A tense few minutes later… Kaden once again stared at a forest full of corpses. The previous corpses had only barely disappeared, the blood stains yet to fully vanish but once more the peaceful tranquil area was marred with the remnants of the one-sided massacre.

"What the heck just happened?" Kaden mused as he went about looting the bodies yet again. Why would they attack again after just having suffered such a big loss? He did not understand. Huuuu…. Letting out a sigh, he sat down near his pile of gathered loot, adding the new additions to the heap. Not that he minded these stupid attacks. They were only making him richer and richer. But it still bugged him a little. Why did they attack him? It just did not make sense.

And these were the top players, cream of the crop. Not just any idiots. Why waste time and items into such a useless endeavor? Kaden refused to believe that they had so much ego that they did not want to admit defeat and let go of the minor event. Sure, someone shouted something in the middle of the battle. Perhaps if he had listened to that guy, he could have gleaned some detail but it was just not worth the risk. It could have been something important or it could have been a trap. He doubted it was the former. So he did not regret his actions. When there were so many people, negotiations would not remain as simple negotiations for long.

Also it was not like he was planning to stay here and farm kills for the entirety of the game. They also knew this. In fact, if they had just waited for some more minutes before arriving here, he would have already left for the capital city. Hmmm… As Kaden pondered the motives behind the repeated attacks, he meticulously sorted through the loot, organizing it into separate piles. His mind churned with possibilities, trying to unravel the mystery of why the players would continue to come after him, knowing the odds were stacked against them. He also patiently waited, biding his time to see if they would once again return to this location.

However, minutes ticked by and this time no one showed up. "Ho Ho. They learned their lesson?" Kaden picked his nose in boredom. He waited for a few more minutes before getting up to leave when his eyes fell on all the loot piled up. That's right! He still had the headache of figuring this out. But suddenly something clicked in his mind and he stared at the loot pile with his mouth slightly open. Was this the reason the group had returned? Perhaps there was something in the loot that was extremely valuable?

Kaden clicked his tongue. This seemed possible. This seemed definitely possible. Without wasting another second, once again he dove into the loot and started looking for something that he could have missed or overlooked by chance. The meat, hides and the stone monkey's rocky scales were all perfectly arranged and there was nothing strange there. "Hmmm… if there is anything, it should be in here."

Kaden's gaze shifted to the pile of items. He carefully sifted through the pile of items, his hands rummaging through the various equipment, and trinkets. He examined each item with renewed curiosity, searching for any clue or indication of something extraordinary hidden amidst the loot. Not long after, his fingers brushed against a small, unassuming pendant tucked beneath a piece of armor. As he pulled it out, a strange glint flashed across his eyes.

"This could be it," Kaden murmured to himself, his excitement building. He held the pendant up to the light, examining it carefully. The pendant looked dull and rusted but there was something about it that made it stand out. When he looked closer, there were some faded engravings. Also, the center part of the pendant seemed to be unusually empty. He tried to inspect it but no details came up. There was no doubt that this was no ordinary item, but what was its significance?

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Maybe I should take it to an appraisal store?" Kaden wondered as his mind raced with various possibilities. He twiddled with the trinket absent-mindedly and put it around his neck on a whim to check if something worked then and suddenly a screen flashed in front of him.

Ding!

"A quest?" Kaden hurriedly browsed the quest details.

Quest Description: Gerald, an elderly man residing in a nearby village, seeks the aid of a brave adventurer to retrieve a precious family heirloom that has been lost in the treacherous forest. The heirloom in question is a pendant of great sentimental value, and it belongs to Gerald's granddaughter, Thalia. She is devastated by its loss and longs for its safe return. Thalia recalls wearing the pendant when she last ventured into the territory of the feral wolves.

Grade: Uncommon

Difficulty: D Rank

Reward: Gerald and Thalia's goodwill

"Huh? Just a D Rank quest?" Kaden knitted his brows. "Then why did he chase after me?" He also did not remember any particular big quests relating to a pendant from his last life. He assumed that maybe the guy put a lot of effort to farm the feral wolves and find the pendant. It would then make sense to not want to lose the pendant. But something still did not sit well with him. He looked at the details again and this time his eyes lingered on the reward. "No experience points or items or coins? Could this be a chain quest?"

This made more sense. Chain quests usually tended to go higher in rank with every quest. So if this was the second or third quest in the chain, the first two quests could have been F Rank and E Rank, and the next two quests could be C Rank and B Rank. "No wonder he did not want to let go of the pendant and kept coming back." Kaden mused. He was about to remove the pendant and toss it into the inventory when suddenly he froze.

"Wait a second. Thalia… Thalia… Thalia? Why does that name sound familiar?" Kaden did not know why but the name clicked in his mind and he felt as if he had heard it somewhere. "Fuck!" It then struck his mind. Thalia! That was the same name as the follower of a player! Not just any player but the third top ranker in the entire game! This couldn't possibly be the same person right?

Kaden swallowed nervously. No, the chances were slim but still, this was a huge coincidence for both names to be the same. He had to see where this quest goes. If he remembered correctly, the third top ranker had a hidden class called the moonlight druid. He was also the first-ranked alchemist, thanks to the special buff of that hidden class. And this Thalia was the bespectacled assistant of that man. However, that term did not do any justice to her. Kaden had personally seen how that woman fights. She was more skilled than half of the players in the rankers list.

Not to mention… she was a bombshell! Even with her slim figure, the woman had absolutely delicious thick thighs and wore long sexy stockings that barely covered them. Now Kaden was not a thigh man but this was an exception. Her weapon of choice was also a whip making everything just more perfect.

Brrrr. Kaden shook his head. Enough of that. There was no point in building castles in his mind now. The two Thalias might not be the same as far as he knew! He needed to see where the quest goes to figure out more details. No, if he could just meet her in person, he would immediately know if they were one and the same person. For that, he needed to start moving. Without wasting any more time, he quickly picked up a few bags, loaded some bags on Scrap and Umbra and the three of them were ready to leave.

The poor abyss creatures both looked pitiful as they chugged along behind Kaden. Luckily for them, the hiding spot Kaden had in mind was not that far away. It was a small cave hidden behind several trees, intertwined with each other. Also, it was smack dab in the middle of the stone monkeys territory so not many players would dare to step in here just yet. After a short journey, they reached the hidden cave. It was nestled in a dense thicket, the entrance partially obscured by thick foliage. Kaden surveyed the area, ensuring it was secure before leading Scrap and Umbra inside.

The cave was spacious enough to accommodate all of their luggage. Kaden set his bags down and stretched his limbs. Now that this was taken care of it was finally time to visit the capital city of the kingdom and get that mask. Only then the real work would begin.