"I've forgotten the most important factor here!"
Ye Kong's gaze hardened as he muttered to himself. "Yes, that's right, the most important factor is my reputation... my reputation level with the Blind Sect!
"Early on in the beginning, I used the special gesture known only to the Blind Sect members to gain the favor of Blind Priest - Modr, and received a reward of +5 reputation with the Blind Sect. Afterwards, I finished the quest Modr assigned me (killing the three soldiers), and again received a reward of +5 reputation!
"These two rewards added a total of 10 points to my reputation, which boosted my standing with the Blind Sect from 'Neutral' to 'Good.' Judging by Modr's attitude toward me since then, it seems like he's already accepted me as a member of the Blind Sect!
"However, normal players don't know about the Blind Sect's secret, so they would have only managed to complete the soldier cleanup quest. With five points of reputation, their reputation level would still be stuck at a 'Neutral' with the Blind Sect. Taking all this into consideration, the question is what 'advantage' do I have over them?"
Slowly, the pieces came together in Ye Kong's mind, and as they formed a clearer picture, his eyes shone with an awe-inspiring brilliance—
"The Main AI system wouldn't set up a 'meaningless' event and interrupt the flow of the quest. If it's a technique to raise one's 'reputation score' during the first meeting with Modr, it's proof that it must be significant in some way—a 'Good' reputation level must be a hidden condition!
"As for what this condition entails, if my guess is correct..."
Trailing off, he stopped where he was and turned to the old beggar!
"Old mister, I have something I'd like to ask of you."
Ye Kong stood still in front of the beggar, and without even waiting for the old beggar to respond, he took out a copper coin. It was the copper coin he received from before!
"I, lacuna, an absolutely faithful devotee of the Blind Sect, wish to purchase an item from you.
"The item that I want is the Horticultural Church's 'proof of guilt'!"
As he finished saying this, Ye Kong stretched out an open palm and stared at the old beggar, his eyes full of determination!
At the same time...
alphabetkun, along with his lackey, butterkid, hurriedly dashed out from a small alleyway.
"We still have two more of the NPC's letters to deliver for this quest," alphabetkun told butterkid as they ran. "We have successfully taken the lead over the other players. We only need five more minutes at most, and we'll be done with the mail delivery quest!"
"That's wonderful!" butterkid said excitedly. "Looks like we're definitely going to get the 'SOS Quest' now. When that happens, not only will we have fulfilled Boss aotabo's orders, but we'll also be ahead of the other players!"
The two of them were in the midst of completing "Hudgens' Mail Delivery Quest," a longer than average quest, which was a prerequisite to receiving the "SOS Quest." For this reason, they had been running around the entire residential district, and were finally at a point where they were about to finish the quest!
At the same time, their experience bar was 85% full, so by finishing the rest of the quest requirements, they would earn enough experience to level up to level one. In doing so, their level wouldn't be much lower than that of the players hunting mobs in the wilderness. And as for the normal players in the merchant street... there was no way those players would catch up to them, no matter how hard they tried.
Just then, butterkid casually glanced around and saw a "familiar character"—
"Wait up! Boss alphabet, look at the guy over there..."
alphabetkun looked in the direction butterkid was pointing, and when he clearly saw the figure in the distance, he couldn't hold back his surprise.
"Huh, that lacuna. Isn't that the same 'Swordsman' from before? From what I remember, he clearly accepted the 'Spring Water Quest,' so why's he standing there in front of the old beggar?"
alphabetkun recognized Ye Kong's identity, and was completely baffled. The next moment, he saw the old beggar reach out his hand and grab... an empty flask!
"Huh? That flask, isn't that the key item from the spring water quest?"
"Boss alphabet, what on earth is that Swordsman up to?!"
Both alphabetkun and butterkid stood there for a long time, dumbfounded.
The two of them had left the area before Ye Kong, so they only saw him retrieve the spring water and were unaware of what happened afterward. This was why they were now full of suspicion and doubts.
At the same time, two more players came running out from the alleyway behind them. It was bigcat and strollingkitty—
"Huh? Brother cat, take a look at that guy, quickly!" kitty lifted one hand and pointed a finger at Ye Kong, her pretty eyes filled with astonishment. "Isn't that the Swordsman from earlier? Why did he come back?"
bigcat shook his head. "I don't know either. What on earth is he trying to do?"
