The Unexpected Bangle and a Wolfish Predicament

The Emerald Serpent vanished, dissolving into a flash of white light.

Yet, it hadn’t departed empty-handed, for in its wake, a jade-green bangle lay gleaming where it had once been.

Tian Zheng arched an eyebrow, and as the one who had struck the killing blow, he was naturally free to retrieve it without any hindrance.

[Jade Bangle]: Bangle, Common Grade, usable by Mage-type professions level 5 and above, Unidentified.

‘A bangle?’

Even Tian Zheng, renowned for his composure, couldn’t help but feel a surge of surprise and unexpected delight at this discovery.

In the realm of gaming, what proved most elusive as a drop? Undeniably, it was accessory-type equipment—items such as necklaces, rings, earrings, and bangles.

While mundane swords, armor, and even basic weapons were readily available at the system’s general store, accessories were a different matter entirely.

They were rarely, if ever, found there, typically appearing only in the fleeting, enigmatic inventories of mysterious merchants who surfaced with agonizing rarity.

For players seeking such coveted adornments, there were but three paths: slaying high-level BOSSes, earning them as quest rewards, or meticulously gathering materials to craft them from blueprints.

The first method offered but a minuscule chance of success, the second demanded arduous quests, and the third was fraught with tedious crafting.

Consequently, high-level accessories were often priceless, yet practically unobtainable, existing as mere legends within the game’s economy.

Yet, the Emerald Serpent was merely a common, level 6 monster.

Even for a first-time kill, the odds of it dropping any common equipment were astronomically low, let alone a valuable accessory.

So how had it, against all logic, yielded a bangle?

‘Still… wasn’t this entire process a little too whimsical?’

The man knew his luck intimately; to call it abysmal would be an understatement, akin to that of an ‘African refugee’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term referring to someone with extremely bad luck in gacha games or loot drops, often contrasted with ‘European emperor’ for good luck).

The sudden reversal of his fortune, making his “face so white” (TL Note: A Chinese slang term meaning to have incredibly good luck, often used in gaming contexts), utterly baffled him.

‘Could it be that simply switching games had inexplicably turned his luck around?’

****

Meanwhile, Bai Xia, who had received her own level-up notification the moment the Emerald Serpent fell, took her time to allocate her newly acquired attribute points before slowly making her way over.

While the glory of slaying the Emerald Serpent belonged entirely to Tian Zheng, her participation in the party still granted her a small, yet significant, share of the experience.

Although the experience wasn’t immense, the Emerald Serpent was, after all, a level 6 monster.

Coupled with the experience bonus from being in a party, even that small fraction proved enough to propel Bai Xia up a full level.

Drawing closer, the young woman’s gaze naturally gravitated toward Tian Zheng’s hand, or more precisely, the bangle he held.

“Oh, did some equipment drop?” she exclaimed, a note of surprise in her voice. “And it’s even a bangle!”

Having not immersed herself in many games of this particular era, Bai Xia remained blissfully unaware of the sheer improbability of an Emerald Serpent dropping such a rare item as a bangle.

Her voice, however, jolted Tian Zheng from his reverie.

Without a word, he simply tossed the item in his hand directly to her.

Bai Xia fumbled to catch it, then examined the item, a crestfallen expression clouding her features.

“What in the world?” she muttered, a hint of annoyance in her tone. “Not only does it need to be identified, but it’s also restricted to mages!”

After scrutinizing it, she instinctively moved to return the bangle, but the man merely waved a dismissive hand.

“It’s of no use to me,” he stated casually. “You may as well keep it.”

“For me?” she questioned, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. “But it’s your drop! Besides, I’m not even a mage, so it’d be just as useless for me to hold onto it.”

Noticing her slight hesitation, Tian Zheng cast a deep, appraising glance her way before quickly averting his gaze and leading the path deeper into the forest.

“Once you return to the novice village,” he explained, “you could list it for auction in the game’s system shop or an online gaming marketplace.

At this particular stage… it should fetch a considerable sum.”

“Money?”

At the mention of that single word, Bai Xia, who was trailing close behind him, felt her eyes instantly brighten.

What she desperately needed most at this moment was precisely that elusive commodity: money!

‘Wait, if that’s the case, could I actually earn enough within this game to support myself in the real world?’

Even if she were to unbind and return the login device now, she would only receive a little over ten thousand, a sum that would quickly dwindle without any new income.

Her current appearance made finding a traditional job nearly impossible, and other avenues for earning were simply not viable.

Yet, here, a clear path to financial stability seemed to stretch out before her.

Earning a living through gaming was no longer a pipe dream.

As a groundbreaking holographic online game, surely, with diligent study and effort, it wouldn’t be overly difficult to secure a stable income.

