I was so scared that I put all my points into health.

Renn and Alpha arrived at the Adventurers' Guild early. They carefully observed each new adventurer, trying to find a suitable candidate.

Soon after, a burly, imposing man entered the guild. He wore heavy armor and carried a massive battle axe, making him appear extremely fierce.

Alpha's eyes lit up, and he whispered to Ryan, "Brother Ryan, look at that guy, I think he might be the one we're looking for."

Wang Xiaoyi nodded as well, "Yeah, he looks really strong."

Alpha mustered his courage and stepped forward, politely asking, "Hello, my name is Alpha, and this is my older brother, Rein. We're looking for a warrior who can tank monsters head-on to join our team. Would you be interested?"

The man glanced at Renne and Alpha, smiled slightly, and said, "My name is Karl, and I'm also looking for new teammates. In that case, let's team up!"

Wang Xiaoyi and Alpha had expected Karl to refuse to join the team, but he agreed, much to their delight. They knew that Karl's addition would greatly enhance the team's strength, enabling them to handle more dangerous adventure missions.

Karl, with his extensive experience as an adventurer for many years, stepped forward and volunteered to take on the role of team leader. At the notice board, he unhesitatingly chose a mission to a remote mine. Alpha, noticing the remote location, felt a pang of fear and instinctively wanted to back out. However, Wang Xiaoyi didn't intervene. Seeing that Brother Rein hadn't refused, Alpha had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue with the mission.

Karl tore down the quest notice and approached the Adventurers' Guild staff, confirming the quest information and completing the registration process. Because the quest location was remote, he specifically rented a carriage. The three of them then traveled by carriage for some time before finally arriving at the quest location.

The system notification sounded: "Ding, the mission to hunt cave bats and goblins in the remote mine has been activated."

I. Task Description

In the remote, secluded mines, cave-dwelling bats and goblins roam freely. The bats hang upside down from the mine walls, agile and adept at group attacks. Once they spot prey, they swoop down in droves, their sharp claws and teeth capable of inflicting considerable damage on adventurers. The goblins, on the other hand, roam the ground. Though small in stature, they are extremely cunning, fond of setting various simple yet dangerous traps and utilizing the mine's complex terrain for ambushes. Armed with crude but deadly weapons, they seek to rob passersby or harm adventurers.

II. Task Prompt

1. Once inside the mine, use lighting tools or glowing magic to illuminate the surrounding environment to prevent being attacked by cave bats.

2. Pay attention to the ground beneath your feet and around you, and carefully avoid the traps set by the goblins. If you trigger a trap, use your surroundings to avoid any potential goblin attacks.

3. Burrowing bats are afraid of light, and their movement will be somewhat restricted in open and well-lit places. You can try to guide them to such areas to fight.

4. Although individual goblins are not strong, they can be troublesome when they are in groups. Try to avoid being surrounded by them. If you are surrounded, find a narrow passage to break through.

III. Task Rewards

1. Basic Rewards: 800 experience points, 500 copper coins, and one piece of tough leather armor (provides 20 points of physical defense).

2. Additional Rewards (based on the difficulty and efficiency of completing the task): Advanced Recovery Potion (instantly restores a large amount of health, with the effect of bringing the dead back to life in battle); Special Ore Mining Rights (allows the mining of a rare ore from veins near the task location, which can be used to craft high-level equipment or traded for a large amount of wealth).

Carl patted his chest confidently and said, "Don't worry, with me here, this little task is no problem for us. You two newbies just need to follow behind me, and I'll protect you."

So, the group set off for the mine. The entrance to the mine was eerie and terrifying, the air thick with dampness and a musty smell. Karl walked in front, with Wang Xiaoyi and Alpha following closely behind. Alpha felt a little nervous, but mostly excited about the unknown adventure ahead.

As they ventured deeper into the mine, a suffocating atmosphere permeated the dark, damp environment. Suddenly, a series of sharp screeching sounds shattered the silence, and cave bats, flapping their enormous wings, swarmed in from all directions. Their sharp claws and gleaming teeth foreshadowed the impending danger. At the same time, goblins moved across the ground, wielding crude weapons and uttering eerie cries, closing in from all corners.

Karl remained calm and composed, his muscles taut, the sword in his hand gleaming coldly. He moved nimbly through the horde of monsters, each swing of his sword striking the cave-dwelling bats precisely to their vital points, the force seemingly capable of cleaving the air itself. Facing the goblins' attacks, he easily dodged to the side, then with a backhand strike, the blade effortlessly slicing through their bodies, splattering blood. Before his overwhelming power, the monsters fell one after another.

However, as time ticked by, a subtle atmosphere began to permeate the group. Wang Xiaoyi gradually noticed that Karl's gaze often lingered on them, his eyes seeming to conceal something unknown, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, ready to strike a fatal blow at any moment. This gaze made Alpha extremely uneasy, his inner unease rising like a surging tide.

