rest of their time was free.

Lin Mo and Ellie wandered around the city for a while, getting a firsthand feel for Silverstream City. Ellie was unusually quiet, sticking close to Lin Mo and only occasionally glancing curiously at things she hadn't seen before—saying little. Lin Mo sampled many local snacks.

Most of the flavors were pretty good... except for a bread with slime gel added. He really couldn't appreciate that.

After trying many street foods, he wasn't very hungry, so lunch was casual. They didn't continue shopping in the afternoon—tomorrow they had a mission—so they returned to the inn to rest.

Time quickly reached the next day.

At the Adventurers' Association in the morning, Finnie arrived first with sleepy eyes.

When Lin Mo and Ellie pushed the door open, Edgar and the others were discussing targets, and Finnie was dozing on the table.

"You're here—perfect. Take a look at this mission."

Lin Mo took the mission paper and read.

[Hunt the Swiftwind Snake]

Type: Hunt/Material Collection

Client: Noren Trading Company

Go to Roland Forest and find and kill the Swiftwind Snake, preserving the snake fangs, gallbladder, and venom sac.

Note: Threat level 1.3

Lin Mo could guess why they chose this job. Until the investigation into the deeper Roland Forest returned results, it was best not to go too deep into the Deep Forest Area—only middle to shallow layers. The Swiftwind Snake's habitat fit that perfectly.

"Any other missions?"

"How about this one?"

Alden handed over another mission. Lin Mo glanced at it—another goblin settlement assignment. The settlement numbers had already reached eighty-one.

Goblin-related missions were becoming a de facto mainline. Goblins multiplied uncontrollably if neglected—like a snowball rolling downhill, growing faster than one could eliminate them.

"Alright, let's take this one. Anything else?"

Alden shook his head: "Just these two. We're actually planning to rest for a while..."

The mission intensity since Lin Mo joined had been higher than usual, and even Alden's team wasn't quite used to it. They were adventurers primarily for a living; when not short on money, they weren't eager to rush out on every mission.

They took this one partly because it had double rewards and partly as a farewell in the adventuring way.

Lin Mo nodded. "Then let's go."

Finnie, woken up, was full of enthusiasm. The rest of the team, seasoned adventurers, felt a bit nostalgic but were used to such matters.

Ellie also sensed something and looked slightly conflicted.

With the subtle mood hanging over them, the Raging Bull Team set out.

The goblin settlement was farther away, so they did the Swiftwind Snake assignment first. After half a day of traveling through the woods, they reached the area.

Swiftwind Snakes were hard to find: small and vivid green like foliage, they were easy to miss even under someone's nose. But adventurers had methods.

Alden scouted and found a suitable clearing near some grass—perfect for setting traps. Solan produced the key item from a cloth bag: a road-caught forest frog.

This was the Swiftwind Snake's favorite food. He sprinkled some powder around—extracted from Swiftwind Snakes and mixed with catalysts to simulate the pheromones of a receptive female, effectively luring males closer.

They hid at a distance to observe.

About an hour later, the still-alive frog let out a piercing cry. They turned and saw a meter-long green serpent coiling tightly around it; within seconds the frog went silent.

They waited patiently as the snake swallowed the frog piece by piece. Only when the frog was completely down the snake's throat did the serpent realize something odd—there was a fine, nearly invisible thread tied to the frog.

Next moment a powerful pull hoisted it up; the team surged forward and surrounded it.

The snake realized it was trapped, but since the frog had been swallowed it couldn't regurgitate and kept thrashing, hissing threats.

"Keep your distance—watch out for its venom!"

As an elite monster, the Swiftwind Snake lacked tremendous strength and robust constitution; it's speed was slower than creatures like the Swiftwind Fox. But it carried a uniquely dangerous weapon—venom. A professional knight injected with this venom would die within half an hour without prompt treatment.

They had bought antivenom for the mission, but too much injected venom might render the antidote ineffective.

Solan drew his bow and fired. The spinning arrow struck the snake's torso, but Solan was not a professional archer—this shot only pierced skin without serious damage.

This was the awkward lack of ranged professional output in the team; they'd ultimately have to risk close combat.

"Rick, lend me your shield."

Facing such a poisonous creature, Alden didn't relax. He borrowed the knight's shield, then advanced with sword and shield, testing slashes.

The snake turned its head and shot a wind blade that hit the shield, leaving a small crack. Alden's probing attacks were evaded as the snake wriggled away.

As it struggled, the sturdy metal wire began to show signs of strain and small breaks. But that didn't matter—Alden's role had always been to draw attention.

The real killing blow was about to come.

Lin Mo had never appeared with the others. He was in Vanish state, choosing an angle that wouldn't affect teammates. He unleashed a fully charged Accumulated Sword Combo.

Six sword energies shot out almost simultaneously, instantly slicing the Swiftwind Snake into several segments.

This mission didn't require preserving the skin—only the fangs, gallbladder, and venom sac—so Lin Mo didn't need to be overly careful. He had nonetheless ensured he didn't hit the gallbladder.

Alden looked at the carcass, feeling moved. Without Lin Mo, the Raging Bull Team might have taken much longer to defeat this snake. Their caution over its venom could have let it escape. But Lin Mo's strike left no chance for the snake to use its venom.

This reinforced Alden's conviction that they were not a suitable long-term team together.

