Chapter 76: Narrow Roads for Foes

“A trip is nothing, I’m happy to be of service,” Lu Kuan quickly replied. It was no joke—everyone knew Mitchell’s set of tools was a complete set of purple-grade items; if replaced with white-grade ones, the success rate of making backpacks would drop by at least twenty percent!

Seeing Lu Kuan’s willingness, Mitchell nodded with a smile and took a pale lavender rosary from the table, handing it to him. “Take this token. When Laila sees it, she’ll hand the tools over to you.”

Lu Kuan accepted the rosary, thanked Mitchell, and left. Descending the stairs, he noticed the male mage player still standing at the stairway, gazing at him with unfriendly eyes. Lu Kuan acted as if he hadn’t seen him at all, quickly leaving the tailor’s shop and heading straight for the lord’s manor.

The lord’s manor was a sprawling compound: it included the residence and office of the Lord of Lava Fortress, a large city guards’ barracks, and a temple to Oghma, the God of Knowledge.

Mitchell’s niece was no ordinary person. Her name was Laila, vice commander of Lava Fortress’s garrison, and widely recognized by players as one of the fortress’s most beautiful NPCs.

At this moment, the training grounds in the barracks were lively, with a crowd of players surrounding a female NPC warrior adorned in white helm and armor. With a dull “thud,” the knight’s arrow struck the bullseye fifty meters away, earning a round of cheers.

“Excellent marksmanship!”

“The vice commander’s archery has improved again, truly worthy of splitting a willow at a hundred paces!”

“In terms of archery alone, even the lord himself is probably no match for the vice commander.”

Compliments abounded, and flattery flowed freely. The female warrior lifted her head proudly, then removed her helmet, revealing waist-length pale green hair.

Her skin was as flawless as jade, lips scarlet, teeth white, and her forehead bore several pale green tattoo-like patterns. Her eyebrows were sharp as blades, lending a heroic air to her delicate features.

The patterns on her forehead and her hair color revealed her rare forest elf heritage, yet her ears were more human than elven, lacking the pointed length typical of elves. The blend of features lent her a striking, exotic beauty.

This was Mitchell’s niece, Laila, a half-elf born of forest elf and human blood.

Beside Laila stood Moonlit Meteor, vice president of the Glory Guild, who had advanced to blood warlock. He was chatting amicably with her.

“Miss Laila—no, Vice Commander—how does the bow feel? Is it to your liking?” Moonlit Meteor asked respectfully, hands clasped and face alight with a smile.

Laila drew the bowstring and nodded in satisfaction. “Not bad. I entrusted this matter to you and chose well.”

Moonlit Meteor’s smile broadened. “You flatter me. My team happened to encounter the reclusive blacksmith on the Green Plains during an adventure, which is how we managed to repair your bow…”

Seeing Laila’s pleased expression, Moonlit Meteor let out a long sigh of relief. She was finally satisfied.

Repairing Laila’s bow had cost him considerable effort, even delaying his progress in the Black Desert. Yet perseverance paid off, and at last the mission was complete.

He glanced at his quest log, where “A-level difficulty” was highlighted at the top. An A-level quest meant guaranteed purple equipment, officially acknowledged by the game. Moonlit Meteor could practically see piles of gold coins and rare gear beckoning to him.

“Vice Commander—”

A robust voice from the nearby guards interrupted his reverie. “A human ranger requests an audience, sent by Lady Mitchell from the tailor’s shop.”

Laila nodded. “Let him in.”

Moonlit Meteor recollected himself, and as the guard left, he continued, “Vice Commander, about the southern merchant caravan you mentioned last time…”

“Oh, I’ll speak to the lord about it—my word is good. If your guild proves strong enough, I’ll give you priority as caravan escorts.”

Laila spoke casually, but Moonlit Meteor reacted as if he’d received the greatest news, clenching his fist in excitement.

The surrounding players from Glory Guild also lit up with joy, their eyes shining with anticipation: after days of sleepless effort, finally a glimmer of hope!

Moonlit Meteor tried to suppress his excitement, wanting to confirm details with Laila, but then he noticed two figures approaching the gate, and one looked familiar.

The trees obscured their faces, but Moonlit Meteor felt a distinct discomfort. It seemed to be someone he thoroughly disliked; just seeing the silhouette was enough to irritate him.

When the guard finally led the person forward, Moonlit Meteor’s glare was sharp enough to kill.

Lu Kuan was also surprised, seeing Moonlit Meteor’s bitter, resentful expression. What rotten luck—why did Glory Guild have to be here?

“Vice Commander—”

Ignoring Glory’s crowd, Lu Kuan produced the rosary and bowed to Laila. “Master Mitchell sent me to collect her tools. Here is her token.”

“Yes, I do have the tools,”

Laila handed her bow to an aide, took the rosary, and examined it. Then she looked Lu Kuan up and down. “But… Are these tools for Master Mitchell to craft a magical item for you?”

Lu Kuan answered calmly, “Yes.”

Laila smiled, revealing adorable tiger teeth, but her next words were less endearing. “Then you must be a capable adventurer. Since you’re here, let me see your skills—let’s see if you’re worthy of Master Mitchell personally making a magical item for you.”

Lu Kuan thought to himself, “As expected, here’s the main challenge.”

The backpack quest was difficult partly because high-quality Shadow Grass was rare, and partly because, at this stage, one had to pass Laila’s test to proceed.

Depending on the player’s abilities, the test varied: melee combat, stealth, riding, even various life skills—all to accommodate non-combat players.

Lu Kuan, naturally, opted for archery.

At the mention of combat, Laila’s demeanor changed instantly. The graceful half-elf vanished, replaced by a female general ablaze with fighting spirit.

Lu Kuan knew Lava Fortress’s renowned beauty well: outwardly gentle, she was in fact a sword fanatic, obsessed with martial prowess. Among Lava Fortress’s combat NPCs, she wasn’t the strongest, but her fighting spirit was unmatched.

To complete this quest quickly, Lu Kuan would need to employ some clever tactics.

“Thirty meters, ten arrows. If you hit the target with at least eight arrows, and score at least three bullseyes, you’ll pass.”

Standing before the archery range, Laila pointed at the target and added, “You have two attempts.”