Vol. 1 Chapter 16 – Read Leaf Alliance

A secret of earthshaking proportions… Just what kind of secret could possibly be considered that enormous?

But at the very least, one thing was certain: the quest he had accidentally triggered in the Beginner Village was far from easy. Heaven only knew whether their child, Xiao Ming, was dead or alive, much less where he had been taken. He did not even know what the child looked like.

Fortunately, this quest had neither a time limit nor a penalty for failure, so there was no reason for him to refuse it.

“Wow! Look at that man! Oh my God, he’s so perfect it’s almost unbelievable!” A female player with a graceful, curvaceous figure covered her mouth and exclaimed dramatically. The object of her sparkling gaze was none other than Ye Tian Xie.

“He probably increased his appearance settings,” the female player beside her remarked.

“Even if he did, I’m sure he’s incredibly handsome in real life too.”

“You little slut, you’re getting horny again! If you’ve taken a fancy to him, just go and seduce him!”

“Hmph! With this lady’s beauty, getting my hands on him will be a piece of cake!”

The female player composed her expression, put on a seductive smile, and gracefully approached him. Lightly patting Ye Tian Xie on the shoulder, she spoke in a sweet, coquettish voice, “Hey, handsome big brother, could you take us sisters along to level up?”

Her alluring eyes were filled with undisguised flirtation and seduction. Ye Tian Xie narrowed his eyes and was just about to speak when he suddenly caught sight of the name floating above her head. He forcibly swallowed the words that had nearly escaped his mouth, turned around, and walked away, leaving the female player stamping her feet in anger.

Her name was, astonishingly…Madam Rong by Daming Lake.

Continuing northward, he passed the crooked tree and discovered that the strange old woman whose lower body had been sealed was now surrounded by several layers of people. Although the quest item she wanted was a wolf’s eye, it was merely an ordinary quest that could be accepted at Level 0. He had spent more than an hour at the Blacksmith Shop, and during that time, the players had advanced a considerable distance northward, venturing into territories inhabited by higher level monsters.

Evil Wolf Valley was located at the northernmost end of the Beginner Village. Apart from its somewhat desolate and lonely atmosphere, both the scenery and the air were exceptionally pleasant. Occasionally, the distant howls of wolves could be heard echoing through the valley.

The entrance to Evil Wolf Valley was a relatively narrow passage between the mountains. As soon as Ye Tian Xie entered, he let out a faint “Oh?” because, surprisingly, there were other people here besides himself. At a glance, he saw five players surrounding an enormous wolf, running around it while engaging it in fierce combat.

Compared to Ye Tian Xie, who was wearing the most ordinary beginner’s cloth clothing, these players were already equipped with complete sets of gear. Several pieces even emitted a faint blue glow, indicating that they were actually Steel Grade equipment. The wolf they had surrounded was nearly twice the size of an ordinary wolf. Under the combined assault of the five players, it continuously let out furious roars while its health bar slowly decreased. Above its health bar was the name『Giant Ferocious Wolf』preceded by three dazzling golden stars.

A Three Star BOSS!

Giant Ferocious Wolf: Level 5 Three Star BOSS. HP: 1300. A mutated variant of the Ferocious Wolf, possessing a massive body and formidable abilities far surpassing those of ordinary Ferocious Wolves. Skill: 《Berserk Transformation》.

In the world of 『Destiny』, BOSS monsters were divided into One Star, Two Star, Three Star, and Lord Grade. Strictly speaking, monsters with one or two stars above their heads could not truly be considered BOSS monsters. It would be more appropriate to classify them as elites among their own species. A One Star BOSS was equivalent to an ordinary elite monster, possessing abilities one to two times greater than those of ordinary monsters of the same species. A Two Star BOSS was an elite among elites, with abilities one to two times greater than those of a One Star BOSS. A Three Star BOSS was the leader of its territory, possessing considerably greater strength. As for a Lord Grade BOSS, it was the supreme ruler of a vast territory, wielding terrifying power. Beyond Lord Grade BOSS monsters were extraordinary beasts that, although still classified as BOSS monsters, were countless times more terrifying than ordinary ones: Celestial Spirit Beasts, Heavenly Radiance Beasts, Divine Mysterious Beasts and Holy Annihilation Beasts.

Once players reached sufficiently high levels and formed an enormous team, they might have a chance of defeating a low level Celestial Spirit Beast. However, from the level of Heavenly Radiance Beasts onward, their existence could be described to players in just four words: Absolutely Unbeatable!

