The Mysterious Fragment and a Confrontation

After the trio entered the forest, they slew numerous tigers along the way. Shifting Winds and Clouds, observing Lin Shenyue’s unique triple-class designation, initially felt a surge of curiosity.

However, upon witnessing her healing spell, a sudden realization dawned on him: she was a Priest. Though her continuous healing of 100 HP per second was surprising, it didn’t overly astonish him.

As a casual player, he harbored little interest in actual combat and remained unaware of the profound significance such a healing output held at this early stage of the game.

With the Demon Apostle and their cohort eliminated, the traps scattered along the path vanished automatically. In the initial phases of the game, these traps would have been insurmountable otherwise.

Violet Flowers were guarded by two elite tigers, direct subordinates of the Tiger King BOSS. This spot also served as the sole passage to the Tiger King’s lair.

[Elite Tiger: Level 9. HP: 2500. Physical Attack: 250-280.]

Although these elite tigers inflicted significantly more damage than their common counterparts, they proved no match for Lin Shenyue. The trio easily dispatched them.

Shifting Winds and Clouds quickly located the medicinal herbs. After an excited, albeit brief, apology, he promptly returned to the city—by means of death, of course.

Lin Shenyue turned to Ye Jue. “Should we take on the Tiger King BOSS?”

Ye Jue shook his head. As the ultimate BOSS of the新手村 (Newbie Village), the Tiger King typically required the concerted effort of at least five top-tier players to defeat. Relying solely on the two of them would be quite challenging.

Moreover, they were still a considerable distance from reaching the critical Level 10 threshold.

“Time is running short,” Ye Jue stated. “There’s no way we’ll reach Level 10 today. Plus, completing the quest after eight hours will halve our experience gain, making it a fruitless endeavor.”

Lin Shenyue nodded. “Then where should we go now?”

Ye Jue pondered for a moment before replying, “Let’s check the stalls in the Newbie Village.”

Lin Shenyue assented, her attention already drifting to the ongoing guild war unfolding in the regional chat.

Hades had spent the last few hours in profound vexation. He had been inexplicably targeted by a group whose guild affiliation remained a mystery.

Judging by their equipment, they were undoubtedly an elite squad from a major guild. His immediate thought was the Fantasy City guild.

Yet, what perplexed him was that in previous games, even when Fantasy City had a larger presence, they never dared to provoke Heaven Guild so casually. He knew they were wary of Heaven Guild’s subsequent retaliation.

Coincidentally, members of the Flowing Cloud Clan were simultaneously besieged by several smaller guilds, leading to a furious exchange of curses in the regional chat and drawing a crowd of onlookers.

Hades contemplated for a while, ultimately deciding to inquire with Fantasy City. After all, they were the prime suspects.

Upon seeing Hades’ private message, Phantom Night sneered but didn’t refuse to engage.

“Was that your doing?” Hades demanded.

Phantom Night chuckled. “What are you referring to?”

Hades’ expression hardened at Phantom Night’s evasive response. If Fantasy City hadn’t been involved, Phantom Night’s tone would never have been so flippant.

He had questioned Phantom Night with an accusatory tone, and as a guild leader, Phantom Night wouldn’t smile in response to a rival vice-leader’s interrogation. Moreover, a guild leader like Phantom Night couldn’t possibly be unaware of the attacks on their two guilds over the past few hours.

Hades’ anger flared. “President Phantom Night, are you declaring war on Heaven Guild?”

“I didn’t say that,” Phantom Night replied indifferently. “And those people aren’t from my guild.”

Hades scoffed. “Dare you claim complete ignorance? I believe you know better than I do which guild those people belong to.”

Phantom Night’s eyes narrowed, his tone growing dangerous. “Vice-President Hades, are you interrogating me?”

Hades’ expression faltered for a moment, then he gritted his teeth. “No, I’m merely asking for clarification regarding this incident.”

Phantom Night’s voice remained calm. “Then let me be clear: those people are not from our guild. There’s no need for you to bother me further.” With that, he abruptly ended the private chat.

Hades stared at the disconnected private chat window, his face grim. He snorted coldly, then turned and summoned one of his subordinates.

Phantom Night tapped the table twice. The individuals who had been causing trouble were indeed not members of his guild, but they had been supplied with equipment by his guild.

Although it cost a sum of money, it had demonstrably hindered the development of Heaven Guild’s members. He then glanced at the dungeon guide Ye Jue had sent him, his eyes flashing slightly.

