Chapter 24.2: Hidden Quest
"Ou Huang, is there anything we should pay attention to for this quest?" Blossoming Strokes, who was always cheerful, took the initiative to approach the aloof Ou Huang.
Ou Huang eyed the two of them, not in a particularly friendly manner, but still spoke in a somewhat amicable tone, "Don't fill the bucket with too much water, or it might spill on the leaves as you walk. If any leaves get soaked, quickly remove them, or the whole plant will rot."
"Got it, got it!" the two girls echoed as they imitated the way Ou Huang protected the bucket and carefully watered the herbs.
And then... due to their lack of experience, Blossoming Strokes leaned forward too much and was immediately grabbed by dozens of agitated leafy hands and was tossed away as she screamed.
Fortunately, Unceasing Entropy, who was right beside, acted immediately and moved Blossoming Strokes' bucket aside, and in doing so, avoided a disaster.
"What the hell is this damn quest?" Blossoming Strokes came running back, wailing.
She had just returned to her position when Unceasing Entropy, who was protecting the two buckets of water but failed to properly defend her rear, was successfully ambushed and slapped by a cluster of Great Leaf Vines.
"Damn it!" Unceasing Entropy was furious and retaliated with the gourd ladle in her hand.
"Don't fight it and water quickly," Ou Huang reminded once more. "These plants have no brains. It's embarrassing to get hit, but beating them is meaningless."
Thus, the two annoyed ladies continued to water the herbs...
Jiang Wei, who had been standing at the side idling for over 10 minutes, picked up his bucket and walked toward the underground river.
The girls didn't object, so how could he, as a man, say that he couldn't do it?!
"Tsk, what a predictable ego..." sighed Yang Qiu in the Town Hall above the cave as he watched over these four players that were trying to grind his reputation points.
Although he didn't know what was going through Win By Grinding's mind, Yang Qiu could easily guess that this guy had initially wanted to give up solely based on his actions. If it wasn't because he didn't want to lose face and be compared to the two female players, Yang Qiu had no doubt that this fella would have turned tail and run to become an apprentice wanderer.
That was why there was a saying that men were creatures that found trouble out of nothing. Even though the two girls hadn't paid him any heed, Jiang Wei had started competing with himself.
But this wasn't a bad thing. Yang Qiu was desperate for magic powder and wouldn't mind having more people helping him take care of these extremely delicate Great Leaf Vines. Elsewhere, these plants were usually cultivated by slaves from other races. Humans weren't able to handle the strong attacks of those annoying leaves that only knew how to mindlessly seek out water and kill themselves from being drenched.
And the cheapest and most affordable orc slave would cost at least a few dozen gold coins...
In any case, players who were willing to work tirelessly for measly rewards like these in-game digits were truly too good!
This arm was indeed just a single arm.
There was no body of a zombie NPC attached to this arm.
"Are there... incomplete zombies in this town?" Give Me Medicine cautiously inched to the doorstep and surveyed the interior of the wooden house.
It was evident that this house had been previously cleared by players. The interior was clean... extremely clean. The walls were blank, and the interior was devoid of any furniture or even the slightest trace of clutter.
Give Me Medicine lowered his head and scrutinized the zombie arm lying alone on the doorstep. He was about to wonder if some zombie NPC had lost its arm here when he noticed an old, yellowed sheepskin parchment with tattered edges beneath the arm.
Without a second thought, Give Me Medicine bent down and pulled out the sheepskin parchment.
When he picked up the parchment and saw the words on it, his quest panel automatically popped up:
[You have inadvertently discovered a severed arm without a body. Beneath it lies an aged letter.]
[Hidden quest [Letters to Home] has been triggered. Do you accept?]
"F*ck me?!" Give Me Medicine's hands, tightly gripping the parchment, were shaking. "Hidden quest?!"
Give Me Medicine wasted no time and selected "accept" at once.
His quest panel refreshed with a new section labeled "Side Quests," with [Letters to Home] displayed under, though it was just the quest name without any text.
At the same time, the sheepskin parchment in his hand displayed a translation in Chinese:
"Dear Anna,
It's the 128th day since following General Charlotte to Taranthan. Every moment, I think of you and long for our home.
We pioneers have established our own small town in Taranthan. General Charlotte has announced that one among us will be chosen to become mayor, who would then select the administrative officer, sheriff, and taxman.
I am rooting for Yarlyn; he's the most stable, reliable, and intelligent among us. I believe he would be the best candidate for the position of mayor.
I, too, wish to vie for the position of sheriff. My father was once a respected sheriff, and I take pride in his legacy. I hope that our children will be proud of me too. I know that you support my aspirations, my love.
I eagerly anticipate the day when you and our children arrive in Taranthan.
Yours, Morris."