Volume One, Chapter 10: The Divine Skill Enhancement Tome
Lin Yu was unaware of what had transpired after his departure.
At this moment, he had already returned to the novice village, found the village chief, and presented the Dark Moon Sword he had obtained from the Ghost Scorpion King.
“Brave adventurer, I did not expect your strength to be so extraordinary. Thank you immensely for retrieving the Dark Moon Sword on my behalf. I shall bestow upon you a special reward befitting your abilities.”
The elderly village chief took the Dark Moon Sword from Lin Yu with a noticeably respectful tone.
The fact that Lin Yu had managed to retrieve the Dark Moon Sword was enough to prove his prowess.
[ Ding! Congratulations on completing the village chief’s quest “Retrieve the Dark Moon Sword.” Rewards: 100 experience points, 1 gold coin, SS-rank skill “Fountain of Light” +1. ]
[ Ding! Congratulations on reaching level five. You have gained 10 free attribute points! ]
...
“An SS-rank skill?”
Upon hearing the system’s notification, Lin Yu drew a sharp breath.
He had not expected the quest reward to be an SS-rank skill—one just below the divine rank. Such skills were exceedingly rare even throughout the entire Divine Demon Continent.
Without hesitation, he opened the skill details for “Fountain of Light.”
[Fountain of Light (Passive Skill, SS-rank): Level 1
Effect: Restores 0.1% of maximum health per second. If no damage is taken within one minute, the recovery rate increases by 300%.
Proficiency: 0/10 (Upgrading requires skill books)]
“This skill is quite good, but for me right now, it feels somewhat redundant.”
After reading the description, Lin Yu frowned slightly.
“Fountain of Light” was indeed powerful—at level one, it restored 0.1% of max HP per second, which was extraordinarily strong.
However, for Lin Yu at his current stage, it was less effective.
His strength lay in defense rather than health; with his current HP, the per-second recovery was minimal.
Nonetheless, Lin Yu was thrilled inside.
After all, who would turn down an SS-rank skill?
“Brave adventurer, your strength is remarkable. I have another arduous task for you. If you accept and complete it, I promise an even more generous reward!”
At that moment, the village chief’s voice echoed in Lin Yu’s ears once more.
“Another quest?”
Lin Yu was taken aback but intrigued by the promise of a greater reward.
The current reward was already an SS-rank skill—could the next be a divine rank skill?
[ Ding! The village chief has issued you a new quest: “Rescue Cui Jie.” ]
[ Quest Description: Rescue Cui Jie from the sky prison in the level-two main city, Willowwind City. Time limit: 1 year. No penalties for failure. Reward: Divine Skill Enhancement Scroll. Do you accept? ]
“?”
Lin Yu was visibly stunned upon hearing this quest, then furrowed his brow as he looked toward the village chief.
This was outright prison break, and the target was in a level-two main city!
In the Divine Demon Continent, the minimum level requirement to enter a level-two main city was 30.
In other words, Lin Yu would need to be at least level 30 to even enter Willowwind City.
He was currently only level five, making this goal seem far off.
Moreover, even if Lin Yu managed to enter the city, rescuing Cui Jie was still a near-impossible fantasy.
The sky prison was heavily guarded; even if he succeeded in freeing him, escaping Willowwind City unscathed would be a feat akin to climbing to the heavens.
The city lord of a level-two main city was at least level 40, and tens of thousands of city defense troops were stationed within.
Escaping their clutches would be near impossible—not just for a level 30, but even for someone at level 50.
Most importantly, attempting a prison break meant opposing the entire Holy Temple Alliance. Lin Yu would likely be unable to continue his life there afterward.
Though perplexed by the village chief’s intentions, Lin Yu voiced his doubts.
“Village chief, may I ask what relationship you have with Cui Jie, and why he was imprisoned?”
After all, those who ended up in the sky prison were either heinous criminals or at least guilty beyond redemption.
Yet the village chief was willing to pay such a high price to rescue Cui Jie. Lin Yu was convinced there must be more to the story.
“Cui Jie is my son,” the village chief replied.
“As for why he was imprisoned, he was falsely accused of colluding with demons. Though I do not know what evidence was used against him, I firmly believe he would never betray humanity!”
“Is that so?”
Hearing the village chief’s explanation, a long-buried memory surfaced in Lin Yu’s mind.
He had heard of Cui Jie in his previous life.
At the time, his case had stirred great controversy.
Though he was eventually exonerated, tragically, he was poisoned to death in prison.
The root cause was Cui Jie’s unwavering integrity.
Though brave on the battlefield, his rigid righteousness inadvertently offended the powerful, leading to his false accusation of demon collusion and his grim fate.
In truth, Cui Jie was profoundly wronged.
“Village chief, I can accept the quest, but I cannot promise I will succeed.”
After a brief silence, Lin Yu murmured.
Although he was deeply interested in the divine skill enhancement scroll and sympathetic to Cui Jie’s plight, he had not lost his reason to recklessly shoulder the burden.
Ultimately, he dared not antagonize the Holy Temple Alliance.
He took the quest not out of resolve to force his way through, but to explore possible alternatives.
After all, there was no penalty for failure, and if he succeeded by chance, it would be a great gain.
Lin Yu would never pass up such a risk-free venture.
[ Ding! Your sincerity has moved the village chief. You have gained 1 Divine Skill Enhancement Scroll. ]
However, shortly after Lin Yu accepted the quest, the system presented another message.
Seeing it, Lin Yu was momentarily stunned, then looked at the village chief in confusion.
A divine skill enhancement scroll—just given to him so freely?
No wonder Lin Yu was excited.
He had accepted the quest but clearly expressed uncertainty about completing it.
This outcome was beyond his expectations.
If he were not certain of his own reality, he might have suspected he was the protagonist of a wish-fulfillment novel—this buff was incredible.
“Brave adventurer, do not be surprised. Your conduct and ability in the previous tasks are impeccable. This item has long gathered dust here. It is better to give it to you—it suits a fine steed to have a worthy rider.”
The village chief’s expression remained calm, though he omitted one thing: with the divine skill enhancement scroll, Lin Yu’s chances of rescuing Cui Jie had greatly improved.
“Village chief, rest assured, I will do my utmost to save Brother Cui!”
Hearing this, Lin Yu clasped his hands respectfully.
This generous gift was invaluable to him.
Moreover, as a reborn soul, he understood that NPCs in this game were not mere numbers or codes, but living beings.
Though not a saint, if within his power to save a warrior willing to sacrifice for humanity, he would do so without hesitation.
Having obtained the divine skill enhancement scroll, Lin Yu did not linger long.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries with the village chief, he left the house.
He still had many tasks to complete in the remaining time.
Most importantly, he was eager to test the effect of his newly acquired divine enhancement scroll!
“Young man, don’t let me down.”
Watching Lin Yu’s departing figure, the village chief’s eyes revealed a complex expression.