Spider

Early in the morning, a commotion sounded from outside. Li Shaolin quickly stowed away the Skeleton Warrior, jumped off the wooden bed, and opened the door to see squads of职业者们 packing up and heading downstairs. He had returned late the night before and hadn't paid much attention, but now he saw quite a crowd—warriors with greatswords on their backs, paladins in golden armor wielding massive hammers, priests in white robes with wooden maces, mages in blue robes with wooden staves, and even a warlock with an imp. Quite the lively scene. They seemed ready to set out on adventures. "What a spectacle! How could I miss out on this?" Li Shaolin felt a surge of excitement. A real adventurer's life—where on Earth could you find that?

He went down the wooden stairs to the main hall, where the professionals sat in small clusters, sipping beer or munching on bread, chatting animatedly. The three professionals from yesterday were among them. Seeing no empty seats and being unfamiliar with the place, Li Shaolin brazenly approached the trio and sat down. The female mage seemed a bit displeased, but a glare from the paladin made her lower her head and eat. He casually ordered some bread and dug in.

Just then, a voice rang out: "Great adventurers, I am William Pister from the Stormwind City Apothecary. I'm currently collecting large candles from kobolds to refine wax. I'll pay fifty copper coins per candle. Don't miss out, adventurers!" Looking up, a bald old man in a brown leather coat stood before the bounty board at the inn's entrance, speaking loudly. A line of small text caught Li Shaolin's eye: William Pister.

A Human Warrior shouted, "William, you put up bounties for kobold candles every day. Aren't you afraid you'll piss them off enough to trash your shop? Hahaha!" William chuckled, "Can't help it. Damn it all, those kobolds don't bathe, and the candles made from their natural sweat glands are incredibly durable and long-lasting. Plus, they've taken over the mines, so this bounty makes it easier for the townsfolk to dig ore." The warrior yelled back, "You love kobolds so much, why not find yourself a kobold girl for a wife? That'd be a real thrill for you."

Nearby, the paladin said quietly, "Fifty copper per candle. The three of us could probably get twenty or thirty of them—that's ten or so silver coins. Just enough to also look for that damn necklace of Aunt Bonis Stonefield. Two birds with one stone!" The rogue, still working on his bread, mumbled, "You're the leader, you decide." The female mage nodded. The paladin glanced at Li Shaolin and said, "Brother, you're an adventurer too, right? I'm Jack, a level five paladin. Interested in temporarily joining our team to take on this candle-finding quest?" "Is my protagonist halo shining? He saw my uniqueness at a glance?" The show-off couldn't help but indulge in some fantasy. He quickly nodded and replied, "That'd be great! I was just worried about not finding a team. Thanks, Jack! I'm Li Shaolin." In truth, it wasn't his protagonist halo at all—most adventurers in the inn had fixed teams and rarely took on temporary additions. A team of five was ideal, and Jack's group of three was a bit weak. Seeing that Li Shaolin at least had some gold coins and didn't look like a commoner, they'd made the spur-of-the-moment decision to invite him.

The rogue, eating as he spoke, said, "Level six rogue: Mogaban. And this is level four mage: Moni. Welcome aboard!" He extended a greasy hand toward Li Shaolin. The mage, however, shot Li Shaolin a look of suspicion.

The paladin coughed twice, stood up, and went to register for the quest. A few other squads also trickled over to accept it. The rogue tapped the table, calling for an assistant to settle the bill. Milika, in a sky-blue robe, walked over with a tray and smiled when she saw Li Shaolin. He quickly pulled out a few silver coins and said, "This meal's on me, to get to know everyone, alright?" The rogue Mogaban didn't stand on ceremony and nodded.

The paladin Jack walked back and said, "The kobolds around here are mostly in the Fargodeep Mine and the Jade Mine to the east. For the necklace quest, let's head to Fargodeep Mine. Any objections?" Of course, while the question was directed at everyone, it was really aimed at Li Shaolin, the only newcomer. Li Shaolin thought to himself, "I've killed that Goldtooth countless times before. An old acquaintance." He nodded. "Alright then, let's rest a bit and set out. Also, Li Shaolin, you don't have any gear? Head to the blacksmith outside and buy some." "Heh, sorry about that. I ran into some Defias bandits and got my equipment confiscated." Li Shaolin had to tell a little lie.

