*Ding*

Quest Completed - ‘No Man’s Land I/III’

Explore the ‘abandoned’ Temple of the Twin Phoenix.

*Ding*

You receive Twin Phoenix Bracers (Divine)

Twin Phoenix Set (1/12)

Monica looked down at her wrists as two ornate bracers materialized, seemingly forming out of wisps of golden and black flames. The bracers were a deep golden color with intricate orange designs etched across their surface.

As they settled onto her forearms, she looked at the spikes that protruded from it with an appreciative grunt.

“What are those?” Ted asked in awe, staring at the bracers.

“Rewards for a Quest,” Monica replied, still looking at her arms.

“Quest?” Lucas, the Scholar, frowned and then looked at her eagerly. “What’s a Quest?”

“I have System Quests? It told me to explore the temple. I did. This is the reward. Don’t you guys have Quests as well?”

Everyone shook their head, including Heidi, who looked a little jealous.

Then, another notification rang in her head.

*Ding*

Quest Received - ‘No Man’s Land II/III’

Investigate Rock’s Heel sickness.

Reward: ???

“It’s time to go. Pack up,” Monica said, keeping an eye on the quest and wondering whether completing this one would give her another piece of golden armor.

* * *

Monica walked with Ronny in her arms.

The boy had pleaded to be carried, and even though she could kill a multitude of men without feeling the slightest regret, she felt her heart melt when the little fella looked at her with his big brown eyes. Dotty, instead, was walking one step behind and looking suspiciously at her.

“You said it’s a two-day walk?” Monica asked.

“Give or take,” Dotty sighed. “We’ll have to make a camp soon. It’s not safe to go out at night. Sometimes Level 7 Wolves come out at night.”

“Wolves?!” Ted paled, looking like he wanted to jump into Monica’s arms.

“Monica will take care of them!” Ronny said, punching the air. “Like this, fiium, fiium!”

It turned out that the children lived in Rock’s Heel. It was a dilapidated village that used to house many Stonemasons. Eventually, it got abandoned because the business around it had died down. In the past few years, people there had also started falling sick and feeling more tired than usual. Few could afford to leave, though, so, Dotty had explained, most people just stood there until death took them.

That, apparently, included their mother, who was exceptionally sick at this time.

The novices walked in a line behind them, prodded by Heidi, who had taken a spear for herself and threatened to stab the three if they slacked off.

Ted had slung the steel mandolin across his shoulder with a rope and reluctantly carried it around. Monica could tell that he seemed to have a complex relationship with the instrument—perhaps, with music at large. She had felt like asking multiple times but eventually decided to leave the man to his own demons. If he wanted to talk about it, she would lend an ear. Otherwise, there was enough to worry about for the moment without adding Ted’s troubles.

As the sun set, Monica called for the group to stop and make camp. “We’ll rest here for the night,” she announced.

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“Ted, Lucas, help me gather some firewood. Heidi, watch the two.”

Monica gathered wood for the fire while the others worked on their tasks. Once it was blazing, they settled around it, roasting some of the meat they had taken from the temple.

Ted sat on a log with the mandolin on his knees and examined it again.

Defected Dwarven Mandolin (Uncommon)

This is a Bard’s instrument, Ted thought.

He had seen many of them, but this one in particular stirred something in his chest.

After years of burying that memory in ale, he thought of his mother.

Bard was a Lost Class, among many others of its kind.

His father was at the forefront of recuperating as many Lost Classes as possible and, unlike nobles, making them public at the Academy for those who were worthy of them.

As weird as it may have sounded, Bard was one of the most coveted, most mysterious Classes they had any record of.

From ancient history, they knew that Bards were always present in the strongest adventuring groups, including during the war against the Old Gods. In fact, a legendary Bard had been instrumental in bringing down the corrupted being who had sought to destroy the System and all its users.

However, the Bard had died right after ascending to Godhood, and with him, the knowledge of how to get the Class.

As the New Gods still had to quench the corruption that arose from the Old Gods’ lingering powers and presence, many had tried to figure out how it worked.

Not even the New Gods knew.

His mother, one of the greatest warriors of Valoria, had gone mad in the attempt to uncover its requirements. Many instruments owned by Bard had been spawned by Loot Chests and unearthed in Dungeons. However, no one had ever managed to unlock the Class, even those who could play them like no other person in the world.

His mother had probably been the person who had gotten the closest to it, which was why Ted had also been trained in musical instruments by his parents. Ted’s mother, Ravenna, had dived into one Dungeon after the other, encouraged by the madman of his father, despite the risks, carrying a mandolin and other instruments allegedly played by Bards in the past, hoping to unlock the Class.

That craze, however, had led to her death and, ultimately, to Ted refusing to talk to his father anymore since the man ultimately refused to take responsibility for what had happened to his wife.

It was true that Ravenna Deadbane, his mother, had gone crazy herself, but she hadn’t been alone. Augustus, her husband, had never pulled the brakes and had instead stoked the fire until she had been entirely consumed by it.

Now, finding a mandolin in a Loot Chest gave Ted heartache.

It reminded him of his mother playing for him as a child when he would look at her with wide, innocent eyes as she strummed a mandolin and sang sweet songs to him.

“You’re not going to play that?” Heidi, who had inched closer, asked softly into the night.

Ted’s eyes were lost in the crackling fire.

“Chicks dig music, so I tried singing here and there,” Ted said, gently wielding the mandolin properly and almost fearfully playing a few notes, using them to tune the thing.

The sound that came off was so sharp that he couldn’t understand what was broken about the instrument other than by looking at its state.

“You don’t need to play for girls,” Heidi said, wrinkling her nose. “You can just play.”

“Nah, dude,” Ted replied, shrugging. “You can only play for girls. It’s stupid otherwise.”

“You’re stupid,” Heidi said, getting away from him.

As if inspired by his own words, Ted’s eyes fell on Monica, who was currently guarding the two children, Dotty and Ronnie, who had fallen asleep, exhausted after the day’s trek through the woods.

She’s strangely good with kids, Ted thought.

Then, without even noticing, he started playing a few notes when his eyes caught onto the golden glimmer of her new bracers.

As he looked at the beautiful redhead, something came over him. Something that made him forget all the words he knew, all the songs, and instead inspired him to sing something completely new.

Ted’s hands moved with finesse over the instrument as he slowly closed his eyes.

This time, Monica, the kids, and Heidi all turned toward him, noticing that he had begun to play in earnest.

But the real surprise was what came out of Ted’s mouth when he started singing a melody with a honeyed voice no one had expected of him.

“In a tavern’s warm embrace, beneath the glow of a candle’s grace,

Lived a girl with hopeful eyes beneath the endless, starry skies.

Her hands were rough, her clothes worn thin, her heart beat strong with dreams within.

Of castles high and crowns of gold, of daring tales and knights so bold.

She poured the ale, she swept the floor, but in her heart, she yearned for more.

For she was more than just her role, a fiery spirit, a princess soul.

Her parents gone, the loss was deep, into the night, she’d often weep.

But dreams, they say, can heal the heart, and in her dreams, she’d play her part.

“Though life is tough,” she’d softly sing, “I know someday I’ll wear a ring.

Not one of gold, or rich in price, but one that speaks of sacrifice.

For love, I know, will find its way, to warm my heart, to light my day.

And in that love, I’ll find my crown, not lost, but never truly found.”

(Check the post-chapter author note for a link to the song)