Chapter 88: Shock

The next day, before dawn.

I stood fully armed and in high spirits at White Sparrow Tavern's entrance.

—My improved Constitution meant even having slept only a few hours was enough to restore my body and mind to perfect condition.

The only thing making me slightly uncertain was that although weapons and equipment had no gaps.

After all, it happened suddenly with fundamentally no time to prepare extra supply props.

The time was right during Midsummer night. Shops on the street closed early—nowhere to purchase even if I wanted to.

Finally I used leftovers from previous missions as supplies, spending money to buy from tavern owner "Chapton" some food convenient to carry that could be stored long-term, barely completing pre-departure preparations.

"Tap, tap."

Slow but efficient footsteps came from behind.

I suddenly felt cold wind scrape through the air.

My gaze looked over.

At the street's end, reflecting the rising sun leisurely ascending from the horizon, in the interweaving of brilliant morning glow and gentle dawn light.

A burly figure wrapped in cold wind slowly walked over from beneath the gradually melting night.

High brow ridge casting shadow, eyes like two clusters of flickering deep blue flames.

Glancing at me by the road already prepared.

Almost imperceptibly nodding lightly.

Not speaking, just silently walking toward the town exit's direction.

I tightened the heavy pack on my back, hurrying to follow.

My face showed a somewhat strange expression.

Normally, as an adventurer with fairly thorough consideration, before going out on missions I'd prepare in advance supplies two to three times the journey duration.

Now although the barbarian "Forgan" hadn't revealed specific days, considering he was only temporarily passing through River Valley Town for rest, even taking me to learn combat skills shouldn't stay too long.

I still prepared under the premise of not affecting movement enough supplies for me to survive seven days in the wilderness.

Using them sparingly could even last over ten days.

In comparison, Forgan looked exceptionally light.

Forget a heavy cloth bundle like on my back—this barbarian before me, from head to toe, only had a few small beast leather waist pouches barely counting as storage items.

Didn't know if he had some storage-type magical item or was just habitually like this.

Considering his barbarian racial identity and the impression he'd left me last night.

I leaned toward the latter.

......

The two of us, one ahead one behind, silently traversed River Valley Town's streets.

Sky color grew brighter, buildings on both sides of the road gradually sparse.

Familiar streetscape let me judge inwardly.

Our destination should be Mist Forest.

Taking advantage of not yet leaving human settlements, not needing like in the forest to be fully concentrated, alert to surrounding dangers.

My thoughts slightly diverged.

Speaking of which, my choice regarding combat skills last night still had many omissions.

Many days ago during the mission, Wood had once mentioned to me.

Obtaining professional level wasn't just simply mastering three combat skills and raising one's proficiency to "proficient" (lv5) to satisfy conditions.

The three combat skills must belong to one type of profession to complete advancement.

Otherwise, it was failure.

Or with an almost impossible tiny probability, taking office in some obscure niche profession.

I currently didn't know which profession category my lv5 【Whirlwind Slash】 belonged to.

If I rashly chose combat skills for other advancement directions.

That would completely waste this precious opportunity right now.

Perhaps... need to find a chance to ask?

Pondering this inwardly.

The barbarian "Forgan" before me seemed to sense my thoughts.

Still that heavily accented blurred voice:

"Heard from Hai'an you've already mastered one combat skill."

Inwardly couldn't help moving as I quickly picked up the topic.

"Yes, but I don't know its specific category. Just heard them say it might come from 【Warrior】 or 【Paladin】."

Then, silence.

The barbarian had no intention of responding, just walking.

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt.

Silently opening my mouth.

I looked at the robust figure draped in wolf skin cloak before me, somewhat depressed inwardly.

......

......

Mist Forest—

For me having already completed two missions within it, it wasn't unfamiliar.

But this trip, following behind the barbarian, was an unforgettable, even somewhat shocking experience.

As if having determined the final destination before even entering the forest.

Barbarian Forgan adhered to the principle of "between two points, straight line shortest," taking me almost charging straight through, moving rapidly.

The annoying thorns on the road that usually consumed massive energy to barely chop through—

Didn't even need the black obsidian small axe hanging at his waist.

Just his body colliding, like waves washing shore reefs, mercilessly crushed by the barbarian.

Also not caring about possible hidden dangers in the forest.

Forgan didn't hide the commotion from advancing, speed even much faster than in town before.

Clearly looked just like ordinary fast walking, yet I had to jog to keep up.

And in this situation, an entire morning—forget monsters.

Even those venomous snakes and scorpions hidden in shrubs, disgusting and troublesome, I didn't see a single one.

The dangerous aura on the barbarian comparable to food chain apex predators, for those animals living in the wild with extremely keen perception, was natural "insect repellent."

Like a lamp emitting light in the dark night, just the portion of wolf body revealed under lamplight was enough to drive away those weak, tiny creatures not even qualifying as prey.

Mist Forest outskirts—with a high-tier professional like Forgan, to a certain extent, its danger level might even be less than River Valley Town.

After all, in the latter you could casually find a tavern where adventurers gathered and sit down—you might still encounter a few drunk professionals throwing tantrums.

I closely followed his footsteps, examining with an unprecedented new perspective this forbidden land that had buried countless bottom-tier adventurers.

Suddenly, for some reason.

The aura on the barbarian before me suddenly dropped.

Along with originally extremely strong presence also descending considerably.

Puzzled inwardly, but since he didn't explain the reason, I didn't speak up to ask, just continuing to follow.

After walking about another twenty minutes.

As Forgan's footsteps gradually slowed, a cave located on a small hillside in the woods also appeared before me.

The threads of stench permeating the air, and the earth-stone cave's crude, seemingly familiar style.

Made me recognize at a glance the ownership of this nest.

"Goblins?"