Chapter 136: Iteration and Replacement

The Battle of Qingshui Stronghold had reached a successful conclusion, but the story of Qingshui Stronghold was far from over. This series of quests could be seen as the inauguration of the stronghold; from now on, the village would serve as a fixed supply point.

In Lu Kuan’s memory, monsters would gradually emerge across the Banyan Grasslands, making it the most popular map surrounding Molten Fortress. Once the aquatic monsters were included, the level span of creatures in this area would reach a staggering twenty levels.

After turning in their quests, the group headed to the Qingshui Stronghold quartermaster to do some shopping. Everyone except Lu Kuan made heavy purchases, as items requiring reputation were always excellent value for money. Lu Kuan had already bought most of what he needed, leaving only one item on his list:

"Finely Polished Arrows (Rare)
Equipment Requirement: Honored reputation with Qingshui Stronghold or higher
Sharpness: 5
Armor Penetration +3, can crit
Price: 6 copper coins per bundle"

The quality of these arrows far surpassed those offered as reputation rewards in Molten Fortress, providing an overall damage increase of about 10%. Among all the reputation rewards in Qingshui Stronghold, these were the most useful for Lu Kuan.

"Hey, isn't that Old Deer?"
"A pro! A real pro! Can we take a picture together?"

Near the reputation quartermaster, players were bustling about. Many recognized Lu Kuan, as well as the four members of Dai Guang’s team who had already made a name for themselves in the stronghold, and they all began to crowd around. After agreeing to a few requests, the surge of people became overwhelming. Since Qingyi was not used to such lively scenes, Lu Kuan suggested they return to Molten Fortress. His suggestion was met with unanimous agreement.

"Oh my god, why are my fans so enthusiastic?" Dai Guang said while riding his saber-toothed tiger, wiping his forehead with an exaggerated gesture, though the excitement in his eyes betrayed him.

Akui gave him a sharp eye roll without hesitation: "Give it a rest. Look at yourself—you’re practically bubbling over with joy. Just laugh if you want to!"

"Haha!" The others couldn't help but burst into laughter. Dai Guang turned beet red, but soon joined in the laughter himself.

"To be honest, I quite enjoy this feeling," Lu Kuan laughed, adding, "Being the center of attention satisfies a little bit of our vanity. It counts as a sense of achievement, doesn't it?"

The group smiled, silently agreeing with Lu Kuan. Whether in reality or in the game, isn't it satisfying to stand out and achieve something?

By the time the sun was high in the sky, the early morning battle at Qingshui Stronghold had already become the hottest topic on the forums. Lu Kuan’s five-person team had just returned to Molten Fortress and was organizing their quest spoils in an inn room.

"Akui and Keke both got two pieces of blue gear, and Fatty got one, though he earned quite a bit of gold... Qingyi’s reward is quite rare, actually," Lu Kuan said, listing them off. He looked at the item in Qingyi’s hand and smiled. "Besides a piece of blue gear, there’s a Relic-grade ruby. You’ve got great luck!"

"What’s this for? Do you cut it like in real life and sell it for money?" Akui asked curiously, taking the gem to inspect it closely. Sunlight from the window caught the ruby, making it shimmer brilliantly.

Lu Kuan chuckled: "I can tell you haven't been reading the official website carefully."

There was a life skill in the game called Jewelcrafting, primarily used for crafting special items like necklaces, rings, and badges. Gems were the most common materials for jewelcrafters. Relic-grade gems were rare; selling this one for five or six hundred gold coins shouldn't be a problem. "But you can also keep it," Lu Kuan added. "Once you get better gear, you can have a jewelcrafter socket it to enhance your stats. That’s a good choice, too."

Since everyone was present, Lu Kuan took the opportunity to mention his plan to travel abroad.

"You’re talking about inter-city travel?" Akui looked astonished, never expecting such an idea from him. "Have you lost your mind? Isn't the minimum level for inter-city travel suggested on the forums level 18?"

Lu Kuan didn't mind. "That’s just in theory. In practice, as long as you’re careful, the odds of success are quite high. The scale of Molten Fortress can't compare to Torrent Port; there are far more resources there, and it’s well worth the trip."

"Tch, that’s because *you* have high odds. How many people have your skills?" Akui pouted.

Lu Kuan grinned. "I’m leaving in a few days. You guys focus on leveling up and developing here in Molten Fortress. You'll be able to make the trip in a while, and when you reach Torrent Port, there will be plenty of challenges waiting for us."

Listening to Lu Kuan, the four of them nodded thoughtfully. Lu Kuan was clearly already ahead of them; should they push harder to catch up?

Just then, Qingyi seemed to have made up her mind. She walked up to Lu Kuan and sent a trade request.

"Hmm?" Seeing the ruby Qingyi placed in the trade panel, Lu Kuan raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I... this is for the shield and the bracers," Qingyi said, keeping her head low.

Lu Kuan couldn't help but smile. For various reasons, he had rented the Demon Guard Shield and the Weather-Beaten Bracers to Qingyi. Over the past few days, she had been sending him the rent on time. Seeing her earnest expression despite her lowered head, Lu Kuan chuckled, placed 200 gold coins on the trade panel, and completed the transaction.

"These two pieces of gear aren't worth as much as this gem," Lu Kuan said, stopping Qingyi before she could speak. He then turned to the others with a smile. "By the way, in the future, if the Dark Heaven organization goes to take down a field boss, you can tag along. There will be plenty of surprises. Get close to them; it makes things easier in Molten Fortress..."

Seeing Lu Kuan change the subject, Qingyi lowered her head and pouted almost imperceptibly.

...

After chatting for a while longer, the three girls offered their well-wishes to Lu Kuan and left the inn. After all, they had been busy to the point of exhaustion and needed time to rest and reorganize. Soon after, Dai Guang was called away by his classmates for a dungeon run, leaving Lu Kuan alone in the room.

Only then did he have the time to carefully examine the gear he had been awarded. First was the set of rings given by Old Blindeye.

"Dim Wedding Ring (Rare, Set Component, Bound)
Ring
Equipment Requirement: None
Maximum Health +8
Defense Rating +8
Set: Ancient Wedding Rings (2/2)
Set Bonus, Vow of Fidelity (Passive): When a player is equipped with a pair of Dim Wedding Rings, Maximum Health +20, Movement Speed +6%."

"Dim Wedding Band (Rare, Set Component, Bound)
...
Constitution +1
All Slowing Effects Received -15%
Set: Ancient Wedding Rings (2/2)
..."

The stats of the two rings were, at best, average, but the set bonus increasing maximum health and movement speed was excellent. For a high-agility, low-defense class like Lu Kuan's, it couldn't be more perfect.