The Great Thief

Lu Li decided to find a proper blacksmith to upgrade his equips rather than finding a random one in Darnassus.

If he didn’t utilize the information he had gained from his past life, then what was the point of having a second chance?

Many would question why Lu Li didn’t go to Ironforge where all the blacksmith experts are.

These Dwarf blacksmith experts were too arrogant to waste time on upgrading weapons. They would just sit by the hearth and tell players to upgrade their weapons by themselves while reminding them how much money they owed.

If you dared to ask them whether it was possible to have a 100% success rate, they might jump up from their seats and spit in your face. They would think that you had just insulted the Great God of Forging because only he was capable of a 100% success rate.

Only a god would hold such power!

As such, Lu Li didn’t stay in Darnassus, nor did he go to Ironforge. Instead he teleported to somewhere else – Loch Modan.

Loch Modan was gloomy and cold all year round. The sunlight would barely penetrate the thick fog that covered the land. However, the never-ending rain made this place flourish with a variety of colorful flowers and trees.

Although the warm air from the Eastern seas prevented the lake water from freezing over, the cold air would still bite through your skin every morning and night.

The weather wasn’t ideal for sensitive races such as Humans and Elves, but it was perfect for Dwarves.

The most well-known attraction in Loch Modan was the lake, which was the largest freshwater lake in the world of Azeroth.

With rich wood and rare metals in the mountain ranges, as well as an abundant water source from the lake, this was the perfect place for the Dwarves and Alliance to mine, forge, fish and collect lumber on a large scale.

Lu Li teleported to a town called Thelsamar.

Thelsamar was located on the South Western part of the lake and was known for its blacksmith who created high-quality hand-crafted weapons and armor.

Magistrate Bluntnose maintained the order of the town and ensured the safety of his people.

"Friends from far away, welcome to the campsite of the Dwarves," the young Dwarf with thick black hair greeted Lu Li politely.

Although he looked young compared to the other Dwarves, he was already a couple of hundred years old.

"It’s my honor to visit such a beautiful place. I’m a mercenary; is there anything I can help with?" Lu Li did not state his initial reason for visiting. Although Dwarves were friendly, they weren’t exactly saints either, or the War of the Three Hammer never would have happened.

Upon seeing his expression, Lu Li scratched his head awkwardly and said, "I travel the world to train myself and search for greater power. The road has been filled with hardships, but if I die, I die without regrets...."

No one was better than Lu Li at acting. His passionate words and expression easily moved Bluntnose.

Everyone, including Bluntnose, had dreams of living a life full of dangerous adventures, fighting against Ogres, meeting Dragons, exploring a land of different races, and searching endlessly for power and treasures that the world help.

"Ok, I have something for you to help me with," Magistrate Bluntnose said as he stroked his rough beard then continued, "I was planning on asking you to hunt for some monsters, but based on what you’ve said, it might be too easy for you. As such, I have decided to give you something much more challenging to do, something much more exhilarating – hunting Ogres."

"As you wish sir. And the desired amount and location?" Lu Li talked like a cold-hearted mercenary.

"We’re constantly harassed by Ogres in the North Western part of the lake and it’s giving me lots of worries. We never have the manpower to deal with them, so if you’re willing, please go and deal with every Ogre you come across. When you think you’ve done enough, come back and I’ll reward you handsomely."

How much exactly was "when you think you’ve done enough"? This gave Lu Li a headache.

Since he wasn’t a cute and lovable character like Hachi Chan, he dared not to ask any further.

It was unrealistic for him to be able to clear out all the Ogres in Loch Modan. Unless he summoned the entire guild to the area, there was no way he could kill the Ogres faster than their respawn timer.

He was more afraid of killing too many than killing too little. Either way, it might hinder the progression of the quest series.

After half an hour, he brought back two sets of Ogre Heads.

When he threw them on the ground, Bluntnose counted them and asked in disappointment, "How come there’s only 32? You’re such a lazy young man."

"My elder taught me to be brave, but not reckless. The Ogres were grouping up together which made them difficult to kill. These are the ones that strayed off from the group; I assassinated them quietly. Let me drink some wine and have a good night of rest. I’ll return tomorrow and continue to hunt for them," Lu Li said, as if he was reading from a script.

Lu Li’s excuse managed to ease his discontent and he ordered someone to pack up the Ogre Heads.

However, he denied Lu Li’s reward and said, "These Ogres aren’t actually that much of a threat. On the other hand, if you could kill Chok’sul, I’ll acknowledge your bravery. Chok’sul is the leader of the Ogres who would often harass Thelsamar, Stonewrought Dam and the Digsite. Killing him would be a difficult task as a part of your adventure. It’s quite understandable if you are too afraid to go."

Lu Li wasn’t sure whether Bluntnose was a good guy or plain stupid.

He had tried to challenge Lu Li’s ability of completing the task. Lu Li would never fall for his psychological tricks, but for the sake of the quest series, he pretended to be angry.

Although Chok’sul had a name, he wasn’t actually a boss - he was merely an Elite monster.

Since he was located in the middle of the Ogre camp, it was more difficult to get to him than to actually kill him.

However, for Lu Li, this was a piece of cake. He was confident that he could sneak into any place he wanted to in the entire game.

Without taking much time, he brought back the head of Chok’sul.

The Ogre commander would eventually respawn the next day, so there was no point of killing him except to progress onto the next stage of the quest.

Magistrate Bluntnose was very pleased and almost kissed the head of Chok’sul.

"Nice one, buddy. Your bravery has earned my respect."

"Then, can I ask for my reward?" Lu Li asked.

"About that..." Bluntnose hesitated, then explained with an awkward expression, "We Dwarves would never lie or go back on our word. However, we have lost the key to the storage."

"Everyone makes mistakes once in a while," Lu Li said insincerely.