MMORPG: Birth of the World's Luckiest Player

Chapter 472: The Gratitude of Millbrook Village

After finishing his drink, Marcus turned to the Village Chief.

"Chief, Millbrook Village really is a hidden paradise. Unfortunately, time is short, and I can’t stay any longer. I need to head back and report."

The Village Chief immediately rose to his feet, his expression sincere. "In that case, we won’t keep you any longer, sir. You’re the savior of our village, and we’ll never forget what you’ve done for us. Whenever you return, you’ll always be welcomed with open arms."

With that, the Chief stepped away from the table. "Millbrook is only a small village. We don’t have treasures or riches to offer, but the villagers have prepared a few gifts as a token of our gratitude."

He turned toward the crowd and raised his voice. "Everyone, bring forward your gifts for our honored guest."

’Gifts?’

Marcus blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected this. Then it hit him. This had to be the real reward for completing the quest.

’Jackpot.’

The phrase hard work pays off suddenly felt very appropriate.

Trying not to look too eager, he put on a modest smile. "You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble."

The Chief waved a hand dismissively. "It’s no trouble at all. It’s the least we can do."

As he spoke, villagers began filing forward carrying all sorts of items. The Chief produced a neatly folded list from somewhere inside his robe and cleared his throat. Looking immensely pleased with himself, he began reading it aloud in a grand, ceremonial voice.

"From Aunt Martha: twenty pounds of dried beef. From little Chloe: ninety pickled chicken eggs. Thirty jugs of Millbrook’s thousand-year grain wine. One thousand of our village’s special honey dates. Eighty red pears."

The Chief paused to catch his breath before continuing.

"Also, two baskets of fresh fish, fifteen pairs of mountain bear paws, three baskets of wild mushrooms, twenty freshly caught rabbits, and fifteen giant lobsters."

"..."

Marcus stared at him. The Chief nodded proudly as he read through the list, clearly enjoying every second of it.

These weren’t gifts. This was a grocery shipment.

His excitement rapidly drained away. For a few moments, his mind went completely blank.

"Sir, please accept them," the Chief said warmly. "Every item comes from the villagers’ sincere gratitude. Everyone contributed willingly."

After finishing the list, he stepped forward and presented it with a respectful bow.

Marcus looked at the paper and sighed inwardly. Most of this stuff was probably going to sit in his inventory gathering dust.

Still, the Chief had personally handed it to him, and all around him the villagers were watching with hopeful expressions. Whatever the contents, this was their way of thanking him.

So Marcus accepted the list with a smile that looked far more enthusiastic than he actually felt.

This gift was heavy in more ways than one.

Glancing past the Chief, he saw villagers carrying slabs of meat, wine jars, baskets, crates, and bundles balanced on their shoulders. The entire village seemed to have mobilized. It was certainly an impressive sight.

Once Marcus accepted the list, the Chief immediately began directing the villagers forward one at a time.

The first to approach was an elderly woman carrying a large bundle of dried beef.

"Aunt Martha’s dried beef. Twenty pounds," the Chief announced.

Marcus stepped forward with a friendly smile. "Thank you, Aunt Martha."

He accepted the beef and tossed it into his inventory. Fortunately, it only occupied a single inventory slot. Otherwise, he’d have to waste time sorting through the mess later.

Aunt Martha, however, seemed far more interested in him than in the gift itself. She looked him up and down with obvious approval.

"Young man, I like you," she declared. "If you enjoy my dried beef, come back next year. I’ll make extra just for you."

Marcus nearly lost his balance.

Thankfully, Aunt Martha seemed satisfied after saying her piece and finally moved aside.

The next person to step forward was a shy young woman who looked sixteen or seventeen years old. She had a slender frame and wore simple village clothes. In her hands was a delicate blue ceramic jar filled with small eggs roughly the size of quail eggs.

The Chief proudly announced, "Little Chloe’s pickled chicken eggs. Ninety of them."

Marcus looked at the jar. ’Those are quail eggs. Those are definitely quail eggs... Why does he keep calling them chicken eggs?’ Deciding it wasn’t worth questioning, he let it go.

What caught his attention instead was Chloe herself. She was genuinely pretty, with delicate features and a faint blush already coloring her cheeks. Compared to the two women who had accompanied him during the banquet earlier, she seemed far more natural and approachable.

The Chief really missed an opportunity there.

The moment their eyes met, Chloe’s face turned even redder. She hurriedly shoved the jar into his hands and retreated almost immediately. Before disappearing back into the crowd, she stole one quick glance over her shoulder.

The villagers instantly burst into laughter. Marcus couldn’t help smiling. She was surprisingly adorable.

Curious about the gift, he opened the jar, pulled out one of the pickled eggs, and checked its stats.

His expression froze, and the jar nearly slipped from his hands. Fortunately, his reflexes kicked in before disaster struck.

’Am I seeing this correctly?’ He rubbed his eyes and checked again.

—

Little Chloe’s Pickled Chicken Egg: Special Item. Made by Chloe of Millbrook Village using eggs from the Phoenix-Tail Hen. Seasoned with various aromatic spices and brined for a full year in the spring water behind the village. Delicious and possesses unique effects.

Effect: Consuming one egg increases Luck by 5 for thirty days. Effect does not stack.

—-

Marcus stared, then grabbed another egg. Same result. A third one, and still the same.

’Holy...’ His heart started pounding.

’Jackpot.’ No, this was better than jackpot.

He looked down at the jar in disbelief. More than ninety eggs, each one granting +5 Luck for an entire month.

This was absurd.

Carefully, almost reverently, he placed the jar into his inventory before immediately pulling out Aunt Martha’s dried beef to inspect it as well.

—

Aunt Martha’s Dried Beef: Special Item. Made by Aunt Martha of Millbrook Village using Black-Flank Beef and a unique blend of spices and broth. The meat is slow-cooked before being air-dried in a cold cave behind the village. Delicious and possesses remarkable effects.

Effect: Consuming one ounce of dried beef increases HP by 500-800 for thirty days. Effect does not stack.

—

Marcus took a slow breath. ’Yep. Just as ridiculous.’

He quickly did the math.

Even many level fourty rogues and mages barely had two thousand HP. A single serving of this dried beef could increase that by as much as eight hundred.

That wasn’t strong, that was completely broken.

And if the pickled eggs and dried beef were this powerful, Marcus slowly raised his head and looked toward the long line of villagers still waiting to present their gifts.

Suddenly, every basket, jar, crate, and bundle looked a lot more valuable than before.