Main Quest Two

Chapter 10: Main Quest II

Xiao Zhang was overjoyed upon hearing Lin Maoxian's words. He rushed to the table, tore a leg off one of the ducks, and began gnawing on it ravenously. It had been far too long since he had tasted such a delicacy; usually, he was lucky just to be full, let alone have meat. He hadn't eaten meat like this in years, and he couldn't even remember how long it had been. As these thoughts crossed his mind, tears welled up and slid down his cheeks while he continued to eat.

Seeing Xiao Zhang crying while he ate, Lin Maoxian asked in confusion, "You were fine just a moment ago, and now you have good food to eat. What are you crying for?"

Xiao Zhang sobbed, "My Lord, I'm not crying out of sadness, but joy. I haven't had meat in so long. I am truly happy to be able to eat this today. After today, even if I were to die immediately, I would have no regrets."

Hearing this, Lin Maoxian retorted, "Die, my foot. With me around, as long as you stick with me, it won't be that easy to die. Stop thinking about death all the time, you hear?"

"Ye... yes, My Lord. This one will definitely stick with you..."

Watching Xiao Zhang struggle to speak with his mouth full of food, Lin Maoxian quickly said, "Alright, alright, as long as you know. Hurry up and eat, get a good night's rest, and tomorrow you'll come with me to the southern military camp to enlist." Lin Maoxian began to eat as well. He had been in this world for half a day, and after several short skirmishes, he was starting to feel hungry.

After eating, Lin Maoxian and Xiao Zhang went to the room arranged by Old Man Sun. Once inside, Lin Maoxian waited until Xiao Zhang wasn't looking to learn his new skill; he never knew when it might come in handy. Seeing the new skill in his panel, Lin Maoxian smiled and lay down to sleep in his clothes.

The next morning, after breakfast, Lin Maoxian bid farewell to Old Man Sun. He had intended to visit Old Man Sun's son, but the old man apologized, saying his son had only just fallen asleep. Lin Maoxian let it go, saying it was fine since he would be staying in Pingyang County for a while and would have another chance to see him later.

After leaving Old Man Sun, Lin Maoxian took Xiao Zhang toward the recruitment office in the south of the city. With the Yellow Turban siege drawing closer, there were even fewer pedestrians on the streets; most people were likely hiding in their homes, afraid to venture out.

Before long, Lin Maoxian spotted the recruitment office from a distance. It wasn't because his eyesight was exceptional, but because the office hung a large plaque that anyone with decent vision could read from afar.

Lin Maoxian and Xiao Zhang walked up quickly. Only one soldier, dressed as an officer, sat at the recruitment desk.

Lin Maoxian approached the officer, cupped his hands, and said, "My Lord, this little brother and I are here to join the army." He gestured toward Xiao Zhang.

The officer looked Lin Maoxian up and down before saying, "Young man, you aren't a local, are you?"

Lin Maoxian was taken aback. Though he didn't know why the officer asked, he answered truthfully, "Indeed, My Lord. I am not a local; I came to Pingyang County after seeing the imperial recruitment decree. But how did you know?"

"How did I know? Because your mannerisms are nothing like the local folk. Many people like you arrived yesterday, claiming to be from a place called Earth Village. As soon as I saw you, I guessed you were from that village too," the officer replied while opening his roster.

Hearing this, Lin Maoxian realized those people were other Adventurers from the space. It was quite a stretch for them to claim they were from "Earth Village." Glancing at the roster, he saw it was densely packed with names, making it impossible to tell how many people had arrived.

"Name?"

Seeing the officer looking down, Lin Maoxian realized he was asking for both of them. "I am Adventurer, and this is Zhang Si." He had wanted to call himself Adventure King, but he knew that in this era, calling himself a "King" would surely get him arrested, so he settled for Adventurer.

The officer looked up at Lin Maoxian. "Why are you people from Earth Village so strange? Every one of you has such bizarre names, unlike normal people."

Lin Maoxian laughed it off. "It can't be helped. That's the rule in our village, passed down through generations. We're just following tradition."

The officer shook his head in disbelief. "What a strange custom. Truly rare. Your place of origin is Earth Village, then? And what about him?"

