Adventurers Guild Adventurer's Guild - Receptionist's Desk

Discussion in 'Roleplaying Games' started by AliceShiki, Jan 28, 2019.

  1. Magnatia

    Magnatia Well-Known Member

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    "Welcome back. The client has just sent us the quest completion notice. Based on the client's notice and your report, there is nothing wrong and thus your reward is as follows: 8 large copper coins and 4 guild points. Please check them."
    The spirit said courtly while handed Kat her rewards.

    "... I would love to see how lively it was. It seems that mortals are truly living in a very different value to that of ours, the spirits. But for now I would love to give you my sincere congratulations on the good job."

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Zero300

    Zero300 『Mask Maker』『Kamen Rider Khaos』『Demon Immortal』

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    Task: Vampire Investigation
    Requester: Roland, a Historian
    Quest Rank: E-rank
    Rewards: 12 Large Copper Coins
    Description: I got reports of not one, but 2 different vampires appearing out there in Ternus... This makes no sense! Vampires are supposed to be extinct!
    ... Well, recent research discovered they were only sealed actually... Still, this makes absolutely no sense! There should be no way they're escaping the seal.
    Were there some vampires that escaped the sealing endeavor in the old times? Or was the seal broken and they started coming out?
    Please investigate the matter, I need to know more about this!

    After reading the reports made by adventurers who took on past quests, the guild concluded that the return of the vampires was a possibility. In turn, they issued a quest for an adventurer or two to investigate the matter of how the supposedly “sealed” vampires escaped from their demise. Zinc was always interested in the supernatural especially since he had the opportunity to read about a medical book in potential treatments of lycanthropy. Upon hearing about vampires, the doctor was the first to sign up for the quest.

    On this trip, he decided to bring some backup in the forms of Arsenic and Silver. According to the legends told by the drunken veterans dawdling about at the tavern, vampires and werewolves have an innate aversion towards each other. Naturally, that’s the same with wolves. By bringing Silver along, Zinc had hoped that the wolf could track down the vampires as well as have some way of deterring their kind.

    Now, according to the previous reports, the only location mentioned was Hero’s Port where a vampire was sighted nearby. So, Zinc decided to head over to the area to try his luck. There was quite a distance to Hero’s Port. Traveling by horse, the dwelf estimated that he would reach there in about a week or so. To prepare for the long trip, Zinc went to the local inn to grab some rations as well as some raw garlic before heading out on the horse he had rented. Throughout the trip to Hero’s Port, the journey was uneventful. That was until he made a quick stop at a local town a few kilometers outside of the port to restock on water.

    Zinc walked into the Rusty Buckets while Silver stayed by the horse. The tavern was rather desolate as the doctor could only see one drunken customer lying sprawled on top of the table in the distant corner and two men eating some drumsticks by the counter. The bartender sat by the counter while lazily fanning himself. Upon hearing Zinc approach, the bartender quickly stood up and flashed a professional smile.

    “What can I do for you? Food or a place to rest?”

    “Both. How much?” Zinc gave a quick reply as he looked around.

    “That’ll be 10 small copper a night. Food comes with room.”

    “Here.” Zinc reached into his pockets and dug out 10 small copper coins. “Them chicken drumsticks look good. I’ll have some of that.”

    “Alright, coming right up. Anything to drink?”

    “Ale.”

    “Alright!”

    While Zinc waited for his food, he couldn’t help but overhear the conversation occurring between the two men sitting to his left.

    “Did you hear? Old Larkson’s dog died.” One of the men, a burly-looking lumberjack, gossiped to his companion – a middle-aged man with spectacles.

    “So? About time Old Larkson put that rabid dog down.”

    “No, you don’t understand. The dog was found dead, its throat torn.”

    “What? Is there a wild animal around here?”

    “I’m not sure. But according to the village chief, the dog was drained of its blood."

    “How’s that possible? Don’t tell me…vampire?”

    “That’s what I thought too!”

    Zinc, upon hearing vampire, couldn’t help but walk up to them. “Excuse me, I couldn’t help but overhear you saying something about vampires?”

    “Who are you?” The lumberjack asked as he looked Zinc up and down.

    “My name is Zinc, I’m an adventurer from Nagrand.”

    “Nagrand? Where’s that?”

    “Um, I’m from up north past the mountains.”

    “What are you doing all the way down here?”

    “I was tasked with investigating about the appearances of vampires…you said something about vampires, can you elaborate on that?”

    The lumberjack looked at the bespectacled man as if to discuss something, but seeing the glasses-wearing man nod, the lumberjack continued. “Old Larkson’s dog died last night. Its throat was torn open and its blood was drained. If this wasn’t a vampire’s doing, then what is?”

    “Don’t vampires drink human blood?” Zinc questioned.

    “I don’t know. Maybe the vampire was trying to suppress that urge in order to not cause a commotion.”

    “And draining a dog doesn’t cause a commotion?”

    “Like I said, I don’t know. If you want to know more, go look for Old Larkson.”

    “Alright, thanks for the info. Next round’s drinks are on me.”

    “Now that’s more like it! Thanks!” The lumberjack laughed heartily as he ordered another mug of ale.

    After the bartender arrived with Zinc’s food, the doctor continued to chat with the two men. Soon, the food was finished. Zinc decided to check out Old Larkson’s house. As he made his way towards the house as directed by the bespectacled man, he heard a loud crash coming from inside the house. Zinc rushed towards the house and barreled in through the door. When the doctor stood up, he saw a messy-looking man trying to bite the old man under him. Vampire!

    Zinc sprung into action and knocked the man back. He flung the window curtains wide open to let the noon sun in. The sunlight landed on the man’s skin, causing the man scream in pain as his skin began to blister. The man stumbled back and tried to attack Zinc at a different angle. The doctor reached into his pockets and threw out some cloves of garlic. Seeing the garlic, the man hissed before fleeing in clear panic. Zinc charged towards the man and pulled out a mirror. The man screamed in terror and turned sharply, crashing into a wall. Just as Zinc was about to draw out his Amputation Knife to behead the unconscious man, the old man pulled him back.

    Zinc looked at the old man and checked his body for wounds. “Are you okay? I’m a doctor.”

    The old man got to his knees and begged. “Don’t kill my son. It’s not his fault!”

    “Your son?” Zinc gaped at the old man in surprise. “Your son’s a vampire?”

    “He thinks he is but he’s not. He’s just really sick.”

    “That’s what they all say.”

    “No! He wasn’t like this before. He really is sick. You said you are a doctor? Please help him.”

    “Is he really sick?” Zinc mused over this new development.

    Before he could ask any more questions, the messy-looking man charged towards him. Zinc swung a fist and knocked the man back. Before the man could get up, Zinc approached him and punched out once more. This time, the dwelf knocked the man out cold. Zinc bent down and checked the unconscious man’s pulse. Erratic…but unlike real vampires…there’s a pulse. But then, what about those vampire-like tendencies? Could it be? If he was to look at this man from a doctor’s point of view…then it made sense.

    To confirm his suspicions, the doctor questioned the old man who turned out to be Old Larkson. “Old Larkson, is that really your son?”

    “Yes. My adopted son to be exact. I found him rummaging through my garbage a decade ago. He was a pitiful child.” The old man replied.

    “Is your son a vampire?”

    “No! He can eat regular food. He’s just sick. You gotta believe me!”

    “Fine, I’ll believe you. Tell me…why was he scared of the cloves of garlic I threw at him?”

    “He’s allergic to garlic. Even the slightest touch could cause his skin to irritate.”

    “I see…that can explain it. What about the mirror? Why did it terrify him so much?”

    “He’s been like that since he was a young child. I don’t know why…but I think it had to do with the time before I found him.”

    “Like some sort of trauma?”

    “Yeah…yeah! Just like some sort of trauma. That can happen right?”

    “Yeah, it can. Then, what about the sunlight? How did it cause blisters on your son’s skin?”

    “It’s because he’s sick.”

    “How can you say that? Not every abnormality is related to an illness…wait.” Zinc paused as he rubbed his brow. “Nevermind…I think there was a book referring to a similar case. What was the illness called? P-Por…Porphyria! That’s right. It matches if you think about it.”

    “What is?” The old man asked.

    “Your son must have suffered from porphyria. Tell me, on the week before this all happened, what did he do. Did he consume anything? Was he feeling different that week?”

    “The week before he became like this…ah, I remember! He came home that day in a coma. A few of the neighbors found him foaming outside the town gates. There were blood and bruises on his body. The village doctor said he was overdosed with opiates. It took me nearly a month to nurse him back to health. He wasn’t the same ever since.”

    “Overdose on drugs can cause porphyria. That might be it. Was he all bitey as well?”

    “No, that happened only this morning.”

    “Hmm…so something else. Alright, I’ve a clear picture on what to do. Give us a minute.” Zinc replied as he tied the messy-looking man to a wooden post.

    “B-But….”

    “If I need you, I’ll let you know. Trust me. I’m a doctor.”

    “O-Okay.”

    Zinc tied up the man and conducted a more thorough examination. The man’s canines were larger than normal…possibly an abnormal tooth growth from when he was a child. The drugs the man took a few months ago was still in the man’s system. Either he took a lot or the drugs were extremely potent. It will take quite some time to get rid of the toxins within the man’s body. As the toxins persist in the man’s blood, which results in the man wanting to drink untainted blood to sustain himself, the only way to solve this issue was through bleeding.

    Zinc told the old man of his solution and though Old Larkson disagreed at first, he finally agreed after the dwelf discussed the pros and cons of not following with the treatment. Next, Zinc waited for the young man to wake up in order to tell him of the treatment options. Like Old Larkson, the man disagreed at first, but he gradually understood his situation well enough to agree in the end. With both parties agreeing to the treatment, Zinc got to work. Spending about a week or so, he started bleeding the man bit by bit to let out the tainted blood. Then, he fed the patient with blood enriching foods and herbal tonics in order for the patient to regain lost blood. During the week, Zinc also gave the man some medicine to treat his mild case of rabies. And after the week’s end, the young man was cured of his diseases.

