010. Villager: This Kid Wasn't This Bad Before, Right?
Li Aozi was quite pleased with the spoils of his trip. It had taken less than 40 minutes—almost 35 minutes, which, given his current level, would definitely have broken the world record in his previous life.
For players, using shortcuts might lead to missing important plot points, losing some of the game's immersive experience. But for Li Aozi, who had already run these tedious fetch quests in the past, he had no intention of wasting time.
He had plenty of seemingly useless, yet highly valuable items in his possession. As soon as he reached narrative-level civilizations, he could turn this "junk" into treasure, skyrocketing his wealth and securing his status.
Without fame and fortune, no problem could truly be solved.
Li Aozi, having navigated Abyssal Depths across multiple versions, knew this territory too well.
To solve the Azure Star issue, he wasn't even considering the Galexian civilization — most civilizations allied with the [Empire of Heroes] were arrogant and lazy. If he asked for their help, he bet they'd blow up Azure Star all over again.
Actually, the [Annihilation Temple] was a decent option. Their society was heavily religious and emotional. As long as he built a good reputation, they'd likely help. The problem was, Azure Star wasn't in the sanctuary's sphere of influence, whereas it was right next to the empire.
On one hand, the distance between the two places was too great. Li Aozi figured that even if he sold himself, it wouldn't cover their travel expenses.
On the other hand, when a narrative-level civilization approaches another with military weapons in tow, questions arise: "What's your purpose? Why are you doing this? Who sent you?"
As for the [United Syndicate], their prices were steep, but they were the most reliable. The syndicate cared nothing for honor or morals—they only recognized profits.
To properly address the entropy problem, he needed to bypass star-system civilizations and go straight to the top-tier narrative-level civilizations. Otherwise, lower-tier groups would just think about blowing up planets, whereas the top tiers had more leeway for thinking and maneuvering.
Moreover, since this involved both the Hidden Society and the Forged Society, narrative-level civilizations would take it more seriously.
However, two essential conditions had to be met to engage with these civilizations:
First, he needed to be a registered interstellar citizen to enter narrative-level civilization territory.
Second, he had to have money—lots of it. And not the standard currency of ordinary civilizations, but the interstellar currency: Ammonium Gold.
With his access to numerous teleportation nodes, smuggling seemed like the quickest way to make money. Low cost, high efficiency, no taxes. Whatever he moved, he earned.
Li Aozi briefly envisioned his future trade network and casually leveled up his [Elemental Warlock] to lv.60, raising his [Intelligence] to 84 points.
Thanks to the Tanasian racial talent [Spell-Capable], for every 50 points of [Intelligence], he could specialize in a magic system.
Li Aozi opened the specialization panel. The available magic systems were few: [Elemental Magic], [Primitive Magic], and [General Magic].
Elemental magic was the typical fireballs, ice spikes, wind blades, and earth spikes. Strong in the early game but lacking later on. Since he planned to eventually discard the [Elemental Warlock] class, it wasn't worth specializing in.
[Primitive Magic] was older, more rudimentary spells. Some even used spell materials to create magical reactions, bypassing the need for mana. It was more like physics or chemistry than magic.
Li Aozi was familiar with [Primitive Magic]. When fully upgraded to[Transdimensional Laws], it was infamous for allowing one person to summon armies from across timelines—a truly shameless build.
But Li Aozi didn't need that. Most knowledge from [Primitive Magic] didn't benefit a [Starfall Master].
This body was meant for long-term cultivation and secondary class progression, so he chose to specialize in [General Magic].
[General Magic] might not sound impressive at first, but it was foundational, similar to "applied mathematics." It was essential not just for [Mages] but also for all spellcasters, even those in the Craft discipline.
[Project: [General Magic] — Specialization Applied]
[When learning [General] magic knowledge, you will gain 180% learning speed, and casting this type of spell will reduce mana consumption by 8%.]
After assigning the specialization, Li Aozi walked toward the small elemental tree. He bent down and dug out a block of white wax stone from a corner, skillfully drawing runes on the ground.
The elemental tree's leaves quivered slightly, and moments later, the air in front of Li Aozi rippled with spatial distortions.
