“Looks like this is the place.”
Zong Xinjue led the way to an entrance. According to Chu Qianze, this location met the criteria.
“Let’s go inside and take a look,” Chu Qianze suggested.
He walked in first, and as the curse took effect, the monsters inside were drawn toward Zong Xinjue.
“I’ll go in and look around first. I’ll come back to help you later,” Chu Qianze said.
“Alright.”
Chu Qianze timely maneuvered around, dealt with a few small monsters, and then ran deeper into the cave. After circling around, all he found were rocks; there was no useful herb in sight.
Not willing to give up, he searched another round, picking up some fur and nails from the wild beasts, but still no sign of the herb.
“It seems like there really isn’t any,” he thought, deciding to head back.
At that moment, Zong Xinjue had just dealt with the last monster.
And to his surprise, two gold coins dropped beside him!
“Not bad, there are actually gold coins,” Chu Qianze walked over, sincerely impressed.
These gold coins were indeed quite rare.
Chu Qianze stayed silent for a moment before saying, “You killed those.”
Zong Xinjue fell silent too.
He did deal with a few while he was advancing.
Uh oh, buttering up the sheep’s leg backfired.1“馬屁拍羊腿上了” is a Chinese idiom that figuratively means someone’s flattery or efforts to please someone have been in vain or backfired.
“Did you find anything?” Zong Xinjue wasn’t bothered by it; he had gotten used to it.
Chu Qianze stored the gold coins away and shrugged, “Didn’t see anything. We must have looked in the wrong place.”
“There’s another dungeon with similar conditions. If there’s nothing here, it should be there,” Zong Xinjue said, recalling something.
“You always get gold coins when you kill monsters?” Chu Qianze glanced at him, and he admitted, “Most of the time, and occasionally some items.”
Chu Qianze didn’t know what to say; he felt a bit hurt. “How about this? Next time, I’ll leave the boss with low health, and you can finish it off.”
He was aware of his own luck, and if he did it all himself, he figured he’d probably just gain experience.
“Sure, I don’t mind.”
He always thought luck was a matter of probability, not something fixed. However, Zong Xinjue’s presence truly challenged his perception.
Zong Xinjue acknowledged and led the way to the next dungeon, the Mysterious Forest.
Following the plan from before, Zong Xinjue left the monsters attacking him with low health for Chu Qianze to finish off.
Surprisingly, the loot was quite abundant this time.
After walking a bit, Chu Qianze spotted the herbs he needed.
“Found it, over there. But there are guardian demonic beasts.”
Zong Xinjue followed the direction and saw two boss-level creatures guarding the area.
“I’ll draw their aggro. You go and harvest the herbs first.”
“Hold on, I’ll come back to help you once I’m done.”
Zong Xinjue nodded and immediately activated a provocation skill, leading the two creatures away from the herbs.
Seeing that the situation was about right, Chu Qianze seized the opportunity, taking a few strides to the back of a giant tree. With a curved knife in hand, he swiftly harvested the herbs. After collecting them, he hurried back.
At this moment, Zong Xinjue was surrounded by four wild monsters, including two bosses and two smaller ones.
Chu Qianze leaped onto a tree, avoiding their attack range, and summoned his device to provide ranged support.
As the howls echoed, the ground trembled, and the battle ended.
Zong Xinjue drank two potions to replenish his stamina and health. “How was it? Did you find the herbs?”
Chu Qianze walked over, opened his backpack, and displayed his harvest to Zong Xinjue.
“A great harvest!”
“Oh, by the way, I saw something drop earlier.” Saying that, he walked over to one of the creatures and bent down to pick it up.
[Tenderloin of Bull: The tenderloin from a cliff bull, known for its tender meat.]
[Lamb Leg: The compressed leg of a forging sheep, with a perfect balance of lean and fat.]
By now, Zong Xinjue had also packed up the gold coins and some small items. Seeing Chu Qianze contemplating something with what he picked up, he walked over and asked, “How was it?”
“Take a look at these two. The bull’s tenderloin is perfect for grilling, and the lamb leg too. They should taste great. The main issue is…”
Chu Qianze gestured for Zong Xinjue to look at what he was holding.
Zong Xinjue was puzzled, “What’s the issue?”
“Do they count as game meat?”
In theory, beef and lamb are edible, but with the added prefix and an unknown breed, Chu Qianze was a bit uncertain.
Zong Xinjue pondered for a moment, “Are you worried that consuming them randomly might trigger negative character states?”