Ye Jue’s sincerity was evident, meaning his desire to cripple Heaven Guild was more than just empty words. This begged the question: why did he wish to ruin Heaven Guild? As an old rival of Heaven Guild, Phantom Night knew they never left loose ends, at least not for talented players. Less gifted players could simply be suppressed within the game.

While Phantom Night pondered Ye Jue’s motives, Ye Jue had already led Lin Shenyue to the Newbie Village’s trading market. Though called a market, it was essentially just a small street lined with stalls.

The street wasn’t crowded at the moment, but it wasn’t empty either. Ye Jue and Lin Shenyue walked along it.

Suddenly, Ye Jue spotted an item: a Mysterious Fragment. His eyes lit up at the sight. This fragment was crucial for unlocking an early-game secret realm.

Emerging from that secret realm had, in the past, produced at least three top-tier players. While they were only top-tier in terms of equipment, and their combat awareness lagged somewhat, their gear advantage still propelled them into the ranks of first-class experts.

Ye Jue checked the price: 5 gold coins. This was a substantial sum in the early game, but he purchased it without hesitation. When that secret realm was first discovered, a single fragment would sell for hundreds of thousands of gold coins.

The young man who had been selling the fragment was stunned when it was bought. The fragment had dropped when they were clearing a dungeon. Though they had no idea what it was for, they suspected it was something extraordinary.

Their investigation revealed that such fragments were virtually nonexistent at this stage, indicating it was indeed a rare treasure. He had priced it at 5 gold coins merely to test the waters, as spending 5 gold on an item of unknown use felt like a loss in the early game. He hadn’t expected it to be bought so readily by the person before him.

As Ye Jue prepared to leave, the young man hastily called out to him. “Friend, may I ask a question?”

Ye Jue paused, responding calmly, “If you’re asking about this fragment, I apologize, but I’m not entirely sure myself. I merely saw it and wished to collect it.”

The young man didn’t quite believe him, but since Ye Jue had spoken, he had no recourse, especially as they were strangers.

Lin Shenyue asked with a hint of curiosity, “Is this thing useful?”

Ye Jue offered a slight smile. “I just have a feeling it might be useful later, so I bought it.”

Lin Shenyue simply hummed in acknowledgment, resuming her avid observation of the two guilds’ bickering in the regional channel.

Ye Jue shook his head with a helpless sigh. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell Lin Shenyue, but explaining it would be impossible. Fortunately, Lin Shenyue didn’t seem to pay much heed, merely asking out of casual curiosity.

Subsequently, Ye Jue found no other valuable items. Just as they were about to depart, they were blocked by a group of people.

“Well, hello there, beautiful sister. We meet again.” A hooligan-like voice suddenly echoed.

Lin Shenyue’s brows furrowed sharply upon hearing it. This group was indeed from the Flowing Cloud Clan, led by I Am a Ruffian.

“Who are you meeting again? And who are you, anyway?” Lin Shenyue replied coolly.

I Am a Ruffian spat. “Little lady, you just met your brother yesterday, and you’ve already forgotten today? I think we should go somewhere and have a good chat, get to know each other better, wouldn’t you agree?”

Lin Shenyue bit her red lip. In such situations, it was usually women who suffered, especially when dealing with someone as thick-skinned as I Am a Ruffian, who would typically corner you until you were speechless.

Ye Jue’s expression gradually turned cold. Seeing Lin Shenyue’s helplessness, he stepped forward. “Good dogs don’t block the path. And which dog are you?”

I Am a Ruffian scoffed upon seeing Ye Jue. “Kid, if you don’t have the guts, don’t pretend to be tough. You might just get burned.” He then completely ignored Ye Jue. “Little lady, come with me, and I’ll treat you to the best food and drinks.”

Lin Shenyue’s face grew increasingly unsightly. Finally, she took a deep breath and said coldly, “Someone with a problematic mind like yours shouldn’t come out to flaunt your low intelligence. Let’s go, ignore this dog.”

With that, she turned and walked away. Ye Jue stared at I Am a Ruffian for a few moments, ultimately just letting out a cold sneer. If it weren’t for the Newbie Village’s no-PK rule, I Am a Ruffian would have died countless times already. Now, I Am a Ruffian was officially on his blacklist. Once he developed further, he would kill I Am a Ruffian until they quit the game.