Miss Witch doesn't want to be a diva!.

Chapter 520: Another Team of Adventurers' Enlightenment
The next day, by the river.

"Now, Ores!" Shui Yanqing held the sword in both hands, tried her best to cut the hippopotamus in front of her, and then quickly avoided the collision with another hippopotamus.

"I know, you don't have to shout."

Orles looked at the double-edged axe in her hand, took a deep breath, took three quick steps, and then jumped up. As the magic pattern on the axe blade was activated, a shining cold light emerged. With one chopped down by the axe, a huge gash was cut in the hippopotamus' tough thick skin.

The injured hippopotamus howled in fear, then ran with blood spurting out, knocking down Ores in front of him, and rushed straight into the water. The other two hippos were also frightened when they saw this, and they fled back into the river and ran to the other side while being chased by the other girls.

The remaining few people were unable to catch up and could only watch the three hippos climb over the hill across the river and disappear.

"Although I didn't kill him, I did drive him away after all. I don't know if it can be considered as completing the mission." Blanche was a little unsure.

"Just go back and ask and you'll know." Pulin brushed off the dirt and grass clippings on her body.

On the other side, Tilan looked at Orlais, who was sitting on the riverbank, covered in mud and blood. She wanted to laugh, but felt sorry for her. Finally, she held back and pulled her up.

"Oh, I'm so dirty, Tilan." Orlais complained to Tilan in a crying voice.

"It's okay, just go back and wash up." Tilan wiped her face carefully and held her in her arms to comfort her.

"Due to the restrictions of the rules, many abilities cannot be used, otherwise it wouldn't be so troublesome." Shui Yanqing walked over and shook her water-blue hair, which was also covered with some mud and water.

"But if it weren't for this, we could still experience the hardship and vividness of this battle. I think it's quite interesting. Suddenly I'm looking forward to what's going to happen next." Odney also came over holding a lyre.

"Let's go, I'll get the axe for you." Shui Yanqing put the sword behind her back and picked up the axe from the mud on the river beach.

"It is a bit heavy." She held it and tried to wave it.

"Yanqing looks pretty cool swinging an axe too." Blanche looked at him and raised her finger in praise.

Afterwards, the six of them reunited and returned to the town. After washing up, they went to the first floor of the tavern for dinner.

"Olais is still taking a shower and will come down later. You can order food first." Tilan came down and told everyone.

"Then Tilan, please help Orlesi."

After that, the five of them waited for a while, and Tilan went back upstairs to see if Ores had finished her shower.

"I just asked the people in the town, and they said that as long as the hippopotamus are driven away, the mission is accomplished."

"The 200 gold coins as a reward were given to us. Another hunter said that because we drove away the hippopotamus, this was originally his task to complete, so he couldn't get the reward."

"He asked if we could give him 100 gold coins and he would assist us as an assistant when we fight the bandits in the thieves' den."

"It seems that these two tasks are related. I was wondering how to solve the problem if there are not enough players in the town to deal with the bandits in the den of thieves. It turns out that the clue is here."

"If we think about it more deeply, if we are fewer in number, with only three of us, then the ones who come out to help us may not just be one hunter, but another NPC team."

"Promise yourself. It will be easier if you follow the instructions."

"I think so too."

……

Just as the four were discussing the afternoon's mission, Tilan brought Ores downstairs.

This time she changed into a simple medieval cotton dress, and her silver hair was simply tied up, with some moisture still on it. When she sat down, others couldn't help but look at her a few more times.

"What's wrong? Look at me." She checked herself and there should be no remaining stains.

"Nothing, I just suddenly realized that Ores is a little different." Pulin answered simply and directly.

"Maybe it's a lot more ordinary, but it also feels easier to approach." Blanche thought for a moment.

"To put it simply, he's like a normal person now." Shui Yanqing was as sharp-tongued as ever.

"Was I so unfriendly before?" Ores was surprisingly not angry.

"Well, a little bit."

"It's not that there's anything wrong with Orles, it's just that some of your unintentional habits don't give people a very good impression. It's not that you do it on purpose, but you don't realize that not everyone is so well-off and has such good conditions as you." Odney thought about it and said directly.

"I told you, no one will hate you now." Tilan pressed Ores' shoulder lightly from behind.

'To display elegance, power and propriety all the time sometimes fails to convince people and instead makes them feel distant and arrogant.'

"If it were a little softer and more delicate, it would be more real and beautiful." This is what she said to Orles upstairs.

"I understand." Although it was still a little awkward, there was also a sense of warmth and happiness flowing.

"Everyone is here, let's start lunch~"

At this time, the table was already filled with delicious dishes, many of which were freshly made and still steaming.

"Okay\(^o^)/~"

Because the mission was completed, the team had a lot more money, so the lunch was particularly sumptuous. Compared to last night, there was an extra large grilled steak, so each member could get two pieces.

After lunch, the six people took a two-hour break before setting off together.

"We have to complete the task today. We can't delay any longer."

"set off!"

The six people set out in a mighty manner, bringing a hunter as a guide. With the help of the hunter along the way, Tilan and his party approached the thieves' den through a hidden path and then launched an attack.

