Silver Blade thanked Bleary Mirage for his help before leaving. The crowd finally reacted.
“Merchant, merchant, why are you giving her a quest?!”
“Here, I can help you!”
“Me, me! Pick me!”
Liam smiled as he continued on his way. He passed the crowd arriving behind the merchant’s house. A low wooden fence encircled a small backyard.
Liam looked left and right, making sure that no NPC was watching. What he was about to do would be considered a crime by the NPCs, most likely resulting in a small fine.
After a moment Liam felt assured. He grabbed the fence, bent his knees and hopped over it.
The backyard couldn’t be called orderly. Liam took a quick look as he found his target, an old-looking wooden box.
He removed the few tools placed on it before opening the lid. Since this box could be considered a special item, nothing could be seen inside but darkness.
Liam didn’t hesitate to put his hand in.
A short loading bar appeared.
[Search in progress: 5s]
Liam looked somewhat stupid as he waited for five seconds.
[Search successful:]
[Retrieved item: Moldy apple]
Liam shook his head as he took his hand back, looking at the item in his hand.
[Moldy apple
Category: Trash
Effect: Deals 2+5%(HP) poison damage per second when eaten. Lasts for three seconds. Can’t exceed 30HP.
What did you expect?]
Smiling slightly, Liam put the apple in his inventory. Although it was of trash category, at this point in the game it still was able to take more than half of Liam’s HP.
However, naturally he didn’t come here for a moldy apple. Thus, Liam continued to fish in the box.
He rolled his eyes as he received three more apples. But finally, the item he was searching for appeared.
[Massage in a bottle
Category: Quest
A mysterious bottle Zeygnar fished out of the ocean. The merchant never cared to read the message it contained.
Is it right to open it?]
“Got it.”
Liam knew what the bottle contained but to start the quest he had to open it. Without hesitation he pulled out the letter and read it.
“Gabe! How are you doing, old friend? Still not leaving that old home of yours?
Personally, I’m living a great life! I enjoy the sun every day and fish the biggest fish. I tell you, you have never seen such massive fish!
Anyways, why don’t you come visit me sometimes?
Wishing you all the best!
Your Sentrav!”
Liam didn’t read the prompt, directly accepting the quest.
[
Locate Gabe and bring him the letter from his old friend Sentrav.
Hint: Some of the older people might know Gabe.]
The prompt quickly disappeared again. Liam knew that it was accessible in a player’s journal, but naturally this was unnecessary for him. He remembered where Gabe lived.
Stolen novel; please report.
This questline was quite popular in his old life. Thus, many tricks have also been figured out. For example, that Zeygnar was not only holding on to a single bottle.
Liam smiled as he continued rummaging through the box.
After three attempts he retrieved another bottle. However, it was not necessary for the quest to read it.
Thus, Liam put it away and continued.
But suddenly his ears twitched, the sound of footsteps reaching him.
What’s going on? It comes from within the house! But Zeygnar is always managing his stall, why would he leave?
Liam was surprised. But luckily, he always kept basic vigilance. He fished out another moldy apple before closing the box and jumping over the fence.
A moment later Zeygnar stuck his head out of the back door. Suspicious eyes scanned around before finding the tools lying on the floor.
“A thief?! How dare you! Come out!”
Liam stood outside the fence with a frown on his face. Such a situation never happened in his past life.
Finally, Zeygnar murmured something and returned. Liam checked the front to make sure the merchant was back at work before jumping over the fence again.
But just as he reached the box, footsteps sounded out.
What?!
Liam gritted his teeth as he was forced to leave the backyard again.
The play repeated once more before Liam came to a conclusion.
The quest changed…
It has become more difficult to get the third bottle.
Liam was confused but he also found it interesting. He joined the crowd of players at the front as he pondered what to do.
Although the quest could be continued with only two bottles, Liam didn’t want to do so.
On one hand the quest line would be shortened and on the other it would grant less rewards. But most importantly it was interesting to figure out a way to get his hands on the third bottle.
