Orson was momentarily stunned. Looking around, he noticed several villagers enthusiastically sharpening their knives…
"You have obtained a hidden quest clue!"
"Hidden Quest: [Tracing the Master Brewer's Whereabouts]"
A system prompt chimed, and another set of choices appeared before Orson.
Option 1: Drink the wine properly, behave yourself, offer words of praise, and you may leave peacefully with a reward of fine wine worth 500 gold coins.
Option 2: Keep drinking and continue to criticize the wine, teaching these country bumpkins a lesson in taste. In doing so, you'll gain information about Xyla's whereabouts—but you might end up getting beaten to death.
Seeing the furious expressions of the hundreds of villagers around him, Orson's smile stiffened.
The way these NPCs were glaring at him, as if ready to tear him apart, was truly… touching.
Gritting his teeth, Orson chose Option 2.
He grabbed the bottle of wine labeled [Butterfly's Embrace] from the table and took a deep swig.
A rich, spicy yet smooth flavor burst across his tongue. Before his eyes, delicate pink butterflies danced in the air, swirling in a mesmerizing illusion.
"Damn, this is…"
Orson wasn't exactly a wine connoisseur, but his instincts nearly drove him to exclaim, "Great wine!"
Yet just as the words were about to leave his lips, he caught himself. His tongue twisted, and instead, he blurted out:
"Great my ass! This stuff doesn't even compare to Six Mother's Liquor!"
Crash!
He slammed the bottle down, shattering it into pieces.
"Quest updated!"
"Villagers' Anger Level: 30%"
"If it reaches 100%, a brutal battle will be inevitable!"
The villagers' eyes burned with fury, sparks practically flying from their pupils. They looked like they wanted nothing more than to tear Orson limb from limb.
Glass after glass of wine went down his throat, each with its unique taste and each bringing forth new illusions.
Several times, he almost praised the flavors. But the thought of the hidden quest kept him in check, forcing him to suppress his instincts.
One after another, he insulted each drink, calling them "garbage beverages," his words enraging the villagers until their faces were red with anger, their veins bulging from their necks as they shouted curses at him.
Anger Level: 70%
Only Jenkins remained composed. With a dark expression, he pulled out a wine flask crafted from a magical crystal.
Inside the flask was a deep, glowing purple liquid.
Above it, faint storm clouds formed, streaks of lightning crackling within, as if a miniature storm was contained inside. The sight was nothing short of mystical.
Jenkins spoke coldly:
"This is my mother's finest brew, aged thirty years—a drink fit for emperors!"
Orson blinked. Even the Emperor drinks this stuff?
Well then, how could he not?
Lifting the bottle labeled [Lucid Dream], Orson tipped his head back and drank.
Instantly, his HP and MP increased by 500 points each.
Just in terms of buffs, this wine was an absolute treasure in Infinite Dimensions, worth a fortune.
A mesmerizing floral aroma spread across his palate, intoxicatingly pleasant.
But then, without warning, the taste transformed. A blazing heat surged through his body, flooding his limbs with an intense burning sensation. Goosebumps erupted all over his skin.
He froze.
For a moment, it felt like his soul had left his body, soaring through the boundless heavens.
Reality and illusion blurred together.
The next second, he found himself standing in an ethereal palace among the gods. The grandeur was overwhelming. Across the table, he raised his cup to the ancient supreme beings of Infinite Dimensions, sharing a drink in divine camaraderie.
To laugh with gods, to gaze down upon mountains and rivers—an unstoppable surge of pride and ambition filled his heart.
For that fleeting moment, he was the Supreme One.
The true master of Infinite Dimensions!
Jenkins smirked, seeing Orson's enraptured expression.
"Well, adventurer? How does it taste?"
The hyper-realistic immersion of Infinite Dimensions made it hard for players to stay rational at times.
And this level of intense sensory stimulation? It could break a person's will.
"Holy shit! This isn't wine—it's a damn mind control potion!" Orson screamed internally.
A powerful urge compelled him to declare this the greatest wine of all time.
But he bit the tip of his tongue and forced out:
"My verdict…? It's trash! Doesn't even compare to Maotze Liquor!"
Jenkins' expression darkened instantly.
"You bastard! I'll kill you!"
He exploded with rage, leading the villagers in a mad charge toward Orson, ready to tear him apart.
Orson raised an eyebrow as another set of choices appeared before him.
Option 1: Flee Barrel Town at full speed and gain a moderate attribute reward.
Option 2: Intimidate the mob and obtain clues about the Master Brewer. If your strength is insufficient, you'll be beaten to death.
Orson smirked. He had already made up his mind.
According to his research, this quest was far from easy.
To successfully "intimidate" the mob, he had to severely injure Xyla, an NPC with a health pool of 1,000,000, within 20 seconds.
At this stage, it would normally require a full six-man Tier 1 raid team to pull it off.
But for Orson, this was a freebie.
He raised the Heavenly Fire Staff. The chaotic six-pointed star ignited, and the Flame Dragon came crashing down.
BOOM!
Dozens of villagers screamed as they were blasted into the air like ragdolls.
With a flick of his staff, a Chaos Magic Ball locked onto Jenkins, bombarding him with relentless attacks.
-5000!
CRITICAL HIT! -180,000!
CRITICAL HIT! -180,000!
…
…
In mere seconds, the entire mob was reduced to charred husks.
Even Jenkins was left smoking on the ground.
But due to the quest mechanics, every NPC's HP was locked at 1.
A few moments later, beams of white light descended, and the villagers revived, their expressions dazed as they looked at Orson.
Jenkins, now humbled, bowed deeply.
"Oh, supreme adventurer… Please forgive our ignorance…"
Kelly murmured dreamily, "I had the most incredible dream… The God of Wine personally taught me the art of brewing… It was… miraculous…"
The villagers' hostility evaporated in an instant.
But given that their bodies were still charred, faces half-revealing white bone, the scene was downright creepy as hell.
"Hidden Quest: [Tracing the Master Brewer's Whereabouts]"
"Quest Complete!"
"Gods' Review: You've got a damn stubborn mouth!"