Scroll 35: A Dangerous Update
This is truly exciting, Joseph thought, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. It’s like an online RPG. These cards are basically monster drops.
If that was the case, his old strategies from Earth's MMORPGs might actually work here. He could use his knowledge to secure everything he needed.
But one detail bothered him. "Mily," Alaster asked, turning his attention back to the receptionist. "How does this loot drop... I mean, how do these gifts actually work? Where do the cards come from? I doubt we have to carve them out of the creatures' insides."
Mila smiled, pulling another parchment from a nearby folder. "It’s simple, Al. When you defeat a monster, the gods may grant you a reward based on its nature." She slid the document across the desk. "This is a ledger of common local creatures and what they grant upon death."
Scroll Content:
Spoiler
1. Horned Rabbit
- Common Gift: Carrot x3
- Rare Gift: Fresh Strawberry x25
- Common Gift: Common Bread x1
- Rare Gift: Iron Arrow x15
- Epic Gift: Copper Dagger
- Common Gift: Purified Water x1
- Rare Gift: Wild Blueberry x10
- Common Gift: Raw Wolf Meat x1
- Rare Gift: Crisp Red Apple x5
- Epic Gift: Novice Leather Greaves (Novice Set)
- Common Gift: Ripe Tomato x2
- Rare Gift: Sweet Bell Pepper x4
- Common Gift: Sandy Potato x3
- Rare Gift: Charcoal Piece x2
- Epic Gift: Iron Short Sword
- Common Gift: Brown Mushroom x2
- Rare Gift: Sturdy Silk Thread x5
- Common Gift: Cassava Root x1
- Rare Gift: Sweet Acorn x12
- Epic Gift: Novice Leather Vest (Novice Set)
- Common Gift: Red Onion x1
- Rare Gift: Spicy Chili Pepper x3
- Common Gift: Fresh Lettuce x1
- Rare Gift: Sour Lemon x5
- Common Gift: Wheat Grain x20
- Rare Gift: Sweet Corn x4
- Epic Gift: Novice Leather Gloves (Novice Set)
- Common Gift: Salt Rock x2
- Rare Gift: Wild Garlic x3
- Common Gift: Wild Honey x1
- Rare Gift: Sweet Orange x3
- Common Gift: Edible Seaweed x2
- Rare Gift: White Rice Grain x15
- Epic Gift: Novice Leather Boots (Novice Set)
- Common Gift: Steel Greatsword
- Rare Gift: Bonebreaker Greatsword
- Epic Gift: Storm Armor Set (Full Set)
Alaster took the parchment with clear eagerness. Scanning the lines, he saw a list of over fifteen monsters. Most dropped mundane items like Common Bread or Crisp Red Apple as common loot. However, every single entry also featured a rare tier: daggers, shortswords, greatswords and armor pieces. It was a textbook drop table.
"Mily," Alaster said, a thought striking him. "Can I hunt these monsters without any restrictions?"
Back on Earth, digital servers were always overcrowded. Finding a good spot to farm or even completing a basic quest could turn into a nightmare due to competition.
Mila looked at him for a brief moment before answering. "There are far too many of them, Al. We keep the populations near the roads controlled, but the wilderness is crawling. In fact, we are currently facing a massive goblin infestation. You could hunt them indefinitely, and the guild will pay you for every left ear you bring back. So yes, you can kill as many as you want, but..."
Mila extended her hand across the wooden surface, her fingers lightly brushing against Alaster's forearm. Her expression softened. "Don't be reckless. They are dangerous creatures."
Her genuine concern caught Alaster off guard. For a second, the game-like mechanics faded, replaced by the heavy reality of this world. I have to stay sharp, he reminded himself. It looks like a video game, but it isn't.
He offered a reassuring smile. "I'll be careful. But really... where do the cards physically manifest? Do they just pop out of the creature's backside?"
Mila let out a sharp huff, part amusement and part pain. Beneath the desk, Jinneth had just delivered another reminder to her shin, silently demanding she stop the flirting. Looking down from the corner of her eye, Mila saw the blonde making frantic gestures, mouthing: Hurry up! My legs are killing me down here!
Suppressing a sigh at how disastrous this Thursday had turned out, Mila cleared her throat. "No, Al. When a gift is granted, it registers through your status. You can materialize the physical card simply by thinking about it. Do you have any other questions?"
"To accept quests, do I just ask you directly, or is there a different procedure?"
"You can request them from me or any receptionist at the main counter," Mila replied, recovering her professional charm. "But I highly recommend you talk to me. Since we're friends, I'll make sure you get the absolute best options."
Alaster smiled back, but as his eyes drifted to the clock hanging on the right wall, his mood sank. It was already 5:10 PM.