“As far as I know, such situations haven’t occurred in the game. So, I think they should be edible.”
“But isn’t it said that the game draws endless inspiration from reality? Better safe than sorry.”
Chu Qianze thought for a moment and decided to put away those items. “Forget it, let’s keep these. Don’t eat them.”
“Then let’s continue to the next place,” Zong Xinjue was indifferent to this decision.
Typically, items like these are sold to specific NPCs. It’s rare to encounter someone like Chu Qianze who is considering whether to eat them.
“No need to rush. We’ve traveled quite a distance. Let’s take a break together.” Saying that, Chu Qianze took out a few tools and quickly set up a makeshift stand.
Seeing Zong Xinjue still standing in place, he said, “Come over here, don’t just stand there. I’ll give you a task—help me start a fire.”
“What are you up to?” Zong Xinjue browsed through his backpack and pulled out a box of matches.
“We’re in the wilderness now. It would be a shame not to have a barbecue on such a beautiful day.”
Chu Qianze rummaged through his backpack and took out several plates of pre-marinated meat.
“Where did you get the meat?” Zong Xinjue was astonished.
The meat looked well-prepared, and it was even skewered with wooden sticks.
“Not too far away.” Seeing Zong Xinjue holding the matches and not doing anything, Chu Qianze urged, “What are you standing there for? Help me start a fire. I’ll treat you to my special barbecue. I guarantee you won’t forget it!”
Zong Xinjue walked over and helped to kindle the fire.
Afterward, he watched as Chu Qianze placed the skewers over the fire, turning them occasionally. Then, he took out several small bottles from his backpack.
They were neatly numbered from one to eight.
“These are all brought by you?” Zong Xinjue asked.
“Right,” Chu Qianze explained patiently as he saw the complicated expression on the person’s face, “this is black pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, homemade sauce…”
He introduced the eight small items one by one. “Remember them all?”
With a tone carrying a hint of amusement. Unable to help it, the bewildered look on this person’s face directly hit his funny bone.
What’s the use of bringing these? Normal players usually carry potions or other items to replenish stamina or health. Who would bother with these seemingly useless things?
“What’s the use of bringing these?”
“Now, aren’t we using them right now? Barbecue without them is simply soulless.”
Chu Qianze glanced at the person, who was staring at the eight bottles of spices. He cleared his throat lightly, “Since you asked sincerely, I’ll ask you a question too.”
“What?”
“I have eight bottles of seasonings now. How many different ways can I mix them?” Chu Qianze flipped the skewers one by one.
Zong Xinjue: “…?”
He was left bewildered by this sudden question.
“Alright, alright, forget it. Let’s change the topic.”
Chu Qianze chuckled and pierced a small hole in one piece of meat with a toothpick, realizing that it needed a bit more grilling.
“What flavor do you like? Do you enjoy spicy?” He sprinkled some ganmei powder on a few skewers as he spoke.
“It’s okay,” Zong Xinjue replied.
“Then I’ll go easy on the chili. If you find it too mild later, you can add more yourself.”
Since it would take some time, Chu Qianze began chatting with Zong Xinjue.
“I was originally going to remind you to increase the pain perception if you like spicy food. But then I remembered you chose 100% realism, so I kept my mouth shut.”
As Chu Qianze shared, Zong Xinjue asked, “Why?”
“There was a player who chose to eat at a restaurant, ordered an extremely spicy dish, but didn’t feel anything. Feeling cheated, they complained to the restaurant and even posted the incident on the forum, calling out the business.”
“And then?” Zong Xinjue genuinely hadn’t heard of this incident.
“In fact, it was because that player directly blocked the pain perception. When they realized it, they logged out of the game, adjusted the settings, and when they logged back in, they were immediately overwhelmed by the spiciness. As a result, their character developed hemorrhoids, and their agility decreased by 20%.”
“That’s too much, hahaha.” Chu Qianze laughed so hard that he was shaking, almost dropping the skewer he was holding.
What an extraordinary gaming experience.
At this moment, the meat was almost done, and the aroma wafted through the air, reaching Zong Xinjue’s nostrils.
“How much longer?” he couldn’t help but ask.
“Getting impatient?” Chu Qianze leaned over and checked, saying, “Just wait a bit longer; it’s almost ready.”
After a few minutes, he directly picked up a skewer and placed it in front of Zong Xinjue. “Chu Chef’s secret barbecue, give it a try?”
Zong Xinjue took it, examining the skewer in his hand.
