Chapter 10: Old Shack

Ding!

〈System: You have received a quest. Do you wish to accept? [ Y | N ]〉

"Yes," Kieran answered. Afterward, the quest's information appeared before his eyes, giving him a decent grasp of what Scar excepted.

'Scar wouldn't have mandated that I choose Difficult or above if it were a simple quest. The grooming must have already begun the moment I completed his unique task,' Kieran inwardly thought.

His eyes glistened with excitement because the notion of triggering Scar's Hidden Quest in the future excited him. Unlike regular, repeatable quests, Unique or Hidden Quest could only be completed once.

Once complete, they would never surface again.

Of course, this restriction applied to Main Quest as well. Players would have to find different Main Quest Scenarios to complete and pray the difficulty didn't reach an absurd degree.

「 A Warrior's Next Step (Starter Quest)

Quest Rank: A

Recommended Party Size: 5

Recommended Party Level: 5-8

Objectives: Simply slaying monsters isn't enough to convince Scar of your strength. As the champion of his test, he believes that you have more potential to unearth and more power to realize.

- Clear a Lv.5 Dungeon on Difficult or higher. 0/1

- Clear the first objective without using Health Consumables. 0/1

Rewards:

- Level +1

- 5 Silver

- +50 favorability with Scar

Failure Penalty:

- Level -1

- Disappearance of Scar's favorability.

Time Limit: 24 hours

*Special Note: Certain Warriors have a different path from others. Therefore, they require early grooming to temper their abilities. 」

The quest's rank caught Kieran's eye but didn't worry him too much. Quest Rank wasn't the only matter that determined a quest's difficulty. The quest type—Normal, Starter, Main, Unique, Hidden, and Event—is also taken into account.

Furthermore, Main Quests were easily distinguished by a (+) mark. All Main Quests held high significance with dire repercussions if the quest holder failed, which was why such quests were sparse.

Scar observed Kieran, who seemed stuck in a daze. After a few seconds, Scar finally scoffed and shook his head.

"Don't tell me my demands are too much for you? How do you expect to register at the Adventurers' Guild if you can't handle this much? Such assignments become the standard after you join."

Kieran lifted his gaze from the quest window and chuckled amusedly. "Too much? Is that all the faith you have in me? It's far from too much. It's perfect."

Scar grew baffled by Kieran's comment, giving several absentminded blinks. "I see… What a strange little boy you are. I don't particularly appreciate that I can't get a read on your foolish expressions… FIX IT!"

"Fix it?" Kieran muttered with a thin smile. How exactly would he fix something out of his control? It wasn't his fault Scar jumped to conclusions.

"Bah!" Scar growled and waved his hands in frustration. "Regardless of your unusual face, your growth is quite good. I can sense a budding speed and force within you. Show me the superiority of a Warrior in full effect."

Kieran smirked slightly and even nudged Scar. "Oh, you're praising me, yeah? Then should I receive some type of reward from Mentor Scar? Wouldn't you say?"

Scar's expression went blank before a cold gleam flashed in his eyes. "Damned shameless brat, get out of my face and go do what I said before I throw you out of here!"

Because he was vaguely familiar with Scar's personality, Kieran could tell he meant business. Although he was serious about desiring a reward, Kieran begrudgingly hurried out of the Warrior Hall.

However, after Kieran left, Scar cracked a faint smile. 'At least he has the confidence not to withhold his desires. Regardless of his confidence, he hasn't shown me anything worth my undivided nurturing.'

…

A few minutes after leaving the Warrior Hall, Kieran stopped in the middle of the village.

〈System: You have received a message from your friend, Altair. Do you wish to read its contents? [ Y | N ]〉

"Yes," Kieran answered. As a result, the message's contents appeared within Kieran's iris.

[Altair: Yo! The dungeon entrance to the Lv.5 dungeon has opened nearby, and countless people are crowding the lobby looking for parties. Should we do the same? I want to snag some rewards before the opportunity is snatched away from us.]

Kieran didn't answer immediately.

'Gena Village's Lv.5 Area Dungeon should be the Forest of Beasts. The rewards aren't bad for starting players. No, it's better to say there isn't any alternative,' Kieran mused.

He rubbed his chin in deep thought before sending a video call request to Altair.

Altair's half-covered face appeared on a small screen before Kieran within a few seconds. The screen was designed so only those participating in the call could see that special window.

It was an unusual yet practical function since the visual and audio information was fed directly to the players' senses.

Once Altiar's face appeared, Kieran opened the conversation with a question. "Have you seen anyone clear the dungeon's Easy difficulty yet?"

"No, but that's why I messaged you so we can do it first. I'm sure there should be something like a First Clear Reward," Altair replied.

However, Kieran shook his head. "For an Easy dungeon? I don't think so. It'd be too convenient that an insignificant level gave decent rewards."

Altair's wrinkled his nose and pondered. "So, what do you suggest?"

"I suggest we let someone clear the Easy difficulty first, and then we'll dive into the dungeon."

"Wait… you want a greater difficulty, don't you?"

Kieran didn't answer verbally, but he did give a meaningful grin that gained Altair's chuckle. "I'm game. It sounds like pure fun if you ask me. I'll keep an eye out and get back to you."

The video call ended soon after, leaving Kieran in a pensive state. 'Because of the Beginner Zone Handicap, not all dungeon difficulties are accessible. Someone has to clear it first.'

The restriction existed for the safety of players so they could familiarize themselves with the dungeon layout, monster attack and movement patterns, and understand how best to manage their resources like Health, Mana, and Stamina.

After remembering the restriction, Kieran eyed a run-down shack in a seemingly destitute part of Gena Village. Because of its appearance, every player walked past without sparing the ramshackle hut even a cursory glance.

It was similar to how most individuals walked past a homeless person on the street as if they didn't exist.

Due to this past, Kieran was sensitive to run-down areas with faint signs of life.

However, Kieran also understood he couldn't travel in his current state or the same situation would happen again. Players would notice his armor and wonder why someone in a complete set of armor was walking into a run-down shack.

To avoid such a situation, Kieran changed into a set of equipment every newbie possessed: a set of tattered leather garbs.

Once he changed, Kieran meandered through the village crowd without arousing any suspicion from his actions.

Upon entering the shack, Kieran had to cover his mouth. The air was filled with a dense cloud of dust that would tickle one's throat and make one cough if inhaled.

Aside from the thick layer of dust resulting from the lack of upkeep, the shack's overall condition wasn't bad.

As long as the shop received an extensive cleaning, it would appear as a simple antique shop with several old items.

But looks were deceiving. Kieran knew the items on the shelves were decorative at best.

Still, Kieran approached the counter before him and tapped his finger against the desk.

The rustle of brittle bamboo straws and the sound of polished beads knocking against each appeared from behind the counter, revealing a hunched-over and extremely aged person shuffling towards the counter.

Kieran's expression sank when he witnessed the condition of this person. This elder's circumstances unsettled him and triggered some repressed empathy in his heart.