Chapter Text
Shen Yuan slumped into his office chair, turning on his computer. University had been so exhausting lately, and he desperately needed something to take his mind off schoolwork for the evening.
Web novels, drama series, video games— anything!
He clicked around his desktop, munching on a stale pork bun he’d found in the vegetable drawer of his fridge. Moving out had been the correct call. Normally, his sister would be scolding him for eating something he couldn’t remember when he’d purchased.
Mouth full, he made a small sound of surprise when he discovered a video game he had downloaded ages ago and promptly forgotten about.
“Proud Immortal Demon Way”: A new MMORPG that had gotten exceptionally good reviews for its interesting story and overall elaborate worldbuilding. Shen Yuan supposed he could give it a try.
Just then, his stomach made a disquieting sound, and a wave of nausea hit him. He looked to the half-eaten bun in his hand, noting the suspicious green color of the filling. He thought it was just vegetables! The sickness he felt told him otherwise.
Saliva pooled in his mouth as the nausea intensified. Fuck, he’s gonna vomit.
He moved to get up and run to the bathroom but stood up a bit too quickly. The wheeled chair flew back quicker than he had anticipated, causing him to trip and smack his head on the hardwood desk.
He collapsed to the floor, dizziness now added to the list of his ailments. His ears rang louder and louder as his vision went black.
In his last moments of consciousness, he managed a single coherent thought:
“Are you fucking serious?!”
Shen Yuan groaned, raising his hand to block the sunlight piercing his eyelids. He was on his back, the floor beneath him suspiciously soft.
Oh, good. He was alive.
He really thought he might’ve kicked the bucket there.
Thankfully, he felt neither dizzy nor nauseous. Carefully, he opened his eyes and was greeted with lush, green trees towering above him.
He rubbed his eyes and opened them again. A bird was perched on a branch above him, singing a beautiful morning song.
His brain blue-screened for a full 20 seconds before he swiftly sat up. He was in the middle of a forest, with sunlight gently illuminating the moss-covered ground. It was unlike any forest Shen Yuan had ever been in. It looked wild and completely undisturbed by civilization. Peaceful.
A floating blue screen startled him out of his thoughts, and a mechanical voice welcomed Shen Yuan to his new life.
[ The System bids User 001 welcome to the world of Proud Immortal Demon Way! ]
Oh. So he had died.
And transmigrated!!!
Shen Yuan couldn’t decide if he was incredibly lucky to be transmigrated, or incredibly unlucky to die early from an expired bun of all things. Maybe the two canceled each other out?
[ The System will now appoint the host with randomized stats that will help him navigate the world of Proud Immortal Demon Way ]
Six 20-sided dice showed up on the System’s screen, each allotted with an attribute: Strength, constitution, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom and luck.
Wait— luck?!
Shen Yuan had only played Dungeons & Dragons once in his life, but he was still pretty sure that luck was supposed to be charisma.
Oh well. At the end of the day, this was Proud Immortal Demon Way. It would be understandable if the company didn’t want their mechanics to be too similar to another game.
The die for strength started rolling, and Shen Yuan watched it with rapt eyes. It slowed down dramatically before landing on a paltry two.
Shen Yuan was disappointed at this but didn’t allow it to deter him. Maybe he could become a wizard! Who needed strength when they had cool spells?
The rest of his physical attributes suffered the same fate, with his constitution landing on four and his dexterity on a three. Shen Yuan started to doubt if these dice really did have 20 sides.
His hope faltered further when the die for intelligence landed on another two. His wisdom, however, landed on a whopping five! His highest attribute yet!
Shen Yuan was full-on sulking as he watched the die for luck roll. With his other stats being this horrible, his luck surely couldn’t be higher than negative 10. For a moment, the screen seemed to glitch, and Shen Yuan desperately hoped it would so he could get a reroll.
Alas, the die continued, gradually losing momentum and slowing down. Shen Yuan bit his nail, expecting disappointment.
The die landed on 99.
Shen Yuan stared, experiencing his second greatest shock of the day.
[ Congratulations! All rolls have been completed. Showing host’s current stats: ]
The screen changed to a table showing Shen Yuan’s meager stats. Sure enough, luck was still showcased at a jaw-dropping 99. The number flickered, as if the System itself couldn’t believe it. If 99 was truly the highest, then weren’t his other attributes positively useless?! Even then, 20 should’ve been the highest possible number, right?
Just like that, the System disappeared, leaving Shen Yuan in his disbelief. He hadn’t even received a quest or a weapon, or anything useful for that matter!
Searching himself, he found that he hadn’t spawned with any items, either. His robes were plain, earthy colors. Even the pouch strapped to his belt was empty. Great. Not much else to do but get up and explore. Maybe there would be a quest-giving NPC around the corner.
It wasn’t even a couple of steps before his foot got caught in a root and he tumbled to the ground. That was how Shen Yuan discovered that this body was unnaturally clumsy. He supposed low dexterity would do that. He lifted his head, spitting out moss, and came face-to-face with a small, delicate flower.
