Chapter 207 Intertwined Fates

Green Wheat Village was small, and life for its villagers held little worth mentioning.

Eating, farming, sleeping;

Sprouting, earing, ripening.

Their dull lives were like the wheat in the fields—day after day, year after year, repeating in an endless cycle.

Because of this, even though a long time had passed, everyone in the village still vividly remembered the squad suspected to have been attacked by lycanthropes.

"We aren't too far from Misty Forest here, so adventurers like you gentlemen often pass through."

"But that time was a bit different."

"Normally, when adventurers come out of the forest, even if they look a bit... well, worse for wear, they're either relieved to have survived or excited to return with a full haul. In general, the mood isn't terrible."

"Even if they took heavy losses and some of their team didn't make it out of the woods, there's usually just silence and grief."

"But their situation was something I'd never seen before."

The village chief, who was leading the group, paused here, seeming to recall the scene.

"It wasn't joy or excitement, nor was it anger or sorrow."

"It was... fear."

While Green Wheat Village was somewhat close to Misty Forest, it was undoubtedly much farther away than places like Rivervale Town or Emerald Creek Village.

Because of this, the village missed out on the potential profits brought by large numbers of traveling adventurers, remaining remote and poor. On the flip side, monsters also appeared far less frequently.

Most days, there were at most only a few small goblin tribes around.

Adventurer squads that managed to escape Misty Forest and reach this place were essentially free from any further danger.

Under those circumstances, if they still showed the "lingering fear" the village chief described...

Then it could only prove that the group had encountered something in the forest so terrifying they still couldn't shake off its psychological impact after leaving.

As Xia Nan pondered this, the group ahead of him suddenly stopped.

Looking up, he saw a wooden house just as dilapidated as the rest of the buildings in the village.

"The ones who hosted them that day were Kelly's family."

"She should know some specific details about what happened."

The village chief explained to the group as he stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Knock, knock, knock—

After a flurry of hurried footsteps, the wooden door was yanked open.

A plain-looking, simple woman in her early thirties stared at the people at her door in surprise.

The village chief quickly explained the Sea Thorn Squad's purpose. Faced with such a squad of adventurers, the woman neither had nor dared to have any intention of refusing.

With a bit of trepidation and unease, she welcomed everyone inside.

The furnishings inside were just as one would expect from the outside.

It was an incredibly simple "living space" that prioritized function over aesthetics.

The damp, uneven dirt floor was only partially covered with thatch and wheat stalks. In the middle of the inner room against the wall, a fire crackled inside a ring of stones set slightly below ground level, carefully supporting a heavily used iron pot.

His gaze swept over the grass basket filled with sundries in the corner, a small string of onions on the wall, and the low wooden frame and patched linen blanket that barely qualified as a "bed."

Xia Nan had already formed his first impression of "Kelly's family."

"Where is your husband? Still in the fields?" Cash asked casually, also observing their surroundings.

By the time they arrived at Green Wheat Village, it was already afternoon.

Right now, besides the woman, the only other person in the house was a seven- or eight-year-old boy with a runny nose. He was hiding behind his mother, gripping her pant leg and poking his head out to peek at everyone with a curious yet cautious expression.

Before Kelly, who seemed especially nervous in front of them, could answer...

The village chief, standing half a step behind, took the initiative to explain.

"Her man died two years ago. He ran into a small pack of goblins on his way home from the fields. He took two down with him."

Hearing this, Cash nodded, though his expression barely changed. It was as if he were just listening to another adventurer bragging at the tavern table.

He asked casually, and listened just as casually.

Completely unbothered.

"The village chief already explained why we're here, so tell us," he cut straight to the point. "The details of that day, and that adventurer squad."

"Y-yes, my lord."

Pinching the hem of her clothes with a pair of calloused hands, the woman lowered her head and stammered her reply.

"That day was, um, morning. Yes, it was morning."

"I was carrying a wooden bucket, planning to fetch some well water from the village. I had barely taken two steps out the door when I heard Little Jack yelling, 'Mom, adventurers, there are adventurers!'"

"When I looked back, a few adventurers in leather armor were rushing down the road toward the village."

