Chapter 18: A Helpless Choice
Lin Meng was lying on the bed, her eyes closed, and the memory of last night echoed in her mind. Jubilee sends her to sleep so that her health point will be restored. She wanted to sit in the corner of the room and sleep on the floor, but Jubilee yelled for her to go to bed. Lin Meng fell on the hard mattress as "instructed" and fell asleep instantly.
The girl opened her eyes and stretched, a languid, meandering light shining through the opaque window. She looked up and looked around the room, where the Jubilee was gone.
Lin Meng sighed, she offered to share the same bed, they could sleep back to back. But Jubilee called it strange and disgusting, and told her not to say it again. She looked around the room and saw that her new friend was gone, so she stepped barefoot on the floor and stretched, wondering where she could go to prepare for the day.
She ran her fingers through her hair, put her boots back on, shook her head, and walked out of the room, leaving their booty there for the time being.
The song immediately reached her ears, calling out to her with its quiet lament. Give this otherwise bright morning a rather somber way. Today is going to be a big day, though! Jubilee promised her all the way up to level five last night so she could choose a career to study. Also, she wanted to visit the alchemist's shop today. She must verify that her theory is correct. There's a lot to do, and it's already dawn. Lin Meng quietly walked down the stairs and looked around. The tavern was full again, crowded with all sorts of adventurers, all of whom stared down at the cups in front of them, as if attracted to something. For whatever reason, it seems that the busiest times here are early in the morning and evening.
Lin Meng walked quietly past them on tiptoe and hurried to the bartender in front of the counter.
The scarred elf woman looked up at her, one eye covered by golden-gray bangs, and she looked at the girl in front of her with a nervous expression. Without saying a word, she pointed to the right, pointing to a door, Lin Meng nodded in gratitude, then walked through the door, walked down the stone steps, and entered a very clean washing area, the sign above the department at the bottom of the stairs said "Adventurers Only", Lin Meng walked in with a smug smile, preparing for the day.
After a few moments, the girl walked out the door and into the bustling city, relieved as the gloomy atmosphere of the guild was washed away by the bright sunshine and the beams of the joyous people running around. Jubilee sat in front of her, alone on a bench near the hawker stall. He leaned back on the bench and stretched his arms to his sides, as if basking in the sun. Lin Meng felt very strange that this villain had been covering his body tightly, even on such a bright and hot day.
"Good morning!" She happily walked over and waved her arms excitedly.
Xi Nian looked at her and said lightly, "You should have gotten up a long time ago." ”
"I'm sorry!" Lin Meng smiled: "I always sleep for a long time!" As she spoke, her fingers ran through her still-wet hair and rubbed the back of her head.
"Don't you feel hot wearing these?" Lin Meng looked at him curiously and asked.
"It's not hot!" Jubilee stared at the distant sky and said. The voices of the crowd rang out around them, like the chirping of knowledge filling the air around them.
"Oh! Why do you always wrap yourself tightly! ”
"It's very rude to ask someone about their privacy!" Jubilee replied coldly.
Lin Meng smiled meekly, continued to rub her head and said, "I'm sorry." ”
"Ready?"
"Yes, no problem!" Lin Meng's expression flashed with excitement. Jubilee nodded, jumped off the bench, and the two walked side by side. Lin Meng turned his head and waved to the giant baker standing behind the stall in the distance. The big man who seemed to be kind also waved at her, and his smile was as bright as hers. It's a wonderful city and the people here are really kind.
They hadn't gone far when they turned a corner and stood outside a small shop. The sign hanging above the door depicts a skull wearing a wide-brimmed wizard's hat and a glass flask filled with green liquid.
"I've had some dealings with the owner of this place, so you don't talk much!" Jubilee warned.
Lin Meng nodded quietly and opened the door.
Lin Meng looked at the adventurers around him, they were carrying large bags with heavy inside, and walked towards the dungeon to start a new day's work. "Why don't you have a bag?" Lin Meng asked Xiang Jubilee.
"No, you don't!" Jubilee replied to her.
Lin Meng tilted her head and looked at her companion puzzled: "Oh...... How so? ”
"Mind your own business!" As they passed by a large crowd standing outside the butcher's stall, Jubilee snapped.
"I'm sorry." Lin Meng scratched his cheek with his right hand, not knowing what he had done wrong. "Are bags expensive?"
"It's not expensive, about 100 Orr, and what you get is still a very bad one." For her, the price is unbelievably high.