The world of such games was teeming with ‘tycoons’ (TL Note: A common term for wealthy players who spend lavishly).

If luck favored her, she could procure high-level equipment drops; failing that, she could diligently train in one or two secondary professions.

Wouldn’t earning money then become a relatively simple affair?

Moreover, the prospect of earning money while indulging in gameplay was infinitely more appealing than the uncertainty of a haphazard job search.

‘Yes, that settles it!’

‘After logging off, I’ll definitely check out that marketplace.

Virtual items might be nothing more than strings of data, yet in this world, even ‘otaku’ (TL Note: A Japanese term for people with an obsessive interest in popular culture, often anime or manga) are willing to frequently shell out money for ‘paper people’ (TL Note: Refers to fictional characters, especially from anime or games).

It stands to reason that some tycoons, eager to ‘show off’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘zhuangbi,’ meaning to flaunt one’s wealth, skill, or status in a pretentious way) in the game, would treat money as mere trifles.’

‘Given the immense popularity of “Otherworld,” perhaps I truly can rely on it to secure my basic needs and live without worry.’

‘With this thought, even if the immediate future promised some hardship, the horizon ahead shimmered with boundless promise!’

Lost in the intricate tapestry of her burgeoning plans, Bai Xia remained utterly oblivious to her surroundings, unaware that she had unconsciously followed Tian Zheng deep into the heart of the forest.

The man, meanwhile, observed the bright-eyed assassin girl with a flicker of amusement, seemingly unconcerned that monsters might suddenly ambush them from the dense foliage.

Tian Zheng understood the girl’s fervent gaze all too well; it was the burning, insatiable hunger for money.

In recent years, he had witnessed countless such eyes, each pair igniting within him a profound sense of revulsion.

Yet, for reasons he couldn’t quite fathom, he found himself strangely unable to harbor any dislike for the girl beside him.

Though her face remained largely expressionless, her sparkling eyes were reminiscent of a hamster attempting to stuff every last peanut into its cheeks, growing rounder and rounder, yet never quite satisfied—a peculiar sight that, he had to admit, possessed a certain charm.

‘Tsk, is this truly still a world where appearances reign supreme?’

As he recalled the memory of those repulsive, greasy middle-aged men with their wizened, walnut-like faces, snarling like rabid dogs, and then glanced at the delicate, endearing girl beside him, a sudden realization dawned upon Tian Zheng.

‘Ah, so that’s the explanation!’

‘It seems I should remind those insignificant figures not to personally attend future business meetings.

Instead, they should send their daughters or granddaughters with the documents.

That way, I’d at least feel considerably more at ease.’

‘Hold on, wouldn’t that lead to some rather awkward misunderstandings?’

As he pondered, Tian Zheng’s thoughts, too, began to wander far afield.

****

It was only when both of them finally snapped back to reality that they discovered they had, unwittingly, trespassed deep into a horde of monsters’ territory, now firmly ensnared by countless pairs of eerie, emerald eyes.

Surrounding them, six sleek, grey wolves had inexplicably converged!

[Forest Wolf]: Level 5 Common Monster, HP 260. A mutated species of wolf known to occasionally graze on vegetation, possessing a relatively docile temperament but an intensely strong territorial instinct.

While a single wolf poses little threat, encountering a pack warrants immediate retreat.

‘Wolves that… eat grass?’

Bai Xia had initially recoiled in alarm upon realizing they were encircled by a pack of wolves, but after reading their monster description, she nearly burst out laughing.

‘Do wolves genuinely consume grass?’

As if to validate the system’s peculiar description, one of the Forest Wolves, positioned at the edge of the pack, opened its maw wide and tore off a sizable clump of grass.

It seemed to be relishing its meal with gusto, leaving Bai Xia utterly speechless.

While these Forest Wolves might indeed enjoy a vegetarian snack, their description certainly hadn’t precluded a taste for meat.

Moreover, the entry explicitly warned of their fierce territoriality, and here they were, having blundered right into it.

Bai Xia swallowed hard.

Against a lone wolf, she might have mustered the courage to charge forward, dagger in hand, and engage in a skirmish.

But now, a daunting six of them stood before them!

And these Forest Wolves, by all appearances, seemed disinclined towards individual combat.

In the end, Bai Xia could only pin her hopes on the silent figure of Tian Zheng beside her.

She attempted to conjure an adorable smile, hoping to charm their way out of this predicament, but her ‘loli’ (TL Note: A term for a young, often cute, girl in anime/manga style) face remained stubbornly expressionless.

“Great God,” she chirped, “they’re all yours!

You’re incredibly strong; you’ll definitely wipe them all out, won’t you?”

The man’s expression darkened perceptibly, but he remained silent.