It had five identical, hot-pink petals that shimmered in the sun, like someone had lightly dusted them in glitter. The flower didn’t have any visible pistil; instead, the center was a shiny blue that almost looked crystallized. Carefully tapping the center with a fingernail, Shen Yuan discovered that it was hard as a gem.
If Shen Yuan had learnt anything from playing video games in his past life, it was to pocket everything he came across. He plucked the small flower and put it into his pouch, hoping that video game logic would keep it from getting smushed in there.
Upon pocketing the flower, the System gave him a celebratory-sounding notification.
[ “Diamond-Encrusted Flower of Greater Restoration” Obtained! ]
Was there a diamond-encrusted flower of lesser restoration? How stupid. Shen Yuan thought this game was revered for its worldbuilding? As long as it sold for a pretty penny, Shen Yuan could ignore the idiotic name.
Walking through the forest (with careful steps this time) Shen Yuan picked any and all plants that looked remotely interesting. At this rate, he could start his own shop! Become a wealthy, corrupted monopoly in whichever backwater town he would stumble upon.
Ah, but think of all the adventures he would miss… Scratch the merchant plan.
Besides, in spite of his many finds, he couldn’t always obtain them.
His attempts to pick any hanging fruit left him either on the ground again or unable to jump high enough. This strength debuff was no joke! Being transmigrated in his own body with below average height didn’t help him, either.
He even came across a hand-sized wooden box half-buried in the dirt, but no matter how much he slammed it against the ground or jumped on it, the box stayed glued shut. Defeated, he sighed and added the box to his growing inventory.
Time flew by like an arrow when one was suddenly put into a new and different world, and the sky went from blue to orange before Shen Yuan could worry about where he would sleep. With his awful constitution, a night spent on the forest floor would probably kill him.
He had yet to run into any living creatures, but he didn’t doubt their existence. Finding shelter quickly became Shen Yuan’s top priority.
Just as he had finished that thought, Shen Yuan noticed a warm glow from ahead, different from the glow of the setting sun. As he got closer, the crackling of a firepit became clearer.
Two people could be seen hovering around a campfire, with tents pitched behind them. Shen Yuan wondered if he even spoke the same language as them, when one of the men noticed his presence. Fast as lightning, the man pulled out a dagger and pointed it threateningly at Shen Yuan, who was looming behind the trees.
“Who are you?! Show yourself!”
The man holding the dagger had long, jet-black hair, half of which was tied in a neat bun. He wore green, ornate and almost priestly robes that matched nicely with his emerald-green eyes.
The other man, upon noticing Shen Yuan, put a single hand on his sword sheathe. His likewise long hair was tied in a neat ponytail, with a single side piece framing his way too pretty face. Without his heavy armor, Shen Yuan would’ve thought he was a prince (or maybe even a princess…)
Shen Yuan put his hands up and slowly walked towards them, letting the light of the fire illuminate his face. “I mean no harm! Sorry for the creepy lurking, I was just trying to find a place to stay.”
The green-eyed man circled him slowly, keeping his dagger pointed at Shen Yuan who was doing his absolute best to look as non-threatening as possible.
“Your appearance is… unusual. Where are you from?”
Shen Yuan knew he didn’t have long, luscious locks like these two, but he didn’t think his short hair would stand out that much. The Xianxia aesthetics coupled with the dnd-like setting royally confused Shen Yuan to the standards of this world.
Wait, fuck, where was he from?
“It’s very far away, you wouldn’t know it, ahaha… T-Tiny village.”
His green eyes narrowed, evidently not convinced.
“Stand down, Shen Qingqiu. He’s obviously not a threat”
The man with the ponytail decided to save him, even if ‘obviously not a threat’ was a little mean-spirited in Shen Yuan’s opinion. Shen Qingqiu scoffed but nevertheless lowered his weapon.
Shen Yuan sighed and dropped his arms. “Thank you! My name is Shen Yuan. It was getting dark, and I saw the light from your fire…”
His own stomach growled in response, reminding Shen Yuan of how hungry he really was. Embarrassed, his face reddens. “I-It would only be for a single night! I’d be in your debt.”
Shen Qingqiu looks ready to refuse, but the other man speaks up first. “Very well. My name is Liu Qingge.”
“Giving away our names so readily, and now allowing a stranger into our camp? How stupid are you?” Shen Qingqiu’s glare turns poisonous.
“It’s the right thing to do.”
“Are your gullible morals more important to you paladins than common knowledge?!”
“You’ve never lived an honest day in your life! Don’t lecture me on morals, you witch.”
“Don’t fucking call me that!”
Shen Yuan wondered if it was too late to escape. “I can leave; it’s really no problem…”
Liu Qingge grabbed his wrist, a bit harder than what was comfortable. “No! You’ll be sleeping in my tent tonight.”
Shen Yuan was dragged to the tent and shoved inside. The interior was modest, a single bedroll and a suspiciously small bag. Did he really carry all his equipment in there? Where did he put the tent during the day? More importantly, had he become some kind of charity case for the ponytailed man?!
