Chapter 70 - 70 67 Silver Treasure Box

70: Chapter 67: Silver Treasure Box 70: Chapter 67: Silver Treasure Box Xiao Jie picked up the notebook next to him and started counting the number of monsters as he sketched a rough map of the camp. There were a total of thirteen mountain bandits in the mountain bandit camp, nine fixed monsters, split into groups of three, scattered around the three tents in the camp. There were two sentry monsters standing at both sides of the camp’s main entrance, which seemed to be far enough away from the bandits inside the camp to indicate they likely didn’t have any animosity towards one another. There was a mountain bandit leader, Level 9, clad in iron armor, wearing a felt hat, and wielding a large spear; he appeared to be stronger than the ordinary bandits around him. There was also a skinny bandit who looked more like a soulless zombie, holding a copper gong and walking back and forth in the camp. This monster was likely a sentry monster; if alarmed, it would strike the copper gong, gathering the surrounding bandits. Ah, there really is a treasure chest! Inside the largest tent, there was the unmistakable outline of a chest, exactly like the one found in the barn before, except the one in the barn had a wooden body with copper edges, and this one had wooden body with silver edges. It seemed this treasure chest must be of a higher level, and the items it contained would likely be better. “A treasure chest, Feng!” I Want to Be Immortal said excitedly. “I see it.” “Shall we?” I Want to Be Immortal seemed eager to try. Xiao Jie was speechless, “Go to hell!” Although he said that, he subconsciously began thinking about how to penetrate this camp. After fighting so many mountain bandits, Xiao Jie had a rough understanding of their alert radius. The first step was to take care of the two bandits at the entrance; they were at a distance and could be lured out with a bow and arrow. Next would be the three monsters near the entrance tent, which should also be able to be lured out and dealt with. The third step was more troublesome; the bandit with the gong had to be killed instantly, not giving him the chance to sound the alarm, or else if he gathered the bandits, it would be game over. This was the most challenging step, as one bandit would also have a blood volume of around one to almost two hundred, so a one-hit kill would not be easy. If that could be dealt with, the rest would be relatively manageable. Then there were the three bandits by the wall, and finally, the mountain bandit leader and his three bandit companions. A Level 9 Monster, two Level 6 Monsters, and one Level 7 Monster. If the two of them could level up to Level 10, they should be able to handle it. Of course, there was another option to form two pairs of players, and if there were four or five people together, clearing this camp would be much simpler. Unfortunately, although this game was an online game, the number of players in Newbie Village was pitifully small. Currently, there were only a few people in Ginkgo Village, and three of them were newcomers; there was no telling how these newcomers were doing now. ———————— Ha-ha, I really am a master. Sanbing thought proudly as he looked at his backpack. This begging skill was indeed a Divine Skill, in less than an hour he had successfully begged for three steamed buns, two pancakes, one green onion, a chicken leg with some meat left on it, a broken ceramic bowl, two raw eggs, a piece of worn clothing, two tattered pants, one piece of dry firewood, half a bundle of wheat straw, and twenty-five copper coins. Looking at the pile of miscellaneous items in his bag, Sanbing felt a sense of achievement. The items were scattered, but this kind of business without capital was exciting to run. Moreover, this unconventional gameplay experience was quite novel. He put on the ragged clothes and picked up the broken bowl; his appearance really had the air of a beggar. But not every attempt was successful. For instance, now, as Sanbing approached the Martial Arts Arena, he encountered a tough nut to crack. As usual, he started with a bunch of flattery and then asked for things, but the man wasn’t having any of it. Tie Qianli (Civilian Soldier Captain): “Hmph, I detest slick talkers like you the most. You have the strength to support yourself, but all you know is to beg from others. I will not give you anything.” [System Prompt: Begging failed. Your reputation in Ginkgo Village decreased by 1 point, now it’s 99/100 (Neutral). Because your reputation has dropped from Friendly to Neutral, the villagers’ attitude toward you has worsened.] Sanbing didn’t take it too seriously. He had failed at begging several times before; he’d just have to try again. After a few attempts, he was bound to succeed. This person in front of him looked quite strong. If he could just succeed once, maybe he would get something good. Getting a secret martial arts manual would be the best. “Big brother, I also want to fight monsters and level up, to eliminate harm for the people. But I don’t know anything, and going