Fatal Shot

As the group discussed the issue highlighted on the forum, a gentle-looking NPC waitress suddenly appeared through the hotel’s communication device, “Mr. Feng. Sorry to disturb you. There’s a gentleman called Old John who is looking for you at the entrance of the platform.”

“Old John? Are you sure?” Feng Luo looked truly and utterly shocked and bewildered. Was Old John not sleeping? Did he really wake up?

The hotel where Feng Luo arranged for Old John to stay was actually managed by the same company that operated the platform; as such, Old John only needed to ask the staff of the hotel to know where he was, and clearly, by the looks of things, he had gone to look for him.

Since Old John came by himself, the reward issue concerning Azure and the others’ mission could be solved directly on the platform.

“Please bring him over here.” Truth be told, Feng Luo was actually quite curious.

How would the penniless Old John reward the players?

…

After a minute, a 1.65m Caucasian old man whose nose had become red due to being a long-term alcoholic walked inside the VIP dining room.

His hair was a mess while he wore a wrinkled and messy outfit. It was clear that it had been a few days since he last shaved as his face was covered with beard stubble.

If it weren’t for the fact that Feng Luo was a VIP guest who reserved the private room, Old John’s appearance would have resulted in him being kicked out of the restaurant as a hobo.

After entering through the door, Old John glanced at the table, and after that, he turned back to the beautiful NPC waitress who opened the door for him and said, “One Lucifer 16, on his tab. Thanks.”

Lucifer 16, worth five million credits, one of the most expensive liquor in the game.

Feng Luo looked slightly shocked, but it wasn’t because Old John ordered such an expensive liquor and that he was the one who was expected to pay; instead, it was that Old John was a person who usually ordered Whiskey in the bar that cost a few dozen credits. It looked like today was definitely an unusual day.

…

Old John was different from before.

By the time Old John sat down beside Feng Luo, the feeling became even more pronounced.

Initially, the feeling Old John gave Feng Luo was that he was always drunk. Every day he opened his muddy eyes, the first thing he would do was head to the bar to drink with his disheveled look. After that, he would drink until he vomited before coming back. He even threw up a few times at the store.

However, Feng Luo never cared about this; after all, this was a person who obviously had a hidden mission waiting for him.

However, the current Old John gave off a very different feeling. Although his appearance was still the same disheveled look, Feng Luo could feel that there was a change.

Even with Feng Luo’s observation skills, he did not seem to be able to detect any change on the Caucasian old man’s body.

“Pant… pant…”

When Feng Luo accidentally saw Old John, he had already eaten everything in front of him as if he was a starving ghost.

He probably had not eaten anything good over the past two days while in the quarantine zone. He should have been starving.

After Old John sat down, Azure and Steel Fortress were actually waiting for Old John to speak first.

However, to their surprise, Old John only cared about stuffing food into his face. For two to three minutes, he kept eating without saying anything, and finally, Azure could not wait anymore and said, “Uhm… Master John, Hi. I’m thinking about…”

Normally, the system would or the NPC would proactively provide the rewards for a system-issued mission. However, Old John did not mention it at all, so she could only take the initiative to ask.

However, before she could finish speaking, Old John spoke as if he was reading their minds. He raised his messy head and asked her directly, “Yeah, speak. What do you need me to create? A healer pistol?”

After that, he turned towards Watermelon Skin and My World and asked, “Also, the two of you. What do you want? A rifle? Or perhaps a power armor?”

My World and Watermelon Skin, who had attracted the gaze of the old man, were shocked. “Are you talking to us?”

Although they accepted the mission to protect Old John, both My World and Watermelon Skin died in the battles before they exited Silvermoon City, meaning that the only people who actually completed the mission were Azure and Steel Fortress.

In a situation like this, both of them should have failed the mission. So, what did Old John mean? Did they also get a reward?

Both players thought about it for a while, and could only come up with one conclusion. “Could it be that this is set as a team mission on default, so as long as some members complete the mission, it is considered completed?”

Old John nodded, and suddenly, his face filled with rice became stern. “Yes, the four of you. I will help each of you create an item. However, I have to highlight one thing. The thing I make for you will not be free. Each of you will be responsible for procuring the materials. Additionally, the item type is limited to guns, ammunition, and power armor.”

“Make an item for each of us… So that’s the reward for this mission.” Upon hearing Old John’s words, the members of My World’s party did not seem all that happy.

After all, Old John told them that they had to collect or procure the materials of the items by themselves. A reward like that seemed to be even worse than getting an item as a reward directly.

However, Azure seemed to have thought about something. She turned around and asked Feng Luo through the player’s comms channel, “Brother Feng, what’s the level of this staff member of yours?”

She remembered how Feng Luo valued Old John, and this meant that Old John was undoubtedly not a normal NPC.

Azure thought in her mind, “If I were to make a guess, he should be a high-level life profession NPC.”

Although the two NPC saleswomen constantly referred to Old John as “Master John,” Azure did not even entertain the thought that Old John was a Master Level NPC. She only thought that it was merely a title.

Theoretically, a high-level life profession NPC could produce Excellent Grade items; if that were the case, the reward was quite decent.

If Old John were an Expert Level NPC, it would mean that each of them would have the chance to obtain a Rare Grade gear.

However, Feng Luo did not bother with her question; instead, he asked Old John with a very surprised expression, “Making an item for each of them, huh? Old John, if they want Legendary Grade equipment, will you be able to oblige?”

Hearing this, the players who were disappointed in their mission reward seemed to not believe what they had heard. “Legendary Grade?”

Could this NPC create Legendary Grade items?

Holy shit! Wasn’t the reward a bit too good? They only protected one NPC, and they would have the chance to get a Legendary Grade item.

“Yes, but take note of an important message. Every item I make will have conditions to the owner and user, I will only make the most suitable item for that individual. In terms of Legendary Grade equipment, only people who have awakened the Force will have a piece of equipment tailored to the attributes of their Force. The reason is that Legendary Grade gears have souls. Only when a Legendary Grade item that has the maximum compatibility with the user will the potential of the equipment not be wasted.” Old John exchanged glances with Feng Luo. His murky eyes no longer had the drunkenness that usually resided within them.

When he said that equipment had “souls,” Old John’s emanated a sense of confidence that was incredibly familiar to Feng Luo, which was a glow that he often saw in Lin’s eyes.