Free Web NovelChapter 153: Chapter 123: Made a Killing
"Lin Mo, run!"
With no time to explain, she blurted out the words, grabbed Lin Mo and Feney by the hand, and turned to flee.
Lin Mo had seen Ali’s unusual behavior. He knew her sense of smell was sharp and that she must have detected something dangerous, so he didn’t hesitate, turning to retreat alongside them.
"W-Wait..."
At a time like this, Feney obviously couldn’t keep up. She had barely taken two steps before she stumbled, on the verge of falling.
Lin Mo quickly turned back to catch her, sweeping her up by the waist.
In the instant he turned back, he saw what had terrified Ali so much.
A crimson figure appeared in his line of sight, wreathed in flames. Blackish-red blood, like molten lava, dripped from its body, scorching the ground black...
Even though he had never seen one before, Lin Mo knew what it was at a glance.
A Rotten Corpse!
Among Undead Creatures, Rotten Corpses weren’t considered particularly powerful—only a single tier above the low-level Skeleton Monsters. But that was only in the context of the entire undead hierarchy.
In practice, however, a Rotten Corpse was a rather tricky opponent among Elite Level Demons.
Rotten Corpses that had mastered Elemental Strength were especially difficult to deal with.
In close combat, it was hard to avoid being affected by the chaotic elements radiating from them. Furthermore, the Rotten Corpse’s own Strength and Constitution were far from fragile; you could call it a well-rounded combatant.
Generally, a Professional of the same Level would find it difficult to face one alone. It would take at least two Professionals of the same Level working together, or many helpers, to defeat it. Even then, injuries were likely. If it was the latter, there could even be casualties, making any win a pyrrhic victory.
And they weren’t even the same Level...
Lin Mo distinctly remembered considering a quest called [Kill the Frosty Corpse] earlier at the Association.
The Rotten Corpse before him was likely on the same level as that one, meaning its Threat Level was at least Level 3!
In an instant, Lin Mo made his judgment. ’We can’t take it head-on.’
’It wasn’t that I’m completely powerless, but fighting this monster with my current strength is simply too dangerous. The odds of victory are low. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, there’s no reason to take such a huge risk.’
’Agility might be a Rotten Corpse’s weakness, but the speed of a Level 3 one is still far beyond what a Level 1 Professional like Ali could match. In the single moment I looked back, the distance between them closed significantly. At this rate, we’ll definitely be caught.’
Decision made. Amidst Feney’s startled cry, Lin Mo shifted her to his side, wrapping an arm around her slender waist. He then strode forward and scooped up the running Ali. Just like that, with a girl under each arm, he broke into a full sprint.
Lin Mo had 25 points in Agility. With the [Light Aid] that Feney, despite her panic, remembered to cast, it rose to 26—still considerably faster than the Rotten Corpse.
And just like that, in a flash, he widened the distance between them.
But this didn’t mean they were safe, because...
The Rotten Corpse let out an inhuman roar. The next moment, a blazing Fireball shot from its hand, flying straight for Lin Mo.
Though Lin Mo didn’t look back, he could feel the scorching heat rapidly approaching. He quickly dodged, evading the attack.
The Fireball, larger than a man’s head, slammed into a tree. It instantly pierced straight through the trunk—which was a good five or six meters thick—leaving behind a glowing, red-hot cavity.
The Fireball then exploded, setting a large swath of the surrounding vegetation on fire.
Lin Mo broke out in a cold sweat. ’That’s a Magic attack. Resilience only works on physical damage, so it’s useless here. If I took a direct hit from that, it would be... more than just a little painful.’
He quickened his pace, but then he heard Ali cry out, "Watch out!"
The instant she spoke, another Fireball shot out. Lin Mo dodged again, but the scorching heat at his back didn’t vanish.
He glanced back and saw that the Rotten Corpse had launched several Fireballs in a row, cutting off all his escape routes.
Lin Mo gritted his teeth. His only choice was to put the two girls down, draw his Sword, and meet the attack head-on.
’Magic is powerful, but it’s not invincible. With my strength, a [Sword Storing and Continuous Slash] might just be able to slice right through this Fireball Technique!’
However, just as Lin Mo was about to do just that, a cold glint of light suddenly appeared in his vision.
The next moment, the Fireball dissipated in an instant, like a popped balloon.
Lin Mo glanced in the direction the Flying Knife had come from, only to see the hem of a black-and-white skirt and a familiar splash of ivory-gray.
He hadn’t stopped running, so now that the immediate crisis was over, he had pulled completely away from the Rotten Corpse.
’So that’s the person secretly assigned to protect Feney... I never expected that.’
A look of surprise crossed Lin Mo’s face.
’No wonder she’s always the one to pick Feney up. Turns out she’s been following us the whole time.’
After running a bit farther, once he was sure the danger had passed, Lin Mo finally put Ali and Feney down.
