“Geh geh geh, I thought that lousy man was different, but turns out he was just better at hiding it. Made me think my charm had faded!” After walking a while, Bloody Rose patted her ample chest and said with a sigh of relief.

Blanche, however, seemed thoughtful and said, “I still feel that man is... how should I put it, probably even more cunning!”

“Hmph, those two pieces of refined iron weren’t fake!” Bloody Rose said dismissively. “The shield forging blueprint that Yingying got requires five pieces of refined iron to make a black iron quality shield. Our Hongyan guild will definitely be the first to craft one and gain the upper hand in the first dungeon clear!”

Blanche thought about it and agreed—no matter how you looked at it, the value of two pieces of refined iron far exceeded those iron ores!

“Beep beep beep!” The in-game communicator rang.

Blanche immediately answered, and a woman’s voice said, “Sister Lan, Sister Rose, the guild leader just said to bring the iron ore to the village hall right away!”

Bloody Rose and Blanche looked at each other, both feeling a sense of foreboding rise in their hearts.

“Xiaoqing, what does the guild leader want the iron ore for?” Blanche asked.

The other party quickly replied, “The warrior class quest needs 200 pieces of iron ore. Meimei is waiting for you!”

“Oh—no!” Blanche and Bloody Rose screamed at the same time.

“Ah, that damn man, he actually dared to set me up! If I ever see him again, I’ll charm him until he’s head over heels, then kick him flying. If I don’t make him cry his heart out for years, I’m not surnamed Jiang!” Bloody Rose said fiercely, grinding her teeth at David Bolton. In truth, what bothered her more was that her always-invincible charm had actually failed!

After gnashing her teeth for a while, she started to feel glad she wasn’t the only one who got tricked. She said, “Sister Lan, I’m just big-chested and brainless, what’s your excuse?”

Blanche: “……”

Chapter 8: Gathering Materials

David Bolton jogged all the way back to the newbie village, panting as he found the warrior class trainer Farion, and couldn’t help but miss the teleport scrolls that could only be bought in the main city after reaching level 10.

“Rookie, I have to admit, you’ve made me see you in a new light!” Farion took the iron ore David Bolton handed over, still wearing his arrogant expression. “But you’re still a rookie! Here, take your shield and get lost!”

Farion tossed over a shield gleaming with a black luster.

“Ding! You have completed the class quest: Warrior’s Trial, and gained 5,000 experience points!”

[Thick Iron Shield] (Black Iron, Shield)

Armor: +10

Stamina: +5

Required Level: 5

“Wait!” Farion’s expression suddenly changed to one of surprise. “You actually have refined iron?”

“Yes, esteemed master!” David Bolton took out 10 pieces of refined iron from his backpack and handed them to Farion, knowing that the hidden quest had been successfully triggered.

“What a beautiful luster, it reminds me of the diamonds of Mount Dover!” Farion looked intoxicated, gazing at the refined iron in his hand like a lover.

After a while, Farion said, “Before I became a great warrior, I was a blacksmith! Rookie, these refined iron pieces make my hands itch. If you agree, I’d like to use them to forge an indestructible warblade!”

“As you wish, esteemed master!” David Bolton immediately nodded in agreement.

“Very good!” Farion looked delighted, but then continued, “However, refined iron alone isn’t enough. You must collect three more materials!”

“Ding! Farion has given you a quest: Materials for Forging the Warblade (I). Do you accept?”

“Accept!” After taking the quest, David Bolton immediately checked the quest log.

[Materials for Forging the Warblade (I)] (Quest Difficulty: C)

Quest Description: Farion needs the tusks of Stone Tusk Boars as materials for forging the warblade. It’s said that these monsters can be found in the watermelon field south of the village.

Progress: Collect Stone Tusk Boar Tusks 0/10

Stone Tusk Boars, they must be level 10 monsters, right? David Bolton didn’t leave right away, but talked to Farion again and learned the level 5 warrior skills: Block and Shield Bash.

[Block] (Level 1): Raise your shield to block one frontal attack from an enemy, lasting 1 second. After successfully blocking damage, deal damage equal to 100% of your Strength to the target and generate a large amount of threat. You gain 1 Rage. Cooldown: 10 seconds. Requirement: Shield.

[Shield Bash]: Strike the target with your shield, dealing damage equal to 200% of your Strength and generating a large amount of threat. Can only be used after a successful block. Cost: 10 Rage. Requirement: Shield.

Block—the god-tier skill for shield warriors! Once maxed at level 10, the cooldown drops to 1 second. Whether it’s for damage reduction or the high burst from Shield Bash after a block, it’s terrifyingly powerful!

David Bolton immediately equipped the Thick Iron Shield, then went to find the village elder Juan to hand over the Black Panther King’s head.

“Ah! This is... this is the head of the Black Panther King? That beast, which should have gone to hell long ago, has killed so many of our villagers!” Old Juan looked at David Bolton in shock and joy, his face full of excitement. “By the gods, you truly are a brave and kind young man. All the villagers will be grateful to you!”