Soon, the group found an NPC named Old Woodcutter in front of one of the wooden houses.

Old Woodcutter? Everyone found it odd that the NPC didn't have a proper name. Was there a quest, or was this an outdoor dungeon without one?

The Old Woodcutter, chopping wood, looked up at the sound of footsteps. Upon seeing the adventurers, a glint of excitement flashed in his dull eyes, but then disappointment replaced it as he returned to chopping wood.

"This NPC is peculiar!" Xiao Hua thought to himself, trailing behind the group at a distance of six or seven meters.

Wind Traceless and the others also noticed the Old Woodcutter's obvious change and felt curious, though they couldn't fathom why. They decided to observe further.

"I'll ask him," Wind Traceless said to the group, approaching the NPC. "Old Woodcutter, is there anything we can help you with?"

The Old Woodcutter ignored Wind Traceless's question as if deaf, continuing to chop wood.

The group exchanged glances, and Wind Traceless persisted, "Old Woodcutter, is there anything we can help you with?"

Finally, the Old Woodcutter looked up, expressionless. "Yes, but it's very dangerous for you!"

"We're not afraid of danger!" Wind Traceless exclaimed happily. No NPC would offer a quest without mentioning danger; it was just a formality. Whether truly dangerous or not would depend on accepting the quest.

"Alright, since you insist, be prepared for death," the Old Woodcutter sighed. "Not far ahead is a large lake. In it lives a talking, evil water dragon. Long ago, I accidentally dropped my deceased wife's silver ring into the lake, which the dragon picked up. Before it became sentient, I offended it. If I went, it would eat me instead of returning the ring!

"The dragon has a nasty temper. If you approach it directly, it'll get angry. However, it likes a type of translucent white gem fish found in the nearby river. I can provide fishing gear. Catch ten gem fish to appease it."

In the end, the Old Woodcutter warned them sternly.

System Prompt: You accepted the quest "Ring in the Lake."

Quest Description: Help the Old Woodcutter recover his wife's silver ring from the evil water dragon.

Quest Difficulty: C-Class!

"Who among you has advanced fishing skills? Mine is only basic," Wind Traceless asked the group.

The quest difficulty wasn't high, but the Old Woodcutter seemed unconvinced of their abilities. Perhaps completing this quest would unlock more rewarding ones!

Xiao Hua heard the Old Woodcutter clearly but couldn't accept the quest since he wasn't in the same group. From the quest description, it didn't seem particularly difficult, implying the reward wouldn't be significant. So, Xiao Hua decided to continue observing.

"My fishing skill is advanced," Priest Momo responded, relieving the group.

Taking the fishing gear from the Old Woodcutter, Wind Traceless and the others headed toward the river.

After they left, Xiao Hua summoned an illusion, following them while he approached the Old Woodcutter.

The Old Woodcutter repeated the same information, and Xiao Hua accepted the quest, taking the fishing gear. He walked in the opposite direction, seeking a secluded spot to fish.

While moving, Xiao Hua periodically switched his focus to the illusion to monitor the situation.

Wind Traceless and the others soon arrived at a clear, meter-deep river. Through the water, they saw translucent gem fish with colorful gem patterns.

Momo began fishing.

"Traceless, I'm uneasy about this outdoor dungeon. It feels very dangerous," the Fire Mage commented.

"High risk, high reward. Good gear comes with danger. The key mentioned the danger, and the old man gave us the easiest task. This dungeon is called Maze Forest, but we haven't even seen it yet," Wind Traceless agreed, knowing that the greater the danger, the higher the reward. Another dark gold item would elevate his status in China!

He fondled his Sky Splitting Bow, feeling excited.

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"A fish!" Momo reeled in a fish, delighted.

System Prompt: You caught a "Poor Gem Fish."

"It's no use. Need ordinary or better. Keep trying, Momo!" Wind Traceless encouraged.

Momo nodded, continuing to fish.

Satisfied with the group's actions, Xiao Hua moved his illusion away and began fishing from a distant riverbank.

"Wonder what Master-level fishing can catch? Maybe bribing the dragon with better fish will bring benefits?" Xiao Hua mused, sitting by the river.

Feeling the cool water on his feet under the hot sun, Xiao Hua relaxed.

"Got a bite! Master-level fishing works wonders!"

A silver fish emerged!

System Prompt: You caught a "Perfect Gem Fish King."

Perfect Gem Fish King: Rare fish, king among gem fish. Can be cooked into food that restores life and mana continuously, lasting one day.

A gem fish king? This could earn good rewards from the dragon!

Xiao Hua felt optimistic. Catching ordinary gem fish was easy, but he wanted to see if better fish would yield better results.

Over the next half hour, he caught exquisite, excellent, rare, and ordinary gem fish.

Another gem fish king! Xiao Hua was pleased, storing it in his backpack. He checked the illusion and saw Momo leaving the riverbank, the group regrouping.

"Ten ordinary gem fish, finally!" Warrior One Blow complained. He wanted to explore but Wind Traceless disagreed, fearing separation could be dangerous. Losing Momo would jeopardize their quest.

