Chapter 4: Rewards + Strange Friend Request?

The navigation system guides me deeper and deeper into the heart of the Enchanted Forest where I find a wooden chest covered in moss and vines.

System Notice: Navigation has ended. Destination reached.

System Notice: Hidden Chest Located.

Anxiety is replaced with relief when I saw the system notice. I pull aside the vines and opened the chest with excitement. 

System Notice: Congratulations! You have obtained: 

 -2500 exp

 -1000 gold

 -Skill Removal Cards x 3

Level increased from 1 → 5

While the exp boost and gold are valuable for early game development, the true treasure is the skill removal cards which is the main objective of this hidden quest. Given that each player can only hold a maximum of 7 skills, and skills are essential for levelling up, it is impossible for players to have empty skill slots in the late game. These cards offer a significant advantage by then, when more powerful skills become available allowing the weaker skills used to level up, to be replaced. 

A single Skill Removal Card is worth at least 150,000 gold making them extremely rare and valuable, causing this hidden quest to be removed later on. Afterall, they were only a product of the developers experimenting with the balance between providing too much of an advantage and being overly strict on players.

Global System Notice: Player "UwUE-kitten" has completed hidden quest "Secrets of the Enchanted Old Man" levelling up from 1 → 5, reaching 26th place in level leaderboard and 87th place in top assassins leaderboard. 

Global Chat:

Random Kid 1: HOW CAN THAT PLAYER ALREADY COMPLETE A HIDDEN QUEST AT LEVEL 1?? 

Random Kid 2: THEY ARE DEFINITELY CHEATING. OR THEY GOT CARRIED BY ANOTHER PLAYER.

Random Kid 3: That cannot be it. Hidden quests are only doable by the person who activated it so they can't be "carried". Also, just because you are jealous, you can't say he is cheating. THOUGH WHO ISN'T FCKING JEALOUS. 

Random Kid 4: So it's pure luck then? God, I wish I had his luck then.

A smirk crosses my face as I closed the Global Chat. I immediately set my profile to hidden to prevent further attention. As I head back to the central market in the starter village to buy some equipment and potions with my gold, I receive a strange friend request.

System Notice: Player "Titanz" has sent you a friend request

Titanz.. I remember this name. Last life he was 4th strongest tank. So what could he want with me? I accept the friend request with curiosity.

System Notice: Request accepted.

"Hey UwUEkitten, congrats on that hidden quest. Do you have any interest in joining my clan? With your skills and my tanking, I'm sure we will become the strongest clan in Realmshaper III!", Titanz messages.

I hesitated. That was an unexpected request. Though one of my goals this life is to create the strongest clan in the game, I'd rather lead than be an insignificant pawn losing all my freedom.

"Sorry, I have no interest", I replied Titanz

"Alright. But can we meet up then? I have some other offers that I'd like to discuss with you in detail".