16 Chapter16-NPCs Listen to Him??
"This belongs to your young lady," Jason stated.
As expected, the expressions of the two guards changed.
Following the normal game progression, simply presenting the necklace wouldn't have convinced them to grant passage...
How could the two guards possibly recognize the personal jewelry of the lord's daughter?
Normally, players wouldn't know the purpose of the necklace or be able to articulate its significance, resulting in being turned away.
In the past life, the person who discovered this quest had to complete a multitude of prerequisite tasks before gaining access to the lord's manor.
It's worth mentioning that many quests in Divine Age are one-time events because all cause and effect in the game evolve with the players' actions, becoming part of history, irreversible.
Armed with information, Jason bluffed his way through, advancing the questline.
Soon, the guards returned and ushered him into the lord's manor.
...
"Thank you, Mr. Smith. I had no idea you were aware of my daughter's whereabouts and were even willing to undertake her rescue," said a portly middle-aged man in a luxurious crimson robe, tearfully expressing his gratitude.
"I really don't know how to thank you enough."
"Ah, for the rescue mission, you might need these resources," he continued, amidst sobs.
"It's an honor to alleviate your concerns," Jason responded with a nod.
The next second, a notification sounded in his ear:
[You have completed the quest: The Missing Daughter]
[Reward received: The Lord's Gift*1]
[You have accepted the quest: Rescue Mission]
[Rescue Mission (Unknown)]
[Description: The Lord of Losfall's daughter is missing. Please investigate her whereabouts and complete the rescue.]
[Reward: Unknown.]
Both the rewards and the difficulty of the quest accepted are displayed as unknown.
Following the usual process, this quest would require completing some side investigations, but for Jason, that was unnecessary; he knew the lord's daughter's whereabouts.
After accepting the quest, he hurriedly departed, his demeanor brisk.
No sooner had he left than heads began to emerge around the area, some belonging to ordinary players drawn by the commotion, others to intelligence operatives from various nations and families.
Seeing Jason gain entry to the lord's manor, they instantly understood there must be a high-reward mission inside.
They crowded around, trying to engage the two guards in conversation.
"Brothers, that friend who just entered is our good buddy. What is he helping the lord with? Can you tell us?" they asked, faces beaming with smiles, eager to help.
However, the guards surveyed them dismissively and retorted, "You think you're up to it?"
"Now, off with you!" they said, shooing the group away.
Yet, the undeterred crowd pondered briefly before concocting a new plan.
If they couldn't get anything out of the lord, they decided to focus on Jason, promptly tailing him.
However, the guards, previously idling, were shocked into action upon noticing this.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"That man is a distinguished guest of the lord!"
"Guards! Guards!" they shouted.
The intelligence agents and ordinary players attempting to follow Jason were swiftly surrounded by Losfall's guards.
Given it was only the second day after the game's launch, the players naturally couldn't match these soldiers.
Those who resisted were promptly skewered by the guards' spears, suffering a loss in levels, while the others, though not resisting, were just as unlucky to be caught, facing either a fine or jail time.
Reluctantly, the group ended up paying the fines, their spirits dampened.
"Get lost!"
"Next time we catch you tailing Lord Jason, it won't just be a small fine you'll be dealing with!" the soldiers declared haughtily.
The regular players took it in stride, dispersing to continue their own quests when they realized they couldn't follow [Smith].
However, the intelligence operatives from various nations were left dumbfounded.
"How is this possible? The server has only just launched, and Smith can already command NPCs to serve him?"
From their intelligence, they knew that the American officials had discovered a quest related to the lord of the newbie town, but they had only just completed the beginning of the quest.
How did Smith pull it off?
Ordinary players might not find it strange — a big shot is a big shot, and having influence with the lord seems typical.
But the intelligence operatives, aware of the significance behind [Smith]'s actions, were even more shocked and anxious.
Many of them turned into beams of white light and logged off immediately, rushing to report to their superiors.
"There must be a formidable power behind [Smith]; they had everything planned from the start, sending operatives to Losfall is pointless now."
"They had preemptively made arrangements, using the game's official forces to suppress, ensuring no intelligence leaks."
"This person is truly terrifying!"
...
Jason was unaware of the events that unfolded after he left.
He had indeed mentioned to the lord that someone might try to track him, which explained the guards' agitated reaction.
Utilizing NPCs to deal with other players and safeguard his own interests was a common strategy months after Divine Age's launch.
However, employing such a tactic right after the server opened was almost like bringing a gun to a knife fight.
What Jason needed to do next was simple... accept quests, relentlessly accept quests.
"Right, right, you need herbs gathered? I'm willing to help."
[You have accepted the quest: Gathering Herbs]
...
"Those bandits are indeed despicable; capturing them is our bounden duty."
[You have accepted the quest: Trouble on the Mountain Road]
…
"No problem, leave it to me."
[You have accepted the quest: Deliver the Letter]
…
[You have accepted…]
…
He had planned an optimized quest route the night before.
Along the way, he would gather various resources, eliminate monsters, and complete all the convenient quests in one go.
Then, after rescuing the lord's daughter, he wouldn't return to hand in the quest but would instead take another route straight to a teleport point outside Losfall.
There, he would complete a quest to repair the abandoned teleport point, then teleport back and hand in all the quests at once.
The rewards for individual quests might not be much, but they add up to a significant amount.
At the end of his journey, Jason stopped in front of a wooden courtyard.
"Hello, are you Miss Lance from the Veronica Magic Academy?"
"I heard you are planning to build a magus tower near Losfall, and I'm interested in funding you," Jason announced confidently.
Whoosh.
The door instantly opened, and a woman with golden hair and her body covered in sooty marks, looking quite disheveled, rushed out.
"You mean it? You're willing to fund me?" she asked, visibly excited.
"Of course, no one could bear to deceive such a beautiful lady," Jason replied nonchalantly.
"Alright, alright."
"Now I just need these materials, and I'm counting on you," Lance said excitedly, handing over a list filled with dozens of different items.
Jason confidently accepted the task and promptly set off, leaving so swiftly that the nearby players hadn't even realized what was happening.
"Wait, was there actually a quest in that yard?"
"What did Smith just say? Why did it work so well?"
"Seems like he's funding the construction of a magus tower?"
...
The players discussed among themselves.
Soon after the news spread, several players representing their respective families hurried over, attempting to emulate Jason and take on the same quest. But they quickly turned pale.
"What? Where's the reward?" These players were on the verge of cursing, for they hadn't received a quest, only a demanding list of materials requiring various rare and valuable items in large quantities.
"Once the magus tower is built, your names can be included," Lance said assertively.
Immediately, many family representatives backed off.
But many others, reflecting on Smith's impressive earlier performance, concluded that a quest he valued must be significant.
They gritted their teeth and decided to commit.
"I'm willing to contribute!"
"Count me in!"
One after another, the players spoke up.
"We'll participate as well," eventually, a player representing the official Valoria government stepped forward, also agreeing to sponsor the magus tower.
