[Welcome to "Infinite"]
[This is a vast and boundless world where you can witness the ancient remnants of elves, dwarves, titans, as well as the technological and photonic powers left from even earlier epochs.]
[Everything here is constantly evolving with time.]
[No matter what the scenery, it awaits your exploration and development.]
[You have obtained the public log of "Infinite."]
[You have acquired the progress chart for the first chapter of Infinite, "The Ancient Era."]
[The Ancient Era]
[Chapter One: 80%]
[The Ancient Legend "The Rise of the Sarcast Empire": 100%]
[The Tragic Ancient Legend "The Fall of the Sarcast Empire": 100%]
[The Cry from the Ancient Era "Hero King Kareena's Holy Sword": 100%]
[The Eternal Roar of the Ancient Mechanical Deity "Neutrino Oblivion Cannon": 100%]
[The Collision of Magic and Mecha "The Elegy of Mutual Destruction": 100%]
[The Rise of the New Generation "The Contempt of Players": 100%]
[The Grandeur of the New Empire "The Radiance of the Sarcast Empire": 100%]
[The Peaceful Era "The Gilded Years": 100%]
[???]
[???]
[You have spawned in the borderlands of the Sarcast Empire—Little Bird Town.]
As the information consolidated, the white light enveloping Eric dissipated, and he found himself standing in a crowded square.
"Is this what Infinite looks like after ten thousand years of being live? It feels so real!"
"Damn right it's real! Besides the initial three revivals, if you die, you're dead for real. How's that for realism?"
"Who the hell just groped my ass? Step forward, and I'll make sure you regret it!"
"Is this the initial 1.2m/s speed? It's... hilariously slow..."
"What's Little Bird Town? It wasn't mentioned in the textbooks!"
"Move aside! If anyone blocks me from completing my quest, I'll make sure their three revivals are gone!"
...
As Eric observed the bustling crowd, text visible only to him appeared before his eyes—his unique talent, "Fate's Hint."
[You are new here and know little about the world of Infinite, even though you possess decent theoretical knowledge.]
[Fate offers you a hint.]
[Fate's Hint 1: Follow the crowd to the quest distribution point, the "Black Bear Guild" headquarters, and accept the quest "Collect Blackwater Flowers." No one will tell you that the quest system in Little Bird Town has been monopolized by the Black Bear Guild. Collecting over 100 Blackwater Flowers will trigger a hidden effect, "Erosion of the Blackwater," which will instantly kill anyone with less than 100 health. This effect is concealed.]
[Fate's Hint 2: Retreat from the enemy and head to the Little Bird Town farm. There, you will find a newly arrived farm owner. Helping the farm owner weed for three days might yield unexpected rewards.]
"Hello everyone, I'm a member of the Black Bear Guild, just like you, a player."
"There are many quests in Little Bird Town, but none as rewarding as the ones offered by our Black Bear Guild."
"Our guild needs a massive amount of Blackwater Grass. If you're willing to help us collect it, every 99 stalks can be exchanged for 500 copper coins and a set of beginner equipment. So, collect as much as you can!" In the distance, a player claiming to be from the Black Bear Guild waved a flag, offering high rewards to attract players.
"My god, I heard the initial quest rewards were only 50 copper coins and a beginner's sword. This reward is too generous!"
"I have to grab this quest. There must be a limit to how many people can take it."
...
Eric took all of this in, his eyes flashing with a mix of shock and relief.
Is this what a unique-level talent is like? Is this the deceit and treachery of the Infinite world? He had just logged in and was a complete newbie!
The Black Bear Guild's quest to "Collect Blackwater Grass" was a trap. But according to "Fate's Hint," it seemed he could use this unique talent to avoid pitfalls and seek advantages. This was something to be happy about. Eric lowered his gaze, not daring to linger, and turned toward the farm indicated by Fate's Hint 2.
Soon, Eric inquired about the farm from an NPC and arrived at his destination.
It was a modest-sized farm, with pigs, sheep, cows, and other livestock visible from a distance.
On the grassy field of the farm, an elderly woman was hunched over, harvesting hay.
"Hello, Grandma. I'm a player from another world. You can call me Eric."
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
In "Infinite," there's no real need to use a fake name.
Since everyone in Infinite starts from scratch, there are no real-world consequences.
After all, in the real world, under the suppression of "Infinite," Blue Star has long been free of violence. You can't even break someone's finger.
Thus, Blue Star is a place of peace.
The real battlefield is the world of Infinite.
The old woman straightened her back, looked at Eric, and smiled kindly. "Young man, you've just arrived. Why didn't you take the Black Bear Guild's quest? What brings you here?"
Eric smiled and replied, "Grandma, there were too many people over there. I thought I'd explore other places, and I ended up here."
The old woman scrutinized Eric for a moment, seemingly pondering something, before finally nodding.
"Alright, then you can stay and help me harvest this field of hay."
"You're quite lucky~"
After saying this, the old woman handed Eric a sickle, then turned and walked away, her hands behind her back.
[You have obtained the temporary item "Radiant Sickle."]
Radiant Sickle
Level: 10
Quality: Glorious (Inferior, Common, Good, Fine, Rare, Brilliant, Glorious, Ancient, Legendary, Mythic)
When harvesting, there is a 1% chance to permanently increase Attack by 1, and a 5% chance to permanently increase Health or Mana by 1.
Eric's pupils contracted, and he gripped the "Radiant Sickle" tightly. He never expected that this slightly rusted sickle was actually of Glorious quality, one tier above Brilliant. Not only that, but using it to harvest also gave a 1% and 5% chance for permanent stat increases.
And this was just the "unexpected reward" mentioned by "Fate's Hint"?
A unique-level talent is truly terrifying!
Eric took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and bent down to start harvesting the hay.
[You harvested a bundle of hay.]
[You harvested a bundle of hay.]
...
[Radiant Sickle effect triggered.]
[Attack permanently increased by 1.]
Eric's face lit up with joy, and he worked even faster.
What could be more satisfying than gaining permanent stats right at the start of the game? Nothing.
Eric had been busy since logging into the game, and it wasn't until the moon hung high in the sky, around 9 PM, that he finally finished harvesting the entire field.
During this time, Eric triggered the attack increase five times, and the health and mana increases twenty times each.
In other words, he gained 5 permanent Attack, 20 permanent Health, and 20 permanent Mana.
According to the textbooks, from level 1 to level 11, each level only gave one random stat point. But now, he had already gained the equivalent of 9 levels' worth of stats.
"Grandma, I've finished harvesting the hay. If there's nothing else, I'll return the sickle and go rest."
Eric approached the old woman's modest wooden cabin and returned the Radiant Sickle.
The old woman, who was tinkering with something, didn't look up and said, "Young man, if you have time tomorrow, come help me harvest the other two fields."
Eric was delighted.
Two more fields?
Based on today's gains, harvesting the remaining two fields would likely yield 10 permanent Attack, 40 permanent Health, and 40 permanent Mana.
No one could refuse such generous rewards right after logging into the game.
"Sure, Grandma. I'll come back tomorrow."
"Good. Go on and take care of your business."