The skewer featured a perfect blend of lean and fat meat, with a subtle flow of oil, and spices sprinkled on top, enhancing the rich flavor.
Taking a bite, the delicate texture of the meat and the mix of spices exploded in his mouth, captivating his taste buds instantly. It was as if his soul was trembling with delight.
So delicious!
When Zong Xinjue came to his senses, the skewer of grilled meat in his hand had mysteriously disappeared.
When did… How did I finish eating?
Staring at the wooden stick in his hand, Zong Xinjue fell into deep thought.
Chu Qianze raised an eyebrow and smiled, quite pleased with himself. “The taste is good, isn’t it?”
“It’s really amazing; this reaches a professional level.” Zong Xinjue didn’t hesitate to offer his praise.
“Just a little short, I guess,” Chu Qianze modestly replied.
Zong Xinjue was amused about Chu Qianze. “Nowadays, not many people can cook for themselves; usually, they just order takeout.”
“Indeed, takeout is very convenient. I only started cooking because I found it interesting,” Chu Qianze replied and handed over two more skewers.
“Don’t be polite; help yourself if you want more.” Then he started dealing with his own food.
After taking a bite, he sprinkled some ganmei powder on top. “It would be great if we had some salad dressing.”
Hearing the mumbled words from the person next to him, Zong Xinjue’s expression paused for a moment.
This barbecue meal was enjoyable. When it ended, the character panel directly displayed the character in a satiated state.
Zong Xinjue took the initiative to start cleaning up. According to his thinking, the other person cooked, and he took care of the aftermath, which seemed quite fair.
Meanwhile, Chu Qianze slouched on the grass, incredibly lazy, with no desire for anything.
“Where are we going next?”
“Show me your progress in the quests.”
After Zong Xinjue packed up and checked the current progress, he pointed out the nearest location.
“Following the pace of finding three varieties a day, I’ll have to search for almost a month.” Thinking about this, Chu Qianze felt like he was about to succumb to his own laziness.
“Speaking of which—”
After waiting for a while without hearing any continuation, Zong Xinjue finished packing up the barbecue-related items and handed them over to Chu Qianze.
Just as he was about to inquire about the situation, he saw the other person raise a finger to their lips, gesturing for silence.
“Seems like something is coming.”
Chu Qianze sat up just in time for a wild boar to burst out from behind, charging straight down.
Ignoring him was one thing, but now even Zong Xinjue was being ignored.
The ground shook violently, and the leaves of nearby giant trees rustled, carried away by the noisy wind, giving off a sense of imminent catastrophe.
Chu Qianze looked up the mountain and saw massive boulders rolling down its slopes.
Is this a landslide?
Before he could analyze further, he was pulled, stumbling.
“Why are you still standing there? Run!!” Zong Xinjue, with someone in tow, initially headed downhill, then remembered something and abruptly turned towards the side.
Realizing his own foolishness, thinking of racing against boulders, was nearly suicidal.
Chu Qianze, being pulled along, couldn’t resist turning his head for a glance.
Just a moment ago, it seemed like he saw a castle on the mountain. Could it be that they triggered some kind of quest?
While contemplating this, he suddenly found himself airborne, lifted up by someone.
???
Things happened too suddenly, and Chu Qianze didn’t quite grasp what was going on.
“You were running too slow; this is more convenient,” Zong Xinjue said, accelerating underfoot. With a few agile leaps, he quickly climbed upward. With one final bound, they reached the top of a small hill, narrowly escaping the fate of being pursued by the rolling boulders.
Taking a deep breath, his gaze fell below. At this point, the large boulders had mostly descended, leaving only a few smaller ones.
As he carefully observed the movements below, he heard a voice beside him.
“Hey,” Chu Qianze saw that the person finally looked at him, half-smiling: “Can you put me down now?”
Zong Xinjue just realized that he was still holding onto him. He released his grip, feeling strangely reluctant.
Chu Qianze stood up and stretched, feeling a bit sore where the person’s armor had hit his chin earlier. Besides that, he surprisingly felt quite comfortable.
He probably got affected by something weird.
The landslide came to a halt, and the forest returned to its calm state, with fallen trees scattered in all directions and the creatures that had been knocked down, bearing witness to the recent disaster.
At this point, no new monsters had respawned, indicating that there might be more to come.
“Did we trigger some kind of quest?” Chu Qianze jumped down and surveyed the surroundings, seeking Zong Xinjue’s opinion.
“Seems likely. Based on the current developments, we probably need to explore further to uncover what comes next,” Zong Xinjue analyzed, his tone tinged with excitement.