Every shop in the market would be closed by now; buying a tent was out of the question. He was officially resigned to sleeping on the streets tonight.
"Well, it's about closing time, isn't it?" Alaster noted, standing up.
Mila checked the time and nodded. "I suppose it is. We will talk later, Al."
As Alaster turned to leave, Mila stepped out from behind the desk to accompany him. Having already slipped the drop ledger and the other documents into his jacket pocket, Alaster suddenly found her standing entirely too close. To maintain a safe, respectful distance, he gently placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her back.
If this woman gets any closer, I'm in serious trouble, he thought.
Mila merely looked up at him with curiosity. "What did you do to your hair?"
"Ah... it's a long story," he muttered.
Mila frowned slightly. "The original blue suited you much better."
To be honest, it wasn't a fashion statement, Joseph thought, secretly missing his blue hair as well. Out loud, he simply said, "Just a change of pace."
Mila smiled at the response, and Alaster offered a soft look in return. "And you look great in those glasses. Listen..." His voice dropped to a quieter tone. "I know what it's like to feel completely isolated. I have someone in my life now, but before... well, I'm talking too much."
Looking at Mila, knowing she was carrying the weight of a failed marriage while dealing with rejection and whatever else life was throwing at her, Joseph couldn't help but feel a deep wave of empathy. He couldn't fix her problems, but he could offer some support as a friend.
"Don't isolate yourself," he said softly, drawing her into a firm, grounding embrace.
Mila went completely rigid in his arms. Internally, a sudden tremor shook her; the sheer weight of feeling genuinely understood caught her completely off guard.
I really give great advice, Joseph thought to himself, even if I never follow it.
He pulled back, taking two steps toward the exit. "Seriously, no hiding away," he added, flashing a final smile before closing the office door behind him.
Mila remained frozen near her desk, staring at the wood, until the sound of rustling movement broke the silence.
"We need to talk," Jinneth said firmly, stepping out from the cramped leg space.
Meanwhile, Alaster walked out through the heavy double doors into the main guild hall. The tavern tables were mostly empty by this hour. He slid into a vacant chair for a moment and pulled out the various parchments Mila had given him, spreading them across the dark wood.
There was the comprehensive drop ledger listing fifteen local monsters, along with detailed sheets explaining quest categories and fulfillment procedures. Most of it covered what they had already discussed, but the last two documents were different.
They contained specific, localized data for two available assignments: a service quest and a suppression quest.
Alaster sighed, rubbing his temples. I don’t even know where I’m going to sleep tonight. The adventurers' plaza lets people in at any hour, but sleeping right on the ground? Well... it would certainly be an adventure. At least with this body, my back won't suffer from it.
He focused on the documents. The service quest seemed straightforward enough: supply ice to a merchant vessel docked at the southern port. The details were specific, listing the captain's name as Celstone Kramer and the ship as The Queen Bertha.
The suppression quest, however, was less precise. It required traveling southwest to a small fishing village called Toel to handle a level 10 Sandstone Golem boss that was causing severe disruptions. The point of contact there was a village official named Norde.
Alaster lowered the sheets, letting his head fall back against the chair. I'm exhausted, and I still don't have a roof over my head, he thought, closing his eyes. Maybe I really should just go to the plaza and pass out on the grass.
The sound of the guild's main doors opening made him blink. Looking up, he saw Jinneth walking in. Her gray eyes scanned the tavern tables until they locked onto him. She offered a bright wave and approached with a quick, energetic stride.
The baker pulled off her cream-colored hat, tossing it onto the table as she slid a chair directly beside his, pressing herself close against his side.
"Did you miss me?" she asked, offering a playful wink.
Alaster's gaze drifted from her face to her chest. Three buttons of her plaid shirt had been left undone, revealing enough cleavage to instantly spark a fire in his trousers.
"Did you get the quests?" she asked, nodding toward the papers on the table.
"Y-yes," Alaster muttered. His focus was entirely derailed by the soft warmth of her breasts pressing firmly against his right arm as she tucked herself under his shoulder.
A faint scent of wild flowers clung to her skin. A sly, knowing smile played on her lips. Why is she being so affectionate in public all of a sudden? Joseph wondered. She's usually way more reserved.
He had no idea that Jinneth had been eavesdropping when he rejected Mila. Listening to him turn down the sensual receptionist had completely flipped a switch in the baker's mind. In just an hour, Jinneth went from suspecting her handsome boyfriend of being a serial cheater to declaring him the greatest elf alive.
"Al... did you have enough time to buy a tent?" she asked.
Alaster leaned in, pressing a brief kiss to her lips before replying. "No. I think I've officially gone from a broke elf to a homeless elf."
Jinneth let out a soft laugh. "Well, you could always try sneaking into the inn through a window..."
