Chapter 5: The Blazing Sword Maiden

Luo Yong sat in the wilderness, gnawing on a chicken leg as he pondered the problem of how to keep track of time.

With the blood moon hanging high, there was no day or night, no sense of time passing, which was hard to get used to.

There were no standards for when to eat or rest—it all depended on one’s own sense.

Venturing out to fight monsters meant danger could come at any time; it wasn’t as simple as eating or sleeping whenever you felt like it...

"Wait?!"

A sudden thought flashed through Luo Yong’s mind, like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky.

"Eat when you want, sleep when you want..."

"Brother!"

The chubby Ge’er came running from afar, wearing a fawning smile as he said, "Want to farm monsters together? You agreed last time..."

Luo Yong: ...

"That skeleton quest of yours still isn’t done?"

"No!" Ge’er pulled a long face. "Four of us fighting five skeletons—it’s pretty tough, and slow going!"

"You can always do other quests first, level up a bit. When you’re higher level, it’ll be easier!" Luo Yong replied offhandedly.

"We’ve done every quest we can. Now we can’t level up, and there are no more quests to take... It’s so hard!"

"Why not just find more people for your party? If four can’t beat it, try six. If six can’t do it, try seven or eight... What’s so difficult about that?" Luo Yong said, chewing his chicken leg.

Ge’er shook his head. "We’re the weakest group in camp. No one wants to team up with us—they’re afraid we’ll drag them down."

"And yet you still came to me? Aren’t you afraid you’ll drag me down too?!" Luo Yong’s voice shot up several notches.

"Uh—" Ge’er hesitated, sighed, and said, "At the time, you were low-level, and you were alone, so I figured one more person meant more strength, better than going solo... Didn’t expect you’d breeze through quests and hit level 4 so easily."

"Ah..." Luo Yong heaved a long sigh, stood up slowly, tossed away the stripped chicken leg, and said coolly, "I’m already level 5."

Ge’er: ???

"Fine, since I promised, I’ll do a run with you all!" Luo Yong dusted himself off, stretched, and finally agreed.

"Really?!" Ge’er leapt up, grinning from ear to ear as if he’d seen a miracle.

"Let’s go!" Luo Yong strode off toward the distance to hunt skeletons.

"I’ll call the others!" Ge’er hurried back to camp.

Soon after, Matthew and the others followed Luo Yong’s trail. From a distance, they saw him sitting on a large rock, with four skeletons wandering nearby.

Luo Yong spotted them and waved them over nonchalantly.

"Already level 5 so fast..." Matthew muttered, then roared as he charged a skeleton.

The others quickly followed, each engaging a skeleton.

Crack!

At level 5, Matthew had no trouble going toe-to-toe with a skeleton. The four of them working together soon ended the fight.

"Need a break?" Luo Yong asked, bored.

"N-no! Let’s keep going..." Ge’er was panting, clearly the most exhausted of the four. A magic shield was different from a physical shield; maintaining it drained mana quickly. Under the skeletons’ furious attacks, all he could do was defend, lacking any real means of attack. It was tough, to say the least.

Luo Yong didn’t waste words. He led them aimlessly through the wilds until they ran into another group of skeletons.

With others present, the skeletons went berserk. Luo Yong couldn’t be bothered sneaking around; he picked a skeleton and smashed it head-on.

Crack!

The skeleton fell. Luo Yong squatted down and picked a purple gem from the shattered bones, then waited as the others finished their fight.

In truth, Luo Yong could clear these much faster on his own, but he had no reason to do tasks for others. Teaming up was just a way to pass the time.

This time, it really took ages. Ge’er lay on the ground, howling at the sky, "This damned quest is finally done!!"

The group was exhausted. After a long rest, they finally recovered and returned to camp to turn in the quest.

Luo Yong continued solo in the wilderness, grinding skeletons and exploiting bugs. After all, the pay-to-win path was brutal, requiring frequent breakthroughs; the road to ascendance was long and arduous...

Back at camp, Wendy had rested enough, eaten a little, and was in good shape.

"I looked into it. That guy Luo Yong is a recent newcomer. When he arrived, he was just level 3—now he’s already level 5."

"How did he do it? Back then, it took us ages just to inch up a level," murmured Elia, chewing her food slowly.

"That’s what I wanted you to find out. Any discoveries?"

"Actually... yes!" Elia set her food down, speaking gravely, "That Luo Yong isn’t attacked by skeletons, and his luck is extraordinary!"

