Chapter 3

Yang Ye's face turned cold, his eyes filled with anger. He was a straightforward person, but that didn't mean he could tolerate bullying. The mage in front of him was from the Demon Fighting Guild, who had somehow gotten the message and rushed here. However, he wanted Yang Ye to give up his quest with just a few words. That was impossible!

"Listen..." Yang Ye stopped, looking at the mage. This mage was called Demon Fighting Blood Rage, a minor leader in the Demon Fighting Guild. The staff in his hand was a level 10 bronze staff: the Crimson Feather Staff, which had a decent attack power and a stunning effect, with a chance to push enemies back a bit. It was a great tool for mages to kite enemies, a small but excellent item. Standing on either side of the mage were an archer and a warrior, both with average equipment.

Hearing Yang Ye speak, Demon Fighting Blood Rage laughed. Ordinary solo players would never dare to defy the Demon Fighting Guild; they would obediently hand over their equipment and quests. This person in front of him was even more spineless, caving in after just a few words. Demon Fighting Blood Rage felt a bit elated, enjoying the feeling of being superior, even if it was just by borrowing the Demon Fighting Guild's name. He grinned, trying to cover up his excitement, and said:

"Oh? Is it about the price? Don't worry, the Demon Fighting Guild has money. How much do you want? But let me tell you, we're not fools. You can't..."

"Too much crap!"

"What?!" Demon Fighting Blood Rage clearly hadn't understood what had just happened.

"I said, you talk too much. Did I say I would sell the quest to you? Get out of the way, I have things to do."

After Yang Ye finished speaking, Demon Fighting Blood Rage finally realized: this kid was messing with him!

"Kid, don't be ungrateful. You will hand over this quest, whether you like it or not. The price is 1 silver coin, no negotiation!"

"Ha, I won't hand it over! Come and hit me if you dare!" Yang Ye laughed loudly, standing straight, ready to take any beating.

Demon Fighting Blood Rage didn't dare to hit him. One spell could kill him, and PKing in the newbie village would result in a much longer jail time. He wouldn't be able to leave the game for at least three to five days in real life! Since he couldn't act, he had to win verbally. Demon Fighting Blood Rage laughed angrily and said, "Good kid, you've got some guts. But I want to see if you can outdo the Demon Fighting Guild!"

Yang Ye scratched his ear, glanced at Demon Fighting Blood Rage, and walked away with Lilina without looking back.

The three from the Demon Fighting Guild looked at each other, Demon Fighting Blood Rage feeling extremely frustrated. Not only did he fail to get the quest, but he also lost his temper. What was worse, he lost face in front of so many people. People around them were whispering, making his face even uglier. He raised his hand and said, "Let's go!"

With the main characters gone, even the mysterious NPC was taken away by the small warrior, the crowd found it boring and dispersed. However, the forum was heating up.

On the official forum of "TOST" in the Chinese section of the Vasse Plain, a post was gaining popularity, with clicks and replies skyrocketing:

"Strange guy in the newbie village, can't forget the NPC girl, kisses her face, everyone come and see! Horizontal banner: The title must be long..."

The poster was the same person who had initially shared the story as a joke, but ended up live-streaming the entire process. The NPC girl was very famous in the Vasse Plain and even in the Chinese region, being a rare NPC with no quest hints. Now that Yang Ye had received a quest from her, everyone was talking about it.

1st floor: Not a good girl if she doesn't love me: "Where did you get the guide? No quest hints, yet you can receive it? Amazing!"

2nd floor: Emperor of Sauce: "A roar under the sky, and the sofa is easily grabbed! Patting the dog's head on the second floor."

3rd floor: Leader with Feathers: "@Strange guy, want to buy the quest? Gold coins, cash, no problem. Contact me on QQ: XXXXXXXX. Waiting online."

4th floor: I Have X-Ray Vision: "The second floor is always full of strange people. Front row, by the way, what's the guide for the mysterious old man in the Doge Mountains? Urgent!"

5th floor: Colorful Immortal: "The second floor always produces talented people. What quest did the warrior get? Any experts want to analyze?"

6th floor: Little Knife is a Bit Dull: "Little Knife Guild is recruiting, no need for high skills, no need for good equipment, no need for high levels, just a passionate heart. Join us, we're brothers!"

...

7684th floor: Human Face, Beast Heart: "Watching the second floor, could it be a follower?"

...

There were countless comments, and a few truths, but they were quickly buried in the crowd. Yang Ye, the small warrior, had become a minor sensation in the Vasse Plain, but he was completely unaware. He was shopping for clothes with his "sweetheart" Lilina.

