Chapter 79 The Spear of Courage Still Presses Forward (Part Two) Our Mission...
Sunlight streamed in through the naturally formed window, filling the air with the fresh scent of the forest and the warm aroma of roasted pine nuts. Occasionally, a waiter would pass by with a tray, leaving behind a lingering fragrance of elderflower. Travelers of all races crowded into this little tavern, which seemed to have been opened by requisitioning a tree hollow.
The walls on all four sides are made of light-colored birch wood with clearly visible grain. The ceiling is covered with soft moss, and colorful gemstones picked up from the forest stream are polished and embedded in the moss, scattering colorful light spots in all directions when refracted by sunlight.
When the six people woke up, they were already sitting in a tavern called "Star Travel Tree Terrace". Admittedly, each of them was startled the moment they opened their eyes.
For example, Xia Zhu looked at Feng Feng, who was blinking innocently across from her, and was extremely curious about the two extra, crooked, translucent tentacles on her head that could open and close in sync with her blinking.
However, her usual style of dress is rather wild? So her clothes made of green leaves and petals, her dark red hair, her honey-colored eyes, and the freckles on her nose all match perfectly.
They couldn't be more clever.
Ji Wuchou stroked the light blue diamond icon in the upper right corner of her parchment scroll, hesitated, and then reached out her hand, where a transparent ice crystal condensed in her palm.
"My strength hasn't changed, so I must be from the Land of No Water." Her attire remained the same as in her previous battles, with her close-fitting black clothing subtly revealing powerful lines. Her body was slender but not weak, making her look more like a ranger than a mage.
Ji Yinxiu hadn't changed much either. He and Ji Wuchou not only shared the same surname, but their physiques and tastes were also similar, making them seem more like they came from the same tribe than the other strangely shaped warriors.
"Are you a human?" Feng Feng asked, tilting his head curiously.
“Perhaps not.” Ji Yinxiu looked down at her palm. “Since just now, I’ve vaguely felt a strange force surging through my body.”
He slightly curled his five fingers, and a small cluster of blue-purple flames popped out of his palm.
"Yan Yan Kingdom! Alright!" Feng Feng cheered, slapping the table. She had really set the mood. "But I thought your hair would burn like this." She gestured with her head as she spoke.
"Yes, I thought so too." Ji Yinxiu nodded seriously, even imagining what her hair would look like standing on end.
“And the little crow! Yours is too obvious!” Feng Feng went from sitting to kneeling on the chair, his body swaying back and forth, unable to stay still.
Ying Ya's hair seemed to have grown longer, falling over his shoulders, and he wore a dark purple robe. His irises, which had originally only had a slight purple iridescence, now had a more intense, mysterious color, and his pupils had changed from round to sharp vertical lines at both ends. Pale, delicate ear tips peeked out from either side of his hair.
They are indeed clearly orcs.
Xia Zhu looked at Ying Ya with great appreciation. His disguise was undoubtedly the most successful, a completely immersive role-playing performance.
Then she heard a disgruntled snort from her left. Feng Feng rolled his eyes, skipped over the unpleasant-looking "orthodox human" Ying Huo, stood up, walked around the round table to her back, and took off the hood from her head.
"Don't say anything! Let me guess!" She pressed her cool cheek against Xia Zhu's, her eyes wide and sparkling as she stared at Xia Zhu's forehead. "Wow! This is the first time I've seen Xia Zhu like this! So pretty!"
Xia Zhu stood there blankly as Feng Feng held her head and fiddled with it. Suddenly hearing her praise, she lowered her head and secretly blushed.
"Look at this robe! Look at these tattoos! I want to worship you, Ah Zhu!" After she finished speaking, she seemed to remember something, rummaged through the pile of small cloth bags at her waist, pulled out a small mirror, and handed it to Xia Zhu. "Here! Take a look for yourself!"
She took the mirror and looked at herself. Her facial features hadn't changed much, except for a dark gold snake-shaped totem on her forehead. Her skin was already quite dark, and combined with the white and gold robe she was wearing, she looked like a tourist from Egypt.
She held the mirror intently, looking at herself carefully, and then slowly nodded.
