Chapter 20: The Forest is Very Big_2

After looking at the tasks, Motan didn't rush to accept one to increase his Adventurer's level. Instead, he decided to head back, say hello to Meg, and ask when the leader of the caravan, also the employer of the Sand Dragon Mercenary Group, would be free to see him. He wanted to try and manage his time as best as possible so even if he were forcibly logged out, it wouldn't be too abrupt.

After all, causing unnecessary trouble for others due to his own actions was something that he wanted to avoid as much as possible.

However, as he turned to leave, he saw Meg standing off in the distance. Next to him were three other members of the mercenary group: Small Beard from that day, the human female mage who was good with Dragon Breath, and the Lizardman Second Leader who had the legendary Idari Fire Gun.

"Hey~ Mor! We're over here!" Almost at the same time, Meg saw Motan turning around and waved enthusiastically at him, "Come over here!"

There was really no need for him to call out so dramatically. Although the combination of the four of them was very common in the Adventurer's sub-branch, their unique aura (mainly looking more reliable than others) made them stand out.

Consider this, in a place filled with senior mages whose wands may explode, thieves who forget to make holes in their masks, rangers trying to make themselves more dazzling by purchasing flash powder, dog women who only bark.... etc. Even someone like Meg, who has a heavy drinker's temperament and an affection for dramatic plots, can be considered decent enough...

"Thank goodness you're finally awake," said the female mage who had cleared the way for them with a Dragon Breath spell last time. She smiled at the approaching Motan and asked, "How do you feel?"

Motan blinked, indicating his surroundings: "Are you referring to physically or this place? I was decent to begin with, but because of this place, I can only feel fortunate to be alive..."

He then briefly described for Meg and the others about the recent 'magic wand exploded on the spot' incident, which left them dumbfounded.

"Huh...." Meg glanced at him then shrugged, "Well, I suppose I should have warned you to be careful. The first floor of every Adventurer's Guild is quite chaotic, filled with low-level adventurers making all sorts of racket. I just didn't think you'd run into something like that. In any case, as long as you're alive, it's all good!"

The female mage, Kasha, standing nearby murmured: "I've heard about that guy. His name is Jadka. His ancestors were knights, but he decided to become a mage. He got an antique wand from somewhere and claims it to be a family heirloom. But thinking about it..."

She scratched her cheek thoughtfully, frowning: "I heard he was quite powerful in his youth, capable of knocking down a dozen advanced wild beasts in one minute. Turns out he's still a novice mage after all these years!"

"Um..." The Small Beard raised his hand to interject: "Sorry to interrupt, but I have never heard of a novice mage who could take down so many powerful beasts in a minute!"

Kasha rolled her eyes: "He did it by smashing them with the wand. Didn't Mor just experience it? The thing explodes, you know..."

"And he's not affected by it?!" Motan finally couldn't help asking: "Or is it that the wand doesn't explode on its owner?"

If that were true, he would feel terribly wronged for rushing to save the old man only to be nearly blown up.

"Not exactly." Kasha shook her head: "The wand allegedly explodes on everyone."

Hearing this, Motan felt a bit more balanced, but then...

"But he can actually handle it." Kasha continued: "It's probably due to his bloodline. Although he and I are both humans with relatively mediocre talents in all aspects, I've heard Jadka's physical strength is at least at the level of an advanced warrior. Moreover, despite his poor casting ability, he has a small innate affinity with fire elements. While that doesn't help much with his mage career, it does give him certain resistance to fire elements, so... alas... if he had followed the path of a knight or a warrior, he would probably be a great adventurer by now."

Halfway through her words, Motan has already turned utterly pale...

Turns out the bearded old man who swung his wand like a siege hammer, the puppet Pinocchio with maxed-out sniper specialization, the White Bone Spirit that seemed like a Lich but was actually a Succubus, and the Minotaur Machine Gunner... these weren't just for show, they were actually real?!

Motan felt as if the sound of his beliefs shattering were echoing in his ears...

"Holy Smokes!" Mage stared in shock for a while then muttered, "This world is so dangerous."

But Motan has already adjusted his mood quickly. He casually changed the subject, "Speaking of Mage, it's actually perfect timing. I was just about to go back and ask you when the eldern that the Elf wants me to meet would be available..."

"Who knows," Mage shook his large head like a rattle drum, "Probably in the next day or two, why?"

"No biggie," Motan pointed to the magic crystal screen behind him, "I plan to do some tasks first. I might be a bit busy later on, so I wanted to give you a heads up in case you can't find me."

The... second Battalion... Captain finally found an opportunity to interject. He smiled and said in a broken Common language typical of Lizardmen, "That's fine, we're going to stay in the city for a few days anyway. It's nice that you can find something to do to kill time. There is no rush with the trade convoy–Elves are always slow~"

"Alright then, we'll go ahead," Mage burped, waved his hand, "E-rank tasks are not at all difficult. Stay at the same place for a few days. If something comes up, just find me or any of the three others."

Motan readily agreed. After Mage and his group headed over to the mercenary guild not far away, Motan turned around and returned to his previous window, only to find out the person inside had changed.

"Hello, can I help you with anything?" A polite half-elf bowed slightly towards Motan. His manner and professionalism were worlds away from the young lady before.

However, Motan wasn't bothered. It's perfectly normal to have shift changes in such places. Reminds him of that time when he spotted a loophole in the bankset...

Maybe not mention that, he tends to avoid recalling such matters. After all, whether it's a good deed or a bad one, he was the one who did it, and thinking too hard about it tends to depress him.

"I would like to take on some tasks." Motan showed the half-elf his newly acquired adventurer's handbook, and quickly recited a series of numbers, "IDs are 10308, 53267, and 44759."

The receptionist was startled for a moment, then picked up the magical panel by his side, and asked with some embarrassment, "Can you please repeat that?"

So, Motan repeated the numbers more slowly. He realised he was taking things for granted earlier. For a person who hadn't received specialized training in instantaneous memory and temporary imprinting, it was extremely difficult to instantly project what they had heard into their brain and quickly memorize it.

Unless you had specific practice, for an NPC in the game with an intelligence below 40, it was nearly impossible.

"Um, help Gulov's house clean their yard in the South District, collect soil samples on the outskirts of Dunmen's market for alchemist... Lastly... Uh...find out what Miss Hotburst likes or is interested in." The half-elf receptionist confirmed with Motan after a brief check, "All tasks have a two-day deadline, you planning to take it all at once, correct?"

Motan affirmed. He had already weighed his options beforehand. These three tasks were the most suitable for him at the moment. Neither had strict time limits (like overseeing a stall), nor were there situations where he could accidentally get into a stressful situation and switch personalities (like watching over a rascal while their parents are out). Plus, the rewards for the tasks were quite decent.

After ten minutes, having finished registering for tasks, Motan walked out of the Pioneers' Gate, preparing for his first task. However, before he could match the map he had memorized with the scenery before his eyes, he felt a slight tug on his sleeve.

He turned around... Ah, looks familiar.

"Woof~~~"

Chapter Twenty: The End