"It's an ancestral rule; we have no choice. He is also from Earth Village, but he is the fourth in his family, so he is called Zhang Si." Lin Maoxian didn't actually know the boy's origin, so he simply attributed it to Earth Village as well.

"That name is at least normal!" The officer muttered as he went back to work. A moment later, he handed them two wooden tablets.

Lin Maoxian took them and saw "Adventurer" carved on one side and "Pingyang County, Earth Village" on the other. It seemed to be their identification.

Seeing they had taken the tablets, the officer said, "Alright, from now on, you are soldiers of Pingyang County. That tablet is your proof of identity; do not lose it. If you do, report it to your superior immediately for a replacement. Otherwise, if you are caught and mistaken for a Yellow Turban spy, you will be responsible for your own fate."

As soon as the officer finished speaking, Lin Maoxian received a notification from the space: "Adventurer has completed Main Quest I: [Choice of Faction]. Reward: 500 Source Points. This reward will be settled upon returning to the space."

"Adventurer has completed Main Quest I, triggering Main Quest II: [Defend Pingyang County]. Reward for completion: 3000 Source Points. Penalty for failure: 5000 Source Points!"

"Objective: Starting from the time the Adventurer accepts this quest, the Adventurer must hold the line for seven days during the Yellow Turban siege."

"Hint: The intensity of the Yellow Turban Army's siege will increase as time passes."

"Hint: The more Yellow Turban Soldiers you kill during the siege, the less pressure you will face in the following days."

"Adventurer has received a temporary soldier status bonus: Strength +1, Agility +1, Stamina +1 (This effect is only valid during the duration of Main Quest II)."

Looking at the quest details, Lin Maoxian realized this main quest was a defensive battle, but seven days was a long time. He needed to kill as many Yellow Turban Soldiers as possible early on to reduce the pressure later; otherwise, if the siege intensified and the enemy numbers grew, he would be in trouble. The difficulty was clearly higher than the second main quest of the previous world; it seemed the space's difficulty scaled up. The temporary stat boost wasn't much, but it was decent and could stack with his title.

Lin Maoxian cupped his hands to the officer. "Thank you for the warning, My Lord. I will keep it in mind."

"Just remember it. Now, go report to the military camp administrator for your assignment. I have to stay here to register others and cannot leave my post. You two go on your own." The officer pointed toward the direction of the camp.

Following the officer's directions, Lin Maoxian led Xiao Zhang to the camp gates. After showing their identity tablets to the guards and asking for directions to the administrator's office, they thanked the guards and headed inside.

The administrator was in a military tent. Lin Maoxian and Xiao Zhang entered to find a middle-aged man dressed like a Confucian scholar, who was presumably the officer in charge.

Lin Maoxian cupped his hands. "My Lord, we are here to report for duty."

The middle-aged man looked at them. "Reporting for duty, are you? Hand over your tablets so I can see them, then I will assign you."

Lin Maoxian and Xiao Zhang handed over their tablets.

The man took them, glanced at them, and looked up in surprise. "So you are from Earth Village as well? Many from your village arrived yesterday. I didn't expect more to come. Your village truly has a fierce spirit, sending so many to join the army. Since you are from Earth Village, I will assign you to Centurion Lin's unit."

"Yes, My Lord!" "Yes, My Lord!"

Lin Maoxian and Xiao Zhang replied in unison.

"Good. Since you know where to go, head over to Centurion Lin and report." The middle-aged man shouted toward the tent entrance, "Someone, come in!"

"My Lord, what are your orders?" A middle-aged soldier entered.

The man said to the soldier, "These two are new recruits. Take them to Centurion Lin." He then turned to Lin Maoxian and his companion. "You will be under Centurion Lin's command from now on. Follow this soldier to report to him."

"Yes, My Lord!" "Yes, My Lord!"

Lin Maoxian and Xiao Zhang followed the soldier out of the tent.

Outside, the soldier led them deeper into the camp. Along the way, Lin Maoxian saw soldiers training—some practicing archery, others drilling with blades and spears. Everyone was preparing for the coming war, and the shouts of the soldiers echoed throughout the camp.

However, when the soldier stopped at a certain spot, the training sounds vanished. He saw only a few figures training in the center of the field, a scene that felt strangely out of place amidst the noisy camp.

"We're here. This is Centurion Lin's area. I'll leave you here," the soldier said before turning back.