Chapter 390 - 363: The Long-Lost Minstrel?
Crows? Having heard Tai Da’s reminder, Da Fei suddenly came to a realization. That’s right! The crows from the Black Forest have been slaughtered by my Little Fei into piles after piles, and there are still so many left unslain. If we were to collect all these crows, heavens knows how many rafts would be needed?
Da Fei immediately said, "I have another method. I’ve killed a lot of crows in the Black Forest. The elders can send someone to help me collect the bodies of these crows!"
The elder was shocked: "Crows transformed from the corpses in the forest? How could Lord possibly kill them?"
Psh, never seen it, have you? Scared, huh? I’m in a bad mood now, too lazy to explain to you.
Da Fei lamented, "Whether it’s flying in the sky, running on the ground, or swimming in water, there’s nothing this City Lord can’t handle!"
The elder twitched his brow: "The origins of these crows are unclear, but anyhow, Lord’s method should be viable. Tomorrow, I’ll send someone to collect the bodies of the crows. A scavenger like a crocodile certainly wouldn’t refuse."
Da Fei wondered, "The elder doesn’t know where these crows came from?"
The elder sighed, "I don’t know. It’s very likely a product of some Evil Wizard attracted by the Mercury Mine. Anyway, even in what seems to be the enclosed World Tree Space, it’s still full of crises."
It seems it’s similar to Tai Da’s guess; whatever, just solving problems one after another. It’s a good chance to continue training Little Fei.
Da Fei chuckled, "Then I’ll continue killing crows tomorrow, ensuring no one gets even a scratch from the crows."
The elder coughed and said, "Then we’ll have to trouble Lord for this. Billbo was quite impolite to Lord just now; I hope Lord won’t take it to heart. He was born and raised here, hasn’t seen the outside world, and doesn’t know the proper manners."
You neurotic, it’s all your teaching!
Da Fei laughed heartily, "How could I mind? It’s his cautious and defensive attitude that I admire the most."
The elder chuckled, "Right, to show my apology, let me give Lord a meeting gift!" With that, he pointed to the map, "Here there is a Witch Spirit Altar. Heroes can gain insights by visiting there. Billbo, to show our apology, why don’t you take Lord there!"
The young hero whispered: "Understood, Grandfather."
Da Fei’s brow raised! Witch Spirit Altar! A random structure! This is like the Wisdom Ancient Tree and the Mermaid I met at sea last time, a random encounter that can give players attributes, upgrade skills, and so on! Things players can’t seek but can only come across by chance. If you miss this chance, there’s no other shop quite like it! Damn, despite being hostile, they are willing to give me such a big gift! Fine, I’ll be ’generous’ to you guys in the future!
Da Fei was overjoyed, "Many thanks to the elder for the hospitality, it’s something I’ve been longing for!"
The elder laughed, "Then I’ll prepare tomorrow’s collection manpower and tools."
Da Fei said with a smile, "Then the elder better prepare a lot. It’s going to be way more than you could ever imagine."
...
Now, Da Fei is on a large raft, lead by Billbo, and is being rowed towards the depths of the swamp by a dozen young Habbit youths with slingshots and panpipes at their waists.
On the way, this young Habbit hero, who only reaches up to my waist, doesn’t say a word. But hey, if you don’t want to talk because you’re naive, I can’t afford to not talk, right? Even though I’m not particularly interested in talking to kids, given the game’s nature, this kid is very likely to become the village chief in the future. It’s essential to start building relations from a young age and to be there first at turning someone to your side.
Da Fei cleared his throat and said, "Mr. Billbo, I heard the elder say you were born and raised here. Do you yearn for the outside world?"
Billbo was silent for a moment before he popped out a sentence, "Not really. Just call me Billbo."
Damn! Aren’t Hobbits characterized by their natural curiosity, love for adventure and collecting? How did you become a shut-in here? That’s impossible. It’s like a dog can’t change its habit of eating feces; you must still be wary of me! Love collecting, huh? Everything else from my sea journey has been addressed, except that pile of junk antiques I picked up from the Vortex Sea Demon’s mouth that I haven’t had the chance to deal with. I have an idea!
Da Fei chuckled, "I know, the outside world is perilous, but it’s also fascinating. I have a subordinate; she’s not an official hero, but she fights tooth and nail to become one. Billbo, you’re so young to be a hero, in my opinion, you’re a genius. If your village represents the last of the Habbits, then you are the hope of the Habbit people. You have a bright future, a heavy responsibility, and so much to learn. If there’s an opportunity, like now and in the near future, once we open this space’s exit, I suggest you go out and explore."
Billbo’s expression shifted.
Haha! Youngsters can’t hide anything on their faces. Alright, time for my trump card!
Saying that, Da Fei took out a pile of antiques from his bag and hehe laughed at the young Habbit people: "Come take a look. These treasures are what I picked up from the mouth of a Vortex Sea Demon at sea. I’ve been too busy to deal with them. If you’re interested, feel free to take them."
