Aron stood staring at the spot where John had disappeared, his brows furrowed. He couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his gut.
He turned to an elderly man dressed as a mage within his team and asked, "Matt, do you think this guy's story is credible?"
The old man stepped forward, bowed slightly to Aron, and then spoke, "The only uncertain factor here is the strength of the alchemist. I've already investigated; the village chief and the guard squad in the novice village are all Level 10. The alchemist hasn't shown his power, so his exact strength is unknown."
The elder looked at Aron and continued, "Master, I will send someone to test the alchemist's strength."
Aron nodded, "Find someone weak to probe him. Also, notify the guild members to push hard on leveling up tonight. We have a big operation tomorrow afternoon."
"Understood," the old man nodded, and then began issuing guild announcements.
...
In the real world, in a cramped rental apartment.
John removed his helmet, rubbing his forehead, feeling a throbbing headache.
Without realizing it, he had been online for 12 hours straight.
Entering the world of Gods was mentally exhausting.
The gaming helmet John used allowed a maximum of eight hours of continuous play each day.
Exceeding that would lead to significant mental fatigue.
"I need to get a gaming pod," John muttered to himself.
Compared to gaming helmets, gaming pods were more advanced and could inject nutrient fluids to restore mental strength.
A basic gaming pod allowed continuous play for three days.
A mid-level gaming pod allowed continuous play for seven days.
The top-level advanced gaming pod allowed a player to stay online for a month.
However, gaming pods were also much more expensive.
A basic gaming pod cost 100,000 yuan.
Mid-level and advanced pods weren't just about money; they required connections and influence to acquire.
John couldn't afford even the most basic gaming pod at the moment.
At the current exchange rate, one gold coin was worth 100,000 yuan.
He needed to acquire a gold coin quickly.
Otherwise, as the game progressed, the value of gold coins would depreciate significantly.
John put aside this concern, ate something, washed up briefly, and went to bed to restore his mental strength.
...
The next day, John woke up feeling refreshed, noticing a significant improvement in his physical condition.
Game data would fully merge when the world of Gods connected to reality, but for now, it was gradually enhancing players' bodies.
John reconnected his helmet and entered the world of Gods.
He was still in the forest where he had logged off yesterday.
The surroundings were quiet, with no other players in sight.
Tusked Wild Boars had tough hides and were not the best for leveling up.
Aron and his team moved to the Level 2 Green Snake territory to hunt and level up.
John, having reached Level 4, had a Spirit attribute of 23 points, resulting in a base magic damage of 28 points.
His Level 6 Fireball dealt 45 points of fire damage,
while his Level 1 Wind Blade dealt 39 points of wind damage.
With two rounds of magic attacks, John could kill a Tusked Wild Boar.
He roamed the forest, looking for more boars.
...
[Killed Level 3 Tusked Wild Boar, gained 12 experience points]
[You have reached Level 5, gained 4 free attribute points, 1 skill point]
The notification flashed. After nearly a day of hunting, John had killed over 30 Tusked Wild Boars and finally reached Level 5.
Additionally, he had plundered 4 points of Constitution.
John's Constitution and base physical resistance reached 12 points, comparable to a Level 5 warrior.
"The SSS-level Plunder talent is truly terrifying!" John marveled once again.
He opened his attribute panel and allocated all 4 free attribute points to Spirit,
bringing his Spirit attribute to an impressive 27 points. His Fireball spell also leveled up to Level 7.
"It's time to complete the quest," John thought, checking the time before heading back to the novice village.
...
In front of the apothecary, John saw Aron waiting for him.
Aron had sent his underlings to test the alchemist Enzo's strength.
A Level 3 underling provoked Enzo and was instantly killed. According to the underling's report, Enzo's strength was on par with the village chief,
approximately Level 10. With their numbers, they could handle him.
"Bro Godslayer, you're finally here," Aron greeted John warmly, a smile on his face.
John nodded coolly, eyeing the members behind Aron.
There were over 200 of them, all at Level 5.
Clearly, they had gaming pods and could level up quickly by staying online without needing rest.
Aron, full of pride, introduced his forces, "Brother, these are the elite of the Wind and Cloud Guild. Almost all the top players in the novice village are under my command. Additionally, I have over a thousand underlings who will keep the village guards busy."
