Chapter 85

Having finished testing the new martial arts, and even leveling up to 21, Alpha decided not to fight any more. He planned to return to the camp first to have the key appraised. Generally, anything that hasn't been appraised is good, as Lancelot had said.

However, compared to that, the other skill book made Alpha feel more at ease:

[Level 6 Mage Hand: Use to learn Level 6 Mage Hand.]

Without hesitation, Alpha clapped his hands and learned it. Looking at the Level 6 [Mage Hand] with a strength multiplier of 160%, Alpha felt a small sense of pride.

A powerful [Mage Hand] equivalent to 38 points of strength would probably be unmatched by anyone for a while, unless they had some special encounter.

Why not throw Lancelot around the next time they meet?

—For Lancelot, Alpha was always this bored.

Alpha had already leveled up to 21, but he hadn't yet allocated the free attribute points he gained at level 20. At the time, Alpha was unsure whether to increase Agility or Constitution:

Agility would boost various speeds and add a bit of defense, further enhancing Alpha's speed advantage;

Constitution would increase health and also add to mana, making it a win-win...

However, after leveling up to 21, Alpha noticed his health had increased by 11 points and his mana by 22 points. So, he decided to allocate the free attribute point to Constitution. The reason was simple: the tight mana during several battles made Alpha decide to focus on increasing his mana.

Since Constitution increased both health and mana, there was no reason for Alpha not to allocate it.

The additional point of Constitution gave Alpha an extra dozen or so points of health and mana. Now, Alpha's health was at 684 points,

and his mana was the highest, reaching 1342 points.

Without mentioning anything else, just the total damage resistance from [Mana Shield] was over 3000 points, which was already the level of an average level 60 player.

However, after Xi Qi appeared, Alpha realized that special encounters were not his exclusive privilege.

The number of players in "Dragons and Dungeons" had long surpassed 100 million, and with such a large base, there were countless players with various unique experiences. Alpha's resistance was outstanding among ordinary players, but it was nothing to those with special encounters.

At least for Xi Qi, it was just a matter of a few sword strikes.

Of course, the biggest benefit of having 1342 points of mana was in using martial arts. For skills that consumed a lot of mana, more mana was always a blessing. Although it didn't fundamentally solve the issue of insufficient mana, accumulation was key.

—A little more is a little more; gradual accumulation would eventually lead to a qualitative leap...

Once Alpha reached level 9 in [Solidifying Essence Technique], the new internal skill would certainly grant him even more mana, which was the right path.

Back at the camp, Alpha found an appraiser to appraise the key. The result was a bit surprising.

As the appraiser Iomer in De Fia Outpost muttered, "How is this possible? I've seen two in just a few days," Alpha took the key, which was wrapped in golden light:

[One of the Seven Sages' Treasure Keys: Collect all seven keys to open the Seven Sages' Treasure.]

The Seven Sages' Treasure? The Seven Sages' Treasure again?!

In fact, Alpha hadn't initially held much hope for the key he had obtained from the Time Water Vapor. He had simply kept it as a trophy, never considering the need to collect the other six.

It wasn't until Xi Qi asked for it that Alpha realized it was quite valuable.

However, before Alpha could ask for more details, they had started fighting, and the matter was dropped.

After that, with the martial arts advancement quest, killing Arugal's son, and adding fans as friends, Alpha had forgotten about it. Now, the appraisal reminded him of the issue.

It seemed he needed to collect five more keys. If one dropped today and another tomorrow, he could have them all in less than a week.

—Of course, this was just Alpha's imagination. Such high-level items weren't that easy to drop, but Alpha became even more interested in the Seven Sages' Treasure. Who were these Seven Sages? What would happen if he collected all the keys?

Thinking about this, Alpha went offline at the inn in De Fia Outpost.

Alpha went offline not to cook but to search the internet for information about the Seven Sages' Treasure. Lancelot would definitely say the sun had risen from the ground—when did the game idiot Yu Ge become so enthusiastic about the game's details?

Holding the mouse and searching for related posts, Qin Yu couldn't help but laugh at himself:

"Once you enter the game, you're doomed for life."

...

...

There wasn't much information about the Seven Sages online. As a history that had been sealed for ten thousand years, players had access to very little.

The few posts available only gave a rough idea:

The Seven Sages were seven wise men who lived in seclusion and secretly protected Azeroth. They came from different regions and races of the Material Plane of Azeroth, each being the most powerful legendary heroes, even demigods.

