Chapter 8：Masked Bandits

Even though Liu Ye's voice didn't reach everyone, the explosive sounds of the fire missiles were enough to gather the players' attention. At this early stage of the game, everyone was eager to fight and explore as they were still learning the ropes of the game.

"Quick! Help me fight them!" Liu Ye urged as he turned around to face the three bandits. "Let's bleed them to death!"

Liu Ye swiftly created another water whip and led the charge, slapping the incoming attacks one by one. It was much easier to block the projectiles while seeing them but his whip could only handle so much. Steam burst out with each swing, forcing him to renew the whip each time.

[Ding! Your Elemental Mastery bar is full. You received one Elemental Point.]

Out of all the moments, his progress bar filled up for the first time, resetting back to 0%. At the same time, other players finally joined the fight and launched their own abilities at the bandits.

"Ha! Let's fuck them up!"

"The first to die is a pig!"

One couldn't underestimate the power of a crowd. The first wave of attacks struck the targets, causing a stream of red numbers to appear above the Masked Bandits.

-5

-5

-6

-7

[Masked Bandit - Lvl. 7]

[HP: 172/200]

[MP:15/100]

Unfortunately, the Masked Bandits were not mere punching bags. Most attacks against them were either countered or dodged while they continued to push forward.

"Get lost! You are not our enemy!" the leading bandit cried out as he punched multiple times, sending small fireballs at the nearby players.

How could they dodge anything with their slow reflexes? The newbie players burned to death one by one, crushing the crowd's overall resolve to fight. None of them was used to seeing people burn alive and die in front of their eyes.

"Don't stop attacking! They will run out of Mana soon!" Liu Ye pointed out to raise the morale but the bandits quickly responded by pulling out red and blue vials from their bags.

The bandits could use potions too!

Liu Ye couldn't help but roll his eyes when their bars began to fill back up to full. What were the developers thinking? It was as if they were facing real players instead of—

Wait, could it be that the players were being prepared for the chaos they would meet upon entering the mainland? Liu Ye wouldn't be surprised if the whole map outside of the safe cities was a warzone.

Too bad, Liu Ye had no time to ponder as the three bandits were coming for his head. It was time to stop pretending he was a team player.

Run!

The entrance of the Newbie Village was already within sight. As long as he crossed the gates, he would lose the bandits' aggression and complete the quest.

It wasn't a hard task with hundreds of players occupying the grasslands, but the accidental deaths he caused were concerning. He wouldn't be hated and targeted by everyone later, right?

"Aaaaaaaaa!!! What are you doing?! I'm burnin—"

Dead.

"What are Level 7 bandits doing here—"

Dead.

People didn't even know what struck them before they died. The Masked Bandits gave no fucks when they butchered the pitiful players that stood on their path.

"Hey! No-name! What the heck was that?! You killed me!"

Just as Liu Ye thought he was safe, the player called Flaming King came through the gates and blocked his way. He looked pissed off as he threatened with his finger and glared like a stern parent.

He was literally asking for it.

Without missing a step, Liu Ye grabbed Flaming King's arm and yanked the man to swap places with him.

"Thanks, man. I will repay you later," Liu Ye acknowledged with a nod. It baffled Flaming King for a moment but then Liu Ye pushed him backwards, knocking him straight into the three bandits.

Flaming King didn't even have time to curse as his body got bombed with flames the next second. His 'selfless' sacrifice bought precious time so Liu Ye couldn't be more thankful.

[Ding! Quest Stolen Treasure Completed! You received 500 Experience and a Fire Stone.]

[Ding! Congratulations! You reached Level 5!]

[Ding! New Unique Quest available: Arthur's Treasure.]

"Hey! Stop right there!"

Just as Liu Ye crossed the gate, he received multiple notifications and the Village Guards stepped in. Two green-robed guards stomped on the ground and ripped away head-sized rocks to act as their weapons. When the Masked Bandits saw these NPCs, they quickly backed away, losing interest in their chase.

Liu Ye naturally followed after them, in hope they would be attacked by other players, but he overestimated the other players' wills. Everyone had already run away as far as they could, trying to avoid the confrontation. He couldn't blame them. Tens of players were literally and vividly obliterated from existence in front of their eyes.

It would take a while before they could harden their hearts to face such brutality.

[Fire Stone] [Locked]

[Description: A crystal containing pure Fire Element. One can use it to awaken Firebending Art or strengthen their Elemental Mastery. Success chance might change depending on the Player's affinity with Fire Element.]

[Success Chance: 1%]

[Requirements: Lvl. 10, Quest: Avatar - Act II]

"Whoa," Liu Ye muttered in amazement as he inspected the Fire Stone. To think he would receive such a rare item so early in the game.

The success chance was the only thing that concerned him. What did the affinity to Fire Element mean? Was there a chance some people had a better success rate than others?

Liu Ye quickly pulled out his profile, trying to find a statistic that would display his affinity to Elements but he couldn't find anything. He could only sigh and let go of the new item for now since he couldn't use it yet anyway.

What piqued Liu Ye's interest was the chain quest that kept changing depending on what he did.

[Arthur's Treasure]

[You recovered Arthur's Treasure from the bandits and he would be grateful if you returned it. Since the quest wasn't issued by him though, you can also keep it for yourself. There is no way Arthur will know if you do, right? In case Player doesn't decide in time, the system will automatically keep the Fire Stone.]

[Time left: 00:09:35]

[Return item.] [Keep item.]

Liu Ye could see no consequences for either option, forcing him to decide blindly. Thankfully, it wasn't a tough decision for him.

[Ding! Quest Arthur's Treasure completed. You kept the Fire Stone for yourself.]

[Ding! Affinity with Arthur the Trader has fallen by 100. You have now become mortal enemies.]

Liu Ye already expected such a turn of events but what he didn't expect was a sudden angry shout coming from behind.

"You dirty thief! You stole my treasure! Give it back!"