"Thinking back on it now, it was indeed a bit strange."

Having spent long hours farming under the sun, her dark-brown skin looked exceptionally rough.

"It was broad daylight, right out on the plains. Standing in the village, you can clearly see the flocks of sheep on the distant meadows. Yet those adventurers kept looking back, panting heavily, as if something was chasing them."

"What was even stranger was that once they got closer, I realized they hadn't suffered any serious injuries. Even their leather armor had very few obvious marks."

Kelly cautiously looked up and lowered her voice.

"It didn't look like they had just been fighting monsters."

For a moment, silence fell over the room.

After a few seconds, Cash furrowed his brow and pressed for more.

"And then?"

Kelly hurriedly answered.

"Because it was during Hunting... Hunting Day, I think that's what it's called? There were a lot more adventurers passing through than usual. The village has experience hosting people, so we found them some empty houses to stay in for the night, and they left at first light the next day."

"Since my cooking is decent, I was called over to make them dinner and earned a few copper coins."

"What else? Was there any other potentially useful information?" Cash's pace quickened, giving off an aggressive vibe. "Their identities, what they ran into during their mission, things like that."

His rapid questioning made Kelly subconsciously take two steps back, nearly knocking Little Jack over.

"They didn't talk much, and they all looked very tired. They never mentioned what they encountered, but..."

"While I was making the stew, I accidentally overheard them talking. It sounded like they weren't adventurers who stayed in Rivervale Town long-term. They just came over temporarily during Hunting Day to earn some extra cash, and they had their own jobs usually."

"Oh, and one of them seemed to have come from Nym."

Hearing this, Xia Nan's slightly unfocused, thinking eyes suddenly sharpened. As if remembering something, a strange expression appeared on his face.

"There were only three adventurers in total?" he suddenly asked.

"Yes, sir." Kelly nodded firmly. "Only three adventurers in total."

During Hunting Day. An adventurer squad with only three people left. Suspected to have been attacked by lycanthropes. A member from Nym...

'Could it really be such a coincidence?'

Xia Nan felt rather peculiar.

"Do you know their names?"

"Um..." Kelly tried her best to remember. "I think one of them was called 'Colander' by the others? I'm sorry, sir, I really can't recall clearly."

That settled it.

"Colander" Big Ben, and "Buck," who had temporarily separated from the squad during the lycanthrope attack and contracted lycanthropy.

Xia Nan suddenly felt a wondrous sense of intertwined fates.

His thoughts raced as fragmented events silently connected in his mind.

"Colander" Big Ben's squad was attacked by a lycanthrope—Buck contracted lycanthropy because of it—the squad passed through Green Wheat Village on their way back, leaving behind this information—Buck, who returned to Nym alone, suffered a flare-up of symptoms and killed his own family—Xia Nan himself went to Nym for his Advancement Quest—and at the same time, the lycanthrope investigation commission was posted on the second-floor quest board.

Xia Nan didn't hide the change in his expression.

So, at the same time, his teammates in the room also realized he had figured something out.

There was no need to hide it. Deliberately omitting sensitive information that might involve his own secrets—like the "blonde Elf" and the "mirror Secret Realm"—Xia Nan told everyone about his previous encounter.

"If that's the case, we can confirm the lycanthrope's existence," Cash summarized, stroking the stubble on his chin, a wave-like tattoo covering the lower half of his face.

"After all, someone actually contracted lycanthropy and transformed into a bear's beast form."

"Furthermore, if Xia Nan wasn't mistaken back in Nym, we've essentially obtained part of the enemy's identity."

"—It's a werebear."

"A werebear?" Veris, who had looked rather listless since earlier, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Don't those guys always keep to themselves and rarely interact with people? Aren't they said to have good temperaments?"

Cash just shook his head at this.

"Just like you—Drow Elves don't necessarily all stay in the Underdark, and werebears can't possibly all have the kind nature from the rumors."

"There are always exceptions."

This investigation outside their main quest had yielded pretty good results.

While confirming the lycanthrope's existence, they also learned that the enemy was a werebear.

This way, before truly entering Misty Forest, the Sea Thorn Squad could flexibly adjust their tactical strategies to counter it.

