Liu Ye turned around and saw a man in tattered robes running straight towards him. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the hilarious system. It just said that Arthur would not know about his choice yet he came running right after.

[Arthur the Trader (Hostile NPC) - Lvl. ???]

Arthur's name had changed color to red while his level became unknown. He now seemed no different from the Masked Bandits Liu Ye just faced.

"I know you have it! Give it back!" Arthur cried out as he came to a sudden halt and threatened with his finger. Liu Ye had to admit it was the least intimidating pose he had ever seen.

"Or else?" Liu Ye asked, unfazed by the hostile NPC. He knew he was safe as long as he was within the borders of the Newbie Village.

"Or else…" Arthur paused. "Or else you will regret it! With one snap of my finger, I can make your life miserable."

He seemed proud with his answer but Liu Ye only shrugged. "Okay, do it then."

"Huh?" Arthur raised his bushy eyebrows. "Do what?"

"You said you will make my life miserable. What are you waiting for? Do it."

The AI behind Arthur didn't seem to expect such an answer as he lagged, not knowing what to do. Although Liu Ye didn't have much time to waste, it was a good experiment to witness how the NPCs worked in this game. He could also verify this from the game forum later.

"Come on, do it. Make me regret. Snap your finger," Liu Ye urged, causing Arthur to burst out with anger.

"Don't play with me! Give me back the Fire Stone!" Arthur shouted loudly, alerting the nearby guards. He tried to grab onto Liu Ye's armor but that was exactly what he waited for.

Aaah!!!

Liu Ye screamed in pain as he launched himself back in a dramatic fashion before collapsing on the street with a thud. He didn't like to use others to solve his matters but Liu Ye was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of the test.

"Help! He is trying to rob me!" Liu Ye cried in distress, causing the two Earthbending NPCs to react.

"Hey! What is going on there?!" one of the Newbie Village guards called out with a robust shout as he punched down. The ground shook as the earth transformed and wrapped around Arthur's legs, immobilizing him.

His partner swiftly crouched next to Liu Ye and helped him stand up. "Are you alright?"

"It hurts but I should be fine, thank you." Liu Ye held the cheek where he had been 'punched'. His eyes were throwing daggers at the immobilized trader. "Though, it doesn't change the fact that this thief hit me. It's good you are nearby, else he would have robbed me."

Arthur was stunned, looking at Liu Ye in disbelief.

"I didn't hit him! He is lying!" Arthur defended in panic, but Liu Ye would not give him a chance to explain.

"Are you trying to say I punched myself? Couldn't you think of a better excuse?" Liu Ye asked speechlessly. He turned to the guard nearest to him. "Sir, didn't you hear him yourself when he shouted? He saw I have a Fire Stone and greed consumed him."

To prove his point, Liu Ye pulled out his Fire Stone, causing the eyes of both guards to widen.

"Fire Stone!" they exclaimed in shock before unleashing their anger on Arthur. "So shameless! How dare you rob people in broad daylight?!"

They slapped him across the face without holding back and locked his hands with stone handcuffs.

"Sir, we will take him to jail where he will serve his sentence," one of the Newbie Village guards announced while pulling Arthur out of the earth lock. Arthur couldn't be in a bigger shock.

"That Fire Stone is mine! He stole it from me! I swear! I'm not a thief!" Arthur cried out in distress. The guards glanced at Liu Ye for his response.

"I took this away from the bandits in the Waterfall Forest. That was the reason they had been chasing me like mad until you two heroic gentlemen appeared and saved me," Liu Ye explained casually to the guards, before eyeing Arthur with suspicion. "Are you trying to say you are part of the bandits?"

"No! The bandits stole it from me too! My caravan—"

"You are changing your story once again," Liu Ye cut him off. "First, I stole it, then it was the bandits. What's next? Are you going to say the guards stole from you too? Only idiots will believe you at this point."

Liu Ye's words were enough to convince the guards.

"Move!" one of the Newbie Village guards ordered while kicking Arthur's butt, pushing him ahead.

No matter what excuses Arthur gave, the guards ignored everything, dragging him away. After all, wouldn't they have to admit they are idiots if they took his side?

"Nice," Liu Ye commented in satisfaction. With just this short interaction, he proved the existence of an AI controlling the NPCs. Players could easily trick them if they were skilled with words. That knowledge could one day save him from a tough situation so Liu Ye didn't mind the lost time.

Since Liu Ye was already safe inside the Newbie Village, he checked the golden question marks on the map and ran to claim the quest rewards. If he were to stay by the gate, he had this bad feeling that he might reunite again with Flaming King, stalling him even more.

