Aaron accepted the tool but his face did not show any kind of happy expression. Seen from any angle, Sir Janson's tool already looked old and rusty. So, how could he believe that it still can be worked?
Seeing Aaron's expression, Sir Janson said again, "If you don't want it, I can take it back. As long as you know, I also don't want this tool to get damaged after you use it."
Aaron coughed from choking on his saliva. How could Sir Janson be more worried about his tools than the player's safety? Didn't NPCs generally put the players' safety above all else?
And, what was the point of Alice's medal of appreciation? It should have given Aaron a little privilege of honor from the NPCs. Now, look at how respectful Sir Janson is.
However, right now Aaron didn't have much of a choice. The tool of the shameless old man was bad, but it would be better than not using it.
"Alright, I accept it and I'll be right back with the Black Dragon Mushroom. But if I die because your tool is inadequate, what guarantee will you give tome sir?"
Hearing the negotiation from Aaron, Sir Janson couldn't help but laugh. He laughed so loudly and widely, that it was as if thousands of flies could fit into his mouth at the same time.
"Son, don't you remember that I don't really need you here at all?" said Sir Janson. "But never mind. If I hire a professional plant hunter, I'll have to spend even more money. There's nothing wrong with bailing out a clueless young man like you."
While Aaron was inflamed at the taunt, Sir Janson took out a large potion bottle of deep red color. Like the color of wild wine. It probably contained 100ml.
"HP-boosting potion for you," Sir Janson said. "If you can bring that mushroom for me, I'll give you 100ml of speed-boosting potion."
Aaron received the HP-boosting potion with a look of disbelief. For whatever reason, the price of this potion was much more expensive than the speed-boosting potion.
And what Sir Janson said just now... 100ml of the potion? Gosh, that was completely beyond Aaron's imagination!
In this way, Sir Janson had licked his own saliva that had been spat onto the ground. The old man really needed Aaron to retrieve the Black Dragon Mushroom!
Aaron had never encountered such an annoying NPC before, not even in his real life.
He was so annoyed that he didn't know what else to say to Sir Janson, leaving without making the slightest sound.
***
Ruby Forest, Fallen Star Kingdom, not too far from Gray Stone City.
Aaron put on his mask as he walked slowly towards the crowd of Black Dragon Mushrooms. The gas released by the mushroom was extremely dangerous. Only need one minute of inhaling it, and you will be killed!
Aaron counted. There were more than ten mature mushroom stalks ready for harvest, while some of them were still very young. Five mature mushrooms should be more than enough, but he was going to harvest all of them.
Even though he only needed 1 gram, he still could sell the rest to Sir Janson or other herb brewers who were not too annoying like the old man.
Aaron took out Sir Janson's tool from inside his bag. It was shaped like a large pair of lawn clippers, just a little more special-looking.
After that, Aaron also took out a special leather pouch he bought at the market. There was no way those poisonous mushrooms would be carried empty-handed.
After making sure that nothing was missing, Aaron ventured to start placing his large scissors on one of the Black Dragon Mushrooms.
With just a single stroke, barely even using any force, the mushroom was cut and fell to the ground like a piece of cotton.
When was cut, it emitted a thin burst of green-colored smoke all around. The grasses nearby instantly dried up in the blink of an eye.
Looking at those poor grasses, Aaron shuddered. What would happen if he didn't wear a mask?
After putting it into the storage leather bag, Aaron again cut out the remaining Black Dragon Mushroom. After all of them went into the leather bag, he smiled with pleasure.
With that many mushrooms, he could get more than 50 gold coins. Exchanging them for weapons, he would get a pretty good sword.
Currently, after killing many orcs, the sword Aaron was using was dull and jagged. It was completely inefficient for cleaving flesh, let alone bone.
If Aaron collected up to 200 gold pieces, he could obtain a spatial bag. The equipment can store many items in the spatial dimension, so Aaron doesn't need to feel the weight of his belongings at all.
With 200 gold coins, he would at least get a spatial bag of 2 cubic meters. It was the smallest size of any spatial bag, but it was already decent for a beginner like Aaron.
