Bathing in Dragon Blood, Berserk Power

Within a few minutes, Li Wei saw the Uber he had summoned turn the corner and pull up slowly in front of him and Don Quixote.

The window rolled down a mere inch or two, and through the gap, Li Wei could see the wary look in the Black driver's eyes.

Most of his attention was focused on the fully armored Don Quixote standing beside Li Wei.

"Yo, state your name," the driver said, "and is your friend drunk?"

"Li Wei, I called the car," Li Wei said. "My friend... he's a method actor preparing for a stage play."

The driver looked Li Wei and Don Quixote up and down. Seeing no obvious weapons on them, he unlocked the back door.

"Yo, I'm not into your weird hobbies, just get in," he said. "Don't sit in the front—I don't take passengers in the front seat at night."

Li Wei thanked him and hurriedly opened the back door, letting Don Quixote climb in before he hopped in from the other side.

Once inside, Li Wei noticed a yellow sign with black text warning that audio and video recording were active, presumably for the driver's safety.

As soon as he sat down, Don Quixote voiced his dissatisfaction.

"Squire!" he shouted. "Why is this carriage so cramped!"

"Larger carriages draw too much attention," Li Wei explained quickly. "Everyone travels in small carriages these days."

In truth, he just couldn't bring himself to pay for an Uber Black, so he had opted for the cheapest economy ride.

Don Quixote grumbled about how he would make the Duke reward him with a grand carriage once the witch was banished, and only then did he quiet down.

After finally pacifying Don Quixote, Li Wei tried to smooth things over with the driver: "My friend is a method actor, please understand."

The driver didn't say a word, just kept his head down and drove.

A few seconds later, a voice notification popped up in a WhatsApp group on his phone:

"There's a police chase over in Brownsville, one of the roads is blocked off, suggest taking a detour."

The driver switched to his Uber map, checked it carefully, and spoke to Li Wei through the rearview mirror.

"There's a police chase on the street next to where you're going," he said. "I suggest you don't go there tonight if it's not urgent."

"Sir Knight," Li Wei said, immediately turning to Don Quixote, "the coachman says there is danger nearby."

The driver glanced at Li Wei silently, saying nothing.

"What is there to fear!" Don Quixote was naturally unafraid. "A knight fears no danger!"

"Is it really that dangerous?" Li Wei asked the driver. "What if we really need to retrieve something important?"

"Then go ahead," the driver said after studying the map. "To be honest, it's not exactly safe during the day either; the cops don't even like coming to this shithole."

He thought for a moment and shrugged. "If you really have urgent business, it might actually be safer to go now, because people around here at least act a little more careful when they hear sirens."

Li Wei thought about it, and it seemed to make sense. In a place where police rarely showed up, a sudden blockade by a large force of officers might scare the local drug dealers and gangsters into hiding.

With that in mind, the driver took a detour and dropped them off at the construction site entrance.

"Sir Knight," Li Wei said, looking at the sleepwalking Don Quixote, "it is time to slay the dragon."

"Follow me, squire," Don Quixote said. "I can already smell the foul stench of the earth dragon; it must be nearby!"

He led Li Wei through a secluded thicket with practiced ease. Judging by the cigarette butts scattered everywhere, Don Quixote and the workers must have snuck out this way often to slack off.

Once inside, the construction site at night radiated an indescribable sense of depth and dread.

Aside from the sirens on the next street over, there was nothing but the sound of Li Wei and Don Quixote's footsteps and the clanking of his armor.

"Indeed!" Don Quixote suddenly shouted. "It is here!"

Under the light, Li Wei turned to see Don Quixote charging at—a parked excavator?!

Don Quixote rushed to the tracks and began punching and kicking the machine, nearly falling over as he tried to pry the treads off with his bare hands.

It was only his full suit of armor that kept him from getting hurt. After a few strikes, seeing the earth dragon remained unmoved, he turned and shouted at Li Wei:

"Squire! Come and help me slay this earth dragon!"

At that moment, a quest popped up in Li Wei's vision, and the reward made him feel that this adventure was truly worth it!

[You have received a quest: Slay the Dragon]

[The earth dragon dwelling in the depths of the forest is the witch's evil accomplice. Its immense power is difficult to overcome, even for the great knight Don Quixote. Over the past hundred years, countless dragon slayers and knights have perished beneath its claws. Proceed with caution; its destructive power far exceeds your imagination.]

[Quest Rewards: Strength, Agility, Constitution +0.1]

[Hidden Reward: Gain the skill [Berserk] after bathing in dragon blood.]

A total of 0.3 attribute points! And a skill!

Li Wei cast aside all hesitation, gritted his teeth, and shouted, "I come to your aid!" as he charged forward.

He hopped onto the tracks in a few strides and spotted a construction manual on the driver's seat. A plan formed in his mind, and he turned to shout at Don Quixote:

"Sir Knight, I see it!" he said. "Is the map inside the dragon's mouth?"

Don Quixote was overjoyed and shouted, "Exactly!"

Li Wei nodded, opened the cab door, and stepped inside, completing the great feat of dragon slaying in an instant.

But how was he to complete the task of bathing in dragon blood?

He looked around and found a half-empty bottle of mineral water on the right side of the seat.

He unscrewed the cap, sniffed it cautiously, and confirmed it was just ordinary water. He poured a little onto his hands and rubbed them together.

Jumping off the tracks, Li Wei said to Don Quixote, "Sir Knight, is this the map you spoke of?"

As he spoke, he handed over the construction manual.

Don Quixote squinted at it for a moment, then beamed with joy. "Indeed! This is the map! And you have done well, squire! Know that slaying a dragon is a magnificent achievement!"

Li Wei looked at the cab door he had just closed and said nothing.

"Sir Knight, would you like to bathe in the dragon's blood?" Li Wei asked, holding up the water bottle. "It is said to strengthen the body."

Don Quixote did not refuse, though he piously let Li Wei pour the water over his head.

As he poured the water, Li Wei heard the notification in his mind:

[Quest: Slay the Dragon completed.]

[Rewards received: Strength, Agility, Constitution +0.1]

[Hidden Quest: Bathe in Dragon Blood completed. Gained skill [Berserk].]

Unlike the slow improvements of the past, a massive surge of power suddenly flooded into Li Wei's body.

[Strength 1.1]—[Strength 1.2]

[Constitution 1.0]—[Constitution 1.1]

[Agility 1.0]—[Agility 1.1]

[Path of the Knight second-stage quest completed. Two attributes have reached 1.2. Reward: Gold Coins +7!]