He patiently waited for Guoguo to finish her apple. After pondering for a short while, Ye Tianxie raised his left wrist and connected to an external call.

  The communicator in Destiny not only allowed in-game communication but could also directly connect to the real world. Moreover, while inside Destiny, if someone visited in real life, a call came in, the player's body suffered excessive hunger due to prolonged online presence, or any unexpected event occurred, the communicator would automatically issue an alert or warning.

  After two evenly spaced rings, the call was immediately picked up, and a slightly rough voice impatiently spoke:

  "Second Brother, you finally decided to show some signs of life! You have no idea—"

  "Third Brother, I need to ask you something." Ye Tianxie cut him off without waiting for him to finish.

  "Huh? What is it?—Hey, listen, that damn freak—"

  "When does currency exchange open?" Ye Tianxie interrupted again, completely disregarding him.

  The other side of the call went silent for a moment before hesitantly replying, "Uh… Based on my very rough estimate, it’ll probably, maybe, possibly take around… a month?"

  "A month?" Though he’d used a long list of qualifiers to emphasize the uncertainty of his answer, Ye Tianxie knew that with his style and intelligence network, if he dared to give such a relatively specific time frame, there had to be some basis for it.

  According to the village chief, once he left the newbie village, there would be no way to return. Would he really have to stay here for over a month just to buy these overpowered items?

  "Oh! Second Bro—uh! No, slip of the tongue, Second Brother, please don’t get mad. So… are you short on cash?"

  "I need two billion. And I need to use it in the newbie village," Ye Tianxie stated flatly.

  "What the f—TWO BILLION?! Second Brother, you, you, you—" He stammered before composing himself. "Uh, but according to some not necessarily reliable information I’ve received, currency exchange won’t be available anytime soon. And even when it does open, you won’t be able to use it in the newbie village. Because, according to another piece of intel, to exchange real money for in-game currency, you first need to visit a city in the game and obtain a special financial card. The exact details aren’t clear, but one thing is certain—without that card, there’s absolutely no way to convert real-world money into game currency. So, the first step has to be leaving the newbie village and reaching a main city, and only then—"

  Click!

  Ye Tianxie ended the call.

  Looking at the few scattered gold coins in his inventory, he was speechless.

  If he could exchange currency freely, he wouldn’t mind staying in the newbie village for over a month. For those god-tier items, anyone with enough funds and a functioning brain would make the same choice. Though he would fall behind by nearly a month compared to others, what he would gain in return would more than make up for it a hundredfold.

  But reality was cruel—he didn’t even have the option to wait.

  Slowly accumulating two billion gold coins in the newbie village… Whoever thought of that idea should be sent straight to a mental institution.

  On the other hand, if he left the newbie village, he could obtain two billion in-game currency, but he would never be able to return here… Was there really no way around this?

  Overpowered items weren’t easy to come by, and obtaining them was even harder than reaching the heavens. But if they existed, then there had to be some glimmer of hope to acquire them. Destiny boasted the most sophisticated intelligent system—surely it wouldn’t set up an impossible, soul-crushing trap?

  Gritting his teeth, Ye Tianxie turned on his heel and headed back to the item shop.

  From noon to afternoon…

  By the time he stepped out again, the sky was already turning to dusk. Even though this was just a game world, he still felt parched.

  After half a day of relentless bombarding, exhausting every trick in the book, that old man Yuan Que remained as calm as a corpse, only repeating the same three words over and over—

  "Bring me money."

  Money.

  Money wasn’t everything, but without money, you were nothing.

  Ye Tianxie clenched his backpack. Apart from an enviable stash of top-tier equipment, all he had left were a few gold coins he had obtained from the Abyss Trial. At this moment, he truly understood the importance of money.

  And the fastest way to make money? Killing monsters? Mining? Gathering herbs?

  No. None of those were as fast as… robbery.

  But considering the current financial state and skill level of newbie players, robbery didn’t seem very profitable either.

  Ye Tianxie suddenly found himself reminiscing about those five fat sheep from the Maple Leaf Alliance. Given his current situation, he was in dire need of some quick cash.

  Ding!

  His eyes slowly lit up.

  He had just been thinking about those rich lambs, and as if summoned by fate, here they were, delivering themselves to him.

  Led by Maple Leaf Ironwall, five members of the Maple Leaf Alliance had clearly spotted him and were now quickening their pace toward him. Ye Tianxie glanced around—seeing that no one else was paying attention, he composed himself and leisurely watched them approach.