The names floating above these players’ heads immediately piqued Ye Tian Xie’s interest. All five names began with “Red Leaf.” The name Red Leaf Alliance flashed through his mind. It seemed that he had a tiny bit of history with this faction known as the Red Leaf Alliance.

The sudden arrival of an outsider made the five players surrounding the Giant Ferocious Wolf slightly apprehensive. They had only just discovered this map called Evil Wolf Valley before stumbling upon a wandering Three Star BOSS. For them, this was both a fortunate and painful encounter. However, when they saw Ye Tian Xie dressed in nothing but beginner’s clothing, their slight nervousness immediately turned into disdain. Furthermore, his flawless face filled them with such envy and jealousy that, through gritted teeth, they could only add hatred to the mix.

However, their distraction lasted only an instant. With an average level of three, taking on a Three Star BOSS was no easy task, even with five people working together.

Among the five players were a Trainee Shield Guardian, a Trainee Warrior, a Trainee Archer, a Trainee Mage, and a Trainee Priest, each representing a different class. The Shield Guardian stood at the front with a wooden shield raised, gritting his teeth as he endured the Giant Ferocious Wolf’s attacks while continuously gulping down potions. The Trainee Warrior rapidly dealt damage from behind the wolf, while the Trainee Mage maintained an optimal distance for magical attacks and continuously launched attribute free magic projectiles. The Trainee Priest ran around casting 《Healing》 while drinking Small Mana Recovery Potions, having already learned the most basic healing spell. Meanwhile, the Trainee Archer crouched behind a rock, firing arrows one after another.

-9, -11, -8, -22…

The five players displayed remarkable teamwork, and their positioning was nearly perfect, allowing them to barely maintain a stalemate against the Giant Ferocious Wolf. The defense of a Level 5 Three Star BOSS made their attacks seem particularly feeble. Their main damage output depended on the Trainee Mage’s magic projectiles, which the wolf could not defend against. Even so, the Giant Ferocious Wolf’s health was dropping at a respectable rate. By the time Ye Tian Xie arrived, its health bar had already fallen to nearly 30%.

Ye Tian Xie stopped and watched the five players with great interest as they fought with their nerves stretched to the limit. Rather than admiration, his expression revealed the amused curiosity of someone watching an entertaining show. The fact that these players possessed complete sets of equipment was already enough to demonstrate that they were no ordinary individuals. Coupled with their nearly flawless teamwork and positioning, even if they were not high ranking members of the Red Leaf Alliance, they undoubtedly held positions of some importance.

“Keep it up! It’s got less than 300 HP left! Hurry… I’ve only got one potion left! I can’t hold on much longer! Xiao Mu, keep an eye on my health!” The Shield Guardian, who had been holding his shield high to withstand the Ferocious Wolf’s attacks, activated another 《Taunt》 skill and shouted.

“I’m almost out of mana too!” The Trainee Priest quickly cast 《Healing》 before hurriedly running away to wait for the skill’s cooldown to finish.

(They’re here! They’re finally here! Tian Xie (天邪, Tiān Xié)’s main playthings during the early stages… The tragic five man squad of the Red Leaf Alliance (红叶盟, Hóng Yè Méng) has finally appeared!!)

Explanation for the joke for Madam Rong by Daming Lake (大明湖畔的容嬷嬷, Dà Míng Hú Pàn De Róng Mómo):

The joke behind “Madam Rong by Daming Lake” (大明湖畔的容嬷嬷, Dà Míng Hú Pàn De Róng Mómo) is a Chinese internet meme referencing the famous television drama My Fair Princess (还珠格格).

The name combines two completely different female characters from the same drama.

Xia Yu He (夏雨荷, Xià Yǔ Hé):

A beautiful, gentle woman who fell in love with Emperor Qianlong beside Daming Lake (大明湖, Dà Míng Hú). She is remembered through the famous line asking whether the emperor still remembers Xia Yuhe by Daming Lake.

Madam Rong (容嬷嬷, Róng Mómo):

An elderly, cruel palace servant infamous for tormenting the heroines, especially the scene where she stabs Ziwei with needles. She became one of the drama’s most recognizable villains.

Chinese people created a parody suggesting that Madam Rong was actually the beautiful Xia Yu He whom the emperor had loved years ago.

Back to this chapter, the random female player acts sexy and confidently believes she can seduce Ye Tian Xie. But when he sees her username, he immediately thinks of the terrifying old Madam Rong instead of a beautiful woman.

That’s why he runs away without saying anything.

In short: She’s trying to act like a beautiful seductress, but her username reminds him of a scary old woman.

I had to watch the series to understand the joke btw.