The sun hadn’t quite set yet, so Shen Yuan peeked his head out of the tent. The atmosphere around the fire was stiflingly awkward.
“Need anything?” Liu Qingge questioned.
“Well… The sun hasn’t quite set yet.” Shen Yuan carefully stepped outside. “I just wanted to chat?”
Any information he could get would be valuable. Maybe these two were meant to give him a starter quest?
Tentatively, Shen Yuan joined them by the fire, eyeing the two men cautiously. Liu Qingge seemed to also be glancing at Shen Qingqiu.
“Not going to kick him out anymore?” The paladin asked with a biting voice.
“What’s the point? Might as well give him your life story while you’re at it,” Shen Qingqiu answered, stoking the fire with a stick.
These two were practically looking for opportunities to gut the other! How did they end up in a party together?!
The silence returned, and Shen Yuan found himself fidgeting with his hands. He’d never been more desperate for small talk in his life.
An idea struck him.
He rummaged around his pouch, searching amongst the various leaves and flowers he’d picked.
Shen Qingqiu seemed to think he was drawing a weapon. “You— What are you trying to do?!”
“Aha!” Shen Yuan produced the Diamond-Encrusted Flower of Greater Restoration. Thankfully, the flower was still in pristine condition, just like he’d hoped. “I found this earlier. Do you know what it is? It’s very pretty.”
In Shen Yuan’s mind, this would be a great conversation starter. Instead, he received equal looks of shock and several seconds of silence.
Shen Qingqiu’s wide eyes and open mouth tightened into a snarl. “Have you been following us?”
Even Liu Qingge looked distrustful. “Are you looking for payment?”
“Huh?! N-No, I just found this, honest! Is it valuable?” Shen Yuan squeaked, sensing he’d made a mistake.
“Valuable?” Shen Qingqiu mocked, standing up to loom over Shen Yuan. “That flower is the sole reason we entered this forest. Surely you knew this, seeing as you’re taunting us with it now.”
“I didn’t know! Seriously, I just— Actually, here, you can have it!” To show his sincerity, Shen Yuan laid the flower on his open palm, stretching his arm towards Shen Qingqiu. The latter scrutinized the flower, his glance going back and forth between the plant and Shen Yuan.
Liu Qingge picked the flower from his palm, twirling it between his fingers. “It’s real. You really just… Found this?”
Shen Yuan nodded frantically. “Yes! It’s my first time around these parts. I’ve always been lucky, so I pick up anything that looks interesting.”
“Excuse us,” Liu Qingge said, stepping away with Shen Qingqiu to exchange husked whispers. Every now and again, they’d glance back at Shen Yuan before continuing whatever they were discussing.
Shen Yuan tucked his knees under his chin, focusing on the fire instead of the two men probably determining his fate. It had gotten darker now, and it made the flames shine brighter and warmer. Sniffling, he noticed that the only smell in the air was ash and grass. Curiously, the fire didn’t produce any smoke.
“What else do you carry with you?” Liu Qingge’s voice startled Shen Yuan out of his reverie. Shen Yuan hadn’t noticed the two men settling back down around the fire.
He handed his pouch over to Shen Qingqiu, who picked out and studied every plant Shen Yuan had collected.
“Nothing special,” he concluded, handing the bag back to Shen Yuan, “Ordinary herbs with decent healing capability. An impressive amount, nonetheless, and skillfully plucked. Have you studied herbalism?”
Shen Yuan shook his head. In all honesty, he had just been lucky that the plants were never damaged when he had plucked them, and that the roots were in pristine condition.
Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge shared a look before the latter spoke, “Would you like to come back into town with us?”
“Yes, please!” Shen Yuan answered immediately, “I don’t know how to get out of these woods by myself.”
Liu Qingge nodded, expression neutral. “Sleep. We leave at sunrise. And take my bedroll.”
“Oh no, really, it’s okay, I couldn’t possibly—” Shen Yuan tried to decline but was interrupted by a serious-looking Liu Qingge.
“Shen Yuan.”
His tone of voice was so definitive, Shen Yuan could do nothing but comply. He excused himself, entering Liu Qingge’s tent and awkwardly tried to tuck himself in. The fabric smelled unfamiliar, like sleeping over at a friend’s house for the first time.
Resting like this, Shen Yuan was forced to come to terms with his situation. In just a single day, he’d died, transmigrated, found a super-rare flower by sheer luck, and now found himself in the company of two prickly men.
If he thought about it too much, his brain just might implode. When his eyelids grew heavy, he readily accepted sleep, part of him hoping to wake up in his own bed back home.
A different part of him was excited for all the adventures to come.
Shen Yuan didn’t wake up in his own bed back home.
“Shen Yuan.”
A hand was shaking him awake a little roughly. He made a sleepy noise and groggily turned his head, trying to block out the voice and the light stirring him awake.
“Yeah? What is— WAHHH!”
His world was turned upside down when in one effortless movement, he was slung over Liu Qingge’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. His armor dug into Shen Yuan’s stomach uncomfortably.
