Chapter 6: Looted Items

[Qingfeng Longsword · Spirit Tool]: A sharp weapon passed down through Gutam Village for over a century. Although its surface is pitted and scarred, it provides the wielder with a continuous flow of strength. The longer the battle lasts, the greater the boost, reaching a maximum of 20 points of strength.

Lin Yi’s eyes lit up. A spirit tool? And one that grows stronger the longer you fight? Great stuff!

Gu Man patted Lin Yi and urged, "Kid, don't dawdle. Finish this filthy thing off!"

"I should kill it?"

Seeming to realize Lin Yi was new to the village, Gu Man offered a brief explanation: "Yes, you. You are a 'Born One.' Killing it might yield some good loot."

Understood. Lin Yi nodded and looked at the Ghost Demon wailing on the ground. This was the same creature that had chased him relentlessly and nearly eaten him earlier.

"Roar!"

Sensing Lin Yi’s murderous intent, the Ghost Demon hissed, baring its bloody fangs. But now, the roles of hunter and prey had been reversed.

"Go to hell, and stop glaring at me!"

Lin Yi decisively gripped the Qingfeng Longsword with both hands and drove it deep into the demon’s mouth, silencing it for good.

"Ding! You have killed a Level 8 Ghost Demon and gained 60 experience points!"

The demon’s body dissolved into light, leaving behind two items.

[Ghost Demon Fang · Green]: A rare material that can be crafted into a spirit tool by a skilled artisan.

[Low-Level Demon Blood · White]: A drop from a low-level monster, containing volatile and chaotic demonic energy. It has many uses.

"Senior Gu, these two items..."

"Don't call me Senior, call me Captain. You’re not bad, kid—decisive and quite gutsy."

Gu Man stepped forward and picked up the loot.

"Luck isn't bad; a green-quality material dropped. Even though you didn't contribute much, rules are rules. I’ll give you a share—consider it a bargain. You can have the Demon Blood."

With a satisfied nod, he tossed the [Low-Level Demon Blood] to Lin Yi.

"Thank you, Captain Gu."

Lin Yi had no objections and quickly stowed the [Low-Level Demon Blood] away. It was a red, transparent crystal about the size of a chicken egg. When held close to his nose, it emitted a faint, foul odor. Lin Yi observed it briefly before putting it in his pack. Though he didn't know its exact purpose, if Gu Man considered it a "bargain," it likely wasn't complete trash.

Just then, a voice called out from the distance.

"Captain! I’m here! I’m here to help, please hold off!"

A chubby man in leather armor came running from the village, moving quite quickly. He soon reached Lin Yi and the others. Lin Yi squinted; judging by his appearance, the man seemed to be another player. Seeing the bloodstains on the ground, the man looked immediately disappointed.

He looked at Gu Man, then swept a glance at Lin Yi: "Damn it, I'm late again. Captain, why didn't you wait for me?"

"Wait for you my foot. I told you to come early, but you slack off every day. If our squad didn't need a 'Born One,' I would have kicked you out long ago."

Gu Man scolded him, then turned to Lin Yi: "Kid, work hard. Once you reach level five, come find me. If you pass the trial, I’ll take you in. You should know that in Gutam Village, the militia is the best place for you 'Born Ones.'"

"Thank you, Captain!"

"Hmph, I'm off!"

With that, Gu Man hoisted his Qingfeng Longsword, waved his hand, and departed.

The chubby man, however, didn't leave with Gu Man. He turned to Lin Yi and asked, "Brother, you're a newbie, right? When did you start playing? And what dropped just now?"

Lin Yi glanced at the man and didn't answer.

The man persisted, unwilling to give up: "Brother, don't be like that. We're both players—we should help each other. Tell me what dropped, and I'll tell you some information you might want to know."

Lin Yi shook his head. "Not interested."

"Hey, that’s no fun. There aren't many players in Gutam Village. Be careful, or you'll get yourself ostracized."

The man tried to threaten him further, but seeing Lin Yi’s complete indifference, he watched as Lin Yi’s figure flickered and logged off.

"Damn, he left so decisively..."

The man cursed, but remembering his unfinished patrol duties for the day, he had no choice but to leave.

...

