Chapter 217: Quest Invitation
Chapter 217: Quest Invitation
Gao Jing was both generous and stingy.
With friends, Gao Jing was always generous. He never liked being picky about little things.
But for those who tried to take advantage of him, he habitually repaid an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!
Gao Jing had posted the quest to buy Guru Idols with rewards dozens or even a hundred times higher than their worth to encourage the Alliance’s Adventurers to actively go out and collect them.
If the price was too low, people wouldn’t bother or would think it was a waste of time.
The one ending up at a loss would be Gao Jing.
He had originally thought that if there were too few quest items, he would just raise the reward.
Adding another zero would be beyond worth it!
So when that middle-aged man talked business with him earlier, he was ready to pony up more.
But the other guy saw him as an ignorant novice and a cash cow.
That was disgusting!
Gao Jing would rather lose out on the easily attainable Power of Faith than indulge a guy like that.
He also wasn’t planning to raise the quest reward anymore.
Five hundred Copper Coins. Take it or leave it!
Leaving the great hall, Gao Jing went up to the second floor.
The Yuancheng Alliance branch in Blackwater City was a five-story building, considered a landmark in the Middle District.
The first floor was the Quest Hall, the second was a tavern, the third provided lodging, and the fourth was a meeting hall.
The facilities were very complete.
The second-floor tavern was quite spacious, filled with many tables and chairs.
Behind the long counter on the left, several bartenders were busy.
Pretty waitresses in long dresses, carrying trays, flitted like butterflies between different tables, expertly serving drinks and food. The air carried the mixed smell of roasted meat and Malt Ale.
Most tables were occupied by drinkers. Some chatted loudly, some whispered; others were playing drinking games, while a few wolfed down their food. The atmosphere was lively.
Almost all the patrons in the tavern carried weapons. Many were powerfully built and fierce.
Gao Jing spotted several figures in robes who looked like Shamans!
You could tell a lot from just looking.
Among the extraordinary people of the Great World, Shamans were truly a rare bunch.
For example, in the Shan Yue Tribe, there were about twenty to thirty Totem Warriors now, but only one Shaman— Shanyan.
The scene in this tavern was more proof of that.
He found an empty spot at the bar, sat down, and ordered a Malt Ale.
He drank while listening to the discussions around him.
The Yuancheng Alliance had many Adventurers among its members. They relied mainly on completing quests posted in the hall to make a living and gather resources.
The tavern was where these adventurers relaxed and also a vital platform for sharing information.
For instance, which major quest had just been completed; which Adventurer party had been wiped out by mishap; or which Abyss City was recently unstable and facing the threat of war.
Tales like these, shared by the tavern-goers, informed Gao Jing about much of the underground world.
After advancing to a High-tier Totem Warrior, Gao Jing clearly felt his power growth had suddenly slowed down.
Despite continued diligent training, progress was minimal.
Shan Tai had explained this was perfectly normal—every High-tier Totem Warrior hit this stage.
Trying to level up quickly by locking yourself away wasn’t possible.
Only through fighting, constantly battling to hone one’s strength and will, could there be hope for a new breakthrough!
The leap from Totem Warrior to Great Totem Warrior was an extremely important hurdle.
Many, many couldn’t cross it.
Effort, talent, and opportunity—all were essential, without exception!
This was a big reason why Gao Jing had come back to Qinghe City—it offered pathways to the underground world.
Compared to the Great Wilderness, the underground world was clearly better suited to Gao Jing’s current martial arts cultivation.
“Another one, please.”
After finishing a mug of Malt Ale and scooping up several pieces of news, he tossed a few more Copper Coins onto the counter.
The bartender had just refilled his mug when a warrior in leather armor with a Battle Axe slung across his back approached.
He sat down nearby, glanced at Gao Jing, and asked, “Friend, what’s your name?”
The warrior was burly with bulging muscles. His bald head was covered in dark blue totem tattoos. He wore a beastskin eyepatch over his left eye and had a deep scar running down his right cheek.
“Gao Jing.”
Gao Jing set down his mug and asked in a deep voice, “Can I help you?”
“Kui Bao.”
The one-eyed warrior introduced himself first, then said, “I have a team task to explore a Ruined City. The reward is very rich. We already have four members. Want to join?”
He was recruiting team members!
Gao Jing noted the level-four badge hanging on the other’s chest. “What level quest?”
Kui Bao held up three fingers—third-tier!
Quests issued by the Alliance Branch were ranked on five levels across five noticeboards in the ground-floor hall.
Any publicly posted quest was open to all members, but few would choose anything beyond their rank or difficulty.
Third-tier wasn’t exactly easy.
Gao Jing actually felt a spark of interest now. “Why me?”
They say, it’s not the godlike opponent you fear; it’s the pig-headed teammate. In the perilous, unpredictable underground world, an adventure team needs sincere cooperation and unity to survive.
Trust and harmony among members were vital.
Trust and harmony aren’t built overnight, you know.
Gao Jing and this one-eyed warrior Kui Bao were complete strangers. What reason could Kui Bao have for actively approaching him to join his adventure team?
Gao Jing was inclined toward underground adventures but had no intention of rashly joining an unfamiliar group.
“If I’m not mistaken,” Kui Bao said heavily, “You just joined the Alliance recently. You’re a High-tier Totem Warrior, right?”
Gao Jing looked down at the shiny level-three badge pinned on him.
He realized that’s where the other guy probably got the idea.
He nodded, “Yes.”
Kui Bao sighed. “If there were another way, I wouldn’t team up with a newcomer either. But my crew took heavy losses on our last mission. If you’re not keen, that’s fine too.”
Gao Jing pondered it. “What’s the quest reward?”
Kui Bao’s eye lit up instantly. He answered readily, “If we finish, each person gets a hundred points plus a hundred silvers. Any plunder found in the Ruined City doesn’t have to be turned in.”
Gao Jing thought for another moment, then said, “All right. I’m in.”
Just as the other had said, the team quest exploring the Ruined City offered a pretty generous payout.
The “points” meant quest credits—used for leveling up or trading for gear and essentials, practically the internal currency within the Alliance.
Actually, points were more useful than Copper Coins or Shell Coins.
And a hundred silvers could be traded for ten thousand Copper Coins—well, the kind used underground, that is.
Plus keeping any loot for oneself—this was shaping up really well.
But those weren’t what Gao Jing valued!