Powerful village chief

"I finally made it out!" Jake gasped for breath at the forest exit, relieved. It took him less than half a day to complete the journey today, or rather, to run through it. The little creature that looked like a cat and a fox had been relentlessly chasing him, continuously pelting him with wild fruits. It seemed like a fun game for the creature.

"If you dare, keep chasing me," Jake turned around and said to the little creature perched on a tree at the edge of the forest. Without the cover of trees, Jake believed that if it dared to chase him again, he would find a way to catch it.

The little creature stood at the tree trunk, tilting its head and looking at Jake. After a while, it turned around and jumped to another tree, disappearing deeper into the forest.

"That mischievous little creature finally left," Jake sighed with relief. If it had truly pursued him, capturing it would not have been easy due to its agility and cleverness.

"Oh, I forgot to use the Identify skill on it to see what kind of animal it was," Jake thought to himself as he walked back.

After returning from the forest, Jake went directly to the general store, bought an axe for woodcutting, and then headed to the village chief's house.

"You want to go woodcutting?" the old village chief said after learning of Jake's intentions.

"Yes," Jake replied, "You mentioned before that if I took over the entire mountain behind the village, the fish, animals, and everything else on the mountain would become my personal property. Does that include the trees in the forest?"

This was an area of concern for Jake because both the valuable wood and the metallic walls inside the mountain caves were part of the mountain.

"Yes, I did say that," the old village chief stroked his chin. "But I didn't expect you to go and chop down those trees."

In the village chief's view, the fish in the river, the beasts in the forest, and the herbs were more valuable than the "ordinary trees." He thought Jake would capture those beasts or fish to sell. He never expected Jake to target the "ordinary trees" first.

Could it be that the value of those trees surpassed that of the beasts and herbs? In reality, the village chief and the villagers didn't know much about the mountain behind the village. The village chief was the first one to arrive in the village, and at that time, the mountain and its forest were already there. Over the years, due to the scarcity of village residents, the fields and forests in front of the village were sufficient for their needs, and no one had considered exploiting the resources in the mountain. It simply wasn't necessary for them. Therefore, the village chief had no idea what kind of trees existed in the forest on the mountain. Even if he knew, he might not have any interest in them.

"Just knowing is enough," the village chief assured Jake once again, putting Jake's mind at ease. "I came to ask you where I can learn woodcutting."

Although Jake could still go woodcutting without learning the skill, his efficiency would undoubtedly be much lower. It was similar to farming. He could plant crops without learning the planting skill, but his speed would be slower, and the results wouldn't be as good as those with the skill.

"Woodcutting? I know that," the village chief said casually.

"Really?" Jake looked at the village chief in surprise and doubt. The village chief had already taught him farming and animal husbandry skills, so did he also have knowledge of woodcutting?

"What kind of look is that?" The village chief was displeased with Jake's skeptical expression. "Not only do I know woodcutting, but I also know winemaking, fishing, and more! Do you really think your generation can fathom my abilities?"

"You know all that?" Jake's skeptical look turned into delight. "Can you teach me?"

Although the village chief's skills were all life skills, they were still very useful for Jake. These skills were not only valuable in the game world but also in the real world. Each life skill would make the real-life Jake more versatile.

"Teach you? Sure," the village chief said.

"Really? That's great!" Jake exclaimed happily.

"But why should I teach you?" The village chief's words froze Jake's delighted smile. Yes, why would he teach him? Jake couldn't come up with an answer at that moment.

"Village Chief, please consider this," Jake thought for a moment before speaking. "You're already at such an advanced age. Don't you want your skills to be passed down? There must be someone suitable to carry on your legacy in this village, right?"

Indeed, there was no one else in the village who could be considered a suitable disciple apart from Jake, the only "player" in the village. "And besides, I'm going to serve in the military on behalf of our village," Jake continued, "After I leave, I'll be representing our village. The more skills I have, the more capabilities I'll bring, and our village won't lose face, don't you agree?"

"You make some sense," the village chief stroked his chin again. "When you leave, you'll represent the dignity of our entire village. You can't embarrass us."

"Exactly!" Jake immediately responded. "So, if I learn more skills and showcase them outside, it will bring honor to our village."

After thinking for a moment, the village chief said, "That makes sense. Alright, I'll teach you. Just remember, when you're out there, don't embarrass our village!"

"I understand, I understand," Jake quickly replied.

Then, a series of mechanical-sounding prompt tones rang in Jake's ears.

"Congratulations on receiving the teachings of Grandmaster Irvin the Carpenter. You have learned Woodcutting and reached an advanced level!"

"Congratulations on receiving the teachings of Grandmaster Irvin the Carpenter. You have learned Furniture Crafting and reached an advanced level!"

"Congratulations on receiving the teachings of Grandmaster Irvin the Brewer. You have learned Winemaking and reached an advanced level!"

"Congratulations on receiving the teachings of Grandmaster Irvin the Angler..."

The series of prompt tones left Jake's head buzzing, his eyes sparkling with excitement. All of them were at the Grandmaster level!

Jake never expected that the seemingly ordinary, even somewhat sleazy village chief in front of him would have so many Grandmaster-level identities. It was incredibly difficult for an ordinary person to reach the Grandmaster level in a single skill, and even becoming a Master was highly respected.

Yet, this village chief not only possessed the Grandmaster level in multiple skills but also had numerous Grandmaster-level identities. If this were to be known, it would undoubtedly cause a huge sensation.