Li Aozi stepped into the ripple. In the next instant, cold moonlight shone on him.
Looking down, Li Aozi saw the cavern he had excavated earlier, now with the dirt he had unearthed piled into a mountain that was slowly collapsing.
He had returned to the entrance of the ruins.
The teleportation spell was also under the control of the elemental tree. Li Aozi pocketed the white wax stone—this was an important tool, as the runes it inscribed were necessary to open the teleportation ripple to the tree.
"In a way, isn't this like having a spatial ring?"
Li Aozi muttered to himself, then turned around and began filling in the hole.
He had to smooth over the dirt and collapse the cave completely, or else someone from White Candle Star would notice his activities.
They might not care about body-snatching, but tomb-robbing? Even if Li Aozi fled to the ends of the earth, White Candle Star's magical police would hunt him down.
With no suitable tools, Li Aozi had to rely on brute force, filling the hole by hand. It wasn't until dawn that he finished, layering bark and transplanting weeds to cover it. Only after ensuring the area was stable did he finally relax.
"Digging holes is fun, but filling them back up is like walking straight into a crematorium."
Li Aozi sighed inwardly.
—I'll dig again next time!
"Phew! It's getting late, the sun's almost out. I should hurry back to the village."
Li Aozi hurriedly headed back to the village, grabbing a fox-like beast on the way to explain why he'd been out all night, covered in dirt and injuries.
By the time he returned, some villagers were already working the fields. A plump dog waddled leisurely down the street, swaying its tail in pure delight.
The golden sunlight bathed the fields, dispelling the morning mist and giving everything a reddish-white glow. Dew dripped onto the soil, and the earthy scent filled the air, invigorating everyone.
If not for the magical facilities and birds flying by spraying pesticides, this scene would have looked no different from the farms Li Aozi remembered.
Li Aozi stared longingly at the peaceful countryside, realizing that he hadn't seen the sun or felt the warmth of spring and summer in half a year.
"It's so peaceful here…"
Having grown used to the crimson-black skies of Azure Star, teeming with calamities, and its sterile, meticulously maintained farms, the sight of a real sun and dew stirred something deep within him, leaving him strangely moved.
—I've been here for six months now.
The thought crossed his mind.
Sometimes he still acted like a player, old habits being hard to break. But this beautiful, pure world was truly touching.
He stood quietly on the hill, gazing at this strange yet familiar land. The villagers worked from sunrise to sunset, their simple lives reminding him of many people—people he'd met both in games and in reality.
Li Aozi struggled to distinguish whether this was the game world or the world's game. Was his body digitized and sent into the game because of an accident, or had he somehow reverted to pre-1.0?
Or perhaps it was all just a dream? And when he woke up, he would be the same renowned [Starfall Master] who dominated the Abyss, as well as the overworked streamer, sacrificing all his free time to his job.
But whether it was real or fake, maybe it didn't matter anymore.
He reached out his hand, feeling the abundant magic in the air. His Elemental Pool was now brimming with various elements, and his body felt light and comfortable.
This moment was so real.
He liked this new life.
As Li Aozi stood there, briefly entranced by the pastoral beauty, he suddenly remembered his character's original role as a village bully.
So, he stepped forward. The fat dog, seeing Li Aozi, was instantly drawn to him by his overwhelming [Charisma]. The dog wagged its tail, sticking out its tongue, and adorably raised its head as if asking for a pat.
Pow!
Li Aozi kicked the dog, sending it flying straight into a nearby ditch.
"Where'd this dog come from? Get outta here!"
Awooo! Oowoo...
The dog's whimpers echoed from the ditch, but Li Aozi didn't care. He slung the fox he'd hunted over his shoulder and headed straight for the village market.
Blue Chrysanthemum Village wasn't large, but the morning market was lively. An older lady yelled, "Steamed cakes, 12 Dina per pound, 30 Dina for 3 pounds!" as she pushed her cart from door to door, selling freshly steamed rice cakes.
A wandering bard, apparently oversleeping, hurriedly bought a jug of hot spiced milk from a vendor, scanned his information rune without bargaining, and gulped down a bite of apple pie, hastily rushing toward the tavern, clearly running late.