While Liam was thinking, the crowd around him vented their annoyance:
“What’s up with this merchant?”
“First he only sells trash and now he disappeared all the time.”
“Is this a bug?”
“It might be a quest.”
“I heard a few people managed to get a quest from him.”
As he listened, an idea came to Liam’s mind. But right then…
[Cyclone wants to be your friend.]
Liam stared at the prompt which had just appeared.
Cyclone? Never heard of them. Was it a mistake?
Liam scanned the crowd for anyone with this name but didn’t spot a player called Cyclone.
Still, he accepted with a shrug, immediately receiving a message:
[Cyclone: Hi! I’m Silver Blade’s bestest friend. Are you that expert?]
[Bleary Mirage: Hey! Well, this might be me.]
[Cyclone: Great! Listen, my friend is too embarrassed to ask for help so I’m doing it. Do you have some time? :-)]
[Bleary Mirage: Because of the quest? Great!]
[Cyclone: Yo yo yo, this sounded a bit too enthusiastic. You can’t be having any ideas about my friend, right?]
[Bleary Mirage: Don’t worry. I could just need your help as well.]
[Cyclone: Oh? The great expert needs our help? What an honor. Should we meet at the eastern gate?]
[Bleary Mirage: Sure.]
What perfect timing.
Liam smiled as he left the crowd and walked towards the eastern gate.
Although Prento, where Liam was right now, was considered a novice village in gaming terms, it was more of a small town.
Many citizens strolled through paved roads, only a part of them nephilim.
However, because of the players’ arrival the number of nephilim naturally skyrocketed.
Liam oriented himself on the tall mountain in the distance, which was an active volcano, soon reaching the eastern gate.
He looked towards the left and spotted Silver Blade, the tall woman in a white robe which was the starting gear.
Next to here was a shorter woman, talking with wide gestures, her long blond hair swaying behind her.
As Liam approached, Silver Blade looked over, drawing Cyclone’s attention.
The blond woman looked Liam up and down, putting her hand to her chin, and nodding repeatedly.
“You don’t look like much of an expert.”
“Be… Cyclone! Don’t be rude.”
“Haha it’s alright. I also don’t think I look like an expert.”
Cyclone smiled brightly turning to her friend.
“Look, he has good self-awareness!”
Silver Blade smiled wryly.
“Sorry Mirage. That’s just her temper.”
“There is nothing to apologize.”
“You see, Silver. I told you to be more relaxed. You didn’t even dare to ask for help!”
Silver Blade blushed slightly, giving her fair face a cute look.
“Hehe, so cute.
Ok I will stop teasing you. Bleary Mirage, you know what we are after but why did you say you needed our help?”
“It’s nothing much. But when we return the quest, it would be good if Silver Blade could buy some time.”
“Buy time?”
“Yeah, just talk to Zeygnar. I need to fetch something from his backyard.”
Cyclone’s eyes lit up.
“Are you stealing something?”
“I guess so.”
“Hehe. Sounds fun. What is it for?”
“For a questline.”
“Ok, Cyclone, don’t ask too many questions!”, interrupted Silver Blade, nodding at Liam.
“I can naturally help you as thanks.”
“Good. Then let’s start with your quest.”
“Great, let’s go!”
Cyclone showed an enthusiastic smile as she urged Liam.
The young man nodded, inviting the two girls in his party. By now most players were familiar with such basics, even newbies like Silver Blade.
Liam took the lead, walking away from the gate.
Cyclone was immediately looking at him oddly as she asked:
“Where are we going? Oh! Is that Rabbit Creek in the west? But didn’t many players say that the west has stronger monsters? Can we deal with them?”
Liam shook his head with a smile.
“Aren’t you a bit hasty?”
“What?”
“Do you want to leave the village with the stuff you’re wearing?”
“Well, do we have another choice? The merchants are too greedy! A single dagger costs four copper! We only start with ten, how should we get some useful equipment?”
Even Silver Blade nodded.
But Liam stayed silent for a few more seconds until the trio reached a small arena. Huffing and the clashes of metal could be heard from inside.