Leaving the inn, they saw horses neighing and dust flying—it was already bustling. Jack pointed to a large building in front of the inn and said, "That's the blacksmith. There's a cloth armor merchant inside. Go buy yourself some gear. We'll wait for you at the entrance." Since the town didn't have any high-end goods, he wasn't worried about Li Shaolin taking hours. "Alright, I'll go first."

Entering the blacksmith, he saw a blazing furnace, a massive anvil, and a red-hot forge, with waves of heat washing over him. A middle-aged man, shirtless, greeted Li Shaolin: "Young adventurer, what do you need? We've got all kinds of armor and weapons here." Li Shaolin said, "I'm a mage, looking for some cloth armor. Who should I talk to?" The man called out, "Hey, Kuran, business is here." From an adjoining room, someone responded and beckoned Li Shaolin in.

After some time, he picked out a set of knitted casual wear for seven silver coins and bought an Infantry Sword from the blacksmith for five silver. He came out to find Jack and the others basking in the sun at the entrance. Seeing Li Shaolin, Jack asked in confusion, "Brother Shaolin, are you a warrior or a mage? Why are you carrying a sword and wearing cloth armor?" Li Shaolin felt a bit awkward and chuckled sheepishly.

The group slowly walked out of town. Jack held a map and said, "If we follow the road to the signpost ahead and head south into the forest, we should reach the mine in about two hours. Let's push hard and try not to spend the night in the woods." Everyone acknowledged.

At the wooden fence by the signpost, just as they were about to enter the forest, a shifty-looking man sidled up and whispered, "Are you adventurers heading to the mine? I've got a deal for you—see if you're interested?" "Huh?" Jack stopped. The man glanced around, saw no guards, and said quietly, "I'm Remy, a merchant. Those kobolds in the mines often carry gold dust. That gold dust is useful to me. How about this: for every pouch of gold dust you find, I'll give you a silver coin. Deal?" Jack thought it over and agreed. Remy handed him a task commission form, then slipped away mysteriously, likely to find other adventurers.

Entering the forest, the sky was immediately blocked by the massive Elwynn Ancient Trees, leaving only slivers of sunlight filtering through the gaps. A few steps in, they came across a large clearing overgrown with weeds, where brownish wild boars foraged, unbothered by passersby. Jack said to the group, "I hear the Darkmoon Faire travels the world performing and trading. They circle the globe once a year and set up camp here. Judging by how overgrown this place is, it's been about a year since they left. They should be coming soon."

Deeper in, the journey was uneventful, with no animal attacks. But the ancient trees were so massive that the forest was pitch dark and oppressive. After another hour or so, the path suddenly opened up into a gentle slope leading down to fertile ground, free of the giant trees. The mage Moni cheered and rushed down, but Jack shouted, "Watch out!" A massive spider was charging straight at Moni!

Jack dashed forward, blocking Moni, raising his warhammer high to strike the spider's head. The spider opened its mouth and shot a web, sticking Jack in place, then continued toward Moni! The rogue flicked his wrist, hurling a dagger that struck the spider's eye. Though wounded, it didn't slow its charge. With a hiss, it was upon them, leaping into the air!

Seeing Moni casting a spell and unable to move, Li Shaolin quickly drew his Infantry Sword and swung it diagonally, catching the spider's fangs. With a crack, the fangs clamped down, but the short sword held firm. Just then, Moni's fireball shot past, a wave of heat slamming into the spider and flipping it over. The fireball scorched its back, setting it ablaze. Jack, having just freed himself from the web, swung his hammer and crushed the spider.

Li Shaolin felt a sting in his hand and saw it had turned green—poisoned!

The rogue Mogaban went to collect the loot. Jack came over to check on Li Shaolin and said apologetically, "Sorry, I'm not high enough level to learn Purification. Can't help you. But the venom isn't strong—it'll wear off in half an hour." "Damn you, it's not you getting poisoned, so of course it's 'not strong,'" Li Shaolin grumbled inwardly. Moni, however, bent slightly and said, "Are you alright? Thank you." Seeing a pretty girl thank him, his hand suddenly stopped hurting, and his spirits lifted. He grinned foolishly, "Heh, no problem!"

Mogaban stashed two venom fangs in his waist pouch, clapped his hands, and walked over.