Chapter Fourteen: Wages

Watching his level rise by two more ranks to level 36, Lin Feng’s conscience was once again put to the test.

— If the little Grass God hasn’t given up yet, I should find time to visit Lan Naluo and see her indirectly.

A silent resolve settled in Lin Feng’s heart.

...

Feeling his body grow stronger thanks to the enhanced attributes, Lin Feng’s mood was exceptionally bright. Even the knocking sound on the window outside seemed to bring a refreshing sense of calm.

Wait... knocking?

Realizing something, Lin Feng quickly got up to open the door. Outside stood Naslin, who had been waiting impatiently, her face puffed up with anger.

“Lin—Feng—Forest Ranger, I’ve been knocking for a full five minutes!”

Naslin’s brown hair framed her once cute face, now swollen and resembling an angry hamster.

Seeing this, Lin Feng hurriedly apologized. After explaining that he had slept late due to clearing monsters the night before, Naslin begrudgingly forgave him and proceeded with her reason for coming:

“Senior Tinali seems to be visiting a friend and will be away for a short while, so she asked me to deliver the recent work assignments and this month’s payment to you in advance.”

As she spoke, Naslin opened a bag behind her and handed Lin Feng a patrol route map along with a small pouch.

“Thank you for making the trip, Naslin.”

Weighing the pouch in his hand, Lin Feng was surprised by the considerable amount of Mora inside.

“If you encounter any monsters while Tinali is away, please inform me. I will do my best to ensure the safety of the surroundings.”

Because his boss was so reliable and his colleagues treated him well due to his young age, Lin Feng took the initiative to offer his help in clearing monsters.

“Sigh, you’re about the same age as my brother, but you’ve become as dependable as Senior Tinali.”

Naslin looked at Lin Feng with a mix of admiration and regret for her younger brother who was always clamoring to go treasure hunting.

“Well then, I’m counting on you. That Vision of yours is truly enviable. I wonder when the gods will cast their gaze upon me?”

With great envy and curiosity over what attribute her own Vision might hold, Naslin left.

Back inside his room, Lin Feng eagerly opened the pouch.

“Whoa, there’s twenty thousand Mora?!”

Lin Feng was stunned. Even in his previous life, twenty thousand RMB a month was quite substantial. Could a trainee forest ranger really earn this much?

Reading the note left by Tinali cleared up the mystery. Though he was a trainee ranger, Lin Feng had awakened a “Vision,” a rare talent, which earned him additional subsidies.

Moreover, some of the monsters he had cleared earlier were part of commissions from the Adventurers’ Guild, so Tinali included the rewards issued by the guild. That was why Lin Feng, just a few days into the job, received such a handsome payment.

“Having a Vision really does make earning money worry-free.”

Holding the heavy pouch, Lin Feng realized he had underestimated the status of a Vision bearer.

According to the game lore, the power of the Vision comes from fragments of the Seven Archons' divine authority, which are extremely rare.

— In the game, the protagonist mingled with gods and immortals, for whom a mere Vision was not so precious.

But for Lin Feng, who only had a few thousand Mora scraped together, this “rare talent” allowance was more than welcome.

“Come on, Little White, let’s go treat ourselves to a good meal!”

Cradling the excited Little White, who perked up at the mention of good food, Lin Feng set off toward the nearby marketplace.

...

“Help! Someone, please save me—”

Halfway there, Lin Feng heard a familiar voice. Looking down, he saw Faubert, whom he hadn’t seen for days, surrounded by a group of Hydro Slimes, crouching and covering his head defensively.

Lin Feng stared at the small slimes, about the size of Faubert’s hands, and was speechless.

After a moment’s thought, Lin Feng decisively turned away.

— These slimes were so weak that even Timmy at Mondstadt’s bridgehead could easily take down a whole group.

“Hey—Savior, don’t leave! Help me!”

Hearing Faubert’s desperate shout, Lin Feng, though reluctant, was curious about the texture of the slimes. He jumped off the suspension bridge and moved to Faubert’s side.

He pinched a slime’s head, watching the round little creature instinctively struggle in his hand, and silently sighed at Faubert’s helplessness.

— The texture was actually quite nice, like an oversized SpongeBob.

Lin Feng mused inwardly as he held the slime.

Using the weakest wooden spike to clear the slimes away, Lin Feng approached Faubert, whose expression now radiated relief.

“What’s going on? You could have just knocked these slimes down with a stick, couldn’t you?” Lin Feng asked, puzzled.

“Hehe, Savior, listen to me. Normally, I’m not afraid of these or even the legendary giant slimes, but today’s situation is special.”

Faubert stood up from the ground, revealing why he had been crouching so long:

— He was protecting a basket brimming with freshly picked mushrooms, so full that even a slight movement would spill them out.

“If I ran away, I’d lose the mushrooms I gathered overnight. Besides, these slimes don’t hurt much; if I just stay put, they’ll disperse on their own.”

Lin Feng: “...”

Though slimes do sometimes spoil mushrooms, that’s a rather abstract excuse.

Sighing, Lin Feng satisfied his curiosity by casually crushing the slime in his hand and prepared to leave for breakfast.

“Hey, hey, Savior, don’t go! Want to come to my place for a mushroom meal? They’re fresh, just picked!”

Faubert enthusiastically invited Lin Feng.

“No thanks, I’m not a fan of watching colorful little creatures dance,” Lin Feng declined decisively. After all, his first impression of Faubert had been unforgettable.

“Savior, please, I don’t always get sick from mushrooms. This month, I’ve only been sick twice…”

Hearing Faubert’s pleading behind him, Lin Feng quickened his pace in alarm.

...

After emptying several stalls with Little White, Lin Feng looked at the few vendors who had closed early because he wanted to treat Little White to a good meal. He truly felt the change within himself.

From being cornered by a long-bearded tiger in the rainforest with no escape, surviving on wild fruits daily, to now possessing enough strength to protect himself, having a stable home, and even being able to spend two thousand Mora on a good meal for Little White.

All these changes seemed to have started when he arrived in Huacheng City and met Tinali. Feeling grateful, Lin Feng decided to head to the rainforest later and clear out nearby threats as much as possible, easing some of the work pressure on Tinali, who was out visiting a friend.