In that instant, all the youngsters’ eyes sparkled brightly at Da Fei’s pile of brightly colored, glistening trinkets, yet no one spoke, nor did anyone step forward.
Da Fei smiled, "I have no other intentions, just as a way to reciprocate the elder’s hospitality. Reciprocity is the rule of the outside world."
Billbo stirred, finally giving a chuckle, "Since it’s Lord’s kindness, we’ll accept. Everyone, pick something."
The youngsters cheered in unison and crowded forward!
Da Fei laughed heartily: "That’s what a leader looks like! Billbo, you really have a knack for this. I’m rooting for you!"
Billbo smiled shyly: "Thank you for the compliment, Lord!"
— System Prompt: Your prestige among the Hobbits has become "Magnanimous"!
Prestige increase? Da Fei’s eyebrows twitched! Magnanimous is also a type of prestige? It seems that despite still being a red name, it doesn’t affect hostile perceptions, right? Although being "magnanimous" means being a sucker in the eyes of friends and a fat sheep in the eyes of enemies, as long as the relationship is improving, it’s good enough. These treasures of mine are genuinely valuable, not just trinkets to fool children with. It’s only natural to be magnanimous! But, just how much are these treasures worth? They can’t be worth millions, right?
Now the youth had divided up all the antiques, as they built rafts and sang songs joyfully. The atmosphere was indeed significantly different. When it comes down to it, this is the power of treasure — more than enough to recruit heroes, let alone to win over the hearts of a small tribe with ease!
And it was at this moment that several big red blips suddenly appeared on Da Fei’s radar, making him exclaim in alarm: "There’s danger in the water ahead!"
Billbo asked in surprise: "Lord, you knew that?"
Oh? It seems he knew as well? Da Fei calmed down: "Of course, it’s just that I can’t deal with them myself."
Billbo couldn’t help but admire: "You have some skills, and you’re not boasting!"
The youngsters chirped excitedly: "Leave it to us!"
Psh! Does brother look like someone with no skills, having made it this far? Fine, this could be the chance to see the Hobbits’ fighting power, and besides, I still don’t know what type of hero Billbo is with his feet on this white halo. Da Fei watched with great interest.
Approaching closer, the water beneath the raft churned, and several creatures resembling crocodiles swam around.
Billbo waved his hand, and the youth pulled out flutes from their waists and began to play a monotonous and prolonged melody.
Da Fei was suddenly startled. Attacking with music, the legendary Minstrels?
And at that moment, the Water Monsters swirling beneath the water scattered, quickly disappearing from the radar’s field of view!
"They’ve been driven off!" the youngsters laughed heartily and started singing joyful songs anew.
"How about that? Impressive, right?" Billbo winked boastfully at Da Fei.
Da Fei exclaimed: "Your Hero profession is the long-lost Minstrel of legend?"
Billbo was stunned for a moment, then shook his head: "I don’t really know what it is, maybe my grandfather does."
Da Fei eagerly asked: "What other abilities does your profession have?"
Billbo shook his head with a smile: "There’s a story in my grandfather’s books. A human town was plagued with rats, and then a mysterious piper came. He said he could help rid the town of the rats. That night, he played his flute, and all the rats followed the sound of his flute and drowned in the sea."
That’s the famous tale of "The Pied Piper" from Andersen’s fairytales!
Da Fei was shocked: "Then the townspeople refused to pay him, and he played his flute again, leading all the children away with him!"
Billbo laughed heartily: "I’m not quite that powerful!"
Suddenly it dawned on Da Fei! Minstrels, it must be so! The Hobbits lacked strength in magic and physical combat, making it unlikely for them to produce heroes in the conventional sense. However, with their ability to sing and dance, this race was highly likely to preserve a purely supportive bard-type Hero profession! And these youngsters, of course, would be a troop type possessing ranged (slingshot) and music abilities, and judging from their intelligence, they were certainly Elite!
Brother has truly stumbled upon a treasure! My gift wasn’t in vain—time for in-depth cooperation! Strengthen development!
The further they ventured ahead, the more Water Monsters they encountered, both in and on the water, including various lizards, pythons, crocodiles, and even unidentified giant creatures like rhinoceroses and hippos!
With the guidance of the youngsters’ flute sounds, these giant Water Monsters made way for them!
Da Fei was impressed! If it were an ordinary army trudging through this water, who knows how many would be lost? That is the power of the Minstrel! This is achieving submission without fighting—truly the highest realm of warfare! No wonder the seemingly frail Hobbits could survive here. However, this region seemed to be only the yellow-marked area on the elder’s map, which meant that over half the swamp territory was beyond the reach of the Minstrels. After all, the profession had its limitations.
At last, ahead of them appeared a small island overgrown with shrubs and swarming with pythons, and with the sound of the flutes driving them away, Da Fei safely reached the shore.
On the island was a massive, unknown beast’s skull shimmering with a mysterious glow.
Billbo said with immense reverence: "This is the Ancient Witch Spirit. It was under its guidance that I became a Hero. Lord, the Witch Spirit can grant you one wish!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes, monthly tickets, and your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)