Apart from spatial bags, there were also spatial rings. This equipment, however, is much more expensive. While spatial bags could only store small items, spatial rings could store larger items, depending on the quality and price.
In the game 'Martial Earth Online', Aaron has a spatial ring with the most storage space, which is 1,000 cubic kilometers. He could even build his own city there!
Recalling his glory days, Aaron smiled bitterly. They were sweet times, but they ended very bitterly.
Someone once told him that great power is matched by great threat. The more powerful you are, the more people threaten you!
"I was too naive before." Aaron laughed softly. Yeah, he had been very naive in thinking that everyone was nice to him. The world was so cruel and harsh, that was the truth, but Aaron can't believe that truth.
He still had to pay dearly for his naivety.
Thinking of that, Aaron's ears suddenly caught a thumping sound from the distance. He directly stopped to make sure. The sound repeated itself periodically, getting faster and closer.
Aaron's face began to turn blue. He had heard sounds like this before in 'Martial Earth Online', and it was always a nightmare for novice players...
"Giant Angry Stone!"
Aaron didn't think long to immediately run with all his might towards the city. If he encountered the Giant Angry Stone, he must immediately dodge it at all costs!
The Giant Angry Stone belonged to spirit beasts, although some people disputed it because it didn't have the characteristics of a living creature at all.
It was composed of stone at all, and indeed there was nothing else but stone. Giant Angry Stone lacked a heart, intestines, and even a brain. Surprisingly, it acted like a living being. His intelligence exceeds that of the orc race!
They mimic the shape of a human body. They sually carry a weapon in the form of a giant hammer or axe.
Giant Angry Stone can be up to 100 meters tall, but it is typically 20-50 meters tall.
They are called 'angry' because of their temperamental. Anyone can offend it even if they haven't done anything. But that's not what makes them fear, it's that Giant Angry Stone can run at very high speed!
It doesn't matter if it's made of rocks, but as long as they still have power, they can still chase after unlucky novice players. When that happened, no one could evade its pursuit.
Since the Giant Angry Stone could not be classified as a living creature, it had almost no vital points on its body. If one of the fighters wanted to defeat them, then the fighters would have to destroy their body one by one. And to do that, the fighter had to have sufficient weapons, strength, and level.
Aaron lost hope as the thudding sound became more and more obvious, but his legs kept running no matter that.
"Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t!"Aaron couldn't stop from swearing. He continued to run as fast as he could, but the roar of the Giant Angry Stone was getting closer from behind him.Aaron began to think about moving to a hidden place instead of running towards the city, at least then he could secure all his equipment after being killed by the monster.So Aaron turns towards the grove of trees. His feet jumped over shrubs and sharp dry branches. Even though this is a game world, players can still feel the pain!But, Aaron now changed his running direction when he suddenly saw several sword cultivators darting towards him from the front!Aaron just wanted to avoid the players by moving to a hidden place, but why were there so many sword cultivators in this place?At the moment, Aaron's entire hope had been dashed. He quickly started planning what he should do if the worst happened: he died and lost his EXP, Black Dragon Mushroom, all his money, and even his favorite armor.They-those sword cultivat
[Friend request!][SnowWolf submitted a friend request. Do you want to accept it?]Not waiting any longer, Aaron approved it. He knew the name of that swordsman. SnowWolf... was absolutely not his real name."Alright. I have to return to the town now." Aaron smiled as he said goodbye, but SnowWolf held him back."Brother, we should still split the profits with you. At the very least, accept 50 gold coins if you don't want all of them," SnowWolf said.Aaron still refused, saying that their friendship was worth much over 50 or even 100 gold coins. But SnowWolf would feel guilty if Aaron didn't take that, leaving the young man with no other choice.Aaron continued his journey towards Gray Stone City. Along the way, some Destroyer Beasts, such as wolves, jungle cats, and other wild animals, attacked Aaron several times.He didn't have a sword to defeat them, but he still had his legs and Sir Janson's speed-boost potion to run fast.Although he knew that the flesh and skin of Destroyer Bea
