Chapter 63: The Adventurers’ Guild

Somewhat abrupt, yet entirely anticipated.

The young lady looked at him with tearful eyes, and Li Xin couldn't bring himself to refuse.

Ding!

Mission accepted: Eliminate the vicious wolves roaming the outskirts of Santiago.

At that moment, the waitress finally breathed a sigh of relief, visibly relaxing. She turned to the adventurers and said, "He has accepted my quest. You can't give him trouble now."

The adventurers exchanged glances and quickly conferred.

Adventurers' Guild Regulation No. 8: Once a warrior accepts a quest, all hostilities between the guild and the warrior must cease temporarily.

One burly man with a bushy mustache snorted, "Of course. We'll wait until he completes the mission before our duel."

"But," he sneered, his eyes flashing ruthlessly, "I doubt he'll even survive the quest. The wolves will tear him to shreds before he gets anywhere near completion."

The adventurers all laughed in unison.

"Vice President Fang, you're right. Alone, he doesn't stand a chance against those wolves."

"Ha, some people love to show off, never realizing how they'll meet their end!"

The onlookers, including the waitress, looked uneasy, their eyes filled with sympathy and pity. Li Xin felt a sense of foreboding—was there more to this quest than met the eye?

He quickly checked the mission details and was dumbfounded.

[Mission Accepted]: Eliminate the vicious wolves.

[Mission Hints]: 1. Objective: Slay 50 ordinary wolves and 1 wolf leader. 2. Wolves live in packs, numbering between 30 and 200. 3. The wolves of Santiago’s outskirts are famed for their ferocious melee attacks and are immune to all conventional firearms—missiles are the exception.

"Uh... uh..." Li Xin was petrified. No wonder nobody believed in him—not because he lacked strength, but because the quest was monstrously difficult and the wolves were far too formidable.

"Damn, who designed such freakish wolves, immune to firearms? Ordinary people wouldn't dare carry heavy weaponry, and machine guns or pistols are useless."

"And the quest specifies close-range combat..."

Li Xin finally understood why both the Adventurers' Guild and the police had failed this mission repeatedly. If this were ancient times, only a peerless swordsman could hope to complete it. Luckily, he possessed the 'Game King'—the endless transformations of the universe lie in his hands!

He glanced at Vice President Fang—his adventurer badge gleamed gold, while the others wore black, red, and orange. Clearly, badge color denoted rank. But since the dungeon system hadn't fully opened yet, Li Xin couldn't know the specifics.

All players were in the dark.

In a flash, he had a plan.

He looked coldly at Vice President Fang. "You think I can't complete the quest?"

"Precisely. No single person can fulfill any part of the wolf quest. Not even our Santiago branch president, Mr. Schneider, claims he can do it. This mission is officially rated S-class difficulty by the guild."

"Exactly, you arrogant fool," chimed in another adventurer with an orange badge, righteous and stern. "You have no idea how hard an S-class quest is. If you know what's good for you, you'd best give up now, lest you lose your life and end up as wolf fodder!"

Li Xin sighed inwardly, unable to retort or insult them, lest he lose the quest altogether.

"Oh? With such a difficult mission, how do you intend to complete it?"

"Kid, naturally we post it as an adventurer quest, and assemble a team," Vice President Fang sneered.

He added, "Arrogance is one thing, but life is precious. I hope you’ll think twice!"

With that, he flung his sleeve and turned to leave with his group. They had come for claypot rice to try something new, but left hungry and frustrated. To think, the dignified vice president had been bested by a mere youngster.

As they departed, the crowd began to disperse. To them, Li Xin’s bold acceptance of the quest was nothing but a farce. Once people understood the difficulty, they usually abandoned it.

The waitress looked at Li Xin apologetically. This was the only idea she could devise—to avoid a duel. At worst, he could give up the quest and lose a bit of honor.

"Wait!"

Li Xin suddenly called out to the adventurers in a loud voice.

"Oh? Have you reconsidered?" Vice President Fang turned, sneering. "If you truly plan to give up, apologize to me and I’ll cancel the duel!"

The others jeered—the boy was a walking joke.

Li Xin suddenly strode forward, his eyes blazing, showing not a hint of fear.

The crowd was astounded, murmuring that perhaps this fool had lost his mind. Everyone in Santiago knew Vice President Fang’s influence. The Adventurers' Guild wasn’t just about quests.

"What if I refuse?" Li Xin asked boldly.

"Heh..." Vice President Fang’s laugh was as sharp as a blade. "Then the wolf pack will tear you apart."

"Would you dare to make a wager with me?" Li Xin suddenly proposed.

"A wager?"

Vice President Fang was surprised—an ordinary citizen dared address him so? Normally, he would crush such insolence in an instant. But today, facing one who dared challenge an S-class quest alone, his silent fury grew.

The prospect of watching wolves devour him was more thrilling than crushing him himself.

"Kid, what sort of wager?"

Li Xin grinned slyly. "If I complete the quest, you grant me adventurer status!"

Wow!

The crowd erupted, shocked and amused. Technically, anyone could become an adventurer, but the population of the Karen Continent was divided into two groups: native Karenites and outsiders like this boy. According to the guild's founding charter, outsiders were strictly forbidden from becoming adventurers.

"Ha, what a fool, daring to covet the glorious title of adventurer."

"Pathetic, you are pathetic!"

"There are fools every year, but this year’s supply is exceptional."

...

Despite the crowd’s ridicule, Li Xin remained unfazed, unmoved. The waitress, however, was on the verge of tears, nose red, regret and frustration swirling within.

Vice President Fang burst into hearty laughter.

After a long while, he suddenly stopped, his gaze sharp as daggers.

"Very well. I’ll wager with you! If you win, I’ll make you an adventurer; if you lose, you’ll die in the wolves’ bellies, and it’ll be none of our concern!"

The crowd was stunned—this was wholly unexpected. Li Xin smiled with satisfaction. "Deal."

Before the words had faded, he was already striding out of the Chinese restaurant at lightning speed.

Behind him, a mass of stunned onlookers stared in disbelief. In all their years on the Karen Continent, none had ever seen such swiftness.

Could this be the source of his confidence?

People shook their heads—speed alone meant nothing against a wolf pack. Their combined attack was unstoppable.

Dragon or worm, the truth would soon be revealed.