By the time Li Aozi arrived, the indoor stalls were already packed. Sellers of breakfast, fish, minerals, and weapons squeezed together, the scene bustling with activity. Li Aozi instinctively thought of leaving, but then remembered his role.
[Playing the bully character is part of the plan.]
He reminded himself carefully, striding into the crowd and quickly spotting a familiar face—the black-haired youth Luther Kline, whom the previous Li Aozi had bullied.
Li Aozi had kept an eye on this kid. His sharp eyes, vibrant expression, rich emotions, and eloquence showed great potential. Handsome too, a promising candidate.
But since Luther still had both parents alive and lived a decent life, Li Aozi had ultimately passed on taking over his body.
Early in the morning, Luther had already set up his stall, selling simple herbs and materials. Blue Chrysanthemum Village wasn't very modernized and lacked alchemy workshops, so most household medicines were made with local ingredients and folk remedies.
Surprisingly, Luther's business was doing well today. He'd come early and already sold two batches of Soroma Corps, purple parasitic orchids, and snakeweed, along with a few bottles of nutmeg powder. Another short while and he'd make back the money he'd spent studying in the city.
Luther's knowledge was solid. People didn't just come to buy his herbs; some came to ask questions. His friendly demeanor was attracting quite the crowd, and because his sales were good, he maintained a positive attitude.
"Aunt Zolika, don't use Lovell Grass for headaches! That'll just give you insomnia. You should skip the herbs and buy tablets from the apothecary instead—40 Dina for 100 tablets."
"Uncle Culrit, you've got wind-chill cold, not wind-heat cold. You shouldn't be buying this either. Stick to Ma Root, and soak it in liquor."
"Jenny, why are you here? I'm not interested in dating right now; I just want to focus on my studies."
Luther chatted away, smiling warmly at every customer who approached. His stall might have been small, but it drew a large crowd. People fired off questions, and girls interested in him were constantly hovering around, causing him some frustration.
Like the girl in front of him now, with flaxen hair and healthy tanned skin. She'd brought a basket of freshly baked bread, eggs, and milk. After hearing Luther's words, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Is… is it a bad time for me to be here? I can come back later..."
"Alright, see you later then," Luther nodded.
"Great!"
Suddenly, Jenny's expression shifted, and she stamped her foot, pouting with teary eyes, and said pitifully:
"You really hate me that much? I was worried you'd be hungry and wouldn't have the energy to study, so I came straight over without even washing my face to bring you breakfast, but you're just pushing me away."
"No, Jenny, I know you mean well, but we should focus on what's important—studying."
"Studying? Studying won't be there to spend your life with you. A wife and kids will be there when you're old."
Poor straight-laced Luther was hopeless when it came to dealing with girls. He kept hitting landmines, much to the amusement of the villagers. In a place with little entertainment, watching a rural love story unfold was the perfect way to pass the time.
"See? You boys better not be like Luther—always trying to reason with the girls. At times like this, you need to be more considerate of how they feel."
"Yeah, seriously, Luther's gotta step up. And Jenny—she's playing this all wrong. When my grandma wanted my grandpa, she pinned him to the wall and kissed him for hours until he was smitten."
While the couple bickered and tried to explain themselves, a tall figure slowly pushed through the crowd.
Thud.
The tall man reached the stall. Luther turned and froze.
"L- Leo —"
Slap!
"Get out of the way! Who gave you permission to look at me?"
Li Aozi rolled up Luther's stall and tossed it aside, then grabbed Luther and threw him after it.
Then, he calmly set the fox down on the ground, crossed his legs, and sat.
"This spot is mine now. Fox, 250 Dina. Anyone interested, come buy—no bargaining."
He glared at the crowd, smiling as he added:
"Why are you all standing around? It's my first time doing business. I'd appreciate it if you didn't act like you don't know what's good for you. Hand over your money, and buy something, alright? Thanks."
Li Aozi flashed a sinister grin, exuding a faint aura of violence from his long years of slaughter and combat.
The villagers quietly backed away a few steps, whispering to each other:
'Leo... this kid wasn't this bad before, was he?'