Chapter 95: The Golden Trial

Along the way, Lu Kuan never even touched his hunting bow. Neither of his two escorts drew their swords, and every wild monster foolish enough to leap out and cause trouble was cut down instantly by the guard dogs. Watching those two mighty black hounds bite a charging wolf to death in a single snap each was pure, unalloyed satisfaction.

“Having pets really is wonderful.”

Lu Kuan could not help but sigh. Once he finished the backpack quest, he would immediately go tame a companion of his own.

By the time they reached Lava Fortress, the sky had already brightened. It was past five in the morning.

More and more players were appearing on the streets. Seeing two fierce-looking NPCs leading two even fiercer giant hounds while escorting a dust-covered player into the city, they all stared with their mouths hanging open.

“May fortune favor you.”

The two guards bowed slightly to Lu Kuan in farewell, then turned and departed with the guard dogs.

“Hey, buddy, are you on a quest? You selling quest clues?”

One quick-reacting player called out at once.

Lu Kuan smiled and shook his head, then strode into the city.

As the game progressed and players grew ever more familiar with Echoes of the Gods, professional merchants began springing up like bamboo shoots after rain.

Industries that would later become wildly popular were being developed by players everywhere: selling quest clues, in-game tourism, equipment appraisers, and the like. In his previous life, Lu Kuan had tried every one of those methods, but none of them had ever made truly massive profits.

Now he understood. Only by becoming truly strong oneself, and by running ahead of every other player, could one truly seize the core interests.

Since there was still time, Lu Kuan went to the tavern to practice his cooking skill. When the clock reached eight in the morning, he strolled over to the Ranger Hall.

The training grounds there were rather quiet. Lu Kuan accepted his daily quest, then chose a shaded spot beneath a tree and waited patiently, while tidying his backpack in the meantime.

Beep-beep-beep.

The message manager chimed. It was a voice call request from Dai Guang.

“Hey, hey! Lu Kuan, you were right after all. Qing Shui Village really has opened up to players. I picked up four quests in one go, and I’m grinding killer crabs right now!”

Lu Kuan smiled. This fellow had really been diligent lately.

That afternoon at Dai Guang’s home, Lu Kuan had reminded him about Qing Shui Village. He had not expected Dai Guang to rush over so early.

After a moment’s thought, Lu Kuan sent Dai Guang Akui’s friend card.

“This Akui is one of the beauties I mentioned before. She and the others will probably be going to Qing Shui Village for quests today too. If possible, you should team up and take the party quests together. That way your progress will be faster.”

“Got it, got it!”

Dai Guang answered at once, brimming with excitement. “You really are a good brother, haha. Is this beauty taken? Is she easy to get along with...”

Lu Kuan could not help but smile. “Stop, stop. I never asked those things. If you’re interested, ask her yourself in person.”

With that, he no longer listened to Dai Guang’s excited chatter and simply ended the call. He drew the short sword from his belt and began wiping it carefully with a strip of fine linen.

“Your weapon is not bad.”

Lu Kuan was so absorbed in his work that he did not notice anyone approaching from behind until a familiar voice sounded. Startled, he turned his head and found Layla standing there at some point behind him, already dressed in her battle attire.

“Deputy Commander.”

Lu Kuan rose and saluted.

But Layla paid him no mind. She simply turned and walked toward the training grounds. Lu Kuan could not help but show a helpless expression. As expected, she was still as willful and unbothered as ever.

He had guessed long ago that Layla would come today. He understood this female commander far too well. After yesterday’s events, she would certainly want to see Lu Kuan’s archery with her own eyes.

The training grounds had long since been prepared. Lu Kuan said nothing further, checked his bow and arrows, then stepped up before the line of simple targets.

Swish. Swish. Swish.

This time there was nothing holding him back. He could unleash his archery to the fullest. At a range of twenty meters, he loosed ten arrows at ten simple targets, and every single shot struck the red center, each bull's-eye spanning a full twenty centimeters across.

“Stage one quest: completed perfectly!”

The NPC overseeing the shooting results glanced at the targets and shouted loudly.

Ordinarily, many players came here to challenge the daily quest, and it was not uncommon for someone to score perfectly in the simple-target stage. So most passing players only glanced up once before moving on, with almost none stopping to watch.

Likewise, Layla’s expression did not change at all.

Next came the mid-range precision stage. The shooting distance was increased to forty meters, and the target’s center shrank to ten centimeters in diameter.

Again Lu Kuan’s movements were crisp and clean: draw, nock, release. After ten arrows were fired, the NPC’s voice rang out once more.

“Stage two quest: completed perfectly!”

Now that was impressive. The ranger players around him all snapped their heads around at once.

What on earth? Someone had actually completed the second stage perfectly?

In terms of pure accuracy, the second stage was not especially difficult. The challenge lay in the time limit: hitting the bull's-eye ten times within the allotted twenty seconds, while maintaining a hit rate above ninety percent, was a much greater test.

Even the cold-faced Layla showed a trace of surprise now, glancing at Lu Kuan with unexpected interest.

Lu Kuan, however, remained utterly calm. During the quest, the fifteen percent accuracy penalty for ranged attacks did not exist. In that case, what difficulty was there left for him?

Just one minute later, the long-range arcing shot stage ended.

Using only twelve arrows, Lu Kuan struck all ten angled targets set one hundred meters away, and once again the NPC’s booming voice rang through the grounds.

“Stage three quest: completed perfectly!”

“Wow!”

By now the training grounds were packed with players. After witnessing Lu Kuan’s astonishing performance with their own eyes, exclamations rose from every direction. Even Layla’s gaze changed ever so slightly.

No one could blame them for making such a fuss. The ranger daily quest was simply too difficult.

Among all the class halls in Lava Fortress, the only one in which no one had yet completed the golden trial was the Ranger Hall. It was not that there were no experts among rangers; rather, the archery quest was simply too demanding.

So when they saw Lu Kuan pass the second stage so beautifully, everyone’s curiosity was immediately hooked.

Lu Kuan did not waste any time. He went straight to the moving-target range, where a human mage stood waiting in a gray-and-white robe, smiling at him.

“Adventurer, would you like me to explain the rules?”

The mage asked kindly.

Lu Kuan said directly, “No need. Please begin at once.”

“Very well. Remember, you have three chances.”

Hearing that, the mage smiled and nodded, offering a reminder before picking up a black wooden disc-shaped target from the side and stepping onto the open ground ten meters away from Lu Kuan.

First, the mage cast a protective arrow spell upon himself, then raised the disc high overhead.

Whoosh-hum!

As the mage rapidly chanted his incantation, several small whirlwinds appeared around him. Soon they gathered into a miniature tornado more than a person’s height tall.