Chapter 20: Qian Duoduo

Just now, had he moved any slower, he would have been carved up by the thief in a few swift strikes, and all his plans would have been ruined! The thought sent a chill across Lu Kuan’s face, a flash of killing intent appearing in his eyes as he raised his hand and let loose an arrow.

The Expert, familiar with Lu Kuan’s archery, instinctively tilted his body as soon as he saw Lu Kuan move. The arrow whistled past, grazing the Expert’s cheek.

Cold sweat broke out on the Expert. Instead of retreating, he pressed low and charged straight at Lu Kuan. As a seasoned player, he knew well the tactics for melee classes fighting archers: every meter closer increased his odds of victory.

But he failed to notice that Lu Kuan’s earlier movement had drawn two arrows—while firing the first, Lu Kuan used the momentum of his arm to flick the second, held between his pinky and ring finger, smoothly onto the bowstring.

The Expert had barely relaxed when a flash of cold light appeared before him. He had no time to react before a stunning shot struck his thigh, leaving him instantly immobilized.

“It’s over...” Despair settled in the Expert’s heart, but he stubbornly curled up, trying to shield his vital spots.

A duel between ranger and thief was all about speed; if the ranger’s attacks ever stalled, the thief’s swiftness could close the distance for a chance at victory. Unfortunately, his opponent was Lu Kuan.

Two more bone-breaking arrows struck home, followed by another stunning shot. The thief, just scrambling to his feet for a desperate sprint, was pinned down once more.

“Farewell.”

Lu Kuan grinned, and the final arrow found its mark, striking the Expert’s head. As expected, the opponent dissolved into a shimmer of white light.

His energy nearly depleted, Lu Kuan let out a satisfied breath, his gaze flickering with thought: Was it a deliberate vendetta from the Glory Guild, or just a chance encounter while doing a quest?

Either way, as time passed, the Starlight Camp would become ever more dangerous.

“This guy’s gear is impressive. If he’d been a typical glass-cannon thief, he’d have died twice already.” Lu Kuan crouched beside the thief’s corpse, muttering to himself, “Must be one of Glory’s main thieves. Dropping a level will hurt them—let them grieve for a while. Heh heh.”

The thief’s body faded, turning transparent, indicating resurrection at the Lava Fortress. As the last traces vanished, Lu Kuan noticed something glimmering beneath the leaf litter—something easily missed without careful scrutiny.

“Hm? He dropped an item?”

An unexpected delight. Lu Kuan quickly swept away the leaves and picked up a silver-white ring, adorned with a tiny, grain-sized emerald. In the sunlight, it gleamed with pristine clarity.

“Fighter’s Ring (Excellent Quality Ring)

Finger

Requirement: Level 8, Agility 8

Agility +1

Accuracy +1%

Durability: 100%”

Staring at the beautiful ring, Lu Kuan felt a surge of anger.

Accessories were among the rarest drops in the game—Lu Kuan knew this well from his previous life: each player could equip up to four rings, and it had taken him over thirty levels to collect all four.

This Fighter’s Ring was a rare drop from the final boss of the level 8 dungeon, Lava Fortress Prison. At this stage, fewer than twenty players could wear it.

And this petty thief possessed such a treasure?

Glancing at his own bare fingers, Lu Kuan spat fiercely at the spot where the thief’s corpse had lain, then slipped the ring onto his right index finger. He admired its stats and elegant design, finally nodding with satisfaction.

After checking thoroughly for any other dropped items, Lu Kuan turned toward the camp’s center, ready to resume his hunt.

Just then, a rustling came from the nearby bushes, as if some beast were moving through. Lu Kuan, alert, drew his hunting bow and aimed at the trembling foliage.

“Wait, wait! It’s me, master!”

To his surprise, a player leapt from the bushes, shouting as he went. His gear shimmered brilliantly—it was the elf warrior Lu Kuan had seen earlier at the Temple of Light.

At this moment, the handsome elf’s hair was infested with unknown red insects. He scratched wildly at his head, nearly frantic. “Master, help me! This itching is killing me!”

Lu Kuan shook his head in amusement, stowed his weapon, and approached the elf warrior, retrieving his water flask from his pack.

“Hold still,”

Lu Kuan pressed a hand to the elf’s shoulder and gently poured water over his head. Curiously, the red insects, which had clung stubbornly to the warrior’s hair and scalp, buzzed away at once upon contact with the clean water, vanishing in moments.

“Phew...” The elf warrior sat down, hands braced on the ground, and let out a long, relieved breath. Seeing Lu Kuan’s expression, he scratched his head bashfully. “Master, thank you, thank you... I wasn’t trying to spy on you earlier.”

“No problem.” Lu Kuan waved it off, then asked, “Those are Bloodleaf Bugs—blood-sucking insects. You came adventuring in the jungle without camphor repellent?”

“What’s that?” The elf’s face was blank with confusion.

Clearly a novice with little experience in the wild. Camphor repellent was a basic alchemical potion that kept most insects at bay. Any life-skills player who regularly gathered herbs here always carried a bottle.

Lu Kuan laughed, tossing the elf a gray glass vial before turning to leave.

“Hey, master, I can’t take your stuff for free—I’ll pay for it!” The elf caught the bottle, scrambling to his feet and calling after him.

“It’s cheap. The NPC alchemy shop sells it.” Lu Kuan replied over his shoulder.

Hearing this, the elf didn’t hold back, immediately uncorking the vial and rubbing some on himself. The horror of the bugs had clearly rattled him.

Yet he wasn’t about to let Lu Kuan go. He jogged after him, grinning, “Master, I know you’re here for quests. How about I hire you? Reputation grinding works for one or two, doesn’t it?”

Lu Kuan was intrigued—this was a good idea.

“Alright, what’s your rate?” he asked.

The elf answered directly, “Twenty gold per hour. If any equipment drops, I’ll pay extra for it.”

“Deal!” Lu Kuan agreed without hesitation. It was like gold falling from the sky.

They struck a quick bargain and formed a party. Lu Kuan glanced at his ID and couldn’t help but laugh: Moneybags—true to his name, a real tycoon.

“There’s something you should know,” Lu Kuan added. “You saw earlier—my enemies might come after me. If you get caught in the crossfire and die, I won’t be responsible.”

Moneybags’ face wore its trademark expression of confusion: “Uh, master... what does ‘caught in the crossfire’ mean?”

The question was so sudden that Lu Kuan paused, wondering how to explain. But Moneybags had already scratched his head and laughed, “Heh, I grew up abroad, so my Chinese isn’t very fluent.”