Absolute Death Game

Chapter 145 - 131: Establishing Authority_3

Xiao Buli thought to himself that he had finally reached a respectful status, which meant he could learn advanced Riding Skills. With a military horse that had a speed of 280, traversing the map would be much easier.

As the convoy slowly entered the military camp, Zhang Yaoyang turned his horse around and said to everyone, "Good, let’s split up here. We’ll have a joint drill this afternoon. Before that, everyone can go their separate ways, set a place to log off, and maybe do some quests to get familiar with the surroundings.

Just don’t take on any long-term quests, and don’t stray too far from the military camp and Thousand Pines Town. We don’t want to end up dead before even starting the dungeon raid. Dismissed."

And so, the team temporarily disbanded.

Since the military camp was nearby, the surrounding area was generally safe. However, the first thing Xiao Buli needed to do was find a safe place to log off.

Logging off on a bed could grant a buff, so if possible, players would always try to find an inn or similar establishment to log off. Thousand Pines Town had a very small inn, and Xiao Buli easily found its entrance and walked straight in. When he approached the innkeeper to ask for a room, however, he encountered trouble.

The Innkeeper said apologetically, "I’m sorry, but our inn is fully booked. A lot of people have fled here from various places, and there’s simply no room left—even the stables are fully occupied. There’s really nothing I can do."

Xiao Buli felt somewhat frustrated. An inn being fully booked in a game? He had not anticipated this.

But he wasn’t about to give up. "I can pay extra. Please, just give me a room."

The Innkeeper replied, "It’s not a matter of money. Things on the town are tight right now, and we’ve even started rationing. Even with money, you can’t just buy things. However, you could try asking the locals. Maybe someone would be willing to take you in."

Xiao Buli thought that was his only option.

After leaving the inn, he started wandering around the streets. Thousand Pines Town was not very large, with only a hundred or so households. But it seemed quite crowded now, likely with villagers who had fled from all over. The streets were filled with people in a rush, begging for food, or preparing to leave town via horse-drawn carts, all signs of turbulent times.

He hadn’t gone far when he saw a stout woman, anxiously pacing in front of a door with a basket in hand.

A gamer’s intuition told him this NPC probably had a quest to offer, and maybe he could also inquire about renting a room.

Thinking this, Xiao Buli approached her and said, "Hello, Auntie. I am an adventurer here to vanquish the evil Demon Clan of the Dark Forest. Since the inn has no rooms left, I was wondering if I could stay at your place for a while? Of course, I am willing to pay."

Xiao Buli politely asked, inadvertently channeling the tone of a hero from games where the brave fight demons.

The stout woman exclaimed, "What, an adventurer? That’s wonderful! I actually need some help. My daughter is missing, and if you can help me find her, I’ll let you stay in a room for a while."

Xiao Buli was delighted and quickly asked, "Your daughter? What’s her name, what does she look like, and where did she go missing?"

Just as the stout woman was about to reply, her face lit up with joy. "Oh, she’s already back now; that’s such a relief!"

Xiao Buli was startled, and turning around, he saw a female warrior clad in full plate armor carrying a large sword on her back, escorting a little girl named ’Niuniu’ who held a basket full of mushrooms.

The female warrior had the distinctive colored nameplate of a player, and her name was—Cao Shuai (member of the Iron Blood Brotherhood). Despite her masculine name, Cao Shuai was quite beautiful, and her impressive full-body armor added a heroic touch. She appeared to be quite strong, probably no less than Zhao Yunlong.

(Is she a player from another guild?) Xiao Buli wondered inwardly. (Iron Blood Brotherhood? I wonder how they stack up against Qilin Hall.)

"Oh, thank you so much for finding Niuniu. She’s the only family I have. I wouldn’t know what to do if anything happened to her," the stout woman said gratefully, pulling the mushroom-picking girl into her embrace.

"No need to thank me; it’s what we Righteous Ones should do," she then told the little girl, "There are monsters all around here. Niuniu, you must be careful and not run off again, okay?"

The little girl replied earnestly, "Thank you, Sister. Niuniu will remember."

Cao Shuai finished speaking, glanced at Xiao Buli with a hint of surprise, and said, "Qilin Hall? Didn’t expect so many of you to show up. Have you not given up on that dungeon yet?"

Xiao Buli hesitated, unsure of whether to respond, but Cao Shuai didn’t wait for an answer and walked away.

Xiao Buli sighed. He still hadn’t found a place to stay, and turning back, he noticed the stout woman was about to take the little girl home. He hurriedly said, "Auntie, wait! Could I possibly stay? I can pay."

The stout woman seemed a bit troubled, "I don’t really need money. There is indeed an empty room in my house, but it’s reserved for my relatives. However, I don’t mind letting you stay for a while if you’re willing to do an hour of chores for me every day. But if my relatives come, you’ll have to leave."

System prompt: You have triggered the quest ’Temporary Tenant.’ Do you accept? Yes/No.

Xiao Buli thought he had no choice but to accept for now.

"Then please follow me," said the stout woman, leading him into a residence.

PS; My house had a power outage today, and I apologize for not being able to update on time. I had to update later at night, with five thousand words as a seal. I will aim for a burst of productivity tomorrow. (