He had read about these things on the forum before, but they always seemed elusive to him. Usually, his luck was so bad that he had to rely on battling monsters to trigger quests. Who would have thought that today, just having a barbecue would lead to such a situation?
“Where do you think we should go? Personally, I suggest heading up the mountain. I saw a castle in front of me just now, but when I wanted to take a closer look, it disappeared,” Chu Qianze shared the observation he had made.
“Then let’s head up the mountain.”
[During a picnic, you unexpectedly encountered a landslide. After successfully escaping, you decide to head up the mountain to investigate and find the elusive castle that disappeared in a flash.]
“This is probably the beginning, and it looks like we’re on the right track,” Chu Qianze said, scanning the new information on the panel.
“Yeah, let’s set out now.” Zong Xinjue focused his thoughts, ready for whatever lay ahead.
Seeing the person in such a vigilant state made Chu Qianze chuckle. He patted Zong Xinjue on the shoulder. “You doing okay?”
“I’m fine,” Zong Xinjue replied.
“Alright, then let’s go. It’s time to work up an appetite.”
The two of them set their course and headed towards the mountain.
“Wait.” Chu Qianze raised his hand, stopping Zong Xinjue, and his gaze focused on something not far ahead.
Zong Xinjue asked, “What’s wrong?”
“There seems to be some low-health monsters over there,” Chu Qianze pointed to the side, as if spotting a business opportunity.
“We don’t know what might happen with this quest. How about we harvest a wave, level up a bit, and then continue?” he suggested.
“…Sure.” Although it sounded a bit peculiar, Chu Qianze’s idea made sense. Taking the opportunity to increase their strength was a kind of insurance.
One with a giant shield and the other with a heavy sniper rifle, they charged into battle.
By the time they reached the top, Chu Qianze had leveled up twice, and Zong Xinjue’s experience bar was close to full.
After circling the mountaintop, they found nothing.
“What did the castle you saw look like?” Zong Xinjue asked.
“It had a kind of spire shape, and the walls were black, similar to something you’d find in a fairy tale, you know?” Chu Qianze provided this answer after some thought, noticing Zong Xinjue’s somewhat puzzled expression.
He truthfully responded, “It was too far away; I couldn’t see it clearly.”
[You reach the mountaintop but see no sign of a castle. In this situation, what will you do?]
“…Say, ‘Open Sesame’?” Chu Qianze ventured to answer.
Pfft.
Zong Xinjue was truly defeated by the complex thought process of this person. What on earth was “Open Sesame”? “I think, maybe we should look for clues around the area,” he suggested.
“What clues could there be, forcefully related to each other?” Chu Qianze struggled to recall the scene he saw earlier.
Recollection failed.
“According to the quest, we encountered a landslide during our picnic, and then we saw a castle on the mountaintop. Let’s assume the appearance of the castle caused the landslide. Why did the castle appear? Maybe because we were picnicking here?” Chu Qianze began his nonsensical speculation mode.
Regardless, find the general direction first before anything else.
“Is that… possible?” Zong Xinjue also felt it was a bit far-fetched.
“Actually, the feeling this game gives me is like half-dead, half-alive, a mix of logic and illogic. It’s probably because of the chaotic combination of elements. As for whether it works or not, we’ll find out when we try,” Chu Qianze said, taking out the barbecue grill, preparing for another meal.
“I don’t have any more barbecue meat in my inventory, so I’ll use this beef sirloin and lamb leg together. I don’t plan to eat it anyway,” Chu Qianze finished and asked for Zong Xinjue’s opinion, “What do you think?”
After all, they were in this together.
“I don’t mind,” Zong Xinjue had no objections.
“OK~” Chu Qianze began smoking and roasting them according to the usual procedure.
A tantalizing fragrance wafted through the air, tempting the taste buds.
“So fragrant, so fragrant,” a neutral voice echoed in their ears.
Chu Qianze continued his actions, exchanging a glance with Zong Xinjue.
Did you hear that?
Zong Xinjue nodded, indicating that he heard it too.
Neutral Voice: “Can I taste it?”
“Of course, you can. There’s too much for us to finish anyway,” Chu Qianze said.
“When will it be ready?” the neutral voice inquired.
“Probably another three to five minutes,” Chu Qianze gestured to the panel, indicating that they could use this method to communicate.
“But I can’t wait; I want to eat now.”
Chu Qianze: “You can eat now. But how do we give it to you?”
