Chapter 11: A Time to Reflect and Recover

Su Bai drank the last uncommon healing potion he had left as his wounds slowly closed. The bitter taste of the mixture reminded him how close he had come to death in the battle against the Dark Demon Queen. Still exhausted, he knew he couldn't stay in the forest for much longer.

With a deep sigh, he began his return to Eldoria Village. Each step felt heavier than the last, but the thought of completing his quests and earning his rewards kept him moving.

Upon reaching the village entrance, Su Bai was surprised to see the village chief waiting for him. Her eyes sparkled with relief at the sight of him.

"Warrior, did you manage to bring what I asked for?" the village chief asked, hurrying toward him.

"Yes, I brought it," Su Bai replied, pulling the items the old woman had requested from his backpack.

"Wonderful!" the village chief exclaimed, taking the items with joy. "Thank you, warrior. Here is your well-deserved reward."

With a satisfied smile, the village chief departed. At that moment, the quest completion notification appeared before Su Bai:

• +1000 experience points

• 5 silver coins

• Equipment: Snake Skin Armor Bottoms

• Equipment: Snake Skin Armor Belt

"Not bad..." he thought as he assessed his new acquisitions.

He quickly checked the equipment:

[Snake Skin Armor Bottoms]

• Level: 5

• Quality: Uncommon

• Category: Leather Armor / Pants

• Attributes: Intelligence +9 / Constitution +5

• Defense: Physical Defense +32 / Magic Defense +23

[Snake Skin Armor Belt]

• Level: 5

• Quality: Uncommon

• Category: Leather Armor / Belt

• Attributes: Intelligence +10 / Constitution +6

• Defense: Physical Defense +31 / Magic Defense +21

The equipment's properties were excellent, and although there wasn't much else he could do at that moment, he decided to equip both pieces.

His experience bar rose quickly, filling 33% of the progress toward level 7. He only needed 2000 more points to reach the next level.

The bar was quiet when Su Bai entered. After approaching the bartender, he handed over the goblin hearts he had collected in his previous battles. The bartender smiled and handed him the rewards:

• +500 experience points

• 3 silver coins

• Uncommon healing potion x3

• Uncommon energy potion x3

His experience bar had now reached 50% of level 7, needing only 1500 more points.

Finally, Su Bai made his way to the weaver's shop, where he delivered the demon cat hides he had collected. After receiving her thanks and a brief chat about the difficulties of collecting such hides, Su Bai received his reward:

The weaver greeted him warmly and took the demon cat hides with a grateful smile. After thanking him and sharing a quick chat about the difficulties of gathering such hides, she handed him the rewards:

• +500 experience points

• 3 silver coins

• Choice of Equipment: Demon Cat Armor (any piece)

Su Bai thought for a moment and finally decided to go for the boots, as the old straw shoes he had been wearing were starting to wear out.

[Demon Cat Armor Boots]

• Level: 5

• Quality: Uncommon

• Category: Light Armor / Boots

• Attributes: Strength +11 / Intelligence +5

• Defense: Physical Defense +40 / Magic Defense +27

"Much better..." he thought as he put on the new boots.

With this, Su Bai had accumulated a total of 2000 experience points since his last level. His progress bar was now at 66% of the total needed to reach level 7, leaving him with 1000 more points to collect.

With all the quests turned in and the rewards obtained, Su Bai felt more prepared than ever, equipped with new armor and enough resources to continue his journey.

But before he could relax, he heard the village chief's voice again.

"Warrior, wait a moment!"

Su Bai stopped, already predicting what was coming. As he turned around, the village chief approached again, panting slightly before catching her breath.

"We still need something else..." she said, and a quest window appeared before him.

[Quest: Coral Snake Bile Collection]

• Difficulty: D

• Requirements: Collect 1 rare-level coral snake bile and 100 elite-level coral snake bile.

• Rewards: +1000 experience points, 20 silver coins, Snake Skin Armor Jacket, Snake Skin Armor Boots.

Su Bai couldn't help but smile at the new quest. "One more task... at least I'll keep the pace," he thought as he accepted the quest.

"Don't worry, I'll get it done as quickly as possible," Su Bai replied to the old woman, ready to prepare himself and venture back into the dangerous world outside.

After completing the quests and saying goodbye to the old woman, Su Bai decided to take a short rest on the outskirts of Eldoria Village. Although he was satisfied with his progress, something still bothered him. As he reviewed his pending tasks, his gaze fell on the village chief's house, an enigmatic building that had always piqued his curiosity.

"What the hell is going on in there?" he muttered quietly, with growing interest. "There must be something more, something they don't want me to see..."

The village chief's house was different from the rest. Not even the window papers were torn, which indicated some sort of magical protection or barrier surrounding it. There was something hidden, something the village was protecting closely.

Su Bai squinted, remembering that he still had an important resource at his disposal. He raised his wrist and checked the progress bar of his unique ability. The progress was about 30%. Soon, he would be able to use his glitch ability within the game again.

"When the bar is full, I might try to force my way in and create a glitch that allows me to enter... see what they're hiding in there?" Su Bai thought as a plan began to take shape in his mind.

He clenched his hands, feeling the excitement running through him. He could be risking a lot, but something told him it would be worth it.

However, he knew he shouldn't rush. The time wasn't right yet, and he needed more time for the progress bar to fill up.

With one last look at the village chief's house, Su Bai stood up. He decided to make the most of the remaining time before his ability was ready and headed back into the forest, where the monsters awaited.

"Soon..." he told himself, anticipating what was to come. There were still many things left to discover, and the village chief's house seemed to be the key to understanding what was really happening in Eldoria Village.