At the opposite end of the Novice Village, the soft glow of the resurrection altar pulsed with holy light.
A figure slowly emerged from the luminescent mist—it was Lin Yao, the elite player who had just been obliterated by Lin Feng in the blink of an eye.
As she stepped out, her expression remained locked in disbelief.
The moment Lin Feng had struck her down... it had been so fast. Too fast. She hadn't even had time to react, let alone process what had happened.
It wasn't until she replayed the death log that the truth finally surfaced.
The cause of death: a terrifying counter-damage backlash, triggered the instant she landed her attack.
Nearly 5,000 points of reflected damage surged back into her in just half a second. For someone like Lin Yao—a seasoned combat expert—it was nothing short of chilling.
She stared blankly at the playback window. Her hands, usually steady from years of PvP grind, trembled faintly.
The Apocalypse Continent truly was a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
That player… Lin Feng. A complete mystery. Someone this powerful would no doubt appear again. Perhaps next time, she would be ready.
With that thought, Lin Yao quickly shook off her distraction, took a deep breath, and plunged back into the wilderness to resume her grind.
Meanwhile, at the far edge of the village, Lin Feng had already cleaned up the battlefield and moved on.
He didn't immediately dive back into monster hunting. Instead, he navigated along a set of mental coordinates, scanning the forest around him.
Back in his previous life, Lin Feng had seen a post on the game forums. It described several ultra-rare encounter quests that could trigger during the Novice Phase.
One of those coordinates matched exactly where he now stood.
A player from the past had stumbled onto it by accident. Completing that quest had shot his level through the roof, and he walked away with an insanely rare item that caused a server-wide stir.
Following his memory, Lin Feng quickly arrived at a thick, shadow-drenched grove.
[System Notification: You have discovered the Shadowgrove Forest (Lv5–Lv10). Exploration progress +20%!]
He looked up.
The forest was dense with magic. The very air shimmered with power. On the wind, the scent of blood lingered—heavy, metallic, unmistakable.
Pushing deeper through the trees, he soon spotted several soldiers lying wounded on the ground, their armor stained with blood.
Not far off, a pack of hulking, demonic direwolves prowled toward them. Their jaws dripped with saliva, eyes blazing crimson, teeth bared for the kill.
Scattered across the forest floor were overturned wagons. Gold, silver, and treasures glinted in the dirt.
It didn't take a genius to figure out—these soldiers were no ordinary guards.
[System Alert: You have triggered Hidden Encounter Quest — "Rescue the Surrounded Guards"!]
Lin Feng didn't hesitate.
[Skill Activated: Warstomp Lv1]
With a heavy stomp, a massive shockwave exploded from beneath his feet.
BOOM—
[2,800 Physical Damage]
[2,800 Physical Damage]
[2,800 Physical Damage]
The ripple of destruction tore across the battlefield, engulfing the mutated beasts.
The direwolves were annihilated on the spot, their grotesque bodies thrown backward like ragdolls.
[You have slain Demonic Direwolf (Iron-tier). EXP +50]
[You have slain Demonic Direwolf (Iron-tier). EXP +50]
[You have slain Demonic Direwolf (Iron-tier). EXP +50]
A string of system prompts echoed in his mind.
Lin Feng walked forward and helped the bloodied soldiers to their feet.
"Thank you, noble warrior. Without you, we'd be dead meat by now!"
"Truly... we owe you our lives. Who would've thought someone would pass through this cursed forest?"
"We'll remember your kindness. That's a promise!"
The soldiers, still catching their breath, bowed deeply to Lin Feng.
As he assisted them, he glanced at the name tags above their heads:
[Royal Guard of Dragonspire – Critically Wounded]
His eyes narrowed.
These were personal guards from Dragonspire, one of the top-tier powers players could align with after graduating from the Novice Village.
In the Huaxia region, Dragonspire was a juggernaut—wealthy, influential, and respected. To see their elite guards reduced to this state…
[Quest Completed: Rescue the Surrounded Guards. Rewards: +100 Gold, +500 EXP]
A flicker of system notifications appeared, but Lin Feng barely spared it a glance.
This minor reward wasn't why he was here.
What he truly sought… was the rare quest chain linked to these soldiers.
"What happened here?" Lin Feng asked calmly, his voice low.
"We are escorts of Dragonspire's royal house," one of them answered with frustration. "We were transporting royal tribute back to the capital, but we were ambushed by monsters along the way. They tore through us before we could respond."
Another stepped forward, desperation in his eyes. "Sir, you're stronger than us. If you're willing... could we ask for your aid just once more?"
Their gazes turned to Lin Feng in unison, eyes full of pleading hope.
A soft chime sounded.
[System Notification: Hidden Quest Triggered — "The Royal Guards' Request"!]
Turns out, during the ambush, the most valuable artifact among the tribute—a golden idol—had been stolen.
Without it, they couldn't return home. Their lives, reputations, and honor were all on the line.
"Please, you have to help us," one of them begged. "This isn't just about treasure. It's our lives. You won't go unrewarded!"
[Quest: The Royal Guards' Request (SSS-Rank)]
Objective: Retrieve the Stolen Tribute Item – Golden Idol (0/1)
Rewards:
• Dragonspire Reputation +100
• 5,000 Gold
• 50,000 EXP
• Crimson-Tier Unique Weapon Chest
Description: "The Royal House of Dragonspire never forgets those who come to its aid when all hope seems lost..."
Just as that ancient forum post described, the SSS-Rank Encounter Quest was real.
And the rewards were mind-blowing.
A crimson-tier weapon chest? That alone was beyond valuable.
But the 50,000 EXP... that would instantly catapult him from Level 10 straight to Level 20.
That meant he could immediately graduate from the Novice Village and unlock his national allegiance choice.
"I'll handle it," Lin Feng said, eyes cold and steady.
He accepted the quest.
A marker instantly appeared on his interface, tracking the idol's last known location.
Without wasting a moment, Lin Feng headed into the depths of the forest.
As the trees grew darker, the air became thick with corrupt energy, like a shroud choking out the light.
Suddenly, his steps slowed.
From all around, the clicking of insect legs began to close in—silent, eerie, deadly.
He felt them long before they appeared.
Lin Feng spun, gaze sharp.
[Corrupted Mutant Insect (Bronze-tier)]
Type: Normal Monster
Level: 10
HP: 1200 / 1200
ATK: 140
DEF: 80
Skills: Egg Implantation Lv5, Venom Spray Lv5, Corrosive Bite Lv5, Hardened Shell Lv5
Description: Giant insects corrupted by demonic energy. Their venomous attacks are slow, painful... and fatal.
Lin Feng narrowed his eyes.
Time to clear the swarm.