"Not attacked? Must have some powerful gear that masks his presence... But his luck—how good is it? Stop eating, hurry and tell me!" Wendy shook Elia’s arm.

"It’s insanely good! For every five skeletons he kills, he gets at least one gem, sometimes up to three! And he’s super fast at farming. Not as fast as you, a bit slower than me, but still, he’s only level 5—we’re both level 8!"

"That lucky?!" Wendy was stunned for a moment, then clenched her fist, voice resolute, "We have to recruit him and have him help us with that quest!"

"How? He’s wealthier than we are, and his gear must be good..." Elia spread her hands helplessly.

"You—" Wendy glanced at Elia’s scrawny figure, then puffed out her own impressive curves. "Forget it, I’ll go myself!"

"Ah! Someone’s selling her looks again," Elia shook her head.

"What nonsense?!" Wendy slapped Elia on the back, grabbed her arm, and together they left the room, exited the inn, and went out of camp.

The two wandered the wilderness, and from afar, spotted Luo Yong picking up gems.

"See? See? See?" Elia shook Wendy’s hand in excitement, voice trembling, "That guy is picking up gems like they’re nothing!"

"No wonder both times we saw him, he was holding gems!" Wendy was surprised and a little thrilled.

"Just imagine how many gems must be in his coin pouch now. Ah, just thinking about it makes my heart flutter!" Elia rubbed her hands, her eyes shining with greed as she spoke in a low, tempting voice, "Wendy, let’s go!"

"Go where?" Wendy smacked Elia’s backside.

"Ouch!" Elia covered her rear, grumbling, "Fine, we won’t go, but did you have to hit me there?!"

"Anywhere else wouldn’t be appropriate," Wendy replied, striding forward.

"Really not going?" Elia followed, rubbing her backside, her gaze lingering on Wendy’s alluring curves. "So big... Why not smack your own... Must feel pretty good..."

"What are you muttering?"

"Nothing, just a pity, that’s all," Elia sighed.

"Try to think long-term!" Wendy was exasperated.

"Fine, looking long-term..." Elia glanced at Luo Yong in the distance, then at Wendy beside her, a sly smile spreading across her face. "Wendy, you should seduce him! Grab hold of that living coin pouch! Life will be so much easier for us!!"

Wendy rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Even if... even if that’s the case, the coin pouch would be in my hands, not yours. What’s it to you?"

"What? Wendy, we’re sisters! Don’t be so heartless!" Elia wailed.

"I don’t have time for you." Wendy strode ahead.

Luo Yong stored away his gems. Spotting the two approaching, he turned and bolted.

"Hey! Wait up!" Wendy called out and took off after him, easily outpacing Luo Yong and cutting him off.

Luo Yong stopped, glanced at the seductive woman in red before him, then at the green-clad girl approaching from behind. He sighed and said, "Are you here to rob me or seduce me?"

Wendy: ...

"Seduce you!—No, rob you! Definitely rob you! Heh heh! Handsome, hand over your coin pouch and we guarantee your safety!" Elia’s eyes gleamed as she stared at the pouch at Luo Yong’s waist, unable to hide her glee. "After so long, finally someone who gets it. Ah, treasure, here I come!"

Wendy shook her head, blocking the nearly out-of-control Elia, and said to the bemused Luo Yong, "I’m here to invite you to join us."

"Join you? To farm monsters as a party?"

"No, to team up for a quest. An eight-level quest. We’ve got enough people, but we’re short a bit of luck. You seem pretty lucky, so I’d like to invite you to try," Wendy explained.

"Why should I help you?" Luo Yong scrutinized the two women—one in red, one in green; one with long hair, one with short; one voluptuous and alluring, the other thin as a stick...

"I wasn’t sure before, but now—there are skeletons there too, with a chance to drop gems, big ones like this!" Wendy gestured, smiling. "If you trade them for gold, each could fetch three to five hundred!"

Luo Yong’s mouth formed an O, his eyes wide, heart pounding, breath quickening.

"Really?"

"Absolutely!"

"Not interested!"

"Why?" Wendy was puzzled, as was Elia.

"Because I’m too weak—only level 5. I can’t damage level 8 monsters. How could I get any gems?!" Luo Yong, afraid he’d give in to temptation, turned to leave while his head was still clear.

"I have a magic necklace that boosts the wearer by three levels!" Wendy called after him.

"Why didn’t you say so earlier?!" Luo Yong hurried back, took her hand, and said, "I’m Luo Yong, level 5 magic swordsman."

Wendy paused, gripped his hand firmly, and smiled. "Wendy, level 8 Flame Swordmaiden."