“No… it’s… it’s okay.”
The girl clutched her clothes tightly, covering her exposed areas. “This outfit has a self-repairing magic. It’ll be fixed in a few minutes…”
There’s such convenient magic too? …Xia Li didn’t think much of it and waved her hand. “Then be careful on your own. Don’t let any slimes fix their sights on you again.”
“Wait, please!” The girl grabbed Xia Li’s arm.
“What now?” Xia Li asked.
“Hehe… I think you’re pretty skilled. Can you help me with a commission?” The girl shook Xia Li’s arm, her eyes full of hope.
“…” Xia Li didn’t hesitate and turned to walk away.
She didn’t even have a place to sleep tonight; when would she have time to be a Good Samaritan?
“W-wait!”
The girl pounced and hugged Xia Li’s leg. “This commission pays very well! If you help me finish it, I’ll give you half… at least that much!”
She spread out the five fingers of her hand.
“Fifty copper coins?” Xia Li stopped walking.
“Five silver coins!”
Silver coins?!
Xia Li’s heart was struck hard by those two words.
According to the currency rate of the Englaya Empire, one silver coin equals 100 copper coins.
A tiny coin weighing less than 30 grams is equivalent to a hundred-dollar bill!
This girl, who couldn’t even handle a slime, was able to get a commission worth a total of 10 silver coins?
New adventurers shouldn’t have that kind of authority, right?
Seeing Xia Li’s doubtful expression, the girl hurriedly shouted, “I’m telling the truth! If you don’t believe me, look—I still have the commission letter here… huh? Where did it go?”
She frantically searched her body.
After a while, she finally pulled out a yellowed piece of paper from an inner pocket.
The paper was stained with slime mucus and had several holes torn through it.
“Anonymous individual commission, collect ten Mist Rain Flowers, reward 10 silver coins…”
Xia Li read the contents of the commission letter. The corner of her mouth twitched upward, then she quickly suppressed it again.
“See? I’m telling the truth!” The girl put her hands on her hips.
“Ah… fine. Since you’re so insistent, I’ll help you out,” Xia Li said leisurely. “But the pay will be split seventy-thirty, seventy for me, thirty for you.”
“Only thirty percent!”
“Then no deal.”
“I—I agree!” The girl replied instinctively.
“Then it’s settled.”
Xia Li didn’t give her time to hesitate and tucked the commission letter into her pocket. “Just call me Xia Li. I’m basically a rookie adventurer.”
“Eh, you’re a rookie?!”
“Too late to regret it now.”
“Of course not! I just didn’t expect that among rookies, you’d be so much stronger than me…” The girl chuckled, “My name’s Enis.”
Enis?
A name Xia Li hadn’t heard before.
Probably not an important character in the game’s storyline.
Xia Li glanced at Enis’s dirt-smudged appearance. “Before we set out, you’d better clean yourself up.”
“Okay, no problem!” Enis began chanting.
Magic gathered into a stream of water, washing away the mud under her control.
In just a few seconds, she was completely clean.
“Phew… done!”
Enis took off the hood of her priest’s robe, revealing long brown hair and a pair of pointed ears. She smiled brightly. “Sister Xia Li, my magic control isn’t bad, right?”
“Not bad at all…”
Xia Li’s gaze landed on the strands of wet hair stuck to Enis’s flushed cheeks. Water droplets slowly rolled down her slender neck and soaked into her wet clothes. Even the thick priest’s robe couldn’t hide the gentle curves of her body.
Her magic skills were impressive, but she was a bit foolish.
After struggling a few times, Xia Li finally forced herself to look away and couldn’t help but tease, “Why didn’t you use magic to deal with the slimes when you ran into them?”
“Well…” Enis’s tone instantly wilted. “I thought the slime gathering spot was far from here, but suddenly a bunch appeared on the road, so I wasn’t prepared and failed several times to cast spells…”
“You were actually scared of slimes.”
“N-no way!” Enis’s voice suddenly rose, sounding exactly like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on.
Xia Li found Enis’s cute expression amusing.
After teasing her, she waved her hand and said, “Let’s finish the commission first… Mist Rain Flowers. I happen to know about those.”
In the game, Mist Rain Flower is a mid-tier material.
Its shape resembles a daffodil, with semi-transparent deep blue petals.
The petals contain abundant water elements, usually used in making magical potions and weapon enchantments.
Mist Rain Flowers are commonly found in damp areas by riverbanks or lakeshores. They grow rapidly during rainfall.
When in bloom, they emit thick water-element mist, but under sunlight, they wither completely within three days.
The riverbank…
Just where Xia Li was originally headed.
Xia Li explained the characteristics of Mist Rain Flower and pointed to the slime gathering spot on the map. “This place isn’t very dangerous, but collecting ten Mist Rain Flowers all at once depends on luck.”
Judging by the muddy pits in the surrounding grass, Steinburg had recently experienced rain these past few days.
This was the best time to gather Mist Rain Flowers.
Enis listened carefully, nodding repeatedly. Her clear eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Sister Xia Li, you look about my age and know so much. Are you really a rookie adventurer?”
“Yes, I’m still waiting to be officially promoted so I can accept higher-paying commissions.” Xia Li asked curiously, “By the way, where did you get this commission from?”
Collecting ten mid-tier materials for 10 silver coins.
Even if she spent the entire day clearing slimes from morning to night, she wouldn’t earn that much.
If she could regularly get such easy commissions, even living in a manor and sleeping with beautiful girls would be worth it.
“My sister gave it to me. She’s a senior adventurer in Steinburg,” Enis explained. “The magic-imbued clothes I’m wearing were a gift from her too.”
“Your sister sent you alone on this commission? Isn’t she afraid you’ll get into danger?” Xia Li teased.
“That’s rude,” Enis muttered. “Actually, my sister arranged a small team for me, but I thought this commission was easy and refused…”
“And then you almost got defeated by slimes?”
“I told you, that was an accident!” Enis turned around angrily and strode ahead. “I want Sister Xia Li to see, I’m actually very capable—”
“Back off!” Before Enis could finish, Xia Li grabbed her arm and pulled her behind her.
Her longsword slid from its sheath with a crisp “clang” as its blade clashed against a pair of sharp claws. Sparks flew from the point of impact.
Before Xia Li stood a ferocious wolf, its eyes burning with crimson fury, white fangs dripping with saliva.
“A forest wolf?” Xia Li frowned.
These monsters usually lived in the Aiden Forest five kilometers away.
Why was it here?