Lin Meng waved his hand: "I only have 1 Orr......"
Jubilee rolled her eyes and said, "Yes, I saw it." Come on, there's something for sale there! If you can't help it, you can at least help me get something when we go down to the dungeon! Jubilee pointed to her and explained.
"Ahh Of course! I can! She had lost count of how much she owed for the Jubilee, and she didn't want to look useless in the midst of growing debt.
Jubilee looked back at her and said, "I hope you don't drag your feet and shut up and pack your bags before I change my mind." Jubilee slapped a large coin on the counter of the stall and pointed up at a drab brown rucksack in the back corner. The peddler nodded and handed it to them.
Lin Meng looked at the bag in her hand. It is an unshaped, hard-looking sack made of light brown fabric. It's so rudimentary, it's basically a sack with only two straps. She looked at her "gift" and then looked up at Jubilee who had disappeared into the crowd. Lin Meng threw the new rucksack on his shoulders and ran after the Jubilee.
A window screen popped up, and she heard several laughs around her, which she responded with an embarrassed smile and ran forward as fast as she could.
[Cheap backpack] (normal)
A simple cloth backpack made of roughly interwoven linen fibers. It's cheap, but it's durable.
Capacity: 15 liters
Weight: 0.8kg
Durability: 30/30
Value: 100 Orr
[Adventure: 1] {New Beginning}
In less than a minute, she caught up with the Jubilee, passing through Lin Meng, who was bustling with people on the street, panting and sweating profusely.
"Thank you!" But she gasped and said.
"Don't thank me!" Jubilee snapped, "I want you to repay me, so try to be useful to yourself, we have lost more than yesterday." ”
Lin Meng felt a little discouraged, but still clenched his fists and said, "I will do my best!" Jubilee sighed and shook his head. Let's step into the dungeon.
Walking down the stairs, Lin Meng looked around the floor, exactly the same as the last time he left. Jubilee points to the hole in the wall, where the mushroom creatures sleep. "You've finally come in handy!" He sarcastically said, "The root tree flower grows under the roots!" Have fun. Catch up when you're done. Jubilee waved her away.
"Huh?" Lin Meng blinked.
Jubilee left, walking into the depths of the dungeon without saying a word. Lin Meng looked back at the hole in the wall, where the dirt was still covered with scorch marks from the trap she had set up.
Lin Meng took a deep breath, leaned over, and crawled into the small gap. Thanks to the flashlight outside, she could see enough light, but the hole was narrow. She walked over to where the mushroom monster had slept and looked around. Sure enough, just above her head, there were several flowers, growing from the base of the dark roots that seeped out of the walls. She smiled and picked up the empty bag and reached for the first one. It is firmly rooted there, and the flowers feel unusually hard, like wood.
Lin Meng only now realized why they had this name. She jerked again, and with a slight twist, the flower snapped and loosened. Some of the dirt from the compacted ground above her fell onto her face.
Gathering: [Rhizome Flower]!
[Gathering: 1 ]
Lin Meng spit out the dirt from his mouth, wiped the dirt on his face, and reached out to take a flower. She didn't want to focus primarily on alchemy, feeling like it wasn't quite for her. But it's always good to be exposed to a little more things, plus alchemy should generally have a strong foundation. But it's good to know a little bit about everything, including plants and materials. She grabbed the second one, this time barely avoiding some dirt. Looking around again, grabbing the third and last, already feeling a large amount of dirt sticking to her sweaty, cold skin, she rolled over and writhed backwards out of the narrow tunnel. She's glad she didn't get into trouble.
Collection: [Rhizome Flower] (Normal)! x2
Standing up, she looked at the things in her dirty hands, her eyes filled with pride. These three items were collected by herself. These are her trophies. She was finally able to do something worthwhile. She squinted her eyes and gripped the plants tightly in her fingers, laughing excitedly. Only immediately she closed her mouth again and turned to see if Jubilee had heard, but Jubilee had already walked into the depths of the dungeon.
Lin Meng took her bag, opened it, and threw the rhizome flowers into it, and they made a thud as they landed at the bottom.
She smiled at her booty, stood up, slung the bag over her shoulder, and walked down the direction Jubilee had left.
[You gain experience for {10/15}!] (Team)
[You gain experience for {12/15}!] (Team)
Ah, the Jubilee has begun. Lin Meng walked down the stairs, very glad that his team had such a strong person.
