Inside the ancestral hall, the village head looked quite grim. Just a moment ago, he had discovered an obscure record left by their ancestors.

Indeed, beneath their village, a terrifying Evil Demon was sealed. More importantly, this Evil Demon had left a curse within the bloodline of everyone in their village.

Even if they left South Ridge Village within three days, the curse would still erupt. Mild cases would result in madness, turning them into lunatics, while severe cases would lead to direct death.

Thus, Wang Linchi's identity was indirectly confirmed.

However, Wang Linchi paid no mind to the village head's mood. He held the Bronze Coin Sword, his expression somewhat relaxed.

[Magic Sword · Bronze Coin Sword]

[Type: Quest item]

[Stored in the inventory slot, 50% chance for curse effects from Devil-type enemies to be ineffective; when attacking Devil-type enemies, 50% chance to inflict Silence for 1 second; when attacked by Devil-type enemies, forms a Shield equivalent to current Health lasting 10 seconds]

When facing Devil-type enemies in the Abyss, the God-given World was unstinting with various forms of aid. There was no consideration for balance; the sole focus was on killing the enemy.

Truly, the Evil Demon's curse is detestable.

Wang Linchi naturally understood the nature of the Evil Demon's curse. After being struck by an enemy's Spell, a random negative status effect would manifest every second. With the Bronze Coin Sword, there was now a 50% chance this curse effect wouldn't trigger.

Then there was Silence. This particular Evil Demon was a Spell-casting type, akin to a mobile turret with a high attack frequency and potent Spells. Previous Player teams that had reached this stage were usually wiped out instantly. Even with the Bronze Coin Sword's protection, forming a Shield was contingent on surviving the initial attack.

Wang Linchi didn't have to worry about this. He had Card · Mei, which ensured that the maximum damage he could take from a single hit wouldn't exceed 5% of his Health, unless he faced multiple high-damage attacks simultaneously. Besides, his other Cards and the Four Gentlemen Wine weren't just for show.

The village head, seeing Wang Linchi casually toss the Bronze Coin Sword into the air only for it to vanish before his eyes, cautiously asked, "Esteemed Mage, are you confident in resealing this Evil Demon?"

"The odds aren't great. This is a powerful Evil Demon, and unfortunately, my clan has declined. It seems I'm the only one left who can undertake this." Wang Linchi sighed, then offered some reassurance, "But don't worry. As long as you're willing to cooperate, we will either succeed in sealing this Evil Demon, or I will die here with your entire village."

Of course, his words were a lie. How could he possibly seal an Evil Demon by himself?

Sealing the Evil Demon was actually quite simple: gather some materials and use this Bronze Coin Sword as the core to repair the Sealing Demon Formation.

It was precisely this simplicity that allowed Players to speedrun the instance. Most of the hour-long timeframe was typically spent gathering materials.

"Cooperate? Of course, we'll cooperate! Everyone in our village, men and women, young and old, will cooperate with you, Mage! Please, feel free to make any requests." At this point, how could the village head dare to say otherwise?

"I need a few things. Nothing particularly valuable, just..." Wang Linchi then listed the materials required for the Sealing Demon Formation.

The Sealing Demon Formation was also a quest item, similar to the Bronze Coin Sword, but its materials had to be gathered by the Player. These materials were scattered among the various households. It would be too troublesome for Wang Linchi to collect them all himself; it was far better to have the village head do it.

"Consider this a purchase. Don't say I'm strong-arming you," Wang Linchi said, offering a few gold beans.

One must use both coercion and enticement. Relying solely on intimidation would surely result in half-hearted cooperation.

The village head hadn't expected Wang Linchi to be so generous and quickly accepted them. "Rest assured, Mage, there won't be any complaints."

"Don't celebrate too soon," Wang Linchi sneered, delivering a sobering blow. "If the Evil Demon isn't dealt with, even a mountain of gold would be useless to you. In three days, death is certain."

This made the village head's expression freeze. He then said solemnly, "I understand."

Having received the payment, the village head promptly began knocking on doors throughout the village to request the items. Since Wang Linchi wasn't asking for anything particularly valuable, the village head acquired them with ease.

As for the gold beans? Naturally, they went straight into his own pocket. Distribute them to each household? Unlikely. He believed that although Wang Linchi was young, he was methodical and capable. Resealing the Evil Demon would surely be a straightforward task for him.

The materials were gathered quickly, and the village head delivered them in a pushcart.

Though termed 'materials,' they were actually components of the great formation. Restoring it required manual assembly. Fortunately, there was no shortage of skilled crafters among the Players, and relevant tutorials were available on the forums. Wang Linchi didn't even need to think; he assembled it swiftly.