    Now that the young man was clearheaded, Zinc asked him about his life’s story. The young man told the doctor of his childhood. He grew up in an orphanage. His parents had dumped him for having abnormally large canines. Because of his teeth, he was made fun of every day. The nuns at the orphanage he lived in always punished him for his “sins”. They mocked him saying how hideous he looked, causing him to hate mirrors and even fear them. As he grew older, he ran away from the orphanage and was adopted by Old Larkson. He tried to fit in, but the neighborhood kids teased him for his allergies towards garlic and for his fear of mirrors, calling him a vampire. It got to the point where he even half-believed that he was a vampire. And after the incident with the drugs, he thought he had actually turned into a vampire.

    Curious of this turning point in the story, Zinc asked the man what he did during that. The man continued by stating how he developed cravings for blood and that he would go out and drink the blood from his family’s cattle. He didn’t want to kill the cows, so he only took a bit of blood each time. But as time goes by, his cravings for blood increased. He didn’t want to drink human blood, so he researched about vampires in hopes of finding a cure or at least a preventive treatment for his tendencies. That’s when he found out about the seal. One of the many books he read described of a seal that could unlock the secrets and knowledge of vampires. He drew a magic circle…he conducted a blood sacrifice…but nothing happened. He did not feel better.

    Zinc asked him for the book and the young man happily presented them to him. The title was a bit obscured but he could make out “Unsealing the Secrets of Blood”. Maybe the young man's search for a cure had unwittingly caused him to break the seal that exiled the vampires of old. Zinc thanked the young man and told him to stay healthy before he prepared to set off. Once he made his way back to the guild, he submitted his report as well as presented the guild with the book. Maybe the book would provide some help with what was going on with the vampire sightings.
    @AliceShiki
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2019
  3. A5G_Reaper

    A5G_Reaper [DCLXVI, sohyee, and iampsyx's cute imouto]

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    "I've just checked again and the fire guy have left."
    "From up here it's rather obvious."

    A gourd sat high above Nagrand, surveying the area nearby. On the plains where a salamander used to rest was a spot distorted from the heat emanating underground, so that's where he should go.

    "I recall there's a tunnel. This won't be fun..."

    It was where he recalled it be, so the gourd entered casually and almost immediately was greeted with a suffocating blast of warm air. Pinnacle of discomfort, that. Sensing which direction it came from, he walked deeper into the tunnel.

    It take a while but eventually he found an abandoned hall underground. It's not dark because there's about half a dozen adult salamanders in there, lots of hatchlings, and a humongous centaur-ish creature made out of flame. Said creature were cooing two pairs of little salamanders in its four arms, completely backward with its appearance.

    "...hello?" The gourd recalled the name. "Belial?"

    It hopped in surprise and turned at him.

    "A pumpkin? Hav' we met before? Whad'ya want mate?"

    The gourd immediately felt that this dude definitely have relationship with mister skeleton.

    "Nothing much, it's just your old skeleton pal nearby complained about the heat in his prison you see."

    "Old daddy bones? Right, he's nearby. Tell ya what, I'll leave once all the babies hatch eh? Boney can hold for a week ain't he?"

    It made shooing gesture and returned to the salamanders. Well, mission accomplished perhaps? He'll have to check again next week.
    -Apparently Belial is raising his pets.
    @AliceShiki
     
  4. Haxagen

    Haxagen Fallen's|Addicted to Gacha

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    "Done!"
    "It's actually pretty simple...I think."

    "Eh?"

    "I mean, you two just want to see each other again, right? Then it's not really that hard. Spirits should be capable of possession, after all."

    "I don't understand…"

    "And neither do I! To begin with, I'm not a spirit and so I'm not sure how your abilities work, so you'll have to tell me."

    "If you're not sure, then why did you recommend it to start with...Nevermind. Possession tends to be a frightening matter for the one on the receiving end, and I'd rather not get exorcised for doing something malevolent spirits would do."

    "I'll just have to get permission for you two, then. Can you possess an object?"

    "If it's unenchanted, then yes."

    "Then it's simple. Here."

    "An old silver ring?"

    "I have another, so could you link up with this ring?"

    "I see what you're trying now, but that won't work. This ring can only hold a meagre amount of my essence, and it won't last very long in the daytime."

    "And the reverse is also true for the night time, right?"

    "Yes…"

    "Then, does the day and night portions have to be exactly the same?"

    "A tiny difference is alright, but if your plan is to have us meet at dawn and dusk, that won't work either. The equilibrium of day and night only holds up for about a minute."

    "Just do it. I have another idea in mind."

    "...Alright, I'll trust you with whatever you're planning, then."

    *****​

    "You WHAT?"

    "Like I've said, I'm hoping you could ask two of the children to---Shiori, please put the scissors down."

    "You want Shiori to get two of Shiori's children to do what exactly?"

    "Uhm, Shiori, calm down. The scissors are meant for cutting cloth and paper, not to draw blood…"

    "Hmph."

    The tiny girl scoffed.

    "Shiori should have turned you away at the door. Actually, can you go stand outside?"

    "Shiori, please. It won't hurt the children."

    "...Hmph. Shiori won't help you."

    Huffing lightly, the girl left the room.

    "Thank you!"

    Shiori only waved her hand lazily in response.

    *****​

    Four people stood in the backyard.

    "Will it hurt?"

    "It won't, trust me. Shiori will hang me out to dry if you get hurt."

    The dog girl hesitantly placed the old ring on her index finger. Once she had confirmed that it didn't hurt, she sighed in relief. So did Elaine, who turned to another child.

    "Then, could you put this on?"

    The second one wordlessly slipped the proffered ring on. Still, there was an audible sigh of relief when nothing happened and she didn't turn into a freaky monster.

    "Now...try them out, I guess? I'm told the words to summon them will naturally come to you, although I'm not too sure about it. Do you two hear anything?"

    "I hear quiet whispers, telling me to repeat after her, I think. A soft female voice."

    "Mine is basically shouting the words at me, telling me to hurry."

    The two children looked at each other and nodded, grasping each other's hand.

    "The fair maiden holding the twinkling bow."

    "The gentleman wielding the gleaming axe."

    "Mark my words upon the incandescent moon."

    "I call upon the radiant sun."

    "We hereby swear upon our breath."

    "Protect those we cherish fondly."

    "Repel those who would do us harm."

    "Our fates shall be entwined with yours."

    "Our minds are clear and hearts are willing."

    "Our blood and mana are the gates."

    "Come forth, Moonkin."

    "Answer my call, Sunkin."

    "Charm us…"

    "With your gallant figures!"


    A symmetrical summoning circle winked into existence, golden light pouring out of it. Barely a second later, a smaller silver circle manifested within it, the mercurial runes interlinking with the amber ones.

    And the spirits answered, manifesting as a pair.

    "Well, I guess we've succeeded. Although...Wasn't that summoning chant a bit too long and formal? Just listening made me want to yawn..."

    Elaine tried her best to keep a poker face as she said that, but the moment she looked at Shiori's face, it was all over.

    "BWAHAHAHA!"

    "PFFFFFT!"

    "My sides…! I just can't! Ahahahahaha!"

    "That was so...so corny! So lame! What era did you two even come from...Hahaha!"

    "For goodness sake, I think you better shorten the chant, else an enemy might just die laughing before he gets to do anything else! My sides are practically bursting! Hahahaha…!"

    "..."

    "Sorry, let's begin introductions. These two are Sol and Luna, sun and moon spirits. These two children are Azusa and Yuudachi, although you can also call her Poi. Finally, this is Shiori, their caretaker."

    "Much obliged."

    "Thank you for contracting with us."

    *****​

    "First of all...no independent manifestation! The two of them have ample mana reserves, but you two aren't exactly mana efficient! So no coming out to fool around unless these two are practicing summoning!"

    Shiori was setting the house rules, so Elaine figured it was her cue to start leaving.

    "Secondly, no PDA (Public Display of Affection)! Watching that just makes Shiori's skin crawl!"

    For the two children that contracted the spirits, the young keeper had sent both upstairs to rest and recuperate. Allowing spirits to cohabit bodies was risky, after all; inability to adapt to the sudden mana surge could literally burn out a life.

    As for why she had taken such a gamble on exposing young children to potential harm…

    "Some of the children suffer from rare diseases due to their history of being abused or forgotten. It is not uncommon for a few to suffer from inherently magical illnesses as well. Shiori can only hold back the sickness with Shiori's medicine…"

    "That's…Can we do anything to help?"

    "Regretfully, no. The mana in their bodies are out of tune; medicine that's for curing normal illnesses will scarcely make a dent on it. Your offer is appreciated, but as of now…"

    The young girl shrugged sadly.

    "We'll have to work with the factors available to us."

    If that was the case, wouldn't spirits that are more attuned to mana be able to correct the problem, given enough time? That idea had taken root while she was in the midst of looking for something to anchor the two spirits to the physical realm.

    Shiori had given her the go-ahead to ask the two children about it; both agreed. Elaine then sought out the two spirits in the afternoon and evening respectively.

    "So you ask of us to make contracts with two of the children, so that we may be summoned together, in exchange for us ensuring the children's collective well-being. If that's the case, I am up for it."

    "This arrangement works for me so long as I get to be with my husband."

    And so the two spirits blessed the two old silver rings that Elaine had, which she then gave to two of the older children in Shiori's orphanage. One ended up with Yuudachi; the other was given to the quiet Azusa.

