If conditions permit, please give goblin corpses a simple burial. Be especially careful to keep them away from streams to prevent contamination of the water source.
—The Gelan Forest Adventurer’s Manual
THUD~
Half an hour later, Lu Wei finished digging a small, shallow pit under a large tree far from the stream.
He tossed the corpse in and filled the pit back up with dirt. The small pit quickly became a small burial mound.
A greasy green hand was still sticking out of the mound, pointing upward. The scene felt somewhat familiar.
’Not bad, it looks pretty similar.’
Nodding, Lu Wei was quite satisfied with his handiwork.
Of course, he wasn’t doing this out of some sense of "humanitarianism."
It was mainly to build up his nerve.
After all, "touching" and "looking" were completely different. Touching a corpse undoubtedly required overcoming a great deal more fear.
And so far, the effect was excellent.
From disgust to composure, the feeling of unease disappeared quickly.
Later, he even poked the corpse a few times with his dagger to get a feel for the toughness of its skin.
It might sound a bit twisted, but he believed it would be a great help in any future battles.
’A fruitful day.’
He dusted the dirt off his hands and went back to gather all the Sunberries.
By the time Lu Wei returned to the Tree of Origin, the sun had begun to set, and the light filtering through the woods had softened.
The damp scent of humus mingled with the sweet fragrance of wildflowers. Dust motes, gilded with an amber sheen, danced in the beams of light. In the distance, a white deer drank leisurely from a stream.
A scene of peace and tranquility.
’It would be even more perfect if I could get my hands on that deer.’
Unfortunately, the creature was far more alert than a goblin.
And since Lu Wei didn’t have a bow or any other ranged weapon, he could only watch helplessly as it disappeared into the dense forest.
’If I get the chance in the future, I have to learn a ranged Skill first.’
Lowering his binoculars, Lu Wei shook his head with a hint of regret. He then took out the half-eaten loaf of black bread from lunch and slowly finished it off.
Although sunset was approaching, he had no intention of heading back.
Because according to his judgment, nighttime was when he would have the most customers.
It was also the best time for him to make money.
...
...
As everyone knows, in many D&D-style games from his past life, a mysterious merchant NPC would often appear after a player defeated a boss or cleared a map.
They would not only buy the player’s loot but also sell some relatively rare equipment and materials.
The original purpose of this design was likely a form of extra reward.
This was because these mysterious merchants often bought loot at prices higher than the market rate and sold their goods at prices lower than the market rate.
Players, of course, loved this.
But from the NPC’s perspective, it was practically charity.
After all, for all adventurers, new or old, "how to carry more loot" and "post-battle supplies and healing" were two of the trickiest problems during an adventure.
Many people were forced to abandon a lot of loot or end their adventures prematurely because they couldn’t solve these two problems.
The Adventurer’s Manual even had an entire Chapter dedicated to explaining "backpack space allocation."
This just goes to show how valuable a freelance merchant who appears after a battle can be.
Not only can they help you exchange low-value but bulky loot for coins, but they can also replenish your supplies, allowing you to continue your adventure with greater peace of mind. Even if the prices mean taking a small loss, most people would be happy to agree.
And this was precisely why Lu Wei was still holding his ground in the forest.
"Need any supplies?"
Just as the sun was about to dip below the horizon, he finally saw a four-person Adventurer Squad emerging from the forest. He quickly stood up and began his enthusiastic sales pitch:
"I’ve got bandages, Hemostatic Ointment, and pain relief powder."
"It’s still a two-hour walk to town from here. If you’re injured, it’s best to treat it as soon as possible."
"Take a look. The prices are very fair."
"..."
Hearing his voice, the four of them stopped, their expressions a little surprised.
They probably hadn’t expected someone to be out here in the forest selling wares.
"You’re a merchant?"
"I am."
"Aren’t you afraid of running into monsters? Goblins, Giant Spiders, that sort of thing."
"If I run into one, I run. This is the outer edge of the forest; it’s not too dangerous."
"Tsk tsk, you’ve got guts... Andrew, this kid’s braver than you."
After a few clicks of the tongue in amazement, three of them turned their gazes in unison toward a young human man with a bow on his back.
The young man immediately flushed red, hung his head, and stammered, unable to say a word.
He had clearly been embarrassed before.
’Probably wet his pants after being scared by a monster or something.’
"Hahaha, alright now."
Soon, after the joke, the man who looked like the captain clapped Lu Wei on the shoulder with a cheerful laugh.
"Kid, we were thinking of giving you some business, but unfortunately, none of us are hurt. So, maybe next time."
"No problem. It’s for the best that you’re not hurt."
Lu Wei didn’t want to miss any opportunity to make money, so he nodded and immediately added:
"Oh, by the way, I also buy loot. If you have any materials or equipment that are inconvenient to carry, you can sell them to me."
"Well... sorry, I think we’d rather sell to the merchants in town."
The man probably thought Lu Wei wouldn’t offer a high price. After a moment’s thought, he politely declined.
But then he pointed in a direction and said with a smile:
"However, on our way back, we took care of a few Giant Spiders. They’re about two or three miles in that direction."
"If you’re not afraid of the danger, you can go take their silk glands. They should be worth a few Copper Coins."
"Really? Thanks so much," Lu Wei said quickly.
"Don’t mention it. We weren’t going to get those silk glands anyway."
The man gave a generous wave and then continued walking toward Heitai Town with his companions.
The horizon was veiled in a deep red afterglow, and a faint crescent moon climbed above the treetops.
Under Lu Wei’s gaze, the four of them quickly walked into the distance. Their voices faded along with their shrinking figures, disappearing at the end of the forest path.
The distant town with smoke curling from its chimneys, a backpack stuffed full, able-bodied companions by one’s side, and a crude joke...
When all these elements came together, they formed a quintessential "victory screen."
The sight even moved Lu Wei a little.
’If only he hadn’t been the butt of that crude joke...’
"Urzha, you’ve got your eye on that kid, don’t you?"
"So what if I do?"
"But don’t you Half-Beastmen have the most contempt for us human men? You’re always saying you’d rather use a wine bottle."
"He’s different. He looks tasty. I think he can satisfy me."
"Hahaha, I don’t know if he can satisfy you, but you could probably satisfy him with just your ear piercing!"
"&@#$*!!"
"..."
Lu Wei: ????