Aron's introduction was also a veiled threat, warning John not to play any tricks.
John smirked inwardly, confident that the Wind and Cloud Guild would be severely weakened by the end of the day.
"I'm going to hand in the quest. You guys will attack the apothecary shortly. Just keep the alchemist busy; there's no need to kill him," John instructed.
Aron dismissed John's concern with a wave, "Don't worry, we've got this."
John said no more and entered the shop.
Inside, a few players were purchasing potions. By now, players could afford them as it was the second day.
"Old man, I'm here to turn in the quest," John said, approaching the counter and laying out a pile of boar tusks.
Enzo, annoyed at being called "old man," was about to retort but held his tongue when he saw the boar tusks.
"57 sets of boar tusks!" Enzo exclaimed, eyeing John in surprise. "Kid, I didn't misjudge you. Each set of boar tusks can be exchanged for one low-level health or magic recovery potion. Take your pick."
"Can I exchange them for copper coins instead?" These low-level potions were of little use to John; he needed money more than potions.
Enzo frowned but then nodded, "Normally, no, but considering you brought so many boar tusks, I'll make an exception."
Enzo retrieved 5 silver coins and 70 copper coins from under the counter and handed them to John, "Here's your reward, kid."
"Thank you." John expressed his gratitude, quickly pocketing the coins.
He was now one step closer to purchasing a gaming pod.
After turning in his quest, John didn't leave. Instead, he pretended to browse the potions at the counter, waiting for the Wind and Cloud Guild to make their move.
Boom!
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the entrance of the shop, followed by a loud shout.
"Charge in, ransack the shop!"
Chaos erupted at the entrance, with spells flying and arrows whizzing through the air, targeting the apothecary.
"Courting death!" Enzo cursed furiously and charged outside.
The players inside the shop looked on curiously, buzzing with excitement.
"Ransack the apothecary? Who's bold enough to do that?"
"It looks like it's the Wind and Cloud Guild."
"Damn, I've always hated that stingy old man. Let's go help the Wind and Cloud Guild brothers out."
...
The Wind and Cloud Guild had a significant reputation in the novice village.
The surrounding players, eager for some action, quickly joined in, hoping to profit from the chaos.
Taking advantage of the confusion, John slipped into the back of the apothecary and found Enzo's bedroom.
The Life-Sustaining Pill was hidden in a secret compartment under Enzo's bed.
In his previous life, Aron had boasted about how he had stolen the Life-Sustaining Pill, making it easier for John now.
John swiftly entered Enzo's bedroom and quickly located the secret compartment under the bed.
Inside, he found not only the Life-Sustaining Pill but also three skill stones, a bottle of Mana-Suppressing Potion, and two bottles of unknown poison.
He took everything and, without bothering to inspect them closely, escaped through the back door.
...
The front of the shop had turned into a fiery inferno, with screams of agony filling the air, resembling a scene from hell.
"Something's wrong, this guy isn't just Level 10!"
"President, the information was wrong, run!"
Screams echoed continuously as white lights flashed—elite members being instantly killed.
"Retreat, retreat now!" Aron, realizing the mistake, hastily ordered a retreat, but he was struck by a Fireball and killed instantly.
Enzo stood at the entrance, his hair and beard billowing, casting powerful spells that indiscriminately targeted the surrounding players, killing them all instantly.
The true power of a Level 30 mage was on full display.
The more than two hundred elites led by Aron couldn't hold out for even a minute and vanished in flashes of white light.
Even the onlookers were caught in the crossfire, suffering heavy casualties.
...
Novice village resurrection point.
Aron emerged with a grim expression on his face.
"Damn it!" Aron cursed through gritted teeth. Despite his caution, he had been misled by his underlings.
Enzo's power was far beyond just Level 10.
"Young Master," the elder Matt, pale-faced, emerged from the resurrection point and spoke, "Our people have been watching the resurrection point closely. We haven't seen Godslayer. We don't know if he succeeded."
Only then did Aron recall the primary goal of attacking the apothecary. If Godslayer had managed to steal the Life-Sustaining Pill and complete the hidden quest, earning the low-grade divine artifact, then the losses suffered by the Wind and Cloud Guild would be insignificant.
Aron hurriedly opened his friends' channel, only to realize he hadn't added Godslayer as a friend. A bad feeling surged through him.