"It is indeed beautiful."
Feng Feng chuckled strangely, then wrapped his arms around hers again, insisting on pressing them together.
"Clergy! Please bless me!"
Then the two began the blessing ceremony in a serious manner. Xia Zhu touched Feng Feng's head very solemnly, while the latter knelt on the ground devoutly.
"God has bestowed upon Feng Feng... hmm... even the food he eats tastes delicious..."
Feng Feng solemnly closed his eyes to accept the blessing, then slowly stood up and expressionlessly reached out his hand towards the swamp bread in the center of the table.
With a death wish, she opened her mouth and bit into the piece of bread steaming with green vapor, then her eyes widened suddenly, "Wow!! It's really delicious!! Ah Zhu, you're amazing!"
On the other side of the table, Ji Wuchou and Ji Yinxiu were the most stable and mature members of the team. The two discussed why some people were able to have side quests, but they didn't come to any conclusions.
"Judging from the decor here, we should be in the territory of the elves... Why don't we have a game map?" Feng Feng said, opening his parchment scroll and turning it to the back.
On the originally blank paper, a spot of light appeared, and the spot of light slowly extended outward like a flame. The world map of Xiaoyutan appeared on the parchment scroll.
The icon featuring the stick figure of Feng Feng indicates that they are indeed located in the eastern Elf Kingdom, in a place called the Beginner Village.
"There really is a map!"
Seeing this, everyone turned the parchment over, but it was still blank.
Xia Zhu recalled what Xiao Feng had just said and hesitantly read out the four words to his parchment scroll.
"Game map".
Sure enough, the light spots reappeared, and the map gradually unfolded.
“Voice-activated.” She looked up and met several other gazes.
Then the remaining three people shouted out the commands to the parchment scrolls in their hands.
As for Ying Huo, he remained expressionless and motionless throughout, sitting leisurely on a wooden chair in a noble-style uniform, as arrogant as if he were sitting on a golden throne.
Only Xia Zhu knew why he was angry.
Once you've determined the current location of the unnamed team 1, you can begin your mission according to the main quest prompts.
Xia Zhu looked down at the main questline and saw the first quest line that needed to be completed.
"Enter the secret forest to find the magical tree."
The group decided to eat and drink their fill before setting off, and divided the swamp bread among themselves. Feng Feng was right; the taste was indeed excellent, though its appearance was unremarkable. The bread was chewy and had a faint, fresh grassy aroma. Taking a bite immediately transported one to a forest shrouded in morning mist, and paired with the sweet and refreshing silver grass root water, it was like morning dew sprinkling on moss.
"I think it's necessary to talk to everyone before we set off." Even when eating, Ji Yinxiu was like an old scholar sitting upright. He must have been the teacher's favorite good boy in kindergarten. He slowly chewed the last bite of bread, straightened his body, and placed his hands on his knees before speaking. "Although this dream seems to be a game, and there are many characters at the moment, it is still unclear whether it is dangerous. However, our ultimate goal is to find Liang. I hope everyone will always be vigilant and it is best not to face danger alone."
It seemed that in his previous team, he had always been the one taking care of everything, so to ensure the safety of all team members, he needed to give them routine reminders. However, Ji Yinxiu suddenly realized that he had only met the teammates in front of him a few times, and wondered if his sudden words might seem redundant or too didactic.
"Hai-hai!" Feng Feng suddenly stood up from his seat, bowed twice to him, and then saluted. "I'll follow your orders!"
Ji Wuchou couldn't help but laugh out loud. Ji Yinxiu, seeing everyone's reaction, felt that he might have been too cautious. It was his first time cooperating with people from other families, and he was too worried that he would cause trouble for everyone and lose his identity as an unidentified official.
Pushing open the tavern door, you'll find yourself in the beginner village, which, as the name suggests, is a village with many newbies.
The streets weren't very wide, and all sorts of strange and unusual creatures crowded onto them, each carrying a roll of parchment. There were elves with tentacles on their heads like Feng Feng, or half-orcs who were especially noticeable, like the tavern waiters, and humans who rode horses while others walked, spending lavishly from the start.