He was dragged outside, where Shen Qingqiu was already standing, looking like he’d been ready for hours. Did he always look this flawless?
He was dumped on his legs and had to grab onto Liu Qingge to stabilize himself. Looking up, Shen Yuan irritatingly noted that Liu Qingge looked equally flawless despite the early rays of the morning sun. In fact, the golden lightning only made him look more ethereal.
“I’m up, I’m up…” Shen Yuan rubbed his eyes with one hand, stretching the other over his head.
“Good. Let’s get going,” Shen Qingqiu said impatiently.
“Huh? Already? But what about the—”
Shen Yuan was about to comment on the tents but saw that Liu Qingge had already finished packing them. Aside from the burnt-out campfire, there wasn’t a single piece of evidence that the three had been camping here.
“… How did you do that?”
Shen Qingqiu huffed a single disdainful laugh. “How bothersome you are. Come on, we don’t have time for this.”
With that, the two adventurers started walking, forcing Shen Yuan to follow if he didn’t want to be left behind.
“Where did the tents go?” Shen Yuan asked, trailing behind them. Without looking back, Liu Qingge pulled out a dark blue drawstring pouch, expensive in material but simple in style. “They’re in here,” he explained.
Shen Yuan stared at the bag embroidered with a crest he didn’t recognize. Perhaps it worked as a video game inventory?
“You have a qiankun pouch too,” Liu Qingge remarked, attaching the blue pouch to his belt. Shen Yuan started, remembering his own much coarser pouch packed with herbs. He grabbed it, examining the seemingly ordinary fabric as he walked.
“Y-Yeah, I do. Sorry, still sleepy, you know?”
Liu Qingge glanced at him skeptically but paid him no mind.
Shen Yuan wanted to ask a million questions but also didn’t want to out himself as a transmigrator too early. While Liu Qingge didn’t exactly strike him as friendly, he seemed a lot more agreeable than Shen Qingqiu. Maybe they could be friends?
He walked up next to the taller man (seriously, couldn’t they walk a little slower? Not all of us have ridiculously long legs!) and struck up a conversation. “Your armor’s so cool! Are you a knight?”
Liu Qingge shook his head. “A paladin.”
Shen Yuan waited for him to elaborate, but Liu Qingge seemed content to stay silent.
“Oh, that’s— that’s nice.” Come on, give Shen Yuan something to work with here!
Shen Qingqiu continued the conversation for him. “Nice? I don’t see what’s nice about becoming a subservient lapdog for a god who couldn’t care less about you.”
“Shen Qingqiu, you hypocrite! The very magic you’re so proud of is given to you by the god you serve!”
“I serve no one! My god chose to give me power of his own free will; I will never be loyal to him or anyone else.”
“Yet without his favor, you would be completely powerless! Are you even a real cleric? All this time, I’ve never seen you communicate with your god or even heard his name.”
“Are you suggesting I’m a liar? That I cultivated my magic through nefarious means? I’ll make you eat your words when I—”
“Stop it, both of you!” How come every time Shen Yuan opened his mouth, these two felt they had to argue?! He hadn’t even known them for 24 hours, yet Shen Yuan already felt his patience wearing thin. “Why’re you even traveling together if you can’t have one peaceful conversation?!”
“I can have a peaceful conversation,” Liu Qingge retorted. “It’s him who feels he has to attack my honor at every chance he gets.”
“Really, now? That can’t be,” Shen Qingqiu scoffed, “For me to attack your honor, you’d have to have some in the first place.”
“Can you two shut up?!” Shen Yuan yelled, getting in between the bickering men and physically pushing them further apart. “No more talks of honor, or magic, or gods or whatever. Those topics are banned from now on, got it?”
For once they were quiet as Shen Yuan had seemingly shocked them into silence. The sounds of grass crunching under boots and clanking armor became deafening.
“What food would you like to eat when we get into town?” Shen Yuan asked. Shen Qingqiu stared at him like he had grown a pair of horns.
“What are you trying to do?” the cleric asked.
“I’m teaching you guys how to have a peaceful conversation.”
Shen Qingqiu pursed his lips and furrowed his brows, as if this truly was the first time anyone had asked him about food.
“Apple curry,” Liu Qingge suddenly said, his face as stoic as ever.
“Great, sounds delicious! And you, Shen Qingqiu?” Shen Yuan asked way too enthusiastically, happy to have even received an actual answer.
Shen Qingqiu looked physically pained. He sighed, resigning himself to speak words that weren’t pure vitriol. “Green tea.”
“Not exactly a food, but I’ll allow it. See, that wasn’t so bad.”
“Apple curry and green tea…” Shen Yuan thought, “rather anachronistic, but fitting for this strange world.”
As they walked, the trees around them were getting sparser and sparser. Soon, the trio found themselves on a paved gravel road that stretched over green hills. They were no longer alone, as wagons — most of them carrying crops or animal products— would pass by them, the wheels kicking up dust.
“We found the path rather quick this time,” Shen Qingqiu asserted, throwing a minute glance at Shen Yuan.
“We did?” the transmigrator remarked, “How lucky.”