Liu Ye also didn't forget about the new ability he had still yet to pick after receiving an Elemental Point. Having levelled up to Level 5, new options had unlocked for him, aside from the Ice Projectile and the Water Boxing.

[Small Ice Wall]

[Description: Creates a small ice wall to block enemy attacks.]

[Cost: 1 Elemental Point]

[Requirements: Lvl. 5, Waterbending]

———

[Water Manipulation]

[Description: Ability to manipulate larger amounts of water from an increased distance.]

[Cost: 1 Elemental Point]

[Requirements: Lvl. 5, Waterbending]

Both of them seemed interesting, especially the latter. Water Manipulation seemed to be the requirement for almost all high-leveled abilities so it was definitely a high priority choice.

Liu Ye could also add another point into his Small Water Whip which would allow him to control multiple water whips at once. He was tempted, but at the moment, all he had was a close-combat ability and lacked in the ranged aspect.

[Ding! You unlocked Ice Projectile.]

Similar to the first time, his eyesight turned blurry as knowledge recorded itself within his mind.

[Ice Projectile]

[Description: Creates a single-target ice projectile. The player can launch it from a mid to long-distance, depending on the player's position. The Ice Projectiles can stack.]

[Cost: 2 MP]

[Damage: 10 + 20% Elemental Power]

The damage was naturally higher since it was a single-target ability but what surprised Liu Ye was the ability to stack them. How many could he control at the same time?

[Ding! You received 50 Experience and 5 silver.]

[Ding! You received 100 Experience and 10 silver.]

Seeing the bonus rewards from the quests, it was definitely worth it to collect them all. Only two hours had passed in the game so far yet Liu Ye was already halfway to his first goal.

Naturally, it would only get much harder from this point forward.

Liu Ye spent his spare Skill Point on Intelligence and rushed back towards the gates, ready for another dose of battles.

[Name: Grind God]

[Level: 5] [SP: 0]

[Exp: 300/1500]

[HP: 150/150] [HP Regen: 1]

[MP: 50/50] [MP Regen: 1]

[Strength: 1]

[Intelligence: 5]

[Vitality: 1]

[Dexterity: 8]

[Wisdom: 1]

[Luck: 1]

[Physical Power: 10]

[Elemental Power: 30]

[Physical Defense: 20]

[Elemental Defense: 0]

[Elements: Water 0%]

[Arts: Waterbending]

[Abilities: Small Water Whip, Ice Projectile]

"Sir, please wait!"

Just as Liu Ye was checking his stats, one of the guards from before came rushing to him, his face full of smiles.

"Sir, we interrogated that thief and it turns out he is indeed working with the bandits all along! He's in charge of luring the people from our village to a trap set up by his partners," the guard reported. "In exchange for lowering his sentence, he agreed to expose the location of the bandits' hidden base."

Liu Ye couldn't help but think the chain quest would always find a way back to him.

"So you want my help to get rid of these bandits?" Liu Ye questioned.

"Yes!" The guard's eyes brightened. "When our Lord heard about your challenge to the bandits, he requested you lend us your assistance."

Ding!

Before Liu Ye could reply, a virtual screen with the Quest details appeared in front of him.

[Luring Threat]

[Lord of Newbie Village requests you eradicate the whole Bandit Camp.]

[Difficulty: S]

[Quest Clear Conditions: Kill all the Bandits in the Waterfall Forest.]

[Clear Reward: 10 gold, 10 Fame, Lord's Gift.]

[Would you like to accept the quest?]

———

"Welcome home, Miss."

While Liu Ye was already grinding inside the game, Xu Yue had only just arrived at home. As the main heir of the Red Dragon Triad, she naturally had many responsibilities and matters to take care of.

An old butler greeted her after he opened the car door for her. Stepping out of the car, she immediately questioned him with a bit of excitement in her voice. "Did it arrive already? They said it will arrive once the game is launched."

"Yes, Miss. The package is waiting in your office," the butler replied, causing Xu Yue's eyes to brighten.

"Alright, thank you." Xu Yue acknowledged him with a nod as she climbed the stairs to her villa. "Tell my father I will talk to him tomorrow. I am already tired and wish to rest."

Xu Yue was already late for the launch, so she couldn't stall anymore. When she reached her office, she scanned the room and found a small black box on her desk.

Her excitement was off the charts. She quickly approached it after putting her purse aside and opened the box.

Inside lay a light blue crystal, small enough to fit in her palm.

"So beautiful…" Xu Yue muttered, admiring its shine and clarity without touching it. If she hadn't been warned of its power, she would definitely try to pick it up.

Xu Yue knew the world would soon change beyond recognition, but before that happens, she would be ready.

"Liu Ye… I can't wait to tell you everything…"