“Oh right, I’ll bring you in.”
As soon as the words were spoken, the area where Chu Qianze was suddenly cracked open, revealing a black hole, and he fell into it.
Zong Xinjue, quick to react, grabbed Chu Qianze’s hand, attempting to pull him back. However, the black hole had a strong suction force, and both of them were pulled down.
A strong sense of weightlessness engulfed them.
In front of him was endless darkness. When he opened his eyes again, Chu Qianze found himself in a spacious room.
Looking around, it had an European architectural style, with a clever combination of white and gold, giving it a sense of sanctity.
His attention was drawn to a birdcage near the window, where a parrot stood with its feet curled up, its round eyes darting around, showing a lively spirit.
[You were pulled into an unknown area by a black hole. This is a huge room with a European-style architectural style, cleverly combining white and gold, giving off a sacred feeling. By the window, there is a parrot standing on a perch, with round eyes turning, showing a lively spirit.]
[You will—]
Chu Qianze walked over, gently tapping the parrot’s beak, “Can you talk?”
The parrot’s little head moved, repeating the same phrase, “Can you talk?”
Hey, interesting.
Chu Qianze: “I can eat.”
Parrot: “I can eat.”
Chu Qianze: “I can sleep.”
Parrot: “I can sleep.”
Chu Qianze: “I can fly.”
Parrot: “I can fly.”
The parrot flapped its wings, its eyes sharpening without saying a word.
Chu Qianze observed for a moment and repeated, “I can fly.”
The parrot widened its eyes, and with a powerful flap of its wings, the entire bird exuded an extraordinary aura. “You’re talking nonsense!”
“Wow, so you’re not just a parrot repeating after all,”
Chu Qianze took the birdcage down, “Are you the owner here?”
“Are you the owner here?” the parrot repeated.
Chu Qianze looked around and asked, “What about the person who came with me?”
The parrot remained silent, only expressing confusion with its eyes, as if unsure of what you were talking about.
“I had some barbecue on the mountaintop earlier, and had made plans with someone to share it with them.”
“Food?” The parrot’s eyes sparkled, and its voice shifted to the neutral tone heard before.
“That voice is yours, isn’t it?” Chu Qianze chuckled.
“I didn’t expect you to figure it out so quickly.”
The parrot left its perch, circling around Chu Qianze twice.
“Where’s the food?”
“Right here.” Chu Qianze took out the grilled meat from his backpack. He had quickly stashed it away when it fell earlier.
Seeing the parrot swooping down, ready to snatch the grilled meat, he stepped aside, saying, “First, answer my question. Where is the person who came with me?”
The feathers on the parrot’s chest ruffled, and it demanded, “Give me the meat!”
Chu Qianze remained unfazed, “Bring the person over first, or there’s no deal.”
Perched on the birdcage, the parrot raised its claw, scratched the crossbar, and grumbled, “I can’t do that. He has to come over himself.”
[Triggered Mission: Castle Beauty]
[You have caught the attention of a terrifying creature, which grabs you and locks you inside a castle. Only a true hero can cut through the thorns and rescue you.]
With too many elements to comment on, Chu Qianze felt too overwhelmed.
After a moment of contemplation, Chu Qianze decided to ignore the peculiar wording. “So, you’re saying I can only wait for Zong Xinjue to come on his own?”
“Yes,” the parrot landed on Chu Qianze’s shoulder and came to a stop.
“What will he encounter?”
“The traps here, set up by the owner.”
Chu Qianze’s eyes shifted slightly, “Traps?”
“Yeah,” the parrot grew impatient, “What about the meat? Hurry up and give it to me!”
“You want some?”
The parrot nodded.
“Dream on,” Chu Qianze chuckled, heading outside.
“You can’t go, you can’t go!” The parrot took flight, circling above Chu Qianze’s head.
Chu Qianze stopped in his tracks, taking out the grilled meat from earlier.
“Not going is fine, but show me his current situation.”
Grilled meat!
The parrot swooped down, grabbed it, chirped twice, and a projector descended from the ceiling. The room dimmed, and the image was projected into the air.
In the scene, Zong Xinjue was wielding a giant shield, confronting a giant about three meters tall.
On his quest panel, text was shining brightly.
[Mission: Castle Beauty]
[A beauty has been captured by a terrifying creature, imprisoned in an ancient castle. The kind-hearted beauty is unaware that danger is slowly approaching. Dear hero, please cut through the thorns, go to the castle, and rescue them. You are the last hope! Countdown: ——]
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