Vol. 1 Chapter 20 – You Can Leave!

“Hello, old lady. Here are the wolf eyes you wanted.” Under the crooked tree, Ye Tian Xie traded ten wolf eyes to the strange old woman, and soon he heard the completion notification for the task…but the 『mysterious』 task reward almost made him curse out loud.

【Ding… You have completed the quest 『Request of the Sealed Old Man』, receiving the reward: 10 experience points and 1 silver coin.】

To think that ten wolf eyes only netted him 10 experience points and one silver coin! Selling those wolf eyes at a shop would surely fetch at least 2 silver coins. Ye Tian Xie wanted to ask,《Old lady, could you possibly be any more stingy?》

“Thank you, young man. These wolf eyes will be a great help to me. Young man, I can see you’re very enthusiastic and brave. Would you be willing to help me collect another 100 wolf eyes?” The old woman lifted her dry, bark-like face. Though her words were formal in praise, her gaze held no warmth, only a hollow indifference.

【Ding… The Sealed Old Man requests you to help her collect 100 wolf eyes. Task attributes: Normal, Task deadline: None, Task rewards: Unknown.】

“Accept.”

The old lady’s second request eased Ye Tian Xie’s mind. Clearly, this was a continuation quest. The rewards for the first phase of continuation quests were often minimal, but they typically increased in value as the quest progressed. He wondered if the next stage would require collecting 200 wolf eyes… and beyond that? Three hundred?

Ye Tian Xie didn’t waste any more time talking and headed back into Wolf Valley to continue slaughtering the fierce wolves. As soon as he stepped into the wolves’ territory, the scent of a human attracted the fierce wolves, who surged toward him. With two swift sweeps of The Mark of Destiny, the area was soon littered with wolf corpses.

Two strikes guaranteed a kill, and with an attack range of two metres, even a six-member party of average level 5 players couldn’t match Ye Tian Xie’s efficiency. Gradually, after a few minutes, the groups of attacking wolves were reduced to single ones rushing at him. After a bit more time, Ye Tian Xie proactively charged toward a distant wolf, and after more time… the area around him was empty, with not a single wolf in sight. The few that did spawn were dispatched before they could even stabilise.

【Ding… Your level has increased to 3. HP +10, MP +10, and you have gained 5 free attribute points.】

After counting the over 300 wolf eyes in his inventory, Ye Tianxie finally stepped out of Wolf Valley. Unfortunately, or rather, the Hong Ye Alliance members were once again unfortunate enough to cross paths with him.

It was the same five people as before. There were a total of 100,000 novice villages in the Huaxia region, and given that the Red Leaf Alliance had surpassed 100,000 players at one point, it was already remarkable that five of them ended up in the same novice village. Red Leaf Iron Wall adjusted his expression and approached Ye Tian Xie, who wore an impassive look. “Xie Tian, we’ve gathered 100 gold coins. Once the trade is completed, we’ll also throw in a level 3 two-handed weapon. The Red Leaf Alliance will recognize you as a friend.”

For them, 100 gold coins was astronomical. To prevent any delays, they had expended significant effort to gather the coins in the shortest time possible, and they had rushed here as quickly as they could. Fortunately, they were relieved to find Ye Tian Xie right away.

“Red Leaf Alliance? Impressive, huh?” Ye Tian Xie grinned, his voice dripping with disdain.

Red Leaf Iron Wall’s expression darkened for a moment before he regained his composure and said lightly, “While our Red Leaf Alliance may not compare to the Divine Domain Alliance or Wings of the Overcast Sky, we are not a group that just anyone can provoke. We have over a hundred thousand brothers who share in both joy and hardship. Even against the Divine Domain Alliance and Wings of the Overcast Sky, we have never felt fear. Soon enough, we will trample them underfoot!”

Ye Tian Xie had certainly heard of the Divine Domain Alliance and Wings of the Overcast Sky. He took a couple of steps forward, standing right in front of Red Leaf Iron Wall, and extended his right hand. “100 gold coins. Hand them over.”

Red Leaf Iron Wall remained unmoved, his face cold as he replied, “Cash for goods. The Red Leaf Alliance has never operated any other way.”

“I don’t operate that way either.” Ye Tian Xie retracted his hand, narrowing one eye at him. “Your alliance’s reputation and practices have left me with no desire to trade with you. Either pay up, or get lost.”

The biting mockery and disdain in his voice darkened the expressions of all five members of the Red Leaf Alliance. In their previous gaming experiences, the name Red Leaf Alliance had commanded respect and admiration, with most players deferring or even fleeing at the mere mention of it. Never had they been so openly disrespected… especially when they were five against one.

The trainee warrior raised his two-handed sword, but Red Leaf Iron Wall gestured to stop him. Their priority was to acquire the unusual weapon that their leader, Red Leaf Lie Feng, desired, not to let their tempers flare. If they could, they would have already chopped him down to loot all his gear, but in their previous encounter, all four of them had been taken out in just ten seconds. They had to endure to complete the mission given by their leader.

“Fine…” Red Leaf Iron Wall took a deep breath and said slowly, “We were indeed in the wrong earlier. We can pay you the gold coins first. Xie Tian, I trust you won’t make the foolish choice of opposing the entire Red Leaf Alliance. While you’re strong enough to take on five of us alone, behind us stands a hundred thousand brothers of the Red Leaf Alliance. Whether you choose to be friends or foes, I believe you will make the wisest decision.”

The compromise came with a heavy threat—one stemming from the Red Leaf Alliance’s vast player base. Such a threat could intimidate nearly all players… but this time, he had clearly chosen the wrong target. Some people are inherently unafraid of threats; instead, they might use it as the perfect excuse for violence.

Red Leaf Iron Wall stepped forward and traded 100 gold coins to Ye Tian Xie. As the successful trade notification echoed in his ears, Ye Tian Xie’s inventory instantly filled with a hundred shiny gold coins. A broad smile lit up his face as he half-turned away, casually saying, “Alright, I’ll accept the money. You can leave now.”