Chapter 66: Wind and Thunder Leg Guards
As for the captives in the Fallen Rock Valley, Jiang Chen released them all. Among them were other patrollers who could handle nearby monsters without issue, so he didn’t waste time escorting them.
Several of the female NPCs looked at Jiang Chen with lingering gazes. Watching him ‘leave without asking for recognition, hiding his merits and fame’, their admiration for him grew even stronger.
Jiang Chen chopped off the head of the Ogre Chieftain. The crystal Jona had given him could only record kill counts, but the chieftain had already been demonized into a gold-tier boss, clearly beyond the mission’s parameters.
This severed head served as proof that Jiang Chen had slain the demonized ogre.
Next, he took out a Return Scroll and crushed it!
When he reappeared, Jiang Chen stood atop the teleportation array at the East Gate of Yunhuang City.
“Damn! That dude’s a beast, carrying a head like it’s a salted fish.”
“That head’s ugly as hell, pitch black and all.”
“Looks like a high-level monster drop, probably a quest item.”
Nearby players pointed and whispered, but Jiang Chen paid no attention. He sprinted straight toward his beautiful mentor Jona—after overachieving this mission, he was curious what kind of reward awaited him.
When he arrived at the Archer Temple, he happened to encounter a team of NPC archers.
The archer NPC Lan Luo furrowed her brows and immediately stopped Jiang Chen. “Halt! Adventurer.”
“You’re carrying a heavy evil presence. I need to verify your identity.”
The other NPCs all placed their hands on their weapons, ready for combat at any moment.
Jiang Chen didn’t mind. He lifted up Shatu’s severed head and said, “The evil aura you’re sensing probably comes from this thing…”
Lan Luo recoiled several steps as if electrocuted, staring at Jiang Chen in shock.
“That… that… such a vile head! Could it be one of the remaining Abyssal creatures?!”
Jiang Chen was speechless.
Was that reaction really necessary…?
“Captain, that head kind of looks like one of the ogres from Fallen Rock Valley,” another NPC reminded her.
“Ogre? Impossible. Even if the ogres in Fallen Rock Valley have shown signs of mutation, they’ve never emitted such a sinister aura. Adventurer, what exactly did you do? Did you really kill this thing?”
Captain Lan Luo of the archer squad stared at Jiang Chen, clearly not believing it. Most adventurers nowadays weren’t strong enough to pull off such a feat.
“Yeah, I killed it. Any problem?” Jiang Chen replied calmly.
“N-no problem… You’re an archer too, right? Here to see Commander Jona?” Lan Luo asked.
“Yes. Teacher Jona should be inside the temple, right?”
Seeing he wasn’t corrupted by abyssal energy, Lan Luo dropped her guard and even smiled. “Yes, come, I’ll take you in.”
…Didn’t you just walk out of there?
Jiang Chen kept his internal sarcasm to himself and followed Lan Luo into the Archer Temple.
Since not many players had reached level 20 yet, his beautiful mentor was currently resting elegantly on her chair.
“Back again, Lan Luo?” Jona asked with her eyes still closed.
“Commander, this adventurer has brought what appears to be the head of an Abyssal creature.”
Jona opened her bright eyes. The moment she saw Jiang Chen, a warm smile lit up her pale face. “You’re back already?”
Jiang Chen gestured toward the monster’s head. “Teacher, I’ve completed the task you gave me. Also, I encountered a strange creature there, so I brought it back.”
When Jona saw the ogre chieftain’s head, her eyes suddenly narrowed, a look of surprise flashing across her face.
As expected, this creature had something off about it. Jiang Chen now recalled that the system had also prompted him that reporting this would earn a reward.
“The Abyssal demons… they’re starting to stir again…”
A look of concern appeared on Jona’s face. “This Ogre Chieftain has been completely corrupted into an Abyssal being. Who knows what exactly happened there.”
“Teacher, I think I might know something that could be useful to you.”
Jiang Chen spoke up. “The one who led the ogres into demonization… seemed to be someone named Hall.”
Jona was visibly shocked, and Lan Luo also gasped and covered her mouth. Seeing their reactions, Jiang Chen finally realized that this Hall was no ordinary figure—he must be someone important.
“Damn it… I didn’t expect Hall to be behind this. What is he trying to do…”
Jona’s hatred was clear, and noticing Jiang Chen’s puzzled look, she explained further: “Hall was once the most promising mage in Yunhuang City, but three years ago, he stole a special sealed scroll from within the city.”
“The Empire has been searching for him ever since, but found no leads—until today!”
As Jona spoke, she used a special power to destroy the Ogre Chieftain’s head.
“This matter is too serious. We’ll discuss it later. Outlaw, I’m pleased by how strong you’ve become. You completed a nearly impossible mission. Hand me the record crystal—I’ll grant you your rightful reward.”
Jiang Chen nodded and handed her the recording crystal.
“Congratulations on overachieving the mission—[Mutated Ogre]. Rewards: EXP +30,000, Gold x10, Reputation +500, Giantstone Legguards (Silver Gear).”
“Triggered [Hundredfold Reward] effect. Final rewards: EXP +3,000,000, Gold x1000, Reputation +50,000, Wind Thunder Leg Guards (Platinum).”
“Ding! Congratulations on reaching level 25. You’ve gained 13 free attribute points!”
Jiang Chen’s heart skipped a beat. His luck was off the charts. The level-up was already amazing, but he hadn’t expected equipment rewards too.
He hurriedly opened his backpack and saw a pair of leg guards glowing with a cyan and violet-white hue lying inside.
[Wind Thunder Leg Guards]
Bonus Effect: Increases carrying capacity by 25%.
Level Requirement: lv25
The equipment’s stats were once again incredibly strong. For leg guards to have 150 defense, along with 150 points of dual primary stats, this was without a doubt top-tier.
There was no reason not to equip them immediately. As soon as he put them on, a surge of wind burst around his legs, and a wave of power coursed through his body. His attributes saw another massive boost.