Zhou Heng agreed without a second thought.
"Brother Xiong Ba, just give the word. I'll give it my all."
"Good, good, good! Just what I'd expect from someone the mayor personally recommended."
Black Bear Ba patted Zhou Heng's shoulder again and sent him a quest.
[Black Bear Guild branch vice president "Black Bear Ba" has offered you the quest "Gathering Blazing Flame."] [Quest description: Gather 1,000 Blazing Flames.] [Quest duration: 2 days.] [Quest rewards: Flame Gauntlet (skill) (advance payment); 1,000 copper coins.]
After issuing the quest, Black Bear Ba took out the Flame Gauntlet skill book and pressed it into Zhou Heng's hands as he spoke.
"Little Heng, make sure you finish this quest within two days."
"The rewards might look ordinary, but this Flame Gauntlet is a rare skill that's hard to come by."
Zhou Heng looked at the Flame Gauntlet in his hands, and information appeared on his retina.
Flame Gauntlet Quality: Simple (Simple, Ordinary, Complex, Obscure, Profound, Mystical, Heavenly Script, Wordless) Consumes 3 mana to cover both hands with a layer of flame that can negate fire damage below 10 points. Lasts 10s. After 10s, continuously consumes 1 mana/s. Cooldown: 20s Learning requirements: None
This was a skill that could be considered to have a cooldown or no cooldown at all. With enough mana, he could essentially keep it active forever.
Putting the skill away, Zhou Heng got up and left.
According to the coordinates Black Bear Ba had given him, the Blazing Flames were three kilometers north of Little Bird Town. The monsters there were all level one or two, so there was no danger to his life.
Half an hour later, Zhou Heng reached his destination.
[You have discovered a special area: Blazing Flame Spring.] [Experience +1]
Apparently, discovering new maps in the Boundless Endless World granted experience. It wasn't much, but even the smallest gains counted.
Zhou Heng surveyed the entire Blazing Flame Spring. Despite its name, it was actually a pond filled with magma. Merely approaching it was enough for him to feel a scorching heat sweep over him.
[You have taken damage from the scorching heat.] [Health -1]
Zhou Heng drew a deep breath. As expected, quests from the Black Bear Guild weren't so easy to take on. Gathering these 1,000 Blazing Flames would probably cost him one or two revivals.
The three free revivals granted upon entering the Boundless Endless World were incredibly precious. Zhou Heng absolutely would not waste them on the Black Bear Guild.
Walking into the Blazing Flame Spring, Zhou Heng prepared to see just how these Blazing Flames were gathered.
But as soon as he approached the nearest patch of the Blazing Flame Spring, the magma inside suddenly stirred. Bubbles rose continuously from the bottom, then burst in every direction with a series of pops.
Zhou Heng instinctively retreated several steps to avoid being hurt by the material bursting from the bubbles. At the same time, he saw what drifted out after they burst.
They were searing red flames shaped like flower buds.
Blazing Flame Magic: 7-7 Quality: Inferior Can be used to forge certain special products, but seems to have some unknown uses as well. [You are a newcomer and know nothing about many things in the Boundless Endless World. Even though you possess decent theoretical knowledge, it is limited to certain widely known matters.] [Fate offers you a hint.] [Fate Hint 1: As a key material for smelting Blackwater Grass, it can be used to smelt Blackwater Grass into Blackwater Pus Gel extremely quickly.] [Fate Hint 2: No one knows that Blazing Flame has an even more fearsome use. When used with Flame Gauntlet, Blazing Flame can be slowly absorbed, continuously evolving Flame Gauntlet until it evolves into the Ordinary skill "Burning Rage." But for certain reasons, few people know about this.]
Zhou Heng's gaze sharpened, and then he couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from rising.
"To think these seemingly ordinary flames could have such a powerful use."
Everyone living in this region knew that Flame Gauntlet countered Blazing Flame and could be used to gather it. But who would have thought this resource was the key material for upgrading Flame Gauntlet? Still, why did so few people know?
Unable to figure it out, Zhou Heng simply extended his hand and activated Flame Gauntlet.
The next second, a layer of pale, searing flame covered his right hand.
This flame was extraordinary. Its scorching heat could be felt from outside, yet the skin of his right hand touching it couldn't feel the slightest warmth.
Watching a Blazing Flame drift toward him, Zhou Heng reached out without hesitation and caught it with his Flame Gauntlet.
Yet several minutes passed, and holding the Blazing Flame triggered no effects such as fusion, devouring, or absorption.
"Could there be something wrong with my technique?"
Zhou Heng tentatively tried controlling his Flame Gauntlet to squeeze the Blazing Flame. Soon, he keenly noticed that as the Flame Gauntlet kept applying pressure, the Blazing Flame became noticeably smaller.
This could work!
Delighted, Zhou Heng quickened his hand movements.
A minute later, the Blazing Flame in his hand was successfully absorbed.
[You have absorbed Blazing Flame. Flame Gauntlet has changed and evolved on its own.] [You have obtained "Flame Gauntlet" (Simple+).] Flame Gauntlet Quality: Simple+ Consumes 3 mana to cover both hands with a layer of flame that can negate fire damage below 15 points. Lasts 10s. After 10s, continuously consumes 1 mana/2s. Cooldown: 20s Learning requirements: None
Having evolved to Simple+, Flame Gauntlet consumed less mana over time.
Zhou Heng glanced at his mana. After harvesting the pasture grass, his total mana was 60 points.
Using Flame Gauntlet for one minute had consumed a total of 53 mana.
In other words, without a means of restoring mana, he would struggle to harvest large quantities of Blazing Flame in a short time.
"Should I buy consumables myself, or..."
Zhou Heng looked at the starting funds of 100 copper coins in his funds tab and fell silent.
Every player who entered the Boundless Endless World received 100 copper coins and three revivals.
If they used that money to buy potions at their starting location, they could buy at most two health or Blue Potions. Anything beyond that had to be farmed or purchased on their own.
One small Blue Potion could restore 100 mana, with 30 restored instantly and the remaining 70 restored slowly over time.
If Zhou Heng spent all his money on Blue Potions, never mind how long two potions would last—even their restoration capacity alone would definitely overflow. Anyone with no more than a hundred mana would wince at using one.
After some thought, Zhou Heng decided to milk the Black Bear Guild.
After all, judging by the current situation, he would probably end up on the opposing side of the Black Bear Guild.
So wouldn't he be a fool to pay out of his own pocket instead of milking them?
[Your diligent study and years of hard work have paid off at this moment. You decide to take a gamble on resources. As the saying goes, the timid starve while the bold stuff themselves to death.] [Fate offers you a hint.] [Fate Hint 1: Return to the Black Bear Guild, find the irritable Black Bear Ba, and use your verbal charm to obtain a certain quantity of "Small Mana Potions," an early-stage resource far weaker than mana potions.] [Fate Hint 2: Thanks to the loss of the "Guild Heart" and guild authority, your opportunity has arrived. At two o'clock tonight, the Black Bear Guild will be attacked by a mysterious force. Greedy as you are, you will have half an hour. Even with a movement speed of only 1.2m/s, how many resources you can loot will depend entirely on your own ability.]
Before you continue