My monster cards can evolve infinitely.

Chapter 83 Major Gains

The embers of the battle drifted in the night wind, and the campfire in the center of the canyon crackled, casting Xiuqi's long shadow onto the rock wall.

Link began inspecting the battlefield, and the boy skillfully cut off the left ear from the goblin's corpse—it was the Adventurers' Guild's confirmation of the mission.

Ado stood guard to the side, carrying a spiked club, his clear yellow eyes scanning the dark cave entrance.

Xiuqi looked at the caves on both sides of the canyon. The largest cave entrance had a totem pole standing on it, and firelight shone from its depths, clearly indicating it was the residence of the tribal chief.

"Link, you continue with the left ear. Ado, come with me," Hugh said, walking towards the cave.

The cave entrance was about five feet wide, and the interior was deep and dark. Twisted totems were drawn on the rock walls with charcoal, and animal bones and furs were scattered on the ground.

The air was filled with a fishy, ​​pungent smell, mixed with the acrid aroma of burning herbs.

Xiu Qi drew his longsword with his right hand, and a cool, clear light enveloped the blade, dispelling the darkness.

The cave was spacious, about thirty feet square. In the center was a fire pit surrounded by stones, the embers still glowing faintly red.

The surrounding area was littered with miscellaneous items: tattered furs, crude pottery jars, rusted ironware, and piles of bones.

But what caught Xiuqi's attention was a corner deep inside the cave, covered with animal hides.

He lifted the animal skin, revealing a jumble of items—clearly spoils of war looted by the tribe.

The most eye-catching items were several wooden crates.

Xiuqi opened the first one, which contained rolls of linen and coarse cotton cloth. Although some were stained, most of them were intact.

The second wooden box contained tools: a hammer, a saw, nails, and several well-maintained logging axes.

The third wooden box contained household items: earthenware bowls, a tin kettle, salt, and spices.

"These supplies are worth at least 20 gold coins," Xiuqi estimated. Linen and tools are in high demand in the town.

But what really interested Xiuqi was the inconspicuous leather bag next to the box.

The leather bag was sewn from animal hides and tied tightly with a leather rope. Xiuqi untied the rope and poured out its contents—the clanging sound of metal echoed through the cave.

coin.

There were about twenty silver coins, seventy or eighty copper coins, and three gold coins that gleamed in the light.

"Looks like these goblins have amassed some wealth," Xiuqi muttered to himself. He put the coins back into his leather bag.

Continuing his search, he found a small pit covered by a stone slab near the hearth.

Lifting the stone slab revealed several small items: a silver ring inlaid with a low-quality sapphire, a rusted but usable brass compass, and a notebook soaked in water.

Xiuqi picked up the silver ring. The ring was crudely made and the gemstone was poorly cut, but it was silver after all and worth a few silver coins.

The notebook cover was torn, and when Xiuqi opened it, he found that it contained the caravan's accounts.

Most of the writing was blurred by water stains, but some entries could still be made out: "Yorktown to Harbour City... Twenty rolls of linen... Three boxes of tools..." It seems to be the logbook of the robbed caravan.

Xiuqi put the notebook away as well. Although it wasn't of much value, it might help the caravan assess its losses.

Just as he was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of an unnatural indentation in the rock wall. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a small, man-made niche, disguised with rubble.

Pushing aside the rubble, a small wooden box was found in the niche.

The wooden box is only the size of a palm, made of dark wood, and its surface is engraved with geometric patterns. There is no lock on the box, only a brass clasp.

Xiuqi carefully opened the box.

The box was lined with faded red velvet, and two items were placed on it.

The first item was a roll of parchment bound with ribbon, the paper yellowed and the edges worn.

The second item is a key.

The key is about three inches long, dark silver in color, and made of neither iron nor copper. The handle is engraved with a bird with outstretched wings.

He put the key away and then unfolded the parchment.

The writing on the paper was in goblin language, and Xiuqi could barely make out some words: "Guardian... Ancient..." but most of the content was blurred, with only the last line still clear:

"When all the keys are gathered, the door to... will open wide."

"The secret vault?" Xiu Qi frowned. This seemed to be part of the treasure hunt clues, but the information was too limited.

He rolled up the parchment again, put it in the wooden box along with the key, and then stored it in his spatial ring.

At this point, the cave search is essentially complete.

When Shuki emerged from the cave, Link had already treated all of his left ears.

The boy packed the left ears of thirty-one goblins and three goblins into two leather bags, a satisfied look on his face.

"Mr. Xiuqi, everything is ready." Link handed over the leather bag.

Xiu Qi took it and glanced at it. The ear inside the leather bag was still dripping blood and emitting a fishy smell.

