“At that time, the Continent of Oblivion was engulfed in war, and the minions of the evil god were wantonly slaughtering lives on this land. Allen and I lost our parents during one of the demon attacks on our village. I vowed to become a blacksmith, to forge the sharpest weapons and the sturdiest armor for the warriors fighting on the front lines, while Allen... My dearest brother, he aspired to become a warrior charging at the very front of the battlefield. Later, when we both came of age, he was to head off to war. On the eve of his departure, I forged a shield for him, hoping it would provide my dearest brother with solid protection...”

In a daze, William Smith seemed to see a young Uncle Porter carrying a heavy shield, handing it to a warrior clad in full armor, imposing and heroic. Behind that warrior, countless other fully armored soldiers, their swords gleaming coldly, formed a neat phalanx. Under the silent sky, the murderous aura rising to the heavens was suffocating...

“And what happened after that?” William Smith asked quietly.

“After that, twenty years ago, after the final battle against the evil god—Kristin Elms—at Sunset Canyon, I never heard from Allen again. What I received was a shield delivered by the legion, the very shield I gave to Allen when he set out thirty years ago...”

“Uncle Porter...” William Smith already understood the fate of the warrior in Uncle Porter’s story. He couldn’t help but feel a wave of sorrow, wanting to offer some words of comfort, but not knowing where to begin.

“You’re a good kid.” Porter quickly regained his composure, looked at William Smith, and praised, “Perseverance, determination, resilience, and faith—you have all the qualities needed to become an outstanding warrior. I’m not mistaken about that.”

“Thank you, Uncle Porter.” William Smith said sincerely. Even though it was a virtual NPC, a virtual story, just like any legend forged in iron and blood, people, even knowing it’s fiction, can’t help but be drawn in, unable to extricate themselves.

“Well then, kid. These 100 refined steel ingots are indeed enough to forge a bronze shield, but I think there’s another shield that suits you even better. Use these 100 refined steel ingots to exchange for a shield from my collection.” As Uncle Porter spoke, he took the 100 refined steel ingots, carefully opened a package from under the bench behind him, and took out a pitch-black shield.

“It’s finally here...” William Smith was overjoyed, excitedly took the shield, and when he looked at its attributes, his vision went black and he nearly fainted.

“Sealed Bramble Shield, level requirement: 1, block: 50, defense increase: 200, quality: common.”

Common...!!! William Smith felt as if he had suddenly fallen from heaven to hell. The huge gap clogged his chest, making him feel extremely stifled. Other than slightly higher defense and block, this common shield had nothing outstanding at all. Was half a month’s effort only worth a piece of common equipment?

Or did the “Half-City Remnant Snow” from his previous life meet even more terrifying trigger conditions to obtain a top-tier bronze-quality shield and that so-called heaven-defying skill “Passive Shield Block”?

“Wait, hold on! Sealed Bramble Shield, sealed?” William Smith immediately caught the key point. Despite the emotional turmoil in his heart, his expression remained unchanged. Holding the shield, he gratefully said, “Thank you, Uncle Porter. This shield once used by a hero will surely become my lifelong companion.”

As William Smith said this, he couldn’t help but despise himself. If it were twenty years ago, when he was young, he would never have been able to say such blatantly cheesy words. Indeed, as people grow and mature, another meaning of maturity is shamelessness!

Uncle Porter laughed, “What a silly kid. A common-quality shield like this can’t really protect its user well. How could I let you take such a shield to fight monsters? This shield, during battles with demons, was stained with too much demon blood. The evil aura of the demon blood sealed away the shield’s original defensive power. However, there is a way to break the seal of the demon blood.”

“Ding dong... Uncle Porter requests you to break the seal of the demon blood. Player Lucas Smith, do you accept?”

The crisp system prompt at this moment was undoubtedly the most beautiful music. William Smith clicked accept without hesitation...

Chapter 10: Breaking the Seal! Blood of the Demon Boar

“Ding dong... You have accepted the rare unique quest—Breaking the Seal! Blood of the Demon Boar. Requirements: Player Lucas Smith must challenge the Demonized Wild Boar and use its blood to break the resentment of the demon on the ‘Sealed Bramble Shield’. Time limit: 24 hours. No level requirement. Quest requirements: Player Lucas Smith can only counterattack with the shield; party size must not exceed 2 people; party members’ level difference must not exceed 5 (not including 5). This quest is unique, cannot be repeated, will disappear if deleted, and death will determine completion. Quest reward: unknown. (Quest activation: perfect).”

William Smith looked at the golden quest flashing in the quest log, feeling both joy and worry. He was happy that his efforts and the script he designed had finally achieved the expected result, but worried because the difficulty of completing this rare unique quest was truly abnormal.