Calamity Messenger-Chapter 113 - 92: Hidden Milestone

"’Initial Zhen San Mountain’ milestone achieved."

"Milestone reward: Beginner’s whetstone has been added to your personal storage."

Early in the morning, Yan Qing started grinding the daily dungeon, the Three Mountain Secret Realm. He could basically clear this dungeon with his eyes closed, even just relying on Jiang Shi and Ye Si, they could finish it in ten minutes. When he finished the second boss, the game screen suddenly notified him of a new achievement.

Yan Qing clicked to check and found it was a hidden milestone.

"Initial Zhen San Mountain: After killing Zhen San Mountain’s Zheng Shan 50 times, you are rewarded with a Beginner’s Whetstone. Upon achieving this milestone, players’ damage to Zheng Shan is reduced by 20%, Zheng Shan’s attacks will deal additional fire damage to the player, and loot drop rate from Zheng Shan is increased by 5%."

"Next level milestone·Renowned Zhen San Mountain: Kill Zheng Shan of Zhen San Mountain 200 times (50/200)."

Huh?

For a moment, Yan Qing found this milestone a bit hard to evaluate. An increase in loot drop by 5% is good, but the reduction in player damage is too much—a full 20% reduction!

As a level designer, he understood the thought process behind designing this milestone: the increase in loot is to enhance the rewards, since players willing to grind this dungeon should get more rewards; the damage reduction is to increase difficulty, adding some challenge so players won’t get bored from repetitive grinding.

If players find it too troublesome and stop grinding, that’s ideal. After all, if players grind one dungeon frequently, apart from it being fun, it’s likely because its rewards far exceed other dungeons. This milestone doesn’t affect ordinary players since they usually only grind a dungeon once or twice a day, but it significantly impacts grinding studios focused on optimal profit dungeons, effectively curbing their influence on the game environment.

Though he understood, Yan Qing was on the player’s side now, naturally hoping for increased dungeon rewards and lower difficulty. Ideally, being able to deal 999999 damage with one click to clear the dungeon and get the rewards would be perfect.

Opening Jiang Shi’s personal storage, Yan Qing discovered the milestone reward Beginner’s Whetstone was actually an immortal item.

"Beginner’s Whetstone"

"Grade: Immortal"

"Effective only on White Iron Straight Saber"

"Cannot be transferred, never wears out, account unique"

"Effect·Sharpening: Restores durability of the White Iron Straight Saber."

"Effect·Flame Pattern: Adds flame pattern to the White Iron Straight Saber, increasing fire damage, with each saber only allowing one flame pattern augmentation."

"Description: It’s said Zheng Shan’s ancestors were renowned Flame Walkers of Flame Mountain, with a reputation far-reaching. However, by Zheng Shan’s generation, only this heirloom whetstone remained. Now that Zheng Shan found out you possess the whetstone, his rage will lead him to attack you with a Fire Saber."

Using the whetstone required finding a place first. The support soldiers were currently raiding Zheng Shan’s house in the Secret Realm, so Yan Qing returned to the barracks to Jiang Shi’s room, where he clicked ’whetstone’ → clicked ’White Iron Straight Saber’ → clicked on an open space.

Then Jiang Shi pulled out a large foot-operated whetstone from his sleeve, placed the White Iron Straight Saber on it, sat on the frame, footpedaled, with the blade against the whetstone. The screen switched to first-person view, popping up a whetstone usage tutorial.

There was even a complementary mini-game.

Yan Qing quickly got the hang of it, and shortly after, the screen displayed "You completed a low-quality sharpening," and a new saber appeared in the scene.

"Flame Patterned Straight Saber"

"Grade: First-Turn Ordinary"

"Durability: 47/47 (due to low-quality sharpening, maximum durability is reduced)"

"Base Attack Power: 2~10 points of slicing damage + 1 point of fire damage"

"Description: A piece of junk made by a trash craftsman using a trash whetstone, ruining the original weapon’s performance."

Yan Qing compared the Flame Patterned Straight Saber and the White Iron Straight Saber and found... indeed the Flame Patterned Straight Saber was worse. The White Iron Straight Saber originally had 3~15 points of base damage, and the Flame Patterned Straight Saber’s total damage was actually lower.

However, since there are low-quality sharpening results, naturally high-quality sharpening is also possible. After sharpening the blade four more times, Yan Qing finally completed a superior sharpening.

"Flame Patterned Straight Saber"

"Grade: First-Turn Ordinary"

"Durability: 60/50 (due to superior sharpening, gained additional durability beyond the max limit)"

"Base Attack Power: 5~15 points of slicing damage (due to superior sharpening, minimum damage increased by 2 points) + 5 points of fire damage"

"Description: A regular saber made by an average craftsman using a trash whetstone."

Yan Qing found this whetstone reward quite worthwhile, not just because of the flame pattern enchantment, but more so because of its durability restoration effect. Restoring item durability is quite troublesome in the game, and he’s already broken quite a few White Iron Straight Sabers.

If a Beginner’s Whetstone can restore durability, add extra durability, and increase minimum damage, then a Famous Brand Whetstone would be phenomenal, right?

The only regret is it can only be used on White Iron Straight Sabers. If it could be used on all weapons... then it certainly wouldn’t be a reward obtained from farming a low-level dungeon 50 times.

Seeing the collection of White Iron Straight Sabers accumulating in his warehouse and then glancing at the Beginner’s Whetstone, Yan Qing’s eyes glimmered with an idea.

...

....

At noon, at the intersection by the Shangxiajiu Archway.

All around were eateries and wine shops, and at noon, the area was bustling. The archway intersection, being a major thoroughfare, was wide enough for four carriages side by side, yet it was packed, with many people watching the blackboard beneath the archway. Every time the numbers on it changed, it sparked their discussion and even disputes.