A/N: A difficult chapter to do because it's basically world building. I'm sure there are better ways to do this but this was the only way I could think of. Hopefully it will be entertaining to you guys.
Do you know how tough it is when your keyboard is American English and your Writing App is British? You see errors everywhere.
Our MC is full of complains and is two faced.
Happy readings.
Chapter 5
Conned to be The One.
She grabbed the semi-transparent blue rectangle card that came out of the Silver slot in the pedestal.
[Host Selafia has successfully registered with the Adventure's guild. Reward for joining The Other World on your birthday: 20 Sliver and 10 copper coins.]
Cheng Xiu quirked an eyebrow. Monetary rewards? That was unexpectedly generous.
The old bartender cleared his throat.
Cheng Xiu turned to him and realized he was waiting for her to respond to him.
She smiled at him. Gu Shu would want her to be polite to him, he was technically her new employer, after all.
"I'm sorry I didn't ask your name earlier, uncle. I'm Selafia. You are?"
He laughed. "Myrdian, Miss Selafia."
"Please, call me Sela."
"Miss Sela. You can call me uncle Dian. Miss Sela, do you like our village?"
Cheng Xiu gave him a strained laugh, twirling her earring. "It could be better."
"I believe so too. Do you think you will become famous in the future?"
"Maybe? I'll try my best?"
He gave her a satisfied smile. "Do you think you can make Veritas your starting point to greatness?"
Cheng Xiu gave him a pained look. She wanted to cry. Uncle, it was her starting point. She couldn't change it even if she wanted to. Stupid Lu Wenxian!
"Sure," Cheng Xiu said in a squeaky voice.
He nodded. He stretched out his palm towards her. "Could you hand me the Registration card?"
Cheng Xiu frowned and tilted her head. "May I ask why?"
He raised an eyebrow at her sudden harsh toned voice. "I was hoping to attach the name of this village to yours."
"Huh?"
"I am hoping to spread the name Veritas to all four corners of the world. Giving outsiders like you the Veritas name is one of my ways of doing it."
"Really? Why would you choose outsiders?"
"They will leave this village in search of better prospects. You are one of those outsiders who said that our village could be better and I agree. So I am giving you a chance to make it great. The card please."
Cheng Xiu felt her cheeks heat up at his words. It sounded so heart warming when he said it. Maybe she could do it. She handed the card over to him. "I-I was just being cautious."
He inclined his head. "I understand. It's a good attitude to have, Miss Sela. Now, I want you to touch the centre of the card with a finger. Yes. Like that."
Cheng Xiu felt her Qi centre stir and her finger on the card warmed up. Ripple of blue lights waved across the card, her finger as its centre of origin. The card surface turned completely blue and started to glow. Unfamiliar words in an unfamiliar language started to appear on it. Her masked face became her profile photo.
Uncle Dian bit his forefinger and let his blood drip on to the card. The information on the card flickered and changed.
Her Profile name had a surname now. 'Veritas Selafia.'
Cheng Xiu looked at uncle Dian in confusion.
"Now everyone will know that you are from Veritas! I was born and brought up in these lands, you see. I left to see the world but I returned here to make this place better. The village will become great only if it has great heroes coming from it. I hope you will become great, Selafia Veritas and raise our village into glory!"
Cheng Xiu's lips twitched. This NPC was a nut job.
[Ding!]
[Quest Alert!
Madman's Prophecy!
Sato, the mad prophet, once predicted that the Saviour of the Vixia Kingdom would be born from Veritas Village! Since hearing that, Bartender Myrdian has been conning every Player that crosses his path into promising to make Veritas great again in hopes that one of them will be The One.
Fulfill the Prophecy. Become Vixia's saviour.
Reward:?]
Cheng Xiu chocked on her saliva. This game was broken!
She looked at the kindly smiling face of the old man and had an urge to scream in frustration.
She came into this game to just keep her friend company! She didn't want world saving quests!
The old NPC was looking at her expectantly, as though he was waiting for her to do something.
She gave him an obvious fake smile. "I'll try my best, uncle Dian."
Myrdian beamed at her. "You are already better than 90% of those who have this mission!"
Cheng Xiu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How so?"
"Most of them throw things at me or throw me!"
A cold realization came to her mind. "The broken chairs, Cracked Walls and the broken door....those were people attacking you? How are you still alive!"
"I'm sturdier than I look!"
Cheng Xiu shook her head, disappointed. And she thought it was because the village was poor.
There was one thing she couldn't understand though. "Why would people be against this quest? Isn't getting a quest a good thing?"
The man nodded vigorously. "Yes it is! I don't know why they were so mad at me!"
Cheng Xiu narrowed her eyes at him. "Really? But, uncle Dian, something tells me that you do know why they were so against this quest."
"That something is lying to you. You shouldn't listen to everything it says," the old man said sagely.
Cheng Xiu's eye twitched in irritation. "Uncle Dian, don't lie to me. What is the point of lying to me now when I already am doing the quest."
The old man sighed. "It's because...usually, people can leave Veritas Village and start their journey outside Veritas after reaching level 3 because of the low rewards that the village gives to its warriors. But those with this quest will have to reach level 5 to leave the Village."
Cheng Xiu's hands twitched. She really wanted to wrangle the man. Myrdian backed away as though sensing her ill-intentions. Cheng Xiu tried to calm herself down. It's just two more levels, there was no need to get violent about it.
Stupid conning NPC. Stupid Lu Wenxian.
"I guess I should see what other quests are available then if that's all? Maybe a simple one like manual labour?" Cheng Xiu asked in a feeble voice.
She was a Qiless. She could only play for 12 hours. She already took more time than others to level up but now she couldn't leave this stupid village before reaching level 5. She would be staying in this backwater village for a long time.
Demonic Devs making horrible quests for beginners.
"Don't you want a Cultivation Method?" the conning bartender asked in confusion. "Do you already have one?"
"Cultivation Method?"
Myrdian nodded. "That's how people become stronger. Did you not know that?"
She hadn't. "I did know that. I just didn't realize the Adventure's Guild had any."
The NPC laughed heartily. "We do. Follow me."
The man pressed his hand against a random stone on the wall and the wall parted brick by brick. Inside was a small pool of water bordered by large Boulder and small pebbles. A small, grassy island stood in its middle and a stone pillar stood like a tree in its middle.
"This is a Qi pillar. The great grandfather of our current Village head brought it here with him from the capital city back in the day. He wanted to create warriors for this village! All you have to do is sit in front of the pillar and try to read the inscriptions on it. Don't get up until you have comprehended at least a quarter of it. Now go! I might have customers waiting for me!"
The NPC left and the wall closed behind him.
Cheng Xiu watched him leave. What customers? The only customer the old man seemed to have were flies. The rest of them were either employees like her or that boy on staff. Lying to her to get away.
She would have to reach level 5 quickly. She didn't want to stay at this village more than necessary.
Wait.
Leave this place...
"Wait! Uncle Dian! How will I get out of this room!"
The room fell into silence.
Cheng Xiu screamed in frustration. "Stupid old geezer! Is this why you practically ran away siting non-existent customers? Uncle Dian! Uncle Dian!"
She was going to die of starvation in the game!
"Damned NPC. I hate adventure RPGs and the Devs of this stupid game. May you all rot in hell."
Cheng Xiu tried to calm herself. She couldn't let a game get the best of her. She looked at the Qi pillar. Maybe comprehending the Cultivation Method will open the wall automatically.
She could only hope.
Cheng Xiu strode towards the small island.