Li Qingzhu was a somewhat well-known female game streamer on a certain platform.
Her usual game ID was Bamboo Princess. Since her gaming skills were decent and her personality was quirky and enthusiastic, making it easy for her to mingle with viewers, her fans often affectionately called her Brother Zhu.
Of course, sometimes some obnoxious haters deliberately called her "Pig Brother."
As a well-known game streamer, Li Qingzhu had naturally been following World Tree: Origins long before its launch. The moment it went online, she bought it and quickly became a die-hard fan.
"Kingdom of Arthur, Black Dragon Territory, Ake Town. Coordinates 10072:21450:00042. Need a few capable brothers! @Everyone"
At 13:25 real-world time, Li Qingzhu took off her VR headset, sat down before her computer, opened her viewer group chat, and promptly sent out a long message.
The group, which had been flooded with stupid memes, immediately erupted.
"Holy shit, did Pig Brother find something big?"
"Me, me, me! My spawn point is in Black Dragon Territory!"
"Take me with you! I'm a level 2 Warrior!"
"Is this good news or bad news, Pig Brother? Don't make us take the fall for you."
"Am I that kind of person?" Li Qingzhu felt her character had been slandered. Her keyboard clattered beneath her fingers. "Listen to Brother Zhu, and there'll be huge benefits!"
"I believe her. What about you guys?"
"Brother Zhu, quit talking in riddles. Do you look like a riddler? You're just a whole-ass clown."
"Clown +1 [Image][Image][Image]."
"Is it a hidden class or equipment? I saw people on the forums had already unlocked mage classes. Don't tell me you're just messing with us."
These traitors...
Li Qingzhu was vaguely annoyed and typed, "First, no interruptions. I don't know exactly what it is, but it's definitely a hidden quest!
"Just now, I was asking around the Tavern. Guess what happened?"
After waiting a while without anyone responding, Li Qingzhu sent a question mark.
"? You're supposed to ask what happened next."
"Didn't you say not to interrupt? [Image]."
"...I permit you to play along!"
"Then keep talking."
"...I told you guys before: there's a fully equipped Mercenaries squad permanently stationed at that Tavern. I estimate their average level is around five, with the leader at least level seven or eight. At minimum, he's a small boss. You all know what that means, right? I bet you couldn't find even one person above level three if you searched this group."
"Brother Zhu, don't tell me you clashed with them and are now trying to trick us into going there to die with you?"
"I told you to play along, not slander me!"
[Name] has been muted by you for 30 days.
"Anyway... that group of Mercenaries got into a conflict with someone in a cloak, a person who looked insanely badass at first glance. I immediately knew it was a triggered storyline, so I wanted to hide in a corner and look for an opportunity. If they started fighting, I'd side with the stronger one to leech experience. And if nothing else, I could fish something out of the chaos, right?
"Then the crazy part came. They were just about to fight when the Mercenaries suddenly dropped to the ground without any warning. They were instantly killed! The mysterious person didn't do anything—no casting, no chant time—just whoosh, and one fully equipped level five or six guy got instantly killed. Do you understand how insane that is?"
"Are you sure he wasn't a mage?"
"Could it be that Brother Zhu didn't see the casting time?"
"Am I that stupid?" Li Qingzhu flew into a rage. "Don't I know what mages are like? My friend is a mage. She's still studying in Mage Tower, miserable as hell! Even low-level mages need six seconds to cast a spell. By the time the spell goes off, the target's already dead."
"Then he was a high-level mage."
"Wouldn't a high-level mage be even more awesome? Anyway, I figure he was either a hidden class or some spellcaster who could cast instantly. Either way, he was incredibly powerful, okay?"
"What's the point of saying all that? It's not you, Brother Zhu."
"Yeah, so what did you get after their fight?"
"They didn't fight. That Mercenaries group chickened out and ran away." Li Qingzhu kept typing. "But I secretly followed that mysterious person. Guess where he went?"
"Whoever wants to guess can guess."
"Brother Zhu, just tell us all at once. I'm almost done eating."
"He went to the church! Haven't I told you guys more than once? My spawn point has nothing except one church that sticks out like a sore thumb. There's definitely some secret hidden there. Didn't I say there was something wrong with that church?"
"That's it? You called everyone over for that?"
"Everyone disperse. Brother Zhu's information isn't very up to date."
"Someone posted screenshots this morning [Image]. Someone on the forum entered the church and unlocked the Paladin class."
"What? That happened?" Li Qingzhu froze for a moment before continuing to type. "Damn it, I wasn't finished! That church doesn't let players enter, so I waited outside. Before long, that mysterious person came back out, and I kept following him."
"Brother Zhu really has guts."
"Someone who came out of a church shouldn't be too bad, right? I saw that becoming a Paladin requires following Holy Law."
"Hard to say. Maybe he went there to challenge the place."
"Pig Brother, just tell us whether he noticed you."
"Of course he noticed me! Maybe I got too close. The moment I saw him vanish, I hurried after him, and he pinned me down in one move! I immediately realized this was a perfect opportunity and quickly displayed my bravery, fearlessness, and resolve!" Li Qingzhu seemed to have completely forgotten how she had acted at the time. Her keyboard clattered louder and louder. "He was instantly moved by my passionate sincerity and hurriedly arranged a hidden quest for me. I didn't even have time to refuse!"
"I believe her. What about you guys?"
"Did Pig Brother kneel down and beg him? That would be way too embarrassing for players."
"Hard to say. Brother Zhu really might do something like that [Image][Image]."
Endless Prosperity has been muted by you for 30 days. Fallen Sky has been muted by you for 30 days.
"You're all making up bullshit here. I worked my ass off finding a quest for you, and you're sitting here spreading rumors about me?"
"There really is a quest?"
"Would Brother Zhu lie to you? Location: outside Ake Town's church. It's a team quest. Need four or five people, not too many! A few are enough. @Everyone"
"Wait, wait. Did he tell you the reward? You're not doing unpaid work, are you? Plenty of people on the forums have talked about getting tricked into unpaid labor. Brother Zhu, don't get scammed."
Li Qingzhu stared at the group chat messages, suddenly realized something, and fell into a long silence.
"How could that be? He paid a deposit."
"A deposit? How much?"
"Holy crap, Brother Zhu, share some with me! I don't have money to eat!"
"At least five or six copper coins, right? That's a whole day's wages in the game."
"??? He bought you off with five copper coins?"
"Everyone disperse. Brother Zhu is a pure clown."
"That's it? That's it?"
Li Qingzhu gritted her teeth and typed:
"Don't you care? A hidden quest? A hidden class? Don't you want one?"
"No."
"No. Not as interesting as cute girls."
Li Qingzhu's eyes lit up, and she quickly typed, "The other person is a cute girl. She might even be a pretty little loli! She's probably got the template of an important supporting character!"
"???"
"Guaranteed?"
"Guaranteed!"
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Serious writer's block... Also, Baldur's Gate 3 is really fun.