Feney clutched at her hat to keep it from flying off, her face slightly flushed. Ali had no reason to be shy—they had done far more embarrassing things in the past, after all.
"Let’s go. Time to head back."
’Despite that little hiccup at the end, the mission was a pretty smooth success overall.’
The three of them made their way toward the edge of the woods. Once they left the Deep Forest Area, they could finally lower their guard. Lin Mo began to reflect on the trip in his mind.
’Most of my previous excursions were with a squad, where the captain handled a lot of the logistics. This is my first time leading an adventure myself, and there are many things I still need to get used to.’
’Things like dealing with miscellaneous items and arranging for rest at night... If the squad were bigger, things would probably be a lot better.’
’But I don’t want to hastily recruit people I don’t know well; that could just lead to more trouble.’
’Maybe cooperate with another squad? That’s an option worth considering.’
’Besides, my power is increasing so quickly that Ali is struggling to keep up.’
Ali was clearly aware of this herself. She seemed dejected, staring off into space, lost in thought.
As a Priest, Feney didn’t have such worries. And on this adventure, Lin Mo could clearly sense her progress.
For one, she had progressed as an Adventurer. She had become more proficient with traps, setting up camp, and keeping watch. It was clear she was taking it all very seriously.
Beyond that, her power seemed to have grown as well. For example, her Skill Level with the [Light Aid] Skill was noticeably higher.
On their way back, they ran into a few more Goblins, which served as Skill Level fodder for Lin Mo’s [Fireball Technique]. By the time they left the forest, his [Fireball Technique] had reached Level 4 (39/100).
By the time they arrived at Silver Stream City, the sky had already darkened.
The trio pushed open the Association’s main doors. Inside, quite a few Adventurers were still drinking in boisterous groups. Some, having just returned from quests, were celebrating.
Lin Mo walked up to Lena’s counter and laid out the loot from their quest.
He decided against selling the Minotaur horns and axes directly to the Association. Instead, he turned in one pair of horns to complete the [Horn Charge] quest he’d accepted earlier. Then he asked the Association to notify Los, the person who had posted the quest, to come and buy the remaining items. He could earn a little more that way.
Lena expertly handled the paperwork.
"E1348, submission of Mutated Giant Rat tail received. Quest confirmed complete. Reward: 40 Gold Coins."
"E6636 confirmed complete. Base reward: 40 Gold Coins... As for quest E2334, 1 pair of horns for 21 Gold Coins. We’ve already notified Mr. Los. He’ll be here shortly."
"He’s coming this late?"
Lin Mo was a little surprised; he’d thought he would have to wait until tomorrow.
In that case, they might as well order some food and barley tea at the Association while they waited.
After a short wait, a Dwarf bustled through the door and headed straight for them.
"This is Mr. Los."
Lena introduced.
"A pleasure, a pleasure!"
Los eagerly shook Lin Mo’s hand. "I’m Los, owner of shop number 11 on the Adventurer’s Commercial Street."
"I’m Lin Mo. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Los."
Lin Mo remembered the shop. He’d seen it mentioned in *The Complete Adventurer’s Guide to Silver Stream City* back when he was looking to buy a new weapon.
The guide described the owner as the most enthusiastic, but his prices were steep, which was why Lin Mo had ultimately decided against going there.
"Mr. Lin Mo, I wonder how many pairs of horns you have?"
Los asked eagerly.
"Well... besides the pair I just turned in, I have 16 pairs of horns from Ordinary Minotaurs, two pairs from Bull Head Vanguards, and one pair from a Bull Chief."
Los was stunned. "That many?"
He scratched his head. "I don’t have that much coin on me. How about you folks come by my shop?"
It wasn’t far, so Lin Mo nodded and bid Lena a temporary farewell.
They soon arrived at Los’s shop. Compared to the one Lin Mo had visited before, Los’s place looked much cleaner and tidier. To put it simply, he was better at presentation.
"Sixteen pairs of horns, still 21 gold a pair, makes 336 gold. Two pairs of Bull Head Vanguard horns, 35 gold each, for a total of 70 gold. As for the Bull Chief’s horns... how about 80 gold?"
The price wasn’t high, but it was reasonable. Lin Mo nodded. "That works."
"Then, the total for all the materials is 486 Gold Coins!"
Lin Mo’s expression remained calm, but inwardly he was overjoyed.
’This Minotaur Settlement was so loaded! I made an absolute killing on this run. This is worth several quests combined!’
’Of course, that was only because I’m strong enough. Normally, a Minotaur Settlement like this isn’t something a typical Adventurer Squad can handle.’
’Even a full squad of Professionals would have trouble. It would take at least three or four squads working together, or one led by a Level 3 and above Professional with one or two Level 2 Professionals as well. When you factor that in, the profit is still high, but not quite so outrageous.’
