As he led the group out of the cave, Colin took a moment to check his Task Log. A new panel had appeared.

-----------------

[Quest: Rescue the Slaves]

[Rating: 4 (Mortal)]

[Reward: 150 Skill Level, Power +1]

-----------------

’The reward for this task seems about the same as the one for the Carrion Insects.’

’My Swordsmanship is at the ’Reliable’ level now,’ Colin mused. ’If I want to be efficient, I should definitely focus on leveling up my [Empowerment Armor] next.’

’Well, I’ll think about it after the task is done.’

Afterward, the group headed toward the nearest village to the north.

The people they had rescued were still very weak, so the group traveled slowly. Fortunately, there had been plenty of food in the Goblin Cave—more than enough to last them until they reached the nearest village.

Sometime on the afternoon of the third day, the hilly terrain they were crossing finally came to an end.

The group stood on a small hill and looked down.

Moss Stone Village, located north of Flint Village, immediately appeared before their eyes.

The Supreme Forest, which surrounded Dragon’s Fang Castle, extended all the way to this region. The forest’s edge neatly wrapped around the village, which sat on a trade route.

The hilly area behind them was still covered in a thin layer of snow, but not a trace of white could be seen in this part of the Supreme Forest, as if they were two completely different worlds.

A single glance was enough to tell that Moss Stone Village was about twice the size of Torrent Bay, likely home to over four hundred households.

However, the trees growing throughout the village made it impossible to see how many people were on the streets.

The group followed the main road into the forest, heading towards the village.

This main road, however, was clearly not well-maintained. Some vines and branches had already spread onto the path, nearly blocking it completely.

Once they got closer, Colin truly understood the meaning behind the name "Moss Stone Village."

The village walls, as well as the buildings inside, were all made of stone bricks, and the roofs were covered with stone tiles.

It seemed the materials must have come from the hills to the south.

Vines and moss covered the stone buildings, with small flowers and grasses sprouting from between the bricks. Even in the midst of winter’s hardship, the plants grew lush and thick.

Yet the streets were quite cold, creating a dreamlike sensation.

If he couldn’t see the Guards on the walls, Colin might have mistaken it for an abandoned village.

Of course, this wasn’t because the people here liked it this way.

Colin had read about Moss Stone Village’s circumstances before.

Moss Stone Village was right next to the Supreme Forest, and inside the Supreme Forest were several Elf settlements.

The Elves living nearest to the main road were sensitive and suspicious; they had once engaged in a bloody conflict with the villagers who first settled Moss Stone Village.

To maintain stable passage for the merchant caravans without openly breaking with the Elves, Thousand Masts City had specifically assigned Druids to manage the village. As a result, the village had adopted this symbiotic existence with the forest.

This measure, it was worth noting, had been quite effective.

Since the Druids began their administration, there had apparently been no further conflicts.

The group reached the village entrance and queued up, slowly approaching the main gate. A Guard standing there shouted at them, "What’s your business? I don’t think that Half-Orc will be very welcome here."

"These people were rescued from the recently posted bounty on the Goblin Cave, south of here," Colin said, stepping forward and displaying his ring. "And we’re with the City Watchers."

"In that case... your bounty is at the barracks."

The Guard glanced at Kase and Orelia, hesitating for a moment before finally letting the group enter the village.

The group found the small barracks in the village. After collecting their money and reporting the Fire Giant sighting, they left amidst a chorus of thanks.

The moment he stepped out of the barracks, Colin’s task reward was credited.

He immediately put all the Skill Level points into [Empowerment Armor]. The intense battle had also raised the Skill Level of his other Skills slightly.

In the end, his Skill Levels were roughly as follows: Casting: 1375/2000, Armor Technique: 793/1250, Swordsmanship: 1258/2000.

’Come to think of it,’ Colin thought, ’judging by the name alone, [Empowerment Armor] seems similar to [Silent Sword Skill]. I wonder what kind of Specialty this technology the Dwarves are so proud of will give me.’

"What should we do next?"

Kase’s voice came from beside him.

Colin glanced around. The term "center of attention" was the perfect way to describe the Half-Orc standing in the middle of the street, though Kase himself still looked completely unbothered.

"Let’s sell our stuff first."

Colin said. "After that, we can try our luck at a tavern. The bounties here are probably similar to the ones in Flint Village. If there’s nothing suitable, we can try to claim that several-hundred-Gold-Coin bounty for White Frost."

Kase let out a deep chuckle. "You can leave that to me," he said in his rumbling voice.

"Then the great Bear Hunter should be able to handle it alone, right?"

"Sounds like you’re asking for a beating."

Laughing and joking, the group made their way to the local square.

The narrow paths of Moss Stone Village were mostly shaded by large, surrounding trees. A glance upward revealed lush branches and dangling vines.

Along the way, they saw many Half-Elves, and even one or two Elves.

They were completely different from the cloaked, secretive Elves in Thousand Masts City. Their expressions were quite relaxed and at ease—at least, they were before they saw Kase.

The group strolled around, eventually stopping at the blacksmith in the square to sell off their spoils.

Just as they expected, the iron ore didn’t fetch a high price despite its decent purity. The Beast Hides and goblin gear weren’t worth much either.

In the end, including the money they found in the Goblin Cave, they each came away with a little over seventy Gold Coins and some small change.

’All in all, not too bad.’

After all, the task hadn’t been too difficult. There were a few surprises, but they had kept things under control for the most part. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Besides, they hadn’t sold their most valuable Potions yet.

Not far from the blacksmith was a tavern, its entrance marked by a massive sign painted with ears of wheat.

This tavern was also built of stone bricks, constructed around a huge oak tree more than ten meters tall. It looked as if the oak tree had grown right through the middle of it.

—Though, since both the tavern and the oak looked ancient, it was impossible to tell which had come first.

Colin led the group towards the tavern.

He pushed open the tavern door, and a blast of warm, boisterous air washed over them.

The tavern was built around the oak tree in a roughly circular shape, and it was quite spacious.

While excessive logging was forbidden in the area, hunting the monsters within the forest was permitted. As a result, the tavern was filled with a crowd of fairly professional Adventurers.

The proprietor was an Elf with coppery skin, matching hair, and green eyes. Just from his appearance, Colin could tell he was probably a bit stockier than the Elves in Thousand Masts City.

He was currently tackling a plate of roasted meat that sat on the counter.

Behind the counter was the same oak tree that grew up through the roof. The tavern had left a small courtyard space for it, and from this spot, one could clearly see its rough bark and the small insects crawling on the trunk.

As the group approached the counter, the Elf proprietor spoke without looking up. "Human, you’ve brought a Half-Orc into my tavern."

"We’re with the City Watchers," Colin said, placing the hand with his Seal Ring on the counter. "Any recommendations on the menu?"

"Colin... Hmm. Are you Bob’s friend? That guy mentioned he had a friend named Colin in the City Watchers when he was here spinning yarns."

The Elf speared a piece of meat, popped it into his mouth, and said lazily, "Just get the Oak Heart Shared Roast Platter and a few glasses of mead. You won’t need anything else."