Four Split Personalities

Game time PM20:32

Xiaoge Ji left the riverside cabin on Millil Avenue with two additional items in her bag.

One of them was a receipt for mission number 15569 from the Anka Market Adventurers’ Branch, a proof that Client Harper Lamczy confirmed the completion of the mission, as they say, surviving a great disaster often brings later blessings. After numerous brushes with death, old man Harper miraculously recovered his sense of taste through a near-death experience wager.

The second item was a shabby, short-handled kitchen knife.

[Harper Lamczy’s Backup Kitchen Knife]

Weapon Category: One-handed

Quality: Unique Epic

Attack Power: Strong

Attributes: Strength +5, Agility +5, Attack Speed +20%, Damage to humanoid +10%, Damage to beasts/demons +50%, Chef Level +3

Trait: Bone Picker, [Eight Flash Knives], ??? (unlocks at Chef Level 40)

Equipment Requirements: Chef Level 30 or higher, original recipes>15

[Note: An old kitchen knife that houses the pride and belief of a top-notch chef.]

...

[Eight Flash Knives]

Active Skill (Equipment)

Cost/Limit: 200 Physical Strength Value

Effect 1: Makes your next normal attack have a 100% critical hit rate, causing eight instances of damage to the target and triggering a 100% probability of bleeding.

Effect 2: When the target is a deceased unit, cuts it into nine equal parts.

[Note: I, will not become just a memory.]

...

This was angrily thrown to her by the wrathful old Tree Elf as he roared and sent Xiaoge walking away, saying "Instead of poisoning your guests with your sinful cooking, why not just chop them dead with one slash?"

Though it sounded somewhat hurtful, especially to a girl passionate about cooking, Xiaoge didn’t really take it as having much malice. Even the negation might not be genuine, for why else would grandpa Harper painstakingly point out her cooking flaws and even demonstrate the correct techniques personally—despite the dazzling moves being hard to remember. His so-called ’guidance’ often sounded no different from scolding, but it was still immensely beneficial to Xiaoge.

Had it not been for just then under Harper Lamczy’s almost hands-on teaching that she still produced fried eggs, perhaps Xiaoge might’ve been kicked out a bit later,

"Hmm, at least the outcome was good..."

Xiaoge looked back at the tightly closed door of the fishing hut, sheepishly stuck out her tongue, and muttered quietly, "But next time I can’t be so careless."

After that, she stretched her graceful body, lifted the goggles hanging around her neck in front of her eyes, and her snow-white wings flapped vigorously behind her, shooting towards the direction of Anka Market like an arrow released from a bowstring, her speed at least twice as fast as it was three months ago.

Enhanced by two Speed Runes and one Anti-Gravity Rune, her already improved physical condition whistled through the air.

...

One hour later

Game time PM21:35

Anka Market, North District

[Ha, such nostalgia~]

Xiaoge Ji casually strolled along the street upon arriving at her destination when her physical strength value was showing red (below 10%), blending into the bustling crowd and relishing in the long-missed liveliness. Even though it was halfway through the Month of Stars and the Innocent Continent’s temperature had already warmed up, rounding into the most comfortable season of the year about half a month ago, there weren’t many places that could be as lively as daytime at this hour.

As one of the largest trade hubs on the Northwest Continent, Anka Market naturally was one of those ’not many places’, although it was already half-past nine in the evening, but the North District avenue where Xiaoge was currently located was still remarkably noisy. Groups of three or five mages coming and going from alchemist shops, adventurers chatting about recent gains in the streets, medium-sized mercenary corps returning in a mighty procession to report to the guild after completing their mission, small merchants setting up stalls with high-powered Voice-Recording Magic Crystals on both sides of the streets, goblin salesmen handing out flyers everywhere, high-end Thieves hastily moving like shadows, low-end Thieves being angrily thrown out of windows, out-of-tune Bards and in-tune Bards and many others, all bustling making this area teeming with vitality.

And this was just the North District, home to various major neutral organizations. Excluding the smaller South District which is predominantly residential and relatively quieter, the East and West Districts, two major commercial areas, are even more lively than here. The crowd density is such that casually throwing a Detonator could blow up a hundred people, with stores open 24/7 occupying over sixty percent of the market share. Facilities like the Great Library, Great Marketplace along with financial institutions under the Gold Coin Commerce Association and the Steam Consortium operate non-stop, underground gambling dens and such are just beginning to see the booming business of the day.

Xiaoge knew all these, during her days staying in Anka Market she had either dragged Ya Ya or been dragged by Ya Ya all over the place.

"It’s so good, suddenly feels like I’m back to civilization~"

Xiaoge stuck out her tongue again, sincerely whispering, having spent the last three months in advanced training on Sky Pillar Mountain, she felt a bit isolated, even though from any perspective, the Seventh Outer Mountain ruled by Luwei was much more ’high-tech’ compared to the outside world. Yet, the place still felt a bit claustrophobic and even the supposedly liveliest First Outer Mountain was not much better, as the outsiders visiting there carried a somewhat ’pilgrimage’ mentality, always feeling somewhat lacking in the breath of life.