She cut herself off immediately when she saw his expression. The joke hadn't landed well at all.
"It was just a small joke, Al!" she added quickly, offering an apologetic smile.
Alaster exhaled slowly through his nose. "Either way, you should definitely sleep at your own place tonight."
Jinneth kept smiling, looking as though she had won some sort of unspoken victory. She just wants to tease me, Alaster thought. But with the feeling of her chest comfortably pressed against him, his resolve was rapidly crumbling. If she keeps this up, things are going to get heated, and I'll end up sleeping alone in a cold, dark alley with a massive problem in my pants.
Besides, the mention of the window had struck a very specific nerve in Joseph's deep-seated insecurities. The sudden sting of jealousy was harsh. He vividly remembered Uriel, Jinneth's ex-boyfriend, climbing through her window the exact moment they had almost shared their first kiss.
Jinneth, of course, hadn't meant it that way at all. Her comment was purely based on the fact that the inn would be heavily watched by Grolen's guards.
Joseph still carried an irrational layer of distrust when it came to women, but with his newfound confidence in his appearance—even the cold Arya had rated him well above average—he wasn't about to keep his mouth shut.
"Well, I suppose we elves are naturally good at climbing," he said, an enigmatic smile forming on his face.
Jinneth met his gaze with her own smile, which Alaster interpreted as slightly mocking.
"Though I wouldn't want to be as poorly timed as a certain ex-boyfriend," he added, throwing the jab seamlessly without letting his smile falter.
The reaction was instantaneous. The baker recoiled slightly, as if struck by a physical blow. Her mind raced to process the comment until the realization hit her like lightning. Uriel. That disastrous moment was coming back to haunt her at the worst possible time.
Vowing to strike the word 'window' from her personal dictionary entirely, she took a deep breath before answering in a strained whisper. "I... I'm sorry. I really was just joking."
Alaster realized immediately that he had pushed it too far. She had been looking out for him this whole time, even before this afternoon.
"It's fine," Alaster said with a sigh. He leaned over and drew her into a reassuring hug, holding her while her gaze remained fixed on the floor. After a long moment, they pulled back, their expressions softening into a shared smile.
"So, are you really sleeping on the street?" Jinneth asked, her mood noticeably lighter.
"Ahem."
The sharp throat-clearing cut through their conversation. Mila was standing right beside the table. She set down her purse—a beautifully crafted piece made of reptile hide. She had changed out of her uniform into a deep green dress paired with a dark brown corset that firmly accentuated her curves. Her high heels had been replaced by practical, low-profile wedges, and her skirt fell just below the knee. Her appearance was entirely modest, save for the fact that her natural proportions remained impossible to hide.
She looked down at them through her round glasses, her smile unreadable. Alaster glanced at Jinneth, fully expecting a flare of jealousy, but the baker was simply staring off in another direction, acting entirely detached from the situation.
"Mily," Alaster said.
"Did I hear correctly?" Mila asked. "You don't have a place to stay tonight?"
Alaster nodded. "Yeah. I was supposed to buy a tent and head to the adventurers' plaza, but I ran out of time."
"But weren't you staying at The Forest Rest Inn?" Mila questioned, tilting her head.
Alaster began scrambling for an excuse that wouldn't require a direct lie, but Jinneth spoke up first, her expression bright. "We actually ran into some trouble with a local guard. That's why Al had to change his hair color," the blonde said without a hint of hesitation.
Alaster's eyes widened in brief panic, but he quickly relaxed, remembering that Mila already knew about his spatial attribute and had never used it against him.
"Ah. Well, the guild keeps plenty of those camping tents in storage," Mila explained smoothly. "We use them for setting up temporary outposts in the wilderness. We have hundreds of them; giving you one wouldn't be an issue at all."
Alaster smiled, relieved, but Mila wasn't finished.
"However..." The receptionist smiled, her eyes locked onto his. "I think it would be much better if you stayed at my house tonight."
Another wave of shock hit Alaster. He immediately looked at his girlfriend, braced for the inevitable explosion.
"That's definitely for the best," Jinneth intervened smoothly. "Al sleeping on a cold tarp over the dirt wouldn't let me rest at all. It's much better if he stays in a warm, comfortable bed." The baker smiled radiantly, casting a very specific, sharp look directly at Mila.
Alaster felt his heart skip a beat as a chill ran down his spine. What on earth is going on between these two?
Alaster looked from Jinneth to Mily and back again, his mind spinning. He felt on the verge of a total meltdown, frantically trying to devise an escape plan, when Jinneth abruptly shook his shoulder.
"Al! I'm talking to you!" the baker insisted. "You two need to get going, and I have to head out as well."
"Yes, Al... we should head home. I'm getting a little tired," Mila added, a bright, eager smile lighting up her face. "And we're having chicken for dinner. Do you like chicken?"