Shen Qingqiu fixed his eyes ahead once more. “Yes. Lucky, indeed.”
They only had to walk a few miles before entering a town. It was decently sized, the aesthetic screaming ‘MMORPG starter-town’.
Shen Yuan wanted badly to explore, but Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu had other plans. With no explanation, they took Shen Yuan to a rather conspicuous-looking building. The inside was bursting with junk: tools, furniture, plants, jewelry, fabrics, strange looking gadgets, paintings— all completely unorganized.
He stared in awe, not even sure what half of the items’ usage was, when he heard a loud thunk from the table where the owner stood. On the counter sat three small but sturdy-looking bags that Liu Qingge picked up and weighed in his palm. Without even looking at Shen Yuan or thanking the owner, they left the shop.
“What was that? Did you buy something?” Shen Yuan asked.
Liu Qingge tossed him one of the bags. Shen Yuan almost dropped it, surprised at how heavy it was. Loosening the string, he saw gold coins piled on top of each other.
“It’s all gold?!” he exclaimed, looking at Liu Qingge with wide eyes.
“Quiet down,” Shen Qingqiu sneered, snatching the bag from Shen Yuan and tossing it back to the paladin who deposited all three bags into his qiankun pouch. “We sold the Diamond-Encrusted Flower of Greater Restoration. Manually doing quests for the adventurer’s guild for money is much too time-consuming.”
They sold it?! Shen Yuan had thought the flower was the missing puzzle piece of a greater mystery, or maybe a quest item to unlock a powerful spell, or anything interesting!
“Couldn’t we have used it instead of selling it? It seemed like such a big deal…”
“It is a big deal. Seriously, have you never been outside your little village before?” Shen Qingqiu asked sarcastically, “The flower is exceedingly rare, only blooming once every 50 years, with miraculous healing properties. With this much gold, travel expenses won’t become a problem again. We might even be able to retire for the rest of our lives.”
“What if one of us gets hurt or sick? Couldn’t we have used it?”
“My magic is more than enough to cover any injuries we might sustain.”
And Shen Yuan had found the flower within half an hour of transmigrating? No wonder they were so shocked to see him with it…
Shen Qingqiu’s squinted. “I still don’t believe someone like you just found the flower. However, I’m allowing you the benefit of the doubt.”
“Thank you?” Shen Yuan said, not sure if he should be feeling gratitude or fear.
“Back off, Shen Qingqiu,” Liu Qingge asserted, “Come. You must be hungry.”
Shen Yuan was indeed quite hungry, and his stomach growled to accompany that thought. “Y-Yeah, thanks.”
They made their way to an inn, where apple curry and green tea was indeed ordered. Alongside them, noodles in a light broth and a hearty stew were arranged on their table. Shen Yuan was immensely grateful that this world had amazing food and desperately hoped it wasn’t just this specific establishment.
Shen Yuan was having a great time when his horrid dexterity decided to rear its ugly head. Stomach half-full of delicious stew, he raised his arms over to his head to stretch his body and accidently knocked into a rushing waitress with a tray full of potato soup.
She tripped, and the soup naturally landed perfectly in Shen Yuan’s lap, who winced at the hot liquid seeping into his pants. He got up, ready to profusely apologize to the poor girl, when she beat him to it.
“I’m so sorry, please forgive me!” She bowed many times to a startled Shen Yuan. “I wasn’t watching where I was going! I’ll get you a rag immediately.”
“Miss, it was actually my—"
“I’m really sorry, please, stay right there!” She ran off, leaving Shen Yuan standing there. Hadn’t it actually been his fault?
She quickly came back with multiple rags in her hand, trying her best to wipe off the mess on Shen Yuan’s clothes.
“I can do it, it’s okay! Really, it was my fault.”
The waitress shook her head. “No, it was my fault. You don’t have to make me feel better. If there’s anything else you want, it’s on the house.”
He was about to decline when his two companions shamelessly started ordering more food and drinks. The girl nodded for each order and ran off to the kitchen once more.
Shen Yuan sat down, blushing from all the stares he had gotten from the spectacle. “Was that really necessary? I was just lucky that she misunderstood the situation, there was no need to take advantage of her like that.”
When Shen Yuan mentioned the word ‘lucky’, the other two at the table shared a look.
“It’s important to always have the upper hand, Shen Yuan. If the situation can be turned to your advantage, you always take the opportunity,” Shen Qingqiu lectured.
“Even if that opportunity is cheating your way to free food?” Shen Yuan asked skeptically.
“The degree of severity might be lower now, but the nature of the situation is the same.”
Shen Yuan sighed. Later, he smiled awkwardly at the waitress who arrived with their food and drinks, apologizing once more to Shen Yuan.
“You’re a paladin,” Shen Yuan whispered to Liu Qingge, “Aren’t you supposed to do the right thing?”
Liu Qingge shrugged his shoulders and dug into his third portion of curry. Was his stomach a bottomless pit!?
A cleric who’s disloyal to their god and a paladin with ambiguous morality… Perhaps Shen Yuan would fit right into this abnormal party.
