Chapter 86 Frostthroat

The instant the barbarian appeared in the tavern doorway, Xia Nan dropped his gaze to his food and started eating with renewed concentration, doing his best to erase his own presence.

The impression the man had left on him during the Midsummer Night Bonfire Ritual was simply too deep.

That condensed aura, born from perfect unity of body and mind, reminded Xia Nan of the stooped elder he had once encountered outside Kalanfor.

There was no way this man was an ordinary class holder.

Wood, the half-elf’s guard who had already taken the [Rogue] class, had felt formidable enough. Yet compared with the pressure given off by these two men, they were clearly on another level entirely.

Xia Nan even suspected they had touched the realm of high-level class holders, the legendary Transcendent Tier.

And what was Xia Nan right now?

Someone who had not even gained his first class level.

If he accidentally offended a man like this, or worse, if the barbarian happened to be some Chaotic Evil lunatic who killed on a whim, Xia Nan might not even know which direction to run before it was too late.

Better safe than sorry.

Avoid unnecessary contact.

Unfortunately, the barbarian who had entered the tavern seemed to be looking for him.

Xia Nan kept his head lowered, apparently absorbed in spooning up his soup. In reality, his ears were pricked, and he tracked the room from the corner of his eye.

The burly figure wrapped in pale wolfskin drew closer.

Step by step.

Slow, heavy, unmistakable footfalls.

A shadow fell over the table.

Xia Nan could even hear the man’s deep, steady breathing.

“You’re Xia Nan?”

The Common Tongue came thick with a Northlands accent, rough and blurred, as if carried through a howling snowstorm.

Xia Nan’s heart tightened.

How did this man know his name?

He was a nobody.

The sudden question sent a dozen possibilities flashing through his mind. Xia Nan quickly organized his thoughts, set down his spoon, and raised his head.

Before he could speak, the barbarian’s gaze swept over him.

Black hair.

Dark eyes.

Sharp features.

Then the iron-gray Decapitating Longsword strapped across his back.

That seemed to be enough.

A faint clatter sounded from the bone-fang necklace around the man’s neck as he pulled out the chair opposite Xia Nan and sat down.

“Hai’an. Remember him?”

One arm, thick as a young tree trunk, settled on the tabletop. The barbarian turned slightly and surveyed the tavern.

Hai’an?

Of course Xia Nan remembered the half-elf.

The whole reason he had remained in Rivervale Town instead of going out to take jobs and earn money was because Hai’an had promised to find him someone who could teach him a combat technique.

But…

Xia Nan froze.

Then realization struck.

[Wait. Could it be…?]

He chose his words carefully.

“Hai’an said in his letter that you wouldn’t be passing through Rivervale Town until next month at the earliest.”

“Something came up. I came early.”

The barbarian glanced at him.

That was all.

[So it really is him!]

Xia Nan had no idea what had happened, but the class holder Hai’an had contacted for him had arrived nearly a month ahead of schedule.

As for how the man had recognized him so easily, that was probably simple enough.

Hai’an must have described him beforehand.

Young adventurer.

Black hair and dark eyes.

Sharp features.

Iron-gray two-handed sword.

Taken together, Xia Nan was not exactly difficult to pick out.

Excitement stirred in his chest.

He had assumed Hai’an would find him an ordinary class holder, someone around Wood’s level.

He had never expected this.

[What a good man!]

[If I ever get the chance to visit Neum, I’ll have to make a special trip to thank him.]

The half-elf really had gone above and beyond.

Xia Nan looked across the table with growing anticipation.

He was about to offer a few polite words when the barbarian finished inspecting the tavern.

Then he turned back and went straight to business.

“[Freeland Spear Thrust], [Blade-Breaking Guard], [Heavy Shield Bash], [Iron Wall Spin].”

“Which one do you want to learn?”

Xia Nan stared at him for two full seconds before realizing what he meant.

The barbarian was asking him to choose a combat technique.

His Adam’s apple bobbed.

His first thought was obvious.

[I want all of them!]

Naturally, that remained firmly inside his head.

They were not family.

They were not friends.

The man sitting across from him was a suspected high-level class holder who had agreed to teach him only because Hai’an had asked for a favor while he happened to be passing through town.

If Xia Nan immediately started asking for more, he would only be pushing his luck.

And pushing his luck with someone like this sounded like an excellent way to die young.

[Be sensible.]

[Learn one technique and keep your mouth shut.]

Once he had it, he would have completed two-thirds of the prerequisites for gaining a class level.

That was what mattered.

Xia Nan’s mind raced as he reviewed the four names.

[Freeland Spear Thrust].

Probably a thrusting technique.

Likely best suited to spears, lances, or perhaps rapiers.

Still, Xia Nan had already trained [Spinning Slash] to max level. At that point, he could pick up a random branch from the roadside and still execute the technique without much trouble.

So weapon compatibility was not an absolute obstacle.

It could stay on the list.

[Blade-Breaking Guard].

The name practically announced that it was defensive.

Probably something along the lines of [Block and Rising Slash], the dubious manual Xia Nan had bought from the general store, though whether it included a counterattack was another question.

His combat style had not fully taken shape yet, and he still had no clear vision of what role he wanted to pursue in the future.

Attack, defense, mobility…

As long as it was a real combat technique, Xia Nan was willing to learn almost anything.

So that one was viable too.

[Heavy Shield Bash].

Also straightforward.

Half a month ago, Xia Nan would have dismissed it immediately because he lacked the right equipment.

Now, however, he had the Snake-Scale Arm Shield.

Its attributes were absurdly good, and it could even be upgraded into magical equipment later.

Learning a shield-based technique in advance did not sound unreasonable.

Then there was [Iron Wall Spin].

That one was harder to judge.

The word “Spin” made it sound like it might overlap with [Spinning Slash].

But “Iron Wall” suggested some kind of defensive technique.

If he truly had to pick the one that best matched his current habits…

Perhaps…

Xia Nan frowned and fell into thought, absently stirring the mushroom soup in front of him.

He considered the problem from several angles.

Then several more.

He still could not decide.

At last, he looked up at the impassive barbarian across from him and asked in a quieter voice, “Could you explain them a little? Or, for a newcomer like me, which one do you think would suit me best?”

Deep blue eyes, cold and still as an icy lake, reflected the black-haired young man with two swords on his back.

Silence.

One second.

Two.

Xia Nan’s unease began to rise.

[Did I say something wrong?]

Then Forgan abruptly stood.

“Tomorrow at dawn. Outside the tavern. Bring your equipment.”

Xia Nan’s questions froze in his throat.

He watched the barbarian turn toward the exit.

By the time Xia Nan reacted, the man was almost at the door.

He hurriedly called after him.

“What should I call you?”

The answer came without pause.

“Forgan.”

Then, after a beat:

“Forgan Frostthroat.”