Player ID: Dun Qu Qi Yi

Qi Lin walked in the direction Skadi had pointed.

In the Elf Forest, ancient trees of every shape and form soared into the clouds. Their branches intertwined, and their lush leaves blotted out the sun.

After half a day of gameplay, most players had already grasped the basic mechanics and control system of World Tree.

As a result, some adventure-loving players had ventured beyond the safe zones marked on the map.

They had thus obtained all sorts of strange plants and animals. Of course, after witnessing the vastness beyond, they also had to face the corresponding risks. Opportunities and risks coexisted.

Walking along the paths cleared by players, Qi Lin saw player-run stalls set up on both sides.

Although the game did not yet have a currency system, the players had already entered a relatively primitive barter economy.

Eventually, Qi Lin arrived in front of a stall.

A rather tall ancient tree stood here, its canopy like an umbrella shielding the area from direct sunlight. Beneath it, a white-haired female elf player was bargaining with a male elf archer.

Qi Lin stepped up to the stall and glanced at the notebook floating beside the white-haired player. She knew very well that it was the starting equipment for the Apprentice class.

Qi Lin casually cast an appraisal spell.

[Name: Apprentice Notebook (White)]

[Attack: 1]

[Description: Study notes left behind by an outstanding student from Sumeru. The graceful handwriting is very pleasing to the eye. It records quite a few practical spells.]

[Description 2: Its words record study notes, experiment notes, and spells. The spaces between those words record an apprentice's efforts.]

Classes could be said to be a particularly unusual feature in World Tree. Once other classes reached a certain level, they could automatically learn the relevant skills. However, scholar-type classes from Sumeru were different.

Once other classes reached the required level, the skills they learned were either cool, flashy, or exceptionally powerful. Scholar classes, however, were different. Every skill they learned was meant to assist and improve themselves.

If a scholar wanted to obtain offensive skills, they could only acquire them later by studying the relevant knowledge.

For example, if a scholar wanted to gain a mage's Fireball spell, they had to understand the scientific principles behind combustion.

Thus, Sumeru's scholar classes were jokingly called the academic overachiever class by players.

"Could she be the player Skadi mentioned?" Qi Lin glanced at the white-haired elf player's ID: Dun Qu Qi Yi.

Then she looked at the player currently trading with her, whose ID was Hawkeye.

Curious, Qi Lin stepped closer to inspect the contents of their trade.

As Qi Lin approached, Hawkeye gave her a wary look. When he saw Qi Lin's elf appearance clearly, he realized that he was in a game and let the vigilance fade from his eyes.

He continued speaking to Dun Qu Qi Yi. "Ten pork chops, fifteen wild boar tusks, and twenty enchanted arrowheads."

Hearing Hawkeye's offer, Dun Qu Qi Yi immediately shook her head. Her white hair swayed back and forth, and her cheeks puffed up in anger. "No, no. It has to be fifteen pork chops and twenty wild boar tusks."

"No. I can only give you fifteen tusks, no more. I can give you eleven pork chops," Hawkeye immediately rejected it.

"Then fourteen pork chops. Deal."

"..."

"That's still too much. Twelve."

Dun Qu Qi Yi immediately puffed out her cheeks. "Are you trying to fob me off like a beggar? Fourteen, or you can find someone else."

"Fine." Hawkeye nodded hesitantly.

He took a bundle and a string of tusks from his simple backpack. Having listened all this time, Qi Lin understood that the string of tusks was made up of wild boar tusks.

Why does she need so many tusks? Qi Lin was utterly baffled.

Qi Lin watched as the player named Dun Qu Qi Yi accepted Hawkeye's trade items, then began searching through her stall for something.

After fiddling around for a while, she raised her head, her face smeared with quite a bit of white ash.

That only made her look even more adorably naive.

"Here are the enchanted arrowheads you wanted." As she spoke, Dun Qu Qi Yi handed Hawkeye a wooden box.

Hawkeye took the box and opened it, revealing twenty arrowheads made from white bone lying inside.

Hawkeye picked up one arrowhead and nodded in satisfaction. An appraisal result appeared before him.

[Name: Primary Fire-Enchanted Arrow (Gray)]

[Attack: 10]

[Sharpness: 3]

[Fire Damage: 4]

[Description: This is a very basic alchemical creation, but because its maker possesses a Vision, this creation has gained Pyro elemental damage.]

[Maker: Traveler, Dun Qu Qi Yi]

Seeing this, Hawkeye's gaze swept over the round red crystal hanging at Dun Qu Qi Yi's waist.

Following Hawkeye's gaze, Qi Lin also noticed the red crystal at her waist. She had no idea what kind of equipment it was, but it seemed somewhat different.

Equipment in World Tree could be divided into six grades: white, gray, green, blue, red, and gold.

"Mm." Hawkeye nodded in satisfaction. He was quite pleased that the arrowheads were gray-grade. Before leaving the stall, he said, "If there's a chance next time, I'll work with you again."

Then he left without looking back.

Once Dun Qu Qi Yi saw that Hawkeye had left, she immediately set up a grill on the spot and took a brightly colored pork chop from the bundle Hawkeye had traded to her earlier.

She hung it over the grill. White smoke hissed upward as the pork chop's fat dripped onto the rack.

When the pork chop had been grilled crisp on the outside and tender within, she asked Qi Lin, who had been standing beside her for quite some time, "Big sister, did you need something from me?"

As she spoke, she used a wooden knife to cut off a piece of pork chop and offered it to Qi Lin.

After thanking her, Qi Lin accepted the grilled meat and took a bite.

[System Notification: You consumed grilled meat. Experience +10.]

Qi Lin stared at the system notification and froze. "I didn't expect even eating could increase experience."

"Hehe, you didn't expect that, did you, big sister? I was startled too at first. Look at my level—I got it just by eating delicious food." As Dun Qu Qi Yi spoke, she pointed at the level display next to her ID.

With that reminder, Qi Lin finally noticed that the little girl before her had already reached level five. Thinking it over, she understood that she must have figured out some game mechanic to level up so quickly.

Meanwhile, Dun Qu Qi Yi only needed to eat and drink to level up. Qi Lin felt as if she and Dun Qu Qi Yi were not even playing the same game.

After bonding over a meal of grilled meat, perhaps because they were both girls, Qi Lin and the female elf player named Dun Qu Qi Yi quickly became closer.

Dun Qu Qi Yi asked Qi Lin, "Big sister Tianhe constable, what can I do for you?"