"Buy, buy, buy! As long as Lilina likes it, we'll buy it!" Having just sold the consigned staff for 12 gold coins, Yang Ye felt rich and also marveled at the number of rich people. A level 7 silver item selling for 12 gold coins was considered expensive, yet someone bought it. Such transitional equipment would be useless after a few levels.

"Thank you, brother! You're so good to Lilina! Lilina loves you the most!" Seeing the lively little sprite, Yang Ye felt very comfortable.

Lilina's first quest for him was to buy clothes: [Hidden Quest: Ultimate Human Weapon Lilina - Task 1: Awaken Lilina: Lilina lost her memory and power due to an accident. Your task is to fulfill her requests and help her grow. This will restore her memory and power. Lilina will issue a task every 10 levels, which you must complete, or the quest will fail. She will regain some memory and power every 10 levels, and her attributes will change. She will gain skills upon completing the tasks.]

So, Yang Ye had to accompany this girl to buy clothes. Lilina bought clothes quickly but always chose the most expensive ones, with a keen eye. Even in the newbie village, the most expensive clothes weren't too pricey, and with 12 gold coins, Yang Ye could just manage.

...

After the shopping trip, Yang Ye looked at the single gold coin left in his backpack, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness. Looking at Lilina, though cute and beautiful, he couldn't help but think she was a gold sink.

After washing and drying Lilina at an NPC inn and dressing her in new Gothic clothes with a small black hat, a cute girl was born!

Lilina was very happy, circling around Yang Ye and asking, "Brother, does Lilina look good?"

"Good! Good!" 11 gold coins, how could she not look good?

"Lilina likes you, brother!" Lilina jumped happily, hugging Yang Ye and rubbing her face against his.

[System: You have completed the quest: Lilina's New Outfit! EXP +10000, Gold +1]

Golden light flashed, and Yang Ye reached level 7.

Feeling the softness in his arms, Yang Ye was slightly dazed for a moment, then softly said, "Lilina, let's go fight monsters, okay?"

"Okay, okay, let's go, brother, take Lilina to fight monsters!" She pulled Yang Ye out.

Northern Mining Area.

Yang Ye was fighting level 7 monsters, dragging a "sauce bottle." Despite Lilina being only level 1, she consumed a lot of experience. Yang Ye was essentially leveling up two people. Lilina, unaware of this, was excited to see Yang Ye use the miner's helmet to predict and dodge monster attacks, cheering him on.

Having a girl around was nice, even if she was noisy and an NPC. Yang Ye enjoyed the company, not the girl herself, but the fact that he wasn't alone.

Yang Ye fought for three hours straight, finally reaching level 8, while Lilina reached level 5. Normally, NPCs had to become followers to gain experience from player kills, but Lilina was an exception, consuming a lot of Yang Ye's experience without being a follower. After three hours of continuous fighting, it was tiring, but he had improved his skills, becoming adept at using the miner's helmet to predict and dodge attacks, making him a formidable player.

By 9 AM, Yang Ye reached level 9, and Lilina was level 7. One more level, and he could leave the newbie village and head to the central city of the Vasse Plain—Rainfall City.

However, he wanted to rest a bit.

Returning to the newbie village, he logged out in a safe area and exited the game.

Taking off his helmet, Yang Ye shook his head. Yesterday's events felt like a dream, yet so real. He sat on the bed in silence for a long time, finally breaking into a rare smile. He wanted to shout, but this was a residential area.

Feeling a bit sticky, Yang Ye got up, fetched a clean pair of shorts from the balcony, and took care of brushing his teeth, washing his face, and showering in the bathroom.

Yang Ye lived in a small residential area on the outskirts of the city. It was called a residential area, but few people lived there. The buildings were over 30 years old, quite dilapidated, but the rent was cheap. Yang Ye's living expenses came from school scholarships and part-time jobs, so he couldn't afford a high-end neighborhood.

His "home" was on the third floor, tiny, with a living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and a small balcony. The total area, excluding the balcony, was about 40 square meters. The furniture was old and worn, some of which he had bought from second-hand markets. He had a small fridge, and the most valuable items were his computer and game helmet. Then there was Yang Ye himself—this was the composition of Yang Ye's "home."

After finishing his morning routine, he glanced at the windows, which were tightly closed, and left the house, planning to have breakfast. As he was locking the door, a gentle, pleasant female voice came from behind:

"Brother Xiao Ye, are you going out to eat? Come to my place, I just bought some breakfast and vegetables. Come and eat with me."