I am the Arcane Archer, and all my skills are self-created.

Li Wu looked at the dull iron ring that Barton handed him, but did not immediately take it.

He could sense that this ring carried the first and purest love of a young blacksmith.

This thing was of great significance to Patton.

"Master, this is too valuable." Li Wu shook his head.

"Valuable?" Barton chuckled self-deprecatingly. "It's just a worthless piece of scrap metal. What's so valuable about it?"

"Take it."

His tone carried an undeniable firmness.

Li Wu glanced at Hua Zitong, who nodded slightly to him.

He then reached out and took the ring.

[System notification: You have obtained the quest item [Dimmed Longing].]

[A Dim Longing]

Type: Ring

[Quality: Standard (White)]

[Attributes: Spirit +1, Intelligence +1]

[Description: A dull iron ring, bearing the shattered hopes of a young blacksmith.]

Its stats are terrible, even worse than some basic equipment dropped by level 1 monsters.

But Li Wu knew that the value of this ring could not be measured by its attributes.

Because it is the key item in the only hidden quest chain.

"Thank you." After handing the ring to Li Wu, Barton seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

He slung the cloth bag full of tools over his shoulder and took one last lingering look at the blacksmith shop where he had lived for so many years.

Here lie his most cherished memories, and also his most painful regrets.

Now, it should all be over.

"If... if you have the chance in the future, go to the human town of Ironforge."

Barton walked to the door, paused for a moment, and without turning around, spoke in a very soft voice.

"Please help me deliver this ring to my father."

"His name is Horn Barton, and he is the best blacksmith in Ironforge."

"Tell him... that his son is a complete failure, has failed his teachings, and... has no face to go back to see him."

After saying that, he didn't linger. He pushed open the door, walked into the bustling crowd outside, and quickly disappeared.

[System Notification: The first stage of the "Blacksmith's Lament" quest is complete.]

[System notification: You have triggered the second stage of the unique hidden quest chain, "The Blacksmith's Lament": Rekindle the Furnace.]

[Mission: Find Horn Barton.]

[Quest Description: Travel to the town of Ironforge, find the reclusive legendary blacksmith Horn Barton in the Old Town, and give him the [Dim Longing].]

[Quest trigger condition: Player level reaches 30.]

Legendary Blacksmith!

Horn Barton!

When Hua Zitong saw these words, her pupils suddenly contracted.

She knew that name all too well!

In his previous life, Horn Barton was one of the most renowned and legendary craftsmen in the entire Realm of Origin!

Every piece of equipment he crafted by hand is a legendary artifact that countless players dream of!

Countless top guilds have spent exorbitant sums of money to have him craft a single piece of equipment.

But this old dwarf had an extremely eccentric temper and didn't respect anyone at all.

He only builds equipment for those he deems worthy.

In his past life, there was a lucky guy who, by chance, completed a series of quests issued by Horn Barton and eventually obtained a legendary weapon that was personally crafted for him by the old dwarf, making him one of the top players at the time.

In her previous life, Hua Zitong had only heard about the mission chain and had a slight understanding of it. She never expected to succeed so easily!

"Ironforge? You need to be level 30 to go there?" Li Wu asked, looking at the quest prompt.

"Yes, after reaching level 20, you need to complete a 'Leaving the Village Trial' before you can leave the starting village and head to the town in this region," Hua Zitong explained, recovering from her shock.

"It's still early." Li Wu nodded and equipped the [Dim Longing] ring on his hand.

Although the attributes are terrible, at least it adds 1 point to Spirit and 1 point to Intelligence, which is better than nothing.

Moreover, he always felt a strange sense of security when he wore the ring.

The two left the blacksmith shop, which was now deserted.

"What do we do next?" Li Wu asked.

Having secured the first kill in the dungeon and completed the quest, his biggest concern now is how to reach level 30 as quickly as possible.

"Of course, we'll continue upgrading." Hua Zitong's face once again revealed that confident smile of someone who had planned everything.

"However, it's not like ordinary players who foolishly grind monsters."

"Not grinding monsters?" Li Wu asked, somewhat puzzled. "How do you level up without grinding monsters?"

"Grinding monsters is too slow." Hua Zitong shook her head, then said in a somewhat mysterious tone, "In this Origin Realm, there is a most efficient and exciting way to level up."

"What method?" Li Wu's curiosity was piqued.

Hua Zitong's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile that Li Wu found somewhat familiar, like a cunning wolf eyeing a little white rabbit.

"Kill the BOSS."

She said it word by word.

"Kill those wild bosses, hidden in the wilderness, yet to be discovered by anyone!"

"The first kill of each wild boss offers very generous rewards, including a large amount of experience and reputation. Most importantly, just like the first clear of a dungeon, it also directly rewards you with a level!"

"We're level 13 now. If we kill two more wild bosses, we can level up to 15. Then you can get better equipment."

A level will be awarded directly!

Li Wu's eyes lit up instantly.

This method of leveling up is indeed countless times faster than the tedious grind of grinding monsters.

but……

"Are wild bosses so easy to find?" He asked a crucial question.

With such a vast wilderness map, finding a deliberately hidden BOSS in a sea of ​​people is like finding a needle in a haystack.

"Others are hard to find, but..."

Hua Zitong puffed out her chest confidently, and her dashing appearance made Li Wu's heart flutter.

"...Just follow me."

Hua Zitong spoke these words casually, but the strong confidence contained within them made Li Wu feel incredibly at ease.

Although this woman may sometimes make some "tactical" blunders, she can always provide the most correct and efficient guidance on the big picture.

Li Wu now even suspected that she might be an insider of a top-tier guild, possessing the most comprehensive strategy guides, and had come here specifically to experience life.

Otherwise, how could she be so familiar with all the hidden settings in the game?

"Okay, I'll do as you say." Li Wu nodded readily.

For him, as long as he could quickly become stronger and earn money to treat his mother's illness, he didn't care what the process was like.