Chapter 21: Encountering Snowflakes Falling
This quest's difficulty lies in its tedious nature.
To trigger the hidden mission, players must engage in continuous conversation with the NPC Grandpa for two hours, repeating the dialogue four times. Only after enduring this repetitive process does the hidden quest reveal itself.
But how many players would be willing to invest that much time?
Most players chat with the NPC Grandpa for a few minutes before moving on, missing the opportunity. Even those with more patience often give up after half an hour, thinking the NPC is just repeating himself.
In Su Yu's previous life, this hidden quest remained undiscovered. It wasn't until Blue Star faced destruction at the hands of the Skrulls that a disheartened player stumbled upon it.
But by then, it was too late. The last waves of the Skrull invasion were already upon them.
Su Yu, however, knew better. Patiently enduring the monotony, he chatted with the old man for two straight hours.
After the fourth repetitive conversation, there was a shift in the NPC Grandpa's demeanor. He sat up from his resting position, glancing toward the east, his expression tinged with concern.
"Here it is," Su Yu thought, feeling a surge of excitement.
The old man rose, his eyes scanning the alley before turning to Su Yu with worry etched into his features.
"It's getting late," the old man sighed. "Why hasn't my daughter, Tina, returned yet? Could you head to the Morning Song grocery store in the northeast of the village and check on her? She might have run into some trouble."
"Ding! You have triggered the excellent hidden quest [Tina's Resistance (1/20)]. Do you accept?"
"Accept!"
**Quest Description:** Uncle John has asked you to find his daughter Tina, who may be in trouble at the Morning Song grocery store.
**Quest Reward:** 200 experience points, 2 psionic coins.
Su Yu smiled at the old man. "Don't worry, Uncle John. I'll find Tina and bring her back safely."
"May the gods watch over you," Uncle John said, waving as Su Yu departed.
Five minutes later, Su Yu arrived at the Morning Song grocery store, a small, unassuming shop tucked away in a quiet corner of the village. Just as he approached the door, a female player emerged from the shop.
"Excuse me... Wait, Nemesis?!" the woman exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she recognized Su Yu. Her face quickly clouded with resentment, however, and she regarded him with a sharp gaze.
"Hello, Snowflakes Falling," Su Yu greeted, offering a wave.
It was Xuehualuo (Snowflakes Falling), someone he had encountered twice before. But seeing the strange look in her eyes, Su Yu couldn't help but feel confused.
That resentful gaze—he had seen it before.
It was the kind of look girls gave him after he turned them down. And yet, he had never had any interactions with Snowflakes Falling that would warrant such a response.
Puzzled, he asked hesitantly, "Is something wrong?"
"My dad's offline," Xuehualuo replied, seemingly brushing off his question. "He's too old to play for long periods."
Su Yu still felt a little awkward. "Then... why are you looking at me like that?"
"You stole my hidden quest, Nemesis," she said softly, her voice laced with frustration. "The [Tears of the Goddess of Sawi] quest was mine. I was supposed to get it, but you jumped ahead."
The [Tears of the Goddess of Sawi] quest was a unique hidden mission. Once a player started it, no one else could take it unless the original player failed.
Xuehualuo had watched as Su Yu swooped in and snatched the quest from her, yet she didn't harbor deep anger toward him. After all, in the gaming world, skill spoke louder than words. But still, the bitterness lingered.
"Oh, so it was you!" Su Yu realized.
In his previous life, Xuehualuo had been the one to complete that very hidden quest.
Unfortunately, she had been banned after failing to finish the follow-up mission, [Annie's Revenge], and left "Evolution" altogether. That was why Su Yu hadn't recognized her name at first.
"So, how will you make it up to me?" Xuehualuo teased, though there was a slight edge in her voice.
Without hesitation, Su Yu opened his inventory and pulled out the [Sliding Scale Breastplate], offering it to her. "Here, take this as compensation."
He showed her the item's stats.
**[Sliding Scale Breastplate lv5 (Excellent)]**
Type: Leather Armor
Defense: +6
Agility: +3
Xuehualuo's eyes widened at the sight. This was no ordinary piece of equipment—level 5, excellent quality!
"Wait, no, I can't accept this!" she protested, stepping back. "It's too valuable."
"Take it," Su Yu insisted. "Consider it an apology."
Still hesitant, Xuehualuo offered a compromise. "Okay... But only if we add each other as friends. That way, you can let me know if any good quests come up in the future."
Though Su Yu knew she was being polite, he accepted the friend request. "Alright, I'll be sure to let you know if anything comes up."
With a smile, Xuehualuo turned to leave. "Thanks, Master Nemesis. Take care!"
"Wait!" Su Yu called after her. "I need to ask you something."
She turned around. "What's up?"
"I'm looking for someone named Tina. Have you seen her? She's supposed to be the shopkeeper here."
Xuehualuo thought for a moment, tapping her chin. "I think I ran into her over at Baron Wilson's manor, in the eastern part of the village. I'd check there if I were you."
"Thanks! That's really helpful," Su Yu said gratefully.
"Anytime," Xuehualuo replied before disappearing down the alley.
With the information Xuehualuo provided, Su Yu made quick work of the hidden quest's initial puzzles. He sifted through the misleading clues—such as Tina shopping for a dress or chasing after a puppy—and focused on the correct path.
After successfully completing the first five decryption tasks, Su Yu arrived at the gates of Baron Wilson's manor.
It was there, at long last, that he found Tina—the key to his hidden quest.
(End of this chapter)