[If conditions permit, please bury the goblin's corpse simply, especially away from the stream to prevent water pollution.]
— *The Grand Forest Adventure Handbook*
"Splash!"
Half an hour later, under a large tree away from the stream, Lu Wei dug a shallow pit.
He threw the corpse in, filled it with soil, and soon the pit became a small mound.
A green hand stretched out from outside the mound, the scene somewhat familiar.
"Not bad, quite similar."
Nodding, Lu Wei was quite satisfied with his work.
He did this not out of any "humanitarianism."
Mainly, it was to practice his courage.
After all, "touching" and "looking" are completely different things; touching a corpse undoubtedly requires overcoming more fear.
And so far, the effect was quite good.
From disgust to calmness, the discomfort disappeared quickly.
Later, he even stabbed the corpse a few times with a dagger, carefully feeling the strength of its skin.
It sounds a bit perverse, but he believed it would be of great help in any future battles.
"A very fruitful day."
He brushed the dirt off his hands and went back to collect all the sunberries.
By the time Lu Wei returned to the "Tree of Beginnings," the sun was already setting, and the sunlight filtering through the forest had softened.
The damp scent of decay mingled with the fragrance of wildflowers, and amber-tinged dust motes danced in the beams of light. In the distance, a white deer drank contentedly by a stream.
It was a scene of tranquility and peace.
If only he could get his hands on that deer, it would be perfect.
Unfortunately, those creatures were much more wary than goblins.
Lu Wei didn't have any ranged weapons like a bow and arrow, so he could only watch helplessly as it disappeared into the dense forest.
"If conditions allow in the future, I must learn a ranged skill first."
Putting down his binoculars, Lu Wei shook his head slightly with regret, then took out the half-eaten black bread from lunch and slowly ate it all.
Although it was almost sunset, he had no intention of going back.
He judged that nighttime was when the most customers arrived,
and that was the best time for him to make money.
... As we all know, in many D
&
D-themed games from the past, after players defeat a boss or clear a map, a mysterious merchant NPC will appear. This NPC
will not only buy the player's loot but also sell some rarer equipment and materials.
The original intention of this design was likely as an extra reward.
These mysterious merchants often buy loot at prices higher than the market price and sell goods at prices lower than the market price.
Players, of course, are happy about this.
But if you put yourself in the NPC's shoes, you're practically doing charity.
After all, for all adventurers, new and old, "how to take more loot" and "post-battle supplies and healing" are extremely difficult problems during adventures.
Many people have to give up a lot of loot or end their adventures prematurely because they can't solve these two problems.
There's even a chapter in the Adventure Handbook specifically about "backpack space allocation."
Therefore, it's clear how valuable a free merchant who appears after battle is.
Not only can it help you exchange those low-value, space-consuming loots for currency, but it can also replenish your supplies, allowing you to continue your adventure with greater peace of mind... Even if the price is a bit of a loss, most people would be happy with it.
This is precisely why Lu Wei still lingers in the forest.
"Need supplies?"
As the sun was about to set, he finally encountered a four-person adventurer team that had just emerged from the forest, so he quickly stood up and enthusiastically promoted his wares:
"Bandages, hemostatic ointment, and painkiller powder are all available."
"It's still a two-hour journey to town, so it's best to treat any injuries as soon as possible."
"Take a look, the prices are very fair."
"..."
Hearing the voice, the four stopped, their expressions somewhat surprised.
They probably didn't expect someone to come to the forest to sell goods.
"You're a merchant?"
"Yes."
"Aren't you afraid of encountering monsters? Goblins, giant spiders, or something?"
"If I encounter them, I'll run. This is the outer edge of the forest; there won't be much danger."
"Tsk tsk, you really have guts... Andrew, this kid is braver than you."
After a few words of amazement, three of them turned their gaze to a young human carrying a bow and arrow.
The latter immediately blushed, lowered his head, and stammered, unable to speak.
Clearly, he had embarrassed himself before.
He must have wet his pants or something from being scared by a monster.
"Hahaha, alright."
Soon, after the joke, the man who seemed to be the captain patted Lu Wei on the shoulder with a cheerful smile.
"Kid, I was going to patronize your business, but unfortunately, none of us are injured, so let's skip it this time."
"It's alright, it's best you weren't injured."
Lu Wei didn't want to miss any opportunity to make money, so he nodded and immediately added,
"By the way, I also buy spoils of war. If you have any materials or equipment that are inconvenient to carry, you can sell them to me."
"This... I'm sorry, I think it's better if we sell them to the buyers in town."
Perhaps thinking that Lu Wei wouldn't offer a high price, the man thought for a moment and refused him with a slight apology.
But then he pointed in a direction and said with a smile,
"However, on the way back, we took care of a few giant spiders, about two or three miles in this direction."
"If you're not afraid of danger, you can go and take their silk glands, they should be worth some copper coins."
"Really? Thank you so much." Lu Wei quickly thanked him. "
You're welcome, we didn't plan to take those silk glands anyway."
The man waved generously, and then continued walking towards Blackmos Town with his companions.
The sky was shrouded in a deep red sunset, and a pale crescent moon climbed onto the treetops.
Under Lu Wei's watchful gaze, the four quickly walked away, their conversation disappearing into the distance as their figures dwindled to a mere sliver at the end of the forest path.
The distant town with its rising smoke, the backpacks piled high on their backs, their companions with all their limbs intact beside them, plus a vulgar joke...
all of this combined to create a quintessential "victory settlement scene."
Lu Wei was even somewhat moved.
If that vulgar joke hadn't been directed at him...
"Ulza, are you after that kid?"
"So what if I am?"
"But aren't you orcs the most disdainful of human men, always saying things like 'it's better to use a wine bottle'?"
"He's different, he looks delicious, I think he can satisfy me."
"Hahaha, I don't know if he can satisfy you, but you should only need an ear piercing to satisfy him!"
"&)%￥#!!"
"..."
Lu Wei: ? ? ? ?