“Well, isn’t that very rude?” Thorian retorted while walking toward the surprised elf. “I must have you know that we’re distinguished and civilized gentlemen.”
Thorian turned back toward the rest of the kobloids who were looking around the room in awe. On the other hand, the kobold's focus was dead-centered on the elven woman, with narrowed eyes and furrowed brows.
“She is not an enemy, kobold,” Thorian smiled before looking back at the still-shocked woman. “In fact, she should help us a lot.”
The slender elven woman furrowed her eyebrows at Thorian before her eyes suddenly widened, “Ar-Are you the lord of this village?”
“Yes, I am,” he bowed slightly. “Thorian, lord of the Wolvendale village.”
“A kobloid is a village lord…” The elf’s pupils dilated and her mouth hung slightly open. Noticing the rudeness of her reaction, she shook her head and bowed, “I am terribly sorry, lord Thorian. It is the first time I have ever seen a monster claim a territory.”
Just as the elf finished her sentence, a thunderous rumbling shook the room along with an earthquake that threw them off balance. The tables and chairs fell, and so did the kobloids and the elf. Fortunately, the building was not damaged by the seismic event, and no one was truly hurt.
“Monsters of a thousand worlds!” A deep and ancient voice shouted within Thorian’s ears, making him instinctively plug his earholes. “Roam the earth; devour, evolve, and conquer!”
Wait, the words are a bit different… Is that what the monsters heard on the day of the apocalypse?
Just as Thorian’s thoughts finished, a screen appeared in front of his eyes.
Monster Quest Unlocked
Milestones Rewards Kill (0/50 humans) Level +1 Kill (0/100 humans) Previous rewards and an E-tier skill Kill (0/250 humans) Previous rewards and Level +2 Kill (0/500 humans) Previous rewards and a rare variant in the next evolution
Time Left 47:59:56
Reading through the screen in front of him, Thorian’s mind blanked for a second. He looked back at the kobloids behind him only to find them also staring blankly at a point in front of them.
“Do you see the monster quest?” Thorian couldn’t help but ask.
“Human kill, reward many,” Nox nodded and responded.
The kobold, on the other hand, cackled and laughed manically, “Me kill human many! Me strong become!”
The rest of the kobloids joined him in screaming and cheering. Seeing the reaction of his subjects, Thorian looked down at the wooden floor with a turbulent mind.
So the gods are telling me to reject any lingering sense of humanity I have left… I see, I will play your game then.
Thorian clenched his teeth and stood up with a renewed resolve. He shifted his attention back to the elf who was disturbed by the ruckus happening around her.
“This place gives quests, right?”
The elf looked at Thorian and nodded, “As the lord of the village, you can receive the available quests right now.” She then looked at the rest of the kobloids and wryly smiled, “As for them, they will need to register as citizens first.”
Thorian nodded at the elf’s explanation, “I see, show me the quests first.”
He, of course, already knew where to find the quests, but Thorian did not want to put his future knowledge on full display for all to see. He still needed to ask questions that were expected of him.
“Of course, my lord,” The elf lightly bowed before pointing to the side. “You can simply take whichever ones you want from the bulletin board and give them to me to register with the system.”
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Thorian nodded and walked toward the bulletin board while the kobloids looked at him in confusion, not knowing what to do. Looking around at the board, Thorian could see the normal daily quests for monster subjugation and material gathering. Each of them gave a certain amount of experience and arcane coins. However, Thorian was not interested in the daily quests; he wanted the rare and unique ones that only appeared in specific periods or when certain events happened.
Found you.
Thorian took out a quest from the bulletin board and looked at it more closely.
Pact with the Wolven Guardians Description The dire wolves that roam the Shelderwood Forests are known to be intelligent and fiercely protective. Legend speaks of a unique bond that can be formed between the village and these Wolven Guardians, granting both parties mutual protection and cooperation. The quest involves venturing into the heart of the forests, finding the dire wolf pack's alpha, and establishing a bond of trust and respect between the village and the wolves. Quest Objective
Enter the Shelderwood Forests and locate the dire wolf pack's territory.
Approach the wolf pack cautiously, demonstrating peaceful intentions and respect for their territory.
Earn the trust of the alpha wolf and establish a pact of mutual protection and cooperation between the village and the Wolven Guardians.
Rewards
Wolven Guardians' Loyalty: The wolves pledge their loyalty to the village, serving as additional protectors and patrolling the outskirts to alert the villagers of any potential threats.
Wolven Communication: Villagers gain the ability to communicate with the wolves on a basic level, allowing for cooperation in hunting, scouting, and defense.
Wolf Totem: A totem representing the pact with the Wolven Guardians is erected in the village, granting a passive bonus to the village's defense and fostering a sense of unity between the village and its newfound allies.
Seeing the rewards of the quest, Thorian couldn’t help but chuckle, No experience or arcane coin, but the rewards are beyond worth the trouble.
Thorian grabbed the Wolven guardian quest along with the daily ones and presented them to the elf at her desk. After a quick look, she took out a golden stamp from under her desk along with a container of beeswax and stamped the quests. With each stamp, the paper on which the quest was written would disappear and reappear once again on the bulletin board. Naturally, only the Wolven Guardian quest did not reappear after being stamped.
After stamping the last quest, the elf smiled and looked back at Thorian, “All of the quests have been registered, Lord Thorian. You can see them by thinking the command: Show Journal.”
Thorian nodded before voicing the command in his mind, and a colorful screen quickly appeared in front of him, showing the quests he had accepted.
Journal Slay 10 monsters Daily Cast a spell 20 times Daily Cultivate your Qi for two hours Daily Gather 100 Wood Units Daily Clear one dungeon Daily Pact with the Wolven Guardians Unique
Seeing the quests he had accepted in his journal, Thorian looked back at the elf and asked with interest, “What’s your name, miss elf?”
The elven woman raised an eyebrow before answering, “My name is Melina, my lord. It is my pleasure to serve you.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Thorian responded before looking back at the kobloids who were waiting for him to finish with impatience. “Can you please help my subjects become official citizens?”
“Of course,” Melina nodded. “Please have your subjects form a line and I will begin the procedure right away.”
“You heard her, everyone,” Thorian raised his voice to catch the kobloid’s attention. “Form a line in front of Melina to become official citizens of the Wolvendale village. This is our first step toward total conquest.”
The kobold grinned at the word “conquest” and was the first to walk forward. Nox followed right after him, and the kobloids soon formed a line in front of Melina’s desk. Seeing such a large number of monsters following orders and organizing themselves, the elf’s eyes and mouth were wide open.
“You can start the procedure.”
Hearing Thorian’s reminder, Melina shook her head and took a stack of parchments from under her desk. She then twisted the wooden handle before separating it from the piece of metal underneath. The wooden handle had a small needle poking out from its bottom.
“Prick your thumb with this needle and then press it on this part of the paper,” Melina explained while looking cautiously at the large kobold towering over her.
The kobold nodded and did as told. He pricked his thumb with the stamp handle before pressing his thumb on an empty part of the paper at the bottom. After a few seconds, the paper disintegrated into golden specks of light that surrounded the kobold and melted through his fur and skin.
“Huh, what happened? What are these things?”
Thorian looked at the kobold with a raised eyebrow, not daring to trust his own ears.
Did I just mishear him talk?