out there is just sending myself to death. Could you give me a secret martial arts manual? Once I’ve learned it, I will surely go out and kill all the tough monsters.” He used the begging skill again. But Tie Qianli was still not buying it, “You’re not afraid of biting your tongue talking big, are you? With your behavior, hmph, shameless creature, get out of my sight, or else—I’ll teach you a lesson.” [System Prompt: Begging failed. Your reputation in Ginkgo Village decreased by 1 point, now it’s 98/100 (Neutral)] After failing twice in a row, Sanbing lost his patience. “Damn it, why is an NPC getting cocky? What’s there to pretend about.” “Boy, what did you say! Say it one more time if you dare,” Tie Qianli barked angrily. “What about you, I’m cursing you, Shabi!” Sanbing was fearless; he had cursed at several NPCs before, and even when they got angry, they couldn’t do anything to him, so subconsciously he thought all NPCs in the game were easy to bully. Unexpectedly, the burly man in front of him suddenly stepped forward and punched him in the face. -15! Even though the damage wasn’t high, it gave Sanbing quite a scare. Damn it, this NPC actually attacks? “I was going to let you off since you’re a returnee, not wanting to stoop to your level. But I didn’t expect you to be so clueless. I’m going to beat you to death!” Another punch came. -18! Sanbing was frantic now, swinging his wooden stick in retaliation. A cold light flashed in Tie Qianli’s eyes, “You dare to fight back? You’re courting death!” Combat Skill—Black Tiger Heart-pulling! -48! A punch sent Sanbing tumbling to the ground. His health bar hit rock bottom. Tie Qianli wanted to pursue his attack and reached out; a long sword appeared in his hand, ready to execute Sanbing, who quickly yelled out in fear. “Brother, stop! I give up!” Tie Qianli abruptly stopped the attack, put away the treasure sword, and flicked his hand dismissively, “Hmph, get lost! Sanbing scrambled to his feet and ran off into the distance. He was puzzled. NPCs clearly didn’t use to attack, did they? Suddenly, it dawned on him—could it be because his reputation changed from friendly to neutral? That’s it, it must be. Before, with a friendly reputation, NPCs would endure being cursed at and at most hurl back some insults. But now, having a neutral reputation means everyone is a stranger, and the niceties are gone… This is bad… If I say the wrong thing in the future, I’ll likely get beaten up. ———————— Tian Bao (Farmer): “Well done, lad, you’re just the kind of hardworking hand we need around here. Here’s 50 cents, take it.” Dongfang Sheng (Farmer): “Thank you, Uncle.” Dongfang Sheng accepted the 50 cents with a bitter smile in his heart. Earning money in this game is indeed difficult. This is the reward from a grueling five hours of labor. Let’s see what I can buy. What? An ordinary iron sword costs 200 cents? I’d have to work four days just to buy a beginner’s weapon; this is outright robbery. A small bottle of golden sore medicine costs 50 cents, so a whole day’s work just for a single bottle of Little Red… Hey, why am I hungry again? Dongfang Sheng reluctantly bought four steamed buns to fill his satiety level, leaving him with just thirty cents. Earned just thirty cents in a day… Dongfang Sheng felt utterly incapable of complaint. Forget it, I’m done playing. No matter how good the game graphics are, it’s too frustrating to play. Dongfang Sheng exited the game, staring blankly at the computer screen for a while. He had intended to relax with a game during the holiday and somehow got an activation code, only to end up tilling the soil for a day. Looking at the black card with the activation code in hand, he recalled the introduction to the game in the letter that came with the code, as well as what another player had said to him before. Skills from the game can be brought into the real world… How is that possible? That’s just absurd. Thinking this, he decided to step out of the house to get some fresh air. He lived on the ground floor of an apartment building and had a small yard attached, which he had never taken interest in, allowing weeds to overrun it. Now standing in the yard, looking at the overgrown weeds, he suddenly felt an inexplicable urge. Why not give it a try? If what that person said is true, and I’ve learned how to farm in the game, then I should really know how to do it now… He took a never-used hoe from the tool shed, and with an awkward yet practiced motion, started to hoe away at the weeds. Weeding, turning the soil, carrying the ridges… Half an hour later, looking at the neat and straight furrows in front of him, Dongfang Sheng was shocked. He looked at the hoe in his hands. Did he really do this himself? Having grown up in the city, he had never even seen a farm up close, let alone worked one. Where did these farming skills come from? Could it be that abilities from the game can actually be transferred to reality? Ambition suddenly surged in Dongfang Sheng’s heart. His spirit, dulled by the grind of social gatherings, began to throb with excitement once more.