Alone and Infinite.

Chapter 36: Choosing a Faction (Please continue reading)

Changhu Town is much more lively than I imagined, and it's a very interesting town.

It was built entirely on the water, with thick wooden piles driven into the water and thick wooden planks attached to them as a foundation.

A waterway runs through the middle, connected by a high wooden arch bridge, and the houses are scattered around it in a staggered manner.

Most of them are made of wood, and because they are constantly on the water, the walls are stained with a unique color by the water vapor.

Li Xia let the woman carrying the basket pass by, then squatted down to pet the two small dogs that kept wagging their tails. They looked very similar to the Portuguese water dogs that he was familiar with.

Perhaps they are simply the same species.

He wanted to see more, but rest was obviously more important now, so he followed the waterway along the small map and arrived at a tavern.

The door had barely been pushed open a crack when a strong, mixed odor rushed out.

It was a unique flavor that blended the rich aroma of malt liquor, the smoky fragrance of grilled fish, and the fishy smell of the fishermen.

Li Xia paused, her breathing technique naturally switching to continuous life, lowering her breathing frequency, which was simply too intense!
You have arrived at the Long Lake Town Tavern.

Perhaps because it was built on the water, the tavern was quite small, consisting of only a few rough wooden tables and benches.

The bar area was packed with people. Li Xia ordered food at the bar first, then found an empty table to sit down.

A moment later, the plump waitress was seen shouting and pushing aside the people blocking her way. She walked up to Li Xia, gave a stiff smile, and put down her plate.

"Slow use."

There was a lot of food: a golden-brown roasted fish, a brick-sized loaf of black bread, a mushy stew, a whole sausage, half a piece of smoked meat, and a glass of cider.

The taste was alright, or maybe I was just hungry.

After a full meal, a strong sense of drowsiness would set in. In those days, taverns usually also served as inns.

After getting a brass key from the fat waiter, I went upstairs and found my room.

To Li Xia's surprise, the room was very warm and comfortable—few pieces of oak furniture, and the fire in the fireplace crackling loudly.

The floor was shiny and clearly well-maintained, and the bedding was very clean.

Upon seeing the bed, Li Xia could no longer suppress her drowsiness. The exhaustion from staying up all day and night overwhelmed her, and she could fall asleep almost instantly.

The room was filled with the long, drawn-out breaths characteristic of breathing.

This is the power of skill-based abilities; they can be improved even while sleeping.

The next morning, Li Xia ate breakfast feeling refreshed while checking the mission records.

This task was updated while Li Xia was asleep.

Main Quest: Choice

[Mission Objective: Join one of the factions as soon as possible]

[Task period: 1 days]

[Available factions: Dwarves, Humans, Elves, Orks (and Wolves)]

Joining a faction unlocks faction quests and earns contribution points.

Li Xia frowned and thought carefully for a while, but suddenly realized the advantages of arriving in Changhu Town earlier.

The sooner you arrive at your destination, the sooner you can join a faction, and you can use the extra time to do faction quests.

As for which faction to choose.
That's certainly a problem. In the movie, the dwarves and elves are the most powerful and are the main force in the war. The Orks and wargs are considered two separate armies, and they have the largest numbers. Theoretically, the stronger the faction, the greater the benefits they will gain on the battlefield.

Just as they were hesitating, the tavern doorbell rang. The three men pushed open the door and entered, muttering complaints under their breath.

"Those dwarves are completely unreasonable. Who the hell said dwarves are simple and don't care about money?"

"The elves aren't good people either. Let's eat something first, we're starving."

Li Xia's eyes lit up. Weren't these the three bandits he encountered in the dense forest?
He ran away while he was fighting Oak, even though he had originally planned to sign a 'friendly' agreement with them.

Just as the three of them finished ordering their food and started looking for seats, the moment their eyes met Li Xia's, they shuddered and turned to leave.

By the time he remembered that this was an absolutely safe zone, he had already turned halfway around, and then awkwardly turned back.

"Arthur, he... he's waving at us, what should we do? Should we go?"

Arthur gritted his teeth: "Go! We haven't done anything, and besides, this is a safe zone, what's there to be afraid of!"

The three of them made up their minds and sat down in front of Li Xia. Arthur, trying to appear calm, greeted him.
"Good morning, Master."

Li Xia nodded and asked directly, "I need to ask you about something."

"Why are we—" Arthur instinctively blurted out, but was stopped by another companion before he could finish.

“Brother, I am Robin Hood, and my friend here—” Robin Hood pointed to his head and nodded: “This place isn’t very nice, so please don’t mind.”

"Don't hesitate to ask, expert. I'll answer to the best of my knowledge."

Hmm? This is surprisingly cooperative. Li Xia tapped her index finger on the table and slowly asked:

"Could you please provide me with a copy of your materials?"

Robin Hood shook his head with a wry smile: "I'm sorry, this information has special settings that prevent it from being transferred or copied. Moreover, the content is extremely vast, covering almost every aspect of the geography, culture, and customs of 20 worlds, so I can't narrate much of it."

It's probably to prevent middlemen, which makes sense. Li Xia just asked casually and didn't have much hope.

Now comes the real question: "Is there any information about this faction mission in the data?"

Robin Hood hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, but because the missions triggered each time the trial world opens are random, the missions related to the Battle of the Five Armies are rarely mentioned."

He retrieved the magnetic drawing board and pen from his personal space and began to explain them in detail:
"The information says that if the main quest is the Battle of the Five Armies, there is a high probability that a quest to choose a faction will be triggered."

Each faction also has unique rewards and features.

For example, the unique feature of the Orc Legion is that you can exchange faction reputation points for dire wolf cubs, which can be ridden and have some combat power, making them quite useful pets in the early game.

The dwarf faction can exchange for unique weapons and armor, which are all high-quality and highly sought after.

The special exchange items for the Elf faction are bow and arrow related items, such as bows and arrows or archery skills.

At this point, Robin Hood shut his mouth and gestured for the fat waiter to bring him a glass of cider.

As for the final human camp

Robin Hood took a sip of his drink: "Well, how should I put it? Quite weak!"

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1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote

This cold is quite strange; it just has a slight sore throat and dizziness, nothing else, but the dizziness is really bad.
(End of this chapter)