[Incomplete · Sealing Demon Formation]

[Type: Quest Item]

[Stored in the inventory, all attributes of Devil-type enemies within a ten-meter radius are reduced by 10%]

It was normal for it to be incomplete, as parts of the Sealing Demon Formation were still around the ancestral hall. In fact, the entirety of South Ridge Village constituted a massive Sealing Demon Formation. The components Wang Linchi had obtained were merely for the outer array; the core was still located at the ancestral hall.

To restore it completely, one could either dismantle the core to complete the Incomplete Sealing Demon Formation he possessed, turning it into a complete quest item and thereby allowing the Evil Demon to emerge. The alternative was to integrate his incomplete formation and the Bronze Coin Sword into the existing Sealing Demon Formation at the ancestral hall, achieving a 'pseudo-clearance.'

Wang Linchi definitely intended to choose the former option, but not immediately. He still wanted to scavenge for more.

The instance contained more than just the Bronze Coin Sword and Sealing Demon Formation quest items; there was also the legacy left by the Mage who had originally sealed and suppressed the Evil Demon. This legacy was also a quest item. Unfortunately, it wasn't located in South Ridge Village but in the mountains outside.

One Player had found it, but regrettably, they hadn't disclosed its location nor obtained it completely. However, it was by relying on the quest item formed from this partial legacy that their team had managed to survive until the second phase of the Evil Demon BOSS. Players not focused on speedruns wouldn't limit their exploration to South Ridge Village; they would also search for clues in the surrounding areas.

"Do you think these materials are sufficient, Mage? If not, I can go gather more for you," the village head said, his tone somewhat fawning.

"For now, these are enough, but many more are still missing. Those items aren't in your village. Your ancestors, through certain methods, secured them within the mountains to act as anchors for a technique that suppressed the earth's ley lines," Wang Linchi bluffed smoothly.

The village head grew a bit nervous, afraid Wang Linchi would take the items and flee. Since Wang Linchi wasn't from their village, he naturally wasn't afflicted by the curse. Therefore, if he truly decided to leave, they would have no way to stop him.

"The mountains are dangerous. Perhaps I should have some of our village's experienced Hunters guide you, and assign a few strong young men to assist?" the village head suggested, secretly planning to have them monitor Wang Linchi. When their own lives were at stake, caution was paramount. As for the propriety of such actions—if Wang Linchi left, they would all die. They could worry about whether their actions were 'unscrupulous' later.

Wang Linchi nodded. "No problem, I could use the extra hands. However, we need an understanding beforehand. The mountains are perilous. Furthermore, your ancestors used small Evil Demons as living sacrifices for those anchors. I'm not sure if those Evil Demons are still alive or truly dead. If they reanimate, we can only say that life and death are preordained."

Securing that Mage's legacy wouldn't be easy; there would be monsters to fight. Otherwise, how could that Player have only obtained an incomplete quest item from the legacy?

"This... if it's dangerous, then perhaps..." The village head hesitated. He had initially assumed it was a simple matter of going into the mountains to retrieve some items. He hadn't expected small Evil Demons to be involved, let alone used as living sacrifices by a Mage. Are all Mages this ruthless?

"You can choose not to go," Wang Linchi stated calmly. "However, if we face the Evil Demon then, I'll only have a thirty percent chance of successfully sealing it."

He wasn't just going for the quest item; he also needed to level up. The small Evil Demons were all level 15 Elite Monsters, and they gave a high amount of Experience Value. Defeating them could easily get him to level 15.

"So low?" The village head was shocked. Finally, he gritted his teeth. "Alright, I'll arrange for people to assist you immediately."

"Actually, if you trust me, I can go alone. But since you're willing to send people, I'll have more helpers," Wang Linchi stated plainly. He, of course, preferred to have company. Firstly, he'd have guides and wouldn't have to worry about getting lost. Secondly, they could serve as cannon fodder and human shields; he naturally wouldn't refuse such an offer.

This made the village head feel somewhat awkward.

"You're overthinking it, Mage," the village head said, instantly regaining his composure and offering a noble-sounding excuse, as he certainly couldn't admit to his suspicions. "The survival of our village is at stake; I was merely thinking of how best to assist you."

"You're right, I misunderstood," Wang Linchi replied, not pressing the issue or trying to force an admission. There was no point in causing an open rift. He still needed the villagers' help, so maintaining superficial courtesy and respect was necessary.

If he could gain tangible benefits through superficial pleasantries and verbal concessions, Wang Linchi wouldn't care about something as trivial as 'face.'