The Demon Outpost and a Fateful Revelation

Having accepted several more Level 8 quests from the Yellow Sand Plains, Ye Jue and Lin Shenyue set out.

As they walked, Lin Shenyue reviewed their new assignments. Their Level 8 quests involved collecting desert scorpion carapaces, gathering desert cacti, and locating water sources across the Yellow Sand Plains. They had also directly accepted several Level 9 quests: harvesting tiger pelts, tiger fangs, and collecting Ascendant Grass. The primary adversaries for these Level 9 tasks were tigers, with the formidable Tiger King standing as the Newbie Village’s sole Level 10 monster. Yet, as the ultimate boss, he would undoubtedly prove a formidable challenge.

After effortlessly completing the Level 8 quests, the two adventurers proceeded directly to the territory of the Level 9 monsters—the tigers. This area was a forest, not as dense as the one near the village, but still abundant with trees. Such terrain was a natural battlefield for beasts, and players entering it risked fierce attacks.

Ye Jue surveyed the forest, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. As the final gathering spot for minor monsters in the Newbie Village, its difficulty was extraordinary. Not only had the monsters’ attributes significantly increased, boasting 1500 HP and 150 attack power, but the forest’s terrain also allowed the beasts to move with ease, while players would find themselves at a disadvantage. While he wasn’t concerned about his own demise, any attack sustained by Lin Shenyue would be problematic. After all, the tigers’ attack power was considerable, and a claw mark on Lin Shenyue would surely be painful.

Lin Shenyue noticed Ye Jue’s hesitation and inquired, “What’s wrong?”

“The forest is quite dense,” Ye Jue replied. “I can’t guarantee your safety if we enter.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Shenyue also wavered for a moment. She recalled the pain of being struck and, gritting her teeth, declared, “Let’s go in. I should be able to avoid getting hit.”

Seeing Lin Shenyue’s resolve, Ye Jue nodded reluctantly and stepped into the forest.

Ascendant Grass, a small plant with a green hue tinged with purple, was not ubiquitous but grew in sufficient quantities throughout the forest. Consequently, the pair quickly finished collecting it. During this time, they encountered a white tiger. Relying on Ye Jue’s damage output, they defeated the first tiger in just 40 seconds. Lin Shenyue then approached to gather the materials, and both items dropped.

Ye Jue couldn’t help but feel speechless. While the drop rate for materials wasn’t low, it was rare for a monster to yield two materials, as it did for Lin Shenyue. If he were collecting, he estimated he would need to kill at least thirty tigers, whereas Lin Shenyue would only require about ten.

With a sigh, Ye Jue led Lin Shenyue deeper into the forest.

****

Thirty minutes later, they had successfully gathered all the necessary materials. Ye Jue let out a long breath. “Do we have enough materials?”

Lin Shenyue nodded, confirming they had. Ye Jue then continued, “There’s a spot here that’s linked to the follow-up quests of the Newbie Village. If we complete it, we might be able to unlock the main quest chain.”

Lin Shenyue was accustomed to Ye Jue’s prophetic statements. After a brief moment of contemplation, she agreed to his plan.

Ye Jue led Lin Shenyue further into the forest, slaying numerous tigers along the way. They even managed to acquire five common-grade pieces of equipment and one iron-grade item. Though of low quality, these were Level 9 items, with the common equipment rivaling the attributes of Level 5 iron-grade gear.

While the iron-grade item’s attributes didn’t surpass those of Level 5 bronze equipment, they were significantly better than Level 5 iron-grade gear. However, due to its Level 9 requirement, it was unlikely many players would purchase it. Still, there would be a market, as many players primarily used common, low-level equipment.

Lin Shenyue collected all the equipment. Ye Jue suggested that she keep all the money from selling these items, to be used as initial capital if they ever formed a guild.

As Ye Jue approached a particular tree, he suddenly stopped. He scanned his surroundings, pondering for a moment before he vaguely sensed this was the correct location. It had been a long time, but since it pertained to the main quest, he remembered it quite clearly. He thought for a moment, then turned and headed in another direction. Lin Shenyue quickly followed, knowing that in such complex terrain, getting lost would be a significant hassle.

After walking for nearly three minutes without encountering any monsters, Ye Jue confirmed he hadn’t taken a wrong turn.

