Volume 1, Chapter 39: Flattery Pays Off Even in Games!

Novice Village 331.

Although Lin Yu was eager to accept quests, he did not head straight to the blacksmith's shop. Instead, he made a detour to the tavern and bought a few bottles of the local renowned Drunken Flower Brew.

Having lived two lifetimes, Lin Yu was well aware of the importance of building rapport with NPCs.

For instance, back in Novice Village 332, it was precisely because of his high favorability with the village chief that the latter had directly handed him a god-tier enhancement manual.

Although in the game "Gods and Demons Continent," players could proactively ask NPCs for quests, the rewards were far inferior to those triggered through hidden conditions.

This was because most of those requested quests were rather routine.

Tasks like helping to move items, searching for materials, or even fetching water essentially fell into the category of menial chores.

While there were certainly the occasional extremely lucky individuals who managed to obtain better-rewarded quests, such occurrences were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

Therefore, in order to secure a worthwhile quest this time, Lin Yu naturally had to chart a different course.

Clearly, closing the distance between himself and the NPC was the first step he needed to take.

...

"Master Blacksmith Li, unmatched in technique throughout the realm, hello! I would like to take on a quest. I wonder if you have any time right now?"

Walking up to the blacksmith's shop and spotting the busy Blacksmith Li, Lin Yu did not hesitate for a second and immediately unleashed a rapid-fire sequence of flattering remarks.

This maneuver instantly left Blacksmith Li utterly bewildered.

I am actually the number one craftsman in the world?

Blacksmith Li immediately felt a bit light-headed and put down the hammer in his hand. It was the first time anyone had ever called him the finest in the world.

Abandoning his usual stern demeanor on the spot, he looked at Lin Yu with a smile and said, "Speak, adventurer, what kind of quest are you looking for? Today, this number one craftsman in the world is in a goodly mood—pick any quest you like."

Pick any?

Hearing this, Lin Yu felt a surge of joy in his heart. He had not expected buttering someone up to be this effective!

Seizing the moment, he spoke up: "Master Blacksmith Li, unmatched in the realm, I would like to take on the most difficult quest available. Might that be possible?"

After all, the better the reward he desired, the higher the quest's difficulty naturally had to be.

However, as soon as these words left his mouth, Blacksmith Li's smiling face changed instantly. He had not expected Lin Yu to be such an ambitious and unrealistic fellow.

His expression turned solemn once more as he said, "Hmph, adventurer, young people should understand the principle of taking things step by step. Watch out that you don't bite off more than you can chew and twist your tongue."

Yet, Lin Yu seemed to have anticipated this reaction. He promptly retrieved several bottles of Drunken Flower Brew from his inventory, placed them in front of Blacksmith Li, and continued his flattery:

"Master Blacksmith Li, unrivalled under the heavens, please don't be upset. I'm not being blindly ambitious; I simply wish to witness a quest worthy of the greatest blacksmith in the world. Consider these bottles of wine a token of my utmost respect for you. What do you think?"

"Cough, cough! Good lad, quite a sharp one you are. Since that is the case, I shall grant your wish, if only to broaden your horizons."

Hearing Lin Yu repeatedly address him as the greatest in the world, Blacksmith Li blossomed with joy inside.

Especially upon seeing those bottles of Drunken Flower Brew, he found himself utterly unable to resist.

Casually slipping the bottles of wine into his own possession without missing a beat, he turned around and walked into the back room.

A moment later, when he reappeared, he was holding a red gem the size of a human head.

Simultaneously, a system notification rang out in Lin Yu's mind.

[Ding! Blacksmith Li has offered you the quest: "Retrieve the Lost Crimson Wave Crystal"]

[Quest Introduction: Blacksmith Li originally possessed two Crimson Wave Crystals, intended for forging a gold-tier piece of equipment. However, one night, they were mischievously stolen by a curious red-furred monkey, ultimately ending up in the hands of the Ten-Thousand Snake King in the Valley of Ten Thousand Snakes.]

[Quest Requirements: Retrieve Blacksmith Li's lost Crimson Wave Crystal from the Ten-Thousand Snake King. Time limit: 12 hours.]
[Quest Rewards: A set of black-iron-tier equipment.]
[Failure Penalty: None.]