    With any luck, now that there were two contracted spirits looking after the children as well, their well-being would be greatly improved.

    Although…

    "Riajuus should all go and explode!"

    ...With two star spirits and a nature spirit, the orphanage was starting to get oddly powerful.
    @AliceShiki
     
  5. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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    Well... That was quite something.

    Considering how long they have been sealed, I doubt a single man without magical knowledge would be able to free them, but... Maybe the seal was weak enough to the point it was easily disruptable by now.

    We'll investigate the book, I'm sure the requester will be delighted to acquire it. Good job out there Zinc-san, you gave us something to work from at the very least~

    Your reward will be of 12 Large Copper Coins and 4 Guild Points.

    Have a rest, you deserved it~
     
  6. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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    ...
    ...
    ...

    Well... Good job I guess? I certainly didn't expect the guy to be this cooperative and friendly... At least it's solved I suppose.

    57 Large Copper Coins and 16 Guild Points for you it is... Gods, this doesn't seem worth it at all.

    Take care Jack-san, your luck might run out if you rely on it too much.

    ((Uhn... Really? Like... I get that the explanation is reasonable, but it feels really weird to give such high rewards for a quest that involved just talking for 5s with the guy...

    IC-wise it makes sense, but OOC-wise I feel like... >.>))
     
  7. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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    ((Oi, colors, no good, no good at all.

    The blue of Luna is barely readable, the yellow of Sol is plain unreadable, I need to highlight it to read it. As a rule of thumb, don't use yellow... If you really need to use yellow, the only readable tone is this one. All others are bad in either Light or Dark Themes.))

    Welcome back Elaine-san. That was a nice solution to the problem, good job~

    Your rewards will be of this crystal the spirits had left with us and the 4 guild points.

    Take care now~
     
    Haxagen likes this.
  8. A5G_Reaper

    A5G_Reaper [DCLXVI, sohyee, and iampsyx's cute imouto]

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    ((I forgot that I haven't write it until about 30 minutes before the limit sooo <.<))
     
  9. strikegunner

    strikegunner Well-Known Member

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    After Fen sighed up the quest, he sat down on his usual spot, waiting for another adventure to take the request. After receiving the quest from Aria, Rei looked around and yelled.

    "Which one of you is Fen?"

    "It's me. Oh. It's you. Errr. Rei, right?"

    Rei turned towards the man who spoke and said.

    "Yes. I saw that you are interested in partnering up for the C rank quest to bodyguard an alchemist.
    I am also taking it."

    "I heard the client is already waiting for us at the east gate. Shall we go?" Fen picked his cane and finished his drink.

    "Alright. Let's go." Rei walked slightly in front of Fen towards the exit.

    When two of us arrived at the east gate, Fen put on a wooden mask before he talked to Regar and went inside the carriage.

    *sighs* "I thought I'm busted."


    "Why did you hide your identity? Troubles with the client?"

    "We just got a bit of history. It's just little thing related to potion." He shrugged

    "I see" she nodded. Then she talked to him while looking out the window.

    "I guess that means you want to be the one guarding the perimeter?"

    "I will be scouting the area. We got someone to guard the perimeter." He pointed to the back of the carriage.
    There was a girl eating Fen's portion of food that the client provided.

    "Oh, and who is she? Your.....partner?" The last word was said with small smirk and tinge of teasing.

    "What do you mean by the term 'partner'? Like a relationship between you and Jack?" *tilts head*

    "She is Shia a...weapon sentient I guess. Hey! Put that down Shia. That dried squid is mine!"


    "Dammit, so the rumor did spread!.... A sentient weapon huh? That's cool." Rei took a bite out of her own portion of the meals provided.

    "Rumor? I don't know about that, but the last I saw you with Jack and Ayumi in the room on the second floor of the tavern."

    Fen gave one dried squid to pouting Shia before put it away inside his pouch. He started eating his remaining portion of food while Shia was happily chewing on the squid.

    "Ah......I see"

    Rei awkwardly scratched her head while showing a complicated expression.

    "Well, anyway. What are your specialties? We better know each other's abilities for better cooperation"

    "Probably close to mid-range combat. But if someone gives me a bow, I can use it to some extent. Let's see..."

    Fen took out his equipment inside the carriage and laid them down.

    "Now I got throwing spikes, knives, this custom-made weapon..." A black aura formed around Fen's arms but taking a different shape. "Gauntlet and claw."

    "Interesting arsenal. I am a close range combatant. I am a martial artist hence, I don't use any weapons beyond my own body and limbs. Well, as you can see I do wear some protective gear like arm and leg guards, and I also wear a light armored leather bodysuit and a chainmail underneath it. I can also use some lightning and flame elements Ki arts but no long range abilities"

    "Got it. I'll be guarding the area around Regas. Just hold this for a bit. You will be able to telepathy with Shia." Fen handed Rei his 'cane'.

    "Huh? Shouldn't I guard Regas? Why do you want me to hold this anyway?"

    "I'm not guarding him. Just roaming around the area. Shia got a kind of skill where She could talk with someone from a distance if they got contracted with her vessel."

    "So this is some communication method....neat. Does that mean that as long as I hold this weapon I can also talk with you guys?"

    "You don't have to hold it. Just touch it once."

    "Alright"

    Rei reached out and grabbed hold of the weapon.

    "Okay, now what?"

    "Shia." Fen called out Shia who was playing with stuff in a carriage

    The girl nodded her head and vanished, then a voice echoed in Rei head.

    "Hello~ This is Shia. Can you hear me?"


    "Oh, yes I can hear you. Do I have to speak out loud or can I just voice the thoughts in my head?"

    "Either way is fine~. Oh. We've arrived."

    The carriage stopped in the forest. Fen came out of the carriage and went into the bushes.

    "He said, he's going warm up a bit."

    "Then tell him that meanwhile, I am going to stick close to the client."

    Rei got off the carriage as well and followed the alchemist around as he went about searching and collecting his materials.

    "Roger~"
    __________

    [Fen's POV]
    After Fen separated from the group, he swiftly moved through the tree approaching the strange fragrance he detected before.
    The smell was sweet and attractive like the bee honey, but suddenly it turned into the odour of rotten meat and swelling water as he got closer to it. Fen stopped at the odour was spreading, in front of him were trees and carcasses melting down from the purple liquid.

    "What in the hell is this?"

    He walked further in the forest and found a long transparent tube. He continued to walk along the side of the unknown object until its end.

    "A head? shredded skin...? So the liquid was a venom from this creature, but she is too big. What's this smell...some kind of herb. The venom isn't completely dried either, it should still be around here-"

    Fen got a chill when he felt that something was moving behind the shredded skin. He could not see it properly, but there was something huge in front of him. A large translucent body glared at him with its amber colour eye.

    ((Camouflag-)) He was hit by the beast's tail, sending him ramming against the tree. Fen coughed out blood from impacts and his consciousness started to fade away. The serpent looked in the direction that Fen came from and slowly slipped into the forest.

    ((Shia, that bastard is heading to Rei and Regas))


    ((Umu!))

    Fen activated the pattern, slowly healing his body. He used his cane to support him and slowly followed the serpent.
    __________

    Rei senses that were on guard for anything out of order picked some disturbance some distance away from them, from the general direction Fen was scouting. As she went into full alert, she got a message from Shia.

    "Rei. Big snake. Coming. It has a camouflage. Fen is dead. Gah! What are you doing!? Don't hit my vessel, you stupid master!"

    "...Okay, so at least Fen is not dead. Anything else I should know about this snake?"

    While waiting for the answer from Fen she rushed the alchemist into the carriage and told him to stay put while they deal with the danger.
    Rei extended some ki into her surroundings, trying to sense any living beings that enter her perimeter.

    "Uh. It is really large. Its head is big as a carriage. There is some herb fragrance on him so he probably preventing us from gathering the herb. Oh. Don't touch the venom. It even melts the trees!"

    "Got it. I will try to take care of it. How long until your master can come to help?"

    "Probably several minutes before he fully recovered."

    "That's fast, change of plans then, I will buy some time for Fen to get here, and then we will take it down together. Less risky that way"

    Right as finished speaking, Rei sensed something approaching her position.
    Trusting her intuition, she jumped to the side and dodged a huge pair of jaws that appeared out of thin air.

    "It's here! Regas, stay in the carriage and don't make a peep!"

    The jaws quickly retreated into the forest leaving the shadow of a massive body in her sight. The monster opened its eyes glaring at the group of human who tried to take away its belonging.

    The serpent swiped its tail knocking down the trees creating a room for himself. He then lunged towards Rei once more for kill.

    Rei activated lightning enhancement and thought acceleration, judging the perfect timing to dodge, she jumped away to safety at the last moment while landing several dozens of punches on the giant snake's side.

    The punches slithered over the serpent's skin. the serpent coiled up, its scales seem to be covered with greasy oil. The serpent raised its head and spit venom out.

    Seeing the world moving in slow motion Rei had enough time to dodge all the venom coming her way, however, it decreased the amount of footholds she had on the ground.

    "Tch, slippery bastard"

    She tried to numb down the snake using the electricity surrounding her body.
    As Rei sticking herself with the serpent, the heat from electricity started the fire on the serpent body.
    The snake rolled on the floor attempting to calm down the fire and shake Rei off but failed. Suddenly it hissed loudly while slamming its body against the ground.

    Shaken off by the body slam, Rei flew in the air for a bit and landed atop a branch from one the trees.
    She jumped down and threw some stones at the snake's head, hoping to get it's attention again.
    Unluckily, It didn't feel anything from flying pebble and continue hissing. It crawled to the side surrounding the carriage.
    __________

    [Fen's POV]
    "It's calling something?" He questioned when he heard a sound of the serpent from far away.

