novelraw Chapter 247: Swift Rushing Punch Evolves — Mountain-Shaking Fist
Chapter 247: Swift Rushing Punch Evolves — Mountain-Shaking Fist
The Adventurers' Association in the early morning was as noisy as ever.
Even though it was still morning, many adventurers had already come to the association, sitting in the main hall, ordering a barrel of ale, and drinking while bragging with their companions.
Even when they weren’t on jobs and were resting, these adventurers were used to coming to the association.
There were also some retired middle-aged and elderly people boasting about their youthful adventure exploits...
They looked ordinary, but each of them had some experience;
a few even wore the adventurer badges that marked Silver Level status on their chests.
Luckily, they had arranged a meeting place in advance yesterday. Otherwise, in such a loud, chaotic hall, finding people would have taken quite a while.
They reached the eastern corner of the hall, and Lin Mo quickly spotted Dirk and the others waiting.
“Here they come…”
Dirk waved to them. “We were just discussing which quests to take. Lin Mo, brother, what do you think about these?”
Lin Mo glanced over to check.There were five or six quests in total, mostly the common monster-hunt/material-gathering type. These tasks didn’t require much thinking—find the target, defeat it, collect the materials.
Most adventurers preferred these kinds of quests.
That naturally included Lin Mo.
“I’m fine with any of them. Pick whichever you like.”
Lin Mo didn’t doubt Dirk’s professionalism.
Although there had been a small mishap on that previous C-rank job which made it harder than Dirk had described—making it not as simple as a typical C-rank mission—that was an accident and didn’t invalidate Dirk’s judgment.
Dirk had no real problems picking suitable tasks.
Before long, Dirk selected three tasks that offered a good balance of difficulty and reward.
After confirming the tasks, Lin Mo and Dirk went to the association counter to accept them.
Different from the counter that handled C-rank quests, the D-rank counter was busier because D-rank tasks were simpler and suited the mainstream adventurer crowd in the Royal Capital. Long lines formed in front of each D-rank counter.
Dirk had anticipated this. When they had picked the quests, someone from Dirk’s team had already gone to queue.
Now that tasks were confirmed, they were nearly at the front, so they wouldn’t waste time.
Soon it was their turn. Dirk handed the three quest slips and their team badge to the counter staff. “Please accept these three quests…as a cooperative effort.”
Lin Mo handed over the Silver Radiance Team badge as well.
Accepting the tasks cooperatively would allow the quest completion count to be recorded on both parties’ records.
“All right, one moment please.”
The clerk nodded, took the materials, and began the routine procedures with practiced speed.
“Quest numbers D67234, D68889, D70153. Please confirm the quest details.”
Shen Lin glanced at the eight lines of quest details.
The first was to hunt the Shattered Rock Golems.
[Hunt Shattered Rock Golems]
Quest Number: D67234
Type: Cleanup / Material Collection
Client: Fargard City Mining Association
Reward: 800 Gold Coins
Quest Brief:
Shattered rock golems formed from condensed ore have appeared in Sector 2 of the Boulder Mine (threat level 3–5). They have damaged three shafts. Kill at least two Shattered Rock Golems and bring back their cores, “Rock Cores” (extra cores will be calculated for additional recycling payment).
Note: Targets have considerable physical resistance. It is recommended to bring heavy weapons or a mage professional.
It was a fairly standard quest, a moderate difficulty D-rank with a decent reward.
D-rank payouts generally stayed below 1000 Gold Coins, so 800 Gold was on the higher end.
The second quest was to clear the Crystal-Eating Grubs.
[Clear Crystal-Eating Grubs Nest]
Quest Number: D68889
Type: Hunt / Ecological Maintenance
Client: Alchemists’ Symposium
Reward: 1200 Gold Coins + high-price material buyback
Quest Brief:
A batch of crystal-eating grubs has massively proliferated in a cave in the mid-section of Sector 3, devouring more than 2000 Gold Coins worth of magic ore. Clear the swarm and kill the broodmother, the “Crystal-Eating Grub Queen” (threat level around 8).
