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Zhou Heng settled into the temporary accommodations built for players in Little Bird Village—a dormitory with ten beds.

"Hey, man, how's it going? What level did you reach today?"

"I'm level three!"

"Damn, did you cheat or something? It's only been a little over half a day, and you're already level three?"

"My brother is a player in the Black Bear Guild~"

"Wow, I'm envious, man. I worked my butt off today and only leveled up once. Not only are there too many people fighting over monsters, but they're also hard to kill."

...

Zhou Heng quietly tidied up his bed, not joining in the dormitory conversation. The textbooks had mentioned that early-stage socializing was mostly useless because once you leveled up and left the village, you'd find that so-called connections were worthless in the vast world and among powerful creatures. Instead of wasting time on such socializing, it was better to rest early and think about tomorrow's leveling route. Of course, you could also do as some of the others did and become a lackey for players with backgrounds, starting with flattery and bootlicking.

The night passed without a sound, and at the crack of dawn, Zhou Heng got up early and headed to the farm. From a distance, he saw the elderly woman tilling the field.

"Grandma, I'm here~" Zhou Heng greeted her respectfully.

The elderly woman glanced at Zhou Heng and chuckled, "You're here quite early, young man. At this hour, I thought you players would still be sleeping. Go ahead, the sickle is in the corner, and the field is 200 meters straight ahead. The two plots are connected."

Hearing this, Zhou Heng nodded and went to the corner to get the Spiritlight Sickle.

"If you can harvest all the pasture from the two plots today, emmm... by nine o'clock tonight, come find me." Just as Zhou Heng was about to leave, he heard the elderly woman's somewhat meaningful request.

Zhou Heng thought for a moment and agreed. "Alright, Grandma, I'll do my best."

Leaving the elderly woman, Zhou Heng took the "Spiritlight Sickle" to the two plots of pasture. Each of these plots was slightly larger than the one from yesterday.

"Harvesting these two plots by nine o'clock tonight will be quite challenging. But it's not impossible!" Zhou Heng speculated that this was likely a test from the NPC to gauge his endurance and resilience. If he could finish harvesting both plots by nine o'clock, it would definitely trigger something.

Clearing his mind, Zhou Heng bent down and began harvesting the pasture...

[You harvested a bundle of pasture]

[You harvested a bundle of pasture]

...

[Spiritlight Sickle effect triggered]

[Attack power permanently +1]

Although the probability of triggering a permanent boost was very low, whenever it happened, it was like a shot of adrenaline for Zhou Heng, filling him with motivation. Soon, it was around 8:50 PM.

"Phew~ Done, finally finished harvesting!"

A slight smile appeared on Zhou Heng's lips. Today's gains were substantial. The probability was similar to yesterday's, with the two plots contributing 10 points of permanent attack, 40 points of permanent health, and mana. This boost was already much higher than what a level 10 common player would have.

"Time to head to Grandma's place~" Zhou Heng glanced at the time on his personal panel and hurried to the elderly woman's simple wooden hut. "Grandma, I've finished harvesting, and the pasture is all set for you." Zhou Heng didn't enter the house but respectfully spoke from outside the door.

"Good~ Not bad, come in." With the elderly woman's approval, Zhou Heng carefully pushed open the wooden door and entered. The interior was simple, with only a table, chairs, and a wooden bed. The only noteworthy thing was a badge hanging on the wooden wall. The badge's design featured a pure white light tree with two crossed blades piercing through it.

"Young man, what do you think of the Sakasi Empire?" The elderly woman adjusted the badge, slowly got down from her chair, and looked at Zhou Heng as she spoke.

[You are new here and know nothing about the Sakasi Empire, so you cannot accurately answer this question. You face a choice from fate. Different choices will lead you to completely different lives.]

[Fate gives you a Hint]

[Fate Hint 1: The Sakasi Empire has been established for over three hundred years. Although it broke the three-hundred-year curse of nations, rampant officials and hidden fangs are eroding this vast empire. Answer "The Sakasi Empire is decaying" to earn the questioner's appreciation.]

[Fate Hint 2: Answer "The Sakasi Empire isn't bad; it could last another three hundred years" to earn the questioner's disappointment.]

Seeing the "Fate Hint" suddenly appear on his retina, Zhou Heng's eyes narrowed slightly. After a brief thought, he had made up his mind.

"Grandma, although I'm new here and don't know much about the Sakasi Empire, from what I observed last night, I feel that the Sakasi Empire isn't as great as it seems. In our world, there's a saying that few nations can surpass the three-hundred-year mark. Your question must have deeper meaning... I think the Sakasi Empire has already started to decay from the top down." Zhou Heng expanded on the fate hint, adding some of his own thoughts.

The elderly woman smiled gently, her eyes showing a hint of satisfaction. Not being led by the nose by the Black Bear Guild at the start showed caution. Completing two and a half days of harvesting under tight time constraints showed resilience. Now, making an accurate judgment about the unknown Sakasi showed wisdom. Such a promising young man was worth looking forward to, but there was still one more test, and that was fate...

Thinking of this, the elderly woman spoke directly, "Young man, I remember you said your name is Zhou Heng. Which Zhou, which Heng?"

Zhou Heng replied, "Grandma, it's the Zhou from 'complete' and the Heng from 'eternal.'"

The elderly woman nodded, "A good name. I have high hopes for your future. I happen to have a task for you. Are you brave enough to accept it?"

Zhou Heng's heart tightened, and he immediately said, "I'm willing to serve you, Grandma."

The elderly woman nodded, patted the wooden wall, and gestured for Zhou Heng to look at the badge.

"Sakasi has been established for 302 years. The emperor is muddle-headed, and the council is greedy, leaving the people in misery and demons running rampant. I need you to deliver this badge to the Deepwater Cave outside the town within three days and hand it over to the level 10 boss 'Deepwater Floodwyrm.'"

[The gears of fate begin to turn at this moment, and you are about to face a challenge from death]

[Fate gives you a hint]

[Fate Hint 1: The Black Bear Guild is collecting Blackwater Grass to prepare Blackwater Sludge, intending to use it to corrupt and evolve the Deepwater Floodwyrm, while devouring the entire Little Bird Town. This is a test of life and death, blood and fire, wisdom and strategy. Is three days really enough for you to reach the Deepwater Cave? Accept the task and find a way to deliver the badge to the 'Deepwater Floodwyrm' within three days.]

[Fate Hint 2: No one will tell you, but this is a trap. You cannot deliver the badge to the 'Deepwater Floodwyrm' within three days because as soon as you get close, the Black Bear Guild and its backers will instantly obliterate you, burying you permanently. This is not a delivery task but a test of fate. Interestingly, for someone with the Unique-grade Talent 'Fate Hint,' it seems to have no real significance. Pretend to accept the task, then ignore it and wait for the right moment.]

Looking at the two fate Hints before him, Zhou Heng fell silent. The "Infinite Expanse," which had been open for ten thousand years, was even more terrifying and exaggerated than what he had learned from the "textbooks" as a new player. It was truly a step-by-step battle, where a single misstep could lead to eternal damnation. But fortunately, he was lucky; he had the Unique-grade Talent "Fate Hint."

Without any hesitation, Zhou Heng accepted the task...