"What are you doing?"
Lorin stood at the entrance of the Divine Hall of the Lord of Dawn in Shallow Beach Town, staring in utter confusion at Pip, who was currently building a wall.
"Pip is building a wall."
"Of course I know you’re building a wall! But why are you building a wall?" Lorin felt like he was reciting a tongue twister.
Before him, Pip was stepping on a crooked pile of bricks, standing on his tiptoes, and struggling to place a brick on top.
"Pastor Older said a distinguished guest is coming soon, and the current state doesn’t look too good. So he asked Pip to help repair the wall to pay for meals these past few days." He shot Lorin a pleading look.
"A distinguished guest? But why don’t I see Pastor Older?" Lorin stepped forward, taking the brick from his hands and helping him lay it on top. "So, your injuries are completely healed?"
"All healed! He said he had to go out for something."
"That’s good."
Lorin couldn’t help but feel that the Old Priest was acting rather mysterious. As he helped build the wall, he recounted exactly what had happened over the past few days—the rat swarm in the barn, Old Hunter getting shot by two arrows, the sneak attack by Soron and his men, and the battle that almost cost him his life.
Pip listened very intently, occasionally letting out expressive noises to show his enthusiastic support.
"Huh... Really... Hss, that must have hurt!"
Lorin then went on to talk about what Hiv had taught him regarding the distinction and definition of Professionals, as well as teaching him Combat Skills, and...
"Pip, I need your help," he requested earnestly.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s hurry over there and accept the quest! Those are Combat Skills! Did he say what Combat Skills? I want to learn Combat Skills too, but it’s a pity they’re for a Warrior..."
Pip’s hands and feet moved rapidly, and his mouth didn’t stop for a second either.
Lorin just realized that Pip wasn’t surprised at all about the matter of Professionals. Curious, he asked, "Did you already know about the Tiers for Professionals?"
Pip nodded as if it were a given. He puffed out his chest, his expression suddenly turning somewhat sacred. "Of course! Pip has known for a long time. Pip is going to be the very first Halfling to become a Barbarian!"
Lorin dug at his ear, doubting he had heard correctly. Tilting his head, he asked, "Wait, wait, wait, what? A Barbarian?"
He had assumed that was just the shorty’s combat style. Who would have thought it was actually a freaking profession!
"Yeah. Surprisingly, no Halfling in this world has ever become a Barbarian. So if Pip could be the first... hehe, that would be so interesting!" Pip said longingly.
*But why on earth would a Halfling think becoming a Barbarian would be interesting?!*
***
"Mr. Hiv, we’re here to accept a quest."
Although Lorin had earned some money, he still didn’t know what the quest entailed. Thus, he planned to check it out first before going to upgrade his equipment.
This time, Hiv wasn’t wiping things down with his ragged cloth. Instead, he was tasting a bowl of food that Lorin couldn’t quite recognize, looking completely pained. Beside him, the proprietress Martha stood with an expectant expression.
"Perhaps... the customers just don’t have the palate for this yet..."
"You’re saying my cooking tastes bad!" Martha huffed angrily, picking up the plate and storming off.
"Hey, wait!"
Hiv wiped cold sweat from his forehead. Only then did he notice Lorin walking in. He laughed and greeted, "Hahahaha, kid. Martha wants to try out some new tricks for the customers. To be honest, it doesn’t hold a candle to her stew."
He looked around but didn’t spot the companion Lorin had mentioned. Confused, he asked, "Didn’t you say you were coming with a companion? Why don’t I see anyone?"
"Pip... is... right here..."
The head of a hammer bobbed up and down from behind the bar counter.
Hiv leaned his hands on the counter and stretched his entire body forward, finally spotting Pip down below.
"Ah... apologies, my memory isn’t very good. I forgot about that." He chuckled awkwardly and pulled a piece of parchment from behind the counter, handing it to Lorin. "I picked this out for you guys a while ago."
[Clear the Abandoned Mine]
[Type: Extermination]
[Reward: 15 Gold Coins]
[Quest Description]
The abandoned mine north of Shallow Beach Town has recently been occupied by a Kobold scout team. There are about a dozen of them, and it seems they are led by Elite units.
That place is too close to the town. There is no guarantee they won’t attack passersby. Go and clear them out before they establish a firm foothold.
[Time Limit: The sooner, the better]
[Note 1: Kobolds are best at traps. Be careful.]
"The two of us against over a dozen Kobolds?" Lorin pointed at himself, his face full of question marks.
Although he wasn’t exactly sure about a Kobold’s combat prowess, a "scout team" sounded quite formidable. Besides, in a pitch-black place like a mine, there would definitely be traps. It felt like a tall order.
"How can you improve your strength without facing danger?" Hiv said.
He thought to himself, "A Sorcerer who knows how to use a sword, coupled with a Halfling Scout, is more than enough to handle a squad of Kobolds. After all, even though Kobolds live in groups, they usually don’t huddle closely together, and a Scout can deal with traps. As for Elite units? No matter how elite a Kobold is, it is still just a Kobold. Could a Dragon Shield Guard actually appear in a dump like this?" The source of this chapter is g.com.
"Kobolds don’t breed that quickly, do they?" Lorin asked subconsciously after seeing the number of monsters in the quest description.
"Don’t worry, Kobolds are oviparous. A scout team wouldn’t possibly bring eggs out with them," Hiv promised confidently.
Lorin finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Do you have an illustrated guide on Kobolds?" he asked again.
Hiv handed him an Adventurer’s Handbook and said, "It’s all in here."
"Alright then. Let’s go, we need to prepare some things."
After bidding farewell to Hiv, he first went to pick up his pre-ordered Armor and weapons. He also spent five Silver Coins to buy a warm coat, and the boots he had ordered earlier were finished as well.
[Old Mo’s Handmade Leather Boots]
Type: Light Armor
Quality: Ordinary
Durability: 25/25
Weight: 1.2 kg
Equipment Effect:
[Anti-Slip: When moving on gravel, mud, or wet surfaces, it is difficult to slip and fall.]
Note: Lovingly handcrafted by Old Mo for 3 Silver Coins and 5 Copper Coins. You can’t go wrong with this price, and you won’t be scammed!
This was a pair of dark brown, ankle-high boots. They were very similar to his Leather Armor, most likely made from the leftover scraps. The toes were also reinforced with an extra layer, making them look very warm.
Lorin tried them on and instantly felt this was the most worthwhile purchase he had ever made. Compared to his original worn-out cloth shoes, these were incredibly comfortable! His feet finally didn’t have to step directly on the sharp stones on the ground. During previous battles, applying even a little bit of force would make the soles of his feet ache terribly.
Armed with his experience from dealing with the giant rats last time, Lorin also bought two bottles of Antitoxic Potion and a few torches from the general store, just in case.
[Weak Antidote]
[Cures or alleviates ordinary toxins upon consumption]
Just these few short words had cost Lorin ten Gold Coins. Potions were simply too freaking expensive!
The two of them packed up briefly and bought some extra rations, spending a total of 10 Gold Coins and 10 Silver Coins. Lorin’s savings immediately shrank by more than half, but the thought of being able to learn Combat Skills next filled him with motivation, and he couldn’t help but grow excited.
"Let’s set out!"