    Then, Fen saw another large shadow in the woods crawling in the same direction he is heading next to him.

    "This is bad.." He changed the pattern around his body into a fire-like pattern that emits a bright blue colour. It largely increased his speed towards the group.

    ((Shia, How long can I keep up with this?))

    ((four minutes.))

    *sighs*
    He took out a dungeon core shard that he still processed after handing them to the guild in the past.

    ((Maybe six minutes.))
    __________

    Determined to get it's attention away from the carriage, Rei switched to the flame enhancement and lifted a boulder created by the earlier slam, and flung the boulder into the snake's tail. If luck would have it it might even pin down the creature's tail in its place.
    The boulder landed on its tail pinning it down. However, the serpent noticed the boulder and tried to crush it with sharp fangs.

    Fen rushed out of the bushes and head inside the carriage. He took everything he could by putting them in a bag or tying them together with ropes and carried Regas on his shoulder. Fen jumped out of the carriage.

    "Rei! We're running away now!"

    Fen grabbed Rei's arm and dashed away following the path to Nagrand.

    Running alongside Fen, Rei questions him.

    "Did something happened? why are we running?"

    "Well. We can't fight two of them at once. Oi, Regas. I got some herbs from the serpent's habitat, you can take a look later."

    "Oh, really? How do you know there are herbs in its den?"

    Fen said nothing but pointing his finger to his nose. Approaching the open field, Fen dropped down all the baggage and laid down on the ground. he was panting and suffocating from rapid mana consumption.

    "Want me to carry them this time?" Asked a barely tired Rei.

    *breathes* "We've gained enough distance from them. Shia can guards Regas and bags.... Can you handle one of them?"

    A body of a girl appeared sitting on the luggage and waved at Rei.

    "One of the snakes? probably. I haven't tried one of my more powerful strikes yet. Beware though, weak attacks will just get nullified due to the slippery oil on his scales."

    "Okay. I'll take the one that we haven't seen yet. Well. I have to prepare something first."

    Fen connected the 'handle' with a long blade and walked away in the opposite direction of the forest that serpents were coming from.

    "Okay, good luck to you"

    Rei faced the direction of the carriage and the huge snake and focused ki into her legs.
    She boosted her jumping power and used it to hop from one tree branch to another, leaving broken branches and footprints behind on almost every tree.

    She arrived at their former location just in time to see the huge snake finish breaking down the boulder that was pinning its tail.
    Before the snake could notice her, Rei freed the horses tied to the carriage allowing them to escape the scene at full sprint.
    For now, it seems the other snake wasn't here.

    ((Did it chase after us from a different direction? Anyway, it's a good chance for me to finish the fight one on one with this big fella.
    But before that.....))

    "Shia, I arrived at our former location. there is no sign of the other snake, it might be approaching your position using a different route.
    I am taking the fight to this one for now"

    "Aaaaa. No. Another one definitely around you. It just aims for the moment you are too focused on the one in front of you. Don't worry. Fen will take care of her."

    "Fumu, I see. I am counting on him then. One last thing I forgot to say - the liquid on their body is flammable, Well then, initiating contact!"

    Rei kicked the ground and catapulted herself towards the snake, shortening the distance between them in one swoop.
    She used flame enhancement and defense armament on her entire body, as well as build up power in both her fists for a shock-wave type inferno panzer.

    "Inferno panzer - Kai!"

    Because of the spike in heat signatures, the snake was thrown into confusion.
    Like a human who stared into the sun after leaving a dark room.
    This allowed Rei to land a clean hit on its head, sending the snake flying couple meters in the air.
    The strike rattled the creature's brain, confusing it even further.
    Not to mention the fluids on its body catching on fire from her flames.

    Making use of the opening Rei chased the snake into the air, kicking footholds made of ki in the air.
    Each time she caught up to the snake, she hit it again to send into even further into the air.
    After reaching sufficient height Rei decided it was enough and overtook the snake.
    Reaching a height just above the snake's she allowed gravity to take hold of her and plunged into the ground, taking the snake with her and placing it between her and the ground.
    __________

    [Fen's POV]
    Fen stopped at some point where the trees are less dense than haunted forest.

    "Alright, this angle should be good."

    "So. What the name of this plan?"

    "How about 'Suicide ram'?"

    "Rejected."

    "Ah. Last card?"

    "Umm. Acceptable?"

    "Alright. Operation begins!"

    Fen kicked the grounds running in a straight line heading to Rei and the serpents. As he reached a certain speed, he activated the pattern like before the increase his speed further little by little. Until he saw a snake that was going to attack Rei from the side.
    Fen unsheathed the sword and hold it tightly next to his body before squeezing almost all mana he had, he pushed the pattern effect to the highest as possible as and launched himself at high speed.
    __________

    By pinning the snake with her body, it left the opportunity for another serpent to attack. The snake came out from the dark reviewing its red scales contrasting the green colour on the snake that Rei was fighting. In its mouth, there was a flame leaking.
    It tilted the head backward doing the gesture of spitting flame.

    All of sudden, something rushed out from the forest, it flew past the snake and crashed into a tree behind.
    Seconds later, The red serpent's head slid down from its body and fell. The green snake saw its partner got killed in front of him.
    It enraged, struggled and swung his tail around to make Rei get off its body.

    "Not gonna work on me this time, buddy"

    Using the snake's own movement against him, she channeled the kinetic energy from the being thrown around and all her ki into a single strike aimed at the snake's head. The snake's durability was already in shambles from the first strike as well as the fall.
    The ground cracked under the heavy blow, and the creature's skull caved in - killing it instantly.

    Rei got up, a little pale from Ki exhaustion.

    "I am done on my end, how is Fen doing?"

    As she looks around, there was only another snake carcass and a path of fallen trees that seem to be rammed with something.

    "......Shia, what exactly did your master do to reach such an outcome?"

    "His absurdity when he's motivated? Ah. He took my mana as well, I'm so sleepy~. Well. He probably lying dead right now. There are some herbs left in their den so be sure to take them."

    "Wait what? dead? what are you talking about?!"

    "Ah. Not technically dead, but cannot move."

    "Ah, okay. That's better. Did anybody ever tell you, you are misleading?"

    "..."

    Rei started to walk towards the place the first snake came slithering from.
    After a while, she reached the Den after passing through the spot with the molten skin.
    She picked up most of the herbs still growing in it, leaving enough for the patch to regrow, and returned back to the carriage where the horses returned to after realizing the threat is gone.

    "Shia tell the client I have the herbs and that it is safe to come here, and also that fortunately for him both the carriage and the horses are unharmed"

    "Okay. We'll catch up with you soon."

    A few minutes later, Shia and Regas arrived at the carriage. She followed the trail of broken trees, she found Fen lying on the ground. She grabbed one of his legs and dragged him back to the carriage.

    Rei handed over the batch of herbs to Regas, who after appraising them for a little bit, nodded and told them to get on the carriage.
    The rest of the trip was uneventful.
    It seems the snakes have scared away the weaker monsters away from this part of the forest.

    Before arriving at Nagrand, Fen got up with a pale face. He looked around him checking the surrounding.
    Then he moved his body and checked his clothes and belongings.

    *sighs* "I saw an old man waving at me in the field of flowers when I hit the tree."

    "Morning sleepy head, how is your body feeling?" Rei chuckled as she saw Fen finally awake.

    "Not bad. I reinforced my body before I crash against the tree. Where are we right now?"
    Fen questioned while stretching his arms. He touched his own face since he felt that there was something blocking his view around the corner of his eyes.

    ((Hm. The mask didn't break?))

    "On the way back to Nagrand, two hours ride away from the city"

    "Two hours... It seems we beat those guys. How should we deal with the herbs we don't need? Sell them?"

    "Do as you wish, I am not interested"

    "Alright."
    You decide the herbs price :blobReach:
    "We're back and... Would the guild buy these herbs?"

    @AliceShiki
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2019
    Xalysian and michael.kx5 like this.
  10. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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    Welcome back Rei-chan, Fen-san.

    ... You know... I ought to say I'm amazed, how did the both of you get his name wrong in every single time you talked between yourselves and with him? It can't be that hard to pronounce it right.

    Good job out there though, you cleared the quest appropriately, the reward will be 23 Large Copper Coins and 8 guild points for each.

    As for the herbs... The guild isn't particularly interested, and considering Regar wasn't interested either, they're probably not worth much... Maybe a few small copper each?

    Take care now, alright? Remember the client's name properly next time.
     
  11. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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    (( forgot to poke @michael.kx5 ))
     
  12. LittleFox21

    LittleFox21 The Soon-to-be famous Nyatsune

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    Dantia and Korin arrived in said village. It was really small for a village, only a couple dozens of tiny wooden houses that were built rather sloppily.
    There, Dantia saw what Korin meant by his request. The villagers were all smiling and laughing, but clearly they were in deep trouble. They were visually weak, thin and sickly. Only a handful of children were seen, the rest of them were middle aged.

    Korin and Dantia mare a short round of walk, having conversations with the villagers. Dantia found out that the villagers were all former slaves who ran away from their duties. Most of them were debt slaves and the rest were crime slaves and two others were victims of human trafficking.

    "I'm happy. No longer shackled. I'm free!"
    "No more beating from my master..."
    "Ah, what a bliss! To live without debts, what else can I ask for?"
    "Mother is happy, and she also said to be happy myself. So I'm happy!"

    Those remarks, Dantia felt like they said it with all their hearts. Their eyes were beaming full of happiness and their smiles were heartwarming.

    But the problem persisted, they were sick and weak. Their foods were herbs and fruits they gathered within their surrounding. They didn't farm nor hunt. They said they didn't need to because they could live this way...

    Then, there were a small commotion.

