Who Says I'm Not a Proper Adventurer?
Chapter 8: Allocating Skill Points

Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Allocating Skill Points

After all, out in the wild, aside from Demons, it wasn’t rare to encounter "red-named" Adventurers who specialized in ambushing and killing their own kind.

Lance didn’t say much. He just gave them a polite nod and turned to head deeper into the area shown on the map.

As expected, the high-safety areas had already been picked clean.

He needed to find a more remote gathering spot.

As Lance walked, he kept his eyes on the number in the corner of his vision.

[Environment Stability: 78%]

The surroundings finally quieted down in a place where this value had stabilized.

Lance found his target under a patch of rotten, fallen logs.

He put on a pair of non-slip gloves and expertly began his work.

"Copper Hat Mushroom (1/30)"

"Copper Hat Mushroom (2/30)"

...

This type of fungus grew extremely fast. A large patch could sprout within two days after a good rain.

Lance followed the standard harvesting method from the Guild Manual to the letter, avoiding damage to the mycelial network that would prevent future growth.

But the gathering process was slow.

After a while, a notification popped up on his panel.

[Quest Complete: Gather Copper Hat Mushrooms (30/30)]

[Reward: 10 Skill Experience, 10 Knowledge Experience]

Lance glanced at his Skills list.

Castro Swordsmanship Level 3 (3/250)

With a thought, he invested all 10 of the Skill Experience points he had just earned into it.

Castro Swordsmanship Level 3 (13/250)

In an instant, it felt as if the memories and insights from several days of hard practice had been added to his mind.

He drew the Short Sword from his waist and executed a basic thrust.

The movement was indeed a hair smoother than before. While not obvious, the feeling of progress was intoxicating.

Satisfied, Lance sheathed his sword.

’The Knowledge Experience can’t be used for now. I’ll have to figure it out when I get back.’

Just as he was about to close the panel, something in his peripheral vision made him jump.

[Environment Stability: 62%]

The number that represented safety had, at some point, dropped below the warning threshold.

Even in the second he stood there stunned, the number dropped by another point.

61%

Lance’s heart skipped a beat.

The peaceful environment had almost made him let his guard down.

The value was dropping so steadily and continuously. It meant the surrounding environment was deteriorating, and that some unknown danger was following his movements.

’I have to go.’

He quickly checked his bag. He had filled five whole leather pouches with extra Copper Hat Mushrooms, far exceeding his quota.

Without a moment’s hesitation or greed, Lance immediately packed up and ran.

On the way back, he deliberately chose the fastest route.

Partway there, he passed the initial gathering spot again.

The group of shabbily dressed Adventurers was still there, working hard with their heads down.

Lance paused. The memory of the friendly greatsword-wielding young man, Kael, and his kind warning when he first entered the forest surfaced in his mind.

After a moment’s hesitation, he stopped and shouted to the group.

"It’s not safe around here anymore! You all should head back!"

However...

The response he received was a slew of cold stares.

Someone even looked him up and down, scoffed, and muttered, "Coward."

These types of people despised rich but timid Adventurers the most.

Indeed.

’Who wears gear suited for killing a Gnoll just to do a simple gathering quest?’

Besides, the Copper Hat Mushroom patches were marked as the safest green zones on the Guild map. They weren’t about to give up on their current profits because of some stranger’s crazy talk.

Lance shook his head.

’If they can’t be persuaded, then I can only respect their fate.’

He lingered no longer and left the forest alone at full speed.

Since the merchant caravan’s logging cart hadn’t returned yet, Lance had no choice but to walk back to town.

It took him a full hour to get back to the Adventurer’s Guild with his haul.

To avoid attracting attention, he deliberately avoided Nia’s busy window and went to another counter to quickly turn in his quest.

When the heavy Copper Coins landed in his hand, a smile spread across Lance’s face beneath his hood.

Eighty-five Copper Coins in total.

