Chapter 135: Dazzled

A moment later.

The group was less than half a mile from the lakeshore. From a distance, one could only see a cluster of cavalrymen slowly closing in. The men in the center raised their sabers, mechanically hacking away a few times before stepping aside to let others take their turn.

At first, the shrill, wretched screams of murlocs could be heard, but soon, there was only silence.

Lu Kuan was now outside the crowd, sitting on the grass and leaning against the soft belly of Lightning, resting comfortably. At his feet lay a colorful "thing."

It resembled a squid, but its large head featured two pairs of pitch-black, gleaming eyes. The ends of its two long tentacles were tipped with several sharp bone spurs, which opened and closed as it slowly writhed—it was both disgusting and terrifying.

This creature was the Murloc King’s pet. Just moments ago, before the cavalrymen could hack Yuka to pieces, Lu Kuan had managed to pull it from Yuka’s sleeve.

"Lightning, this must be the thing that bit you," Lu Kuan remarked.

He picked up a stone and tossed it onto the monster’s head, causing it to flinch violently. Lu Kuan couldn't help but laugh, "And here I thought it was something formidable; turns out it’s just a specialist in sneak attacks."

Lightning let out a low whimper, looking at the creature with clear disdain.

This thing was the source of the "black slime" the Murloc King had flung earlier. It possessed no real combat ability and lacked teeth; Lightning had likely been poisoned by its stinging tentacles. Perhaps because of this, after recovering from the previous poisoning, Lightning had developed a certain resistance, which was why the toxic attack had little effect on the saber-toothed tiger just now.

The morning sun was rising, and its warm rays felt pleasant, prompting Lu Kuan to sigh with relief after a night of slaughter.

"Lightning, do you want some grilled squid?" Lu Kuan asked with his eyes closed.

The saber-toothed tiger let out a soft "woo," looking at Lu Kuan with a puzzled expression.

...

Game time: 7:30 AM.

The area around the infirmary in Clear Water Village was packed with thousands of players. Everyone was craning their necks, waiting in anticipation, as the final step of the mission was about to be completed inside.

Inside the infirmary, Dai Guang, Qing Yi, A Kui, and Bai Keke stood quietly behind Lu Kuan, their faces filled with expectation.

Lu Kuan hoisted a massive murloc head and dropped it onto the table with a loud "thud!" He smiled at Elder Tao across from him and said, "Great Lord, mission accomplished."

Elder Tao did his best to suppress his excitement, taking a deep breath before stepping forward. Old Blind-Eye was different; the moment he heard Lu Kuan, he rushed over, frantically brushing away the grass and mud from Yuka’s head.

"It’s him! It’s him! Hahaha... Kuiny, do you see? I have avenged you!"

Old Blind-Eye was overcome with emotion, weeping and occasionally muttering in the murloc tongue, appearing quite incoherent. Everyone present knew the history behind Old Blind-Eye and deeply understood his feelings. Elder Tao came over and patted the old murloc’s shoulder, then looked at Lu Kuan, his companions, and the crowd of players outside.

"Your courage commands my admiration, adventurers," Elder Tao said, his expression solemn as he tapped his right hand over his heart. "Clear Water Village is grateful to you. From this day forward, all living beings on the Banyan Grasslands will be grateful to you!"

The crowd was stirred by his words, and some couldn't help but cheer. However, even more exciting news followed.

No sooner had Elder Tao finished speaking than the thousands of players present received a system notification simultaneously. Suddenly, flashes of light erupted on every street and corner, golden pillars representing level-ups rose one after another, and the air was filled with cheers.

"Haha! We actually got 100% completion?"

"Did you see that? Extra skill points! I got two!"

"I got three! Hahaha, finally, I can upgrade Shield Bash to level 5..."

The celebration was widespread. Some sensitive players even had teary eyes; having participated in a plot of this magnitude for the first time, combined with the epic feel of the finale, they were deeply moved.

Compared to the other players, Lu Kuan’s system notifications were slightly more generous.

"Congratulations, Plot Quest 'Defend the Homeland' (Difficulty: A) completed. Completion rate: 100%."
"Your reputation in Clear Water Village has increased by 5,000 points; current reputation level: Illustrious."
"...Reputation with Lava Fortress increased by 1,000."
"...World Reputation increased by 200."
"You have gained 1,800 experience points."
"...Level increased to 15. You have gained 1 free attribute point and 1 skill point..."
"Additional skill points gained: 6."
"You have gained 100 gold coins."
"You have obtained 'Light of Valor'."

...

Dazzling golden light shimmered incessantly in the infirmary. Except for Bai Keke, who had just leveled up during the mission, everyone else had gained a level.

Lu Kuan had leveled up the fastest, jumping from just over level 13 to level 15 in a mere two days, thanks in no small part to the massive experience rewards from this quest chain.

The scene in Clear Water Village was being recorded by countless players as a souvenir, eventually becoming the hottest topic on the forums. This was the first time in the world that a player-participated plot quest chain had achieved 100% completion.

Even a single minor mistake, a wrong turn in the plot direction, or the death of one extra civilian in the village could have made that 100% completion impossible. Lu Kuan felt this deeply; from triggering this quest at the underwater treasure site to the very end, the difficulties and surprises he encountered would not have led to such a perfect outcome without a combination of strength and luck.

Just then, Old Blind-Eye stepped forward.

"Old Lu, thank you," Old Blind-Eye said with rare solemnity, though his dead fish-eyes remained somewhat unsettling.

"Don't mention it," Lu Kuan laughed. "But you'll still have plenty of trouble ahead. You'll need to deal with the remaining members of the murloc tribe, won't you?"

Old Blind-Eye shook his head. "That has nothing to do with me anymore. My wish has been fulfilled; from now on, I will truly live a peaceful life. By the way, take this."

As he spoke, Old Blind-Eye produced a pair of gold rings from his waist and pressed them into Lu Kuan’s hand.

"System notification: Congratulations, you have completed the hidden quest 'Long-Held Wish'. Completion rate: 100%."
"Gained 250 experience points."
"Obtained 'Dim Wedding Rings (Pair)'."
"Old Blind-Eye’s friendliness toward you has increased by 4,000; current level: Honored."

Looking at the glowing rings in his palm, Lu Kuan was slightly surprised. Old Blind-Eye patted the back of his hand and smiled. "I have high hopes for you. If you make a name for yourself in the Continent of Gods, don't forget to come back and see us."

Lu Kuan grinned, "I will, I certainly will."