  These guys had come looking for him for one of two reasons: to recruit him, or…

  Maple Leaf Ironwall stopped in front of him, adjusted his posture, and tried his best to put on a warm and friendly expression.

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  A mysterious player named "Xie Tian" had single-handedly cleared the Abyss Trial, creating a near-mythical achievement. These five were among the few who actually knew his name, and at this moment, they wouldn’t dare act arrogantly in front of him. If it weren’t for the guild leader’s strict orders, they wouldn’t have wanted to deal with this guy ever again.

  Standing before him now, whether it was his presence or the legendary feat he had achieved, Maple Leaf Ironwall could feel an invisible pressure making it difficult to breathe.

  He had just opened his mouth to speak when Ye Tianxie beat him to it, smiling warmly.

  "My dear fri—oh, I mean, my friends from the Maple Leaf Alliance. We meet again! I regret that my emotions got the better of me last time, leading me to act somewhat irrationally. I hope you won’t take it too personally. So, what brings you all here?"

  The overly gentle and polite tone left the five Maple Leaf members collectively dumbfounded, their brains momentarily unable to process it.

  Maple Leaf Ironwall struggled for a moment before finally squeezing out a smile. "N-no, not at all! That day, we were the ones at fault first… Ahem, Xie Tian, our guild leader was deeply impressed upon hearing that you cleared the Abyss Trial alone. He greatly admires you and is eager to meet you. Would you be interested in joining the Maple Leaf Alliance? Our guild leader has promised that if you join—"

  "I’m someone who values my freedom—I won’t be joining any guilds or factions. Apologies." Ye Tianxie responded politely.

  His tone, expression, and the friendly smile on his face were refined and gentlemanly… A stark contrast to the person they had encountered before.

  Maple Leaf Ironwall nodded, as if expecting that response. Without further persuasion, he got straight to the point.

  "As our guild leader predicted. He said that someone like you—a supreme expert—must be a lone wolf. That said, he still hopes to befriend you… Xie Tian, to be frank, we came here today to ask for a favor."

  "Oh? Your guild leader seems to be quite the character. I'd actually be interested in meeting him someday. As they say, one doesn’t truly know another until after a fight. We do share some history, after all. Since I was indeed at fault before, just tell me what you need help with. If it’s within my ability, I’ll certainly lend a hand—consider it a gesture of friendship with your guild leader."

  Ye Tianxie maintained a warm and easygoing smile.

  The five of them were overjoyed beyond expectation. They had originally thought that even if they managed to find Xie Tian, they would be met with a cold face and mocking words. They were simply gritting their teeth and giving it a hopeful try, but to their surprise, things were going this smoothly.

  Hongye Ironwall quickly said, "Then we must thank you in advance, Brother Xie Tian. This is also our leader's wish, and in all of Huaxia, only you have the ability to do it… Our leader hopes you can lead a few of us through the Abyss Trial. Of course, the reward will definitely be satisfactory to you."

  As long as a team enters the trial map together, even if only one person successfully clears the trial, everyone in the team would pass at the same time. This design had its fair share of fairness and unfairness. Because of it, countless people were trying to track down Xie Tian, hoping to get his assistance in clearing the Abyss Trial. If successful, their starting point would be far ahead of ordinary players, allowing them to make a name for themselves.

  Each trial could be attempted multiple times, but the rewards could only be obtained once. If all five members of the Redleaf Alliance passed the Abyss Trial, not only would they gain attributes far superior to regular players, but the name of the Redleaf Alliance would also resound throughout Huaxia—perhaps even the entire world. The impact on their guild’s growth would be immeasurable.

  Xie Tian frowned slightly, making the Redleaf members uneasy. However, his expression soon relaxed as he said, "Alright, I can do it."

  The five of them were so excited they almost knelt on the spot. But before they could thank him, Xie Tian slowly added, "However, all the equipment that drops during the trial belongs to me."

  "Deal! That’s no problem at all! We only need the proof of passing the trial; we won’t touch anything else," Hongye Ironwall immediately nodded. Instead of feeling dissatisfied, he actually felt more reassured by Xie Tian’s condition.

  "Also, you’ve seen how difficult the Abyss Trial is. Every stage is a prolonged battle of attrition. I need enough supplies… 1,000 gold coins’ worth. Within an hour."