"Fire magic!"

Pulin stood on the high ground with his hands open. The gathered flames turned into a long dragon and rushed down into the bandits' formation. A series of red lights flashed, and many bandits' belts' health points were deducted and they had to leave the field.

"Don't let them run away." Odney plucked the strings of the guitar in her hand and cheered for her teammates.

On the other side, in the sea of ​​fire, Shui Yanqing, Aoles, and Tilan, each holding a sword, an axe, and a gun, formed a triangle formation and charged forward.

A three-person team can cover each other and deal with enemies from all directions, which makes combat extremely convenient. When facing lone enemies, they can also quickly resolve the situation, greatly improving efficiency.

"These guys!"

On top of the watchtower of the thieves' den, the leader of the bandits held a longbow and shot angrily at the three people below.

Emerald green light poured in, the bowstring vibrated, and an arrow shot out, hitting the leading girl, causing the color of her shield to instantly turn red.

"Danger." Blanche behind saw it and raised the healing staff in her hand. A ray of light fell and the shield on the side of Orles turned bright yellow.

"An old acquaintance." The hunter following the team also raised his bow and shot at the enemy on the watchtower.

Soon, because of the attack, the opposing leader's health was greatly reduced and he dared not show his head anymore.

Then the three of them rushed to the top of the tower, ready to deal with this final enemy.

"No, don't kill me." He raised his hands in surrender.

"I can help you, just don't kill me first." He said again.

"What's the matter?" Shui Yanqing picked up his bow first.

"I can bring my men to join you and help you with your work." He expressed that he was useful.

"Then wouldn't that mean we'd become bandits too?" Ores thought.

"Perhaps this is the beginning of a branch line." Tilan thought about it.

"What can you do, just rob?"

"Anything is fine, as long as I can make a living." The other party was also straightforward.

"So you can build houses, right?" Tilan looked at the facilities here and found them to be quite complete.

"Yes, of course." "Well, I remember there's an abandoned watchtower on the edge of town, can you repair it?"

"Yes, that sentry tower is simpler than the watchtower I have here. It's not difficult to build. It just takes time and effort."

"Very good, then you can help us do this. After you are done, I will ask the residents of the town if they are willing to forgive you."

Thus, the second task was also solved here. After discussing with the townspeople, this group of bandits were incorporated into the town's guard team after repairing the watchtower, allowing them to make a living from it. The other captain was the hunter who assisted the six people this time. Only with him could the guard team be assured, and the original bandit leader became a hunter in the town, helping people hunt for a living.

"I'm leaving now."

“Although I only stayed for a day and a half, I got to know everyone in the town. Suddenly I felt a little reluctant to leave.”

"The blacksmith gave us a set of chain mail, saying it was a gift for our help to the town."

"Where's the chain mail? I don't seem to see it." Blanche looked around but didn't see anyone wearing chain mail.

"It's a card." Pulin came over, holding a card with chain mail printed on it between her fingers.

"If you put this on your belt, you'll create a chain mail outfit, and your armor properties will also improve."

"So that's how it is." Then several people took the cards and tried them one by one.

Everyone's appearance changed after getting the chain mail. The three melee professions had an additional layer of long-sleeved chain mail with full protection on their clothes, while the wizard, healer, and bard had a chain mail vest, and the armor attribute did not increase much.

"It seems that different professions affect a lot of things."

After the six people discussed it, they decided to let Ores wear chain mail. After all, the team's biggest output now depends on her, so naturally she should have the best protection as well.

"With this, the first level map is almost finished, it's time to move on to the next level."

"how to get to?"

"The people in the town said that if we keep going east, we will find a white stone mountain road. If we pass through the door at the top of the mountain road, we will enter the border of Tucker City. It is a medium-sized city with a lot of people gathered there."

"Let's go then."

So, after some preparation, the six set out again. This time their team configuration was Swordsman - Shui Yanqing, Axeman - Orlais, Spearman - Tilan, Wizard - Pulin, Healer - Blanche, and Bard - Odni.

----

20 minutes later, the six people arrived at the top of the mountain trail, where there was a closed iron door. When they pushed it open, a white light flashed and everyone entered.

A misty wall appeared around the circular platform, and then it rose up with the six people, bringing them to the second level of the maze.

The iron gate opened, and everyone appeared on the mountain road again, but this time they were going down. In the distance, a city built of gray stone bricks emerged, and occasionally carriages and passers-by could be seen on the road.

"I don't know what's waiting for us ahead." Shui Yanqing sighed.

"Hehe, it will definitely be very interesting." Under the hood, Prin's caramel-colored short hair was slightly exposed, her eyes were as bright as rubies, and a wisp of flame appeared in the palm of her hand.

Going down the mountain road, the group headed towards Tucker City. On the way, they met a fat merchant who was selling goods. There was a horse-drawn carriage parked next to him, and the tailgate at the back of the carriage was lowered, revealing the goods inside.

"Would you like to buy something, adventurer girls?"

"I have healing potions, bread to fill your stomach, torches, antidote potions, and kerosene arrows. These are what you need."

