021 Trouble

As the sun rose higher, the flow of people increased, and the area near the village entrance grew lively. Several parties of players had packed up their stalls to head into the Emerald Forest, while others were returning, laying out their wares on the ground to hawk them. Staff members from various guilds and factions, much like Duan Qing when he first arrived in this world, were back at work recruiting. Occasionally, old friends or bitter enemies would cross paths, setting the stage for yet another dramatic spectacle.

Duan Qing and Meng Zhu checked the sky and, deciding there was no point in further delay, set off as a party of four.

After that arrogant young master from Jie City had appeared, Duan Qing had briefly explained the situation to Meng Zhu. Although he didn’t actually know the man, he offered a quick assessment based on their single, brief encounter: his strength was unknown, though he appeared weak; he was fond of bragging and talking nonsense, but he seemed like a decent person at heart.

Meng Zhu was still hesitant, but the arrogant young master and the man with the buzz cut had already struck up a conversation. Within moments, they were acting like lifelong friends, calling each other "brother."

"You’re truly a kindred spirit! I love making loyal friends. My brother, why don't you come join my side? My men are strong, and my generals are as numerous as the stars..."

"I appreciate your loyalty, brother, but I already have a leader. To betray them... I’m no turncoat. But I like a bold person like you. If I ever get the chance to introduce you to my boss, we’ll definitely have to get to know each other..."

"Easily done, easily done! Hahahaha..."

"Hahahaha..."

Watching the two laugh and clap each other on the shoulders as if they were long-lost companions, Meng Zhu stepped back, her face dark with frustration, and whispered to the idle-looking man beside her.

"Wouldn't it be better if we pretended not to know these two?"

"Don't say that. It wasn't easy to find these two. If you push them away, what if we really end up entering the forest all alone?"

The outcome was just as Duan Qing had predicted: the two never found any other suitable party members. Perhaps because it was getting late and most players with an interest in adventuring had already joined other parties and left, the five-man party remained one short even as the sun reached its zenith.

After consulting each other, the four decided not to waste any more time. However, before setting off, Duan Qing and Meng Zhu held onto a sliver of hope and decided to look for some decent equipment.

The village entrance was a market for players—a fact Duan Qing had experienced upon his arrival. Aside from the bulk of the trade being animal carcasses, herbs, and food, only a few people sold gear they didn't need or had outgrown. But this was a beginner village, and what players offered for sale was mostly bottom-of-the-barrel trash. After the baptism of that glove he’d acquired earlier, Duan Qing had a better understanding of the world's equipment system, and he felt it was a waste to buy such basic items. After searching for a long time without finding anything worth buying, Meng Zhu finally made the call to purchase a pair of boots, at least ensuring their time hadn't been entirely wasted.

[Wolf-Skin Boots (Common)]
[Defense: Weak]
[Effect: Slightly increases your running speed.]
[A pair of carefully stitched leather boots. The comfortable and soft soles allow one to move with agility while running.]

"There goes another two hundred big ones..."

"That’s why I said we shouldn't have bought them. They aren't even that good..."

"No way! It would be so stupid to walk around for all this time and come away with nothing. Besides, these boots aren't bad—they actually have an effect..."

"This effect is practically non-existent..."

After leaving the village, the four introduced their respective strengths to each other, both to get acquainted and to gain a preliminary understanding of the team's combat power.

The arrogant young master from Jie City was, as Duan Qing had imagined, only level 8. Aside from his starter gear, the only thing worth mentioning was his tattered, coarse hemp tunic. He wielded a worn-out short blade of unknown origin, though he did at least know the basic slashing skill.

The man with the buzz cut was level 10, going by the name Liu Qingniu—it was unclear if this was his real name or just one he’d borrowed. He was also dressed in starter gear, though he wore a black leather jacket over his white shirt. The material was unrecognizable, but it looked durable, as A-Niu spoke of his strength with immense pride.

"...That bull was found by us in an open field north of the village. I gave a shout, and everyone rushed in. The beast charged right at me, and I smacked it on the head with a brick... The people passing by were dumbfounded, hahahaha... Our captain respected my strength, so he gave me a large piece of the hide..."

*Your captain was probably just terrified of you...* Duan Qing thought to himself, though he realized the man was likely capable of fighting, even if his style relied on the raw aggression of a street hoodlum.

As for the name A-Niu, he had nonchalantly told everyone to call him that. He no longer carried a roadside brick but a black iron rod tucked into his waist. When mentioning the origin of this rod, A-Niu finally displayed a hint of a more ominous aura.

"That blacksmith... humph, I wonder where he learned his trade... I’d really like to have a talk with him..."

His tone was quite friendly, but seeing the deep furrow between his brows, no one dared to ask the questions that lingered on their minds.