"Y-yes, I like chicken," the elf stammered. He narrowed his eyes, tracking their expressions. What are these two up to? Why do I feel like I'm being traded off? A sudden, heavy wave of suspicion washed over Joseph. Is this some kind of trap?
His spiraling thoughts were cut short by a sudden, intense pressure. Despite how soft and perfectly manicured their hands were, both women gripped his arms with surprising strength. Each began tugging him in her own direction, swapping "friendly" remarks across his chest.
"I already told you, my chicken is the absolute best," Mila said, pulling him slightly.
Jinneth pulled back. "Don't feed Al greasy food! You're going to make my Al fat, you careless woman!"
Caught in the middle of the tug-of-war, Alaster tried to find a voice of reason. "Are you absolutely sure it's fine for me to stay at Mily's place?"
"Yes!" both girls snapped in unison, their voices ringing a bit too loud through the empty hall.
Alaster winced, looking at his trapped arms. "Look, you can either hit me or yell at me, but doing both at the same time is just abuse."
Upon hearing Alaster’s complaint, both girls froze. They briefly exchanged a look before immediately pointing at each other.
"She started it!" they said in unison.
"You're the one pulling his arm like a piece of taffy!" Jinneth snapped.
"And you're the one screaming like a banshee in an empty guild hall!" Mila countered, her voice calm but dripping with venom.
Realizing the hour was getting late, Mila let go of Alaster’s arm and stepped back. She smoothly gathered the quest scrolls scattered on the counter and slipped them into her sleek, reptile-skin handbag.
She looked up at Alaster, flashing a sweet smile. "Ah, I'll carry these for you. I'll give them back once we're at my place."
Jinneth glared at her, her eyes narrowing into slits. Mila met her gaze, her smile widening into something entirely different.
In a split second, the receptionist sucked in her cheeks, hollowing out her face to emulate a ghastly, terrifying skull. Jinneth’s eyes went wide with pure horror, as if she had just received a literal death threat.
"I'm leaving," the blonde baker blurted out.
She turned back to Alaster, stepping closer. Standing on her tiptoes to bridge the height difference, Jinneth leaned in and kissed him slowly, deliberately.
Alaster’s eyes blinked in surprise as he savored the warmth of her moist lips. Like she always did, Jinneth completely stole his breath away, kissing him thoroughly before breaking apart, leaving him with a lingering, orphaned sensation of wanting more.
Jinneth took a few steps backward, keeping her eyes on him. "See you later, love. I have to work on my business, so you might not see me around for the next few days..."
She glanced sideways at the receptionist. "I’d like to say I’m leaving you in good hands, but I just hope she doesn't fatten you up like a little pig."
The pretty baker turned around and walked a few paces toward the exit. Then, she abruptly stopped, spun back, and locked eyes with Mila.
Jinneth raised her right hand, pointing her index and middle fingers first at her own eyes, and then directly at Mila.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Jinneth said slowly, her tone chilling.
Alaster stood frozen, his mind racing.
«Leaving me in her hands? She’s going to be too busy with business for the next few days? And they’re meeting tomorrow? For what? The payment for the elven merchandise?»
A cold sweat broke across his neck.
«Yeah, I’ve definitely just been the subject of a shady transaction. I am at least twenty-five percent sure of it.»
Mila rolled her eyes, waving her hand dismissively as the baker finally walked out the doors. "Ignore her," Mila said lightly. "You know her. Her bark is worse than her bite."
With Jinneth gone, Mila's demeanor shifted into something more relaxed, yet strictly grounded in her territory as the alluring, untouchable receptionist. She stepped closer to Alaster, wrapping her hands tightly around his arm.
"It's getting chilly out here..." Mila murmured, looking up at him through her lashes. "Aren't you cold, Al?"
"N-No," Alaster stammered, his voice cracking slightly.
Internally, his mind was in a state of absolute chaos.
Cold? He had been burning up all day, and Jinneth’s breathtaking kiss had just left his head spinning. But now, looking at the empty street where the baker had disappeared, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind.
«I’ve been abandoned,» he thought, a wave of comedic despair washing over him. «I’ve been left behind like an unwanted baby.
But not on the steps of a church… no, I’ve been dropped right on the doorstep of a MILF.»
As if on cue, Mila shifted, tightening her grip on his arm. The sudden movement pressed his forearm directly against the soft, undeniable curve of her breasts. Alaster froze, his heart hammering against his ribs as the warm, intoxicating sensation sent a jolt straight to his brain.
He swallowed hard, casting a sideways glance at the beautiful receptionist smiling beside him.
«No, not just any MILF,» Alaster corrected himself, his inner voice trembling. «The ultimate MILF.»