They wouldn't be completely in the dark, not even knowing who their enemy was before the battle began.

Since they couldn't get any more useful information from Kelly, there was no point in staying here.

However, it was already late, and twilight was appearing on the horizon.

Entering the forest at this hour, even just the outskirts, was too dangerous.

The Sea Thorn Squad decided to stay in the village for the night and set out the next morning, venturing deeper into Misty Forest to search for the lycanthrope's tracks.

It was worth noting that although Green Wheat Village looked dilapidated, it still saw frequent adventurer traffic, and the locals knew how to scavenge meat from between the fingers of these generous "lords."

The village always kept a few empty houses ready and provided related services for passing adventurers to stay in. The prices were relatively low, well within what everyone found acceptable.

While making camp in a nearby clearing was perfectly fine, a warm and soft bed was undoubtedly much more comfortable than thin blankets laid on the ground where they could feel the pebbles against their backs. They also wouldn't have to take turns keeping watch or get grossed out by bugs crawling onto their faces in the middle of the night.

"Right." Trailing at the back of the group, Xia Nan suddenly remembered something just as they were about to leave Kelly's house.

He stopped, turned around, and looked at Kelly, who stood trembling before him.

"You said earlier that your cooking is pretty good?" he asked.

"S-sorry, sir, I was just..." Kelly froze for a moment before reacting, frantically explaining while carefully watching Xia Nan's expression.

Halfway through her sentence, a flash of silver suddenly caught her eye, making her pupils dilate involuntarily.

A silver coin, gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight, was flipping and dancing between Xia Nan's fingers.

"There's a dish I'd like. I wonder if you can make it?"

...

"Clink."

The metal soup spoon stirred the broth, striking the side of the bowl and producing a crisp sound.

Carrying the rich aroma of food, the rising steam was especially thick in the winter air.

It wasn't the thick, rich cream of mushroom soup garnished with parsley leaves and exuding a heavy milky scent that he had imagined.

In the bowl currently in Xia Nan's hands, although many sliced mushrooms were still visible, the milky aroma in the broth was completely absent.

Taking its place was a complex dish made of beans, grains, wild herbs, turnips, onions, and sliced cured meat.

If he had to give it a name, it was more of a mushroom stew?

Green Wheat Village was poor and remote, and Kelly's family was even less well-off. They couldn't possibly keep a year-round stock of cream, milk, fine flour, pepper, and other essential ingredients for a cream of mushroom soup.

This mushroom soup was already the absolute limit of what she could manage.

Of course, compared to the meal fee Xia Nan had paid, she certainly didn't take a loss.

Sitting alone in the empty house the village chief had prepared for each of them, Xia Nan gently scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth.

He felt the myriad of flavors fusing on his tongue—a complex taste that didn't rely on excessive seasoning, simply drawing out the natural flavors of the ingredients themselves. It was an earthy, pure deliciousness.

He narrowed his eyes and nodded in satisfaction.

Just as Kelly had said, her cooking was indeed quite good.

Xia Nan didn't resist his identity and work as an adventurer, but the immense pressure during quests and the threats from enemies severely drained his spirit in unseen ways, even if he didn't suffer many physical injuries.

Therefore, he was always accustomed to resting for a short period between quests. Whether it was sitting in the White Chickadee Tavern drinking a bowl of cream of mushroom soup or going into the woods to clear out a few goblin lairs, it always gave him comfort and helped him quickly recover his condition.

Compared to the drinking and gambling of other adventurers, his behavior was undoubtedly much healthier.

But this time, because they were too pressed for time, he had followed the squad out of Rivervale Town right after returning from Nym. That was followed by a continuous string of beast extermination quests. With barely any time to rest, he couldn't help but feel a bit regretful.

Now that he had this opportunity, and the environment and conditions were all suitable, he naturally couldn't pass it up.

Sipping the mushroom soup in small mouthfuls, Xia Nan gradually emptied his mind.

If his Attribute Panel could manifest his sanity value, one would definitely be able to see "+1" and "+1" popping up constantly in the air around him.

But right at this moment, a sudden scream shattered the tranquility in the air.