Chapter 16: The Golden Scepter and Necklace Secured! Little Brother, Shall You Go First?
Su Nian couldn't be bothered with the two rats behind him.
Because...
His purple equipment had arrived!
"Kid, here!"
He took the scepter handed over by the blacksmith Wang.
A line of information appeared before his eyes.
[Golden Scepter (Purple)]
[Level: LV1]
[Effect 1: Attack +60]
[Effect 2: Magic Power +40]
[Effect 3: Attack Range +3]
“Attack range increase? Not bad!”
After equipping it, a system message popped up simultaneously.
[Congratulations on becoming the first player in the entire server to complete—Blacksmith Wang’s hidden quest. The system will now announce this server-wide. Do you wish to hide your ID?]
“No!”
The moment Su Nian refused to hide his ID, a system announcement appeared before every player’s eyes out of thin air!
[Server Announcement: Congratulations to player ‘Emperor’ for becoming the first in this server to complete—Blacksmith Wang’s hidden quest!]
[Special rewards: Rustic Necklace ×1, Gold Coins ×200, Free Attribute Points ×20.]
[Server Announcement: Congratulations to player ‘Emperor’ for becoming the first in this server to complete—Blacksmith Wang’s hidden quest!]
[Special rewards...]
Su Nian stared at the newly added Rustic Necklace in his inventory, a smile slowly creeping to the corners of his mouth. “It really is this one!”
[Rustic Necklace (Accessory)]
[Level: LV1]
[Effect 1: Increases maximum health by 10%]
[Skill Effect: You can set your normal attack damage to equal your maximum health. Ineffective against other players.]
Without hesitation, Su Nian equipped it!
The next moment, his health soared from 2,180 to 2,398! It might seem like only a little over two hundred extra health for now.
But just imagine—once his health reaches tens of thousands or even more in the future...
How much extra health will this necklace grant then?
Thousands? Tens of thousands? Or even more?
And this is only the level one Rustic Necklace.
Once it’s upgraded through forging, it will add even more health!
It might even gain additional effects!
With such a treasure in hand,
Soloing bosses and the like...
Would be as easy as lifting a finger.
Just as Su Nian was preparing his next move,
Players who saw this server-wide announcement couldn’t stay calm.
“Oh my goodness! I thought the top player on the leaderboard, who can solo bosses, was already ridiculously strong. Turns out he’s got the luck too?”
“No way! There’s a hidden quest in the newbie village? If only I had tested every NPC—I feel like I missed out on a fortune!”
“Damn, guys! I’m at Blacksmith Wang’s place and there really is a hidden quest! It’s one everyone can trigger, and finishing it gives purple gear!!!”
“Guys, GOGOGO!”
“Is the big shot’s accessory up for trade? I’ve got betel nuts to swap!”
“Downstairs, don’t believe him—he’s a biohazard!”
“How do you know?”
...
Messages flooded the world channel like a waterfall, making it impossible to tell how many people were discussing it.
Meanwhile, Su Nian, the source of all this excitement, only glanced briefly at the world channel before returning his gaze to his attribute panel.
After spending the 20 free attribute points he earned, his attack speed had risen from 1.58 to 1.78, now tantalizingly close to breaking 2!
Closing the panel,
Su Nian looked around.
Noticing a crowd of players heading towards the blacksmith’s shop, he quickly set off toward the outskirts of the newbie village.
While most were busy chasing the hidden quest, he took the perfect opportunity to activate the necklace’s skill and give himself a sharp boost.
But before that...
He had to deal with the rats in the sewer first!
If not completely eradicated, those pests would keep pestering him.
No sooner had Su Nian left than,
Behind a nearby tree not far from the blacksmith’s shop,
“Brother Hao, look, he’s gone!” A chubby kid with two twigs stuck in his hair whispered to a swordsman named Hao Ge.
Hao Ge quickly closed the chat group on his screen and looked in the direction Su Nian had disappeared, a gleam flashing in his eyes. He grinned, “He’s actually leaving the newbie village? Isn’t that just asking for death?”
“Let’s follow him!”
The chubby kid hesitated, “Brother Hao, do you really think the two of us can catch him? He’s the kind who can solo bosses, you know!”
His words implied one thing:
If he can solo bosses,
Then killing us two would be like playing with toys.
Hao Ge smacked the kid’s head and snapped, “I said we’re following him, but that doesn’t mean we have to act immediately, does it?”
“I already contacted Brother Kun. He’s gathering people, and rumor has it the boss from headquarters will be joining too!”
“If we pull this off, we’ll both get a nice cut. Got it?”
Changing tone, Hao Ge added, “By the way, Brother Kun said if this ‘Emperor’ tries to run, we can stop him if necessary to buy time for the main force!”
“Of course, you go first then!”
The chubby kid blinked, “Me?”
Hao Ge stared at Su Nian’s fading figure and said sharply, “Enough talk. Follow me quietly!”
“Okay!”
The two stood up and stealthily followed.
Little did they know,
Every move they made was under Su Nian’s control!
Though Su Nian’s pace was swift, it was just slow enough for them to keep him in sight without losing his tail completely.
About ten minutes later,
Outside the newbie village, deep in a dense forest,
“Hiss... Brother Hao, why is he coming to a place like this? Maybe there’s a hidden rare spawn spot here?” the chubby kid whispered, eyes fixed on the figure tens of meters ahead.
“Who knows?” Hao Ge peeked from behind a tree. Seeing that the target remained unaware of them, he whispered, “Brother Kun said they’ll be here soon. Keep your eyes on him!”
The thick forest was eerily quiet except for the rustling of leaves in the wind.
So both spoke cautiously and tread lightly, fearful of making a sound to alert Su Nian.
Suddenly, the chubby kid gasped.
He blinked and glanced around, his expression turning panicked.
“Brother... Brother Hao, where is he?”
How could he have vanished in the blink of an eye?
Hao Ge frowned and whispered, “We must have been spotted! Don’t panic. He’s definitely still nearby.”
“Anyway, our guys are almost here. It won’t hurt if we reveal ourselves now. Let’s chase!”
To prevent the target from logging off,
They hurriedly quickened their pace, closing the distance.
But just as they took a few steps,
A cold voice suddenly came from behind them.
“May I ask... who are you looking for?”
“Whoosh!”
Both froze instantly,
A chill ran down their spines.