Chapter Seven: I'll Be Waiting for You at the Hundred Cities Battle!

Opening my backpack, one of the items given by the warrior mentor was a skill book—“Vast Spirit Heart Method.” Upon learning it, the skill description reads: Vast Spirit Heart Method, intermediate internal skill, usable at level 10; level: novice, experience 0/100. This method channels the righteous energy of heaven and earth through the limbs and meridians; only those with a pure heart and upright conduct can harness its power. It can be combined with other righteous skills to increase their attack by 5%. Those struck by this method cannot disguise or hide their presence and it can dispel certain poison damage. It consumes 5 MP per second. The next level increases combined skill attack by 10%, enhances the ability to break disguises and invisibility, and strengthens toxin dispelling.

Internal skill books typically drop only from high-level monsters, and one must reach rank three in the profession guild to purchase internal skill books for this class. Therefore, players generally learn internal skills only after level 61. Learning the Vast Spirit Heart Method also increases MP by 100. Another item was a necklace, its chain golden with a subdued radiance. The crystal pendant encased a delicate five-clawed golden dragon, its head raised in a majestic roar, exuding an unparalleled aura of dominance. This was undoubtedly a piece of golden equipment, though it was yet to be identified, so its specific attributes remained unknown. Damn, if I had known the warrior mentor was so wealthy, I would have shamelessly begged more treasures from him and gotten a full set of gold gear to strike it rich! Alas, regret comes too late!

The alchemy mentor also gifted me two pills, each about the size of a peanut, with an earthy yellow color and a fresh fragrance. One was the Earth Spirit Pill, an intermediate-grade pill requiring level 10 to consume, granting +3 intelligence and +100 MP; the other was a similarly sized purple pill called the Minor Rejuvenation Pill, also intermediate-grade, requiring level 10, granting +3 strength and +100 HP. Oddly, after taking the Minor Rejuvenation Pill, I only gained 85 HP and 2 strength—probably because I had consumed similar pills in the novice village, so the effect was not at its peak. Opening my character status:

Blue Bat, level 11
HP: 535/535, MP: 290/290, Experience: 45/5866
Strength: 40
Agility: 21
Stamina: 31
Intelligence: 12
Reputation: 300, Luck: 2, Charisma: 4
Attack: 48–90 (skill bonuses not included)
Speed: 40
Evasion: 40
Physical Defense: 155–206
Gold: 2 gold 9 silver 14 copper

Skills: Basic Swordsmanship, novice, experience 0/100;
Level One Swordsmanship, novice, experience 0/100;
Vast Spirit Heart Method, novice, experience 0/100

Life Skills: Forging, novice, 0/100;
Mining, novice, 0/100;
Gathering, novice, 0/100;
Alchemy, novice, experience 0/100.

I choose what I like—the pills! Truly the perfect item for home, travel, or combat! After taking them, I felt invigorated, my strength soaring. If I could craft high-quality pills myself, like the “Ten Times Night Pill,” “Unyielding Lance Elixir,” or “Mighty Vajra Oil,” there would be a vast market and limitless profit.

However, alchemy requires experience and often luck, as one must formulate new recipes. The system provides mostly basic health and mana restoration recipes, but alchemy is a painstaking and meticulous craft that tests patience and attention to detail. Generally, only intermediate-grade or higher pills grant permanent attribute boosts, and crafting them is difficult, requiring rare materials. Only master alchemists can produce intermediate pills.

Exiting the life skills hall, I saw a player clad in leather armor, carrying a green sword, striding towards the profession guild with tiger-like confidence. No need to guess—this was the Wild Blade of Western Chu. Apart from him and me, no other players had reached level 11 yet. Unexpectedly, he was from my city. Wild Blade was about my age, with sharp eyes and a dignified bearing. His stern yet handsome face radiated an aura of authority that commands respect—only those long accustomed to high rank could cultivate such an innate commanding presence.

With a warm smile, Wild Blade approached and said, “Haha, I never expected Blue Bat, always ahead in everything, to be from the same city. I’ve heard much about you!” He clasped his hands respectfully, without a hint of pretension.

“Mutual respect, Brother Wild Blade. You are truly a remarkable figure, and I am humbled. I won’t keep you from your duties. Let’s add each other as friends and catch up when we can!” Great men appreciate great men; he left a strong impression on me.

