After completing the trade, Ethan rushed back to the novice village and found the village chief. He handed over the Magic Core and said, "Chief, here's the Silver Wolf King's Magic Core you needed."
The chief's eyes lit up as he took the core, his voice trembling with excitement. "Wonderful! With this, I can finally repair the teleportation array to the main city. This village has been sealed off for far too long. Adventurer, thank you for your invaluable contribution. Here is your reward."
Ding! Quest Completed!
Rewards: Title "Hero of the Novice Village." Do you wish to equip it?
"Equip," Ethan said. He then checked the title's attributes.
[Hero of the Novice Village]: Awarded for completing the teleportation array repair quest. Only one player per village can receive this title. Attributes: Luck +10.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Luck's such a vague stat—it's not even tangible. Would've been better to get something more practical." Despite his complaint, he couldn't deny that a rare stat like Luck might hold value later. So far, only his necklace added +3 Luck, making this bonus significant. Its true effects would have to be discovered over time.
The chief walked to a circular pattern etched into the ground at the village's entrance and began fiddling with it. After a few minutes, the pattern emitted a soft white glow. A satisfied smile spread across the chief's face.
At that moment, a system announcement echoed through Novice Village 8365:
Ding! System Announcement:
Player Sealed has assisted the village chief in repairing the teleportation array. All players in Novice Village 8365 can now teleport to the main city upon reaching level 10.
The announcement sent a ripple of conversation through the village:
"Wait, does that mean you can't go to the main city without fixing the teleportation array?"
"Sounds like it. Good thing someone already handled it for us. Otherwise, who knows how complicated it might've been."
"Who cares if it's complicated? We're lucky to have a pro like Sealed handling it. Once we hit level 10, we can go straight to the main city and change classes. Talk about riding on someone's coattails."
"Right? Big props to Sealed!"
While most players were grateful, Sophia realized something. She recalled asking Ethan why he hadn't gone to the main city yet, and his reply—"I can't." It all made sense now. Curious, she sent him a message:
Snow: "What's the quest to repair the teleportation array?"
After a moment, Ethan replied with four simple words:
Sealed: "Kill the Silver Wolf King."
Sophia stared at the message, her mind racing. "So you're telling me you wanted to leave the village, found out the array was broken, and then casually killed the Silver Wolf King to fix it?"
She couldn't decide whether to laugh or be awestruck. Knowing that other villages would likely face the same requirement, she realized how fortunate their village was to have Ethan. For others, the Silver Wolf King would be a massive roadblock. Ethan's actions had secured a huge advantage for everyone in Novice Village 8365.
Sophia's eyes brightened as a plan formed. With two pieces of Black Iron gear on her, she was likely the best-equipped player in the village apart from Ethan. This advantage could be leveraged to her benefit.
"Uncle Lee, tell everyone to drop what they're doing and focus on leveling up. We need to reach level 10 and be among the first to enter the main city," Sophia instructed.
"Understood, Miss Sophia. I'll notify them immediately," Uncle Lee responded without hesitation.
Sophia smirked, silently congratulating herself. "Adding him as a friend was the best decision I ever made. Sure, I had to show him my face to get it done, but the benefits are undeniable. Besides, what's the harm in letting him look once? Not like I lost anything. That guy, though… Straight-up terminal case of male obliviousness."
The village chief finished adjusting the array and turned to Ethan. "Adventurer, the teleportation array is ready. Would you like to travel to the main city now?"
"Yes," Ethan replied.
"Step into the circle and select your destination. As the Hero of the Novice Village, your first teleportation is free," the chief said.
Oracle's game world contained eight second-tier cities and four first-tier cities. Players from novice villages could only teleport to second-tier cities until they reached level 100, at which point they could travel to first-tier cities.
Ethan stepped into the glowing circle, and a system prompt appeared:
Ding! Please select your destination city.
The list displayed eight options: White Zephyr City, Autumn Tide City, Giant Deer City, Verdant Hollow City, Yellow Sand City, Desert North City, Glacier City, and Golden Ridge City.
Ethan chose Golden Ridge City at random. All cities were essentially the same aside from environmental differences, such as coastal scenery in White Zephyr and Autumn Tide, deserts surrounding Yellow Sand and Desert North, and icy landscapes near Glacier City. Since teleportation arrays would eventually connect the cities, it didn't really matter which one he picked.
A flash of light enveloped him, and the world blurred. When his vision cleared, he found himself standing in the middle of a sprawling metropolis. Ancient yet imposing architecture filled his view, with intricate wooden buildings, wide cobblestone streets, and towering walls. The sheer scale and grandeur left Ethan momentarily speechless.
"Wow, this place is incredible. Makes that shabby novice village look like a dump," Ethan muttered. Around him, NPCs bustled about, some patrolling in organized squads as part of the city's guard, while others tended to various tasks. Not a single player was in sight yet.
"First order of business: class advancement." Ethan quickly made his way toward the city center. Initially, he considered asking an NPC for directions, but the towering "Class Hall" building was impossible to miss. Its massive structure dominated the skyline, clearly signaling its purpose.
Inside the hall stood six class mentors: a striking mage in a black robe exuding arcane power, a muscular shield guardian hefting an imposing shield, a warrior gripping a massive greatsword, a graceful archer with a bow slung over her shoulder, a stealthy assassin clad in tight leather armor, and a serene priestess in a flowing white robe.
Ethan surveyed the options before heading straight for the assassin mentor. If his talent allowed ranged attacks, he'd have chosen the archer. But since it didn't, melee classes like warrior, shield guardian, or assassin were his only viable options. Given his preference for agility, the assassin was an obvious choice.
"Greetings, mentor. I wish to become an assassin," Ethan said politely.
The mentor's eyes gleamed. "Adventurer, an excellent choice! Assassins are the fastest and deadliest among all classes. Masters of shadows, they inspire fear in their enemies and strike from the darkness…"
"Don't listen to his nonsense," the warrior mentor interrupted. "Assassins are good for bullying squishy mages and archers. Against us warriors, they're nothing but fodder. You should pick the warrior class instead. Two strikes, and they're done."
"Bah! Assassins are fragile," the shield guardian added. "One bite from a wild beast and they're toast. Be smart, kid. Go with the shield guardian class. Stand tall, and no beast would dare bite you."
As the mentors began arguing, Ethan quickly intervened. "Thank you for your advice, everyone, but I've made up my mind. Assassin it is."
Hearing his decision, the other mentors sighed in disappointment. Normally, they wouldn't try to sway players, but they couldn't resist putting in a word for their classes when a new adventurer showed up. Reluctantly, they stepped back, allowing Ethan to proceed.