The First Windfall
Having freshened up, Jiang Han eagerly donned his gaming helmet and entered the virtual realm.
"Swoosh!"
A flash of white light, and he materialized within the Bison Territory, surrounded by freshly spawned buffaloes.
Without hesitation, Jiang Han wielded the Buffalo Sword, swiftly bringing down two or three buffaloes. Adhering to the philosophy of accumulating wealth, he picked up the copper coins scattered on the ground.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Jiang Han's eyes gleamed as he spotted a pair of wristguards next to a buffalo carcass. Quickly picking them up, he activated the Detection Skill, revealing the attributes—
[Cowhide Wristguards] (Common-grade)
Defense: 2-2
Introduction: Crafted from cowhide, with a conventional design that only appeals to the weak.
After a night of buffalo hunting with unmatched efficiency, including the newly acquired wristguards, he now possessed only two items. Considering the low drop rates in "Eternal," this was not surprising.
Equipping the wristguards raised his defense by 2 points, reaching 16-18. The buffalo's attacks could no longer penetrate his defense, dealing merely one or two points of damage. For a novice, his attributes could now be described as surpassing even a young cow taking flight, truly reaching an impressive level.
Without delay, Jiang Han, taking advantage of players finding ways to leave the novice village, quickly returned, attracting the attention of many players.
"Damn, a master!"
"This garbage game trapped me in the novice village. Some players have already taken off. I can't even detect this person's level; it's at least five levels higher than mine!"
"I haven't even fought slimes yet. I'm thinking of quitting..."
...
In "Eternal," the concept of trousers did not exist. Armor covered the lower body as well, and aside from the possibility of special equipment, players wore only seven basic items: weapons, armor, helmets, wristguards, boots, leg guards, and rings.
As a result, in terms of appearance, apart from lacking leg guards and a helmet, Jiang Han was fully equipped. In the eyes of players still donning novice attire, he could be considered incredibly powerful.
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Han shouted, "Selling equipment! Two items in total, payment first, then the trade!"
Unfortunately, the announcement system for trumpet notifications within a certain range had not been opened yet. In the novice village, attention could only be garnered through shouting, and the limited audience was a challenge.
"Equipment?"
Suddenly, a large number of players swarmed towards him, surrounding Jiang Han.
Displaying the Soldier's Sword and Soldier's Leather Armor, Jiang Han declared, "The highest bidder wins."
"With such rubbish stats on these two common-grade items, only I would want them. One hundred each, how about it?" a player spoke up.
Attempting to acquire them for one hundred? Why not reach for the sky?
Jiang Han gave him a look of pity, repeating, "The highest bidder wins!"
"I bid five hundred!"
"One thousand!"
"Two thousand!"
...
Fortunately, not everyone was so ignorant. Two items that were blatantly ignored in other games were fetching unbelievably high prices in "Eternal."
Scarcity increased value!
Whether in-game or in reality, as long as something possessed a certain value, this statement could be considered a universal truth.
"Twenty thousand, I'll take both items!"
A middle-aged man with a bronze complexion and an average build squeezed through the crowd. He glanced at the equipment, then appraised Jiang Han for a moment before smiling, "Young man, you have good strength. Interested in joining my guild? The salary is negotiable."
"..."
With a five-figure offer, there were essentially no more competing bids around.
Quickly selling off two novice equipment pieces, which would soon be outdated, for such a high price indicated that the buyer was indeed wealthy. Jiang Han had no reason to continue the auction.
"Sorry, I currently only want to be a solo player." Jiang Han declined.
Although game guilds were mature these days, joining one required too much commitment. For instance, if there was a BOSS that needed to be killed, members had to log in to help. Attendance was mandatory, or else guild points would be deducted. The distribution of equipment during loot splits was decided by the guild's upper echelons, completely contradicting Jiang Han's initial intentions and limiting his potential.
"Alright."
The other party didn't insist, not going out of his way to please a newcomer. After some thought, he said, "How about adding each other as friends? If you have any good equipment in the future, you can sell it to our Dragon Clan first. We'll definitely offer you a satisfactory price."
"Sure!" Jiang Han nodded in agreement.
As they exchanged friend requests, the other party also learned his name and expressed mild surprise, "So, you're One Jiang Han Water?"
As the recipient of the server-wide BOSS kill announcement, his name had naturally become a hot topic of discussion among countless players. It would be difficult not to know.
Although the other party's level exceeded the range of his Detection Skill, he had accurately predicted that this person was the prominent first-kill celebrity.
"In the future, if I have good equipment, I'll contact you. Don't swindle me when the time comes." Jiang Han laughed, simultaneously sending his bank account number to the other party.
"Haha, don't worry."
Dragon Soars a Thousand Miles readily initiated the transfer, completing the transaction.
...
Removing his gaming helmet, Jiang Han placed the mooncakes on a flat pan to heat them. He poured a glass of water and quickly called his mother.
"Hello!"
A familiar voice sounded from the other end of the phone.
"Mom." Jiang Han said, "I received the dried vegetables you sent."
"It's good that you received them. I know you like them. How's it going working outside? I heard from Uncle Chen next door that when you just started working, there were many places where money was tight. If you need money, Mom can spare tens of thousands..."
Jiang Han smiled, "Not tired at all. The boss appreciates me, and I've received several tens of thousands in bonuses recently."
"You've only been working for a few months, and you've received several tens of thousands in bonuses?" The voice on the other end of the phone was pleasantly surprised.
Her son was making a name for himself, and naturally, she was happy.
"Yeah."
Jiang Han chuckled, "Mom, don't worry. I'm doing well outside. If the family needs money, I can send back twenty thousand for now."
"We're not short on money at home. It's good as long as your work is going smoothly..."
...
The call lasted for over ten minutes, and Jiang Han hung up the phone. He filled his stomach with the mooncakes, then quickly logged in.
The early stages of the game were precious, and he had to continue expanding the advantage he gained.
After wandering around the novice village and confirming there were no available quests, Jiang Han spent fifty copper coins to purchase a bottle of healing potion. Immediately after, he decisively left.
According to the pharmacy owner, the pills in this healing potion could be used twenty times.
[Healing Potion]
Effect: Restores 50 health points per second for 10 seconds after consumption.
Cooldown: 20
seconds
Introduction: A concentrated pill favored by the adult natives of the novice village. It is said to have the effects of replenishing qi and tonifying the kidneys when consumed eight pills at a time, three times a day.
Walking on the soft grass outside the novice village, Jiang Han headed towards higher-level grinding spots, looking at the additional two thousand in his bank account, feeling delighted.
This was his first substantial earnings in the game, and it amounted to five figures!
Although he claimed to be a gaming veteran, as a recent university graduate, earning twenty thousand in one go was undoubtedly exciting. A few minutes later, as he passed through the Bison Territory, he saw several players in a group, collaborating to kill monsters. After hesitating for a few minutes, he shook his head, "Forget about buffaloes..."
With his current equipment and level, troubling himself with buffaloes was undoubtedly a waste of time. Despite the efficiency, once the level increased, buffaloes provided pitifully low experience points.
Crossing the Bison Territory, what came into Jiang Han's view was a valley. Beyond the valley, lush greenery and the melody of birdsong filled the air. However, large gray wolves with imposing figures roamed the area, adding a touch of thrilling danger to the beautiful scenery.
[Gray Wolf] (Common monster)
Level: 10
Health: 2000
Attack: 25-30
Defense: 18
Skill: [Bite]
Introduction: Gray wolves dominate this valley. In the novice village, their strength is undoubtedly at the lordly level, and countless adventurers have become their prey.