During a brief respite, Alpha was vigilantly watching his surroundings. Suddenly, he heard Karl whispering something in a corner. Alpha pricked up his ears; although he couldn't make out everything, the sinister undertones in the voice sent a chill down his spine. From Karl's evasive words and occasional sinister glances, Alpha deduced that he seemed to be planning something detrimental to them.

Alpha's heart suddenly raced, his eyes filled with fear and hesitation. But in the end, he decided to tell Wang Xiaoyi what he had heard. He quietly approached Wang Xiaoyi and, his voice trembling, recounted everything he had heard.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaoyi maintained his calm and expressionless demeanor, but a barely perceptible glint of coldness flashed in his deep eyes. He didn't immediately reveal his emotions, but instead subtly gave Alvin a pre-arranged hand gesture. This gesture was a tacit signal between them, signifying the seriousness of the situation and the need to carefully handle what might happen next.

Finally, after a thrilling battle with the goblins, Karl felt the time was ripe. He whirled around, brandishing his massive battle axe like a whirlwind, and brought it down fiercely on Wang Xiaoyi. The axe traced a cold arc through the air, seemingly capable of cleaving everything in its path in two.

However, at this critical moment, a faint yet resilient light suddenly burst forth from Wang Xiaoyi's body. The light flashed and disappeared in an instant; although Karl's powerful attack landed heavily on Wang Xiaoyi, he was not killed. On the contrary, Karl, for some unknown reason, was injured by the attack, and his expression instantly turned to astonishment. Damage reflection?

Even knowing about the damage reflection skill, Karl didn't give up. He gritted his teeth and raised his battle axe again to attack. This time, he thought victory was assured, but his usually incredibly accurate skill, which included target acquisition, inexplicably missed. This mistake caused him to suffer a skill backlash, doubling his own damage. He swayed, a look of pain on his face.

But Karl, being fiercely competitive, went all in and, refusing to back down, attacked Wang Xiaoyi again. Just then, a layer of softly glowing light barrier (advanced) rapidly formed around Wang Xiaoyi's body. That light barrier, like an unbreakable shield, easily blocked most of Karl's attack.

At the same time, a flash of green light appeared on Wang Xiaoyi's body, and the automatic healing spell activated instantly. Miraculously, the injuries Wang Xiaoyi had previously sustained healed completely at a visible speed. Moreover, the automatic healing spell continued to restore his health, like a gentle stream nourishing parched land.

Immediately afterward, three holy light bullets, radiating a holy glow, were launched from around Wang Xiaoyi's body, triggering an automatic holy light spell. These holy light bullets, like precision-guided missiles, accurately attacked Karl. Unfortunately, Wang Xiaoyi's magical attack power at this stage was only slightly enhanced by his magic staff. Faced with Karl's powerful magical defense, the attacks of these holy light bullets were almost completely neutralized. However, the holy light bullets still triggered a stun effect; Karl felt a sudden dizziness, and his body involuntarily slumped backward.

In the blink of an eye, he stepped right into the multiple minefields that Alpha had meticulously set up. With a series of booming sounds, the traps triggered, and Karl let out a scream. The force of the explosions sent him flying, inflicting significant damage. Karl was filled with frustration and bewilderment. He couldn't understand how these two seemingly weaker individuals, one level 12 and the other 16, could suppress him so completely, and even potentially kill him, when he was already level 23.

Karl grew increasingly panicked, his attacks becoming weaker and weaker. Finally, he stopped attacking, his eyes filled with fear and disbelief. He looked at Wang Xiaoyi, his voice trembling, and said, "You...who exactly are you people?"

Wang Xiaoyi looked at Karl calmly without saying a word. Alvin, who was not far away, said, "I am Alvin, and he is Brother Renn."

Karl's eyes widened; he knew he'd bitten off more than he could chew. He took a deep breath, finally lowered his weapon, and slunk away.

Wang Xiaoyi and Alpha exchanged a smile; they knew that Karl had been defeated by their coordinated efforts. However, they quickly realized that the mine environment was complex and shrouded in darkness, and Alvin, who had been so brave just moments before, was now feeling somewhat afraid.

A crisp system notification sounded: "Ding! Congratulations on successfully completing the mission. Experience points +800, copper coins +500, one piece of tough leather armor, three bottles of high-grade recovery potions, and special ore mining rights."

The system notification sounded again, a gentle and pleasant voice saying, "Congratulations on successfully completing the hidden mission—'Cunning Enemy'. We are deeply impressed by your bravery and strategic wisdom. The reward has been successfully issued; please check and enjoy your spoils."

Just then, a streak of emerald light streaked from the depths of darkness, like a ray of hope. When the light faded, it revealed itself to be the elven dragon king, transformed into a parrot. It possessed a mysterious telepathic connection with Wang Xiaoyi; whenever Wang Xiaoyi was in danger, it would instantly appear.

The Elf King Dragon (in parrot form) gracefully flew to Wang Xiaoyi and Alpha's side, speaking in a gentle yet soothing voice, "Don't be afraid, I will guide you safely away from here." However, just as the Elf King Dragon (in parrot form) finished speaking, the impact of the explosion of several landmine traps that Alpha had previously set up severely damaged the geological structure inside the mine, causing the entire mine to shake violently, and a large-scale collapse seemed imminent.