Note 1: The grubs’ bodily fluids are highly corrosive;
prepare anti-acid reagents.
Note 2: The broodmother usually hides deep in the cave.
Anti-acid reagents weren’t necessary to buy;
these common alchemical reagents were usually prepared by Dirk’s team. Madam Shachel’s batch of alchemical supplies had included them as well.
Compared to the previous task, this one was clearly much harder, requiring facing a low-tier lord-level monster;
its level likely reached 8.
Therefore, the reward was significantly higher—the base pay already exceeded normal D-rank norms, plus the high-value buyback of grub materials.
The last quest was to investigate the crystallized spiders.
[Investigate Crystallized Spider Nest]
Quest Number: D70153
Type: Exploration / Material Collection
Client: Preston Trading Guild
Reward: 1000 Gold Coins + high-price spider silk buyback
Quest Brief:
A nest of crystallized spiders was discovered in the rear section of Sector 6. Investigate the nest size and bring back as intact spider silk as possible.
Warning: The nest may contain the “Crystallized Spider Queen” (threat level 10). Please pay attention to your party’s combat composition.
Wow!
This task was probably the ceiling of D-rank difficulty.
However, the quest itself didn’t necessarily require battle;
it was mainly exploration and material collection. So the base reward was lower than the previous task, but with the extra spider silk buyback, the total payout would still likely exceed the grub quest.
And that “Crystallized Spider Queen,” if they actually encountered her, Lin Mo certainly wouldn’t miss the chance.
A level-10 monster was close to Elite Level and would grant a lot of proficiency.
Such a lucrative target was undeniably worth taking.
“Confirming information. Please accept these for us.”
Lin Mo nodded.
“All right…”
In a few motions, the counter lady completed the work and returned the documents to them.
“Let’s go. Time to head out.”
They left the Adventurers' Association and made for the Royal Capital gate. Unlike Fargard City, the main adventurer areas of the Royal Capital were located outside the city, so the association was actually closer to the city gate.
They retrieved the stored carriage at the gate and headed straight toward the Boulder Mine.
As Dirk had said, going to the Boulder Mine required taking a very large detour.
The mine’s interior roads were relatively narrow, so few merchant caravans chose this route.
Fortunately, the Boulder Mine had been developed for many years and the facilities were decent, so the carriage could pass without issue.
Before reaching the mine there was still a long, relatively safe route.
Lin Mo sat in the carriage and opened his status panel to check things over.
He planned to continue improving the same set of skills, and he wanted to find a chance to test the newly acquired skill, Demonic Light Piercing Kill.
He was very curious about that skill’s effects.
With nothing pressing to do and no monsters on the road, Lin Mo chatted with the group.
They talked about everyday things. Ellie mentioned Lena, who was still in Fargard City, wondering how her planting plans were going...
With nothing else to do, Lin Mo started brushing the big-tailed wolf’s fur.
This was one of Ellie’s favorite moments. She lay on Lin Mo’s lap, eyes half-closed, occasionally twitching in contentment.
Lin Mo carefully groomed Ellie’s fur, then noticed a fixed gaze watching them.
Looking up, he saw Finnie.
When she sensed Lin Mo’s stare and their eyes met, Finnie blushed and turned her head away.
Even after spending so much time together, she remained as shy as when they first met.
Lin Mo was more casual. After finishing with Ellie’s fur, he pulled Finnie over, helped smooth her hair, and practiced some hairstyling techniques on her.
He progressed quickly;
though not as skilled as Sherfilia, his work looked presentable enough.
Such warm daily moments were a rare, pleasant touch in adventuring life.
Soon, monsters appeared along their path.
Yet neither Lin Mo nor Dirk reacted much.
Someone would handle it anyway.
Sure enough, the next instant Lin Mo leaped out of the carriage.
Furious Leap Cleave!
He landed hard;
the tremendous impact crushed the poor monster into pulp.
Furious Leap Cleave proficiency +8
It was just a level-1 monster.
After all, this wasn’t a monster-dense area—out in the wild, a level-1 monster was already a higher tier for the region.
The following monsters they met were mostly below level 1.