In just half a day, he had earned significantly more than he would in a full day at his desk job as a Copyist.

Lance counted his coins, then went home to take a shower and change into a fresh set of casual clothes.

These 85 Copper Coins were significant. They were his first pot of gold as an Adventurer.

He planned to use this money to treat the few friends he had in this Otherworld.

He expertly navigated his way into a high-end pastry shop.

He bought berry cream tarts—which girls find irresistible—translucent amber honey candies, and flaky vanilla crisps that crumbled at the touch.

Carrying the paper bag of treats, Lance returned to the Adventurer’s Guild.

It was nearly dusk, but Nia was still at her post.

She was wearing a pair of thick, specialized leather gloves, counting a pile of bloody Goblin ears on her desk without a change in expression.

Despite the rather nauseating sight, the seemingly delicate poster girl of the Guild didn’t seem to mind the filth in the slightest.

Soon, she finished her skilled tally and handed a bag of Silver Coins to the Adventurer in front of her.

When she looked up, she saw Lance waiting in line and gave him a playful wink with her large eyes.

’She’s very professional when she’s on the clock.’

Lance got the hint and stepped forward. He placed his own metal Plaque on the counter, pretending to be an Adventurer turning in a quest, and in doing so, occupied her window.

"Sir Adventurer, what spoils of war are you here to submit?"

Nia deliberately put on a high-pitched voice, so sweet it was almost sickening.

Holding back a laugh, Lance produced the bag of honey candies from behind his back like a Trick and handed it over.

Nia, not expecting him to actually have something, opened the bag and took a look.

Inside were several translucent, amber-colored hard candies. Perfectly preserved pink flower petals were sealed within their centers, making them look as exquisite as works of art.

’It’s her favorite snack.’

She glanced around guiltily, and seeing that no one was paying attention, she quickly picked one up and popped it into her mouth.

The sweet flavor melted on her tongue, making her eyes crinkle with happiness.

"Get Amber and Flora tonight. We’ll play cards at the usual place," Lance said in a low voice.

Nia made an "OK" sign and said indistinctly, "Wait for me to get off work."

There was still some time before Nia’s shift ended.

So, Lance wandered over to the quest board on the other side of the hall and began studying the requests posted there.

He was seriously considering whether he should quit his job as a Copyist and become a full-time Adventurer.

’That system that shows the environmental value is practically tailor-made for gathering quests.’

’With that alone, I could earn a handsome profit while avoiding risk.’

’I’d just have to hit the bookstore and cram on Magic Potion Science and Botany. That way, if I encounter Rare Materials outside of my quests, I won’t fail to recognize treasure when I see it.’

As he was lost in thought, staring at the various parchment slips,

the low murmur of a few Adventurers’ conversation came from behind him.

"Did you hear? Something big happened in the area east of Tongxi today."

"Seems like a big pack of Gnolls teamed up with Goblins to set a trap. They ambushed a bunch of parties on quests."

"Thank god I didn’t go over there today. Heard one party even had a rookie with them. They were planning to take on a small Goblin nest, but they haven’t come back yet. It’s probably a lost cause."

"It wasn’t just over there. Even some of the outer Copper Hat Mushroom gathering spots got hit. A lot of people died in the sudden attacks."

The Adventurers shook their heads, sighing, and got ready to line up at the counter to turn in their own quests.

Just then, a slightly abrupt voice came from behind them.

"Excuse me..."

The men turned to see a handsome, dark-haired young man.

"That party that didn’t come back... was it three guys with greatswords and axes, and a girl with a Short Bow?"

The Adventurers found Lance familiar. Recognizing him as a Guild staff member, they gave a polite nod.

"Yeah, that was the setup."

"The leader of their group seemed pretty sharp, too. What a shame."

"Thanks."

Lance thanked them softly and silently turned away.

He looked up at the wall covered in all sorts of quests. The plans and aspirations for the future he had just been feeling suddenly felt hollow.