Vol. 3: Chapter 6
Meanwhile, similar events were unfolding in every starting village across the server. A wide variety of quests were available, catering to every type of player.
Low-level players with poor gear could take on simple, braindead-easy tasks like hauling supplies, running errands, or gathering materials. The point rewards were modest, but the work was steady.
High-level, well-geared players could sign up for high-risk, high-reward combat missions like patrol duty, escort quests, or raiding enemy camps.
Artisan players weren't left out, either; they could work as assistants in weaponsmiths, tailor shops, and apothecaries, earning points at a rate comparable to the combat missions.
It wasn't the dramatic, large-scale siege battle everyone had initially expected, but as the points trickled in, a deep sense of satisfaction spread through the player base. The rewards available in the contribution point store were more than enough to keep everyone motivated.
Level 25 Legendary Item: 1,000 Points
Level 25 Ascendant Item: 2,000 Points
Level 30 Legendary Item: 1,500 Points
Level 30 Ascendant Item: 3,000 Points
For the vast majority of the player base—the casuals who formed the game's foundation—this was a rare opportunity to get their hands on Legendary-tier gear, the kind of stuff they could usually only dream of.
As the in-game sun began to rise, Lila’s team had already completed five major quests, netting them over 800 contribution points each. The initial excitement had given way to a deep-seated exhaustion. Pulling all-nighters wasn't exactly what the girls were used to.
After turning in their latest quest, Lila addressed the team. “Okay, listen up. I’ve created a shift schedule that splits our 500 members into three rotating groups: A, B, and C. This will ensure we have a strong presence online at all times. Remember to check in on the sheet when you log on. Anyone with perfect attendance for all three days gets a ten-thousand-dollar bonus. Shift leaders get an extra two thousand. If there’s an emergency, the shift leaders have my number.”
Though they were exhausted, the announcement sent a jolt of energy through the group.
“Whoa, seriously?”
“All hail the Guild Leader!”
“Suddenly, I’m not tired anymore.”
“Hey, boss, if I check in for all three shifts, can I get triple the pay?”
“You trying to die from exhaustion?”
“You’re not gonna believe this, but I’ve literally never seen ten grand in my bank account.”
“Same here…”
Lila knew most of them were just joking, but she felt the need to be firm. “You can only check in for one shift per day! Get some proper rest. The next three days are going to be a marathon.”
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“Yes, Guild Leader!” the girls replied in unison.
After giving a few more instructions, Lila logged off. She wasn't the only one. Across the server, players who had been online all night were signing off to recharge their batteries, preparing for the battles they knew were still to come.
***
In stark contrast to the feverish activity in the village, Kael’s all-nighter had been excruciatingly boring. The moment he had logged back in the previous night, a bright red system warning had flashed on his screen.
[WARNING]: Please depart Starlight Village immediately. Failure to comply will result in forced expulsion and a temporary ban from using the teleport nexus. Time remaining: 46 minutes.
He had no choice but to use the teleporter. His destination, Elderbloom Valley, was part of the vast Mount Celestara range. Without a nexus, the journey would take a month of non-stop running.
Kael teleported to Ironclad Citadel and, without bothering to greet Draevan, immediately set off at a full sprint toward the mountains. To avoid drawing attention, he activated his Heart of the Ocean, switching its effect to Night Vision. He encountered countless monsters along the way, but not a single one attacked him.
The reason was the Soul Cloak he wore. It was a prize he had won from the corpse of Shadow Assassin Rysa during the original siege of Starlight Village. It should have been a low-level cloak restricted to the Rogue class, but Kael’s immense Luck had triggered a reward upgrade, transforming it into the all-class Soul Cloak.
[Soul Cloak]
Allows the wearer to cast [Phantom Step]
Class Requirement: None
It was an incredibly useful piece of functional gear. It didn't conflict with traditional armor slots, as Cloaks were assigned to one of the dedicated accessory slots.
When active, Phantom Step allowed him to completely ignore the aggro of any monster within 20 levels of him. Even against monsters 30 levels higher, it drastically reduced their detection range; they wouldn't spot him unless he came within two yards. Barring a boss with powerful anti-stealth abilities, he was effectively invisible.
Normally, such an item would make finding Elderbloom Valley a breeze. There was just one small problem: the Mount Celestara range was anything but small. It spanned three thousand miles east to west and three hundred miles north to south.
According to the map Isaac had given him, his destination was a straight three-hundred-mile run. At his current movement speed, that would take at least twenty to thirty hours. The time limit on his quest was nowhere near long enough.
Muttering curses under his breath, Kael settled in for a long, monotonous grind, running on autopilot through the endless mountain passes. The entire night passed without a break.
As the sky began to lighten, he couldn't take it anymore. I need to do something exciting, or I’m going to lose my mind.
He stopped and eyed a Level 50 boss patrolling its territory about 200 yards away.
Nope. That’s not exciting, that’s just suicidal.
He smacked the side of his head, abandoning the crazy idea. If he died, the entire night of running would have been for nothing. He scrolled through his system panels, looking for a distraction. Suddenly, his eyes landed on a chest in his inventory, and it hit him.
That’s right! I never opened the reward chest the Second Chieftain gave me.
It was a special chest, one that required Grandmaster-level Lockpicking to open. For a normal player, Grandmaster was the absolute skill cap. For Kael, it was just another tool in his arsenal.
He placed the chest on the ground and pulled out a set of simple lockpicks.
You are using a [Grandmaster] Lockpicking technique to open the chest…
1%... 2%... 3%...
In his previous life, Kael’s Lockpicking skill had never been high enough to open a chest of this grade himself. He had once paid the legendary rogue Nyxar ten million dollars to open one for him, and the reward had been a unique material used to upgrade a Mythic item. It was with that very material that he had forged his first Mythic-tier weapon.
This chest won’t disappoint me, he thought.
…98%... 99%... 100%!Click.
[System]: You have opened the treasure chest. You have obtained…
Kael stared at the object that materialized before him. His expression shifted from pure ecstasy to profound frustration.
“If only I had opened this sooner!”
Laying on the ground was a pair of wings.