"Ding, you have completed the first kill of the Old Drunkard. A server-wide announcement is about to be made. Would you like to hide your name?"
"No."
"Server-wide announcement: Congratulations to player Blood Emperor for completing the first kill of the Old Drunkard. Special announcement: Keep up the good work, everyone!!"
"Server-wide announcement: Congratulations to player Blood Emperor for completing the first kill of the Old Drunkard. Special announcement: Keep up the good work, everyone!!"
...
Two consecutive server-wide announcements rang out. Futu Shield Mountain, who had been feeling down, was instantly invigorated. With two bosses killed in quick succession, he couldn't resist the urge to boast and counter Game Dongge's claims.
"@Game Dongge, What do you have to say now? Blood Emperor has just completed the first kills of two bosses in a short time. I ask you, who else can do that?"
"To use your words, this alone proves what I said before: Blood Emperor's level drop was just a mistake!"
Game Dongge, however, was not swayed by Blood Emperor's sudden double kill. He quickly responded to Futu Shield Mountain's post.
"Two bosses with no real value. This doesn't prove anything. Moreover, all signs indicate that Blood Emperor is still in the Novice Village."
"At this stage, killing two bosses in the Novice Village is nothing to boast about."
...
The online community erupted into another round of heated debate. Meanwhile, Lin Tianhao, the instigator of it all, was completely unaware. After defeating the Blue-and-White Python and the Old Drunkard, he chose to loot their corpses.
"Ding, you have obtained +2 skill books."
"Ding, you have obtained +3 pieces of equipment."
"Ding, you have obtained a special item: Golden Light Talisman."
"Ding, you have obtained a special item: Wine Gourd."
"Ding, you have obtained +10 gold coins."
The rewards were not particularly substantial. Lin Tianhao glanced at the skills and equipment; none were better than what he already had. He then turned his attention to the Golden Light Talisman and the Wine Gourd.
Golden Light Talisman: Special Item.
Effect: When activated, it provides a golden light shield, increasing magic resistance by 100 and armour by 300 for five minutes.
Note: One-time use.
Wine Gourd: Special Item.
Effect: Collect rare materials and place them inside to automatically brew special wine, which can provide free attribute points, temporary buffs, and more.
Note: The rarer the materials, the better the wine produced.
Lin Tianhao's eyes lit up. The Golden Light Talisman was rather ordinary, but the Wine Gourd seemed quite intriguing. However, he couldn't determine exactly which materials would produce which type of wine. Moreover, rare materials were not easy to come by in the early stages of the game.
After putting everything away, Lin Tianhao smiled at the village head before heading back to the Novice Village.
Blacksmith's Shop.
Blacksmith Wang was forging iron. Upon seeing Lin Tianhao return, he smiled contentedly.
"Blood Emperor, you haven't disappointed me."
"Ding, you have completed Blacksmith Wang's quest."
"Quest reward: +1 Clear Wind Set."
Lin Tianhao's eyes brightened. The Clear Wind Set was quite beneficial to him, especially with the significant boosts to attack speed and movement speed. However, Lin Tianhao already possessed the Bloodthirsty Necklace, two gold-level rings, and the Nine-Compound Longbow. He needed to make some choices.
The Nine-Compound Longbow was a keeper, with its life-steal and powerful attributes. The Heavy Thunder Rings were average; for the sake of attack speed and movement speed, he could temporarily forgo one of the Heavy Thunder Rings.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Lin Tianhao removed one of the Heavy Thunder Rings, completing the ten-piece Clear Wind Set, along with one Heavy Thunder Ring, the Bloodthirsty Necklace, and the main weapon, the Nine-Compound Longbow. With this new gear, Lin Tianhao's attributes underwent a dramatic transformation.
"Blacksmith Wang, when do we move?" Lin Tianhao asked directly. He had already spent too much time in the Novice Village and needed to consider leaving soon.
Wang smiled mysteriously, "Right now!"
Lin Tianhao nodded and inquired, "How are we going to fight?"
Wang laughed, "I've had many covert confrontations with the village head before. This time, you're the wildcard."
"Oh?" Lin Tianhao was somewhat surprised.
"How so?"
"If it were a straight-up fight, neither the village head nor I would have the upper hand. But with your help, it's a different story."
"I see," Lin Tianhao said with a smile. "So, we're heading straight to the cliff to find the village head."
"That's right. Before that, go to the tavern and buy me two jars of wine."
"Alright."
Lin Tianhao was somewhat puzzled. Did Blacksmith Wang need to drink alcohol? After purchasing the wine at the tavern, he didn't follow through with poisoning it as he had agreed with the village head. He wanted this battle to be a Pyrrhic victory for whoever won, so he could reap the benefits.
When Blacksmith Wang received the wine Lin Tianhao brought back, he first tested it with a silver needle.
"The old drunkard was the village head's man. Even though he's dead, we still need to be cautious," Lin Tianhao was somewhat taken aback. Was this the absolute trust the village head had spoken of? The silver needle test. It was said to distrust the old drunkard, but in reality, it was a lack of trust in him.
"Let's go."
After seeing that the silver needle didn't change color, Blacksmith Wang finally smiled contentedly.
"Let's go!" Lin Tianhao followed Blacksmith Wang to the cliff. The village head was still in the pavilion, drinking tea. Upon seeing Lin Tianhao and Blacksmith Wang arrive, he smiled.
"Old Wang, we've known each other for so many years. Do we have to come to this?" Blacksmith Wang snorted coldly, "Village head, I didn't want to come to this either, but I warned you, and you didn't listen. I had no choice."
"Could I have listened? You were trying to destroy our Novice Village," the village head retorted.
"You're the one trying to destroy our Novice Village," Blacksmith Wang shouted angrily, his emotions running high. "I want a permanent solution, while your method is like boiling a frog in lukewarm water. Our Novice Village is doomed."
The village head sighed, "At this point, you're still so stubborn."
"It's you who's stubborn!!" Blacksmith Wang yelled.
The village head shook his head, "Since that's the case, there's nothing more to say."
As he spoke, a silver-white set of armour appeared on the village head.
Silver armour!
This was already quite powerful in the Novice Village. However, Blacksmith Wang was even more formidable. What he wore was a gold set of armour.
"It seems you've managed to forge this玄龟套装," the village head said with a serious expression.
Blacksmith Wang nodded with a smile, "Indeed, and I have Blood Emperor to thank for that. He helped me gather a lot of equipment; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to forge the玄龟套装today."
"Unfortunately, it's only ten pieces. If it were thirteen, I might not be able to beat you," the village head said with a sense of security.
Blacksmith Wang scolded angrily, "Village head, even at the brink of death, you're still talking big?"
With that, Blacksmith Wang took the initiative. He charged at the village head with a thorny shield in hand.