"Be careful when handling the corpse. Don't get cut by the venomous fangs..."

He reminded them as he came to help Solan and the others process the body.

There wasn't enough time left to eliminate the goblin settlement today, but they could march closer and camp, making it quick to attack early the next morning.

Evening came quickly. Alden checked the map: "Let's stop here. We're about five kilometers from the goblin settlement—this distance is just right." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ NoveI-Fire.ɴet

It wouldn't risk detection by patrolling goblins, and they could reach the target quickly in the morning.

Without much discussion, everyone cooperated to set up camp. Lin Mo lit the fire while Finnie, stretching her face, squatted nearby. New to adventuring life, she found everything novel.

Solan had hunted a deer, skinned and cleaned it, and roasted it over the fire as they ate and chatted.

"What are your plans, Lin Mo?"

Lin Mo thought: "Until the undead survey results are out, I won't go too deep into the forest. I'll do simple tasks to reach the mission count needed to rank up to Bronze-rank... Overall, I'll probably stay in Silverstream City for a while."

Compared to Roland Town, Silverstream City had a larger stage, plenty of missions, and relative safety. He planned to lie low until they had 'cleared' the monsters in Roland Forest.

"Looking for a new team?"

"Probably not right now."

Lin Mo shook his head. His strength would rapidly improve soon; even if he formed another team, he would likely face the same mismatch again. Better to act solo for now.

Alden's next question made Lin Mo pause. He looked to the wolf girl at his side. She watched him cautiously, eyes full of inquiry and hope.

"Are you planning to leave the team too, Ellie?"

Ellie looked at Alden, received an encouraging glance, then nodded solemnly: "If you're willing to take me with you..."

"As a man, you have to take responsibility to the end."

Alden's words erased Lin Mo's remaining hesitation. He quietly took Ellie's hand—some things needed no more words.

Of everyone present, only Finnie remained stunned until that moment before comprehension dawned.

"Is our team disbanding?"

Sadness showed on her face. "Why? Wasn't adventuring together fun... Is it because of money? I still have lots of money, I can—"

"It's not that, Miss Finnie."

Carson shook his head: "Teams form based on fit. Stronger people team up for advantage; weaker ones band together. Differences in strength are okay, but not too large, or you can't choose suitable missions."

"My, Rick's and Solan's strength can't keep up with the rest."

"Yeah, in recent missions I haven't contributed much."

Rick scratched his head, ashamed. As a knight he was in the most awkward position—Solan could still shoot arrows, Carson scout, but Rick couldn't do much against elite or higher monsters, handling only menial work.

"It's fine, Miss Finnie. You can keep teaming with Lin Mo."

Solan chimed in: "Thanks to Lin Mo, we've made a lot of money lately. It'd be unfair to keep dragging him down."

"Raging Bull Team isn't disbanding—just returning to how it was before. That's how it should be."

"We're ordinary people, not chasing great ambitions. But you three are different..."

"Lin Mo is the most gifted genius I've seen; he's got boundless prospects. Miss Finnie comes from a noble background and has good talent; as a priest she can aid any team. And Ellie—your Ice Wolf Clan bloodline has awakened. Your power will grow quickly."

Alden spoke like an elder settling affairs, laying out thoughts he'd kept inside for a long time.

"So that's it. After this mission we'll rest for a long time and live well. You can drop burdens and start a new adventure."

Finnie blinked tears and clutched her hem.

Lin Mo felt moved too, remembering when he first joined the team—he even punched Alden at that time... Though they hadn't been together long, their shared adventures were more than ordinary acquaintance.

He'd brought much profit to the team, but the members had helped him as well. He'd even convinced Ellie, the team's second combatant, to follow him.

"If you ever have trouble, come find me."

Finnie choked on her voice. "Take care and be happy every day..."

"Haha, hearing that from you is a gain for us."

Alden laughed to lighten the mood. "If you really need help, we won't hold back."

He said it, but in truth he wouldn't use favors lightly—friendship was a resource not to be wasted easily.

"Alright, rest early. Tomorrow we go exterminate those damned goblins."

Alden rose first and walked to his tent. His casual back carried a trace of loneliness.

Lin Mo crawled into his sleeping bag and reflected on the journey. An idea came to him: when he became a legendary adventurer, he'd return and pick up these past people and events—what would those reunions be like?

Unconsciously, dawn approached.

Lin Mo opened his eyes, added a few logs to the fire, and stared at the sky. He didn't wake Finnie—she seemed emotional and likely hadn't slept well; let her rest longer.

Soon it was fully light. Everyone got up. Finnie, groggy, washed, ate, and set off.

Settlement No. 81: Goblin Colony.

The mission description indicated a mature small settlement, roughly the scale of the one they had cleared earlier, and that quasi-Bronze Goblins were present. After dealing with patrol goblins along the way and arriving near the settlement, they didn't rush in. As before, Lin Mo would sneak inside to scout and assassinate when the opportunity arose.

Finnie cast Light's Assistance on Lin Mo. He entered Vanish and slipped into the settlement with the Black Sword.

After scouting, he confirmed the mutated goblin count: six in total—one fewer than the last settlement. Three were adults, and one was a quasi-Bronze Goblin. From size it resembled the quasi-Bronze they had met previously.

Perfect for testing his recent improvements and the power of his new weapon...