[You've gained experience for {14/15}!] (Team)
You have gained [15/15 experience]! (Team)
[Upgrade!] You are now level 3! ]
{Cooking: 1} {Crafting 2} {Gathering 1} {Adventure 1}
Brief introduction:
Lin Meng:
Health: 4/4 +1
Soul:???
Level: 3
State:???
Category: None
Orr: 01
Race: Human
Strength: 02
World Intelligence: 02
Luck: 04 +1
Dexterity: 03 +1
Intelligence: 02
[You gain experience from {1/22}!] (Team)
"Wow......" Lin Meng stopped and looked at the new window screen that appeared. This is progressing very quickly. She looked at the abilities available to her.
Please select a skill:
[ 1 ] The rest of the options
[Craft: 2] {Ghost Hand}
Making the first item of the day can restore your soul to wholeness.
[Adventure: 1] {New Beginning}
Every day, for the duration of the day, the random stat increases by +1
[Craft: 1] {Action}
More precise without tools.
These were all much better for her than her previous choices. Her finger hovered over "New Beginning". It seemed like the best option, and it also had her name on it. A free statistic, even if only temporary, could be a weight of gold for her. The extra max health could save her life, or the extra luck might make her day brighter...... "ghost hand" seems useless, it's just that she doesn't know if she has any soul points, which is obviously the cost of casting magic in this world. It was the equivalent of the word "mana" she had heard in the past world.
[You've gained experience from {3/22}!] (Team)
Lin Meng stopped, looking at the window of experience that had appeared, and her hand moved towards the entry-level handicraft skill "Operation". Jubilee has done so much for her, and she doesn't want to ask her teammates for tools or anything else if she's going to make something. She looked down at herself, at her new body. That's all she has to deal with. But this should be enough, Lin Meng chose the skill, hoping that she could do something to thank Jubilee for her efforts. With all that was done, she cautiously descended the stairs until she reached the fourth floor.
[New Layer: 4]
Lin Meng looked at the window in front of her, obviously it was the new layer that triggered her menu interface, but how did she cross two layers at once. But...... She did fall down the stairs. Maybe she just missed it? The girl looked around, a little nervous. A group of mushroom monsters were nailed to the wall in a rather horrific scene, pierced by long jagged crystal pillars, fixed there. When she approached, looked at the crystal shard, and saw her own reflection, the crystal pillar shattered instantly, just like the last time, she seemed to trigger it. Lin Meng scratched her cheek curiously and began to work. She carefully tore off her hats and stacked them neatly in her new bag.
Found: [Mushroom Cap (Orange)] (Normal)! x5
[You've gained experience from {3/22}!] (Team)
[You gain experience on {5/22}!] (Team)
[You've gained experience from {7/22}!] (Team)
[You've gained {9/22} experience!] (Team)
[You have gained experience for {11/22}!] (Team)
[You gain experience from {13/22}!] (Team)
She should have hurried again. She then stood up and began to move forward. It's much easier to carry a weight than to hold it in front of her, and she feels like the loot is a little lighter than last time? Maybe it's because she's stronger and upgraded again? But maybe this bag has some kind of weight reduction effect? But her joy awoke with what she heard. What was that? It sounds like...
She cautiously walked down the stairs and stopped at the top of the stairs, looking at the terrifying picture below. The dead snail entrails were scattered in the rocky room, and she wasn't much shocked at this point. It's just that something else in the center of the room is still moving, still making sounds. Jubilee stood in front of it, looking up at the little green primitive, who was a meter above the ground, and it writhed in pain and fear. It was flanked by a huge glass spear that pierced it and lifted the monster high. It glared at its legs and let out a strange scream as its own weight slowly slid its body down the length of the pillar, but it grew thicker and thicker near the base of the pillar.
Jubilee looked at her, nodded a little, and saw that she hadn't walked down the stairs yet, and said, "I left one for you." Jubilee snapped his fingers, and a handful of dirt flew out of his thumb. The crystal pillar slowly sank, and the monster's feet writhed wildly.
"Huh?" Lin Meng was a little puzzled.
"It's a goblin. They're disgusting, scary little monsters, and I hate them. Jubilee tilted his head. A new spike shot out of the dirt, cutting the goblin's left foot in half lengthwise, and Lin Meng covered his mouth and stepped back in fear when he saw such a picture.
"Stop!" She shouted nervously and fearfully.