    "Fred has passed..."
    One of them said. They were circling a single middle aged man who died. His daughter was kneeling beside him and said in smiles,
    "Papa, I'm happy for you... You get to meet mama sooner. Don't worry papa! I'll join you soon!"

    Dantia and Korin were speechless. How could they be happy when their parents passed away? Not to mention the rest of the villagers were also blessing the dead in smiles. No one mourned.

    "This has to be something unnatural. Let's look for more clues." Said Korin. They split up to look at the Village's vicinity. Korin thought it was due to a curse while Dantia searched for local spirits.
    "Have you found anything?"
    Korin met Dantia in the village outskirt where there's a small stream before a small reservoir.
    "I think so. Look at that."

    Dantia pointed to the reservoir edges. No, it wasn't the edges, it was the water itself.
    There were wind, but the water ripples were weird. It almost looked like wiggling.

    "A slime?"
    "Probably, but what kind of slime?"
    "One way to find out. Let's go. Be careful though."
    "Nya."

    They approached the wiggling water cautiously. Korin drew his dagger and Dantia was clad in Foxflame.

    Suddenly a water jet was shot, aimed for Korin. Korin reacted quick enough to dodge it, but it was enough to make their advance stop.
    Then another water jet was shot to Dantia. She twisted her body to dodge. But she didn't expect the water jet to slide after it passed her, and the said jet coiled around her body.

    "Nya!?"

    It was a solid jelly like whip. Dantia tried to break free but the whip didn't give her enough time. She was lifted up and slammed against the ground.

    "Kyah!" She screamed in pain. Korin quickly cut the whip with his dagger, apparently now a flaming dagger.

    "Shit, this slime is way more aggressive than a normal one. I'm not sure since I don't know its size but maybe, just maybe, it's a King Slime. I can do damage to its body but I don't think it's a good idea for me since I'm not a mage and my sole weapon is this fire dagger. Do you have any idea?"
    "Ugh... Magic huh. I can do something. I'm a dancer and Foxflame is my specialty!"
    Dantia danced around water shots and slime whips, quite literally. She used a different kind of dance, called [Call of the Fire]. The dance was sending magical waves of Foxflames, robbing foes of their vitality and vigor. In easier terms, they lost a small portion of their strength and defense capabilities. This made Korin have easier time to cut off the slime whips while they were slowly advancing towards its main body.

    "Alright, we're close enough! Look for its its . If possible lure it to emerge from the water!" Korin shouted.
    "Easier said than done nyanno! How to do it?"
    "Just frustrate it further! Throw some fireballs maybe!"
    "Genius! Throwing fireballs to a lake?"
    "Both of us are fires! Unless you have more elements then you do something!"
    "Now we're talking!"

    All of a sudden her foxflames turned blue. The temperature were noticably lower.

    "Good thing Shii is with me!"

    Shii, the young water spirit who clinged to Dantia after she danced on top of a wyvern and caught her love, was now living in Dantia's mana. Thanks to her Dantia could change her foxflames element to water and expanding her abilities.

    "Gurren!"

    The usually fireballs Gurren was now ice spikes instead. Three frozen stakes shot to the body of water and visibly pierced the jelly substance.

    "Does it work?"
    "Keep going! Slimes are generally weak against magic!"

    And the long battle of attrition began.

    They were battling for quite some time until a change happened.

    "It comes out!"

    With Korin's shout, water suddenly erupted, revealing a huge jelly that were hiding below. Its core which was previously protected underwater now could be seen.

    "Can you pierce the core? I'll try to corner the core!"
    "Roger nya!"

    Korin dashed towards the King Slime and did a flaming slash. The attack left a huge gaping scar to its jelly body, forcing the core to vacate further. Korin repeated the strike once more and the slime retaliated. Korin leaped backwards to avoid it and Dantia replaced his role to attack.

    "Hana Arashi!"

    The rapid slashes were chipping the body very quickly and the last slash was by chance bisected the core cleanly.
    The King Slime, now with its core broken, dissolved quietly.

    "... it's over. Thanks Dantia."
    "You're welcome!"
    "Well, I'm not an expert on this but the village has this reservoir and the stream from it for their source of water. If the disease was from this slime then I will find a specialist for this matter. However I'll continue to observe the village for some time."

    Bringing the core, both of them went back victorious with Korin in particular thinking of ways to improve the Village's condition.
    "King Slime is a thing, but can a King Slime drown an entire village to a mass delusion? Or is it due to water poisoning?"
    @Lenaia
     
  13. Lenaia

    Lenaia Queen of Smiles

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    "Personally I doubt it's a King Slime, but it should be something foreign. Slimes tend to mimic the properties of whatever liquid making their structure - never touch a sewer slime -, you see, so the one you encountered probably came from alchemical waste somewhere, yes? Maybe it start smaller and grow overtime. Nevertheless, you've took care of it so that's a job well done. Your reward, eight large coppers and four guild points. Do take care, yes?"
     
    LittleFox21 likes this.
  14. Zero300

    Zero300 『Mask Maker』『Kamen Rider Khaos』『Demon Immortal』

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    Task: Defeat the Red Horse Bandits
    Requester: Grom, Nagrand's Mayor
    Quest Rank: D-rank
    Rewards: 23 Large Copper Coins
    Description: After a very unusual bandit was defeated last week, it was discovered that he was only working with robbery because he was saved by a group of bandits and felt like he had a debt to repay to them.
    The group itself has been causing trouble in the region for a while now, since we now got the location of their hideout, we're now requesting them to be swiftly wiped out.
    It should be noted that they're still unusual for bandits, as they saved a dying person and only after letting the person recover did they ask for help in robbery, so... Maybe there might be some hope for them.
    The quest will be deemed as completed for as long as the group gives up on their activities, by whatever means you find necessary.

    The quest, this time around, was more straightforward. After a previous quest completion where an unusual bandit was defeated, the guild issued a follow-up quest based on the testimony the defeated bandit gave. Apparently, the bandit was doing the dirty work of a much larger group – the Red Horse Bandits, known for their red horses. Now, this quest seemed hard for Zinc as he was one man. However, let us not forget that Zinc has a gang at his disposal – the Dragon Gang. With numbers, the doctor could definitely finish this quest with ease.

    Zinc headed towards the headquarters of the Dragon Gang located in the slums. As he arrived, he called for the leaders of the three branches for a war meeting. When everyone arrived, Zinc glanced over towards the leader of the Flying Dragon Branch for any information they had scoured about the Red Horse Bandits. Quickly, the branch leader presented Zinc with enemy numbers, enemy location, shift changes, as well as any rumors or gossip that they could use to their advantage. Apparently, most of the newly-joined bandits were under contract like the unusual bandit the guild had captured. And for the older bandits, they were disgruntled with the leaders of the group.

    After the meeting, Zinc ordered that both the Roaring Dragon and Breathing Dragon move out. The group moved out of the city in the middle of the night to avoid causing unnecessary commotion. Soon, they arrived a few hundred feet away from the location. Since dawn was fast approaching, Zinc ordered Breathing Dragon to get into positions around the camp’s patrol and infiltrate inside. Then, as the first rays of the sun broke through the sky, the doctor charged towards the camp’s gates with Roaring Dragon riding alongside him. The dwelf and his men crashed into the camp, causing chaos and death.

    While Roaring Dragon provided the distractions, Breathing Dragon took their initial clash as a signal to sneak up behind the leaders of the bandits for quick assassinations. Once Zinc was notified of the successful assassinations, Zinc roared like a lion while he flashed his Tiger’s Aura towards his enemies, causing them to freeze up and drop their weapons.

    “Red Horse Bandits! Surrender now! We have already killed your leaders!” Zinc roared.

    With that remark, the Breathing Dragon tossed out more than ten heads which rolled to a stop at the bandits’ feet. Upon seeing their leaders decapitated, the newly-joined bandits immediately knelt down in relief and anxiousness. Though most of the older bandits knelt down as well, some resisted. For those who resisted, Zinc used a necessary force – both to eradicate any opposition and to instill enough fear to eradicate any future opposition. With a quick stroke, Zinc beheaded those who resisted.

    “Do you understand your position now? Your group is done. Dissolve now!” Zinc hollered once more.

    “B-But, where will we go?” One of the older bandits grunted as he stared warily at Zinc’s Amputation Knife.

    “You can scatter across the lands for all I care. Or you can join me.” Zinc immediately offered.

    “Are you able to feed us and shelter us?” Another bandit asked curiously.

    “Yes.”

    “Then, I’m in!”

    “I-I’m in too."

    Many decided to leave, most of them were those who were bound by contract. However, the older bandits, who had no other way to provide for themselves, decided to join the Dragon Gang, forming another branch known as the Clawing Dragon Branch – known for their sharp and speedy attacks as well as their thievery skills. The Clawing Dragon will be in charge of blitz attacks and robberies.

    After taking care of the Red Horse Bandits, Zinc headed back and submitted his success.
    @AliceShiki
     
  15. Haxagen

    Haxagen Fallen's|Addicted to Gacha

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    "Done!"

    "Huh? Well, if I really had to say...then something like a small house in the middle of a forest, probably."

    "What do you like doing to pass the time?"

    "Hobbies? Uhm...making dolls and studying magic, I guess."

    "...Favourite food?"

    "...None in particular."

    Silence.

    "...You better not tell me that you spend a large portion of time everyday solely on magical research."

    The puppeteer tilted her head.

    "Is there a problem with that?"

    "Of course there is?! What do you do besides magical research?"

    "Eat, sleep, sewing, travelling to other places...I think?"

    "Friends…?"

    "...I don't have that many."

    "...Okay, we're going out to town. I'll bring you around. You can bring the dolls along."

    "Eh? But I'm still in midst of my research---"

    "If you do nothing but stay there all day, it'll be you who'll become research material someday. Grab your valuables, we're gonna go out."