"Is this the right fish?" To be safe, they confirmed with the Old Woodcutter.

The Old Woodcutter nodded, pointing ahead. "Walk straight until you reach a large lake. Toss a stone into the lake; the dragon will emerge. Hand over the fish quickly, or you'll die!"

Following the direction, Wind Traceless proceeded. Xiao Hua kept his character fishing while the illusion followed.

Soon, the illusion reached a vast blue lake. The tranquil surface shimmered, with fish leaping out, reflecting rainbow colors.

Following instructions, Wind Traceless tossed a pebble into the lake.

A splash echoed, and Wind Traceless prepared to offer the gem fish.

The lake quickly calmed, but then a splash erupted, revealing a massive serpent-like creature!

"Who dares disturb my rest?" The dragon snarled, showing sharp fangs.

Startled, Wind Traceless hurriedly offered the gem fish, bowing respectfully. "Respected Dragon Lord, we did not mean to disturb you. These are gifts for you."

The dragon swallowed the fish, eyeing Wind Traceless suspiciously. "Not bad, but too few. Why did you come?"

"A ring fell into the lake. Could you return it?" Wind Traceless asked cautiously.

"A ring? Hold on, I think I found it."

"Is this the ring?" The dragon's tongue emerged, holding a golden ring.

Phantom Ring (Sub-Artifact): Increases attack speed, movement speed, and spell casting speed significantly!

Attributes: +100 Physical Attack, +120 Magic Attack, Level 40+, Equipment Bound!

+30 Constitution, +30 Strength, +50 Agility, +30 Intelligence, +30 Spirit.

Effect: Significantly increases attack speed, movement speed, and spell casting speed.

Additional Skill: Ultimate Force!

Ultimate Force: For melee classes, doubles attack speed and movement speed for ten seconds. For magic classes, allows instant casting of five non-prohibited spells. Cooldown: 120 minutes.

Seeing the ring's attributes, the group was stunned!

"Sub-Artifact! With this ring and Ultimate Force, PK would be unbeatable!" One Blow admired the Phantom Ring, envious.

Everyone was silent, hearts pounding. Who wouldn't be tempted by such an item?

"Guys, what chance do we have against the dragon?" Wind Traceless licked his dry lips, asking the group.

"Don't be fooled. Remember 'Golden Axe'? This dragon can't be defeated by us," Momo warned. The system wouldn't make sub-artifacts easy to obtain. Such a monster wouldn't be defeated by a small party.

"But it's an outdoor dungeon. Since it's designed for six, there should be a way to defeat it," Wind Traceless persisted.

"Wake up, Wind Traceless!" Momo snapped, fearing the captain's greed would lead to failure and death.

"Alright, who rejects the ring?" Wind Traceless sighed, knowing killing the dragon was impossible but unable to refuse the ring.

"I will!" Momo stepped forward. "Respected Dragon Lord, our ring is silver."

"Silver ring? Let me check." The dragon's tongue withdrew the Phantom Ring.

The Phantom Ring disappeared, leaving the group disheartened. Their first glimpse of a sub-artifact ended in disappointment.

"Let's explore other areas first. If we gain little, we can return to test the dragon's strength," Wind Traceless vowed, unwilling to let go of the sub-artifact.

The group agreed, Momo sighing in resignation.

"Is this the ring?" The dragon's tongue emerged with a silver ring.

Silver Ring: A ring lost in the lake.

"Yes, this is it!" Momo identified the ring.

"Are you sure?" The dragon asked skeptically.

"Absolutely!" Momo confirmed.

"How dare you deceive me! This ring belongs to me for decades! You deserve to die!" The dragon roared, swallowing Momo whole!

"NO!" Wind Traceless cried, shocked.

"You bastard!" Wind Traceless shot an arrow.

-55!

Despite Wind Traceless's powerful bow, the dragon's defense was astonishing, absorbing most of the damage.

"Raaah! You seek death!" The dragon roared.

"Retreat!" One Blow pulled Wind Traceless back.

The dragon's tail swept, nearly hitting the group. Xiao Hua watched from a distance, gleeful at Momo's demise.

"How can I be so gleeful? Poor Momo, swallowed alive! I must reflect on my joy!" Xiao Hua tried to feel remorse but couldn't shake the satisfaction.

The dragon couldn't leave the lake, watching the group retreat.

"The Old Woodcutter is suspicious!" Wind Traceless concluded, thinking the Old Woodcutter was the problem.

"You were warned not to provoke it! You must have done something to offend it!" The Old Woodcutter scolded the survivors.

"We followed your instructions exactly!" Wind Traceless explained the encounter with the dragon.

"You should have described the ring's details to avoid suspicion. Without this, the dragon couldn't trust you," the Old Woodcutter sighed.

"You didn't tell us the details!" Wind Traceless retorted angrily.

"Why should I tell you? Didn't you know this place is extremely dangerous? Your strength is insufficient for the cursed Maze Forest. Better to die here than there!"

Double punishment in the Maze Forest?

Xiao Hua was shocked by this revelation!