Jubilee tilted his head curiously. There was a snap of the fingers. The second pillar emerges from the first. Lin Meng watched in horror as the goblin's other foot was cut off directly, and screamed in a language that Lin Meng had never heard before, she seemed to understand it deep down in her heart, and understood it and let out a desperate, pathetic cry.
"Stop!"
"Impossible!" Jubilee shrugged his shoulders indifferently and looked at her and said lightly.
"You can't torture it! It's cruel! Lin Meng shouted as he looked at the black blood oozing from the creature.
"Didn't you roast that Mr. Mushroom on the first floor?" Jubilee sarcastically.
"I ......" Lin Meng's words stopped at the edge of his mouth, unable to refute.
"That's the adventure, stupid! What do you think it means to go down to a dungeon?! Jubilee nodded Lin Meng's head: "It's the meaning of killing!" It means you kill them, or they kill you! ”
That's the new beginning!
"But you can't...... Torture it! ”
"I saw a layer that had burnt marks from before! I just want to make it through the first floor! Lin Meng did so, but ...... This is the only way she can fight.
"So! That's it, stupid! The dungeon adventure is all about being dirty and disgusting, and I want you to see it. ”
Lin Meng hesitated.
"How is this different from mushrooms and snails?!"
"Because it's ...... Some initial humanized monsters! ”
"Do you want to go on an adventure with me?" Jubilee pointed at her and said, "Do you want me to trust you?" You want me to go down to the dungeon alone, collect materials, and risk my life so that I can come up and help you with some weird plans, and that's risking my life too? ”
Jubilee stepped forward, reached into the dirt, and held a handful. As he squeezed tightly, grains of sand seeped out of their gloved fingers. Lin Meng's legs trembled, and she watched as the goblin was tortured, biting her tongue, black blood oozing from the corners of her mouth and splashing onto the side of the Jubilee hood. "Then you'll need to prove to me that you're ready. Are you trying? Are you willing to work hard? Xi Nian clenched his fists, and a slender prismatic crystal fragment appeared in his hand, and he handed it to Lin Meng and said, "Prove it to me." ”
Lin Meng gasped and walked forward, watching her approach the Jubilee Crystal Dagger. The goblin's face also showed a look of despair. Lin Meng's hands trembled and stretched out, grabbing the dagger-shaped crystal fragment.
[Rough Crystal Dagger] (Poor)
A jagged crystal shard.
Damage: 1
Quality Effect: -25% durability
Weight: 1.18kg
Durability: 5/5
Value:???
Aside from the smooth handle, it appears very rough. She's crying, and the goblins are screaming. They stared at each other, its yellow eyes flashing with fire and blood in its struggle, blood gurgling out of its mouth after letting out a scream that seemed to never stop.
Lin Meng pursed her mouth, why was she crying? It's just a goblin. It's just a monster in a dungeon...... She told herself. She wants to do everything right, but is she doing it? She was puzzled, looking at her trembling hands, the crystal dagger shimmering in her hands, and her hands could not be clenched. Maybe it's compassion? When her eyes open and meet the goblin's dead eyes, she tells herself that she is only taking pity on it. As she pushed forward, she plunged the dagger into its heart. She comforts herself that this is what she has to do, no matter what!
Goblins:
Health: 28/30
Soul: 1/1
Lin Meng stabbed the goblin at 2 points!
Application Status: [Bleed 1]
It screamed louder, but still not dead. She didn't stab it in the heart. Lin Meng screamed and pulled out the crystal dagger and stabbed it again. The dagger passed through a bone in her chest cavity and shattered from the side, and the crystal shard felt a strange vibration in her arm as it cracked inside the goblin's body.
Goblins:
Health: 25/30
Soul: 1/1
Lin Meng stabbed the goblin at 3 points!
The goblin screamed, black blood splattered on her face, splattered into her eyes, ran down her cheeks, and she stabbed again and again until finally, she heard her last scream.
[You gain experience on {16/22}!] (Team)
[Dagger: 1] {Heartstrings}
Gathering: [Goblin Tooth {Small}] (Normal)! x4
Lin Meng cried as she pulled her hand out of the goblin's mouth and put her teeth into the bag she had opened.
"That's what I do every day," Jubilee explains. Lin Meng looked up at them, sobbing and wiping her face with her own hands, but her hands were stained with goblin blood. "That's what I'm asking you to do later, because you can't fight. So, if you want to learn to make or open a store, and I have to collect materials, that's no way around? Jubilee looked down at her and continued, "We have to do this, can you do it?" ”