Maji clearly remembered that afternoon just a few days ago.
When he and Elky arrived at the Adventurers' Guild, scanning the bulletin board for suitable quests, that timid farm boy was led in by a guild attendant.
Although the boy claimed to have mastered a "combat technique" of his profession, Maji didn't take it seriously.
He had seen too many hot-blooded rookies like Xianan—whether in the mountain ranges near the kingdom's borders or here in Rivervalley Town.
They fancied themselves heroes from the epic ballads sung by bards, picked up a few moves from their village militia, and assumed they were ready to embark on grand adventures.
Then, armed with unrealistic dreams, they rushed into the forests and dungeons scattered across the continent—only to end up as fertilizer for the earth.
"Combat techniques" were a fundamental requirement for becoming a professional adventurer!
Even for someone as experienced as Maji, who had spent years wandering the world, mastering even a single technique was no easy feat. How could a clueless farmhand learn one just by studying a few scraps of paper?
After all, even noble children born in the city had to be trained from a young age under professional warriors who had already mastered such skills. Their families spared no expense, investing in expert instructors, expensive medicinal supplements, and specialized equipment.
Only then did they barely qualify for a profession.
Though Maji held these thoughts, his seasoned adventurer's instincts kept them from showing on his face.
Instead, he warmly welcomed Xianan into their team as a temporary member and even "splurged" on a meal at the White Mountain Sparrow Tavern next door, treating him to a plate of stir-fried squirrel meat with rice.
After all, given the usual difficulty of their missions, the three of them were more than enough. What they really needed was an extra hand for grunt work—someone to take care of the dirty and tiring tasks.
And in case of emergencies, a rookie unfamiliar with the forest terrain could, to some extent, buy them extra time to escape.
But unexpectedly...
Whoosh!
Maji released the arrow, watching as it disappeared from his bowstring.
A sharp, piercing scream echoed from beneath the tree canopy.
His mind replayed the fleeting silver flash he had glimpsed between the trees just moments ago.
That level of skill—there was no doubt about it.
It was a combat technique!
Could it be… that kid actually pulled it off by sheer dumb luck?
Regardless, Xianan had demonstrated mastery over at least one combat technique.
Perhaps it was time to reconsider his role in the party.
Maji continued to draw and release arrows, but his mind was already working through a new plan.
"With Elky dead, we need another reliable fighter."
"Once this mission is over, I'll recruit him into the team."
Xianan exhaled slowly, his chest rising and falling as he steadied himself.
His arms trembled slightly from exertion, fingers still wrapped tightly around the hilt of his sword.
He recalled the instinctive execution of Spinning Slash just moments ago.
It was difficult to describe.
Years of relentless practice had embedded the move into his very muscle memory.
Charge, aim, slash.
It wasn't until the goblin's agonized shriek reached his ears that he realized—this time, his blade hadn't struck straw, but actual flesh and bone.
Blood pooled over the grass, severed limbs scattered across the forest floor.
A wave of nausea threatened to rise in his stomach, but because his victim had been a goblin—a creature vastly different in stature from a human—he found it easier to suppress the discomfort.
ROAR!
The sounds of battle erupted behind him, snapping him back to reality.
The fight wasn't over yet.
Despite being a newcomer, Xianan had no intention of retreating.
Perhaps that single slash had dispelled the fear that had gripped him since Elky's death.
Without hesitation, he tightened his grip on his sword and rushed toward Gagu's position.
Rage-fueled roars, shrill shrieks, arrows slicing through the air, blades piercing flesh—
The battle had erupted suddenly, and just as swiftly, it came to an end.
In less than ten minutes, the forest fell silent once more, leaving only the thick scent of blood lingering in the air.
The goblins' ambush had been effective—
Right at the start of the battle, they had successfully eliminated a key member of the "Misfits" squad, significantly weakening their combat strength.
But after that, the creatures quickly reverted to their nature as low-tier monsters.
Against the rest of the team, they steadily lost their advantage.
Especially after Xianan's single slash cleaved two goblins in half—
The battle instantly turned in their favor.
Without the courage that came from attacking in numbers, the remaining goblins—though still armed—became utterly ineffectual.
At the frontlines, Gagu swung his massive battle axe with savage force.
Xianan moved fluidly around the battlefield, finishing off wounded enemies and covering his teammates.
Meanwhile, Maji fired arrows from his hidden vantage point among the dense treetops above. Though not every shot was a perfect hit, each arrow found its mark in some way.
A total of sixteen goblins had attacked.
Xianan had slain five.
Maji had brought down six with his bow.
As for Gagu, drenched in blood and looking every bit the fearsome battlefield warrior—
Well, in the end, he had also only killed five, just like Xianan.
With the battle over, it was time to clean up the field.
Following Maji's example, Xianan stepped on a goblin's head and sliced off its left ear with his sword.
This was his trophy.
Though the act made him uneasy, the thought of each goblin ear fetching nearly four silver coins—equivalent to two days' wages for a city laborer—quickly made his actions feel much easier.
"Here, take this."
A bloodstained goblin ear was handed to him.
Xianan looked up in surprise to see Gagu standing before him.
If he remembered correctly, this goblin had already been mortally wounded by Gagu's axe before Xianan had finished it off. Technically, the kill should have been credited to the beastman warrior.
Yet here he was, offering the trophy without hesitation.
"You've got some skill, kid. I'll buy you a drink later!" Gagu said gruffly, giving Xianan a heavy pat on the shoulder.
Before this battle, the two of them had barely exchanged words.
Xianan had been too preoccupied absorbing the memories in his mind.
At the same time, Gagu had looked down on him.
As a half-beastman raised in a culture where "the strong rule," he had simply assumed that Xianan was nothing more than a burden to the team.
Unlike Maji, he hadn't given the newcomer much thought at all.
But after witnessing Xianan's performance firsthand, he had changed his mind.
Now, he recognized him as a true member of the team.