As he pondered this, he realized what the old beggar was doing. He immediately raised his eyebrows and blurted out, "Looks like the Swordsman must have regretted what he did, and finally found a way to get the flask back from the old beggar.
"It's a pity, though. He's already wasted too much time... Wait a second! How is he already level one?"
bigcat was lamenting Ye Kong's "miscalculations," when he realized that the LV0 above Ye Kong's head was gone, and had surprisingly been replaced with a LV1—the guy was already a level one player!
"That Swordsman levelled up to level one?!" bigcat felt a chill run down his spine, and an ominous feeling welled up in his gut. Almost at the same time, alphabetkun also noticed the LV1 above Ye Kong's head—
"What! That lacuna actually hit level one? Did he go into the wilderness to hunt mobs and grind for experience...?"
Before he finished speaking, alphabetkun shook his head, debunking his own idea. "No, that's impossible. It would take at least five or six minutes to run from the residential district to the Eastern Plains. Also, our guild (the Yokai Legion Guild) and the Hegemony Guild have 'booked' the whole Eastern Plains long ago, so there wouldn't have been any space left for him to hunt mobs!
"Plus, he's a Swordsman class. Even if he was given a spot to farm, he wouldn't be able to do it efficiently!
"This is really bizarre. What methods could he have used?"
For a while, alphabetkun racked his brains for an answer, but nothing came to him.
As for his lackey, butterkid was even more confused. He "passed the buck" to alphabetkun, letting him figure it out—
"Boss alphabet, how did that Swordsman get to level one? How is he levelling up even faster than us?"
How could alphabetkun answer his questions? As a result, the two men fell into silence. However, from the alleyway behind them, more and more players were catching up to them. They also saw the old beggar at the entrance... and the LV1 Ye Kong!
At present, out of all the players in the area, Ye Kong was the only LV1 player!
Just by level alone, Ye Kong was the top player present!
The other players there were in the same boat as alphabetkun. Their experience bars were only around 85% full—they were all still level zero players!
At that point, the LV1 label above Ye Kong's head was the center of everyone's attention!
One by one, the players streaming out of the alleyway were drawn to it. Before they realized it, they set aside their own quest and started a heated discussion with one another!
Ye Kong, however, was unperturbed by the looks from the other players.
"Old mister, I appreciate your generosity."
Ye Kong received the empty flask from the old beggar. There was still a trace of saliva on the flask, but Ye Kong paid no attention to it—
System Notification: You have received Item - Dry Empty Flask.
"As I expected, having a 'Good' reputation with the Blind Sect allows you to buy back the empty flask!"
Ye Kong gripped the empty flask tightly. It seemed like his predictions were on the mark. The real hidden condition was a 'Good' reputation, which was the key to "convincing" the old beggar to hand over the empty flask!
"Next up, the real test begins."
Ye Kong walked to the spring. At the same time, he gestured with his right hand, bringing up his Character Overview menu, and pressed the "Activate" option on his equipment—
System Notification: Do you wish to activate the City Guard Set "Glory" effect?
Note: Upon activation of the "Glory" effect, from this point on, if players switch out the equipment in the set, the effect will be lost forever.
"Yes!" Ye Kong answered unhesitatingly, full of determination.
The next moment, the equipment he was wearing fleetingly lit up with a tinge of cyan. Only the most observant players noticed this, exclaiming in surprise—
"Bronze equipment!"
"That Swordsman actually got his hands on 'Bronze equipment'?"
"How did he get it?!"
In an instant, the players were in an uproar!
As usual, however, Ye Kong didn't pay any attention to them. Instead, he walked over to Pulitzer—
"Mister Priest, long time no see."
Ye Kong stretched out his hand, presenting him with the "empty flask."
"Now, I have something I'd like to request of you..."
At that point, the string of saliva still hanging on the mouth of the flask sparkled with a lustrous gleam in the sunlight. Seeing this, Pulitzer was so furious his face seemed to turn green!
Ye Kong maintained his slight smile, without a thought for the priest, whose face was contorting in indignant rage—
"Please fill up this flask with the spring water, and give me the 'Blessed Spring Water,' so that I may go and cure the forest watchman!"
"You d*mned blasphemer..."
Pulitzer opened his mouth, wanting to turn Ye Kong away. But the next moment, his face revealed...
A look of "indecision"!