The Seven Sages rarely involved themselves in Azeroth's wars unless the world faced the threat of being conquered, whether by the righteous gods or the forces of hell.

When Asmodeus was on a rampage and the righteous gods were retreating, the Seven Sages would intervene to stop the devil army.

And when King Elanor sacrificed himself to seal Asmodeus' earthly projection, the decline of the hellish forces led to the righteous gods' angelic army using redemption as an excuse to eliminate dissent. The Seven Sages would then negotiate with the major gods to leave the Material Plane, leaving only their temples.

In short, the Seven Sages neither allowed the righteous gods to act recklessly nor the hellish forces to ravage the world.

In fact, the coexistence of the righteous gods and the hellish forces on the Material Plane was a structure established by the Seven Sages. In other words, the ability of Asmodeus and Antalir to project themselves daily on the Material Plane was arranged by the Seven Sages to restrain the righteous gods.

Thus, even after ten thousand years of war, the Material Plane was not conquered by either the righteous gods or the forces of hell.

—Yes, from this perspective, the righteous gods were not good birds. They provided some benefits to Azeroth's believers with a positive excuse and didn't look as disgusting as hellish creatures, which is why they received more praise.

All this talk was just the development team's story. In short, the Seven Sages were seven wise men who balanced the power of the righteous gods and the forces of hell, undoubtedly major figures. The treasure related to them would certainly not be ordinary.

Although there was almost no information about the Seven Sages' Treasure online, there were some small quests related to the Seven Sages.

These quests were all top-notch, with generous rewards, and most were unique (one of a kind).

So, Alpha had indeed gotten a good deal. The Time Water Vapor must have been furious, as the [Third Key of the Seven Sages' Treasure] was what she had contributed to Alpha. Xi Qi's insistence on asking for it even during the confrontation further highlighted the value of the Seven Sages' Treasure.

Having finished with the game, Qin Yu contacted Old Li and prepared to eat—communication outside the game was possible through phones and other means.

Yes, it was time for the family cook to prepare the daily "dinner." Today, feeling good, Qin Yu decided to show off his skills.

He prepared braised pork with pickled mustard greens and a few light side dishes—

Cook the large piece of pork, skim off the scum, and remove it when the redness is gone. Rub the skin with soy sauce to color it, fry it until golden, slice it thinly, and arrange it on a plate. Soak the pickled mustard greens in hot water, cook them briefly in the pork broth, and then lay them over the pork slices. Add various seasonings and steam it thoroughly over high heat.

After turning off the heat, let it sit for half an hour, cover it with a large bowl, and flip it out. The pickled mustard greens will be "braised" at the bottom of the bowl.

Cut the celery into segments, blanch it in boiling water, and mix it with peanuts, seasonings, and sesame oil while hot. It's fresh, fragrant, and refreshing, perfect for cutting the richness of the braised pork.

The sour and spicy soup with diced tofu and egg drop looks simple, but the timing of adding the cornstarch is crucial. When done well, it's sour and spicy, perfect for stimulating the appetite.

As for the stir-fried Chinese cabbage, it was a special treat for Qin Yu and Wen Xiaodao. Old Li, a meat lover, wouldn't be interested in it...

It must be said that Qin Yu's cooking was quite skilled. Except for the occasional lightness that forced Old Li to bring his own meat, every meal was a feast of color, aroma, and taste, making Old Li feel like he was in heaven.

As for Wen Xiaodao, she ate everything Qin Yu made as if it were the best thing in the world.

—A good woman isn't necessarily easy to please, but if a man has the skills, he can win her over in no time.

While Qin Yu was cooking the pork and soaking the pickled mustard greens, he decided to check for more information about the Seven Sages. Realizing he hadn't visited the official "Dragons and Dungeons" forum, he opened it casually. A golden headline caught his eye:

"400? 600? Tell you the true damage of the Wastrel Brother. Want to know? Then tell me, what? Louder, I can't hear you!!!—Tell you the real Wastrel Brother!!!"

Qin Yu thought, "Why make such a long title for a post?" If it weren't for the golden top post, he wouldn't have read it. Who knew how such a title became a hot post on the forum? If this post didn't... Suddenly, Qin Yu felt something was off. What was wrong?

Glancing back, Qin Yu reread the title of the post that shouldn't have been popular but was now a top post:

"400, 600, tell... Wastrel Brother?!"

Seeing the signature— "Snail is Indeed Strong"?!

"Damn it..."

Alpha let out a wail...