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To only be able to reach level two, Emilia realized that the proud boy in front of her must have just received one of the lowest level rewards, being only slightly better than those who really screwed it up intentionally.
But while the crimson-haired elf was feeling pity, those who didn't know better couldn't help but be envious.
"Is it really so easy to get items and experience in this game?"
"Damn! I really regret wasting almost six hours farming, and I'm still only halfway through leveling up!" A man in front of her cursed.
Compared to the proud boy who left after claiming his rewards, Emilia found him even more pitiful. 'Poor guy… if only he didn't get lured away by the rumors, he might have stood a chance to be a top powerhouse.'
For a regular person, it was definitely impossible to beat the [Boar King] at such a low level. Not to mention, all of the hidden 'endings' of the first quest were still 'unknown', so it was impossible for anyone to take that shortcut as well.
Therefore, at least for the first week or so, the most reliable way to become a top player in Arcadia was to grind, grind, and grind relentlessly!
Without the help of mana potions and Emilia's inhuman reaction speed and fighting style, it would still be possible to kill the [Boar King] with a decent party of level five players.
At that time, if they could find the torn skirt of the 'missing girl' and return to the village chief… their rewards would include a hundred thousand experience points!
For a level one player, that would be more than enough to reach level seven. Of course, higher levels required more experience, so it might not seem as absurd, but the time it ended up saving wasn't any less.
While Emilia was still sighing in pity, the man in front of her rushed into the village chief's hut as his turn finally arrived… and returned moments later with a furious expression.
"Where did that little bastard go?! I'll kill that fucking liar!"
While others rushed to question him about what happened, Emilia didn't bother wasting her time as it was finally her turn to enter the hut.
Obviously, that man must have obtained the actual minimum reward of one experience point after giving the village chief some actual trash.
'If he's so angry now, I can't imagine how furious he will be when he realizes that what he 'lost' wasn't just a thousand points of experience… but a hundred thousand!' Emilia giggled.
The rewards from the main quests were always generous in Arcadia, and completing them was also not particularly difficult. But they were few and far between, as most players would soon realize.
Rushing to complete them only to mess up was one of the worst mistakes one could make in Arcadia.
But aside from those she could absolutely trust, Emilia wouldn't be foolish enough to try and 'help' them discover these things and attract unnecessary trouble her way.
After all, given that even the hero didn't understand everything about Arcadia at this point, as someone who seemingly could, it was obvious how alarming her existence would be to him and the world will.
Cynthia couldn't help but chuckle. 'Didn't she find his situation quite pitiful earlier?'
Of course, the raven-haired girl didn't voice her thoughts out loud. Even if she believed that most mortals would never be able to betray her partner anyway, Emilia wouldn't be a very good villainess if she actually took her words seriously and went around helping everyone, would she?
Not to mention, there were always a few 'outliers' even among the simplest of mortals, and even Cynthia didn't dare guarantee anything, so Emilia's cautious behavior was more or less justified.
A few moments later, the village chief finally got to the point. "Since you have returned, brave traveler, I'm assuming you must have found some clues, right?"
Emilia hummed in agreement, and pretended to fumble around with her inventory as if deciding what was the most 'useless' item in her possession, before submitting the 'Tears of the Immortal' by 'mistake'.
Just as she was 'about to panic', however, she was 'stunned'.
Cynthia couldn't help but giggle in amusement at her partner's act, only to stiffen a moment later. Surprisingly enough, however, Emilia didn't bother scolding her.
Instead, she remained focused on the task.
For some reason, it made the raven-haired girl a little sad, but she soon shook off that thought.
On the other hand, after receiving the quest item, the expression on the village chief's face became completely distorted.
He looked at the teardrop-shaped transparent pearl in his hand in both disbelief and awe. "N-No way, i-it cannot be…!"
After pacing around the hut for almost a full minute, mumbling crazily like an insane old fool, the village chief finally snapped back to his senses.
He rushed forward and clutched Emilia's shoulders, his old eyes red and almost bursting with blood vessels in excitement. "Little girl, tell me, where did you find this?!"
The crimson-haired girl obviously knew that no matter what she said next, the results of the quest won't change, so she just reported the location of the item 'truthfully'.
After listening to her story, the village chief sighed and slumped back on his chair, staring up at the dilapidated roof for another few minutes before once again coming back to his senses. "It seems like her fate has led her to that place in the end, after all…"
Seemingly making up his mind, the old man quickly strode to his desk with a determined expression. "No, even if it is fate, I cannot just sit idly by!"
Watching his quill fly across the parchment so deftly, Emilia waited patiently and received her 'Letter of Introduction' with a smile.
She didn't question the man, as that would only make the dialog longer. But he went on to explain everything that was necessary anyway.
"Take this letter to Mr. Longhorn in Vermillion City, and… let him know that his daughter has been taken to the Ice Lotus Palace. He will know what it means." The village chief's expression made it clear that the matter was both urgent and a top secret, so Emilia nodded somberly.
The moment she accepted the letter, the notifications for her rewards finally started chiming.
Ding!
Main Quest [The Duke's Lost Daughter [Clues Found 0/3]] has been upgraded to the Hidden Quest [The Immortal's Journey (Part 1)].
Quest Updated!
[Immortal's Journey (Part 1): Discover the Immortal's Tears [1/1] and bring them to the Village Chief in the Beginner's Town] — Completed!
Rewards Issued!
Experience Reward: 250,000 points!
Additional Attribute Rewards: 10 Free Unallocated Stat Points
Item Rewards:
1 x Random Blue Equipment Box
3 x Random Green Equipment Box
10 x Mana Potions
10 x Gold Coins
All items have been added to the free space in the inventory.
Bonus Quest [The Rising Star] has been added to the [Quest] menu!
Emilia immediately felt a burst of energy exploding within her body as she listened to the continuous chime of level up notifications, and she couldn't help but grin. 'First step to catching up with the hero… done!'
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