    "Ehhh."

    *****

    "See? I told you it's not that bad."

    Two girls strolled along the streets of Nagrand.

    "It's true...It looks cheap, but tastes unexpectedly good."

    “Ahaha...It’s only street fare, don’t expect too much from the appearance. Unlike royalty or nobles, this is the kind of fare most commoners eat.”

    “If that’s the case, why are you eating it?”

    “Huh?”

    “Am I wrong, then? It’s usually rare for a commoner to be so well-versed in arithmetic like you are. We went through several shops at once, but not only have you displayed calculating and writing ability, you also know how merchants work.”

    “That’s it, huh...Ahaha…”

    The puppeteer shrugged, chewing on a skewer of roasted meat.

    “Seems like you’ve got your circumstances as well. Very well, I shall not ask then.”

    “My thanks for that. Still, how’s it feel? To go out for a walk like this every now and then.”

    “It’s not too unpleasant, I guess. I still prefer staying in a house, though.”

    Elaine nodded at her temporary counterpart, who was currently using some puppets to amuse a small group of children. As the puppeteer made the dolls do all sorts of silly movements, she couldn't help but grin.

    "You're really good at it, huh. It feels as if the dolls are alive and intelligent, and I barely see you even moving your hands."

    "It's only thanks to practice."

    The spectators clapped as one of her dolls performed a mid-air somersault to finish the show. The puppeteer gathered up her dolls, bowed collectively with them, and then had all the dolls slip back into her bag.

    “I guess habits don’t change that easily, ahaha...in that case, let’s start making our way back to your inn. You have guests.”

    “Oh, I see. Shall we take the side alley then?”

    *****

    "To think that they would dare to try and ambush us with only five people...I know they only see two young girls, but isn't that way too much underestimating? Well, I guess we solved---oh no."

    "What is---the inn."

    The black smoke curled lazily up into the sky. There wasn't a lot yet, but more would definitely be following up.

    "Hurry! I didn't think they'll go as far as involving others into this!"

    Elaine grumbled unhappily as she ran along the alleys, heading for the pillar of smoke. Thick black smoke could only mean one thing; something huge was burning. The fact that the inn where the puppeteer was staying at was in that area was too much of a coincidence.

    “Flying would be faster.”

    “I can’t fly, though. Jumping across the roofs work, although I’ve had a few roofs collapse on me when I try to cross them.”

    “Nevermind then. Breaking a few bones would greatly slow down our progress.”

    Silently, the puppeteer followed behind. The pair soon found themselves outside the inn, pushing through the crowd to get to the front. There were already town guards hurrying people away from the burning building, although there wasn’t many people putting the fire out.

    “Let me help!”

    Elaine joined the queue of people passing around buckets, and helped out with refilling the buckets from the well. The puppeteer herself was just behind her, commanding her dolls to...make small orbs of water?

    “You can use magic?”

    “Now’s not the time! Put out the fires first!”

    “Alright! But those small balls of water won’t do much unless---Keep making them! I’ll be borrowing these!”

    “What are you---Oh! Very well then!”

    Elaine made a clasping motion with her hands, and water pooled from the small orbs. As the small dolls conjured up more and more small orbs, those went into the mixture as well---slowly creating a sphere that grew larger and larger.

    “Those with the buckets, dump the water onto the sphere instead of the house! The fire will go out faster if we put it all out at once!”

    It was unclear who gave that order, but the sphere grew faster thanks to their efforts. Elaine lifted the small cabin-sized water orb some ways above the burning building, and let it drop from that height.

    The flames spluttered noisily as they went out. The inn didn’t collapse, thankfully, but some rooms on the second floor would definitely need fixing and replacing. By sheer luck, nobody died.

    “We found the arsonist!”

    Okay, one person died. The person who set off the fire was sprawled just outside the inn’s back door, charred to a crisp. Steam was still rising from the recently smoked skin, and the extinguished match was still gripped firmly in the right hand.

    “I guess their target was really you after all. Your room was directly above where he died.”

    “It’s good luck you dragged me outside for a walk, then. But that means the thugs earlier were just trying to mug us. Whoever was after me is still out there.”

    “Not really.”

    “Hm?”

    Elaine grinned.

    “I caught some guys snooping around when I was using my magic earlier. See if the guards can get anything out of them.”

    “Nicely done.”

    *****

    “It’s rare to see other humans around these parts, most of the population are nonhuman. What brought you all the way here from the human empire?”

    Elaine did manage to catch a few of the culprits in the end, although it wasn’t clear who was backing them. So instead the two went to get some food.

    "I'm not human, though."

    "Huh?"

    “What, surprised? I gave it up for magic. That’s why I was looking for someone to take this request of mine. Call it an old habit if you so wished.”

    Nom. The puppeteer took a huge bite out of the bread.

    "You still took a rather large bet, you know. I could only put the fire out in time because I have Water Magic. If you had gotten a black mage or a pure warrior, some of your dolls might have been burnt."

    "I know. That's why…"

    The puppeteer held up one of the dolls saved from the fire. It was of a rather crude make.

    "Every doll I had left there were cursed dolls. They explode if I command them to, and they don't really fear fire."

    "Oh, I see---you what? The dolls explode?!"

    Elaine was suddenly already three tables away.

    "I'm not going to use them to burn down the town. Or do you believe that power of any kind is evil?"

    "Of course not. I'll be a hypocrite if I said that."

    "Well, I think this puts an end to the matter, then. We have our culprits."

    "You sure about that? What if more are hiding in the shadows?"

    "After how we crushed them and thinned out their numbers? It'll be a bit before anyone has guts to try again."

    "If you put it like that, then I guess I'll accept then. Though, if something happens again, do come to look for me at the guild. I'll help you with it free of charge."

    "Mhm. Goodbye."

    "Alright, see you later, missus Margatroid!"
     
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  16. WhitesRabbit48

    WhitesRabbit48 Well-Known Member

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    Wandering into the guild, Lethe slid over his and Nero's guild report.

    Both @wraith and I agree that this is far (very far) from a great work of literature, so please be warned.
    Much cleaner and more well rested than when he had accepted the quest, Lethe made his way to the area in front of the tavern to meet Nero. It was going to a long journey, so he had made sure to prepare by packing all the snacks they could possibly need. Well, that was only if Nero had the same size stomach as the small adventurer which was, to be honest, rather unlikely. Not that Lethe had thought that far ahead in his exhausted state while he was preparing his things.

    Nero had never visited the land of the Fairies before, so he was looking forward to this latest adventure. He had spent the previous day by sharpening his weapons and preparing supplies for the trip to come. Upon meeting up with Lethe at the tavern, he gently picked up the Rabbitkin adventurer and started moving towards the city gates, where the merchants caravans would set off from.

    "Have you ever been to the Fairy land?", Nero asked his teammate as they made the way across the streets.


    Pondering the question while munching on a biscuit, Lethe eventually responded with a shrug.

    “Not sure: can’t ‘member. You?” he mumbled out and proceeded to offer Nero a biscuit.

    "Never been there myself," Nero answered as he accepted the biscuit offered to him and hoofed it into his mouth.

    Lethe nodded at Nero’s response as they continued towards the city gates.

    “Hopefully, they’ve good snacks.” The little adventurer muttered as he began to wonder what the local delicacies would be.

    With Nero’s large strides, it didn’t take long before the city gates came into sight and the Sī Trade Group along with it. The duo had liaised with this particular band of merchants a few days prior and planned to offer protection in exchange for a free ride. They would travel with the Sī Group all the way through the HEM to Fuar at the far north of the Beastman Alliance. After that, they would have to find another way to complete the last leg of their journey to reach Fairy Land.


    A number of days had passed, and the adventurers had finally arrived at Fuar. The Fairy Land wasn't much further away, but they had split up from the merchants and would have to find a way to complete this journey some other way. Nero was currently roaming the streets of Fuar in order to replenish the depleted supplies and find information on Fairy Land. As noon approached, he decided that it was time to regroup with Lethe at the meeting point.

    After splitting up with Nero, Lethe wandered around a) to find supplies, b) gather information, and– most importantly– c) try the local delicacies. Lethe asked around quite a bit before learning that Tosh’s Tea House was the place to go for all the best food. Apparently, they had a killer Krumkake– which Fuar was known for. Having gotten lost four or five times, the small rabbitkin finally made it to Tosh’s right next to the city gates.

    Outside the Tea House, he ran into a rather peculiar situation: a drunk fairy was clinging onto passing travels trousers and boots while crying incessantly.

    Nero reached the tea house and looked around for Lethe thoroughly before he felt a tugging at the base of his slacks. Feeling embarrassed that he had missed spotting his partner who was right by his feet, he looked down to find that it was, in fact, someone else entirely. Upon a closer look, Nero discovered that the person was crying and, more importantly, a fairy. He took another look around the tea house to confirm that Lethe wasn't to be seen and decided to kill some time by listening to the woes of the Fairy crying by his feet.

    “I-I jUSt WAnt SomE HEEeeELP! WHy wILL nO oNe HElp meEeEEEE!?! You, WilL yOU HelP Me?!?!”

    “SOme Alms, SOME alms fOr a CUte FaIRy? OR eVen JuST A FaVOr! I-i ProMise T-to REturN the FAvor!”

    Noticing Nero was the fairy latest victim accosted by the fairy, Lethe made his way over to the two.

    “Don’t trust the lass!” Warned a Beastman that poked her head out from the Tea House. “All she ever do is gamble and drink! She ain’t got nothing the two of you would want!”

    Turning to the rambling fairy she continued: “Narcenaminima, you better let that man go ‘n get out of here ‘fore I get Tosh and his men out here! You’re disturbing the customers!”

