Absolute Destiny Game

Xiao Jie took the Firewood Axe and was about to leave when another person came into the blacksmith shop — a young man in his twenties bare-chested and holding a stick, who had a rather delicate face.

You could tell he was a new player just by looking at him.

Xiao Jie casually glanced at the newcomer's name.

I Want to Be Immortal (Returnee), Level: 1.

The young man entered the blacksmith shop and headed straight for Wang Kai.

"Excuse me, are you the gold-selling Wang Kai?"

Wang Kai replied, "Yes, that's right, what's up?"

"I want to buy some gold. I am the younger brother of 'I Want to Seal the Sky'."

"Oh, so you're the little brother of old Feng Tian, I see. I thought your name looked familiar. How's your brother doing? Haven't seen him in a long time."

"He's dead."

"Ah — condolences, brother."

The fat man said somewhat regretfully.

Xiao Jie watched the two conversing, feeling somewhat emotional himself.

"I want to buy gold," declared I Want to Be Immortal.

"Sure, how much do you need?"

"5,000 coins."

Man, how could a new player be so rich? Xiao Jie was shocked. 5,000 coins was equivalent to fifty thousand yuan. What was he doing collecting so many copper coins? Was he planning to buy equipment and venture out of the village?

That's right, hadn't he himself had that same thought before?

"No problem, for Feng Tian's little brother, I'll give you a 5% discount. By the way, are you looking to buy equipment? I can calculate it directly for you. I'm an apprentice in this blacksmith shop and get an internal price. Plus, some hidden items require reputation to purchase, which I can help you unlock directly."

Sure enough, money talks, Wang Kai was extra enthusiastic with I Want to Be Immortal, unlike his attitude with Xiao Jie, who had to haggle over fixing a Firewood Axe like a beggar.

"That's a bit too much, isn't it? Should I make up the difference?" I Want to Be Immortal seemed embarrassed.

"Oh, come on, don't be a stranger. I was good buddies with old Feng Tian. His brother is my brother. Let me introduce you to some of the good equipment in the store. Oh, and let's exchange WeChat contacts first..."

"That's why I need to be well-prepared, spending money to buy gold. As long as I have a full set of equipment, there's nothing to fear."

Before long, I Want to Be Immortal was fully equipped.

He wore thick leather armor, Cowhide War Boots, and a Bull Horn Leather Helmet — it wasn't that he couldn't afford iron armor, but he didn't have enough strength to carry it without incurring a weight penalty, so he had to use leather.

He chose a Snake Spine Longbow, a Fine Steel Treasure Sword, an Iron Inlaid Shield, and a Cold Iron Spear... he was armed to the teeth.

For a newcomer without any skills, all weapons were equally advantageous, meaning he had no specific weaknesses or strengths; he could carry multiple weapons and switch between them depending on the monster he encountered.

The equipment cost him over 3,000 coins, and Wang Kai completed the transaction by directly giving I Want to Be Immortal the remaining money. Now, he just needed to buy some golden sore medicine and food supplies to start his adventure outside the village.

Xiao Jie thought to himself that this guy was really going all out, spending fifty thousand yuan just like that. Indeed, the equipment made him look much more powerful, but being only Level 1 still seemed too risky.

He couldn't help but caution, "Buddy, I think you should be more careful. It's dangerous outside the village, and you know that in this game, death is real, right?"

I Want to Be Immortal confidently replied, "I know, but I have my reasons to become stronger. With my skills, as long as I'm careful, I'll be fine. I'll start with the weakest monsters and slowly explore. Don't worry about me."

(Brother, don't worry. If there are immortals in this game, there must be spells for resurrection. I'll definitely bring you back.) The young man in front of the computer, dressed impressively in his virtual gear, had a determined look in his eyes.

His voice still carried a hint of immaturity, yet it was unusually resolute.

Xiao Jie sighed in his heart. Well, let's not pry then, he thought, and decided not to say anything more.

This sort of thing was, after all, a personal choice.

Watching the man leave the blacksmith shop without looking back, Xiao Jie couldn't help but feel emotional—Buddy, I hope you survive.

"You're so close with 'I Want to Seal the Sky,' why don't you talk some sense into his brother?" he couldn't help but say to Wang Kai standing beside him.

Wang Kai didn't seem to care at all, "It's useless, good words won't dissuade a determined fool. Everyone who plays this game is skilled and bold. If he knows the true nature of this game and still dares to go out and hunt monsters, it means he's confident, or he has a compelling reason to take risks. What's the point in advising?

Besides, how do you know he's not some hidden expert? Maybe he really can face down gods and buddhas and returns fully equipped in top-grade gear.

And when it comes to danger, unless you've experienced it yourself, you'll never truly understand what it's like, so what's there to advise? If he wants to adventure, he'll face it sooner or later. At least with the equipment I forged for him, his chances of survival have greatly increased. I've taken care of him on behalf of his brother."

Xiao Jie was speechless, thinking that your attitude really does prioritize respecting each individual's choices.

But he wasn't wrong either.

The guy at least had a set of top-grade gear; when he himself ventured out of the village, he might not even have that privilege.

Okay, enough dawdling, better go chop some firewood.

Since he had decided to embrace a cautious path, he might as well stick with it.

After leaving the blacksmith shop, Xiao Jie didn't rush off to chop trees on the mountain.

Instead, he pondered what was going wrong, wondering why he wasn't making money?

Chopping Wood needed further study; the game surely wouldn't let players be out of pocket, he must be doing something wrong.

After a moment of thought, Xiao Jie suddenly smiled. Why go through all this trouble himself when he could just ask online?

If the game was this realistic, then the rules of chopping wood should follow real-world logic.

Exiting the game, he logged into his regular knowledge forum, "Endless Sea of Consciousness," and posted a query.

[Consultation: Does anyone know any tips for chopping wood? I keep damaging my Firewood Axe when I chop, and I'll reward generously if your answer helps.]

He casually offered a reward of 10 yuan.

Now all that's left is to wait for responses from forum members.

While waiting, he decided to sort out his lunch.

The characters in the game could eat their fill, and he shouldn't starve either.

Opening the fridge, all he saw were a few eggs and nothing else, which again made Xiao Jie feel uncomfortable—today was supposed to be Han Luo's turn to buy groceries.

Forget it, let's just cook some noodles.

Skilfully, he boiled some water on the induction cooker, and in one fluid motion added noodles and an egg, then tossed in two fish balls to enhance the flavor.

Soon, a large bowl of noodles was ready, steaming hot and just about to be served, when the phone rang at an inopportune moment.

Xiao Jie picked it up and saw an unfamiliar number. He felt slightly puzzled and vaguely guessed who it might be.

After hesitating for a moment, he still answered it.

Xiao Jie said gravely, "Hello?"

"Hey, Xiao, remember me? I'm Liu Qiang. How have you been lately? I had Han Luo bring you a game yesterday. Have you played it?"

It was indeed that jerk!