Wild Blade laughed heartily, “Brother Bat, you will surely accomplish astonishing feats. I have faith in you. We’ll meet again.” With that, he entered the profession guild.

I bought essential tools for practicing life skills outdoors—an iron shovel, herb spatula, and splitting dagger—from the general store. After restocking my supplies, I headed to the bank to deposit the necklace. At the bank entrance was the mailbox (each village and town has a bank and mailbox; mailboxes allow leaving messages for offline friends and sending equipment or items, though postage fees apply). The system notified me of unread mail. Opening it, I found that all the equipment I had consigned for sale had been sold, and the gold coins from the sales were sent to me. I had already received some before leaving the novice village. Now, with the consignment fee waived, I had accumulated 4 gold 26 silver, totaling over 6 gold coins—enough to identify the necklace.

The identification office in the main city was far grander than any rural shop. The gilded signboard glowed brilliantly under the warm sunlight, its majestic gold and jade facade shining resplendently. Inside, a young apprentice greeted me with a friendly smile: “Welcome, sir. Are you here to identify equipment or purchase identification scrolls?”

“Please help me identify this necklace,” I said politely, handing it over.

The young appraiser pulled out a magnifying glass, examined it intently, and after a moment, his hands trembled with excitement. He exclaimed loudly, “Master, come quickly! This piece is of such high quality that I cannot identify it.” Seeing my stunned expression, he realized his blunder and smiled sheepishly, “I’m sorry, I lack the experience to identify your necklace. Please wait a moment; my master will come shortly.”

From behind a curtain, an elderly man with a benevolent countenance slowly approached, mildly reprimanding, “Ah Wang, no matter what happens, always maintain a calm heart. Overreacting in front of customers is impolite.”

“I understand, Master,” Ah Wang replied, giving me a helpless glance, as if silently saying, “Old man is so naggy.” Even NPC expressions were so vivid—it was a testament to the sophistication of the fantasy AI system.

The old appraiser strode over, took the magnifying glass and necklace, and after careful inspection, kindly said, “Sir, this necklace is a fine piece of equipment. I haven’t seen such excellent attributes in years!”

His tone left no doubt—it was at least a golden-grade item. I asked eagerly, “Sir, how much is the identification fee?”

Stroking his snowy white beard with his left hand, he leisurely raised his right palm in a gesture. I hurriedly asked, “Is it five gold coins?”

He shook his head, smiling kindly. “Not five gold coins, but fifty gold coins. Considering it’s a golden piece, I’ve already given you a 20% discount.”

Ah, a bittersweet joy! While the necklace being golden thrilled me, where was I to find fifty gold coins for the fee? I hadn’t expected the identification fee for golden items to be a hundred times that of silver ones! Embarrassed, I chuckled bitterly, “Sir, could you identify the necklace first and put the fee on my tab? I promise to pay you in full in a few days.”

The old man smiled, “Sir, you put me in a difficult position. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but our profession does not allow credit to avoid complaints of unfair competition.” Seeing my crestfallen face, he continued, “If you want the necklace identified quickly, there is a way. If you can bring me a Black Tiger Bone from the Blackwood Forest outside Dali City, I will identify it for free as compensation. No one would complain then. But the Black Tiger is elusive and formidable. The bone has unique medicinal value for wind dampness; my wife suffers from this illness, hence…”

Hidden quests seem as common as vegetables these days. Unable to gather the fee, I reluctantly agreed. The old appraiser returned the necklace to me and warned, “Sir, be very careful. This journey is fraught with danger. I see your strength is lacking, so I’ll identify the necklace now. If you fail to bring back the Black Tiger Bone within two days, the necklace will revert to its original state.”

After bidding farewell to the old appraiser and apprentice, I eagerly examined the golden necklace: Dragon’s Guard, golden equipment, level 10, increases defense by 10%, luck +2, with the attached skill “Dragon Shield” (summons a five-clawed golden dragon forming a light shield protecting the wearer, immune to all attacks for 10 seconds; cannot consume pills during use; cooldown 24 hours), weight 2. Another lucky item, and with such an overpowered skill as “Dragon Shield,” I resolved never to bathe for a year!

Without a doubt, Dragon’s Guard would top the equipment rankings. Yet, when I checked, it wasn’t listed. It seemed I must complete the quest before Dragon’s Guard could be officially recognized.

Fantasy Online RPG