In his apartment in reality, Lin Yi materialized. He clenched his fist and raised an eyebrow. Just as he suspected, his strength had increased slightly. This was clearly related to his solidified talent. It seemed that abilities gained in the game could be brought into reality, though the game’s items could not.

However, thinking about the chubby player, Lin Yi frowned. If this game could grant supernatural power, it meant that even among Earth players, there was competition. Perhaps in the game, he needed to be wary not just of monsters, but of other players.

"The game doesn't allow face customization. I'll need to get a mask in-game. If someone remembers my face, it would be bad if they tracked down my real identity."

At that moment, many thoughts crossed Lin Yi's mind.

After a long while, Lin Yi logged back in and returned to Gutam Village. The chubby player was nowhere to be seen, and a quick scan showed few villagers around. Perhaps news of the Ghost Demon attack had already spread.

Lin Yi decided to head to the west side of the village to find the woodcutter who knew external martial arts, as mentioned by the village elder, Gu He. Currently, besides a small piece of wild boar meat and the [Low-Level Demon Blood], he had nothing. To survive in the village, he needed a job and more information about this world.

There were many villagers living on the west side. Even though it was afternoon, many were still busy working.

By asking around, Lin Yi quickly found the woodcutter. While there were many in Gutam Village, only one was particularly strong and skilled in external martial arts: Gu Yongqiang. It was said he once competed to be the captain of the militia, but an injury to his right leg prevented him from fighting, forcing him to make a living by chopping wood.

After learning of Lin Yi’s intent, Gu Yongqiang didn't test him like Butcher Li had. He simply pulled a rusty wood-chopping knife from the back room and tossed it to him.

"There's a small grove 300 meters behind the house. Bring me a bundle of dry wood, and I'll give you ten copper coins. I only need three bundles today."

The system chimed: "Ding! Gu Yongqiang of Gutam Village has issued you a daily quest. Submit dry wood to receive a coin reward."

Lin Yi nodded. The world was finally feeling more like a game with quests to accept. But did this quest only offer money and no experience?

With a hint of doubt, Lin Yi asked, "Thank you, Brother Gu. Besides dry wood, do you need anything else?"

Gu Yongqiang shook his head. "You couldn't get the things I need. Go now. It’s getting late, and for a 'Born One,' chopping wood isn't easy."

"Understood."

Lin Yi didn't ask further and headed toward the small grove with the rusty knife. It was called a grove, but it was actually a dense, gloomy hillside. To be honest, if he hadn't seen other villagers cutting wood there, he wouldn't have dared to enter the dense forest alone. The memory of the recent Ghost Demon attack was still fresh. If similar monsters lurked in these woods, he would effectively be walking into his own death.

Although there were many trees on the slope, there wasn't much dry wood suitable for fuel. Lin Yi began searching for dead branches, and whenever he found a withered tree, he would hack at it with his knife.

Time passed quickly. About an hour later, exhausted and drenched in sweat, Lin Yi finally managed to collect a bundle of dry wood. Upon returning it to Gu Yongqiang’s home, he finally received his ten copper coins. The currency resembled that of ancient China—round coins with square holes.

Checking his hunger meter, which had dropped below 60, Lin Yi didn't rush to cut more wood. Instead, he took out the boar meat and began to eat. While eating, he chatted with Gu Yongqiang. He learned that the purchasing power of copper coins in Gutam Village was limited; an ordinary griddle cake cost three coins. Well water was free, but one had to fetch it from the village entrance themselves.

Lin Yi couldn't help but shake his head. Though he had earned ten coins, his hunger dropped quite quickly. This cycle meant the money he earned was barely enough to keep him fed.

After finishing the boar meat and resting for a while, Lin Yi prepared to go chop more wood. Gu Yongqiang stopped him: "Don't go back out. It's almost dusk; the forest isn't safe. If you want to chop wood next time, come earlier."

"Not safe? Brother Gu, are there monsters in the woods?"

Gu Yongqiang shook his head. "I don't know. Anything is possible. The later it gets, the easier it is to run into demons and monsters."

"Brother Gu, then where is it safe in the village?"

Gu Yongqiang let out a cold laugh. "Safe? There is no safe place in this world. Perhaps one morning when you wake up, Gutam Village will have been razed to the ground by some monster..."