BXBX NOVEL Chapter 9: A First Quest! (1)
Chapter 9: A First Quest! (1)
A huge tree in the tutorial forest had fallen again. It was Jake\'s third tree that he had cut down with the new proficiency he\'d acquired—the lumberer.
Though proficiency it may have been, Jake found it much easier to cut down the trees whose barks were studier than the torsos of high-level monsters.
He heaved his chest up and down while sucking in air, exhaustion taking a toll on him as his current occupation was too demanding. That said, Jake\'s grin hadn\'t thawed as he could see his strength and dexterity stats significantly going up with each swing of his wooden ax.
[Archer Lv. 4 HP: 160/160 MP: 160/160]
[STR: 30]
[DEX: 24]
Many knowledgeable people would have pitied Jake\'s arms, wrists, and even the trees, as the young adult had been cutting trees down with wooden equipment. It put such a heavy burden on him that most NPCs would have told him to give up on it and instead ask Richard for logs for wooden armorer proficiency.
Jake, however, didn\'t seem to mind his slow pace or pain in his hands. Stats aside, it was satisfying to feel that pain as it made his hard work more rewarding. Also, Jake had come up with a plan for his tutorial island conquest, which required him to be the lumberer here.
He shared it with Richard once their armorer lessons began.
Richard peculiarly looked at him before asking whether he hadn\'t misheard him. "You said you want to cut down a path toward the Unconquerable Mountain?"
"Yep," Jake nodded with a chuckle.
Since that mountain\'s spire had been Jake\'s goal ever since he had laid his eyes on it, he drew a proper plan to face his aspirations. It couldn\'t have been named like that for no reason, so Jake assumed he wouldn\'t really conquer it on his first try.
Which meant that he would have to return back to the mountain\'s foot after his first death.
With the forest being so dense and dark, returning wouldn\'t be so simple even if he had a map or already knew the directions, to say nothing of monsters respawning during his death cooldown.
But if he were to cut down a path where sunlight freely can land on, he would be able to deter a lot of monsters who rarely see it and get to his goal much faster.
Richard smiled, "You never cease to impress me... this is a long-term plan, though. I should have given you a quest much earlier, but you faced hardships and improved so significantly without them that I held myself back."
Even now, Jake was making a wooden utensil with nothing but a sharp-edged stone. It was such a primitive method that any other player would have already sent a complaint to the game company.
Jake, however, took joy in this different method and the difficulties that came with it.
"That\'s fine," Jake nodded. "Doesn\'t it mean you have seen much more potential in me than in other players? I think this primitive experience gonna help me a lot in the future, so don\'t sweat over it."
Richard smiled with relief, "Thanks. Alright then! I\'ll pass you this quest, then!"
A system message soon popped up before Jake.
[Richard wants to give you a quest, \'Steel Ax Quest(Unique)\']
[Steel Ax Quest(Unique) — The Wolf Boss of The Tutorial Forest had once found a steel ax and taken fancy to it. It\'s his treasure and pride that he protects with his whole body. Find the steel ax and bring it to Richard for research.]
[Reward: The Steel Ax after Richard\'s research.]
[Do you accept?]
Richard could have given much more rewards to Jake, but he had decided that it would be against the young man\'s wish, as Jake had a long-term plan and wanted to spend much more time on the tutorial island. He had even shared it with him and asked for any tips.
It was selfish of Richard, but he wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.
He had grown this close with Jake.
[You have accepted the quest!]
Jake smiled, "The quest means that I can lure out the wolf and find the steel ax without fighting him."
"Exactly! You have to thoroughly read every quest\'s description. Hidden clues is what you must look for in each quest you receive." Richard nodded and teasingly smiled, hinting there was more to the quest\'s content.
Jake narrowed his eyes.
The content was short, simple, and precise to fault.
What more could have been hidden here?
A few minutes later, Jake muttered, "He protects it with his whole body? Does the wolf boss also sleep on the makeshift bed made of leaves? It\'d mean the steel ax is under him and that bed?"
Richard grinned, "You got it right."
"I see! Thanks, Richard!" Jake nodded. Now, he truly understood what Richard\'s advice entailed. "I\'ll go for the battle, though! I learned much more about archery back in my world. I got a really nice master."
"Good to hear that! Good luck!"