The roadside is lined with simple European-style bungalows, stalls selling cheap props, or steaming weapon shops.
Feng Feng stepped out first, and Xia Zhu watched as her movements were slowed down infinitely as she crossed the threshold, as if she had stopped, her expression unchanged. Just as she was wondering what was going on, three seconds later, Feng Feng's feet finally touched the ground of the street, and she looked at the people inside the door with a blank expression.
What just happened to me?
"You were just slowed down."
"Wait a minute, everything suddenly went black before my eyes! Then a line of text flashed by... saying something like 'If you run out of gold coins, you can go to Ophir to sell your gathered items'..."
There was complete silence; they were all a group of people out of touch with the times.
"Maybe... it's a little hint on the game loading screen?" Ji Wuchou silently raised her hand.
So everyone lifted their feet and then slowed down and paused in mid-air.
A line of small characters flashed before Xia Zhu's eyes.
"Clerics possess the divine power to heal through chanting..."
The next second, their vision returned, and they were already on the street. Feng Feng's face turned red, and he suddenly bent over, pounding his knees and bursting into laughter.
"Hahahaha, you guys have no idea how funny it was when you five were stuck there! Isn't this a game? Why isn't there a camera function?"
Then, with a clear "click," a piece of paper fell from the sky and slowly landed in Feng Feng's outstretched hand.
Her smile froze on her face, and when she saw what was written on the piece of paper, tears streamed down her face.
The photo clearly shows five people with their feet stuck in mid-air.
Feng Feng laughed so hard he could barely breathe, and only after Xia Zhudi's repeated pleas did he manage to quickly show her a glimpse of the photo, clutching a corner of it tightly.
"This is so erotic! I wonder if I can bring it back to reality?"
Just as everyone was wondering which direction to take to find the secret forest, Xia Zhu noticed a beautiful young girl standing outside a blacksmith shop.
Her long, golden hair was braided into a single plait that hung down her chest, adorned with small white daisies. Her pale blue dress clashed starkly with the dark, imposing entrance to the blacksmith's shop. The sunlight seemed to favor her, casting only a soft halo around her. Yet, her calm, lake-like green eyes betrayed a deep sadness.
Xia Zhu heard her talking to herself.
"Noah has been gone for a day. When will he be back? I shouldn't have argued with him... The Secret Forest... Could he have encountered some danger...?"
Ji Wuchou also noticed the somewhat abrupt girl. After exchanging glances with Xia Zhu, she walked straight towards the girl.
"Hello? Excuse me, do you know how to get to the Secret Forest?"
The girl seemed to wake from a dream, suddenly finding herself standing in front of several strange strangers. Feeling a little embarrassed, a faint blush rose to her cheeks, as beautiful as a flower glistening with morning dew, stunning Xia Zhu and Feng Feng who had gathered around.
“Hello, my name is Winona. Of course… I know how to get to the Secret Forest… but that place is very dangerous… ordinary people can’t come out alive…” She quickly glanced at the group, “Oh, right, there are elves among you, perhaps you can get in smoothly…”
Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she grasped Ji Wuchou's hand.
"If you can successfully enter the forest, could you help me find him?" Winona lowered her long eyelashes. "Dad said that if Noah could go to the forest and pick the largest Aingar flower from the King Needle Bee, he could marry me to him... Noah... Poor Noah is a brave man, he really went! But a day has passed, and he hasn't come back yet. Before he left... I even had a big fight with him..." As she spoke, a tear slid down her fair face.
Like a real NPC, she was lost in her own memories, recounting the procedural plot to herself.
The conversation was long and tedious, but in order to find out the location of the secret forest, everyone stood still and listened to Winona's tearful account.
"Boring." Ying Huo glanced at Xia Zhu, who was listening with great interest. He thought it was all a waste of time. What game plot, what love stories? He should just spend money to hire someone to take care of everything for him. Ideally, someone who could kill all the characters in this world would make finding Liang a piece of cake.
Maybe this crying woman is a demon; if you're smart, you should go up and stab her.
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Author's note: Try to take it easy now, because it won't be easy later.
I hope everyone won't find this segment boring or awkward [crying emojis] I really love it!
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