Chapter 49: Chapter49-Returning to Adela Village

Mana flowed from Lily's fingertips into the teleportation scroll, and a bright blue six-pointed star array instantly engulfed John and his team.

The scenery around them changed dramatically.

After a brief moment of dizziness, they found themselves back in Adela Village!

As the initial starting village for all players, every player held a special sentiment for this place.

Even after nearly three months, some players still chose to stay in Adela Village, enjoying its rare tranquility.

"I have to say, coming back occasionally is quite nostalgic. I wonder how my little house is doing. Hopefully, no one else has taken it over."

"Don't worry about that. Each player's house is independent. Unless the owner permits, no other player can enter."

"John, does that mean, with over a billion players, everyone started from the same village? From the outside, the village looks so small."

A peaceful village at the foot of a mountain couldn't possibly accommodate billions of players at once.

It seemed too far-fetched.

"I'm not sure about that. It must be some kind of setting. Anyway, let's move freely. We'll meet at Village Chief Haren's house in an hour."

The main reason John returned to Adela Village was to meet Ferris.

Ferris, the only blacksmith in the village, possessed remarkable skills yet willingly stayed in the novice village to forge weapons for every adventurer.

Although he was just an NPC, John had a deep fondness for him.

Now, having obtained so many high-quality weapons and equipment, John naturally wanted to show them to Ferris.

John vividly remembered that in his previous life, a player had persistently helped Ferris collect various forging materials, even giving Ferris a [Legendary] quality weapon to study.

This ultimately triggered Ferris's special quest.

It was said that upon completing the quest, Ferris forged a [Divine] quality weapon, which was unique in the game.

In other words, it was the only one in the entire game!

Though John didn't know exactly who obtained the weapon in his previous life, he was determined that this time, the [Divine] equipment would belong to him!

With this in mind, John headed straight to the blacksmith's shop.

As he pushed open the door, he almost collided with a small boy who looked about eight or nine years old, just about to leave.

They bumped into each other.

"Ouch! That hurts..."

The boy staggered back a few steps, his nose turning red visibly, and his eyes welling up with tears.

Seeing this, John quickly stepped back and apologized, "Sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you."

He headed straight to Village Chief Haren's house, surprised to find Lily and the others already there.

"Ah! We were just talking about you, Johnny. Didn't expect you back so soon!"

"Oh? What were you saying about me? Not secretly badmouthing me, I hope?"

John smiled as he walked forward, shaking Haren's hand.

"Chief, I've come to see you."

"Good child, you've grown stronger, and it seems taller too?"

Village Chief Haren patted John's shoulder with a smile. "Since you left, I've been worrying about you and Lily, fearing you might encounter danger. Seeing your achievements now, it makes me very happy! I even heard that Lily is now the best adventurer!"

"No way, I still have a long way to go, Chief..."

Blushing at the praise, Lily shyly lowered her head.

"The village chief believes you can achieve great things, especially you, Lily. Make sure to take good care of yourself."

"I will, Chief!"

This is the difference that intimacy brings.

Because John and Lily had raised their intimacy levels with Chief Haren to above level seven before leaving, Haren took a special interest in their rumors and news.

Players like Exiled Immortal and Helena, who hadn't paid attention to such details, could only feel envious now.

In a game world, having someone who constantly thinks about you, always expecting the best for you like a family member, would make anyone envious.

"If I had known, I would have raised my intimacy level too..."

"Hmm? What did you say? Speaking of which, you seem a bit unfamiliar, child. Are you from Adela Village, or are you a friend of John and his companions?"

Exiled Immortal: "..."

"Chief, I'm from Adela Village too. I just usually keep a low profile, so maybe you don't recognize me."

"Oh... that could be it. But you're great too, of course."

The village chief patted Exiled Immortal on the shoulder, his smile noticeably less genuine and warm, making Exiled Immortal feel even more disheartened.

"Chief, I have a few questions to ask you. Has anything strange happened in the village recently?"

"Strange? Not really, except the number of monsters near the village has decreased significantly. I'm not sure if that counts as a change."

"Hmm... that probably doesn't count, given there are so many companions in the village. Don't worry, Chief. I'm just asking casually. The village's peace and tranquility are good—they give it a homely feel.

It's getting late. We came back just to visit on our way. We're heading to the [Deep Forest] next, so we might not be able to visit for a while. Take care of yourself, Grandpa Chief."

"Don't worry. I won't have any problems until I see your names celebrated on Mount Olympus. John, Lily, my children, may the gods be with you!"