They managed to clear the entire table, Liu Qingge finishing whatever the other two couldn’t. The paladin got up to talk to the front desk, renting them rooms.
“We have a big day ahead of tomorrow,” Shen Qingqiu said while Liu Qingge was away.
“Really?” Shen Yuan asked, excited, “What are we doing?”
“Going on a quest. Your first quest, if I’m not mistaken.”
A quest? Finally, Shen Yuan got to do some actual video game stuff! “Yeah, I’ve never done an actual quest before! But didn’t you say we didn’t have to do quests for money anymore?”
“True,” the cleric said, “However, I still have to determine if you’re worth keeping around.”
Shen Yuan visually deflated. He had no weapons, and no strength to even wield weapons. How would he manage to prove himself?
Shen Qingqiu’s brows furrowed at Shen Yuan’s pitiful expression. “Don’t look at me like that, it’s not my fault if you’re useless. Come now, the brute must’ve rented us rooms by now.”
They joined up with Liu Qingge again, making their way to the second floor where the rooms were located.
“They didn’t have three single rooms,” the paladin said. Before Shen Qingqiu could explode in his face, he continued, “We have a double room and a single room.”
“I am not sharing a space with either of you. Goodnight.” With that, Shen Qingqiu shut himself in the single room.
“As expected,” Liu Qingge remarked, leading Shen Yuan to the double room, “Sorry about him. He gets unbelievably prissy.”
“It’s no problem, really!” Shen Yuan reassured, trying to melt some of the tension from Liu Qingge.
Their room was adequately average, with two beds and a separate space for washing up. Shen Yuan was grateful for a chance to wash the dirt away, and thanked Liu Qingge for letting him wash up first.
At some point during his bath, Shen Yuan heard a knock on the door. Though muffled, he definitely heard Shen Qingqiu’s voice say “Take these” before the door slammed shut again. Emerging from behind the privacy screen, he saw fresh clothes in his bed.
“Shen Qingqiu came by with those for you,” the paladin explained as he began to take off his armor.
“Oh, that’s awfully nice of him.” Shen Yuan took a robe from the pile and held it up. It wasn’t anything special, but they were nice regardless. The green of the outer robes was a similar shade to the ones Shen Qingqiu wore. In the pile was also a simple, white tunic and pants, presumably to sleep in.
Shen Yuan changed while the other bathed, getting comfortable in the twin-size bed. Under the covers, Shen Yuan found a copper coin, most likely left behind on accident by the previous tenant. Shen Yuan laughed at how his luck even affected tiny things like this.
When Liu Qingge finished his bath, he stepped out only wearing his pants. His hair was down, the tips dripping with moisture and landing on his shapely muscles. Shen Yuan had to physically stop himself from staring.
Liu Qingge was ripped!
Shen Yuan suddenly understood where all the food went. No wonder he could eat so much!
“What are you looking at?” Liu Qingge asked, one eyebrow raised.
“N-Nothing!” Shen Yuan stammered, embarrassed at having been caught staring, “Just, you’re in really good shape. It’s impressive.”
“Of course I am,” the paladin said like the was the most obvious thing in the world, “Did you really expect anything else from a Liu?”
Shen Yuan tilted his head. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Liu Qingge paused mid-step, regarding Shen Yuan with a quizzical expression. “You really don’t know about my family?”
Shen Yuan shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t. I’m from a small village, remember?”
Liu Qingge put on his sleeping shirt and sat on his bed with a stiff posture before delving into an explanation. “My family’s renowned for producing masters in their art. From a young age, I was taught to be the greatest fighter of my generation in respect to my grandfather, who died in battle. Like many before me, I swore my oath as a paladin and took on my sacred name at the Liu family alter.”
“Qingge isn’t your birthname?” This honestly didn’t surprise Shen Yuan, since it wasn’t exactly birthname-material.
“No. Qingge was the name bestowed to me by my god, Liu Xin.”
“Liu Xin? You share a family name with your god?”
“I don’t just share a family name. Liu Xin founded our family lineage centuries ago and ascended to godhood before she could die. Every member of the Liu clan swear their loyalty to our ancestor Liu Xin at the alter when they come of age.”
Liu Qingge’s god was also his ancestor?!
“That’s so cool! I can’t imagine being from such a prestigious family. You must be proud of your blood.” Shen Yuan couldn’t help showering praise over his companion, but the recipient didn’t seem grateful for these fanciful compliments.
“Sleep. It’s late.” Liu Qingge laid himself on his back with his hands folded over his stomach.
“Oh, sure…”
Perhaps Shen Yuan had overstepped with his questions. He tucked himself in and tried to ignore the rhythmic sounds of Liu Qingge breathing next to him. He couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at that relaxed face, noting how everything from his posture to his beathing was perfectly measured, like he’d practiced something as mundane as sleep from birth.
That night, Shen Yuan dreamed of a mighty soldier who effortlessly cut down any opponents he faced against, and whose heart shone as purely as the sun. In the morning, he couldn’t recall what the soldier had looked like. He might’ve had a ponytail?