  "One… one thousand gold coins?" The Redleaf members collectively gasped. That was practically the price of a full set of Level 10 bronze equipment. A thousand gold coins' worth of supplies… was he planning to eat potions like meals!?

  However, compared to the 100 gold coins they had struggled to gather last time, collecting 1,000 gold coins now wasn't as daunting. As players leveled up, their income of gold and silver coins also slowly increased. A thousand gold was no longer an astronomical figure. Hongye Ironwall hesitated for only a second before nodding firmly.

  "Alright! Brother Xie Tian, please wait here. We will return as soon as possible… Let's go!"

  The five of them quickly departed. Xie Tian watched their backs and sighed dramatically. If someone insisted on handing him money, what could he do?

  "Boss, that Xie Tian scammed us into gathering 100 gold coins last time at great cost. Do you think he’ll—" the Redleaf trainee priest whispered to Hongye Ironwall.

  Hongye Ironwall calmly shook his head. "Relax. This time, he won’t. Didn’t you notice how differently he’s treating us now? Hmph! His reputation has already spread far and wide. He can’t hide even if he wanted to. In his position, does he dare to provoke our Redleaf Alliance again? Sure, he passed the Abyss Trial alone, but no matter how strong he is, can he take on our entire Redleaf Alliance? If I were him, even if I were ten times stronger, I’d make the exact same choice—to smooth things over and help us out to build a better relationship. Hmph, his reaction doesn’t surprise me at all… Try to scam us again? He’d have to be a suicidal idiot."

  "…That makes a lot of sense, Boss," the unfortunate trainee archer nodded in agreement.

  "Enough chatter. Split up and start gathering gold immediately. Offer a 1,000 Huaxia dollar exchange for each gold coin if necessary!"

  "Oh!!"

  Forty minutes later, at the same spot.

  A half-drowsy Xie Tian finally saw the five Redleaf members approaching from afar. In the meantime, he had once again bombarded the apothecary Yuan Que with relentless questioning—until the old man lifted his gleaming, venomous snake, forcing Xie Tian to flee for his life.

  "Brother Xie Tian, we’ve prepared everything you asked for. Are we setting off now?" Hongye Ironwall showed no hesitation as he transferred the 1,000 gold coins into Xie Tian’s hands, clearly unconcerned about him going back on his word.

  Xie Tian took the gold and gave them a long look… If he had known they could be squeezed for this much, he should have asked for more earlier. Satisfied, he nodded and said, "I was just in need of some funds. You guys are really generous. Thanks in advance… Well then, see you."

  Xie Tian waved his hand, turned around, and started walking away.

  Hongye Ironwall froze for a second before quickly stepping forward and calling out, "Xie Tian, what do you mean…? Didn’t you agree to take us through the Abyss Trial!?"

  "Oh?" Xie Tian stopped, turned back, and looked at them with a confused expression. "Did I say that? By the way, what are your names?"

  The five Redleaf members’ expressions were a sight to behold—each of them looking as if they had just swallowed a mouthful of dung but couldn't spit it out. They realized, with utter disbelief, that they had been scammed yet again. Just like last time, they had painstakingly gathered a fortune in gold coins, only for it to go up in smoke in the hands of the same man—along with their dignity.

  Hongye Ironwall’s chest heaved violently. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to remain calm. "Xie Tian… so you really intend to make an enemy of our Redleaf Alliance?"

  "Redleaf Alliance? Heh…" Xie Tian turned fully around, narrowing his eyes into thin slits.

  "Alright, I’ll remember that name. Your generosity today will be forever engraved in my heart. The next time I need money, you guys will be the first ones I think of. Now that you’re no longer useful to me, you can get lost… or…"

  Xie Tian’s lips curled into a sinister smile. "Are you looking for a fight?"

  The moment the word "fight" left his mouth, the trainee archer—who had already suffered at Xie Tian’s hands twice—immediately turned and ran, vanishing without a trace.

  Hongye Ironwall took a step back, glaring at Xie Tian before saying in a low voice, "We’re leaving!"

  Getting scammed twice in a row by the same person, in the exact same way, left Hongye Ironwall seething with hatred. At the same time, he felt the overwhelming urge to slap himself—hard. It all started because they had stumbled upon Evil Wolf Valley and made the mistake of inviting Xie Tian into their team, only to kick him out… One misstep had led to an entire chain of disasters.

  As the five Redleaf members left in utter humiliation, Xie Tian sneered and muttered under his breath, "If you’re smart, you won’t show up in front of me ever again."