Chapter 10 – Physician Blevins (1/2)

Chapter 10 – Physician Blevins

Nie Yan glanced in the direction of the Lakeside. It seems they’ve already started.

The Fishmen tribe was suffering an attack by the Victorious Return guild. This was why the encircling Fishmen had abandoned their attack and returned to aid their tribe. I never thought Victorious Return’s people would end up saving my life. Haha, this world is so wonderfully strange!

After all the Fishmen had swum away, the surrounding vicinity was now completely safe. Hence, Nie Yan stepped up his search for nearby treasure chests. Eventually, he noticed another treasure chest hidden within the thick underwater vegetation. It was a white treasure chest, just like the last.

The surrounding landscape… everything here coincides with the one in my memories. This is the location!

Nie Yan opened the chest. Digging through it, he felt a skill book make contact with his hands. It was the Gatherer skill book! As he held it in his hands, it turned into a streak of white light. The skill bar for supportive abilities had another skill appear—Gatherer!

Pretty decent harvest… However, I don’t know if there are any other treasure chests within this area. It would simply be a waste of time to keep searching. It doesn’t matter; I still know many other locations where I can find treasure chests. When I level up a bit, I can go pick them up at any time.

Nie Yan swam, shuttling back and forth between the aquatic plants. If he encountered a monster, he would avoid them by staying a far distance away. After about ten minutes of swimming, he noticed a single island in the middle of Lake Rando. Only after noticing this did he swim towards the surface.

「System: You’ve discovered an island within the center of the lake.」

Reaching the shore, Nie Yan checked his coordinates. As he was investigating the surrounding area, he discovered a person sitting in the far distance—fishing by the shore.

This NPC was a very odd old man. He would make a request to every single player who encountered him to retrieve Fine Silk. For every bundle of Fine Silk that was brought back, the player would receive one Silk Cloth.

If Fine Silk was sold to an NPC, it would amount to three coppers. However, Silk Cloth could only be sold for two coppers. If one continued on like this, there would be a loss in profit. Even after continuously exchanging with him, this Old Man would still do absolutely nothing to compensate the player.

There were many players who would complete this task. However, every one of them would continue to receive losses—never to receive a reward of any sort.

Nie Yan also did this task in his previous life. Only after delivering five Fine Silk did he finally give up accepting this quest. Exchanging Fine Silk for Silk Cloth was truly a waste of money.

Sometime later, a person who did not believe he would continue to receive nothing, repeatedly accepted the quest. Only after delivering thirty Fine Silk did he finally receive a reward. This NPC would impart onto the player the Combat Medic skill—not only this, but it would be at the Intermediate level as well. After this information came out, it caused an uproar among the player-base. One after another, they would continuously rush over to accept the quest. However by that time, the NPC had already left.

Currently in the area where Nie Yan was located, there were Level 3 monsters known as Water Spiders that dropped Fine Silk. Obtaining thirty Fine Silk would probably require about three days of continuous grinding. It just so happened that he could farm these thirty pieces of Fine Silk while also leveling up. Exchanging thirty Fine Silk for thirty Silk Cloth was merely a loss of thirty coppers, nothing more. Compared to an Intermediate Combat Medic skill, it was truly a negligible amount.

Nie Yan walked over to the Old Man.

The strange Old Man muttered loudly to himself, “Around this time of year, the Hilton Stronghold would be besieged by the devil creatures that arise from the remote underground. There are numerous warriors who defend the stronghold. For the sake of safeguarding this lush and prosperous land, they pay with their blood and lives. The wounded suffer in anguish every day and night. To them, yesterday is the same as tomorrow and tomorrow is the same as yesterday.”

He turned his head towards Nie Yan and asked, “Youngster, now tell me—would it better if I fished here on the shore, or would it be better if I fished while on the waters?”

The Old Man had grey hair and appeared somewhat senile with his age. Numerous wrinkles were spread across his face. As if withered, his skin looked similar to tree bark. Sagging like the folds of his skin, his ashen-grey cloak hung low by his fishing rod.

From his impression, Nie Yan’s felt this NPC was a funny muddle-headed old man. He always asked a series of strange and odd questions, and it was fine as long as you somewhat answered them. However at present, when Nie Yan heard the Old Man’s words, “Yesterday is the same as tomorrow. Tomorrow is also the same as yesterday,” they had a new type of meaning.

This Old Man wasn’t an old fool. Rather, he was actually quite wise!

It was fine if you answered the question in whichever way you liked. However, as if goaded on by some supernatural force, Nie Yan answered, “As long as you’re able to catch fish, shore or water, what difference does it make?”

Hearing Nie Yan’s answer, the Old Man’s eyes flashed with a strange glint.

Noticing the change in the Old Man’s expression as it fell upon his eyes, Nie Yan became increasingly convinced—this Old Man in front of him definitely wasn’t simple.

“Time is akin to an illusion and moves like a pendulum. The months and years are wasted doing nothing and suffering eternally repeats. In the end, everything returns to dust. Even if those brave warriors are able to defend this vast great world, they won’t be able to escape the pain of illness and the Reaper of Death. In the end, what meaning is there to life?” the Old Man sighed.

“The meaning of life is to stubbornly prevail—to live without regrets,” Nie Yan said, while deep in contemplation. These were the insights he had gained this life after living through his previous one. He continued replying to the Old Man’s question. “All their loved ones, their fellow brothers… all of them are here alongside them in this vast world. They continue to resist the attacks of their enemies for the sake of bringing them happiness. They stake their lives in order to defend this conviction. That is their honor and that is their glory. In doing so, the God of Light will protect them.”

Nie Yan speculated that this Old Man was very likely one of the NPCs from the Hilton Stronghold, who left and journeyed outside in search of Fine Silk.

Listening to Nie Yan’s words, the muddled expression in the Old Man’s eyes became clear.

“Young man, I need a lot of Fine Silk. Is it possible for you to help me obtain it?” the Old Man asked.

“It’s my desire to help in any way I can,” Nie Yan happily replied. These were the exact words he had waited for.

「System: You’ve received a task. Physician Blevins has entrusted you the task of retrieving Fine Silk.」

Nie Yan began to recall. In his previous life, he had simply answered all these questions without much thought. The task he ended up receiving was “Nameless Old Man’s Request.” It seems the name of this current quest and the one he had received in the past weren’t exactly the same.

This Old Man ought to be the NPC physician in the Hilton Stronghold… Did he come all the way from the Hilton Stronghold for the sake of finding Fine Silk?

The fact that this Old Man also taught the Intermediate Combat Medic skill further confirmed Nie Yan’s suspicions.