Chapter 15: Biological Research Activated
【Ouroboros Ring】 had indeed given him the capital to make endless mistakes, granting him the confidence to face this world.
But this was not rely a blessing—it was also a gateway to the abyss.
Death was often the final safeguard of human rationality.
If a person no longer feared death, then they were not far from being completely devoured by desire.
Precisely because Lance had died once before, he understood better than anyone the heavy aning of life.
Therefore, he would never rely on his resurrection ability to indulge recklessly.
To him, this talent would forever remain a final safety net in life—a trump card to turn the tide in desperate situations, never a chip to squander his life.
Carrying these heavy thoughts, Lance walked into the general store.
Then, clutching his chest, he paid 10 copper coins with a pained expression.
On the table appeared a small jar of anti-rust oil and a coarse whetstone.
That fine steel short sword had pierced through a Goblin’s face today and had been stained with corrosive monster blood.
It had to be thoroughly cleaned and polished, then coated with a thick layer of oil to prevent rust, ensuring it would remain sharp the next ti it was drawn.
As for the wooden shield, although its surface had a few shallow dents from stones, the handle was still firm and stable—no repairs were needed for now.
After completing the basic maintenance, Lance turned and walked into the weapon shop next door.
He had not forgotten today’s lesson.
As a lone adventurer, lacking a ranged attack thod was a fatal weakness.
“Boss, do you have crossbows?”
Lance asked as soon as he entered.
In his impression, crossbows were easy to use and powerful—ideal for beginners.
However, the bearded shop owner shook his head and pointed at several longbows hanging on the wall.
“Kid, take my advice—if you’re heading into forests or dungeons, don’t use those things.”
After the owner’s explanation, Lance finally understood.
Why most Adventurers he had seen in the guild hall carried longbows.
While crossbows were easy to pick up, maintaining them in complex adventuring environnts was a nightmare.
Their precise chanical structures were extrely prone to jamming from water, mud, sand, or impacts.
Once damaged during combat, an ordinary person simply could not repair them in the wild.
In contrast, bows had a much simpler structure.
A flexible piece of wood and a durable bowstring were enough to handle most harsh environnts.
Moreover, in the hands of a skilled user, a bow’s firing rate and power were no weaker than a crossbow.
Following the professional advice, Lance ultimately chose a short bow made of hazel wood.
This bow cost him 50 copper coins.
But what truly made his heart ache were the arrows.
These crafted wooden shaft feathered arrows cost 1 copper coin each.
Gritting his teeth, Lance bought fifty in one go.
They were consumables, and during the early stages of practice, there would inevitably be heavy losses and breakage.
He did not aim too high by purchasing a more powerful hunting bow.
This hazel short bow had an effective killing range of about thirty steps, but for a complete beginner who had never touched a bow before, it was more than sufficient.
At greater distances, with his current skill level, he simply wouldn’t be able to hit anything accurately.
After finishing his shopping—
Lance returned to his residence.
Calling it a residence was generous; it was more like a cramped attic room.
The space was so small it could only fit a hard wooden bed and a chipped square table.
The only window was set into the slanted roof, barely allowing a bit of midday sunlight to filter in.
Although the walls had been whitewashed, they still couldn’t mask the musty sll of old wood.
Even such a cramped “pigeon cage” cost as much as 4 silver coins per month in rent.
This price was definitely not cheap in Graystone Town.
But Lance paid it willingly.
Because it was located behind the bustling comrcial street, less than ten ters from the patrol route of the town guards.
Surrounded by taverns and inns that operated all night, the area remained brightly lit even at midnight.
The previous owner of this body had died precisely because he tried to save money and rented a place on the edge of the slums, giving a thief the opportunity to strike.
To Lance, exchanging money for safety was absolutely worth it.
When he had more funds in the future, he could always move to a standalone house with its own yard.
Lance removed his pack and took out the damp clump of Coagulation Moss.
He opened 《Basic Botany and Simple Potion Crafting》 and began processing the material according to the instructions.
Since he lacked proper alchemical equipnt, he could not use extraction thods.
He could only find a clean piece of linen cloth, carefully remove dirt and impurities from the moss, and then spread it flat on the ventilated windowsill.
This moss naturally grew near waterfalls, containing high moisture and viscous sap.
Using this primitive natural air-drying thod would take at least three days.
During the process, it also needed to be turned regularly to prevent dampness and mold.
Once it beca moldy, all the effort spent collecting it would be wasted.
After finishing everything, Lance sat by the bed and habitually summoned the system panel, preparing to check the research progress of the 【Hemostatic Ointnt】 formula.
However, the mont the panel appeared, his gaze was drawn to a newly lit icon beside it.
The previously dim 【Biological Research】 module was now emitting a faint glow.
Lance froze for a mont, then quickly understood.
Today, he had not only encountered monsters but had personally killed four Goblins.
This had clearly triggered the system’s unlock condition.
A clear notification appeared on his retina.
【System Notification: Valid biological samples detected. “Biological Research” module activated】
As he focused his thoughts, a new interface slowly unfolded.
In the previously empty compendium list, the first card had been illuminated.
On the card was an illustration of a hideous, green, short creature wielding a bone club, with detailed information annotated beside it.
Biological Compendium: Monster · Goblin
Current Research Progress: LV 1 (4/20)
The number “4” undoubtedly corresponded to the four souls that had fallen under his sword today.
In other words, he only needed to kill 16 more of these green-skinned creatures to fill the first-stage progress bar.
“Doesn’t seem too difficult.”
Lance stroked his chin.
According to the chanics of the ga he rembered, every ti the research level of a species increased, players could obtain special rewards.
After reaching Level 3, it was even possible to draw that species’ racial talent.
Although Goblins were at the very bottom of the monster hierarchy, this did not an they were worthless.
On the contrary, being able to reproduce like weeds in such a harsh natural environnt ant they possessed certain talents even humans would envy.
For example, a talent called 【Low-Light Vision】.
Creatures with this ability could maximize the capture of faint light.
Even in the depths of dim caves, they could see as clearly as humans could on a cloudy day.
For Adventurers who frequently ventured into underground dungeons or operated at night, it was nothing short of a god-tier ability.
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