Chapter 10

**Relic!** What an enticing word, in the forgotten realms, relics often mean treasure, equipment, and of course, fierce monsters. The underground nest did indeed have some remnants of dwarven architecture, but Fang Yi was not a new player. Finding a relic and obtaining treasure immediately after accepting a quest was something that only happened in fantasy novels.

Fang Yi looked at the dwarf in front of him, who had become incredibly cute, and asked with a smile, "If I'm not mistaken, the condition for accepting this quest is related to the time it took to complete the previous one, right?" Seeing Harold not responding, Fang Yi asked again, "How many groups have received this quest before me?"

Harold gave Fang Yi a surprised look, then put on a stern face, making it clear that he did not want to be disturbed.

Looking at the silent dwarf, Fang Yi already understood a few things. He tried to coax a few more words out of him, but his charm was not enough to make the NPC speak without the right conditions. He then turned and left Harold's hut.

As Fang Yi's figure disappeared out the door, Harold turned and walked into the inner room, muttering, "Damn human, if you hadn't completed the task alone and been the first to discover the ogre's nest, do you think you would have been the one to receive my quest?"

**Relic?** Fang Yi approached the term with a rational mindset. In the increasingly realistic virtual world, being deceived by NPCs is a common experience for every player. However, looking at the gray "Dwarf's Admonition" in his quest list, he decided to come back and check it out later, considering it was a high-level quest.

Fang Yi wandered around the town, where players were already selling items in the small square. Most of the items were low-quality white equipment, and a few lucky ones were selling 3-4 level enhanced equipment, but the prices... tsk tsk tsk, they made Fang Yi feel frustrated.

The dwarf's quest generously rewarded Fang Yi with 80 experience points, bringing his experience bar to 3% of level 3. Equipping the Sharp Dagger, he spent 15 copper coins to buy a white dagger with 3-4 damage to replace the inferior short sword in his off-hand. Although the improvement was not significant, it was still more cost-effective than buying from the NPC merchant.

Looking at the empty quest panel, the only two quests were quite appealing, but one required more strength, and the other was too far away. Venturing into the wild at his current level would be too risky. After some consideration, Fang Yi decided to level up a few more times. Each newbie village had a few beginner dungeons nearby, where various classes could obtain their initial green equipment. Level 5 was worth going for.

With his reputation for quickly completing tasks, Fang Yi accepted two more quests. After level 3, the monsters were no longer as easy to deal with. For example, the level 3-4 forest dire wolves could be handled one-on-one, but if another one appeared, Fang Yi had no choice but to run away. Fortunately, players had matured after the initial "bloody lessons" and no longer treated the world as just a game. There were fewer inexperienced players.

With a swift pull, Fang Yi extracted the gleaming Sharp Dagger from the rear of the giant dire wolf and quickly jumped back to avoid the wolf's gaping maw. The warrior, Shenxian Jiao, saw an opportunity and struck the wolf's neck with a shield bash, instantly unbalancing it. The mage and ranger's attacks followed, and the enraged dire wolf howled in anger but could only lunge at the warrior, as the cunning human had already retreated.

After a few rounds, the level 4 forest dire wolf let out a mournful howl and fell to the ground, defeated. The surrounding players sighed in relief and then burst into cheers.

Shenxian Jiao looked at the dead dire wolf in disbelief, his heart racing. Four dire wolves! Four of them! And a small leader, the monsters that had brutally beaten his group were now defeated? Looking at the rogue standing not far away, Shenxian Jiao was almost certain that the other player must have participated in the beta test, otherwise, how could he be so calm and experienced when facing these realistic beasts?

Fang Yi wiped his dagger on his clothes and tucked it into his belt. The dire wolves were indeed tough; even seeing a mad dog on the street would make him jump, let alone these bloodthirsty wolves. Fang Yi looked at his four teammates: the warrior Shenxian Jiao, the ranger Machine Cat, the mage Ice Rabbit, and the bard Grounded. They were all friends, and the team composition was very balanced. Although they were all new to *Miracle*, their skills were quite good, and they were likely experienced players.

