2: Silver equipment

Ding! Continent of Gods and Demons will open in 10 seconds. Starting countdown now.

10...9...8...3

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Countdown ended. The War of Gods and Demons has officially begun.

Ding! You have been randomly assigned to No. 88 Newbie Village. Everything from here on is up to you. I wish you a pleasant growth.

With a flash of light, Xiao Xing appeared in the plaza of a Novice Village.

The surrounding light flickered continuously as more and more people entered the game.

It was still the same No. 88 Newbie Village—the familiar scent and the same setting, yet a different journey lay ahead.

"Wow, this game is almost exactly like reality! The advertising was true; it's so awesome!!"

"Holy crap, it turns out it was you, brother, who touched me! Add me as a friend so we can discuss life together next time...!!"

"Ahhh, so many handsome guys! Hurry and add me! Looking for a carry, looking for comfort, available for meetups online or offline...!!"

... "When the forest is large, all kinds of birds appear."

Xiao Xing took a quick glance and then ran toward the General Store.

This kind of thing was no longer surprising to Xiao Xing.

In a completely realistic virtual world, the ugliness of human nature can be displayed to its extreme.

The game [Continent of Gods and Demons] is not only extremely realistic but also offers a very high degree of freedom.

Regarding certain matters, as long as the individuals are willing, transactions can be made whether online or offline.

This is a very common occurrence that the government simply cannot stop.

"Uncle Luge, I want to buy a Hemp Rope."

Arriving at the General Store, Xiao Xing took out his only 10 copper coins.

Buying the Hemp Rope was for climbing a high point where a Rank 10 gold treasure chest was located.

This chest was also the only gold treasure chest in the Novice Village.

The location was at the highest point of Black Wind Mountain, where Rank 10 Wraiths respawned.

This chest exists in every Novice Village; basically, anyone who goes to Black Wind Mountain to level up can see it.

However, obtaining it is extremely difficult.

Not only do you need to eliminate the nearby Wraiths, but you also need high climbing skills combined with decent attributes to support you; otherwise, you simply can't get up there.

In his past life, after three months of extensive experimentation by players, someone finally researched the easiest way to climb it.

A rope was one of the tools; if one could obtain a projectile-type rope, it would be even easier to get up.

He was buying the rope now to keep as a backup, planning to increase his Rank first and then go for the Treasure Chest after midnight.

"Little fellow, don't leave just yet. I see you have a good face and an extraordinary skeletal structure; you're a rare martial arts genius.

I have a quest here. If you can complete it, I definitely won't treat you poorly."

Just as he was about to turn around with the Hemp Rope, Luge rested his chin on one hand and stared at Xiao Xing, sizing him up.

He seemed to see something extraordinary in Xiao Xing, which is why he proactively offered the quest; if an ordinary person had come, they would only have received a quest to collect rubber bands.

"Senior, is there anything I can help with?"

Seeing the other's expression, Xiao Xing inquired politely.

If it were an ordinary quest, he wouldn't waste time doing it.

With his current attributes, he was strong enough to solo and slaughter all monsters below Rank 10.

Instead of wasting time collecting rubber bands or fangs, it was more practical to level up.

"Alas, this matter is quite shameful to speak of!"

Luge seemed to recall the past, closing his eyes slightly and showing a sorrowful expression.

"Three years ago, my daughter Cheng Xiaoyue and I were passing by the foot of Black Wind Mountain when we were besieged by a large number of bandits, and Yue'er was unfortunately captured by them.

Helpless, I could only flee first and then look for an opportunity to save her.

But shortly after I returned to the village, I received news of a mutation at Black Wind Mountain. All the bandits had disappeared, and only countless Wraiths were wandering about.

After further investigation, I learned that Yue'er had been violated and died with her eyes open, eventually transforming into a powerful Wraith.

She is hiding in the deepest part of Black Wind Mountain, and those wandering Wraiths are what the original bandits transformed into.

Her current strength is very great. I hope you can defeat her so she can find peace and move on soon.

This is a specially made rope I bought from outside. If you are willing to help, I will give this to you."

After finishing his story, Luge took out a silver cylinder and gestured toward Xiao Xing.

This was a Silver-grade treasure that could only be found outside; Novice Villages simply didn't have such things.

After Yue'er blackened, her strength became extremely formidable, and Luge had no way to help her find peace, which is why he had waited until now.

[Rope Cylinder (Silver-grade)]

Durability: 56/100

Effect: Can fire a grappling hook up to fifty meters and has a fast rope retraction function.

Note: This item is relatively rare; it is a must-have for climbing walls, exploring, and committing robberies.

Usage Time Limit: 239:59:57

[Yue'er's Liberation (Special Quest) Difficulty: Unknown]

Content: Help Yue'er eliminate her Heart Demon and let her escape the sea of suffering as soon as possible.

Time Limit: 239:59:57

Failure Penalty: Luge's Favorability decreases by 50, and the [Rope Cylinder] will be reclaimed.

"Don't worry, Senior. I will complete the quest as soon as possible."

Xiao Xing took the cylinder, strapped it to his arm, and quickly ran out of the village.

In just this short amount of time, the entire Novice Village had become overcrowded; if he didn't run now, it would be hard to squeeze his way out.

According to official statistics, there are ten thousand Novice Villages in the entire Huaxia Region. At least a hundred million people entered in the first batch, meaning each village had about ten thousand people.

In reality, some towns only have a population of a few tens of thousands. Having ten thousand people squeezed into one village in the game was terrifying.

Based on his memories from his past life, after leaving the village, Xiao Xing kept running in the direction of Black Wind Mountain.

The Rank 1 and 2 monster areas were already overcrowded. As soon as a turkey respawned, a dozen people would attack it at once. Before the turkey could even see what the world looked like, it would disappear, leaving a pile of feathers behind.

He didn't stop at all. After running for over half an hour, he arrived at the Poison Mist Swamp.

This was the area for Rank 9 Black-scaled Pythons. Not only were there many venomous snakes in the swamp, but entering it would result in 10 poison damage per second.

To get to Black Wind Mountain, one had to pass through this swamp.

With his current attributes, which were equivalent to the attributes of a Rank 20 without equipment, combined with the ten-fold speed bonus from his class talent, he wasn't worried about the venomous snakes at all.

The poison damage posed a slight threat to him, but it wasn't as if there was no solution.

Near the swamp, a type of Star Flame Grass would respawn; eating it would grant immunity to poison damage for one minute.

Xiao Xing began searching the surroundings. Star Flame Grass respawned very rarely, making it difficult to find.

If a large number of people had come here, obtaining Star Flame Grass would indeed be difficult, but since it was only him right now, finding a few stalks was no problem.

After a quick search, he harvested 6 stalks of Star Flame Grass. To get more, he would probably have to wait for the next respawn.

After consuming a Star Flame Grass, Xiao Xing entered the swamp directly, charging through and weaving through it at high speed.

When those venomous snakes saw him and were about to attack, they had already lost their target and could only wander in place.

By the time he had finished five stalks of Star Flame Grass, he successfully exited the Poison Mist Swamp and arrived at the foot of Black Wind Mountain.

His goals were the gold treasure chest and the special quest. Rank 9 venomous snakes weren't worth his time; killing the Rank 10 Wraiths wandering on the mountain would just be to increase his Rank along the way.