419: The pitiful "Nicole"

Hearing the shout, Therese gritted her teeth and rushed toward the Little Priestess. Her legs felt a bit weak, and the impact on her back had clearly affected her agility; every step brought a dull, hidden ache.

Shang Wan Ning hurriedly propped up a tottering Light Shield, and Therese happened to crash into its protective range.

The shield shook violently for a moment before it finally failed to hold, shattering into a shower of light points with a pop.

“Therese, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” Shang Wan Ning quickly reached out to support the Half-Elf, her face filled with genuine panic.

Therese used the support to steady herself, pressing a hand to her back while breathing heavily, her brows furrowed. “Thanks. I won't die, my back's just a bit numb.”

Her gaze quickly swept across the battlefield.

The Flame-Claw Wolf was currently locked in a struggle with three adventurers, fangs flashing as the battle hung in the balance. Only a few scattered jellyfish remained floating on the lake surface, their light so dim they almost blended into the twilight.

And the moonlight grass by the lakeshore... Therese's heart sank.

Most of the moonlight grass had been trampled or scorched in the chaos just now; only a single, solitary stalk remained relatively intact.

Shang Wan Ning followed her gaze, her small face falling. “How is there only one stalk left? The quest requires ten; what are we going to do?”

Therese's expression grew increasingly grim.

If this quest failed, not only would they not get the reward, but because they couldn't even complete a D-rank quest, the guild would further question her abilities, making it even harder to take on quests in the future.

Just then, Shang Wan Ning suddenly bent over, staring at a patch of turf nearby that had been overturned by a shockwave, letting out a soft sound of surprise. “Therese, look here. Does something seem to be pressed under the turf?”

The Half-Elf looked in the direction the girl was pointing and sure enough, saw two intact stalks of moonlight grass half-buried by the overturned turf, their leaves still stained with moist soil.

If not for the Little Priestess's sharp eyes, it would have been impossible to find them.

“Quick!”

Hope reignited in Therese's eyes as she endured the pain in her back and rushed over.

Shang Wan Ning nimbly squatted down, carefully brushing aside the turf to dig out the two stalks of moonlight grass by the roots, quickly stuffing them into her cloth bag.

She patted the bag, a joyful smile appearing on her face. “Including the ones we picked before, it's exactly ten stalks. Not one more, not one less.”

Therese let out a long breath, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly. “It's thanks to your sharp eyes, otherwise we really would have been done for this time.”

“We're partners, we're supposed to help each other out.” Shang Wan Ning shook her head and gave a shy smile.

“Besides, you were protecting me just now. If anyone should be thanking anyone, it's me thanking you.”

On the other side, the Flame-Claw Wolf suddenly let out an unwilling roar. Several hideous wounds had been added to its body, blood soaking its grayish-brown fur. The three adventurers were also in quite a pathetic state; the thief's arm had been grazed by a wolf claw, and blood was dripping down.

Seeing that there was no advantage to be gained and noticing that Shang Wan Ning and Therese had already succeeded, the bald warrior barked, “Retreat!”

The three of them didn't linger at all, quickly retreating into the shadows of the forest and vanishing in the blink of an eye.

The Flame-Claw Wolf's crimson eyes turned toward Shang Wan Ning and Therese, a threatening low growl emitting from its throat as its claws dug deep furrows into the ground.

But its injuries were not light, and it was wary of the longbow that remained taut in Therese's hands. Ultimately, it just bared its teeth and dragged its injured leg as it limped away, disappearing into the depths of the dense forest.

The crisis was temporarily averted.

Therese's mind completely relaxed, and the pain in her back intensified, making her unable to stop herself from sucking in a breath of cold air.

“Your injury...”

Shang Wan Ning worriedly supported her arm, reaching out as if to touch it but afraid of hurting her. “Should we treat it first?”

“No need, it's just a superficial wound. I'll deal with it when we get back.” Therese waved her hand, her gaze falling on the cloth bag in Shang Wan Ning's hand, her tone sincere: “I'm truly grateful to you this time. Without you, the quest would have failed.”

Shang Wan Ning's cheeks reddened slightly as she gently shook her head. “I didn't really do anything, I just happened to see them.”

Looking at this seemingly weak girl priest who always managed to bring surprises at critical moments, the initial sense of distance in Therese's heart faded slightly.

“Let's go. It's not safe to stay here. Let's hurry back and turn in the quest.”

The two didn't dare delay and quickly returned the way they came.

It was already afternoon by the time they returned to the Chisong Town Adventurer Guild. The guild hall was bustling with noise, with many adventurers gathered around the quest board picking tasks or boasting about their achievements.

Therese walked straight to the counter and placed the cloth bag on the table. The moonlight grass inside rolled out neatly; the leaves were lush green and brimming with magic power—every single stalk was perfectly intact.

The middle-aged clerk lifted his eyelids and took a lazy glance. Suddenly, he sat up straight and picked up a stalk of moonlight grass to examine it closely.

“This is top-tier quality!” He looked at Therese in surprise. “You two actually completed it?”

Shang Wan Ning nodded timidly. “Yes, sir. We were very lucky.”

The clerk picked up another stalk to check, astonishment flashing in his eyes. “These stalks of moonlight grass are preserved quite perfectly; almost no magic power has been lost. How did you do it? Isn't Moonlight Lake guarded by Halo Jellyfish?”

Just as Therese was about to speak, Shang Wan Ning beat her to it, saying in a tone tinged with lingering fear, “When we arrived, there happened to be a Flame-Claw Wolf fighting with the jellyfish swarm. We... we just took advantage of the situation.”

She lowered her head, her fingers nervously twisting the corner of her clothes.

She looked exactly like a novice who had narrowly escaped with her life.

The clerk narrowed his eyes, clearly not quite believing it. “Was it really that simple?”

“Really!”

Shang Wan Ning looked up, her eyes welling with tears at just the right moment. “The light from those jellyfish almost blinded me, and that wolf was so scary... we almost didn't make it back.”

Therese watched Shang Wan Ning's performance from the side, silently marveling in her heart.

‘This Little Priestess's act of playing pitiful is truly seamless.’

The clerk stared at Shang Wan Ning for a good while before finally sighing. “Consider yourselves lucky. Ten gold coins. According to the rules, F-rank mercenaries only get thirty percent.”

He took out a commission bag and pushed it in front of Therese, specifically adding, “This is an exception because you used to be D-rank.”

Therese took out three gold coins and handed them to Shang Wan Ning, tucking the rest into her bosom. “Your share.”

Shang Wan Ning took the gold coins, her fingertips lightly rubbing against them. These gold coins were coarse in texture with slight wear on the edges, completely different from the incense points used in the Underworld.

“Thank you, sir.”

She gave the clerk a sweet smile and carefully put away the gold coins.

The clerk was momentarily dazzled by the smile, and his attitude couldn't help but soften a bit. He suggested again, “Little girl, the adventurer business is very dangerous. Someone like you should find a more stable job.”

Shang Wan Ning blinked her big, innocent eyes. “But I really need the money. And...”

She stole a glance at Therese. “I feel very safe partnering with Miss Therese.”

Therese gave a light cough, interrupting the conversation. “Let's go.”

As the two turned to leave the counter, the clerk's muttering could be heard behind them: “Young transcendents these days, none of them are afraid of death.”

After walking out of the guild, Therese suddenly stopped and stared at Shang Wan Ning. “Your acting just now was pretty good.”