Chapter 321: Chapter 321: Special
The enhancements provided to a Lieutenant were not too significant, only improving all attributes by 5%.

Li Yao wasn’t too concerned about boosting his attack power. Instead, he was more keen on increasing his agility. His current limit of delivering five arrows per second was the peak at this stage. Any further improvement would require a qualitative change, rather than just a simple enhancement of his attributes. Considering this, Li Yao found the increased move speed due to agility quite beneficial. At this stage, only a handful of players could compete with him in terms of move speed.

Of course, Li Yao wouldn’t dare to claim that he was the fastest. Plain Gods’ Elite Professions were too diverse; plenty of them excelled at speed, and many guilds were already well-known.

They didn’t need to increase their exposure like Li Yao did to enhance their guild’s reputation. Instead, they’d rather maintain a low-profile, concealing their capabilities and strengths to spring unexpected surprises on others. Moreover, there were certain hidden pros, so it was hard for Li Yao to claim that he’s number one in any aspect.

But of course, if it’s about skills, he’s undoubtedly top-notch.

As for Li Yao, he was indifferent. With the increase in his levels and attributes, there were still many techniques he could use. The swap of exposure for the guild’s fame and accelerated development were quite worthwhile.

Being promoted to an officer provided attribute bonuses, which came with both pros and cons.

The pros were that he could now access tasks which were only available to those with military ranks. Additionally, with higher ranks came more attribute bonuses and greater benefits and rights. When the battlefield was opened, reaching certain levels could even qualify him temporarily for the General role.

However, the downsides were significant too. Military merits were not as stable as aristocratic titles, the latter being more challenging to achieve. Although he had a connection with the queen, for Li Yao to attain a title, he would probably need to complete more difficult tasks.

This instability meant that if Li Yao were killed and didn’t have enough military merits, his rank would drop.

Another drawback was that as an officer, killing average players would reward him with fewer merits. He had to kill players with aristocratic titles or military ranks to earn more merits.

Overall, this system allowed easy rank promotions and an equivalent ease of rank reduction.

“Wait, Lieutenant, there’s a new task only an Elite like you can complete. Are you interested?” the Orc Quartermaster asked when he saw the trio leaving after receiving their rewards.

The eyes of the pet Little Elves lit up instantly, and it asked, “What task?”

The Quartermaster glanced at the Little Elves and said, “This task is very difficult. Newbie, you’ve just become an officer and still have a long way to go. You shouldn’t get involved in this.”

“Oh!” The Little Elves understood the Quartermaster’s message, indicating that its rank was not high enough. It would reconsider the task once its rank improved.

Li Yao initially wanted to refuse, but thinking that this was a conditionally triggered task and likely offered good rewards, he decided to inquire. If the task was manageable, he would do it; otherwise, he’d pass.

“Please go on, Sir.”

The Quartermaster nodded with satisfaction and said, “Here’s the thing. Although we’re also based in the Dark Grey Valley, we’re in dire need of something called Nature’s Gift. We know that it’s made from ground acorn seeds but haven’t been able to produce it ourselves. So if possible, we hope you can bring back some Nature’s Gift.”

“Oh, it seems quite feasible,” Li Yao said, his face relaxing. If it was something from the Light Faction, he could simply ask his buddies to purchase it for him.

As if reading Li Yao’s mind, the Quartermaster said with a grin, “Lieutenant, don’t think it’s going to be that easy. To avoid detection by the Ancient Elves, you cannot buy it second-hand. You can only purchase it directly from the Ancient Elves’ store without being detected. Of course, it’s risky and challenging, but the rewards are very generous. We’ll buy it from you at the normal market price, and every set will reward you with 10 military merits and 2% experience points. There’s no penalty for this task, and it isn’t compulsory.”

Li Yao instantly understood. This type of mission was a trick both camps would employ, so he accepted the task without a second thought.

“Idol, I have to help big brother complete an elite task. When that’s done, you must let us join your guild. After all, we’re quite familiar with each other now. You wouldn’t deny us even this tiny favor, right?” The Little Elves teased.

Li Yao chuckled and said, “I’d be more than happy if you join my guild. I’ll add you two right now if you want.”

“Without rules, there’s chaos. Starfire Guild only recruits elite players. If I join now, your credibility might suffer. Plus, people might think that I joined through connections, which could lead to exclusion. So I think I should join the guild after I complete the elite task,” Claw Without Trace politely declined the invitation.

“Alright, remember to DM me when you complete the task,” Li Yao said. He didn’t insist any further and waved the two goodbye.

After tallying the cost of everyone’s equipment, Li Yao tried giving them money, but they refused. They said that they had already benefitted from Li Yao and that it was unfair to split the gear. They refused to accept the money, making Li Yao appreciate their character even more.

The Ancient Elf Command Center in the Dark Grey Valley is a name the Dark Camp uses. Actually, this small city also has its own name: Amrant.

In the Ancient Elf language, it translates to ‘City of Dreams’ in the common language.

Colin Firefeather requested the nature Demigod to create this small demi-plane because his hometown was destroyed by a catastrophe. His plea ensured that Amrant would always be peaceful and harmonious, immune to natural disasters.

Li Yao arrived at a small valley in the middle of the Dark Grey Valley. There was a teleportation gate there.

Players could enter and exit Amrant through the gate, but they wouldn’t learn the actual location of Amrant. This was actually the origin of the previous mission; after all, those inside could shut off the teleportation gate at any time.

There was a small camp in the valley with quite a few guards stationed. Li Yao had already altered his appearance.

Thanks to the Titan Equipment, Li Yao had made minor adjustments to his appearance. He adjusted his physique to be a bit more sturdy, his skin became a bit rougher, and he changed his hair and eye color to brown and silvery moon color respectively. He also added facial patterns popular among Ancient Elves to his face.

This customization was very similar to High Elves. If he tried to disguise himself as another race, there would be too many discrepancies.

However, even after these adjustments, two guards still stopped Li Yao.

“Newcomers wishing to enter Amrant must register and provide proof,” said one of the emotionless Ancient Elf guards. These guards were all Level 60 Silver Elites, and Li Yao even noticed that the leader stationed there was a boss.

“I’m the rescuer of Princess Mario. Here’s my proof.” Li Yao calmly handed over the Flame Emblem.

“The Flame Emblem.” The guard was startled, and even the indifferent leader was drawn to it.

“The aura of the Lord. Who gave this to you?” asked the Major guard seriously.

Li Yao looked baffled and said, “I lost my proof and couldn’t get in. I met an old man outside and helped him with a minor task. He said I was ‘not bad with potential’ and gave me this object. So, is it invalid?”

Even before the other person could answer, Li Yao murmured, “It looks like I was duped. That old man isn’t reliable at all.”

While speaking, Li Yao took back the emblem and, filled with disappointment, began to walk away…