Lin Shenyue followed closely behind Ye Jue. Suddenly, he halted, causing her to nearly collide with him. Just as she was about to speak, Ye Jue turned and gestured for her to be quiet. Their proximity meant their faces almost brushed.

Lin Shenyue hastily retreated a few steps, her cheeks flushed, not from embarrassment but from alarm. Ye Jue, wisely, quickly interjected, “The quest’s destination is just ahead.”

Lin Shenyue let out a soft huff, choosing not to scold Ye Jue at that moment. She peered past him, looking ahead. Through the dense forest, a clearing suddenly appeared, where several crude huts had been erected. Beside the huts, a person in a black robe stood idly, occasionally glancing around. Their languid posture, however, indicated a lack of vigilance.

Ye Jue stepped forward and whispered, “This camp is a demon outpost. They’ve sent a few individuals to conspire and destroy the Newbie Village. The exact reason for their presence isn’t entirely clear, but they likely received information about our arrival.”

Lin Shenyue let out a soft sigh, her gaze fixed on Ye Jue. “Don’t you think you’re saying too much?”

Ye Jue was momentarily startled. Looking into Lin Shenyue’s clear eyes, his expression became somewhat distant. Finally, he chuckled. “Perhaps? But although I don’t know why, I trust you won’t reveal it.”

Lin Shenyue pressed her red lips together, stating softly, “Perhaps.”

Ye Jue’s gaze shifted back to the camp, but his mind raced. ‘When did my vigilance become so poor?’ he mused, ‘to inadvertently reveal such crucial information to someone else.’ He recalled his recent self-reflection, and a thought stirred within him. He glanced at Lin Shenyue but ultimately said nothing more.

Lin Shenyue looked at the camp before them and asked, “What should we do?”

Ye Jue pondered for a moment. “Let’s observe first.”

Lin Shenyue nodded, crouching slightly to watch the camp ahead. For a long while, only the single black-robed figure stood guard, with no other activity. Suddenly, she saw two more black-robed figures approaching together, chatting as they walked. “That Village Chief is truly foolish, slowly sending people to their deaths like this.”

“Indeed. Fortunately, the Lord laid out some traps, otherwise, we might not have been able to handle those Level 15 elite militiamen.”

“It seems the Village Chief has discovered something recently; he hasn’t sent anyone else.”

“Hmph, who cares? It just saves us trouble if he doesn’t come.”

The black-robed guard saw the two return and greeted them. “Still the same?”

One of the black-robed figures replied, “Yes, that Village Chief seems to have become a coward. He’s probably waiting for the human main city to discover the problem on its own.”

The guard scoffed. “They’ll have to live long enough for that.”

The other black-robed figure sneered along. “How is the Lord’s progress?”

The guard thought for a moment before replying, “Three more days. Once three days pass, the Newbie Village will be history.”

The two black-robed figures nodded to each other. “Only three days left. We should remain vigilant, lest any unexpected situations arise.”

The guard dismissed their concern. “What could possibly happen? It’s been so long; we haven’t even seen a single person.”

Suddenly, a hoarse voice emanated from inside one of the huts. “If you’re back, shut up and do your jobs.”

The three shivered at the voice and fell silent. The black-robed guard resumed their post, while the other two entered one of the huts.

Upon hearing this, Lin Shenyue furrowed her delicate brows. She hadn’t expected someone would attempt to destroy the Newbie Village. From the sound of it, the mastermind’s strength was likely considerable, and the two of them alone probably couldn’t resolve the situation.

Lin Shenyue turned her gaze to Ye Jue, who happened to be looking at her as well. She immediately asked, “Should we call for more people?”

Ye Jue smiled faintly. “No need. The quest is actually complete now; we just need to report back. Although I’m not entirely sure of that person’s strength, based on their methods, we shouldn’t act rashly.”

Lin Shenyue nodded. “So, we’re returning to the village?”

“Precisely,” Ye Jue said. “For now, we need to see what the Village Chief has to say.” In his previous life, while someone had revealed how to trigger the main quest, they hadn’t explained it in detail. After all, no one else would have been able to complete it besides him. Therefore, the subsequent quests would be entirely up to them to figure out.