Aaron looked at a fine sword of medium quality displayed on the wall.The sword was made of black steel and looked shiny from the torches in the room. They covered the hilt of the sword with some kind of black rubber that made it non-slip when someone held it. Meanwhile, the scabbard was covered in tanned leather with some beautiful carvings on it.The sword looked perfect for a level 1 player.Aaron read the of the sword.[Night Sky Sword made of black steel combined with some magic potions][Damage +30][Resistance 200][Speed +10][Price 150 gold coins]Aaron nodded slowly. This sword had a much higher damage rate and speed than his broken sword. It only had a +10 attack and +3 speed.If he faced an opponent with 100 HP, then Aaron would only need less than 4 attacks to defeat him.But, it would be harder if the opponent was high level.For example, a player who has reached level 10 has a 200 HP capacity. So killing him, Aaron must land 7 attacks.For every additional 10 l
"It's about orcs and goblins which has come to an alarming number. The Rangers said that they found orc-owned caves about a hundred miles from the Gray Stone City. They appear to be organizing a massive force to attack the town."Alice exhaled a troubled breath and explained that the Gray Stone City could still hold more than 100,000 orcs, but it would be reached by internal conflicts within the town."The mayor has good relations with several large clans. In the orc attack, those clans are willing to send help to this city. However, recently there have been several assassination attempts on the mayor. The best assassins in the entire territory of the Falling Stars Kingdom have joined forces and are trying to assassinate him every time. If the mayor wasn't such a genius swordsman, his life would have been taken long ago."When he heard that, Aaron instantly remembered Old Man Janson.Alice spoke again."I don't know, but the 'Martial Earth Online'
Aaron tried to say calmly and quickly, "I didn't kill him, instead I'm looking for the killer. I guess that the killer is heading towards the mayor's residence, so please don't confront me."Alice was still staring at him in disbelief. "How do you know about that?""It's a long explanation, I won't have time!" Aaron tried to take a step back and go run, but she grew bolder with her sword, leaving him stunned again."I'll go to the mayor's residence, while I'll tie you up in this place, there's no need to go anywhere." Alice began to take a chain from her spatial bag, which Aaron knew to be a spirit tool. It wouldn't be easy to destroy it!"No way!" Aaron pulled out his sword, and with a swift movement parried Alice's sword at her neck.Being parried with such a move, Alice couldn't believe it at all. Aaron's speed was simply beyond reason, it was impossible for a player who was still at level 1.Aaron jumped back to keep his distance. He hel
Aaron was still waiting when someone suddenly drifted down from the sky and landed before him. Aaron couldn't help but be amazed. The person's movements were perfect, even for an intermediate level. The person had it back on Aaron. Its hair was long, fluttering in the wind. From the curves of her body, she looked like a woman. "Get out here." The woman's soft voice. Aaron did not move from his place. He didn't know the woman at all, so how could he trust her so easily? In a precarious situation like this, almost no one can be trusted but oneself. "Who are you?" Aaron asked, keeping his sword ready. "You don't need to know," replied the woman as she slowly took out a cloud-white sword from her waist. "Don't ask for more questions, run quickly right now!" Of course, Aaron was eager to ask other questions until he got enough clarity, but he realized there was not much opportunity and time. If he didn't leave right now, it was very likely
Aaron punched the fork out of the mayor's hand, instantly sending it flying free along with the piece of grilled meat. Smiling with relief, Aaron landed on the floor uneventfully. Slipping and falling. He did it like a goalkeeper deflecting a ball!When he wanted to get up, he pointed several swords at his neck. Aaron raised both hands while standing up slowly."That food was poisonous," Aaron said quickly.The mayor was still sitting calmly when he asked, "How did you know?"Everyone in the dining room looked at him in confusion, including Alice, who had just arrived after desperately trying to catch up with Aaron.Under all those intimidating stares, Aaron still had to be thankful that the mayor's family hadn't eaten yet. Tradition made them swear not to touch the food before the head of the family shoved the food into his mouth. In some circumstances, that tradition could be their salvation."I hunted the poison for this meal." Aaron chos
