8 8. Emergency Quest: WTF?!
After devouring numerous books, Zephyr took a well-needed break. His eyes were on the verge of bleeding from the extensive reading. "How long has it been since I read this much?" Zephyr chuckled nervously. The last time he had worked so relentlessly was when he stumbled upon records of an ancient monument in the black market. Back then, he worked tirelessly to impress Mira, but this time, he pursued knowledge for his own satisfaction. It felt odd, yet more rewarding than ever.
"Yawn~" Zephyr let out a tired yawn, feeling the need for some rest. He had plans to explore the room, the mansion, and the barony, as well as to meet new people and discover anything intriguing if possible. His schedule was packed with various tasks. "But still, I wonder how Mordret, a mere twenty-two-year-old, managed to handle over two thousand people and singlehandedly save them from the Beast Raid. The man must've consumed some divine potion to handle so much simultaneously." Although Mordret's body still ached, it had improved, and Zephyr had grown accustomed to it.
"Ah! Before I sleep, I want to check on one last thing." With that thought, Zephyr decided to review his status window and examine the soul shard he obtained by slaying the tentacle beast. As his body sunk into the soft mattress, his eyes fixated on the floating runes before him.
[Status]
Name: Mordret Valorborn.
True Name: [???]
Constellation: The Cursed Child.
Rank: Vile (Rank 6) → (Rank 7) (Demoted)
…
Aspect: Reflectomancer. (Divine Aspect).
Attributes: [Dominance], [One of the Mimics], [Hollow], [Danger Assessment].
Skills: [Extract], [Mirrorweave], [Killing Blow].
…
Flaw: [Mirror Taint]
Corruption seeps into Reflectomancer's mind/emotions with power use. Manipulating reflections entangles thoughts/perceptions with distorted images, twisting personality—unpredictable, erratic, and delusional.
…
[Health]
Remark: Unfit.
Recommendation: Due to the fall in rank, Mordret Valorborn should refrain from using skills often.
<The corruption has reset.>
…
[Character Emergence]
Playeroo3: 0.9/100
…
[Reputation]
Baron of the Peta Estate.
People under the rule: 1887
Baron Rank: III
For Rank II: (1887/5000).
…
Logout? (Unavailable at the moment because of the ongoing Quest.)
…
Zephyr felt content with the overall power of his protagonist, Mordret. However, he wasn't thrilled about the increasing number of skills and attributes he had to study now. Everything required time - time he didn't have. What if the events suddenly began? There was no option to pause the game! His mind was already worn out, and more work would only exacerbate his exhaustion.
"But still… How powerful is a divine aspect?" Zephyr had many new things to learn. The concept of reputation seemed to be a pain. "No wonder Mordret saved so many people." Zephyr sighed as he glanced at the high number on the record. According to the information, the number of people was counted every three months for rations and other matters. So, the death toll during the Beast Raid must have exceeded a hundred, bringing the villagers below two thousand.
"The birth rate is low here too. This is definitely going to be challenging." Zephyr sighed, continuing to skim through the columns until his eyes caught the Logout option. "The Hell?! What ongoing Quest?! I literally completed one when I entered the game!" Zephyr retorted in frustration.
[Player003, an emergency Quest has already started!]
Zephyr stared at the runes with a deadpan expression. "How the hell?! You never asked my opinion about the participation!" However, his protests were ignored, just like air.
[Quest #2: Calm the Storm!]
[Quest Description: A storm is incoming in two parts! The Player must brace himself to face it with bravery as the new Lord of these lands! The old Lord's legacy lies ahead!]
[Quest Part I: Burning the Ice.] [Reward: Character Emergence (+0.2)] [Failure: Attribute [Dominance] will be lost.]
[Quest Part II: Words and Spears.] [Reward: Reputation (+100)] [Failure: Baron III → Baron IV]
[Good luck, Player003!]
…
"Huh?" Zephyr was flabbergasted. How was he supposed to deal with all these things? "Well, the storm is yet to come; please let me know once it arrives." The Quest provided no specific directions.
"Before studying those skills and all, I want to just… check on the Soul Shard from the Vile Beast." However, there was no option to see the shard. After all, he had no knowledge of where the shard was stored. Hell, he didn't even know what the shard looked like.
"Umm… System, please show me the Soul Shard…" As soon as the words escaped Zephyr's lips, a silver hue radiated from his hand.
…
Passive Skill: [Extract]: To extract Soul Shards out of the body of a Beast or Warrior. Enchantments: <Absolute Essence Perseverance>, <Absolute Effectiveness>, <Multi-dimensional Storage>, and <Zero Corruption>.
…
The runes appeared in front of Zephyr, and as he read through them, his mind was blown away by the revelations. Any human with a little common sense could understand that this skill wasn't normal. The explicit mention of lost essence, effectiveness, and corrupted energy indicated that this was no ordinary skill.
"Damn!" Zephyr felt both happy and tired from this newfound knowledge. There was really no time for him to relax, as information kept pouring in, and he struggled to keep up.
"But… will you look at that?" However, the fleeting thought disappeared as fast as it had appeared.
As soon as the Soul Shard's weight settled in Mordret's hand, he felt the most euphoric sensation he had ever experienced. With the warm feeling of holding the Shard, Zephyr examined it keenly.
A transparent crystal with a faint yellow tinge, and a white ball of light pulsing in the middle - Zephyr was captivated by the object. He had no knowledge of how the shard was meant to be consumed; none of the books he had read had any information on the matter.
Zephyr gently tapped on its glass surface, "It's hard," he commented. While he thought of multiple ways to consume it, like breaking it, eating it, or asking the system for guidance, his hands unconsciously started tossing the Shard like a ball.
"Yeah, that might work!" Just as he settled on a method, the Shard slipped through his hand and bounced off the bed.
"No!" Zephyr feared that the Shard might break, as the glassy object didn't seem that sturdy, but to his surprise, it remained intact. However, the Shard had traveled quite some distance, landing just before an awkward pillar.
"Noooooo! I don't want to leave the bed!" Zephyr cried. It was just like the days when one got comfortable in bed, and then the brain signals the need to use the bathroom.
"Aaaaa!" Zephyr lazily got up and went to pick up the Shard, swearing to never let his male instincts get the better of him.
However, just as he picked up the Shard, something weird happened.
***
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