Chapter 38: Proof of Valor

Joining a faction is generally a similar process across the board. For instance, to join the Dwarven faction, one must pay a certain amount of gold dust. The Elven faction requires a brilliant gemstone. Neither gold dust nor gemstones are particularly expensive; if exchanged using points, they cost roughly 100 points.

The Orc faction is a bit more unique, requiring the player to kill an Elf or a Dwarf, but since the Orc faction is essentially a merger of the Warg and Orc factions, this special requirement is understandable.

Finally, there is the Human faction, based in Lake-town. Since the sycophant Alfred controls the authority to select recruits for the guard, one can join simply by bribing him. If one chooses to refuse the bribe, a second quest chain is triggered, allowing entry into the faction by paying a hefty security deposit to the Master of Lake-town.

Li Xia was originally quite amenable to advice and hadn't planned on joining the Human faction; he was actually more interested in archery techniques. That was until the Hall of Transcendence quietly gave him a tiny hint. Li Xia swore the hint was truly minuscule, as if it would be detected by the Hall of Light if it were any larger. It was simply a massive exclamation mark hovering over Bard’s head on the mini-map, exactly like those seen in video games.

[You have triggered a hidden Human faction quest: The True Guard of Lake-town]
[Quest Objective: Prove your valor]
[Proof of Valor: Kill a Shelob-spawn spider, an Orc, a Warg, or a swamp crocodile. Completing one is sufficient.]
[Quest Reward: Join the Lake-town Archery Guard]

"Young man, if you wish to join the Lake-town Archery Guard, you must prove your valor. We have no use for cowards. Bring me your spoils once you have completed the task."

Bard nodded at Li Xia, his stern face etched with a trace of worry, and prepared to leave.

"Wait a moment, Mr. Bard."

Li Xia’s expression was somewhat strange. He reached into his pocket and pretended to rummage around, but in reality, he was retrieving items from his inventory.

"Would these suffice?"

He opened his hands, revealing a few spider venom sacs and silk glands.

"Silk glands from a Shelob-spawn?" Bard stopped in his tracks, picked one up to examine it closely, and even sniffed it. "About a day old. Stripped from the carcass not long ago."

"Yes, I encountered the spiders while traveling through Mirkwood toward Lake-town. In fact, I also ran into a small party of Orcs."

Bard’s expression turned noticeably serious. "Orcs? Were there Wargs?"

"Of course. We had a fierce skirmish. The Orcs retreated, leaving their corpses behind. Unfortunately, I found them too foul-smelling to bring back any trophies, save for these gold coins."

Li Xia spoke unhurriedly as he took out several silver and gold coins, placing them into Bard's hand.

"Indeed, there is the stench of Orcs and the musky odor of Wargs..."

Bard fell silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up and asked, "What weapon do you use?"

"A spear or a lance."

Bard grabbed a spear from a nearby guard and tossed it over. "Prove it to me. Show me you have the strength to back up your story."

But he soon felt that his remark was redundant, for the moment the young man gripped the spear, his aura shifted. He stood there, holding the spear with one hand, exuding a subtle, heart-palpitating pressure.

"Thud—" A soft impact echoed.

Bard felt as if a flash of silver had passed before his eyes; the spear, which was not particularly sharp, had already pierced through a thick wooden plank.

What an incredible spearman!

"What is your name?"

"Xia."

"Go fetch a bow. How can a member of the Lake-town Archery Guard not know how to use one?"

Bard waved his hand and turned to leave. A prompt appeared right on cue.

[Quest: Proof of Valor completed]
[You have successfully joined the Lake-town Archery Guard]
[You have chosen the Human faction]
[Faction quests unlocked]
[Next main storyline quest unlocks in: 6 days and 16 hours]
[Your valor has been recognized by Bard, Captain of the Lake-town Archery Guard]
[You have received a standard-issue longbow of the Lake-town Archery Guard and gained the Basic Archery skill]

Li Xia was stunned, not expecting these additional benefits. He nodded at Bard.

"Thank you. Should I call you Captain now?"

A rare smile graced Bard’s cold and stern face. "Just call me Bard. Practice hard; if your hands get itchy, go find Old Joer for some work."

Just as he was about to leave, the sycophant Alfred, who had been watching silently from the side, finally couldn't help but shriek:

"Bard! Recruiting for the guard is the Master's authority! You have no right to enlist members!"

"Alfred, if I recall correctly, the Master’s authority comes from the laws of Lake-town passed down through generations, and he is elected by the people. So, this man who relies on the law to be the Master... wants to reject the law?"

Bard shot him a cold glance and walked away alone. In the past, he might not have conflicted with the Master and Alfred. But ever since the Dwarves arrived, a sense of foreboding had been growing in Bard’s heart, becoming more intense by the day.

It seemed a cataclysmic event was imminent, which was why he was desperate to strengthen the Lake-town Guard. The Master’s own guard was utterly useless; they were fine for oppressing the populace and collecting taxes, but if they had to defend against an enemy? They would run faster than a Shire rabbit. The only ones he could count on were his own archers.

Alfred was left speechless and could only utter a few dismissive remarks before hurrying away. Bard nodded at Li Xia once more and went to inspect the town's defenses.

With the scene quiet, Li Xia could finally examine his gains. When he saw the first line of the equipment description, he nearly cheered with joy.

[Yew Bow · Standard Issue]
[Grade: Blue]
[Origin: The Lord of the Rings · Middle-earth · Gondor]
[Durability: 45/45]
[Damage Intensity: 2 (Tier 1)]
[Requirement: 7 Strength]
[Draw Weight: 90 lbs]
[Yew: +20% stability when firing]
[Refined Bowstring: Increases damage dealt by 15%]
[Description: Just as the charm of a cold weapon lies in the person holding it, the charm of a bow and arrow lies in the arrow itself. Only when the bow and arrow are combined is it a complete weapon.]
[Note: Cannot be taken out of this world]

His joy vanished instantly. Li Xia curled his lip, thinking he had managed to swindle a piece of equipment for free. It turned out to be standard-issue gear that didn't belong to him personally.

However, the description of the bow was quite interesting. The power of the bow alone wasn't substantial, but it would be different when paired with various types of arrows. So, the true power of the bow and arrow should be calculated as a whole...

Li Xia pondered for a moment, set the bow aside, and turned to study the skill he had just acquired.