As he moved forward, the number of players gradually dwindled until none were in sight. This was the territory of level 5 monsters. From this point onward, most monsters gained the trait of actively attacking intruders. At this early stage of the game, this place was a forbidden zone for ordinary players—level 3 was already the upper limit of what they could handle. Of course, that applied only to ordinary players.

Ye Tianxie took a step forward, about to enter the monster-infested area when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a slight movement. He turned his head and was startled to find a figure sitting under a short tree not far to his right. She sat against the tree, her body so frail and withered that her skin looked like dried bark. It was as if she had fused with the tree itself, which explained why Ye Tianxie had completely overlooked her presence at first.

A skinny old woman… An NPC? Ye Tianxie walked toward her.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked, forcing a slightly awkward friendly smile. If put more bluntly, his words essentially meant: Do you have a quest? Hand it over.

As soon as he spoke, his expression froze. He had noticed the old woman's legs—crossed motionlessly on the ground, their exposed parts an eerie shade of gray.

Petrification. The thought flashed through Ye Tianxie's mind.

“The core energy of this world—the Eternal Fate’s Mark—has vanished, its whereabouts unknown. Without its power, the sealing force of the Tower of Fate has finally collapsed, allowing the eight Demon Lords to break free. The escaping demonic energy has begun to corrupt the land, turning even the gentlest creatures into raging beasts... Adventurer from another world, would you be willing to help me collect ten wolf eyes? I need them… but my body is sealed here, unable to move. Will you aid me?”

Ding… ‘The Sealed Elder’ has requested your assistance in collecting ten wolf eyes.

Quest Type: Common

Quest Duration: None

Quest Reward: Unknown

“Accept.” Ye Tianxie chose without hesitation. Though it was an ordinary quest, the reward labeled as ‘Unknown’ piqued his interest. At this early stage of the game, such cryptic descriptions shouldn't normally appear, which meant there could be something special about this quest. This kind of intuition had been honed over years of gaming.

Ding… You have accepted the quest ‘The Sealed Elder’s Request.’

“Can you tell me why your legs have become like this?” Ye Tianxie didn’t rush off in search of wolves. Instead, he crouched down, maintaining his friendly expression. If the ‘Unknown’ reward had caught his curiosity, then the old woman’s nameless title had truly grabbed his attention.

In Fate, every living being had independent thoughts. And as someone who had stubbornly maxed out his Charm stat, Ye Tianxie was confident that those extreme 10 points weren’t for nothing. He wanted to see if he could dig something out of this old woman.

“Young man, just go. Some things are better left unknown,” the elder replied coldly.

“Well… If you can’t move, how about I carry you back to the Beginner’s Village?” Ye Tianxie hesitated before suggesting.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“My body cannot leave this place. But I appreciate your kindness. You should go.”

“…Alright.” Ye Tianxie gave up. “Where is the nearest wolf pack?”

“Up ahead.”

“Got it. I’ll bring back what you need soon.”

Leaving those parting words, Ye Tianxie scanned his surroundings and continued deeper into the territory.

The world of Fate was currently in spring, with a gentle, warm breeze flowing past. Ever since he had first entered the gaming scene, he had never gone through the typical experience of a level 0 player killing level 1 monsters. His starting point was always somewhere jaw-droppingly higher—level 5, or even beyond. That was the only way he could avoid the crowded grind zones and enjoy his solitude.

Northern Hills – Level 5 Wild Wolf Territory.

Wild Wolf – Level 5

HP: 170

A highly aggressive, pack-dwelling creature that actively attacks humans who step into its territory.

A level 0 player, equipped with nothing but basic, attribute-less newbie gear, facing level 5 monsters alone? In nearly every virtual game, that was no different from suicide.

But… that rule only applied to ordinary players.

Because no other players had ventured this far yet, the wild wolves were densely packed, wandering aimlessly, ignoring Ye Tianxie, who stood just outside their territory.

He stepped forward cautiously, testing their aggro range, then picked up a small stone from the ground. With a flick of his wrist, he threw it at the nearest wolf.

-1.

The rock struck the wolf’s head, causing a bright red damage number to appear. The once-quiet wolf instantly snapped its gaze toward Ye Tianxie, its eyes flashing with a faint crimson glow. It let out a long, piercing howl before baring its fangs and sprinting toward him.

Wolves were fast—at least 1.5 times faster than a player’s base movement speed. But more importantly, that howl wasn’t just a cry of rage. In the distance, two more wolves perked up, let out their own howls, and charged toward him.

Three!

Ye Tianxie’s eyes narrowed as he watched the approaching wolves. He didn’t attempt to retreat out of their aggro range. Instead, he slowly raised his newbie short sword.

Whoosh!

A violent gust of wind rushed at him as the first wolf lunged, its razor-sharp fangs closing in on his waist.

Ye Tianxie remained motionless, his eyes calm. Only at the very last moment—when those deadly teeth were about to touch him—did he abruptly shift his body just slightly to the side, allowing the wolf to brush past him.

The smaller the dodge, the less time and movement were wasted. Executing a perfect evasion was far from easy.

The first wolf landed, its attack missing entirely. Another gust of wind followed as the second wolf lunged at him. Without looking, Ye Tianxie suddenly leaned backward, his body folding at a perfect 90-degree angle—just as his right hand casually flicked his short sword upward.

Slash! -15!

The second wolf, leaping over him, had its belly sliced open mid-air. A crimson damage number appeared.

In any game, wolves were a classic example of high-speed, high-attack, low-defense enemies. This was precisely why Ye Tianxie had chosen them as his first target. If he had been up against something like a bear, with its high defense but slow attack speed, it would have been much easier to dodge, but he wouldn’t have had the damage output to break through its defenses.

The third wolf lunged next, right behind the second. Ye Tianxie smoothly straightened his body halfway, using a slight pivot on his left foot to shift his stance by just a fraction—just enough for the wolf to miss him by a hair’s breadth.

As it landed, Ye Tianxie spun on his heel, dashed forward, and struck at the still-recovering second wolf. His short sword stabbed forward twice, both attacks landing cleanly.

Three wolves. Three consecutive attacks in less than two seconds. Yet not a single strike had landed on Ye Tianxie.

His movements? Flawless.

His positioning? Minimal.

A simple sidestep, a half-turn, and a seamless switch from facing forward to a side stance—that was all.