Cannon Fodder NPC Won't Have Favorability Increased (Part 2)

What does it mean to be a sugar mommy! (Tactical lean back)

Big Watermelon and Melee God of Magic both gasped in unison after seeing the latest Phase 2 quest.

Preparing a lunch is worth 10k Experience Points!?

Plus a random "Fine Grade" item or weapon?

If they posted a screenshot of this, wouldn't those other closed beta testers, still running around bitterly helping villagers with a bunch of chores for maybe just a few dozen Experience Points, be jealous out of their minds?

How can the gap between NPCs be this huge!

"Miss Vivian, whatever you want for lunch, just say the word. Even if it's tough, we'll do our best to get it for you!" The two players scurried over to the girl.

"Ah, no, no need. I'll just eat the flatbread I have with me."

Vivian waved her hands frantically, then, as if to prove she really did have food, the young girl fumbled at her chest and pulled out a cloth bundle.

Opening it, inside was a blackened, palm-sized piece of flatbread made from who-knows-what material, with only a quarter of it left.

Liao Zixuan curiously leaned in and sniffed it, only to immediately kick his legs out and flop onto his back in a comical dead-man pose.

It was completely moldy!

No wonder the girl was as thin as a stick, with not an ounce of meat on her. Eating this crap all day, it'd be weird if she gained any weight!

Throw it away!

Wolf Cub pounced, snatching the black flatbread from the girl's hand, then, before Vivian could react, bolted off into the distance with it.

"Little Black! Little Black, stop!" Vivian snapped back to reality and panicked—this was her rations for the next few days.

Good grief, and this was supposed to last several days!

The girl had no way to stop Liao Zixuan. By the time the little wolf cub came back all cute and innocent, that sorry excuse for bread was long gone, tossed who-knows-where.

"You!" Vivian was on the verge of tears. She'd grown up in poverty, and even a tiny scrap of bread like that was something she'd scrimped and saved for.

What the girl hated most was wasting food. Every bit of food wasted could have saved countless starving people on the brink of death.

Vivian raised her hand several times, wanting to give the little wolf cub, staring at her with an innocent face, a good beating. But in the end, her raised hand didn't come down—instead, it turned into a gentle stroke.

She couldn't help it. Her heart was too soft; she couldn't bring herself to do it, especially when Liao Zixuan used telepathy to convey his thoughts.

Just one word.

"Meat!"

Yeah, she could endure hardship and eat flatbread, but Little Black was clearly a wolf, a magical beast. How could she expect him to eat vegetarian like her?

She'd only thought of herself, completely forgetting what Little Black needed to eat. And here she was, telling others she treated Little Black like family!

Thinking this, Vivian got angry again, but this time, it was at herself, not Little Black.

Sometimes, it's funny.

The girl couldn't bring herself to ask others for help, but for someone she cared about, she could instantly swallow her pride and beg.

"Sorry, I forgot about Little Black just now. Then I'll have to trouble you two to hunt around here. Um, Little Black has a big appetite, so let's split the work."

"Got it! Leave it all to us. You've worked hard enough; just rest here, Miss Vivian!"

The two players dashed off as soon as they got the order, frantically searching for ingredients, leaving the slightly helpless girl behind.

Vivian had meant for them to work together, but they didn't give her a chance.

But the girl had no idea this was just the beginning. The real "ordeal" was yet to come.

Ten minutes later.

"What are you doing! Sit down! Miss Vivian, you're not allowed to move—leave the firewood chopping to us!"

"Stop, stop! Washing vegetables is dirty work; how can we let Miss Vivian do it?"

"Hold on!!! Miss Vivian, are you looking down on my cooking skills? Put that meat down and let me grill it. You just sit there and wait to eat!"

After wandering around with nothing to do, the girl ended up sitting under the shade of a big tree, hugging Little Black, watching the two Outlanders bustling about, busily preparing lunch.

It was the first time Vivian had ever done nothing while others waited on her.

While the girl felt uneasy and guilty, the two closed beta testers were also muttering to themselves, growing more anxious.

Melee God of Magic and Big Watermelon had both noticed Liao Zixuan's new special condition for unlocking the next quest chain.

Namely.

Vivian's Favorability.

That's why these two players were running around like crazy, treating the girl like a queen.

They

wanted to farm Vivian's Favorability!

But what frustrated them was that despite all they'd done, Vivian's Favorability had only gone up by a measly 5 points!

Yeah, why only 5 points?

Isn't it obvious!

Because the "Favorability" system was entirely under Liao Zixuan's sole control!

Even that 5-point increase in favorability was just for his testing purposes.

"Vivian, what do you think of these two?"

"They're... pretty good, just a bit too enthusiastic sometimes." The little girl quietly stuck her tongue out at Wolf Cub.

Then Liao Zixuan raised Vivian's favorability toward the two players by "5" points.

"What about now, Vivian? Do you suddenly feel a fondness for them in your heart, like they seem more agreeable all of a sudden?"

"What are you saying! Don't talk nonsense, Little Black! I think you're getting less and less serious!" Vivian angrily smacked Wolf Cub's bottom.

Phew.

That was a relief.

Now he could rest easy about his upcoming "empty-handed snatch the white wolf" plan!

"Miss Vivian, would you like to eat something else? Maybe I could catch a snake and stew some snake soup?"

"Ah, no need, no need, this meat is already enough!"

"Then Miss Vivian, are you thirsty? I'll go find a spring and bring you some water!"

"No need, no need! I still have water left in my canteen."

"How about Miss Vivian, I massage your legs and knead your shoulders? I'm not bragging, my massage skills are top-notch!"

Vivian: "..."

"You really don't have to worry about me. I... I'm fine, I don't need anything!"

The girl's face was full of sincerity, but the two players across from her didn't believe it at all.

Because on their quest display, Vivian's favorability was still stuck at [-5 (Cold)], a full 15 points short of reaching [10 (Neutral)].

What did that mean? It meant they definitely hadn't satisfied Vivian, this wealthy Witch.

So... what exactly was still missing!!

Just as Big Watermelon and Melee God of Magic were scratching their heads in frustration, a dialog box suddenly popped up before their eyes.

[The Witch Vivian has opened the "Shop" system for you.]

Huh?

An NPC shop!?

What kind of trick was this now?

The two players stared at the girl, who was tearing roasted meat with her small hand and feeding it to the wolf cub in her arms, seemingly oblivious and ignoring them, completely baffled.

Then, when they clicked into it, they found only two items in this Witch's shop.

(1)

[Offer your power to the great Witch Vivian!]

[Price: 500 Experience Points]

[Item Note: You will gain 1 point of Vivian's Favorability]

(2)

[Offer a tribute to the great Witch Vivian!]

[Price: Any item/equipment]

[Item Note: Depending on the rarity of the tribute, you will gain Vivian's Favorability]

Big Watermelon: "..."

Melee God of Magic: "..."

Recalling the look of pure innocence on Vivian's face when she said "she doesn't need anything," the two closed beta testers once again understood what it meant to be a

devour people without spitting out their bones.

Witch!