This ring, although it's not something I can use right now, is still an incredibly rare item — and just the fact that it doesn't take up an equipment slot shows how valuable it is!
Desired Equipment +1.
Looks like I'll have to keep grinding and hunting Dragonfang Soldiers in the future, huh?
Bai Qiu sighed.
After checking the basic information, he didn't dwell on it any further and shifted his focus elsewhere.
In the end, he bought enough food supplies for a week, then stocked up on some potions that granted stacking buffs.
Finally, his stock of Common Dragonfangs stopped at—
He didn't linger too long, since people behind him were starting to complain.
If he kept browsing, they'd probably start judging him morally for holding up the line!
Right now, he wasn't planning to head out and farm Dragonfang Soldiers again.
Even though he felt relatively at ease, physical exhaustion was unavoidable—and besides, he had something more important to try.
After all, he hadn't bought all these things just to pile them up in storage.
Only by actually using his gear and items on himself could he bring out their true value.
Just as he was about to leave, the Magic Merchant called out to him again:
"Young man, I have a task. Would you like to take it?"
"Me?" Bai Qiu turned around, pointing to himself in surprise.
The mage nodded, then took out six cards and handed them to Bai Qiu.
"If you complete the task before I leave, I'll reward you with a powerful item. These six pieces of equipment are also yours to keep. But if you fail the task, I'll reclaim them."
[Magic Merchant has issued a quest:]
Objective 1: Use the Blazing Staff (D) to kill 100 normal enemies and 1 elite enemy.
Note: Must be killed in a specific manner.
Objective 2: Use the Frost Staff (D) to kill 100 normal enemies and 1 elite enemy.
Note: Must be killed in a specific manner.
Objective 3… Objective 4… (details omitted)
Quest Reward: ???
Quest Penalty: None
Quest Timer: 5 days, 11 hours, 5 minutes, 22 seconds
Accept the quest?
Yes/No.
Without hesitation, he accepted the quest.
All six pieces of equipment were staves—Blazing, Frost, Thunder, Thorn, Stone, and Tidal—each corresponding to a different element.
"Damn, who is this guy?"
"Bro, what's the strategy for triggering a hidden quest?"
Other players quickly gathered around, even those who had been waiting in line spread out to spectate.
"Wait a sec—he's level 15!? Holy crap, did you cheat or something? How'd you level up that fast!?"
Someone tried to inspect Bai Qiu's info.
Because player-to-player inspection was limited, and due to the level difference, they could only see one thing:
Player Level: 15
And that was it.
But that was enough to shock everyone—after all, at their level, gaining even one level meant grinding through hundreds or even thousands of Dragonfang Soldiers.
Yet this person managed to reach Level 15 even while fighting low-level monsters that gave reduced experience—isn't that basically impossible?
"No idea. Maybe my level's just a little higher than average. Keep grinding, everyone! Until next time!"
Bai Qiu said with a grin.
Gathering mana into his legs, he leapt high into the air, soared over the crowd, and in the blink of an eye disappeared into the Black Tower.
He left behind a group of dumbfounded onlookers, their minds in chaos.
There was something… oddly familiar about that guy.
"Wait—I remember now! He's definitely that silver-armored player from earlier! He must've switched gear so no one would notice!"
"Oh, damn, you're right! But why'd he run away though? Is he that socially anxious?"
"Good news: our server's got a pro player.
Bad news: the pro player's a total introvert."
…
Some players even wanted to chase after Bai Qiu to ask what was going on, but he was simply too fast.
No one could catch up to him, and in the end, they could only give up helplessly.
Bai Qiu arrived at Guinelia's Alchemy Shop, where he restocked on a few potions and asked if he could borrow a storage room.
He figured it was time to properly examine the things inside his storage card.
Guinelia gladly agreed.
Bai Qiu took out the Flame Orb, placing both hands on it and trying to infuse it with mana.
By now, his control over his own mana was quite refined, so charging the orb should've been easy.
But contrary to his expectations, no matter how he tried, some kind of barrier blocked his mana from entering the orb—it was completely unresponsive!
He then took out a Spirit Fruit, chewed it down in a few bites, and resumed studying the Flame Orb.
He knew he must've missed something important that prevented it from charging.
After eating the Spirit Fruit, his consciousness didn't drastically change—but his mind became startlingly clear.
Every tangled thought seemed to unravel, and he could think with perfect focus and calm.
That sense of clarity was exactly what he needed.
Staring at the Flame Orb, Bai Qiu activated his Fivefold Arcane Crystallized Eyes, carefully observing the orb's structure.
In almost an instant, he grasped the intricate secrets of its design.
So that's how it works…
The patterns on the orb were similar to magic circuits—it probably required a specific catalyst to recharge, or he needed to replicate the energy pattern of that catalyst himself to infuse mana properly.
That demanded extremely precise control.
Bai Qiu once again released his mana, guiding the compressed energy in a special way so that it flowed along the Flame Orb's magical circuits, converging into a small concave slot on its surface…
Flame Orb (D)
Status: Charging — Progress: 12% → 13%
After all, it was only a D-rank item.
Bai Qiu's current mana capacity had already reached C–rank, and when the orb was fully charged, he discovered it had only consumed about 7.5% of his total mana.
He didn't rush to upgrade it, though.
Once the Flame Orb hit 100%, he stored it back into his storage card and then took out the six cards he'd received from the Magic Merchant—each representing a staff: Blazing, Frost, Thunder, Thorn, Stone, and Tidal.
A continuous flow of spiritual energy surged into his mind.
He didn't know how long this heightened state would last, so he had to focus completely on understanding the mechanics of these weapons.
Using the Fivefold Arcane Crystallized Eyes, Bai Qiu meticulously studied the magical circuits of the Blazing Staff.
After confirming its internal structure, he began channeling mana into it the same way he did with the Flame Orb.
In an instant, a fireball appeared above the staff's tip—spinning violently, crackling with intense power, as though it might launch like an arrow at any second.
Just then, Guinelia burst into the room, her face bright with excitement.
"Mr. Bai Qiu! You've already completed the second phase—"
She froze mid-sentence, staring blankly at the massive, rapidly rotating fireball growing above the staff in his hands.