Ye Tianxie regretfully put the necklace back into his inventory, turned around, and left Wolf Valley, making his way back to the Beginner’s Village.
By this time, it was already close to 8 PM, yet the Beginner’s Village remained bustling with activity. The lively noise was dominated by shouts of various trades, and the outskirts of the village were lined with all sorts of street stalls.
"Level 3 battle axe with +7 attack—1 point more than a regular white-tier axe—only 2 silver coins!"
"Level 3 apprentice mage robe with +2 spirit! 1 gold coin, or trade for level 3 iron warrior gear!"
"Top-tier grass shoes with +3 movement speed, 8 silver coins, no bargaining!"
After an afternoon of hunting vicious wolves and blood wolves, and with his remarkable 10 points of Luck, Ye Tianxie had amassed over ten pieces of equipment in his inventory. Among them, four were steel-tier items with decent attributes, and not a single one was below level 5. At this early stage, even a single piece of steel equipment was enough to make players fight tooth and nail. If someone were to walk through the village fully equipped in steel gear, they would instantly become the center of attention, receiving envious and jealous gazes from countless players.
Though Ye Tianxie had a stash of highly coveted gear in his inventory, he had no intention of setting up a stall to sell them. After all, for someone carrying over 100 gold coins, these were nothing more than pocket change. Ignoring the crowd, he walked straight to the village chief.
Before Ye Tianxie could speak, the village chief, recognizing him instantly, lit up and greeted him first.
"Brave adventurer, we meet again! Your eyes tell me that you have completed your mission brilliantly."
"Yes, Village Chief, here are the wolf fangs as proof of my completion." Ye Tianxie handed over the 100 wolf fangs required for the quest.
The elderly village chief squinted his eyes, nodding approvingly. "Good! You truly are a remarkable warrior. Here is your reward."
Ding! "You have successfully completed the quest and received: 1,000 EXP, 5 silver coins, and a pair of level 5 steel boots."
"Thank you, Village Chief."
"No need to thank me. This is a well-earned reward for your bravery. Haha, such a polite young man."
Ding... Beginner's Village Chief #60001’s favorability towards you has increased by +1.
Ye Tianxie: "..."
Sigh, this damn Charisma stat... With 20 points—twice the max value for normal players—his Charisma was truly on another level. He smirked to himself, then took out the glowing amethyst necklace from his inventory and held it up to the village chief.
"Village Chief, I found this on a blood wolf. Do you recognize it?"
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The old man lowered his head slightly. The moment his half-closed eyes landed on the necklace, they widened in shock. His expression froze, and he remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he reached out with a trembling, withered hand, grasping the purple gemstone necklace tightly. His entire body shook as he spoke, his voice quivering to the point of being almost inaudible.
"This... this is... the necklace my son wore before he passed away!"
Hearing this, Ye Tianxie instantly understood its origins. The necklace must have belonged to the village chief’s son, who had ventured into Wolf Valley alone and perished there. It must have been left behind, later picked up by the mutated blood wolf, and ultimately ended up in Ye Tianxie’s hands.
The village chief clutched the necklace tightly, as if trying to meld it into his palm. His voice trembled with emotion.
"This was the last gift my wife left for my son. It was his most precious possession in life. Seeing it now, it’s as if I’m seeing my late wife and son again... I thought I would never lay eyes on it for the rest of my life... Thank you. Thank you, young man, for bringing back something so precious to me. When I look at this, I can almost see my son’s heroic figure once more..."
Tears streamed down the old man’s weathered face. He held the amethyst necklace to his chest, silently mourning the distant past and his departed loved ones.
Ye Tianxie remained silent. He knew that the old man needed this moment of peace—and that only once he was done reminiscing would he receive what was clearly a hidden quest reward.
After a long while, the village chief finally opened his eyes. Wiping away his tears, he regained his composure, patted Ye Tianxie on the shoulder, and said,
"You are not only a brave warrior but also a kindhearted one. I will remember this debt of gratitude... I have nothing valuable to repay you with, but take this ring that I once wore. I hope it aids you on your journey. I look forward to the day you become a true hero, bringing justice to those who threaten this world."
A simple yet ancient ring appeared in the village chief’s hands, which he placed in Ye Tianxie’s palm. A faint blue glow shimmered on the ring’s surface…
A ring—an incredibly valuable accessory-type item. And judging by the blue glow… This was actually a steel-tier ring!
[Ancient Ring of Life]
Item Grade: Steel
Equip Requirements: None
Item Description: A ring that the village chief of Beginner’s Village #60001 found in the wild many years ago. Its origins are unknown.
Attributes: +100 HP, regenerates 2 HP per second.
Ye Tianxie was briefly stunned by the unexpected strength of the ring’s attributes. Without hesitation, he equipped the Ring of Life in front of the village chief and said sincerely,
"Thank you, Village Chief. This ring will be of great help to me."
"Haha, I am glad to hear that," the village chief chuckled, nodding slowly.
Ding! "You have successfully completed the unique hidden quest [Lost Amethyst Necklace]. Rewards: 800 EXP, Special Equipment Ancient Ring of Life, Beginner's Village Chief #60001's favorability +20."
Ding! "Beginner’s Village Chief #60001's impression of you has increased to 'Confidant' level."
In Destiny, NPC favorability towards players had several tiers:
- Sworn Enemy (-100 and below)
- Gritting Teeth (-60 and below)
- Contemptuous (-30 and below)
- Indifferent (-10 and below)
- Neutral (-10 to 10)
- Admiration (10+)
- Confidant (40+)
- Grateful (100+)
- Loyal (170+)
- Awe-Inspiring (250+)
- Revered (500+)
The higher the favorability, the more friendly the NPCs would be, providing better guidance, granting more quests, and increasing the chances of triggering hidden tasks. Conversely, if favorability dropped below zero, players would face hostility, misleading directions, and even be unable to accept basic quests. When favorability reached -50 or lower, there was a chance that the NPC would attack. At -100, hostility was guaranteed—an NPC would attack on sight, without hesitation.