***

Meng Zhu's strength was something Duan Qing already had a general idea of, so as she introduced herself, he kept nodding, wearing a smug expression that practically begged to be punched. However, there were things he didn't know, such as the fact that the young girl was already level 12.

"What? Doesn't that make you even more of a powerhouse? You should have way more attribute points than us..."

"And you still refuse to admit you're a newbie. After level 10, you only get one attribute point every two levels." The girl, clearly unable to hold back any longer, was full of mockery and disdain. "And the higher your level gets, the more levels you have to cross to get points. I'm telling you this now so you remember it; don't go embarrassing me later..."

"Oh, you girl, you're truly unreasonable..."

Although the way she wrinkled her nose was cute, Duan Qing stood his ground for the sake of his pride. A-Niu, apparently unable to stand watching a grown man bicker with a young girl, ran over and patted his shoulder.

"Brother Qingshan, you haven't introduced your situation to everyone yet."

"My situation, huh..."

Just as Duan Qing was about to speak, four or five men suddenly walked over from the woods ahead.

"Hey, you lot."

***

Shadow-Night Rhapsody was a professional player, though he was clearly different from the pros in the leagues; for him, the "professional" part was the focus. Simply put, he was a member of a gaming studio.

Although his studio wasn't large, it had weathered many storms. Virtual online games were evolving at a rapid pace, with new games appearing like stars in the sky and technology advancing by leaps and bounds. In this environment of survival of the fittest, the rise and fall of gaming dynasties were dizzying, let alone small workshops like theirs.

After drifting through several games, the studio had stumbled along, with members coming and going, but the foundation held. Now that the studio had some standing, he was considered an old hand. He was diligent, experienced in everything from taking jobs to executing them, and adept at navigating relationships with larger factions. His boss treated him well, and he had a few subordinates to share the burden, making him a high-ranking member with some real power. Still, when the rank-and-file needed "replenishing," he had to be the one to step up and take charge.

While the "Black Cloud Alliance" wasn't exactly a household name, their strength was respectable. Setting aside the administrative capabilities of their executives, they had decent individual combat skills—in-game combat, that is. To ensure the organization's continued development, new strategies were always on the table. Even in a place with a birth mechanism as strange as *Free World*, this was already the third batch of people their studio had deployed. The reason was simple: they wanted a slice of this massive market.

His boss, after all, wanted to go big.

Recently, they had expanded their business scope and their advertising. He often reminded his subordinates to emphasize the Black Cloud Alliance's name; even if people didn't know their strength, they had to at least recognize the name, and it had to be a good name. Even when doing dirty work, they had to maintain a facade of professionalism. They weren't a small workshop anymore; once they had a reputation, everything else would fall into place...

But if they encountered someone truly blind, a necessary lesson was in order.

Shadow-Night Rhapsody had real work today. His superiors had taken a contract, and his team was supposed to assist a group with resource and intelligence gathering. Acting with the spirit of a professional, he had personally investigated the Emerald Forest and reported their findings. The "response" from the other side had been generous, as expected from a major faction.

That faction had big moves planned today, so they had requested that his team help clear a path and scout ahead. Normally, combat was the studio's specialty, but there hadn't been enough time for many players to reach a high level in this beginner village. To avoid falling behind, he had been forced to lead the team himself.

Then, one of his subordinates recognized the girl in the purple cloak.

He’d heard a report about her a few days ago. The subordinate hadn't dared to lie, but he’d been filled with resentment about an incident that morning. Shadow-Night Rhapsody had understood—losing face in public was embarrassing—but they were too busy to waste time on some idle person, especially a girl. He had brushed it off. But seeing her today, the herb-gatherer had brought it up again, and he remembered the gist of it.

*What a nuisance,* he thought. *The others are still waiting...* He wondered how their progress was going. They had prepared well; they wouldn't let the others look down on them. As for how to handle the meeting later, he would need to consider his options. If he played his cards right, he might be able to squeeze out more profit... Speaking of trouble, the people from the Justice Hall had caused a scene yesterday afternoon, and he and his guildmates had made them pay for it. He’d have to be careful of retaliation today.

As he pondered, his subordinate, perhaps thinking he had the boss's tacit approval, led a group toward the other party. Shadow-Night Rhapsody didn't stop them, watching them walk away while his mind remained on how to proceed deeper into the forest.

*Right, I need to watch out for the Red Mountain Society as well... What was that little girl's name again...*

Since they’d run into her, letting his men teach her a lesson would serve to build their reputation. Everyone was on edge lately, so it could serve as a vent. It was all a minor matter anyway.

That was what he thought.

