Chapter 1182: The First Stage of Tina's Quest Ends
Chapter 1182: The First Stage of Tina's Quest Ends
A second after receiving the game notification, Su Yu received another one:
"Ding! Congratulations on obtaining an Experience Crystal. Item details can be viewed in your inventory."
Opening his inventory, Su Yu found an additional slot filled with an Experience Crystal.
The crystal was a transparent stone, no larger than a grain of sand when materialized.
Experience Crystal (Special Item)
Current Stored Experience Points: 324.
Description: Once your level reaches the version cap, any additional experience points will be stored in this crystal. When the next expansion is released, you can use these points directly.
This was the first time Su Yu had heard of an Experience Crystal. In his previous life, only a handful of players had reached the level cap in the first and second expansions, and none had done so in the third and subsequent expansions. Thus, the Experience Crystal remained a mystery to most, including Su Yu.
As players completed their quests, the Experience Crystal's points accumulated, and the transparent stone in Su Yu's hand grew larger. By the end, the number of experience points stored in the crystal reached 16,234, and the stone had expanded to the size of an apple.
Su Yu tossed the transparent "apple" in his hand and had a strange thought: "If I keep accumulating experience points in this version, will I eventually form a crystal the size of a small mountain? Could I use it to smash people?"
But the idea was silly, and Su Yu quickly dismissed it.
With the final battle over, the players returned to the city, boasting about their new gear to their friends. Tina and the majority of the unicorn knights escorted the captured loot, bandit prisoners, and the corpse of the bandit leader, Rayk, back to Orlan City. Su Yu, along with about 50 remaining unicorn knights, stayed behind at the bandit camp to handle the aftermath.
The Red Spine Mountain Bandit Camp had been operating for three years, and the camp was not just filled with bandits but also a large number of elderly, women, children, craftsmen, and captured slaves.
The unicorn knights herded these people to the square at the camp's entrance. Su Yu and his secretary, the Winged Divine Dragon, roughly counted around two to three thousand people.
If these people were left here, the craftsmen might survive, but the majority would be captured by the city lord and turned into slaves.
Out of compassion for these NPCs (and not just to secure free labor), Su Yu decided to give them a chance at a better life.
Standing in the center of the camp's clearing, Su Yu addressed the crowd of NPCs:
"Everyone, I am the Bane... (omitted 300 words)... Now that the unicorn knights have eliminated the bandits, you are free!"
At Su Yu's words, many of the people shed tears of joy:
"Thank you, brave knights!"
"Three years! Do you know what I've been through these past three years?"
"Finally, I can go home, w-w-w..."
These were craftsmen like carpenters and stonemasons, who had been forced to work for the bandits without a single Psychic Coin in payment. Now they could finally return home, and they expressed their gratitude by bowing deeply to the unicorn knights and Su Yu.
However, there were also many people who looked fearful or even hopeless.
These were the families of the bandits, mostly elderly, women, and children. According to imperial law, they would be enslaved and worked to death. Su Yu's promise of freedom clearly did not include them.
Seeing the expressions on their faces, Su Yu raised his voice:
"As for those of you related to the bandits, by imperial law, you should be enslaved."
But the Knight of the Unicorn has always upheld the principles of justice, fairness, and compassion for the weak. "Come to my land and become free citizens. I can't promise you much, but I can guarantee you won't go hungry or freeze to death."
After hearing Su Yu's generous offer, many of the elderly, women, and children present lit up with excitement, exclaiming, "We are willing to follow you to your land, my lord!"
At this critical juncture, becoming free citizens and ensuring they wouldn't starve or freeze was the greatest fortune they could hope for. What more could they ask for?
Seeing their understanding, Su Yu nodded and turned to the Winged Dragon, instructing, "Wing, have the Knights help you escort these people back to the land."
"Understood, President... But can these people be counted as residents of the land?"
"They can't be counted as residents, the game doesn't allow such loopholes. However, if they settle in the land long-term, their children will count as residents. Also, there's a high ratio of women among these people, which will help balance the demographic of future migrants, increasing the proportion of young and able-bodied men."
"Understood, I'll take good care of them."
"Good."
Su Yu walked over to the 50 Unicorn Knights, approaching their captain, Felicia, and handed her a pouch filled with Psychic Coins. "Captain Felicia, I leave these refugees in your capable hands!"
Felicia accepted the pouch, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Leave it to me, Lord Bane."
The NPC refugees were then handed over to the Winged Dragon for processing, while Su Yu mounted his horse and returned to Olran City.
At that moment, Olran City was holding a grand victory parade.
Tina had bound Lek's corpse to a cross and was parading the captured bandits through the streets.
When the citizens of Olran City heard that the notorious bandits from Red Spine Mountain had been eliminated, they flocked to the parade to witness the spectacle.
Seeing Lek's lifeless body, the entire city erupted in jubilation! The people spontaneously sang praises of Tina's heroic deeds.
Of course, there were those who were dissatisfied, such as the city's major nobles and merchants. Tina's elimination of the bandits had inadvertently cut off many of their lucrative business ventures.
However, with the backing of the Guardian, Tina was untouchable. Even the City Lord, Claude, personally appeared to award Tina the "Olran Cross Medal."
In the central square of Olran City, Claude presented the medal to Tina, praising her:
"Tina, on behalf of all the citizens, I extend my highest respect to you. You are the pride of Olran City, and all the people will be proud of your actions!"
Claude's expression was calm, as if the fact that Tina had killed his uncle was of no consequence.
"Thank you, my lord!" Tina's face was equally calm as she bowed to accept the medal.
As Tina received the medal, a loud cheer erupted from the crowd. Everyone applauded her heroic deeds.
Standing at the edge of the crowd, Su Yu witnessed Tina's medal ceremony.
Amidst the cheering, he received a game notification:
"Main Quest: [Olran City's Saintess (16-25)]"
"Objective 1: Alleviate Tina's anxiety and help her regain her confidence. (Progress: 100%)"
"Objective 2: Gain the recognition of 80% of the Unicorn Knights. (Current recognition: 95%)"
"Objective 3: Gain the recognition of over 60% of Olran City's residents. (Current recognition: 97%)"
"All objectives completed!"
"First stage of the main quest [Olran City's Saintess] completed. The next stage will begin on June 15th. Stay tuned!"
(End of Chapter)
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