The team leader, Shenxian Jiao, saw his teammates looting the bodies and walked over to Fang Yi with a smile, "That was too close. If it weren't for your leadership, we would have failed again." Fang Yi smiled and rubbed his nose, "It's everyone's skill. Who doesn't die a few times when they first enter *Miracle*? Not counting guilds and studio teams, we're doing pretty well."

At this moment, the bard Grounded, who had been looting the bodies, walked over with a grin, "Look, look, we got some good stuff!" He handed the loot to the team leader, and Shenxian Jiao's mouth curved into a wide smile as he looked at the equipment and posted it in the team chat.

**Cast Iron Bracers (Excellent Plate Bracers)**

**Heavy Armor**

**Level Requirement: 5**

**Weight: 13**

**Durability: 13**

**Armor: 7 + 2**

**Integrated: +2 additional glove armor (Note 2)**

Good stuff! Fang Yi's eyes lit up at the sight of the bracers. The integrated attribute was almost a hallmark of boss drops, and during the beta test, he had only seen it on high-level equipment. Thinking about this, Fang Yi looked back at Grounded, who had pulled out the equipment. This guy had some serious luck, and thinking about his own consistently black luck over the years, he couldn't help but feel a mix of envy and resentment...

Shenxian Jiao was naturally delighted but, being mindful of the outsider in the team, he looked up at Fang Yi and said, "Fang Yi, this equipment is tank-oriented, and I really want it. How about we compensate you according to the ratio?"

Fang Yi saw the sincere expression on Shenxian Jiao's face and the eager looks of the others, and a smile spread across his face. Having played online games for so long, he had seen all kinds of ugly faces. Seeing their reactions, he felt a sense of clarity.

"No need, you take it. This bracer is best suited for you. I should be able to reach level 5 after completing the quests, and I can check out the dungeon near Farview Town tomorrow." Fang Yi said with a smile.

"That's great!" The round-faced ranger Machine Cat exclaimed excitedly, "We've tried several times before, but we were wiped out by the lesser monsters..." Shenxian Jiao and the others were also thrilled. Clearing a dungeon was a labor-intensive and mentally draining task, and ordinary players often fell behind professional players. Having a skilled leader like this greatly increased their chances of success. The previously silent Ice Rabbit also chimed in, "We have a cleric friend. We can call him to join us tomorrow, and we can form a complete team."

Fang Yi agreed, added them as friends, and set a time to meet the next day. Seeing the sun about to set, Fang Yi, who did not have the habit of going out at night, reminded everyone a few times before heading to Farview Town.

Fang Yi had spent a lot of time in the mine, and his experience was already behind the average player. Fortunately, the group of dire wolves they had defeated contributed over 30 experience points, and after completing two more quests, he finally reached level 5.

He allocated the new attribute points to Dexterity and upgraded the Exploration skill, which had reached its proficiency cap, to level 2. Fang Yi waved his arm, and the increase in Dexterity was quite noticeable. Looking at the row of level 1 skills in his skill bar, he touched his nose in frustration. Skill proficiency could only be improved gradually, and there was no point in rushing.

At dusk, Farview Town finally revealed its most beautiful side. The town was bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, and the main color was a warm golden hue. Fang Yi walked through the town, stepping on the varying shadows cast by the colorful buildings, and seeing the grasshoppers resting on the wall, he couldn't help but feel a sense of longing—real-world natural beauty that could be considered attractive was rare, and the tourism industry in *Miracle* would surely be booming in the future.

Fang Yi strolled leisurely and slowly made his way to the only inn in Farview Town.

The Green Vine Inn was not large, a wooden structure about 100 feet square. However, regardless of its size, every inn in the game was one of the busiest places in the area. After a day of adventure, players gathered around, drinking a large cup of ale by the old window, chatting about the world, and then sleeping soundly to continue their adventures the next day. Experiencing three days of unknown and exciting magical world adventures within ten hours was the best reason for every player to be immersed in the virtual world—releasing themselves and enjoying the world of fantasy.

**Note 1:** In the game, quest rewards are often given in the form of packages, mostly containing money.

**Note 2:** Integrated: Some equipment can perfectly connect with adjacent parts, as if they were originally a single unit. When the integrated attribute involves an equipped part, the equipment's certain attribute can be enhanced.