Once again, Shen Yuan was shaken awake by Liu Qingge who looked perfectly awake and ready to take on the day.
Shen Yuan was very much not ready to take on the day yet.
He tried to push the hand away and bury himself under the covers, to which Liu Qingge forcibly ripped the covers away. Shen Yuan shivered and tried to curl further into himself.
“Hnnghh… Is it already time for the quest?” He punctuated his sentence with a yawn.
“Shen Qingqiu told you about the quest?”
“He, uh, mentioned it briefly.”
“We’ll treat you to breakfast, come on.”
Breakfast did sound nice… Shen Yuan wondered if this world had dumplings?
Begrudgingly, he got up and dressed himself, gathering his things and making his way downstairs to where Shen Qingqiu was sipping a cup of tea.
“Good morning,” Shen Yuan smiled and greeted, joining Shen Qingqiu at the table, “Thank you for the robes. I didn’t have any spares.”
Shen Qingqiu put down his cup. “I figured you didn’t. I couldn’t have you walking around with whatever you had on yesterday. Those atrocious robes getting dirty did you a favor.”
Shen Yuan’s eyebrow twitched. He would have to get used to Shen Qingqiu’s roundabout ways of making a kind gesture.
Food started arriving soon after. It seemed Shen Qingqiu had already ordered in advance. Shen Yuan grimaced when the pork-filled buns were placed at the table, remembering his untimely death in his previous life.
As Liu Qingge and Shen Yuan started eating, Shen Qingqiu continued sipping on his tea and started disclosing the details of their quest. “The local magistrate has requested help from adventurers in clearing out a band of goblins. These goblins have taken up residence in a cave not far from the outskirts of town and are terrorizing any townsfolk who venture into the area to forage. Whoever can eradicate the pests are free to keep whatever spoils they find in the cave.”
“No payment?” Shen Yuan said through a mouthful of noodles, “No wonder we’re the first to take on this quest.”
“Supposedly, getting to serve the magistrate is itself a reward.” Despite Shen Qingqiu’s unruffled words, it was clear on his face how much he despised that ideology.
“What a dick.” Shen Yuan didn’t feel any shame in voicing his opinion publicly.
Shen Qingqiu snorted a real, genuine laughter into his teacup. “Well put.”
After breakfast, they made their way towards the location given by the magistrate, with Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu acting as vanguard while Shen Yuan once again trailed behind. The paladin had his sword unsheathed while the cleric carried a blood-red grimoire wrapped with heavy chains.
He’d been told to stay behind them and to not go anywhere without their permission. It made Shen Yuan a little nervous, for how was he supposed to ‘prove’ himself like this? Then again, acting useless might be better than dying to a low-level goblin of all things. Like this, he could safely scout the situation and perhaps find a way to assist his teammates.
Suddenly, the two in front stopped, and Liu Qingge put out a protective hand, signaling for Shen Yuan to be still. In the space between their bodies, Shen Yuan could make out a cave opening where two goblins guarded the entrance.
Or… were supposed to guard the entrance, Shen Yuan presumed.
The two goblins were playing rock-paper-scissors, their rusty bows and wooden maces abandoned. The loser of their game would get punched in the face, and then it started all over again.
And Shen Yuan was supposed to be convinced that he shared an intelligence stat with these creatures?!
The goblins noticed the party staring at them and quickly scrambled to get their weapons. Before they could even pick them up, Shen Qingqiu had blasted them with twin beams of ice, knocking them out instantly. The grimoire he had previously been carrying was now floating above his open palm. While still closed and wrapped in chains, it now glowed that same blood-red color.
“That was so cool!” Shen Yuan exclaimed.
“A cantrip is hardly something to get excited over,” Shen Qingqiu said, not even sparing Shen Yuan a glance, “A low-level spell like that? Even the brute could manage to conjure it.”
The ‘brute’ in question ignored this jab and instead threw his sword like a spear into the dark cave before leaping in himself. Nothing could be made out in the darkness, but the sounds of fighting were clear.
Judging by the high-pitched goblin screams, perhaps a one-sided beatdown was a more appropriate term than fighting.
“If it’s a such an easy spell… Do you think I could manage it?” Shen Yuan asked hopefully.
Shen Qingqiu scrutinized him for a moment. “I doubt it.” Shen Yuan’s face fell but lit up again at the next words. “But perhaps this master could take some of his time to assess your mana, if I should feel like it. Come along now.”
They made their way into the cave, where the sounds of fighting had become fainter, like it was happening further away. It seemed this cave went deeper than anyone had initially anticipated.
With a wave of his hand, Shen Qingqiu lit up every torch in the room. In an instant, the view of bodies became clear. “Search the bodies.” He ordered Shen Yuan.
“Ugh, do I really have to…?” Despite his complaining, Shen Yuan crouched down to search the first body he saw. Surprisingly, he kept finding coins and gems in every pocket and crevice. The same went for the next body, and the next one after that. Soon, he had more coins and gems than he could carry.