But a tiny bite is still meat;
Lin Mo accepted them all, collecting the proficiency steadily.
After encountering monsters intermittently, by afternoon the carriage finally arrived at the Boulder Mine.
It had been a long distance. Since this time there was no merchant caravan—only their two adventurer teams—the carriage traveled much faster than on their previous job.
Clearly this route took a long detour.
And that was only the start;
travel inside the Boulder Mine wouldn’t be easy either.
It was a mine, with a maze of tunnels. Since they had tasks to perform, it would probably take three to four days to return to Fargard City.
A round trip would be almost a week.
The carriage stopped at the mine entrance. They checked the vehicle and horses, then confirmed their equipment, weapons, and items. Everything was in order, and the carriage proceeded into the mining area.
The Boulder Mine was the smallest monster gathering near Fargard City, but its size was comparable to Roland Forest. The whole mine was actually a huge underground cavity, so entering it meant a long downhill road at the entrance.
Although many monsters lived inside, the mine was still operational. The upper and middle layers had many formal mining tunnels.
Those tunnels were usually guarded and maintained, but monsters occasionally broke in and damaged the shafts.
“We can head to the mining area first and ask the miners there about details on these quests... Although the association’s information is fairly detailed, such intel is time-sensitive. The miners’ firsthand reports are usually more accurate.”
As an experienced veteran adventurer, Dirk had been to the Boulder Mine many times.
Lin Mo nodded. When it came to concrete arrangements related to adventuring, he usually listened to Dirk.
He could also learn a thing or two.
Adventuring was a career that always required learning, especially for someone like him who improved rapidly and frequently traveled. General knowledge served forever, but region-specific experience needed to be relearned in every new place.
“Before we reach the mining area, there’s a desolate stretch that might have some monsters. Their strength isn’t high—some are even below level 1. The strongest will be around level 2 or 3, typical of newbie adventurers or folks just arriving to develop here.”
Sure enough, not long after Dirk said this, they saw an adventurer party fighting monsters on the road.
They looked young, around twenty-three or twenty-four. Their opponents were two level-1 monsters and one level-2 monster, plus a few below level 1...
The battle looked difficult. Several adventurers were already injured;
if it continued, the outcome would be poor.
In a small town or village these adventurers might count as prodigies.
More likely they came from remote regions, coming to the Royal Capital and Fargard City for better opportunities.
Dirk and Lin Mo exchanged glances. Lin Mo stood up. “I’ll go.”
The next moment he jumped down from the carriage.
Since other adventurers were tangled up with the monsters, using large-area attacks would be inconvenient, so Lin Mo accelerated directly toward the lone level-2 monster.
Swift Rushing Punch
With a single punch, the terrifying force shattered the rock-armored rat’s shell. The power drove it embedded into the wall, and it immediately stopped moving.
The captain of the struggling adventurer party froze.
He didn’t feel his wounds at that moment, just stunned, staring at the stunning scene.
So strong!
Lin Mo didn’t stop. He kept landing blows—one punch per monster—killing them all.
Swift Rushing Punch proficiency +15
Swift Rushing Punch proficiency +3
Swift Rushing Punch proficiency +8
...
In less than ten seconds, the field was cleared.
Just like back in Roland Forest before, Lin Mo didn’t explain—he waved and turned to leave.
The adventurers looked at the loot on the ground and the retreating carriage, momentarily bewildered.
“So there are adventurers like that in this world too…”
About two hours later.
Sitting under the carriage, Ellie reviewed the recent messages.
Since entering the Boulder Mine, she had mostly used only Swift Rushing Punch.
This focused training method was clearly effective.
The skill’s proficiency had reached full, arriving at level 6—the max for an excellent-grade skill.
“Skill Swift Rushing Punch Lv5 (180/180) leveled up!”
“Current skill Swift Rushing Punch Lv6 (Max)”
“Gained attribute point: Strength +3!”
“Automatically evolved into a new skill — Mountain-Shaking Fist!”
“Learned skill Mountain-Shaking Fist! Gained attribute point: Strength +3!”
Two Strength points were credited, increasing Lin Mo’s base Strength by 6 points in total.
