Chapter 11: The Mission

“Oh, is that so? I wonder what kind of mission it is, and what kind of Black Iron-grade Longsword the reward is?” Xu Feng turned and asked.

Although the Wandering Merchant was a neutral race, they did not belong to the lawful good faction. They were a group of profit-chasing vampires. When trading with them, one had to be extra careful, or the result might be utterly disappointing.

“Of course, a knowledgeable person like you must know that among the Void Insectoid Race, there is a creature called the Green Poison Insect. Their strength is at most One Star, similar to you. I believe you can definitely defeat them. I need the Poison Sacs inside their bodies. Five Poison Sacs can be exchanged for one Cosmic Gold Coin with me. Ten Poison Sacs, and I will give you a freshly forged Black Iron-grade Longsword. Heh, how about it? Do you accept this mission?” the Wandering Merchant said with a flickering gaze.

“Green Poison Insect, huh? Are you talking about the ones with long-range attack abilities, able to spray poison from ten meters away? The kind where a single drop can kill instantly? I would rather fight a Two-Star Black Armored Beetle than go after any Green Poison Insect,” Xu Feng said with a cold laugh.

“Ah, you… you actually know…” The Wandering Merchant was taken aback and said, “Impossible. Could it be that you have encountered a Green Poison Insect before and escaped with your life?”

“Of course I know about that insect. But how I know doesn’t seem to be any of your business. Well, if this is the mission, then there’s no need for us to continue talking.” Xu Feng made as if to turn and leave.

The Wandering Merchant quickly stood up and stopped Xu Feng, saying, “Alright, alright. As long as you bring me one One-Star Green Poison Insect’s Poison Sac, I will give you a Black Iron-grade longsword. How about that? It’s a great deal. Just one—only one is needed.”

The poison of the Green Poison Insect was a material for alchemy. Only the poison stored in the Poison Sac could be used as a material. Once sprayed out and exposed to air, it would immediately become a deadly toxin. Moreover, most importantly, the outer skin of the Green Poison Insect’s Poison Sac was a material for making Antidotes, which made it highly sought after.

“Alright, let me see the mission reward first. You know, even among Black Iron-grade longswords, there can be significant differences,” Xu Feng said calmly, staring at the Wandering Merchant.

“Damn it, you’re even more annoying than the despicable Void Insectoid Race. You’re so harsh. Do you think I would lie to you?” the Wandering Merchant growled in a low, angry voice, as if Xu Feng’s behavior had insulted his dignity.

“Alright, alright. I just want to take a look. I won’t take it away. Hurry up, show it to me. If the reward is satisfactory, I will accept your mission. You know, at this stage, not just anyone can obtain a Green Poison Insect’s Poison Sac,” Xu Feng said, completely unfazed, waving his hand casually.

“Fine, damn it. This is your mission reward. Take a good look. I swear, unless you bring me a complete One-Star Green Poison Insect’s Poison Sac, you will never get your hands on this longsword.” Seeing that he couldn’t intimidate Xu Feng, the Wandering Merchant seemed a bit deflated. His face turned gloomy as he took out a longsword with a dark gleam from a bag beside him and showed its attributes to Xu Feng.

[Name: Sharp Warrior’s Sword]

[Type: One-handed Sword]

[Grade: Black Iron]

[Attack Power: 14-21]

[Attributes: Strength +3, Agility +2]

[Equip Requirement: One Star]

[Note: This is a rare high-quality piece among the standard equipment produced in the forge. The Blacksmith secretly kept this fine longsword, but it was eventually discovered by the forging supervisor. In the end, the longsword ended up in the hands of the forging supervisor. Selling Price: 3 Cosmic Gold Coins]

“It’s acceptable. I’ll take your mission then,” Xu Feng said with a slight smile, nodding in satisfaction.

Compared to the Bone-Cleaver in his hand, this one-handed sword was like a Divine Artifact. However, to obtain it, he had to kill a Green Poison Insect with long-range attack abilities, which was no small feat.

“Then hurry up and find a Green Poison Insect, kill it, and retrieve its Poison Sac to exchange. Remember, I don’t have much time. You have at most twelve hours to complete this mission. After tonight, when dawn breaks tomorrow, I will leave this place.” The Wandering Merchant lowered his head and continued organizing the bag in his hands.

“Let’s go,” Xu Feng said, shrugging at Wang Ying.

Wang Ying looked at Xu Feng with admiration.

“You… you’re amazing. You weren’t afraid of that Insect Human at all. I feel like that Insect Human was much stronger than the ones we killed earlier,” Wang Ying said, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

“Of course. Did you see the Insect Crystal on his forehead? It was red, right? That means he has Three-Star strength. White for One Star, black for Two Stars, red for Three Stars, orange for Four Stars. In the future, when you see the Insect Crystal on an Insect Human’s forehead, you’ll know their approximate strength. If you encounter one you can’t beat, run away quickly,” Xu Feng explained.

“You’re so awesome. How do you know everything?”

“Haha, of course. From now on, just follow me. I’ll protect you well. But you have to listen to me. Later, I’ll form a team, and you can join. I’ll take you along to kill insects.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll definitely listen to you and join your team to kill insects with you. It’s just that those insects are so ferocious. You have to protect me…”

…

As they walked, Xu Feng opened a map and pointed to a location. “Let’s go to that pharmacy first. I need to prepare some medicine. Otherwise, with just the two of us, killing a Green Poison Insect would be quite dangerous.”

Along the way, Xu Feng explained many common-sense things to Wang Ying.

Originally, Wang Ying thought Xu Feng was somewhat cold-blooded and had only protected her because he heard about her talent. But as they traveled together, she could feel that Xu Feng was genuinely helping her, and she felt moved.

“As long as you don’t abandon me, I will strive to become a qualified teammate,” Wang Ying silently resolved in her heart.

“That stingy guy must be trying to level up his alchemy skills. Otherwise, he wouldn’t need this kind of Poison Sac. Hehe, he thinks the Green Poison Insect is hard to deal with, but unfortunately, I already know how to handle these tricky insects. That Black Iron-grade longsword is practically free for me. Hahaha~” Xu Feng thought to himself, feeling so pleased that he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.