"Solo kill? Nice," Liu Ye commented satisfied as he heard the server announcement. He was using the assistance of the NPC but it still counted as him playing solo.

With how late the announcement came, Liu Ye almost thought there would be no reward for the Ice Queen kill.

"Congratulations! We eliminated a great threat to the people of our Village! I'm sure the Lord will be ecstatic when he hears about it," Vice-leader Marco called out excitedly only to turn serious again. "Of course, this is not the end. We still have to defeat the Bandit Leader, so let's depart!"

"Alright. Let's go," Liu Ye agreed without hesitation. It would be best to avoid the angry Black Rose in case she tried to annoy him once again.

He picked up Black Rose's bag on the way out and they walked towards the exit while Liu Ye began scanning his notifications.

[Ding! You killed the Ice Queen. You received 2000 Experience, 2 gold, Ice Queen's Heart, and a Water Stone.]

[Ding! Congratulations! You reached Level 9!]

[Ding! Your Elemental Mastery bar is full. You received one Elemental Point.]

Not only did he reach 60 Fame without even leaving the Newbie Village, but he also earned more than 30 gold which would help him greatly in the mainland. It also couldn't be more perfect timing to both level up and fill his Elemental Mastery bar, allowing him to master all basic abilities.

[Ding! You unlocked Water Boxing.]

[Water Boxing]

[Description: Creates a water gauntlet around your fists, allowing the player to deal damage with their punches.]

[Cost: 2 MP + 1 MP for each successful hit.]

[Damage: 5 + 40% Elemental Power]

Liu Ye immediately unlocked Water Boxing and his eyes widened at the high scaling. It made sense though. One had to approach the target to even use it and seeing so many long-ranged abilities in the game, it was much harder than it seemed.

Thankfully, it wasn't a problem for Liu Ye. Close combat was his specialty in real life so he could make use of it in-game. To make it better, he could also upgrade Water Boxing to use it on his legs.

"How many subordinates did the Bandit Leader take with him?" Liu Ye questioned as he looked at his experience bar.

[Name: Grind God]

[Level: 9] [SP: 0]

[Exp: 0/7500]

Liu Ye only needed to kill 38 bandits to level up and the number only went lower if he added Berserkers to the mix. It would be best if he could reach level 10 before his fight with the Bandit Leader. He already added another point to intelligence but that wasn't enough.

"Around fifty in total. They should be spread out around the mountain in search of the Elemental Stones," Vice-leader Marco reported. "They won't expect that I'm against them, so we can catch them off guard."

"Sounds good," Liu Ye replied with a nod. It would be stupid to not abuse Vice-leader Marco's help.

The outside of the lair seemed clear with no soul in sight. Liu Ye thought of opening his inventory on the way when he suddenly spotted movement on their path.

"Stop right there!"

Just as Liu Ye thought he could avoid and never see her again, Black Rose appeared in front of them. Liu Ye only sighed and acted as if he didn't see her.

Swoosh!

She swung with her arm to send a wind slash at him but Liu Ye took it directly on his chest with no effort.

-0

"Thanks for the refreshing breeze," Liu Ye commented, pissing Black Rose even more.

"Give my bag back or I won't let you pass!" Black Rose threatened as she spread her arms to the side.

Liu Ye had only one simple response for her. "No."

"Ugh!" Black Rose grunted and began spamming her abilities but the only thing she achieved was slowing him down. Liu Ye continued to walk against the wind until he reached her and caught her wrists.

"You are only wasting your time. Why don't you go farm instead?" Liu Ye suggested as he looked into her crazed gaze. "The more time you spend fighting me, the less time you have to level up. How are you going to defeat me if you are so weak?"

Black Rose shuddered and struggled free from his grasp. "I will report you for bullying and harassment!"

"Wasn't it you who just attacked me?" Liu Ye asked back as he walked past her.

He didn't even know there was a report feature in this game but it was understandable knowing how close it was to reality. It was a sad reality that people would try to take advantage of others, thinking they can avoid consequences in the Virtual World.

Taking the opportunity, Liu Ye began to run with his partner following closely behind. With their speed, Black Rose had no chance of catching up.

"Don't think this is over!" Black Rose called out after him, but Liu Ye only waved at her.

"Good luck!"

There was no way a petty girl like her would forgive him easily. Even if Liu Ye gave her bag back, she would still find ways to get her revenge.

They were passing through high-leveled zones so Liu Ye postponed looking through his inventory. Even though they ignored all monsters, he wouldn't be surprised to be attacked out of nowhere.

"If we meet any patrols left behind, let me handle it," Vice-leader Marco informed once the terrain became steeper. "We are reaching the only mountain passage."

It wasn't long before they finally saw two giant boulders separated with a single passage. Only one Masked Bandit defended the entrance, but that wasn't what Liu Ye found interesting.

It was the translucent barrier with shiny padlocks surrounding the whole mountain.

"Vice-leader? What are you doing here?" the Masked Bandit questioned at their sight. "And who is that man?"

It was clear he didn't trust Liu Ye at all.

"I have important information for our Leader, so I came to meet him," Vice-leader Marco replied casually but the Masked Bandit only shook his head.

"I'm sorry but I got a strict instruction not to let anyone inside. Even if it's Vice-leader, I can't make an exception," the Masked Bandit denied before staring at Liu Ye. "Not to mention you are bringing a masked stranger with you which makes me suspicious."

Liu Ye frowned at his words, realizing the success of his Quest was at risk.

"I'm leaving then," Liu Ye called out annoyed as he walked back. "I thought your leader would be interested but I guess I was wrong. I will sell my Elemental Stone in the mainland instead."

"Huh? Elemental Stone?" the Masked Bandit questioned dumbfounded.

"Why else would I travel to this rundown place?" Liu Ye asked back with a roll of his eyes. "I heard your leader searches for the Elemental Stones so I thought of trading my own."

To make it believable, Liu Ye tapped on his inner arm and a shiny blue crystal appeared in his palm.

"Water Stone!" the Masked Bandit exclaimed, glancing at Vice-leader Marco in shock. "It's exactly the one our Leader desires the most!"

"Idiot, of course, I wouldn't bother our Leader if it wasn't something important! Who do you think I am?" Vice-leader Marco scolded as he walked up to his subordinate. "I need his assistance to make sure the 'trade' will proceed successfully."

"I see…" the Masked Bandit gave him a knowing glance. "In that case, I will inform Lead—"

"That won't be necessary," Vice-leader Marco cut him off as he patted him on the shoulder before finally attacking. He pushed on the chest while kicking the back of his legs to knock the Masked Bandit to the ground.

Earth immediately moved and wrapped around his torso, completely immobilizing him.

"Don't worry, we will find your Leader on our own," Liu Ye assured as he appeared by their side, his palm covered with a water glove.

Pa!

-23

One punch followed with another until the Masked Bandit collapsed dead.

[Ding! You killed the Masked Bandit. You received 200 Experience and 5 silver.]

"Sweet. We prevented him from alarming others," Vice-leader commented as he walked through the barrier. "Follow me."

Click!

At his words, the padlocks unlocked and a virtual screen appeared in front of him.

[Bandit Leader Dungeon] [Unlocked]

[You finally have a chance to defeat the Masked Bandits and end their tyranny in the Waterfall Region. Gather skilled Elemental Benders and defeat the Bandit Leader!]

[Difficulty: A] (The difficulty increases with fewer players.)

[Max Players: 20]

[Reward: Based on performance.]