[Ding! Do you wish to accept the quest?]

[Ding! System Notice: The Ten-Thousand Snake King is a Level 25 bronze-tier Boss, exceeding the power limit of players in the Novice Village. Please choose carefully.]

...

"Adventurer, this quest is the ultimate treasure at the bottom of my box. I won't even penalize you for failing; consider it a chance to broaden your perspective," Blacksmith Li said at this point, feeling quite intrigued.

At this moment, he was feeling extremely pleased with himself, which was why he had dug out his ultimate trump card.

Of course, he did not actually expect Lin Yu to complete it, seeing as Lin Yu was only level nine.

His current action was purely a courtesy extended in exchange for those bottles of Drunken Flower Brew, allowing Lin Yu to go and witness what danger looked like.

After all, adventurers could resurrect, so he didn't need to worry about Lin Yu losing his life.

"A full set of black-iron-tier equipment? It seems money really can make ghosts push millstones," Lin Yu mused internally, looking at the prompt.

One had to know that this quest could definitely be considered top-tier.

Rewarding an entire set of black-iron equipment was as rare as unicorn horns throughout the entire Novice Village.

Most importantly, there was no penalty, which proved that purchasing those bottles of Drunken Flower Brew had been money well spent.

However, hesitation soon crept into Lin Yu's mind.

While a full set of black-iron equipment was undoubtedly exceptionally good before level twenty,

if acquired by an ordinary player, it would boost their combat effectiveness by at least double.

For Lin Yu at the present moment, however, it wouldn't be of much use.

Because the total defense added by a standard set of black-iron equipment would certainly not exceed five hundred, and that was clearly not enough for Lin Yu.

"Master Blacksmith Li, unrivalled under the heavens, how about this? Let's make a wager. If I complete this quest, you upgrade my reward to a set of bronze-tier equipment. If I fail, I will buy you a whole year's supply of Drunken Flower Brew. How does that sound?"

After pondering for a moment, Lin Yu looked at Blacksmith Li and said.

After all, if he wanted absolute certainty in destroying the resurrection altar, the higher his defense, the better.

"Kid, do you think a set of bronze equipment is just roadside cabbage? Forget about buying me a year's supply of Drunken Flower Brew—even ten years wouldn't be enough," Blacksmith Li retorted, curling his lip in speechlessness.

Throughout the entire Novice Village, fewer than three people possessed a full set of bronze equipment.

Lin Yu's words were nothing short of making an exorbitant demand.

"Then how about this? If I complete the quest, you give me a defensive-type set of black-iron equipment. If I fail, I'll still buy you a year's supply of Drunken Flower Brew. What do you say?"

Seeing that Blacksmith Li disagreed, Lin Yu had no choice but to compromise.

He was well aware of the rarity of bronze equipment, and his previous proposal had indeed been a bit too demanding for the blacksmith.

"Fine, fine, fine! As long as you help me bring back the Crimson Wave Crystal, I'll give you a defense-attributed black-iron set."

Seeing Lin Yu's deadpan, serious expression, Blacksmith Li was left virtually speechless. Did this fellow seriously think he could complete the quest?

It seemed he had no choice but to drink the Drunken Flower Brew delivered right to his doorstep.

Of course, the primary reason he agreed was simply because he actually did have that set of black-iron equipment in his possession.

Even so, he didn't harbor the slightest belief that Lin Yu possessed the capability to finish the quest.

At least in his eyes, it was utterly impossible for Lin Yu to slay a Level 25 Ten-Thousand Snake King.

One had to realize that even he found dealing with it quite a headache, let alone a mere level-nine Lin Yu.

"Alright, it's a deal!" Lin Yu declared, instantly accepting the quest.

Without a moment's hesitation, and amidst Blacksmith Li's astonished gaze, he turned around and strode in the direction of the Valley of Ten Thousand Snakes.

His time was currently tight, so naturally, the sooner he completed the quest, the better.

"What the hell, the kid actually took this seriously?"

Watching Lin Yu's receding figure, Blacksmith Li stood frozen in place.

Originally, he had only brought out this quest to show off and act cool; he never expected Lin Yu to actually accept it?!