"Why not sell things in the city?" Blanche asked curiously.

"Because we have to pay taxes in the city, kids," he said with a smile.

“You can save a lot by buying things here.”

"Would you like to buy some supplements?" Odney looked at her companion beside her.

"Buy some, antidote potions and healing potions, they might be needed later. As for kerosene torches and the like, you don't have to buy them for now. After all, we have Pulin, the fire wizard." Tilan suggested.

"Okay, I'll negotiate." So Odni stepped forward and used the bard's ability of 'Negotiation'.

……

"Oh my, you are really good at talking. Okay, okay, I'll give you a 30% discount." The businessman agreed with a smile.

So the six people bought 3 bottles of healing potions, 2 bottles of antidote potions, and 2 portions of bread.

The next six people continued forward until they came to the city gate, which was about six meters high and had two spearmen guarding it.

"A tax of 10 gold coins per person is required to enter the city," they demanded.

"Here." Although they felt cheated, the six of them didn't want to conflict with the guards over this matter, so they paid the money and went in.

After entering the city, everything is much more lively. There are about twenty buildings here, and the main street is more than a thousand meters long. Compared with the town, this place is much more prosperous. You can also see some advanced professions, such as the swordsman's advanced 'Swordsman' and 'Assassin', the lancer's advanced 'Knight', and the healer's advanced 'Priest' and 'White Mage'.

"High-level professions have more and stronger abilities, but the job transfer books they need are also more valuable." A city resident told them.

"So, in order to embark on the path to becoming the strongest, we must work harder to complete the tasks in exchange for higher-level career books."

Six people were sitting in the city's mercenary guild, listening to the guests' discussion inside and gradually understanding the situation. At this time, another group of five people came over, including three men and two women. They were a bald 'priest' wearing chain mail, a sexy 'black magician' sister wearing revealing clothes, a shy half-elf girl 'ranger', a 'heavy armored warrior' carrying a heavy hammer, and a 'swordsman' youth carrying a glowing sword.

"Hello, I didn't expect to see newcomers today." The leading swordsman waved his hand.

"Who are you?" Tilan and his group were not sure whether the other party was NPC or players who came here together.

"We are players too, ahaha." The other party laughed heartily.

Afterwards, the group sat down and the other party introduced what had happened.

"We came in last week. At first, we just wanted to accompany Rosa to experience it. We were a little worried about her coming alone, but later we all became addicted to it."

"How many days have you been here?" Shui Yanqing was curious about how long they had spent.

"About six days, and the process was pretty smooth." The other party recalled.

"It feels much more interesting than traveling, but it will have to come to an end after today."

"Rosa's vacation is about to end. There will be another summer vacation next time, otherwise we won't be able to get together."

"Thank you, brother. Actually, it's Rosa's fault for delaying everyone for so long." The timid half-elf girl at the side spoke up.

"It's okay, everyone is having a great time."

“Although it was only six days, it felt like I was experiencing another life. Overall, this experience was more real and immersive than watching movies or TV series.”

"After all, I was the one who shed my sweat and body. The delicious food I ate, the battles in the rain, the tension and choices in times of danger all gave me a lot of inspiration. It would be great if everyone could really enter another world and experience it this way."

"I mean, as a human being, many things are often experienced for the first time and are very immature. If there is a real game world like this to experience many situations, it will surely become easier to understand many emotions, such as the importance of friendship, the difficulties of others, the multifaceted and uncertain nature of things, etc."

"It took them a lot of effort to build this 'maze'. Although there are still some shortcomings, it is not unsolvable. It's just that the current scale is limited, so it has been simplified a lot."

“Sometimes I wonder if it’s too expensive to spend so much manpower and resources just to give the gaming experience to a small number of people, but from the actual experience, it’s worth it.”

"It is easier to do these things on the Aegae network. It can easily build a huge world that looks like reality. However, when it comes to the emotional impact and experience on people, it is never as strong as reality."

"Especially during the first battle, I fell to the ground because of a stone hitting my foot. My palm was scratched and burning. At the same time, the enemy above my head stepped on me, and the danger of my companions beside me stimulated me so intensely that I didn't have any time to react to the severity of the injury or whether my foot was sprained. Instead, I stood up with my weapon and rushed forward with all my strength, because every second I was slower, my companions would be in danger. It was a game, but it was not a game, because the beasts on the opposite side would really pounce on people to the ground and knock them flying. The pain was real, but we would not really die."

"Because of the pain and danger, many real emotions were aroused. The free and carefree state I had when playing games before quickly disappeared, and what was left was tension and anticipation again and again."

“This kind of reality mixed with pain is so fascinating that it makes the subsequent victory even more exciting and joyful.”

"Today's society is too safe. Because of this, there is a lack of dangerous excitement, and many emotions are drifting away into nothingness, and impetuousness is everywhere."

"Sorry, it's rare to meet a player like us, so I talked a lot of off-topic stuff, but this is indeed how I feel these days. I plan to write a paper to summarize it when I go back."

“I wish you all a happy game later~ Discover the true emotions and choices between your companions here.”

(End of this chapter)