After parting ways with Alice, Aaron rented a room at a low-class inn in the western section of Gray Stone City.There, he could even get two nights for one silver piece.However, no need to ask about the quality.It was so bad!Not only were cockroaches and rats roaming everywhere, but Aaron also heard sighing noises from the amorous lovers in the next room.It was very disturbing to his mind to sleep peacefully.While staring at the ceiling, he thought about his fate. He was 27 years old but had never experienced that.Even just to have a girlfriend, he had never.Was that normal?His peers might have children soon. If they met Aaron, who still had this pathetic bachelor look, they would make fun of him."Should I find a lover?"In the end, Aaron managed to sleep, despite having to familiarize his ears with all those sighing sounds.To himself, Aaron promised never to rent a room at a cheap inn aga
Aaron went to a cave to rest after a long day of hunting. This was his only chance to get out of the game so as not to get a scolding from Leen, but Aaron held back when he heard something from the deepest part of the cave."Hehehe."It was the sound of laughter.Aaron took out the Nightfeather Sword and took a stance, then sharply hissed, "Who's there?""Hehe... Aaron, am I not the person you've been looking for all this time?"Aaron threw his spit on the ground as soon as he recognized the voice. "Mordecai... I've been confident in my current strength.""Oh, of course. Facing you, I am but an ant standing on the feet of a giant elephant." Mordecai let out a compliment that was much more akin to sarcasm. "So, why didn't you come here and fight me? Weren't you already confident of your victory?"Laughing softly, Aaron took something out from inside his spatial ring.[Item's name: Lighting BallType: CommonIt can light up for thirty minutes once activated.]From behind the darkness, M
Aaron looked at Mordecai boldly, "I've come to challenge you," he said firmly.Mordecai laughed, "You think you can beat me?" he asked sarcastically."I never underestimate your strength, but I must try," Aaron replied firmly.They began to fight and Aaron showed great combat ability. However, Mordecai was too strong and managed to defeat Aaron easily."Not bad, but you're not ready for me," Mordecai said as he stood over Aaron's limp body.Aaron didn't just give up, he tried to get up and attack Mordecai again. However, Mordecai suddenly turned into a grain of light and disappeared.Dariowyn, the knight who was Aaron's servant, came to him and gave advice. "I saw your fight with Mordecai. You have amazing abilities, but your level is still not high enough to deal with him. I suggest that you raise your level to at least 700."Aaron nodded in agreement, and vowed to increase his level as quickly as possible. He returned to the village where he grew up and began to accumulate experienc
Aaron watched the letter carefully, a faint smile etched on his lips. He felt happy to be able to provide a sense of security for the locals and realized that this was what made him proud to be a soldier. However, the happiness was short-lived as he knew that his job wasn't done yet.Aaron and his troops were back on the move and on guard, staying ready to counter any threats. They patrolled around the region and monitored the movements of any bandit groups that might appear. Aaron also came up with a new strategy and enlisted the help of some additional troops to ensure the safety of the region.Over the next few weeks, Aaron and his troops continued to work hard, tending to the territory and protecting the locals. They managed to fend off several attacks from bandit groups and chased down those who tried to escape. However, despite their best efforts, the bandits kept coming back with new strength and bigger attacks.Aaron was frustrated and exhausted, but he didn't give up. He talk
Aaron felt heavy-hearted as he continued his journey alone. He missed his best friend, Geldrick, who had accompanied him every step of the way. Aaron reflected and prayed for his friend who had passed away. He also promised to complete their mission successfully to honor his friend's struggle and sacrifice.Aaron's journey continued slowly as he felt lonely without his best friend. He continued to walk with a heavy heart and a deep sense of sadness. However, he kept Geldrick's last message in mind and remained focused on their goal.After a few days of walking, Aaron arrived at a beautiful small town. He decided to stop for a while to gather his strength and replenish his food and water supplies. Aaron also decided to seek information on the whereabouts of the bandit group that was the target of his mission.Aaron asks around the town and eventually gets information from a local merchant about the whereabouts of the bandit group known as "The Black Hand". He got information about thei