“Shen Qingqiu!” He called, showing off the haul he’d found so far. And he hadn’t even searched every goblin Liu Qingge had killed yet!
Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened, picking up a gem to inspect it. While it wasn’t top quality, it was certainly strange to find in a goblin camp.
“A lucky find…” Shen Qingqiu murmured. However, he wasn’t looking at the treasures. His gaze was glued to Shen Yuan.
“Sure is…” Shen Yuan said, pocketing the coins and wondering if he should confess to his otherworldly luck or continue laying low. He wasn’t sure how to explain his strange ‘stats’, or if that was even a metric this world used.
Further into the cave, Liu Qingge was positioned around a corner. When he saw the other two approaching, he put a finger to his lips and nodded towards the last room of the cave system. Inside, a ridiculously tall and beefy goblin was guarding a chest. The head of the goblin’s mace was the size of Shen Yuan’s skull.
“Shen Yuan,” Shen Qingqiu whispered right into his ear. A shiver went down Shen Yuan’s spine, and he nodded to indicate he was listening. “Remember how I said you needed to prove yourself?”
He nodded once more, this time more hesitant and confused. Surely, he didn’t want Shen Yuan to fight that?! He’d be crushed into mush!
Shen Qingqiu put a hand on the collar of his robes, around his nape. Shen Yuan almost thought this a reassuring gesture, until that hand tightened in the fabric and used the grip to bodily throw Shen Yuan into the room with the goblin.
Shen Yuan used his arms to break his fall on the cave floor, scratching the skin on his forearms in the process. Looking up, he was met with the furious eyes of the goblin staring straight down at him.
Shen Yuan scrabbled to move from his position on the floor, and it was by pure luck that the swing of the mace missed his body, instead burying itself into the stone floor right next to him.
“Shen Yuan! Shen Qingqiu, let go of me, he’s—!”
“Wait! This is what we agreed on, have patience!”
On his feet, Shen Yuan braced for the next attack. His mind was overwhelmed with panic, and all he could think was ‘dodge, dodge, dodge!’
The goblin raised its mace overhead once more, and Shen Yuan threw himself to the side to avoid the attack. Once again, the weapon missed by a hair’s breadth.
Shen Yuan had landed uncomfortably on his arm, surely twisting something. The pure adrenaline in his body dulled the pain. However, he wasn’t fast enough to move before the goblin had raised its mace again.
From the ground, Shen Yuan watched it hurl towards him with fearful eyes.
SLAM!
Despite Shen Yuan not having moved, the goblin missed its attack, the mace again hitting the spot next to Shen Yuan.
“I’ve seen enough!” Liu Qingge yelled, slicing the goblin in half with a decisive strike of his sword. Shen Yuan’s face was drenched in goblin blood. His panicked hyperventilation had caused black spots to overshadow his vision, and he struggled to get his breathing under control while clutching at his chest.
Liu Qingge crouched down and put an arm around Shen Yuan’s shoulders, hoisting him up into a sit and trying to assess his condition. Shen Qingqiu, meanwhile, was inspecting the chest.
“Gems, potions, high-quality materials… Exceedingly lucky finds for a mere goblin camp.”
He made his way towards Shen Yuan, crouching down to eye-level. “It can no longer be a coincidence. Your luck is extraordinary.”
He stood up once more, pocketing his grimoire. “Carry him,” he said to Liu Qingge, “I’ll treat him outside.”
Liu Qingge picked up a still-dazed Shen Yuan, carrying him outside and making him sit on a fallen log. Shen Qingqiu kneeled in front of the shorter man, rolling up his sleeves to expose the scratched-off skin of his arms. As Shen Qingqiu’s palm hovered over Shen Yuan’s wounds, he felt the pain fade away and watched as the skin stitched itself together in front of his eyes.
“So, this quest was to test if I was lucky enough?” Shen Yuan questioned bitterly.
“I told you as much, didn’t I? Rest assured, you passed the test. You’re quite handy to have around.”
Shen Yuan addressed Liu Qingge next. “You were in on this?”
The paladin nodded. “Although he went too far, I agree that having you in our party would be beneficial. From now on, I promise to protect you with my life.”
Shen Qingqiu scoffed. “I’ll also keep you safe, but don’t expect me to risk my life like this idiot.”
“As long as you promise to never do that again, or else I’m leaving.” Shen Yuan sighed. Shen Qingqiu fixed him with an incredulous look. “You’d rather wander around aimlessly again, stumbling over flowers you don’t even know the value of?”
Shen Yuan’s cheeks reddened; Shen Qingqiu was right. It would be nice to have an actual party. Gods knew he’d struggle to get anyone else to pick him up, and he certainly wouldn’t last long alone.
“Fine, fine, I’ll come with you,” Shen Yuan yielded, “Will you at least tell me what our goal is, then? There must be some grand, heroic ambition that brought the two of you together.” Seriously, Shen Yuan couldn’t imagine how else these two polar opposites could stand to band together otherwise.
The previously loose atmosphere turned tense. Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu shared a look, and the latter nodded.
“We’re taking down the demon emperor, Luo Binghe.”