    Lethe was feeling a bit conflicted but nonetheless helped unglue the fairy from Nero’s slacks.


    Nero acknowledged the Beastman's helpful words with a nod before turning to Lethe who had managed to position himself between the Fairy and his slacks, " Let us get something to eat before going across the border."

    "Wait-t! BORDER! YES, YeeeeSSS!", the drunk fairy had remembered that the border was a thing and gave it her most enthusiastic stamp of approval. Nero raised an eyebrow before leading Lethe into the tea house. Unfortunately, they didn't make tow steps before the fairy cut across their path and swayed to a stop. With a powerful finger point towards Nero, she continued,"I'llll comee, wiiiiiiith youuuu."

    "Yeah, I'm not interested," Nero replied, as he stepped across the drunk and resumed his journey to the tea house.


    While fighting to keep the fairy from clutching onto them, Nero and Lethe were welcomed into the tea house by the beastman. Inside the two got to know a few locals and partake in the local cuisine paired with a warm tea.

    When they finally made their way back outside, they were once again stopped by the fairy– who was a bit soberer at this point.

    “I’m *hic* sorry ‘bout earlier. *hic* Had a little to much *hic* trying to drown my sorrows.”

    “Any way *hic* you two fine lads willing to help this *hic* cute little sister out? Promise it won’t be anything dangerous. *hic*”

    “What d’you need?” Asked Lethe eyeing the fairy cautiously. Maintaining his line of sight, Lethe slowly maneuvered himself between Nero and the fairy. There was no way he’d let her attack Nero’s poor pants twice.


    "I need to send a letter to my family as *hic*, as soon as possible. I need to send a *hic* a letter. Yeah...", the Fairy answered, "To the border town of Bulfov."

    "Bulfov is nearby, but not exactly on the way", Nero replied with a twinge of annoyance. He really didn;t want to deal with this drunken Fairy anymore.

    "I'm a merchant! *hic* My family will reward you. I'll tell them to reward you", and with those words, the Fairy produced a piece of parchment from somewhere and began to draft a letter on the spot. Apparently, the Fairy was in debt due to gambling and was seeking financial aid from some of her richer relatives. She gave the letter to Lethe and clapped her hands to congratulate herself.

    "Alright then, we need to get moving", Nero started walking away, hoping that Lethe was following.

    Lethe did his best to follow but started to fall behind before he resorted to running. After catching up, he kept at a steady jog so as not to be left behind.

    “We goin’ ... to Bulfov?” The smaller adventurer managed to squeeze out.

    “ ‘d ... feel bad... t’ leave her...” he continued muttering between pants. “ ‘n it’s ... not ... too far...out th’ way...”

    Nero waited for Lethe to catch up and climb onto his shoulder before continuing to move towards the city gates.

    "Yeah, from what I've gathered, Bulfov is the nearest town on the other side of the border. If we leave now, we should reach there by sunset. I would prefer that to moving around in an unknown forest at night. We'll deliver it if we come across his family."


    Lethe gave a quick thanks to Nero while scrambling up onto his shoulder. Having settled down onto the half human's shoulder, the rabbitkin continued to listen to Nero's words before giving a nod in agreement.

    Thanks to Nero's lengthy strides, the two reached Bulfov slightly ahead of schedule and quickly found an inn to reside in for the night. Well, there was only one inn so it's not like there were many options.

    Given Bulfov's smaller size, Lethe figured they might as well ask the locals if they knew anything about the drunk fairy, Narcenaminima, and her family.

    Lethe and Nero spent a couple of hours in the Bulfov market area asking about the Neuva trading company. By the time the sun had set, they reached the conclusion that Narcenaminima had sent them to chase after something that didn't really exist, at least not for the commoners of the border town of Bulfov.

    Feeling drained out after traveling the entire afternoon and then exploring the market area for a fruitless search quest, Nero wanted nothing more than to get a good rest before they went to hunt the giant snakes. As the sun set in the horizon, he found an inn at the town center and fell asleep as soon as he laid down on his bed.


    Lethe was also rather irritated by the wild goose chase. He was never trusting fairies who were intoxicated ever again! After munching on one of Grandma Gene's Gorgeous Gingerbread Cookies the small adventurer felt slightly less aggravated by the affair and promptly passed out on his bed.

    Nero and Lethe rose early the next morning. Being in the forest in the midday heat was not something either of them wanted to experience, so they wanted to leave as soon as the sun rose. The two quickly packed their things and departed after what can only be regarded as a passable breakfast.

    Bulfov was 3 hours east of the forest they had been told contained the enormous snakes they sought to capture. Thankfully, the journey was not as taxing as the trip to Bulfov as they passed through relatively flat terrain.

    As they went deeper into the forest, the trees became larger and the space between them grew wider. It was obvious that they had entered an area that was ideal for gigantic creatures to live in. Sensing that the time was right, Nero focused his mana and summoned his familiar, Parcae.

    "Where are we?", were the first words out of Parcae's mouth.

    "We need to capture a giant snake. Will you be able to possess one?", Nero replied.

    "Are you seriously asking me that? I can do something like that in my -"

    Parcae's offended words were cut short because of a loud rumbling coming from the ground. The ground around them started to rumble as a massive snakehead emerged from the ground. The snakehead started to rise into the air and after reaching a height twice that of Nero, it stopped and stared down at the adventurers.


    From what the adventurers had been told, the Children of Jomungandr where extremely poisonous but had an innate fear of thunder and lightning. Unfortunately, neither of them had any powers related to either...

    Well, hopefully, vines worked just as well? Lethe quickly gave his pillow (that appeared from who knows where) a fluff to summon Lesovy. The green slime quickly appeared.

    "Yes, Ma-" At that point, Lesovy had turned and seen the enormous snake that loomed overhead.

    Lethe, on the other hand, just serenely pointed at the Child of Jomungandr with a yawn saying: "Tie."

    Mildly exasperated with his master's seemingly nonchalant attitude, Leovy did as he was instructed. Two vines were quickly summoned to hold the gargantuan snake in place.

    Taking inspiration from Lethe, Nero casually pointed at the incapacitated snake and ordered Parcae, "Possess."

    Parcae, of course, didn't respond as he was lying limp on top of Nero's head, already attempting to possess the creature. After a couple of minutes of struggling, the snake became incredibly docile and stopped hissing.

    "Looks like Parcae has succeeded. Let's set him free."


    Lesovy quickly retracted his vines and turned to start lecturing Lethe on his lack of manners.

    "Master! Why do-" before the slime could continue to berate him, Lethe returned him to the summoning pillow. Hopefully, he would calm down after a short leave of absence...

    Wondering how it was so easy, Lethe wandered around the snake and gave it a poke.

    "Parcae know anythin' 'bout why 't was s' easy?" He then turned to ask Nero while wondering when he would next have the chance to nap.

    "According to him, possession becomes easier if the target has low intelligence. Looks like possessing beasts isn't really a challenge to him. Might have been harder for us if it wasn't tied down", Nero replied before asking the most important question, "Do you think we can ride this thing all the way to Nagrand?"

    Lethe looked at the snake and back at Nero before giving a decisive nod. When else would they get the chance to parade around on a giant snake?

    Their mode of transportation settled, Lethe made a strong attempt to clamber onto the snake only to fail miserably.

    After making sure that Parcae's body was secure, Nero lifted Lethe into his arms and jumped up and successfully mounted the neck of the snake.

    "Onward mighty steed!", Nero declared, before almost falling off when the snake started to zigzag its way South. After a few minutes, he got used to the constant shifting of momentum and relaxed into a more comfortable position.

    After a long, dusty, uh, interesting ride, the two finally made it back to Nagrand in what appeared to be one piece. As they slithered into the city on their majestic mount, they almost managed to flatten a small fairy caravan that appeared to be making their way out of the city.

    As the merchant caravan was made up of Fairies, Nero decided to ask them about the elusive Neuva trading company. What do you know, they were the Neuva trading company! It's funny how things just conveniently fall into place right at the end of a mission and the deadline to finish a quest is fast approaching. As a reward for the letter, the caravan paid the two adventurers a Large copper coin each. Having been rewarded for their troubles, the adventurers left the possessed snake at the city gates and went to the guild to submit the guild report.
    - Living Child of Jomungandr awaits pick up at the city gate.
    - Riding a Child of Jomungandr as a form of transportation is mildly ill-advised unless one is experienced in the ways of snake riding. Novices are to be warned.

    @AliceShiki


     
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  17. Heckaton

    Heckaton Well-Known Member

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    “…”

    Grendel sat at the corner of the tavern, staring silently at a piece of paper in his hand before heaving a sigh and lifted his sight to the crow atop the table in front of him.

    “Hahahaha! That look on your face! Hahaha! I know it’s worth it to take that quest! One ‘interesting’ quest, as you asked!” Uzuki smugly chuckled, no doubt feeling proud of his ’prank’.

    “Well, I don’t mean… *sigh*. You do realize you’re using other people only to prank me, right? Do you really need to be told it’s not a good thing?” Grendel asked in resignation.

    “Well, jokes aside, it’s not like it’s something you’re unable to do, right?”

    “…Fine. But you won’t get to pick the quest again. Not in a long while, at least.” Grendel responded as he stood up and left the tavern to visit the client’s house.

    “Tch. Buzzkill.”

    ***
    -Day 1-
    “Thank you once again, Grendel. I’ll be back around dusk, so until then, I’m leaving Ella and Eric under your care.”

    “Yeah, leave it to me,” Grendel reassured the client, Lola, while sending her off to work.

    After she left, Grendel was now left with nothing much to do except to spend his time waiting for either lunch or the children waking up. Something of a rarity these days, actually, since he actively kept himself busy, and when he doesn’t, he spends it in a conversation with his familiar – which was currently absent, for some reason.

