"Daphne, be a good girl and don't throw a tantrum. You didn't sleep last night, must be tired now. Since everything is settled, go rest now." Seeing Daphne sulking, Laika comforted her softly.
Hearing Laika's words, the childlike Daphne indeed felt tired and yawned but didn't forget to turn back to Xiao Hua and the others and say, "I really like you guys. If you have time, come visit me here, I'll be very happy!"
System Prompt: You have gained Daphne's friendship and the right to freely enter the lord's mansion!
Hmm, there's an extra reward! In the future, visit this little girl more often; perhaps it will trigger some special quests!
The female guard Laika escorted Daphne back to her room to rest. Seeing that there was nothing else for them, the four left the lord's mansion.
"What did you get from killing Leiter?" As soon as they left the lord's mansion, Piailing and Fang Ning surrounded Xiao Hua. Leiter was a mage, so killing him should yield some mage equipment!
Phew, thankfully Leiter gave two items usable by mages, so he had something to show for it. Otherwise, the embarrassment of being killed by Leiter's bomb would be exposed! If they knew, they would certainly lecture him about not being too greedy and say that if he had killed Leiter, he would have gotten many more good items.
"The 'Mirage' scroll is yours, and the Cedar Staff is yours." Xiao Hua quickly took out the two items and distributed them to Piailing and Fang Ning. As for Fang Ying, he could only shrug; she couldn't expect him to find archer equipment on a mage!
"Afterwards, let's see what these two items are useful for." After the excitement of the women subsided, Xiao Hua took out the Alpha Gem and the black unhatched egg.
"I don't know, never seen them!" All three responded definitively.
"Could this egg be a mount egg? Since there are no pets in the game, only mount eggs, right?" Piailing guessed while touching the black egg.
"Why don't we check with the mount tamer?" suggested Fang Ning, blinking her eyes.
Xiao Hua agreed, and a few minutes later, the four appeared before the mount tamer.
"What kind of rotten egg is this? I don't recognize it!" The mount tamer glanced at the black egg and responded rudely.
Hearing this, Xiao Hua knew there was no hope. It looked like he would have two more items collecting dust in his storage!
"I'm tired. Let's quickly set up our house so I can get some sleep." Fang Ning yawned. Though she had been playing the game for a long time, she wasn't used to extended gaming sessions. After a night of activity, she felt exhausted.
"Alright, I'll show you the way."
Xiao Hua's house was located on the northwest edge of the city, quite a distance from the mount tamer. It would take over ten minutes by carriage.
As the four sat in the carriage, Xiao Hua looked out the small window at the players coming and going in the city. Most players had calmed down and resumed normal activities. Many were entering and exiting various shops, restocking supplies needed for leveling or skill training.
No. 172 Huale Street—this was the address of Xiao Hua's house. Ten minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of the house, which had been abandoned and uncared for for years.
The slightly blackened wooden door, covered with green patina, automatically opened as Xiao Hua touched it.
"Wow, what a messy and dusty room!" The room had been abandoned for years and was thoroughly derelict. In reality, bugs and rodents would have infested it, but in the game, it was just full of dust and disarray.
"Let's discuss how to allocate the space and hire NPCs to renovate the room quickly!" Fang Ning couldn't wait a moment longer, sweeping aside the clutter with her foot and began sketching on the ground.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The house was just a large hall, but according to player needs, up to ten rooms could be added to the walls, though it would cost money.
"I don't mind. Any place to stay is fine." Xiao Hua set everyone as co-owners of the house and lazily said.
"Really? Then I'll set up a random room for you?" Fang Ning blinked and asked.
"Whatever! You guys figure it out; I'm going to do my advancement quest." Xiao Hua wasn't worried she would make a room he couldn't live in.
"Go ahead. I'll take care of your room!" Fang Ning seemed to have an idea and said excitedly.
Leaving the house, Xiao Hua headed for the Free Exchange Market. Having lost his ring and shoes, he needed to buy replacements before doing the quest. After completing the quest, his level had risen to 31 and 84%, but most of his equipment was still at level 20. It was time for a complete upgrade.
This was the outermost street of the city, where few players were seen. Under the misty morning sky, Xiao Hua walked, watching the houses recede behind him, feeling a slight chill. He decided against taking a carriage to the exchange market.
