Goblin Dependency
Chapter 331 - 174 Dangerous Holiday_2

Chapter 331: Chapter 174 Dangerous Holiday_2

"No, no, no, you absolutely can’t let him go into this line of work! You know how dangerous our job is. We’ve been saving up all our lives, and you want your family to do this? Haven’t we toiled for nothing all these years?"

"If you ask me, you should go home at some point and have a clear talk with your son, put an end to his thoughts."

"Or just spend some money to send him to an academy. Whatever he does after that is better than quietly dying in the forest."

"Lower your voice, don’t forget that Gnoll tribe!"

"Don’t worry, we’re almost out. If we really run into danger, it’s unlikely to be demons."

"Let me tell you, if ’Huo Ya’ weren’t already dead, I wouldn’t dare take this main road."

"I think it was a newcomer in ’Green Blood’s’ team who killed him, right? Not sure where he came from, but he slaughtered the whole team, ferocious as hell!"

"Heh, that beast ’Huo Ya’ robbed me twice before, serves him right!"

"..."

The casual chat didn’t last long.

After all, these were old hands with many years of adventure experience. Even though this trip’s earnings far exceeded expectations, they quickly curbed their high spirits after nightfall.

After a simple cleanup, some rested while others took turns watching the night.

Ben and Buck happened to have the first half of the night, so they sat by the campfire, each doing their own thing, occasionally exchanging a few words.

Approaching the forest edge, they originally thought tonight would be no different from usual, settling into quiet and dullness.

But as the high moon hung overhead, the silver-white moonlight grew more intense deep into the night.

For some reason, as Ben yawned, he felt the firelight before him suddenly dim.

Like a match blown out, the flickering flames abruptly extinguished, even the stars in the sky dimmed.

In the blink of an eye, his sight was left with an unusual deep darkness.

Ben and Buck, responsible for keeping watch, immediately reacted, loudly waking their teammates while standing with swords drawn, on alert.

Yet in this darkness, the already meager visibility of the forest felt even more cramped.

They couldn’t even see the tall grass and bushes at the edge of the camp.

Only barely recognizing the hazy silhouettes of teammates around them.

Woo——

It sounded like the evening wind stirring the branches, or some long lament.

A vague shadow, only a contour visible, flashed swiftly through the air, disappearing into the depths of night like an illusion in less than half a second.

For some reason, in that instant, a wave of inexplicable fear surged in Ben’s heart, who had faced many dangerous situations and had years of adventuring experience.

His fighting spirit and courage vanished like a dying campfire.

A slight noise came from ahead, the moaning in the air suddenly turned piercing, and with a scream, he threw his weapon away and turned to flee.

In the chaos, Ben vaguely recalled pushing someone, using them as bait to attract the enemy.

He took the chance to run in the direction away from the forest.

"It wasn’t until later, when the three of us met again on the country road to River Valley Town, that we realized Buck was missing."

"Only then did I realize the one I had pushed to the ground that night was Buck."

As he spoke, Ben’s scruffy face suddenly trembled, leaning forward, his eyes widening instinctively.

"Mr. Xia Nan, believe me, I’m really not that kind of person!"

"Even when we faced that Bear Goblin years ago, I didn’t just drop my weapons and flee like that night."

"But for some reason, I..."

Xia Nan sat opposite Ben, combining what had been said with his thoughts already forming.

The suddenly extinguished campfire, rapidly reduced visibility, weakened will and mental defenses...

Obviously, Ben and his party must have encountered some demon capable of affecting human minds, or an adventurer with such abilities, which is why they performed so poorly.

"And Buck, he wasn’t dead at the time, right?"

Interrupting Ben who wanted to continue explaining, Xia Nan asked.

He took a sip of hot tea, slightly calming the turbulent emotions within.

Ben nodded, recalling:

"We originally thought Buck had died in that attack, but..."

"The next day, just the day after the three of us returned to River Valley Town, Buck came back on his own."

"He seemed pretty badly injured; I didn’t dare ask much."

"He only stayed in River Valley Town a few more days, not waiting for Hunting Day to end, before returning to Neum."

Ben’s voice suddenly paused, eyes downcast, staring at the wooden table ahead, his expression complicated.

"I actually returned myself not long ago, was going to clarify things with him, tell him that night wasn’t intentional, but by the time I got to his house, things... had been days past already."

Understanding in his heart, after listening to his words, Xia Nan had a general understanding of the whole event.

If the course of events truly developed as the sheriff speculated, with Buck, infected with "Beastification," failing to suppress his beastly nature and going berserk to kill his family,

then the source of his "Beastification" likely stemmed from this dangerous encounter on their way back.

"Is there anything else you think might be useful?"

"There shouldn’t be." Ben clasped the teacup in his hands, shaking his head somewhat dazedly.

Seeing the clues break off once more, Xia Nan sighed silently.

He stood up, sweeping his gaze around the messy room.

Called out to Iron Head waiting at the door.

"Let’s go."

...

Still the same massive slum filled with mud and wastewater, alleyways more complex than a maze.

Xia Nan followed behind the leading Iron Head, mind partially alert to his surroundings, slightly lost in thought.

This trip, he had largely figured out the encounter that Buck and his group faced, as well as possible causes of the mission.

But he made no apparent progress in finding where Buck might be hiding now.

According to Ben, the other two teammates in their group didn’t live in Neum.

They might not even know of Buck’s death, let alone any insider details.

The last clues came up empty.

"This is going to be troublesome."

Iron Head, who had been standing nearby and had more or less grasped the situation, seemed to have sensed Xia Nan’s current state of mind.

Leading the way, he turned back, saying:

"Mr. Xia Nan, if you don’t mind, maybe the brothers in the Gray Badger Gang can lend some help."

"You helped repel the rat swarm and saved Eight Finger’s leader; the brothers are very grateful."

"Though our gang doesn’t have many people, they’re mostly kids who grew up here in the slum, familiar with it like the back of their hand."

"They usually don’t have much to do, so helping you find someone is just a casual effort."

It was a kind offer, and Xia Nan, stuck halfway through his task, had no reason to refuse.

He nodded slightly, opening his mouth to say something.

But he saw Iron Head, who was leading him through the alleys, suddenly collide head-on with a passerby at a particularly narrow corner because he turned back to speak to him.

The sturdy body fell backward onto the ground.

Yet the passerby in front, wearing a large cloak covering even the face in hooded shadow, merely took a couple of steps back, steadying himself.

"Mad, don’t you have eyes!?"

The pain from his back made Iron Head grimace as he got up.

Even knowing he was in the wrong, he still glared, wanting to confront the person.

Perhaps seeing Iron Head might be a gang member and not wanting trouble, or spotting the fully armed Xia Nan behind him.

That passerby, wrapped in cloak, with a burly frame, didn’t utter a word.

With a turn of the body, he disappeared into the intricate alleys.

"Damn, if I didn’t have business today, you wouldn’t get away with it!"

Cursing, Iron Head showed a trace of heartache, cleaning the mud off his clothes.

As he patted and rubbed his clothes, several metal sheen-reflecting, tiny powder-like dark red crystals were seen faintly drifting down.