The Cornflower Witch Chapter 154

After a brief conversation, Hylial generally understood the situation of the other team.

Just like her, this small team also came from another outpost to explore the Fir Black Forest. They had already completed two explorations, gaining some rewards, but still felt it wasn’t quite enough.

“The data sheet says you’re a gardener by trade, but judging by your attire, you look a bit like a ranger,” the short team leader asked.

“That’s right, I’m primarily a gardener, but before coming to the woodland, I also learned some archery skills, which I can use in combat.”

“I see,” the other party nodded.

“Our current team consists of a frontline warrior, a wizard to handle complex situations, a rogue for raids and reconnaissance, and a cook for logistics,” he briefly introduced the team’s composition.

“Although it’s a bit strange to have a cook, Bona has brought significant benefits to the entire team and is a trustworthy member.”

“If you’re willing to join us on our next expedition, come outside the tavern and give a simple demonstration of your abilities.” The other party wasted no time and got straight to the point.

“No problem.”

Since she hadn’t ordered anything yet, she walked out of the tavern with the others and headed to the nearby grass.

“I can currently use ‘Sprawling Vines’ and ‘Rampant Plant Growth,’ and I can also demonstrate my archery,” the girl briefly explained.

“Very good. Do you see that big tree in the forest? There’s a broken scar on it. Just hit that spot,” he pointed out the location. The target was about 120 meters away, which was not an easy shot (a standard football field is 105 meters long).

It would be difficult for a casually trained archer to hit that spot, but for a Transcendent specializing in archery, hitting something at 120 meters was a basic skill.

Taking down the compound bow from behind her back, Hylial drew it with a slight margin of extra strength, nocked an arrow, and placed a tiny seed in the arrow’s nock. With a soft twang, the arrow pierced through the foliage, striking the scar on the large tree. Then, green sprouts emerged and缠绕 the entire tree trunk.

“Beautiful~”

The other party whistled. An expert can tell a pro just by watching them make a single move.

He observed that Hylial’s entire process was fluid and relaxed, knowing that this was far from her limit, but her current performance was enough to meet the team’s needs.

“Welcome, Hylial. You are now a member of our team. If you don’t mind, we’ll have dinner together tonight, and I’ll give you a detailed overview of the situation.”

“Okay.” The girl put away her bow and arrows, her black hair swaying slightly with her movements as she nodded.

Returning to the tavern, Bona, the cook, went to the front counter to order and then offered to help in the kitchen. The remaining four sat at a table and chatted.

“First, let me introduce myself. My name is Rodriguez, and my nickname is ‘Bad Apple.’ My real name is a bit long, so you can just call me ‘Bad Apple’ normally.” He played with a dagger in his hand, the sharp silver blade flipping nimbly between his fingers.

This leader seemed to have gnomish blood, being smaller than average but incredibly agile, with a primary Aspect of ‘Mist Shadow’.

“This big oaf — I mean, this reliable warrior — is the strongest fortress of our team, named Yarn.” He turned and patted his comrade’s heavy armor.

The tall, golden-haired young man nodded. He had ordered a beer and was now drinking it heartily.

“Hello, I’m Yarn. Nice to meet you.” Compared to the other team members, this golden-haired young man seemed perfectly normal, without strange quirks or aristocratic arrogance.

The armor he wore weighed about 100 pounds, with thick shoulder plates that stood as high as his neck. Even his simple movements produced a faint rustling sound from the metal plates. Just looking at him, he seemed like a humanoid rhinoceros.

“Hello,” the girl nodded slightly.

“And this handsome fellow here, our wizard, is named Karlinson. Or you can call him ‘handsome black-haired guy,’ he’d probably like that~”

“Rodriguez,” the rather cold-faced wizard finally spoke, interrupting his leader’s teasing, then turned to the black-haired girl. “I’m Karlinson. You can just call me Karl.” With that, he held out his palm, and a swirling pale mist appeared.

“I am a ‘Dead Ember’ Aspect wizard, skilled in commanding ghosts.”

The pale mist rapidly spun, finally solidifying into an illusory cat that perched lightly on the table, observing the girl with occasional licks of its paws, as if it were alive.

After the introductions, the group chatted briefly about their individual circumstances.

Unlike Hylial, these individuals had been in the woodland for over six years and were extremely skilled in various tasks and missions.

“So, I’m actually the oldest. Why don’t you try calling me ‘Brother Apple’ sometime? Haha!” Though small in stature, this leader was experienced, humorous, and had assembled the entire team.

“Actually, before, I always worked solo; it was more comfortable,” he poured himself some low-alcohol wine and savored it in small sips.

“But then I met this guy, Yarn, and we cooperated a few times.”

“At the time, I thought, it’s such a good teammate, it would be a shame to abandon him to others. So I pulled him to form a team.”

“Later, we successively recruited other team members, but most of them felt average, and gradually went their separate ways.”

“Until later, I met this little girl, Bona.”

“Actually, at first, I didn’t want her to join the team, because bringing someone with little combat power is such a hassle. But her cooking was just too delicious.”

“Yarn and I were both very satisfied. Besides, having her company on the road always made the team atmosphere great, and she could occasionally help us with other chores, increasing our income. So, we accepted and got used to her.”

“Karl was the last to join us, and the reason is simple: as we traveled to more places, many monsters became too difficult to handle, so we had to find a helper who could deal with various strange situations. Even though he seemed quiet, his knowledge and abilities were solid, bringing us many surprises,” Bad Apple introduced each person’s background.

“This time in the Fir Black Forest, we are mainly looking for a few resources. Karl needs ‘Ash-Wrought Fruit’ to enhance the power of the ghosts he has contracted. The forest also has some fruits and ‘Blood Law’ Aspect monsters. The gains from defeating them can also strengthen Yarn’s physique.”

“As for me, I want to get the ‘Stone Mist Spring Water’ from beyond the ‘Gate of Distant Mountains.’ With that, I could commission a skilled alchemist to brew a special elixir, ‘Mist Aura Elixir,’ to help me advance to ‘Tier 3 Mist Shadow.'”

“However, the ‘Gate of Distant Mountains’ is very hard to find. We plan to try more in the surrounding area first, see the situation, and only set off if there’s a possibility of finding it.”

As they chatted, time passed quickly. By now, a sumptuous dinner was ready. Bona single-handedly carried a large wooden tray laden with crispy roasted meat, potato pancakes, mushroom vegetable soup, and pan-fried fish with butter.

“Excuse me, the food is here.”

The aroma of the delicious food on the platter tempted even Hylial’s appetite.

No wonder they had Bona as a teammate; with such a companion, traveling and adventuring would indeed be much more comfortable and enjoyable. After setting down the food, Bona specially brought out a small slice of cake and handed it to Hylial.

“This is my homemade steamed pumpkin cake. Welcome to the team, Hylial~”

The small, warm, and fragrant cake rested in the girl’s palm, a comforting warmth radiating through her, filling Hylial with a sense of relief and warmth.

“Thank you.”