His Strength was now 99, only 7 points shy of his Mana at 106!
So what was the effect of the evolved skill from Swift Rushing Punch?
Lin Mo checked carefully.
[Mountain-Shaking Fist] Lv1 (0/10): Condense qi and blood into a fist aura, delivering a powerful impact that, upon hit, forcibly knocks back enemies with strength lower than the user (knocked-back targets cannot immediately counterattack).
Not bad!
Lin Mo brightened as he read the skill description.
As an Exceptional-Grade skill, it had solid power plus a small control effect—pretty excellent.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t test it immediately.
After two hours of travel, they had arrived at the mining area.
Compared to the earlier stretch, this place showed more human development—less desolate and fairly established.
Rest areas built for miners resembled a small village.
Outside the mining area were guards, likely from Fargard City. They looked elite—professionals—and had a leader who seemed to hold a significant post.
Dirk handled the communication.
“Hello, we’re adventurers here to take on quests and wanted to confirm some information about the mine...”
“All right, please come in.”
The guards were reasonable. After all, adventurers coming to do tasks effectively helped them shoulder some of the burden. Mines in monster regions frequently faced attacks or sabotage;
without adventurers, the guards would have to handle everything themselves.
Once inside the rest area, mining officials came to meet them.
“Sorry, conditions in the mine are limited. Please have some hot tea...”
After a few polite lines, they got to the point.
“Which quests did you accept?”
“Numbers D67234, D68889, and D70153.”
“Three quests?”
The official was surprised, then pleased—the arrival of a capable group had brightened his face.
“For D67234, we can provide the exact locations of the Shattered Rock Golems. They’ve previously damaged shafts and severely impacted mining, so we’ve been monitoring their movements... If you need, we can arrange personnel to guide you.”
That would be perfect!
Dirk smiled. Indeed, they had come to the right place.
Although the association provided general areas, the Boulder Mine was not small. Breaking down areas into precise sectors could still be tricky;
with a guide, they only needed to fight, saving a lot of hassle.
As for the fights themselves—those were adventurers’ specialty.
“Don’t delay. Please arrange guides right away.”
“Now?”
The official hesitated. Normally, adventurers would rest first upon arrival.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, no... I’ll arrange it immediately!”
He sounded excited;
the Shattered Rock Golems had indeed caused a lot of trouble.
Although the camp had guards, their numbers were limited, and the golems’ levels were high—beyond what ordinary guards could handle.
The camp’s efficiency was high. They swiftly arranged guides.
“Adventurers, please follow this way.”
The carriage resumed, heading toward Sector 2 of the Boulder Mine.
The Boulder Mine had three vertical tiers: upper, middle, and lower.
The upper tier covered Sectors 1–3, the middle 4–6, and the deepest areas 7–9 made up the lower tier.
The lower tier was undeveloped desolate land—not because there was no will to develop, but because it was heavily infested with powerful monsters, making development costs far exceed potential gains.
Thus Sectors 7–9 were considered forbidden zones.
The upper and middle tiers—Sectors 1–6—were developed and mined.
Their first task was to go to Sector 2 and eliminate the monsters that had damaged the mining shafts.
“We’re almost there…”
The guide sitting in Dirk’s carriage nervously swallowed.
The others were adventurers, but he wasn’t. Although he was part of the guard unit and a professional, his strength only matched level 1;
he’d be helpless against powerful monsters.
He didn’t know these adventurers’ true levels but had witnessed the carnage those monsters caused, so he couldn’t help being anxious.
“Don’t be nervous. Relax…”
Dirk noticed his unease and patted his shoulder. “Leave it to us.”
A short while later the carriage stopped at a damaged section of a mining tunnel.
The guide pointed ahead. “It’s there. A little farther, you’ll see a huge hollow entrance—that’s Mine C033, occupied by monsters.”
“All right, thanks for your trouble.”
Dirk nodded and led everyone down from the carriage toward the entrance.
Meanwhile Lin Mo did some simple stretches and exhaled.
His hands were itching—he couldn’t wait to try those two new skills.