**[Congratulations! Player Xiao Taozhi has obtained 5,000 XP]**
**[Congratulations! Your XP is full. You have leveled up.]**
**[Level 6 → Level 7]**
**[Item Obtained: Hannya Chest]**
…
As the system notification ended, a world announcement broadcast three times, setting the World Channel ablaze once again.
[Feifeifei: ???? Holy crap, the big shot got another first kill without making a sound!!]
[Woshuobaile: You’re a god, big shot! Can you please share on the forums and teach us how to actually play this game?! Are we really playing the same game?!]
[Bibilabu: Truly a god. Look at the Level Leaderboard, she surpassed the Regiment Leader in one instant!]
[Li Dong: …]
[Tashuodailiaobushuangei: Did nobody notice the new dungeon the big shot opened? We’ll actually have some leftovers this time!!]
[Feifeifei: Brother, we already headed over. We’ve been to that forest outside the Novice Village a long time ago. It just wasn’t open before the big shot cleared it. As for now… [Dog Head Emoji] [Dog Head Emoji] [Dog Head Emoji]]
[Xiazhi: You’re right, but it’s useless. It’s already too late…]
[Chunfen: No lie, I’ve been waiting here for 2 hours, and someone was here even earlier than me…]
[Woshuobaile: Damn, the guild system hasn’t even been unlocked yet, and they’re already starting to hog the dungeon!!??]
[Li Dong: That’s not it, brother. It’s first come, first served. Our people were late too.]
[Bibilabu: Brothers who haven’t come yet, hurry up! The forest is huge. You just need to stand outside and farm. You never know who will be the next one to get in!]
[Kio: It’s so noisy. The guilds will definitely clear the area later.]
[Tiger Regiment Leader: On behalf of the Tiger Regiment, I solemnly promise that everyone’s eligibility to participate in the dungeon will follow the principles of fairness and justice. If other players successfully obtain entry qualifications, we will purchase them at a reasonable price. There will be no robbing, monopolies, or other violations.]
[Li Dong: We are the same. Everyone, feel free to come…]
[Woshuobaile: Great!!]
[Tashuodailiaobushuangei: Great!!]
[Feifeifei: Great!!]
[Kio: Laughing out loud. I just arrived. There are so many people outside the forest that the guilds can’t possibly clear them all.]
[Feifeifei: Ahem, I see it but I won’t say it. Watch out in the future… *cough cough cough cough* [Dog Head Emoji]]
…
Luo Taozhi couldn’t be bothered to look at the World Channel. The Large Hannya had just vanished into a plume of black smoke, and although it hadn’t left behind any drops, a chest remained in its place!
Yoshimura Umeko seemed unable to see this chest, and the Priestess Granny and villagers who rushed over couldn’t see it either.
‘Does that mean only players can see this chest?’
[Hannya Chest]
[Introduction: A collectible of the Large Hannya.]
Looking at the chest on the ground, Luo Taozhi reached out toward it.
[Do you want to open the chest?]
[Yes] [No]
Her finger clicked decisively on [Yes].
The chest transformed into a stream of light and flew into Luo Taozhi. At the same time, the system’s voice echoed in her mind.
**[Congratulations! You have opened the [Hannya Chest]!]**
**[Obtained items: [Hannya Breastplate], [Hannya Helmet], and [Hannya’s Hair]]**
[Hannya Breastplate (Blue)]
Level 7
HP: +100
Qi Defense: +10
MP: +50
Introduction: One of the Large Hannya’s collectibles. Collecting four pieces might trigger an unexpected effect.
…
[Hannya Helmet (Blue)]
Level 7
Qi Attack: +20
Qi Defense: +10
Spirit: +5
Introduction: One of the Large Hannya’s collectibles. Collecting four pieces might trigger an unexpected effect.
…
[Hannya’s Hair (Item)]
Introduction: Seems to be a drop from when the Hannya’s hair was still thick.
…
‘The Hannya Breastplate, the Hannya Helmet… and it’s a four-piece set… It seems the set that drops from this Novice Village dungeon is the Hannya Set.’
‘As for this Hannya’s Hair…’
Luo Taozhi looked at the lock of sleek, black hair in her hand. She couldn’t see any connection between this and the withered, grass-like hair on the boss’s head.
“Thank you!! Thank you so much! If it weren’t for you tonight…”
The Priestess Granny’s weeping interrupted Luo Taozhi’s thoughts.
“Huh? Oh, it’s fine. I just did what I had to do,” Luo Taozhi brushed her off perfunctorily. Since the mission was over, there shouldn’t be anything else left—
‘Wait!!’
‘I still have a quest!!’
[Prajna in the Village (IV) (98%)]
[Task Requirement: Assist Yoshimura Umeko in repelling the “Large Hannya” that has not yet fully recovered tonight. (Player Limit: 1–5) (Level Limit: 6–10)]
Looking at the quest panel, Luo Taozhi was stunned.
‘A 98% quest progress… where is it stuck?’
While Luo Taozhi was still wondering where the progress was hung up, the Priestess Granny’s voice drifted over again.
“Benefactor… what is that in your hand?”
“Huh?” Luo Taozhi blinked, looking at the Priestess Granny and then at the [Hannya’s Hair] in her hand.
“This… this dropped from the Large Hannya. It seems quite precious.”
Luo Taozhi didn’t hesitate and essentially repeated the item’s description in her own words.
“!!! Hannya’s hair! How could the Hannya’s current hair be so…”
The Priestess Granny stopped halfway through her sentence as if she had remembered something. She quickly retracted her words and helped the severely injured Yoshimura Umeko toward the house.
As she walked, she called out to Luo Taozhi.
“Benefactor! Please wait a moment!”
**[Congratulations! You have completed the quest [Prajna in the Village (IV)]!]**
**[Obtained reward: 1,000 XP]**
**[Obtained quest: [Prajna in the Village (V)]]**
[Prajna in the Village (V)]
[Task Requirement: Listen to the Priestess Granny tell the story of the Large Hannya’s past.]
Seeing the notifications constantly popping up from the system, Luo Taozhi couldn’t help but complain internally.
‘No way, why are there still more parts to this lousy quest? I even have to listen to the Large Hannya’s life story?!’
Although Luo Taozhi was reluctant, she knew that these multi-part quests usually offered quite substantial rewards at the end.
Left with no choice, she stood there and waited for a while, but the Priestess Granny didn’t come out.
Just as she was about to go inside to find her, the Priestess Granny stepped out of the house. She took Xiao Nanchu’s hand and walked toward the statue in the center of the village.
“Benefactor, seeing that thick, lustrous black hair in your hand, my old bones finally believe the records of our ancestors…”
The Priestess Granny took Luo Taozhi’s hand and sat down slowly in front of the statue. Her eyes were fixed on the sculpture as she spoke with a nostalgic tone.
“Legend has it that a long time ago, when our ancestors first crossed the sea from the Ancestral Land to this place, it was entirely thanks to the Hannya that we were able to carve out a small space for survival in this forest.”
“It could be said that without the Hannya, our ancestors would have had no way to survive on this land, and there would be no ‘us’ today…”