Ding… The Village Chief of Novice Village No. 60001 has requested your help in collecting 100 wolf teeth.
* Quest Type: Common
* Time Limit: None
* Quest Reward: 1000 EXP, one random level 5 iron equipment.
* Note: Originally a level 5 quest. Completing it ahead of time may grant additional rewards.
Wolves… Again. First, it was wolf eyes, and now it’s wolf teeth. Ye Tianxie accepted the quest, and the village chief nodded in relief, saying, “Young man, I’ll be waiting for your triumphant return. Here, I hope these will be of use to you.”
Ding… You have received 10 Small Recovery Potions, 5 Apples, and 5 Steamed Buns from the Village Chief of Novice Village No. 60001.
* Small Recovery Potion: Instantly restores 100 HP. Cooldown: 5 seconds. Cannot stack effects with similar recovery items.
* Apple: A common fruit. Restores 50 HP and reduces hunger by 10.
* Steamed Bun: A common pastry. Restores 10 HP and reduces hunger by 30.
Not bad… a little extra bonus. Ye Tianxie stashed the items away and thanked the village chief.
The village chief chuckled and said, “Before you go, let me teach you a basic life skill.” With a wave of his old hand, a faint white glow spread between them.
Ding… You have learned ‘Beginner Gathering,’ which allows you to collect basic materials from monster corpses.
“Master, master! That thing called an apple looks like it’s edible! I want to eat it, I want to eat it!” After a brief moment of silence, Guo Guo suddenly clawed at Ye Tianxie’s ear, whining.
A vein twitched on Ye Tianxie’s forehead as he hissed, “Be quiet!”
“Oh? What did you just say?” The village chief looked up in confusion.
Ye Tianxie turned to him with an innocent expression, perfectly mirroring the old man’s confusion. “I didn’t say anything.”
The village chief hesitated, then muttered to himself, wondering if his old ears were finally failing him. Choosing not to dwell on it, he smiled and said, “By the way, Old Wang at the blacksmith’s shop seems to be looking for someone to help him out. You should go check with him.”
Ye Tianxie nodded, bid farewell, and walked toward the small forge, where the rhythmic sound of hammering echoed.
"Wuuu… Master, I want to eat that apple… You promised you wouldn’t bully the cutest, most obedient Guo Guo anymore… Wuuu…”
Tearful eyes, a pitiful voice, and a gaze brimming with impending waterworks—Ye Tianxie knew he had lost this battle. He retrieved an apple from his inventory and handed it to Guo Guo.
The moment she held it, her tiny body nearly dropped to the ground from its weight. Struggling to hover back up while clutching the oversized fruit, she beamed. “Wow! So big! It looks so yummy!”
Opening her tiny mouth, she bit down hard on the apple, barely making a dent in its skin. After a great effort, she finally managed to tear off a small chunk and began happily munching, letting out little delighted hums with each bite.
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Watching a little girl enthusiastically devour an apple almost as big as her own head was unexpectedly amusing, even making Ye Tianxie’s lips curl slightly in an imperceptible smile.
THE BLACKSMITH’S REQUEST
“Hello, Blacksmith Uncle. Is there anything I can help you with?”
The blacksmith turned upon hearing his voice, his dark, soot-covered face breaking into a smile. “Ah, a traveler from another world. Indeed, I do need some help. My forge has been running low on materials lately. Could you collect some wild boar tusks for me?”
Ding… Due to your exceptional charm, Blacksmith Old Wang’s favorability has increased by +20.
Blacksmith Old Wang requests your help in collecting 20 Wild Boar Tusks.
* Quest Type: Common
* Time Limit: None
* Quest Reward: 200 EXP, one random level 3 Pale Equipment.
* Accept the quest?
The crunch crunch sounds of Guo Guo’s apple consumption continued incessantly beside Ye Tianxie’s ear. Since she had gotten her hands on the apple, the sound hadn’t stopped. Fortunately, once the apple entered her grasp, it seemed to have become invisible to others, just like her. Otherwise, the sight of a floating apple gradually vanishing bite by bite would surely leave people in shock.
After a brief moment of thought, Ye Tianxie declined the quest with a smile. “Blacksmith Uncle, wild boar tusks are indeed useful forging materials, but I believe wolf teeth are even more durable. How about I collect some wolf teeth for you instead?”
Wild boars were level 2 monsters, and their territory was currently swarmed with players grinding for levels and quests. Gathering twenty tusks would likely be time-consuming. Meanwhile, he had just accepted a quest from the village chief to collect wolf teeth—what a perfect opportunity to double up on efficiency.
The blacksmith’s eyes lit up, his smile widening. “It’s rare to see such an eager young man these days. But wolves are vicious creatures, much more dangerous than boars. Are you sure you’re willing to gather wolf teeth for me?”
Ding… Blacksmith Old Wang’s favorability +10.
Quest updated: Collect 20 Wolf Teeth instead of Boar Tusks. Rewards remain unchanged. Accept the quest?
“Of course! I’ll bring them to you as soon as possible.” Ye Tianxie replied cheerfully.
Although the quest rewards hadn’t changed, the additional +10 favorability was already rewarding enough. Just as he turned to leave, the blacksmith suddenly called out to him.
"Young man… Sigh. It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone as kind and warm-hearted as you. Would you mind taking a little time to help me with something else? Maybe… just maybe, you might be able to do it.”
Ye Tianxie halted and immediately turned back with a warm smile. “Helping others is my greatest honor.”
If those who knew his true nature had heard him say this, they would probably drown him in endless scoffs and ridicule.
The blacksmith put down his hammer, let out a deep sigh, and a sorrowful expression clouded his rough features.
"I have a seven-year-old son… He is the most precious treasure of my wife and me. But a month ago, a massive bat—completely black from head to toe—appeared in the skies above Novice Village. After circling for a long time, it suddenly dove down and snatched my son away in its monstrous claws, flying off towards the distant south…"
"That was a demon—a massive, corrupted bat. Or perhaps… it was one of the creatures that escaped from the Tower of Fate. From the moment my son was taken, I knew I would never see him again. Under the claws of such a beast, he could never have survived…"
"Young traveler… could you do me a favor and comfort my wife? Since our son was taken, she has changed completely. Her body grows weaker by the day, her mind more fragile. She murmurs our son’s name endlessly, teetering on the edge of madness. If this continues, she, too, will leave me before long… Everyone in the village has tried to console her, but nothing has worked. Even if you can’t help her, I would still be grateful to you for trying.”
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