He put the leather bag into his spatial ring—the inside of the ring was a static space where the items would not deteriorate.

"There's still something to be gained outside," Link said, pointing to the goblin equipment in the clearing. "Although most of it is junk, you can still make some money by picking and choosing."

Indeed, there were thirty-one goblins and three goblins. Their equipment was rudimentary, but there were many of them. Short swords, bone clubs, wooden bows, leather armor... piled up like small mountains.

For an ordinary adventure team, these would be a real headache – they could only choose the most valuable ones because of their limited carrying capacity.

But Xiuqi has a spatial ring.

He walked up to the pile of equipment, and a faint light flashed from the ring on his right hand.

With a thought, a dimensional space opens up.

Short swords, bone clubs, wooden bows, leather armor... one by one, the equipment flew into the ring, arranging itself neatly in the still space. In less than two minutes, all the loot was gone.

Link was stunned. He knew Xiu Qi had a spatial ring, but seeing it all "swept away" was still incredibly shocking.

"This...is so convenient," the boy murmured.

Xiuqi smiled: "Indeed. Without this ring, we could only take away a tenth at most."

He surveyed the canyon, making sure nothing was missed. He collected all the caravan's supplies, coins, and goblin equipment.

"It's getting late." Xiuqi looked up at the sky. The moon had already risen; it was about eight o'clock in the evening. "Let's find a safe place on the outskirts of the forest to spend the night and return to Summertown tomorrow morning."

"good!"

The three quickly left the canyon. The princess was retrieved from the card, and Ado, carrying a spiked club, led the way.

The gray forest at night is even more dangerous, but Ado's body and Xiuqi's [Primary Deflection Field] form a double protection, preventing potential threats from getting close.

Link held up a torch for illumination, the flame flickering in the darkness.

An hour later, they reached the edge of the forest. The trees were sparse and the terrain was open, making it suitable for camping.

Xiuqi chose a clearing backed by a rock wall, so he only needed to guard three directions. Ado put down his weapon and clumsily helped gather firewood.

Link started a campfire, the flames dispelling the chill. He took out some dry rations from his bag—hard bread, smoked jerky, and a few summer fruits. Xiuqi shared some fairy tea and dwarf energy biscuits.

Ado has a huge appetite, and Xiuqi prepared enough food for five people for it.

The three sat around the campfire eating. Exhaustion from the battle was evident, but their spirits were lifted by victory.

"Mr. Hugh," Link began, "today... is the best day I've had since I became an adventurer. I used to hunt with my grandfather and I've seen goblins before, but I never imagined I could wipe out an entire tribe."

Xiuqi took a sip of red tea: "You did very well today. Your archery was accurate, your control of the situation was good, and most importantly, you remained calm."

This is genuine praise. Although Link is young, he didn't panic in the battle, and every arrow he fired was effective.

Link's face flushed in the firelight: "It was thanks to your excellent command. And Mr. Hodor... he's too strong. Those goblins were no match for him."

Upon hearing the name, Ado raised its head, letting out a pleasant gurgling sound. It held the smoked jerky in its enormous paw and swallowed it whole.

Xiuqi looked at the ogre. Several shallow dents on Ado's robe and chainmail were visible in the firelight, but none of them went all the way through.

Level 4 [Blade Protection] combined with armor and the Hard Leather talent provides indeed strong defense.

"Ado is a reliable partner," Hugh said, "but remember, even the strongest defense has its limits. Never let your guard down in battle."

Link nodded seriously: "I've got it."

Late at night.

Shuki arranged the watch order: Link was on the first watch, he himself on the second watch, and Ado on the last watch.

Link sat by the campfire, clutching his longbow, warily watching the surrounding darkness. Though weary, the boy's eyes remained sharp.

Xiu Qi leaned against the rock wall, closed his eyes, and entered a shallow meditation. The rare meditation stone on his chest continued to operate, its gentle spiritual energy nourishing his mental strength and repairing the minor damage from the battle.

I mentally rehearse today's battle.

The [Basic Deflection Field] performs well in actual combat, but it can still be improved—for example, the duration of the force field binding can be extended, and the efficiency of the force field vortex can be further improved.

The princess's combat power has surpassed that of an ordinary level 1 professional. Her [Void Walk] combined with her spiked hammer attacks is difficult to defend against. If she can advance to two stars, her strength will experience a qualitative leap.

Ado... pure overwhelming power. In unrestricted terrain, it is invincible.

However, be wary of armor penetration and magical attacks—fortunately, the opponent has no spellcasters today.

Link has great potential. With systematic training, he could become an excellent ranger in the future, or even the core of a team's crowd control.

My thoughts gradually became clear during meditation.