Volume One, Chapter 40: Main Quest One Completed!
Li Chuan was carefully reviewing the purchase list in his direct messages.
Hearing the young girl's puzzled question, he instantly felt like he was babysitting an idiot.
"Saying ten pieces was to emphasize the rarity of the key. How many I actually sell is none of their business."
Lin Yaoyao covered her dainty mouth in astonishment.
"Ah! You crafty merchant!"
That was right, there's no merchant who isn't crafty!
Ten minutes later, Li Chuan selected the thirty-two highest bidders from his direct messages and sent them trade requests one by one.
In the end, Li Chuan kept two keys needed to clear the stage and sold thirty-two.
He sold them for a total of one hundred ninety-six gold coins, one cyan-grade accessory, twenty green-grade pieces of equipment, along with some crafting materials, backpack space expansion gems, and other miscellaneous items.
Although Lin Yaoyao's contribution to obtaining the keys hadn't been huge, the two of them were companions now after all, so Li Chuan generously split fifty gold coins and half of the green-grade equipment with her.
Opening the game mall, Li Chuan found the blue-grade repeating crossbow he had been yearning for. Loaded with immense wealth, he bought it without hesitation.
[Ferre Repeating Crossbow: Blue]
[Required Level: Level 15]
[Attacks inflict a bleeding effect.]
[Armor Penetration +35, Strength +15.]
[Additional Skill: Burst Arrow]
[Description: One of the early works of Fred Dragos.]
[Burst Arrow: Fires an arrow capable of exploding. The explosion occurs with a three-second delay after firing, dealing triple damage. Cooldown: 3 minutes, Mana Cost: 1 point.]
Li Chuan fondled the Ferre Repeating Crossbow for a moment, which was purplish-black overall and emitted a blue halo.
Compared to the standard crossbow, the Ferre Repeating Crossbow was smaller and lighter, and it could load five arrows at once, meaning he no longer needed to reload frequently.
Furthermore, it added a particularly practical damage-dealing skill.
For Li Chuan, this could completely be called upgrading from a smoothbore to a cannon.
Putting on the cyan-grade earring he had traded for, Li Chuan now had equipment slotted into almost every wearable slot on his body.
[Obsidian Ear Stud: Cyan]
[Required Level: Level 15]
[Mana +20, Intelligence +10]
[Skill Cooldown Reduction 3%]
[Description: Who could resist a shiny obsidian?]
Putting on the ear stud made Li Chuan wince in pain, but for the extra mana and skill cooldown reduction, the pain was totally worth it.
On the other side, Lin Yaoyao had also purchased a level 15 blue-grade dagger from the mall at a high price. She was now playing with it in her hands, her eyes sparkling with fondness.
***
Li Chuan looked at the exquisitely-featured young girl.
This girl claimed she had never left "that place," yet she possessed such exquisite movement techniques and blade skills.
Li Chuan boldly guessed: could she possibly be a spy, an assassin, or the like, nurtured by some shady organization?
High combat prowess, average intelligence, and though her mental state was questionable, she was extremely loyal. Li Chuan felt that as long as he utilized her properly, this girl would become a formidable asset to him in the future.
Of course, that was assuming the two of them could successfully live to see the future.
...
[Game Announcement: The remaining time limit for Main Quest 1 has reached zero, and all players who have not completed the quest are stripped of their game qualifications!]
[Deprivation complete!]
[Main Quest 1: Find the key hidden in the Forbidden Forest. Completed.]
[Current Key Count: 1/1]
[Quest rewards obtained: Copper Coins * 500, Experience Points * 500, Intermediate HP Recovery Potion * 5, Intermediate MP Recovery Potion * 5, Evolution Core (Blue) * 1, Backpack Expansion Gem * 1.]
[Ding, all players are requested to step into the circle of light with the keys in their hands within ten minutes.]
After the system broadcast ended, a huge circle of light twenty meters in diameter appeared at the edge of the player gathering area.
All the players who had completed the quest hurriedly used their Photosynthetic Secret Pods to retract their plant spirits, then rushed toward the circle of light with expectant faces.
As for the forty-odd players who had not completed the quest, they could only watch with utter desolation as other players walked toward the path leading away from this place.
"Axuan, Axuan, won't you please don't leave me? I'm begging you, didn't we say just last night that we would be together forever?"
A female player clutched the hem of a male player's clothes.
"Let go of me! You didn't dare to do your daily quests yourself, what can I do? Is there any point in me staying behind to die with you? Let go!"
"President Gao, President Gao, please save me, I really can't die. I still have two kids at home waiting for me to return, please."
Gao Han clenched her fists.
"I've already done my utmost for everyone. Everyone only has one key each, I really can't help you. This is the food I have left over, I'll leave it for you guys."
Some felt grateful, while others harbored resentment.
"Who the hell wants your charity? Aren't you a good person? Why don't you take out your own Photosynthetic Secret Pod and your key? Wouldn't that save me?"
Liu Haizhu flew into a rage.
"Have you got no shame at all! Hasn't what our president done been more than benevolent and righteous? Don't go too far, dammit!"
The freckled girl widened her eyes.
"Do you know how much Sister Han has sacrificed for you guys? How can you say that about her!"
"Damn it, why should all of you get to live while I have to die in this ghost place? Nobody gets to live!"
Someone pulled out a butcher's knife and charged at a young girl who was about to step into the circle of light.
The girl spun around sharply, silver light flashing.
***
Splat!
[Critical Hit — 999!]
That person instantly clutched his throat and collapsed to the ground, blood gushing forth. His other hand reached out toward midair, as if wanting to grasp something at the very end of his life.
"Gurgle... Gurgle..."
Lin Yaoyao looked at the dagger in her hand with satisfaction.
"Ooh, dreams do come true! Someone actually tested my blade for me."
Li Chuan walked behind Lin Yaoyao and very naturally picked up the equipment and gold coins dropped by the thug.
"Well killed! Consider it putting him out of his misery."
Two players with the green title "Cold-blooded" above their heads entered the circle of light, leaving a still-warm corpse lying behind them.
This scene was somewhat chilling. Many players did not dare to stand near the two of them, hurriedly stepping back and leaving a considerable expanse of space around them.
Standing out from the crowd like a crane among chickens, Gao Han walked out with a frown, looking at Lin Yaoyao with displeasure.
"He was already so pitiful, you could have just repelled him. Why did you have to strike so heavily?"
The woman named Zhouzhou Buzhouzhou also accused them.
"Yeah, that person couldn't possibly enter the light circle anyway. Even if you didn't kill him, he wouldn't have gotten in."
"Those two murderers are too detestable, killing so many people. Do they really think they can do whatever they want in this place?"
Lin Yaoyao glared angrily at the group of people standing on their moral high ground.
"I just killed him! The deed is done, is it illegal?"
Li Chuan tapped the young girl on the shoulder.
"It is indeed illegal."
Lin Yaoyao froze.
"Th-Then they aren't cops!"
[Ding, teleportation countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7...]
There was no time to argue; the system began its countdown. In an instant, everyone stopped talking, waiting with nervous anxiety for the countdown to end.
[...6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0!]
The countdown ended, and the light circle flashed brilliantly. All the players inside felt their vision turn white, followed by a brief sense of dizziness.
This dizziness came and went quickly.
Has the teleportation ended?
Before he could even clearly see the surrounding environment, a pungent metallic scent pierced into Li Chuan's nasal cavity.