"Who's there?"
Lin Mo's body tensed instantly. He raised his Sword, eyes fixed on the direction the Arrow had come from.
He was in a small clearing with no cover. Otherwise, his first instinct would have been to dive into the bushes or hide behind a tree.
"Someone's here?"
A surprised voice came from ahead, and an Adventurer emerged from the forest. He wore Iron Armor, carrying a Shield in one hand and a Sword in the other.
Following close behind were a young man with a One-Handed Sword, an Assassin wielding two Short Knives, and a short-haired girl holding a White Oak Bow.
Lin Mo stared at the somewhat familiar Adventurers, his expression faltering for a moment.
If he remembered correctly, he had seen them before in the Dwarf Edgar's forge. What a coincidence.
But he wouldn't let his guard down because of it.
Back in town, everyone was an Adventurer, a colleague. They'd chat, drink, and shoot the breeze together.
But out here in the forest, things were different.
There were no rules, no order—only cold, hard interests, amplified greed, and treacherous deceptions.
Especially when he was all alone, Lin Mo wouldn't trust anyone easily.
Therefore, he immediately backed away, maintaining as much safe distance as possible. He kept his eyes fixed on the young female Ranger; the moment she made a move to draw her bow, he would run.
"Sorry about that, brother."
The experienced Adventurer, Bain, quickly assessed the somewhat chaotic scene and tried to break the deadlock.
There were five Goblins lying on the ground. Including the one Millian had just shot, that made a total of six.
'To face six Goblins alone and take out five of them without a scratch... this young man's strength is definitely not to be underestimated!'
It wasn't just that he himself wasn't the type to resort to unscrupulous means for profit; even if he were, one shouldn't provoke such a powerful Adventurer lightly.
"We were just passing through and saw a Goblin charging this way. Our Ranger fired an arrow out of instinct. We didn't realize it was your prey."
As he spoke, he cut off the left ear of the Goblin Millian had shot and tossed it to Lin Mo.
Lin Mo didn't reach out to catch it, continuing to observe them.
The group before him was a standard Adventurer Squad: a mature and steady frontline, a Warrior, a Ranger, and an Assassin.
As for a Mage...
Such a noble Profession wasn't something a low-tier Adventurer Squad could afford.
Even a Mage Apprentice, still in training and unable to cast proper Magic, would be snapped up by mid- to high-tier Adventurer Squads, who would gladly support them until they officially came into their Profession and became the team's pillar.
Lin Mo's gaze swept over the young Warrior and Ranger. Neither looked very old; they were likely even younger than him. The female Ranger, in particular, radiated a rookie's nervousness.
The Assassin, by contrast, was clearly more mature. He held his weapons at the ready, watching Lin Mo without hostility, but also without relaxing his guard in the slightest.
The most important one was the middle-aged man on the front line... He carried himself with a clear sense of ease and confidence, as if certain he could handle any situation that arose.
Without a doubt, he was the core of this Adventurer Squad.
Although Lin Mo couldn't see other people's Attributes, he could tell from the man's demeanor, weapon, and equipment that his strength was very likely greater than his own.
The bounty for six Goblins was 6 Silver Coins, or 0.06 Gold Coins. To him, who was already holding Clear Fragrance Grass worth 3 Gold Coins, it was an insignificant amount.
But the risk of being ambushed while bending down to collect the spoils... was incalculable.
Judging a person's character by their expression and appearance alone was a foolish thing to do. Lin Mo certainly wouldn't be deceived by the faint hint of goodwill on the man's face.
So...
He would pass on the six Goblin ears.
Having made up his mind, Lin Mo faced them and slowly backed away.
Bain didn't try to stop him. He completely understood why a lone wolf like him would be wary and suspicious of an Adventurer Squad. It was better for both sides this way.
They wouldn't have to be on guard against each other, and his squad would get an easy 6 Silver Coins.
While this extra income wasn't a huge sum, it was at least enough for them to have a luxurious meal at the Adventurers' Home tavern.
However, just as Lin Mo had retreated about fifty meters, putting enough distance between them, and was turning to leave...
WHOOSH—!
A sharp Arrow pierced the air, letting out a long, shrill whistle.
The familiar sound made Lin Mo's muscles tighten instantly. Without a moment's hesitation, he lunged forward and to the side, immediately rolling on the ground.
The rapidly approaching whistle of displaced air, carrying a biting wind, grazed past Lin Mo's side.
The Arrow sank deep into the trunk of a nearby tree. A stinging sensation, as if his skin had been sliced open, sent Lin Mo's blood pumping, and a cold sweat drenched his back.
If he hadn't remained vigilant and dodged fast enough, that arrow would have pierced right through his chest!
There was no time for fear. Lin Mo scrambled to his feet, took a ready stance, and glared at the squad still standing in the same spot, his furious and grim expression quickly turning to shock.
The young female Ranger hadn't drawn her sturdy White Oak Bow. In fact, because Lin Mo had been retreating, she had even closed the flap on her Quiver and was now staring in his direction with a look of pure innocence and confusion.
Bain was startled, too. For a second, he actually thought the young girl on his team had done something foolish, and a sharp reprimand was on the tip of his tongue.
But after a glance revealed that wasn't the case, the experienced Adventurer's mind raced. The curse on his lips instantly turned into a grim warning.
"Enemy attack!"
A moment before his voice rang out, another Arrow had already cut through the air, this time aimed at the still-unresponsive female Ranger.
She remained frozen in place, watching as the Arrow was about to strike her from the side and pierce through her chest.
Fortunately, the moment Bain shouted those two words, he was already moving. He charged in front of Millian, raising his Shield just in time to block the arrow for her.
Feeling the powerful force transmitted from the other side of the Shield, Bain tightened his grip on its handle, his expression more serious than ever.
"Prepare for battle!"
At this furious shout, the two younger members of the squad finally snapped back to their senses.
Evan drew his Sword and, with a resolute gaze, shielded Millian behind him. Millian flipped open her quiver's cover, quickly drew a Feathered Arrow, and nocked it on her bow.
Kent, the older Assassin, had already vanished into the woods, hiding himself and waiting for an opportunity to strike.
'So there's someone else?'
At that moment, Lin Mo deeply understood just how dangerous and complicated the world of Adventurers truly was.
Even though he had been as careful as possible, there were still unforeseen dangers waiting for him.
There was no time for further reflection. Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Mo changed direction and made a run for it...