Simple Quest

Roland had lived in Red Mountain Town for more than a month, but he hadn't triggered any quests yet. However, Betta had triggered one so quickly.

It did make sense on second thought. Roland was incapable of Language Proficiency, and quests required communication, unlike other games where there were gold exclamation marks above the NPCs to inform the players of acceptable quests.

How could he trigger a quest when he could barely talk?

Therefore… He had to learn Language Proficiency as soon as possible.

"All right, let's team up. You can share the quest with me."

Both of them were seasoned players. They soon set up a team on the system menu, and then Betta shared the quest.

"Search for the missing grandchildren of an old man."

The title of the quest was green, followed by "Excellent."

Noticing Roland's confusion, Betta explained, "I've accepted white quests before, but the rewards were quite unattractive. I got only a common iron longsword once."

Betta took out a rusted longsword from his Backpack and waved it. "This is the one."

"Did you get your clothes and your weapon through quests?" asked Roland curiously.

Betta nodded and asked back, "Didn't you get your magic robe in the same way?"

Roland shook his head. "No, it's a gift from an old man."

Betta clapped his hands and said, "It seems that intimacy plays a role in this game."

Although Betta had just graduated from high school, it was obvious that he was quite smart. He made the deduction quickly.

Roland thought for a while and said, "Yes, but I have to remind you that you must not treat the NPCs in this game as the NPCs in the sandbox games we played. They are quite intelligent."

Betta nodded and said casually, "I know. The AI of Penguin Corporation is almost lifelike."

"They feel like real persons to me," Roland said and frowned.

"Hahaha." Betta laughed. "You're overthinking, Brother Roland. This game is controlled by AI. They're just data."

Roland sighed and said, "I studied the application of intelligent programs when I was in college, or to put it more simply, I worked on AI. As far as I know, it requires tremendous work to establish such an enormous world and make every NPC as vivid as a real person. I don't think anyone can achieve that."

"But this game has achieved it." Obviously a consequentialist, Betta shrugged and said, "So… a genius must've made breakthroughs."

Roland said with a bitter smile, "That's the only explanation."

"All right, Brother Roland, should we get started?" Betta looked at him hopefully.

They were standing before Roland's cottage. Roland pointed at the foot of the mountain. Because of the fair today, there were many more people in Red Mountain Town.

The streets were jam-packed with peddlers and customers.

The noises of the crowd came from down below and sounded like some sort of rising tide.

"Do you not want to enjoy the carnival?" Roland asked, finding it odd. "Such fairs must be new to you, right? Your generation has grown up with online shopping."

Betta shrugged. "I'm not interested at all. I just want to level up, challenge the more intriguing quests, and see more monsters and landscapes."

So, the young man was more of an adventurer?

Roland stood up and said, "All right, let's go."

They left Red Mountain Town by the crowded bridge. According to the quest, the child declared that he would travel the world as a mercenary before he moved west with a sword.

West…

Roland vaguely recalled that Falken mentioned that a bunch of trolls were hiding in the forest dozens of kilometers to the west. The trolls were good at fighting, and there were few capable hunters around, so they were never eliminated.

Thinking about that, Roland mumbled, "Was this silly child trying to conquer the trolls? He can't be so idiotic, can he?"

Betta said, "It's just a setting. There's no need to consider if it's reasonable. It's only a way to level up."

But Roland still felt that something was wrong.

Instructed by the quest system, Roland and Betta found the trolls in the evening after walking for a whole day.

The place was rather creepy with the bone totems.

A dozen green-skinned trolls were sitting around a fire. The stone pot on the fire seemed to be cooking the limbs of a human.

There were thirteen trolls in total, ranging between LV1 and LV2. No wonder they were a threat to the passersby.

Crouching, Roland asked, "Should we make a battle plan?"

"That's unnecessary. I've killed plenty of such trolls. Watch my back for me, Brother Roland." Betta stood up and charged forth.

Betta was not wrong. Killing those trolls was a piece of cake for him.

He was fast and strong. More surprisingly, he could even use magic in the middle of the battle.

He broke into the trolls' lair like a tiger breaking into a pen of lambs. Half of the trolls were killed within three minutes, and the other half were slaughtered by Roland's Inferior Fireball and Hand of Magic.

Blood was all over the ground.

Betta wiped off the blood on his face. With the system's help, he found the highlighted target, which was a dry skull on a weird totem.

"Here's our quest objective." Betta smiled and moved the skull off from the totem.

"Don't you find it disgusting?" Roland asked, frowning.

Betta played with the skull in his hand, not entirely bothered. He said, "They are nothing more than data. Keep an open mind.

"All right, Brother Roland. Let's go back and accomplish this quest."

Roland looked at the bone totems nearby. They were all the remains of human beings that had been eaten. Some were still being cooked in the pots. Thinking for a moment, he said, "Why don't you go back first? I'll bury those bones first."

Betta looked at him in surprise. "Brother Roland, everything here is data. You're too obsessed."

Roland paused for a moment and said, "Just consider me a willful man."

Betta sighed and said, "All right, I'll be waiting for you in the town."

After that, he returned by himself.