Though not overly sentimental, he occasionally thought about the future. Living in the game, if it were just him, he wouldn't mind too much. But now, with three women around him, his sense of responsibility as a man naturally arose, and he had to plan things carefully. Making their lives comfortable and enjoyable in the game was his goal!
It sounded simple, but doing it was not easy. To live comfortably, one had to avoid being bullied. In the game, the most direct way was to prevent being oppressed, which required money, levels, equipment, and strength!
Checking his stats, Xiao Hua sighed. Sneaking on bosses was fine, but PvP was not his forte due to his low level and inability to wear better gear.
But as always, things would work out eventually!
Sighing, after a brief moment of contemplation, Xiao Hua returned to his usual self. Thinking too much was useless; he just needed to do his best!
Turning a corner, just as he planned to call a carriage to the Free Exchange Market, a young NPC couple suddenly blocked his path!
"Hero, I finally found you!" The young male NPC said excitedly.
Xiao Hua looked at the unfamiliar NPCs in confusion. If they had interacted before, he wouldn't forget. But he had no memory of these two NPCs, who appeared to be in their mid-twenties and had unremarkable appearances.
"It's me, the big rat that led you! Thank you, Hero, for eliminating Leiter. Thanks to you, I could regain human form and reunite with my beloved. Here's a gem I found in the sewers when I was a rat. Please accept it!" The young man gratefully offered a sky-blue gem.
System Prompt: You received the "Advanced Blessing Gem"!
Advanced Blessing Gem: A precious gem that significantly increases the success rate of weapon enhancement.
Wow! Hit the jackpot!
Looking at the Advanced Blessing Gem, Xiao Hua was overjoyed!
Blessing Gems increased the success rate of weapon enhancement. For enhancing levels 4 and 5, placing an ordinary blessing gem could boost the success rate to at least 70%! Typically, only elite bosses dropped these gems, and a few quests could yield them. They were rare but in high demand, making them expensive and scarce commodities. Therefore, the value of this Advanced Blessing Gem was immeasurable!
It seemed this was a hidden branch quest reward. Xiao Hua had been puzzled earlier because his quest rewards should have been more than the usual completion. Typically, players without special items wouldn't realize the big rat was the young man transformed. Triggering this branch quest was supposed to be difficult. However, after receiving the special reputation medal, he didn't think much about it. Now, receiving this hidden branch quest reward was a pleasant surprise!
After giving Xiao Hua the reward, the young couple left, filled with gratitude.
Carrying several valuable items, though safe in the city, Xiao Hua decided to store them in the warehouse before heading to the Free Exchange Market. Carrying such valuable items made him uneasy.
Arriving at the warehouse, Xiao Hua stored the Alpha Gem, unhatched egg, and Advanced Blessing Gem. He equipped the Ape Bone Necklace, went to the Free Exchange Market, spent nearly 30,000 gold coins, and bought a set of blue gear that boosted agility and constitution or strength. Then, he headed to the Thieves' Guild.
"Hehe, you finally came. I've been waiting for you!" The beautiful and cunning thief mentor Lina, dressed in tight black thief attire, sat in the room idly, swinging her legs. Upon seeing Xiao Hua, she grinned widely.
There's a plot!
Seeing Lina's demeanor, Xiao Hua sensed a scheme brewing.
"I heard you eliminated that old guy Leiter. Good job! I never liked him! You're truly our Snowfall City Thieves' Guild's most promising apprentice!" Lina lavished praise upon him.
Although compliments cost nothing, given Xiao Hua's understanding of Lina, she wouldn't lavish praise just because she was in a good mood. She must have ulterior motives!
"Miss Lina flatters me; it's all thanks to your excellent guidance." Lina's behavior was unusually effusive, making Xiao Hua a bit uneasy.
"No need to be modest; there's no one else here." Lina chuckled, her dark, round eyes sizing Xiao Hua up.
"Um, Miss Lina, I'm here for the second advancement quest." Before coming to the Thieves' Guild, Xiao Hua had stored his money. After buying equipment, he had less than 100,000 gold coins left. Initially calm, his unease grew due to Lina's persistent unusual behavior, prompting him to cut to the chase and accept the quest first!