***

Southwest of Greenstone Village, before reaching the edge of the Emerald Forest, lay a beautiful stretch of lawn—about two "dells" by the local measurements. Every time a breeze swept through, the grass would sway in waves, rustling softly. On a clear day, a golden hue would spread across the field, accompanied by the sounds of insects and birds, framed by the green forest to the south. It was a perfect spot for relaxation or a romantic date. But on this sunny noon of the 30th day of the Earth Month, New Era 795, the breeze carried no warmth to the meadow.

Near the forest edge, two parties converged. The party from the north was still arguing among themselves when the men from the southern woods approached. They blocked the path with an aggressive display, barking arrogant commands as if they were in charge. A petite figure in a purple robe jumped to the front and began a fierce rebuttal. Despite her appearance as just a young girl, the men had no intention of showing mercy—or perhaps they decided that talk was useless—and drew their weapons, spreading out to launch an attack.

The party from the north seemed to descend into chaos, their argument intensifying. The girl in the front shouted to silence the noise, then took a combat stance, shouting something over her shoulder. A man walked up, pressed her head down, and pushed her to the back of the formation.

The man said something, looking entirely unconcerned, yet he didn't stop moving forward as he drew his weapon. It was a dark, short sword, its original appearance obscured by what looked like rust.

He had been looking back at his team, but then he sighed, turned his head to face the five enemies who had formed a semi-circle—well, one of them stood in the back, head bowed, lost in thought.

He said a few more words, but seeing no reaction from the other side, he stopped talking. He held the sword in his right hand, leveled it across his chest, and then flicked it to his right, as if shaking off blood.

The battle began without warning.

The man suddenly lunged to his left. The four men in front were taken aback, clearly not expecting him to charge alone. The man on the far right, holding an axe, had no choice but to raise his weapon in a hurried defensive stance.

The man’s sprint suddenly slowed. With a rhythmic, loping gait, he dragged his sword behind him. Just as he reached the axeman, he swung his sword forward with both hands.

The axeman felt a surge of relief. He was level 14, a full-strength build, and had immense confidence in his power. He was certain that with the right timing, he could parry the blow and send the man reeling. He braced his feet, raised his axe, and let out a grunt: "Hah!"

Then, he stumbled forward.

A split second before the blade met the axe, the man tapped his left foot and shifted his body slightly. There was a faint sound of clashing metal as he transitioned from a side-step into a pivot. Using the momentum from the opponent's recoil, he lunged forward.

A small hop, a twist, a side-turn—the power from his waist and abdomen flowed into his arm, swinging the short sword in a perfect arc. It struck the back of the axeman's neck, who was still off-balance from his own over-exerted parry.

The axeman's mind was still stuck on his confident parry, his thoughts still moving to the next step: *Such a weak strike...*

Then, his consciousness vanished.

*The recovery time is shorter now. That's good...*

The man retracted his sword and retreated to the left. Amidst the violent rustling of the grass, the remaining three men, fueled by the rage of their companion's sudden death, gave chase.

His calm voice echoed in the air.

"When ordinary people face a sudden situation, they instinctively choose to defend or dodge. Since they chose defense, they must be confident, which makes them very easy to deal with..."

The words were brief and disconnected, but his opponents understood them perfectly, prompting them to rush forward even more urgently, desperate to catch him. He continued to circle, maintaining the proper angle and distance. "If they had chosen to dodge or stall, the situation would be different. But looking at their weapons..."

"Also, all of you right now..." As the formation stretched, the man in the lead rushed right up to him, swinging a machete at his face.

"Should have attempted to surround me..."

He raised his sword with both hands to block. As the parry succeeded, he flicked his wrist, retracted the blade, and pressed down, the clever leverage forcing the man to stumble to the side. He then swung his sword, carving a deep gash across the man’s ribs.

"Otherwise, none of this has any meaning."

The third man lunged with his sword.

Keeping his sword in his right hand, the man thrust forward, sliding his blade along the attacker's. The two swords met, but instead of a crisp metallic ring, there was a harsh, scraping sound. As the man applied force, their weapons slid aside, and their bodies collided for an instant before separating. A flash of cold light crossed the sky. The man retreated a few steps, a smile on his face as he secretly recovered his nearly depleted stamina. The swordsman who had just separated from him stood to the side, clutching his throat with a look of disbelief, before falling straight backward.

"You see, by coming at me one by one, I must say, your loyalty is truly touching."

The last man, seeing this, felt his rage finally extinguished. He hesitantly stepped back, joining the injured man, his eyes filled with fear as he stared at the man still wearing his starter gear.

"Who are you?"

The man ignored him, instead calling out toward his teammates behind him. "Didn't you want to know my strength?"

He turned his gaze back to the remaining enemies, a cold smirk playing on his lips. His voice dropped to a low, devilish whisper, as if he were just making casual conversation:

"Now you know..."