Bugbears were among the strongest subtypes of goblinkind.
They shared the same vicious, treacherous nature as their goblin cousins and often served as leaders of goblin tribes.
Naturally, the Adventurers’ Association had included them on its bounty list.
And because their strength far exceeded what most low-level adventurers could handle, the reward was fairly respectable.
Ten gold coins.
Not exactly a fortune.
But if one added in the loot from wiping out an entire goblin tribe, the total haul could just barely be called substantial.
The bugbear the ragtag party had encountered had clearly only recently left its original tribe.
It had not even managed to properly equip all its underlings.
Even counting the dozen or so goblins that had ambushed them the previous day, the entire group only possessed one weapon that might sell for a decent price.
The bugbear’s mace.
Xia Nan had already tried lifting it.
Even with his enhanced body, the thing was heavy.
It certainly looked intimidating when swung, but it did not seem particularly compatible with [Spinning Slash].
Most likely, he would end up selling it to a blacksmith’s shop.
Fortunately…
Maybe because this was his first real adventure, some legendary form of beginner’s luck had decided to bless him.
There might be something on the bugbear that low-level adventurers like them would normally only be able to stare at from the other side of a shop window or auction display case.
That ochre-red energy shield.
Under normal circumstances, bugbears could not cast spells.
Only a tiny number favored by a deity, individuals known as priests among their own kind, could wield a handful of crude totemic spells.
The bugbear Henk, whom Xia Nan had personally beheaded, was clearly not one of them.
Otherwise, the ragtag party would have been wiped out the moment they entered the depths of the lair.
At least, that was what Maji said.
And during their short but vicious battle, the bugbear had never made any obvious motion suggesting that it had used a spell scroll.
Which left only one possibility.
A magic item.
And Maji was right.
Under his guidance, Xia Nan searched the bugbear’s trouser pocket and found a ring.
…
[Deathline]
Type: Ring
Grade: Fine (Green)
Effect:
1. Deflection Field (Active/Second Circle): Summons a chaotic force field to block the next physical attack from an enemy.
Description:
On the night before the deadline, Noel finally remembered the assignment his mentor had given him.
Note:
“You know me. I’ve always been efficient.”
• Noel, Outstanding Graduate of the Sea of Stars Enchantment Academy and Riemann Mage Tower’s Apprentice of the Year
…
The ring was silver-white from edge to edge.
At first glance, it looked no different from an ordinary silver ring anyone might wear.
But on closer inspection, several faint patterns could be seen engraved along the inner surface.
Every so often, an ochre-red glimmer flashed across the metal.
“That’s it!”
The instant Xia Nan pulled [Deathline] from the bugbear’s pocket, Maji’s entire expression lit up.
“This ring is definitely a magic item!”
Xia Nan had never seen him look so animated since joining the party.
“It knocked aside my [Precision Strike] without any trouble. That shield was strong.”
Maji spoke with absolute confidence.
“It definitely wasn’t a cantrip. Whatever spell is enchanted into this thing has to be at least First Circle.”
He took the ring from Xia Nan and examined it with the care of someone handling a priceless treasure.
For those few moments, even the pain from his ruined leg seemed to disappear.
Xia Nan was nowhere near as excited.
At first, he thought nothing of Maji’s reaction.
He used the time to search the cave yet again.
Only after he finished and suggested that they leave did he notice something.
Maji’s expression changed.
The excitement on his face suddenly cooled.
His gaze dropped toward his nearly crippled right leg.
Only for an instant.
Then he looked away.
A gentle smile returned to his face, but this time it looked noticeably stiff.
Pretending nothing had happened, he handed the ring back to Xia Nan.
Reluctantly.
“We should get moving. There’s too much blood in here. The smell could attract other beasts.”
That was all he said.
Xia Nan had not been particularly old in his previous life, but he had spent nearly ten years working and had done reasonably well for himself.
Reading people’s expressions was one of the most basic skills he had picked up along the way.
So although he showed nothing on his face, that fleeting change in Maji’s expression stayed with him.
…
They left the cave.
Maji was badly injured, making every step difficult.
Xia Nan was carrying most of the loot, which did not exactly make walking easy either.
Their pace was slow.
Fortunately, Maji’s class skills and years of experience meant he knew the terrain well.
They stayed on the right path without trouble.
There was also no need to constantly change direction and track goblin traces the way they had on the journey in.
All they had to do now was keep heading out.
Even at their reduced pace, it took only a day and a half to reach the outskirts of Misty Forest.
And under the constant pressure of the dangerous forest around them, the faint tension that had risen between the two seemed to dissolve back into the white mist.
“Crack.”
A leather boot came down on the fallen leaves and snapped a dry twig underfoot.
“There are more and more signs of people around here.”
Maji leaned closer to a tree trunk and sniffed lightly.
“We should be near the edge of the forest. Tomorrow night at the latest, we’ll be back in town.”
“Good.”
Xia Nan dropped the heavy bundle from his shoulders with a thud.
He leaned Gagu’s two-handed axe, which he had been using like a walking staff, against a nearby tree, then unfastened the mace from his waist.
“Every day, it’s trees and grass, grass and trees. My eyes are starting to blur.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
Maji chuckled and glanced at the sky.
“It’s getting late. Let’s make camp.”
Before long, a campfire crackled between them.
The two sat around the flames and ate the miserable provisions they had brought along.
A piece of black bread hard enough to qualify as a blunt weapon.
Several slices of some unknown animal’s meat, salted so heavily that every bite made Xia Nan thirsty.
They ate and chatted in fits and starts.
“So?”
Maji looked across the fire at Xia Nan, his expression sincere.
“Have you decided? Want to join my party?”
“Let’s talk about it after we get back to town.”
Xia Nan glanced at Maji’s bandaged right leg.
“You’ll need some time to recover anyway.”
“Haha, don’t worry about me.”
Maji waved a hand, putting on a hearty expression.
“I’ve had worse injuries than this. A few more trips to the church and I’ll be fine in no time.”
Xia Nan nodded without answering.
“All right. You’ve been carrying half the world on your back all day.”
Maji struggled to his feet and brushed the dirt from his clothes.
“I’ll go check the traps again. We’re close to a settlement now, so there probably won’t be much danger tonight.”
He gave Xia Nan a casual wave.
“Get some proper sleep. I’ll take the first watch.”
Xia Nan watched as Maji’s figure gradually disappeared into the brush.
His eyes narrowed slightly.