The small boy obviously didn’t believe you could be so kind. He shot you a sidelong glance and continued his work.
"Because I see you’re working so hard. If you tire yourself out, your parents will be heartbroken."
"Hmph, they wouldn’t care about . Now that they’ve had a chubby little brother for , they won’t love anymore. They even said they’d feed to a tiger."
You thought to yourself, "Here’s the quest," then used a comforting tone to say, "Even the fiercest tiger wouldn’t eat its own cub. And we’re humans, not tigers. Since you’re their flesh and blood, they won’t abandon you, let alone feed you to a tiger."
"I heard them say it with my own ears!" The boy’s eyes began to water, and then tears started pouring down like rain. "They’re so cruel, big brother! If you help kill my little brother, I’ll give you sothing nice!"
A trace of malice flickered in the boy’s eyes as he said this.
"How could you say that? He’s your biological little brother! Besides, he’s so young, he doesn’t even understand anything yet. Don’t you think that would be too cruel?"
"But... but I really want Mom and Dad to love again."
You thought for a mont, then said, "Alright, how about this: you tell everything you want to say to your parents, and I’ll write it down on paper and give it to them. Once they see it, they’ll definitely love you even more than before."
"But you don’t have a pen and paper."
"Wait here, I’ll be right back." With that, you dashed off like the wind. In less than a minute, you ca back with a white sheet of paper and an ink brush, handing them to the boy. "Alright, go ahead and tell . I’ll write it down."
And so, you took down the boy’s thoughts and delivered them to his parents. What followed was the kind of perfect ending you often see on TV.
The boy then took out a slingshot from his pocket and handed it to you. "Big Brother, this is my most treasured possession. I’ll give it to you now, and I hope you’ll soday find a beautiful elder sister to be your bride."
You chuckled and said, "One doesn’t seem enough. I think I’ll need six."
Laughing, you accepted the slingshot. But just then, a middle-aged man’s furious shouting ca from behind you: "You little brat! How dare you steal my tools while I was using the restroom!"
Everyone turned their heads and saw a Taoist in a Taoist robe storming toward you with his hands on his hips, visibly fuming.
This Taoist was the kind who gave fortune readings and character analyses by the roadside. Earlier, you had taken his brush and paper without asking.
"Master Li, this has nothing to do with Big Brother. I asked him to do it..."
The boy quickly recounted the entire story to the Taoist, who, being a man of understanding, promptly changed his angry expression into a pleased smile. Patting your shoulder, he said, "Didn’t expect you’d have such a kind heart, kid. In that case, could you do a little favor?"
Hearing this was likely a chain quest, you instantly perked up. "Taoist Priest, just tell . As long as it’s sothing I can manage, I’ll definitely do it for you."
"It’s nothing big, really. I’m hoping you could swing by Blacksmith Wang’s ho over in the neighboring Field Ridge Village and pick up a sword for . I had him repair it for , and I was planning to fetch it today, but I got tied up. Please bring it back to by tomorrow evening before sunset."
"Alright, I’ll go right away."
"Big Brother, be careful on the road!"
"Don’t worry!" You waved the little slingshot at the boy, then dashed off in the direction of Field Ridge Village.
Night, dark and heavy.
You ran across the vast open fields, surrounded by farmland.
And yet, you couldn’t spot a single farmhouse in sight.
Your stamina was clearly running low. Gradually, you slowed to a stop, and as you did, the atmosphere around you began to change. The wind howled ominously in your ears. The lively farmland had quieted down entirely, even the moon hid away behind the clouds, veiled by the oppressive mood—truly, a night for murder.
Just then, you noticed a figure sprinting toward you in the distance. A streak of thunder flashed suddenly, illuminating an astonishing sight on the road!
A man wearing a big bamboo hat, donning a long cloak, and clad in thick armor was pulling what appeared to be a cart—though its odd shape resembled more the legendary rosewood chariot. He trudged forward, slowly advancing toward you.
Though he held a lantern, the dim light did little to reveal his face. All you could sense was the strange and powerful aura surrounding this man.
You stood your ground, assuming a defensive stance.
He approached closer!
The man seed to notice you at last. Thinking there might be others around, he glanced to both sides before suddenly bellowing in a voice as loud as rolling thunder: "Scrap collection!"
"Bang!"
Startled, you lost your balance and fell to the ground.
In your fall, your head struck a hard rock. The impact instantly halved your already-low life value.
"Hey, brother, you alright?" The man spoke in a local accent. "You gotta watch where you’re going on such a pitch-dark night!"
"I’m fine." Clutching your head, you grimaced through the pain and forced yourself upright.
"Good, good. So, do you have any old weapons, old armor, old clothes, or old shoes to sell?"
"Sorry, I don’t have any for now."
"Oh, my bad then. Sorry to bother you." With that, the man shouted again, "Scrap collection! Old weapons, old armor, old clothes, old shoes..."
He then dragged his cart, cramd with discarded items, and continued down the road.
As he passed by, you caught a strong and peculiar sll—only to realize, with mixed emotions of amusent and discomfort, that it was a mix of alcohol and mildew.
It was dawn by the ti you arrived at Field Ridge Village, only to be stopped at the entrance by a group of children. One of them, brandishing a stick, pointed dramatically at you and shouted, "Halt! Who goes there?"
"I’m here to pick sothing up from Blacksmith Wang," you replied rather cooperatively.
"What are you picking up from my dad?" A sturdy-looking boy asked.
"It’s complicated to explain. Just take to your dad already."
"My dad and his workers went out to mine ores. They said they’ll be back in over a week—he left just yesterday."
Upon hearing this, you couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. This quest had a ti limit—you had to return the sword to the Taoist by sunset today. While in distress, you caught sight of Blacksmith Wang’s son and suddenly an idea flashed through your mind.
You pulled the boy aside and grinned. "Hey there, little buddy. How about you take ho to get the sword, and I’ll give you so candy?"
"No way. I don’t eat candy," the boy said, pushing you aside and running off to rejoin his friends.
"Hey, what did he say to you just now?" one of the boys asked.
"Dunno. Hey, let’s go bird hunting. Ignore him."
"Bird hunting? With what? We don’t even have a slingshot."
Hearing the words "slingshot," you instinctively reached into your pocket and pulled out the boy’s treasured gift. With a smile, you waved the slingshot at Blacksmith Wang’s son and said, "If you give the sword, I’ll give you this slingshot..."
The sun was already hovering close to the mountain peaks. You gasped and panted as you ran along the narrow path.
Along the way, you had encountered more than ten-level monsters. Although they were relatively easy to defeat, their overwhelming numbers drained much of your stamina—it was exhausting. This ga was made so realistic; no wonder it was called the Third World.
Just as you caught sight of the enormous banyan tree at the village entrance, a bearded man blocked your way.
Reviews
All reviews (0)