As he walked, [ Howling Pothos ] opened his player panel.
He hadn't expected the new event to open today, so he quickly deleted the monster-killing task he had set for himself from his to-do list.
There's no doubt that actively participating in events during periods with large, long-running quests will yield more rewards than playing normally.
However, after entering the Teleportation Tree, he chose not one of the three towns near Fir City, but a Teleportation Tree "near the castle".
After passing through the plaza filled with players, [ Howling Pothos ] followed the river upstream and arrived near a cultivated farmland.
He knocked on the door of the wooden hut in front of him, and [ Do Some Farm Work ] quickly poked his head out:
"I knew it was you. You'd definitely come here to pick up your order as soon as the new promotion started."
He opened the door with a grin and invited [ Howling Pothos ] inside. The house wasn't very big; it was more like a temporary dwelling built in the fields than a proper house.
"You live here? Isn't it a bit too shabby?"
Even [ Howling Pothos ] was somewhat surprised upon seeing the furnishings inside the room.
[ Do Some Farm Work ] just smiled and shook his head:
"Everyone has their own ambitions. Just like I didn't ask you if you'd get bored with a fixed monster-hunting quest every day, I don't need a real home in the game. I'll just make do with what I have."
He pointed to his room, which was full of sawdust and tools:
I call this state of being "passing down the family tradition of farming and reading."
"Puff."
[ Howling Pothos ] I really didn't expect that this friend would feel so superior living in such a dilapidated house... So he asked in confusion:
"The land behind is for 'cultivation,' but what about 'reading'?"
He looked around and confirmed that there was nothing in the house that could be considered "reading material".
"Don't look at it, it's an electronic version."
[ Do Some Farm Work ] tapped his head:
"It's all in here. Who told you to be so demanding, making this old graduate pick up all the knowledge I learned in college again... The blueprints Gray gave us are only a prototype; your design isn't compatible enough, and many structures won't work..."
It seemed like no one had visited in a long time. [ Do Some Farm Work ] grumbled incessantly while searching for something:
"[ Traditional Eccentric Wheel ] is still in the Great Labyrinth City. If he were here too, it would be much easier for you to make this. Motley's workload is still too heavy, and he's been doing part-time work on Dungeon blind boxes lately... I handcrafted a lot of the parts, so you might need to work on it a bit more."
While rambling on like this, [ Do Some Farm Work ] handed a wooden cylindrical object, thinner at the front and thicker at the back, to [ Howling Pothos ]:
"I wouldn't do this for three gold coins if someone else offered me three. Trust me, two gold coins is definitely worth it, and that's only because we're both players from the launch day."
"Yes, of course I trust you, otherwise I wouldn't have paid the full amount upfront."
[ Howling Pothos ] pressed the mechanism on the cylindrical object, and the hollow cylindrical object immediately split open along the straight edge, revealing its complex internal structure. On the frame and shafts that fixed the gears and other components, there were Blood-Drinking Thornbush thorns.
Thanks to its superior [ Plant Compatibility ] attribute compared to ordinary players, [ Howling Pothos ] can almost feel the life force flowing through those wooden components.
If left unattended, it might soon revert to being a plant that takes root downwards.
However, I won't let that happen.
Looking inside the cylindrical object that resembled the mouthparts of a mechanical monster, [ Howling Pothos ] didn't hesitate to put her right forearm inside.
Under the pressure of its own weight, the cylindrical structure that had split along the hinge closed again, and a dozen Blood-Drinking Thornbush pierced the skin of [ Howling Pothos ] with incredible smoothness, beginning their feast and simultaneously establishing a connection with its nerves.
How are you feeling?
"I'm already losing health."
Is that acceptable?
"Yes, it's not very fast, but it can be repaired with bandages and resin."
"That's good, now we can try it."
As he said this, [ Do Some Farm Work ] excitedly rubbed his hands together, also looking forward to the performance of his creation, which he had poured his heart and soul into.
"Hold on."
"What? The connection hasn't been established yet?"
"It's been established, but it's a bit unruly."
A resolute glint flashed across [ Howling Pothos's ] face as he earnestly addressed the weapon on his right forearm:
"I'm the boss."
After a moment of silent confrontation, he slowly lowered his hand.
"How about it?"
"The negotiations were successful."
[ Howling Pothos ] raised her right arm, her relaxed fingers instantly tensing, making a chop gesture.
"Brush!"
A birchwood folding knife, almost as long as a palm, was instantly launched, fully unfolding with a "click-clack" sound, reaching twice the length of a palm.
"Hidden blade mode, passed."
[ Do Some Farm Work ] adjusted his non-existent glasses and ticked a box on his player panel's memo.
"This doesn't cost any blood, right?"
"It's free."
[ Howling Pothos ] relaxed his fingers, returning to a more natural posture, and the "sleeve sword" that had been launched instantly retracted. After sensing for two or three seconds, he suddenly clenched his fist, and a mechanical vibration sound came from both sides of his forearm. Then, a slender wooden arrow emerged from each side of his thumb and little finger.
He reached out and aimed at a wall, but [ the Do Some Farm Work ] quickly stopped him:
"No, that's my wall..."
His gaze swept around, and he quickly pointed to a corner and said:
"That's scrap, shoot it!"
"Whoosh!"
With two whooshing sounds, the two arrows, without metal arrowheads or fletchings, had already embedded themselves in the rubble in the corner of the wall.
"Hand cannon mode, passed. How much health did you lose?"
Five percent.
How long does it take for new arrows to grow?
"About three minutes."
"It's a bit too slow."
"Indeed, it's best to save it for a crucial moment..."
"There's one last mode left, give it a try!"
[ Howling Pothos ] nodded and placed his right arm horizontally in front of him.
A sharp pain suddenly shot through the outside of his arm; it was the Blood-Drinking Thornbush drawing his life force to complete the growth of the new structure.
Just a few breaths later, a sturdy gauntlet that adhered to the skin appeared on the back of [ Howling Pothos's ] right hand.
"Protection mode, qualified. How much health is required?"
"About one-fifth..."
"So much? How long can that last?"
"It can last forever as long as it's not destroyed."
"That's alright..."
Having finished ticking the last checkmark, [ Do Some Farm Work ] looked at [ Howling Pothos ] with a rather smug expression:
"How about that? Dude, your skills are unbeatable, right?"