I'm not a goblin Frankenstein's monster.

After all, mage "clients" like Eileen are rare and hard to come by, while the real "long-term meal tickets" are ordinary adventurers who need to constantly take on quests to make a living.

At that moment, his gaze fell on the young man with a bronze complexion who had just entered the hall.

Jimmy stepped into the Adventurers' Hall, a place that was no longer unfamiliar to him.

Several outdoor experiences tanned his originally fair skin into a solid bronze color.

After completing several goblin quests, he was no longer the clueless country bumpkin Jimmy he once was.

However, the memory of being kicked by a guard when entering the city still occasionally makes his buttocks ache.

Jimmy looked at the crowd coming and going in the hall, thinking to himself that he should take on a more lucrative mission this time.

Save up some money, go back to my hometown, marry a virtuous wife, and if she has a son, raise him to be a paladin; if she has a daughter, send her to the temple to become a priest...

"Hey bro, need any missions?"

A voice came from beside him, interrupting Jimmy's beautiful vision of the future.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"A caravan escort mission?"

Xia Lin had just retrieved his well-maintained equipment from the dwarven blacksmith Sindar.

After all that trouble in the Ghostly Mist Jungle, my equipment needs some serious maintenance.

As soon as he stepped into the Adventurers' Guild hall, Nim spotted him with sharp eyes and quickly approached him.

"Yes, from our Elwynn Town to Waterdeep, taking the main road, there's a section that requires crossing a forest," Nim explained the quest.

"The job is simple, mainly dealing with any stray monsters that might appear along the way. The reward is ten gold coins per trip, isn't that good?"

He chuckled and continued, "And I've already planned your return route—a few goblin-clearing quests along the way, the pay's pretty good. How about it, wanna do it?"

The task was easy, the rewards were considerable, and even the return trip was arranged.

Xia Lin had no reason to object and readily nodded.

So the next morning, at the rendezvous point outside town, the female mage Eileen couldn't help but exclaim softly when she saw the familiar black shadow raven, "Xia Lin? What are you doing here?"

Xia Lin briefly explained the reason.

Eileen then realized that besides herself, Xia Lin and another young adventurer named Jimmy were also traveling with her.

Xia Lin and the female mage already knew each other, so there was no need for further explanation.

Jimmy, on the other hand, was very outgoing and enthusiastically introduced himself to the two of them, even pulling out a still-warm meat pie from his bag: "Try the cooking from my hometown!"

Xia Lin and Woody on her shoulder naturally wouldn't be polite.

I took a bite, and the meat filling was perfectly seasoned, and the crust was soft and crispy—it was indeed quite good.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Squeak, squeak—"

The carriage wheels moved slowly along the road.

Xia Lin observed that there were more than a dozen people in the caravan.

In addition to the three adventurers who were temporarily employed—Charlin, Eileen, and Jimmy—there was also the caravan leader, Kejin, and a temporary guard hired by the caravan itself.

Xia Lin's gaze involuntarily drifted to the tall figure beside the carriage at the very front of the procession.

The man's nearly two-meter-tall body was like an iron tower. He had lost his left arm, and his right eye was covered with a shadow.

He was dressed in heavy black armor, which was covered with scratches and dents of varying depths.

The black greatsword in his hand was almost as tall as him, its broad blade so thick it could be used as a temporary shield.

And his left arm appears to be connected to a complex steel prosthetic.

Just as Xia Lin was looking him over, the man seemed to sense something and suddenly turned around.

On the side of the neck, a brand of unclear meaning flashed by on the edge of the black collar armor.

In that instant, Xia Lin, who had been looking down, felt as if she were being stared at by a lurking, ferocious beast. Her heart clenched and she even held her breath for a moment.

Only when the man looked away and looked ahead again did Xia Lin feel the invisible pressure dissipate slightly, and her back was already covered in sweat.

"Within him," Woody's voice echoed in Xia Lin's mind, tinged with unusual solemnity, "I sensed a very strong... demonic curse."

"Is it the same as the withered tree monsters in the Ghost Mist Forest?" Xia Lin immediately thought of those monsters corrupted by the unknown.

"No, it's not the same," Woody denied. "Those deadwood monsters are completely corrupted, empty shells that have lost their sense of self."

This man gave me the feeling that he was burdened by a curse, fighting against some kind of evil, or even pursuing revenge.

Xia Lin was shocked: "To fight against evil, is that even human?"

Woody was silent for a moment.

"I've never seen it before," it finally said, "so I can't confirm it."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As evening fell, the convoy stopped in a relatively open clearing in the forest.

The group quickly divided up the tasks.

Several caravan workers deftly unloaded the bundled tent fabric and frames from the wagons. Working in pairs, they pulled ropes, drove in wooden stakes, and soon several sturdy tents were erected.

The others brought firewood they had collected along the way, built a campfire in the center of the camp, and lit it with flint.

The orange-red flames leaped up, dispelling the deepening twilight and chill in the forest.

Someone took a heavy iron pot from the carriage, placed it on a tripod above the campfire, poured in water, and began to simmer a thick soup of beans and dried meat.

Bread and smoked sausages were divided into several wooden trays and placed on an oilcloth.

The warm aroma of food gradually filled the air.

The caravan leader, Kaijin, was a slightly overweight, kind-faced middle-aged man. He got off the carriage and walked towards Xia Lin and the others.

"Gentlemen, dinner is ready over there. Why don't you come and have some?" he said warmly.

Xia Lin nodded, but her gaze involuntarily drifted toward a lone, large tree not far away.

The man sat with his back against the tree trunk, a giant sword standing beside him. His one intact eye was closed, as if he had fallen asleep, or as if he had simply shut out all the sounds of the outside world.

"Isn't he... coming?" Xia Lin asked.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Kekin's face as he lowered his voice, "Guss is a bit... a loner. He doesn't like being in groups. It's alright, I'll bring him another serving after everyone finishes eating."

Everyone understood and asked no further questions.

There are many eccentric adventurers, and forcing them to be eccentric is not good.

Sitting around the campfire, Xia Lin took out a pottery jar from his bag and broke the wax seal.

"Try this." He handed over the jar.

Jimmy and Eileen curiously took the jar and, by the firelight, discovered that it contained a bright, clear honey syrup.

Spoon a little bit onto the hot toasted bread with a wooden spoon, and put it in your mouth. The ultimate sweetness will instantly burst on your taste buds.

"Delicious!" Jimmy's eyes lit up, and he mumbled with his cheeks puffed out.

Eileen nodded gently, "It has a very unique flavor. It's more refreshing than the honey from the dessert shops in the city."

Xia Lin smiled, once again agreeing with the dwarf's assessment.

This is indeed a taste that can make you forget your troubles.

The campfire crackled, and the aroma of hot soup, the scent of toasted bread, and a faint, peculiar sweetness mingled in the cool forest night air.

In the distance, the one-armed black swordsman still sat alone under the tree, as if he were in a different world from this warm and bustling scene.