Aaron and Geldrick decided to take a short break after fighting the Spirit Beast. They realized that they had been in the forest for days and were both tired and hungry.They lit a campfire and cooked the food they had brought from their supplies. While enjoying the food, they talked about the Spirit Beast they had just faced.Aaron was impressed by the Spirit Beast's speed and strength, while Geldrick marveled at the Spirit Beast's agility and ingenuity. Both realized that they would have to prepare themselves better if they faced other Spirit Beasts in the future.After dinner, Aaron and Geldrick decided to spend the night in the forest. They made a simple tent and prepared to sleep. However, as the night wore on, they were awakened by strange noises around their tent.They soon realized that they were being chased by a giant bug. Aaron and Geldrick rushed out of the tent and prepared to fight the giant bug. They fought tenaciously and finally managed to defeat the giant bug.After
After successfully capturing the artifact, Aaron and Geldrick returned to the village they had helped before to inform the locals of their victory. They were greeted with joy and appreciation for saving their village from the threat of the enemy.However, they couldn't stay in the village for too long as their task was still not complete. They had to keep moving forward and face stronger enemies.They returned to the city and searched for the latest information about their enemy. After some time, they learned that their enemy was gathering forces to attack the city and take control of the entire surrounding area.Aaron and Geldrick planned a defense and trained the locals to help them fight the enemy. They set traps and booby traps to hinder the enemy's progress and prepare a strategy to defeat them.When the enemy attacked, the battle was fierce. However, thanks to the strategy they had prepared, they managed to defeat the enemy and save the town from the threat that threatened it.A
Aaron and Geldrick stood by the Spirit Beast's corpse, breathing rapidly and with palpitations. They looked around and realized that the forest was full of dangers that awaited them. They took a few moments to catch their breath and recover their strength before continuing their journey.After a few hours of walking, they arrived at a small village located at the end of the forest. The village was bustling with activity, people walking here and there busily. Aaron and Geldrick decided to visit the village to buy some supplies and recharge their batteries.As they walked along the main road, they saw a little girl crying on the side of the road. They approached her and asked her what was going on. The little girl said that her mother was sick and she needed expensive medicine to cure her.Aaron and Geldrick felt compassion and decided to help the little girl. They took some money from their pockets and gave it to the little girl. The little girl looked very grateful and thanked them ma
However, they didn't know that another danger was lurking around them. While they were resting, they were suddenly attacked by a group of powerful and ruthless pirates. The pirates appeared with sharp weapons and their faces were filled with anger and hatred.Aaron and Geldrick soon realized that they had to fight for their survival. They grabbed their weapons and prepared for battle. However, the pirates were not easy opponents to defeat. They had high fighting skills and tremendous strength.The fight started quickly. Aaron and Geldrick fought tooth and nail against all the pirates. They dodged every attack and tried to counterattack. However, the pirates' strength was too great and they were not easily defeated.Geldrick was hit by an attack from one of the pirates and was seriously injured. He almost died if Aaron didn't help him immediately. Aaron felt very worried and panicked seeing his friend injured. However, he did not give up and continued to fight with great courage and de
That night they slept peacefully, but they still felt sad and worried about the fate of the village that had been attacked. The next morning, they decided to continue their journey and find out more about what happened in the village.They arrived at the village at noon and saw that the village had been completely destroyed. The buildings had been demolished and the ground looked like a battlefield. They saw a few people who were still alive and they decided to ask about what happened.They learned that the village had been attacked by an unknown armed group. Many people died and the survivors were forced to leave their homes. Aaron and Geldrick felt sad and angry at the group and vowed to help stop such crimes in the future.They decided to help the survivors and provide food and water to those in need. They also helped to rebuild some of the damaged buildings, helped repair roads, and improved the village's water system.Aaron and Geldrick spent a few weeks in the village, helping t