Seeing this, the Elf King Dragon (in parrot form) led the way without hesitation. Its small and agile body nimbly darted through the crumbling mine shaft, carefully escorting Wang Xiaoyi and Alpha toward the exit. At each potentially collapsible spot, it would gently probe the surrounding stability with its wings, only continuing forward after confirming it was safe.

Finally, through the dim light, they saw the mine's exit. The warm sunlight bathed them, seemingly infusing them with a powerful life force, filling them with immense warmth and peace of mind. But just then, a deafening roar echoed behind them, and the mine collapsed completely. The tremendous sound reverberated through the silent valley. The place where they had painstakingly completed their mission was utterly destroyed. Wang Xiaoyi and Alpha stood there dumbfounded, their faces filled with astonishment.

The Elemental Dragon (parrot form) felt utterly embarrassed by their astonished reactions. It gently flapped its wings a few times, a soft light emanating from its body, before revealing its massive dragon form. It flew directly above the mine, its enormous body slowly flapping its wings. With each flap, a powerful and mysterious magic flowed from its wings, like trickles of water converging into a river, rushing towards the collapsed mine. Under the influence of this magic, the collapsed mine began to recover at a visible speed, as if time had reversed.

However, before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, the mine collapsed again just a few dozen seconds later. The Elf King Dragon (in dragon form) shook its head helplessly and transformed back into a parrot, flying to the two little ones' side. Wang Xiaoyi and Alpha were filled with questions; what was going on?

The elven dragon king, who had originally wanted to show off in front of the two little ones, coughed a few times, his face showing a hint of embarrassment and helplessness. He said, "Well, I wanted to use time magic to turn back time and restore the mine to its previous state. But I'm not very good at time magic, and I could only barely restore it to 30 seconds ago, so as you can see, it collapsed again..." The elven dragon king's voice was full of helplessness. It seemed that it had tried very hard to cast time magic, but it still hadn't achieved the desired effect.

Upon hearing what the Elemental Dragon (parrot form) said, Wang Xiaoyi's eyes suddenly lit up, as if a lightning bolt had struck his mind. He thought of his NDS. If he could turn back the time when his NDS ran out of power, wouldn't that allow him to power it again? He secretly made up his mind that he would definitely try this magical time-reversal spell when he got home.

The Elf King Dragon said, "When I flew over just now, I saw a pack of wolves, a flock of birds, and a giant tortoise. We can catch them and use them as mounts."

Wang Xiaoyi decided to capture a wolf cub, while Alpha chose to capture a bird. They followed the Elf King Dragon to the place where the wolf pack and the bird flock were. The Elf King Dragon (in parrot form) displayed its kingly aura, and the wolf king and bird king, feeling threatened, surrendered and brought their cubs to him.

Wang Xiaoyi and Alpha rode their mounts excitedly back to the village with the Elf King Dragon (in parrot form). However, on the way back, Alpha regretted choosing the bird; it was too high, too fast, and too terrifying. He screamed in terror from time to time in the air, but this only made the day more full of surprises.

Wang Xiaoyi pushed open the door, and a familiar aroma wafted towards him. His mother was busy in the kitchen, while his father sat at the dining table, silently reading the newspaper, but Ren could sense his father's tension.

"Mom, I'm back!" Wang Xiaoyi called out.

The mother turned around, a worried yet relieved smile on her face. "Raine, how are you today? Are you hurt?"

Wang Xiaoyi smiled and shook his head, "It's okay, Mom, I'm fine."

The father put down the newspaper, looked up at Ryan, and although he didn't say anything, the concern in his eyes was unmistakable.

Dinner time arrived, and Mother brought out a sumptuous feast. The table was laden with fragrant roast chicken, golden-brown roast fish, fresh vegetable salad, steaming stew, and Ryan's favorite apple pie for dessert.

"Come on, let's all eat together," the mother said gently.

The family sat around the dining table and began to enjoy their dinner. Wang Xiaoyi picked up a piece of roast chicken, put it in his mouth, and immediately felt a warm current surge through his heart.

"Mom, your cooking is still so delicious." Ryan praised it highly.

The mother smiled and nodded, "Of course, I prepared this especially for you."

Just then, the Elf King Dragon (in human form) said while eating next to Wang Xiaoyi, "Raine, because my mother received my blessing, her cooking skills have been enhanced with holy attributes. So every dish she makes is blessed, not only filling our stomachs but also randomly adding some status effects."

Wang Xiaoyi looked at his mother in surprise, feeling extremely astonished. No wonder he felt so energetic after eating his mother's cooking.

After dinner, Wang Xiaoyi returned to his room. The Elf King Dragon (parrot form) continued, "You can ask your mother to make some portable food. You can take it out and eat it during your adventures to temporarily boost various stats."

Wang Xiaoyi nodded and decided to discuss the matter with his mother the next day.