    ‘I really shouldn’t let him take a quest alone next time,’ Grendel grumbled as he took a seat at the dining table and took a few pieces of paper and started reading them – memos that Lola left him earlier before she left. In it, she wrote some pointers about how to ration the children’s food, when to take their medicines, and even some tips and tricks to help him in case the children are too tense around him.

    ‘Wow. Didn’t think it was so thorough,’ Grendel thought in amazement, ‘A far cry from a certain other parent I know.’ He chuckled as he put the memos down, slightly reminiscing about the gung-ho treatment his father did when he was sick – which were very rare, thankfully.

    Grendel’s daydreaming about the past proved to be an unexpectedly excellent way to spend time, as he only snapped out of it when the pair of children – Ella and Eric showed up, looking for some lunch.

    Left with too much free time once again after the lunch ended, Grendel started wandering around the house to keep him occupied while the children are asleep. Not exactly the most proper thing to do in a stranger’s house, though he still kept himself only to the dining room and corridor.

    ‘I should probably bring something to spend the time tomorrow.’

    - Day 2 -
    Although it was quite the smooth sailing yesterday, today was not quite the same, unfortunately. Sometime after Lola left, a wailing suddenly broke out from the bedroom and startled Grendel. Flustered, he hastily entered the bedroom to find the source of it, Eric, is crying while clinging to his sister… and started crying even louder when he saw Grendel.

    Grendel instantly regretted his decision, as he realized a giant man half-barging through the door is probably the last thing that will calm down a crying kid half his size, not to mention as a stranger inside his house.

    ‘Damn. Really messed it up there.’ Grendel cursed himself as he quickly racked his brain, trying to remember if there’s anything in the memo he read that can help him out right now as he sat down on the floor in front of the bed and tried to calm him down, “Umm, really sorry for scaring you there, Eric, I didn’t mean to. Could you perhaps tell me why you were crying?” Sadly, his efforts are in vain, as Eric didn’t stop crying at all.

    “I think he got a nightmare,” Ella suddenly told him. “He just suddenly woke up and started crying out for mom.”

    “O, Oh. Thanks for telling me” Grendel replied with a smile, though he’s still panicking inside. A dozen or so possible options flashed inside his mind, but he is unable to determine whether any of them could actually calm Eric down.

    As Grendel closed his eyes and thought furiously on what he should do next, “Pfft,” a quiet laugh suddenly caught his attention.

    “?” he opened his eyes, where he saw Eric, who has somehow stopped crying before he noticed, suddenly broke into laughter along with Ella.

    ““Hahaha!””

    Confused with what happened, Grendel can only stare at the two of them dumbfoundedly.

    “Uncle, your face was weird!” Eric pointed out while laughing with his still-wet face.

    “Eh? Weird? What do you mean?”

    “He meant the face you made just now when you closed your eye. It is a weird one, you know, with your furrowed brows and all. ” Ella added while laughing.

    Still confused with the unexpected finding, Grendel started touching his face, wondering just how and why they’re calling his face ‘weird’, which in turn caused the siblings to burst out laughing once again.

    “No, seriously, what part of it is so funny?”

    - Day 3 -
    By the last day of his job, the siblings have gotten healthy enough to be moving around, though Lola still cautioned Grendel to not let them overexert themselves. It’s not something quite difficult though, as it turns out that Ella is originally a rather behaved kid in contrast to the rambunctious Eric, which is thankfully more interested in Grendel right now, pestering him to show him ‘the weird face’ again.

    Although by the time Lola returned Grendel was quite exhausted mentally for being laughed at all day, all in all, it was quite the peaceful day.

    @AliceShiki
     
  18. rosie94hrpr

    rosie94hrpr Active Member

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    Ghosts in the library? Sounds like just the quest for me! With my Holy Magic, getting rid of these ghosts should be a relatively simple task.

    I arrived at the library in the afternoon. I asked to meet with Sued, the quest issuer, and was shown into his office. He entered a little while later.
    "Oh, are you the adventurer that took on my quest? Thank you very much for your help."
    "Not at all," I said "I'm rather skilled in Holy Magic, so I thought I may be of some use in this situation. Plus, I can't stand the thought of someone ruining a library."
    "Glad to meet someone else who feels libraries are important. As I explained on the quest notice..."

    Our conversation ended there. I heard a loud BANG! and some screaming. I got up to go see what was going on, when an employee ran into his office with a panicked expression on her face. Not even realizing I was there, she exclaimed, "Sued, it's happening again! It gets worse every time. This time, an entire row of extremely heavy bookshelves fell, almost crushing our guests! Fortunately, no one was hurt too badly, but if this goes on I'm afraid the library will have to close!"

    I decided to see for myself what exactly was going on. I left the office and headed to the main floor of the library. What I saw there shocked me. Just like the girl had said, an entire row of heavy bookshelves had toppled over, as if someone had played dominoes with them. Papers and books were flying everywhere, and panicked guests were rushing towards the exits, screaming. And in the midst of all this, there were the ghosts.

    I took a deep breath to steady myself, aimed my wand at a cluster of ghosts, and cast an exorcism spell. The ghosts vanished in a flash of bright light. I had to act fast, before the other ghosts noticed what I was doing and targeted me. Fortunately the confusion and chaos they were causing worked in my favor. It was difficult for them to find me even after they noticed, so, somehow, I managed to get rid of them all, though I completely drained my mana doing so. It was quiet, then I heard the office door open.

    "Is it over, are we safe?" The female employee asked hopefully, sticking her head out the door. I nodded. "You can come out now, they're all gone." I said. Both her and Sued stepped out into the library. It was a huge mess, but the ghosts were gone. I smiled apologetically "I would help with clean-up, but I'm afraid I'm out of mana. Besides that, I may have dealt with the ghosts, but if Eddy's still mad at you I'm afraid this will happen all over again, so..."

    "Don't worry about that." Sued interrupted me. "He's likely completely forgotten about this for now. And you've done more than enough already. Thank you very much." Sued went back into his office for a moment. I could hear him searching for something. He came back out with a potion bottle in hand. "Since you said you drained your mana, have this as well. It's a mana recovery potion. Consider it a tip on top of the quest reward."
    I thanked him, told him I would drink it later, then left the library. It was dark outside by then. I decided I would collect the reward tomorrow morning, then headed back home. I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

    • Received 1 mid-grade mana recovery potion as additional reward (saving for future use)
    • Small increase in mana pool due to using it until exhausted
    • Increased skill in Holy Magic: Exorcism

    @Naraku I finished my quest!
     
  19. Siostar

    Siostar Well-Known Member

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    The city of Nagrand, famous as a place for orcs and odd adventures. Most of the times, you would see strange things since the people there don't seem to like a boring day. Other times though, there will be unknown dangers hidden in the darkest corner.

    For Lykke however, it was but just another peaceful day, perhaps too peaceful for an adventure of Nagrand?

    "Hmm.... an anthem huh..." muttered the girl in a thoughtful manner, reminded of her task from a song she heard a moment ago. "If I go to the library..." she stopped herself and paid attention to the streets again before she could get lost.

    "Um... should be this way..." Lykke said, sounding rather unconvincing since she almost went the wrong way. Even so, no one could really blame her to get lost, after all, the city was like a labyrinth by itself, easily misleading the newcomers on the first day.

    Well, after that, Lykke didn't let her mind wander again and simply arrived at the library.
    __________________________________________

    "A book on Nagrand's history?" The librarian asked, a bit surprised by Lykke's choice of book.
    "Y..yeah... do you have such a book, here...?" The adventure answered awkwardly, feeling nervous for strangers as usually.

    "Well, we have some records from when the Adventure Guild was built, the records before that should be at Mayor Glom's house."
    "I see... Em... do you have some book on songs instead."

    "Oh, songs and poems will be there over," said the librarian with his hand directed to the right place, "do you want me to guide you there?"
    "N..no, it's fine. I..I can find them by myself..." she mumbled uneasily and asked for a pen and some papers. After which, she went to the bookshelf and took three books, that seem to match the genre. The idea was to gain some inspiration from the books, so she could write an acceptable song.

    As she scanned around the room, the girl quickly found a table with more lighting and took a seat. Lykke placed one side with books and the other side with the papers, as she worked on the song like this for the next few days before it was like a letter to the mayor's house.
    To Mayor Grom
    From E-ranked Adventure, Lykke

    From the soils of cold, on the roads unknown
    Darkness taint the soul we own
    Craving holes deep within
    Hunting us with every sin

    Even so, we seek the light
    Even if we walk at night

    Hoping for a change of view
    We want our life to change anew
    And came upon a city so grand
    And changed our lives in the great Nagrand​
    Em... I think did my quest, though it may be too short... @Naraku
     
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  20. strikegunner

    strikegunner Well-Known Member

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    In the forest next to the area where the merchants were attacked, Fen hid on the tree beside the bandit, preparing to attack. He jumped down, grabbed the bandit’s neck and retreated back on to the tree. Fen made sure that the guy is unconscious due to lack of air, Fen killed him by wrapping the rope around his neck to prevent the smell of blood leaking out. Fen stripped the bandit’s clothes and wore them to infiltrate the hideout.


    He wandered around as a guard until dinner time. Fen poured down the poison into water barrels and vanished into the dark. It seems the bandits were celebrating about the loots that day. Not long after that, the Fen returned to the camp, spotting bodies lying on the ground. Some of them were struggling while being paralyzed while the rest died from the poison.


    “Woah. This thing is good. I might buy it from Jack again.”


    He amazed at how effective the poison was. Fen finished off the rest of them that were still breathing. He just took back the weapons then sold them as always and left other stolen goods to the client.
    Got 23 large copper coins from selling weapons and the rest pay as a fee for learning blacksmith skills from Asgith.