Quest.
Though this was his first time receiving and completing one, Michael knew the basics about quests.
It was one of the first things he’d read about as he hadn’t expected his starting location to be in the middle of nowhere.
There were four possible ratings for a quest.
From lowest to highest. Average, Excellent, Exceptional, and Perfect.
The rating determined the reward.
According to the forums, most quests rewarded experience points with a few giving direct level-ups.
His special quest had mentioned “extra levels,” so Michael couldn’t help but feel both anxious and excited.
Michael didn’t know what rating he’d receive, but he hoped it would be good enough to shave some time off his journey to becoming a Rank 2 Awakener.
He had done his best.
Now it was time to let fate decide.
Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long.
And the results?
The results made Michael tremble with excitement.
—
[Rank Advancement Quest]
[Type: Special/Time Limited/Limit Break]
[Status: Completed]
[Rating: Perfect]
—
“It’s perfect! It’s perfect!” Michael exclaimed, his voice trembling.
The panels didn’t stop there.
Another one appeared, this time carrying a detailed summary of the quest.
—
[Summary]
{Average Rating Quest}
Objective: Have 20 Rank 1 Undead in a week– Progress: 20/20
Reward: 1 Level Up, +3 Attribute Point to all stats
—
{Hidden: Excellent Rating Quest}
Objective: Have 20 Rank 1 Undead in five days – Progress: 20/20
Hidden Requirement: Ten 3-Star Common Rank, Rank 1 Undead
Reward: 2 Level Up, +3 Attribute Points to all stats
—
{Hidden: Exceptional Rating Quest}
Objective: Have 20 Rank 1 Undead in three days – Progress: 20/20
Hidden Requirement: Twenty 3-Star Common Rank or Five Rare Rank, Rank 1 Undead
Reward: 4 Level Ups, +5 Attribute Points to all stats, one random skill
—
{Hidden: Perfect Rating Quest}
Objective: Have 20 Rank 1 Undead in a day– Progress: 20/20
Hidden Requirement: Ten Rare Rank, Rank 1 Undead
Reward: 4 Level Ups, +8 Attribute Points to all stats, three random skills
—
The average rating quest was essentially the standard version of the quest Michael had received, while the higher ratings were hidden.
After all, if Awakeners knew the requirements for higher ratings, wouldn’t they just aim for that instead?
That would defeat the entire purpose of striving to complete a quest to the best of their ability, which also included finding ways to extract as much value from it as possible.
Even if someone completed a quest with a higher rating, like an Excellent rating, they would only be able to see the requirements for that level.
The requirements for ratings beyond what they achieved, such as Perfect, would remain hidden.
But this wasn’t an issue for most Awakeners—why would they want to know the requirements for a rating they didn’t achieve and risk feeling regret?
Also, not all quests even offered a Perfect rating.
Michael had seen an example of this on the forums.
It was about a beginner-level quest many new Awakeners received if they happened to start near civilization—hunting game for local cooks.
In this case, the target would be low-level monsters like rabbits.
What kind of Perfect rating could there be for hunting rabbits?
By hunting three-star rabbits?
Putting aside whether there was even such a thing as a three-star common rank rabbit, do you think the cook issuing the quest would care about the star rating?
Or if you exceeded the required number, would they appreciate the extra effort?
What worked for one quest didn’t necessarily apply to another.
Not all quests were like rank advancement quests, and even among those, not all were the same.
Michael could consider himself lucky.
Everything had aligned perfectly, and this particular quest suited him exceptionally well.
For most Necromancers, having even one rare-rank undead at the unranked stage was already considered an achievement.
Rare-rank undead were leagues apart from common-rank ones, able to dominate them even with significant level differences.
For example, if a beginner Necromancer tried to use {Undead Revival} on a Level 11 rare-rank monster—assuming they even encountered one at that stage—it would be akin to using the same skill on a Level 16 three-star common-rank monster.
And while some Awakeners with combat-oriented abilities could match weaker common-rank, rank-one monsters, a Level 16 opponent was far too much for most.
Even if another Necromancer could fulfill all the conditions for a Perfect rating before receiving their rank advancement quest, they might not get the same quest as Michael.
This highlighted how unique and tailored a special rank advancement quest could be, and how perfectly it suited Michael’s talent.
At least he didn’t have to scour for monsters to individually elevate his undead to rank one, search for undead capable of advancing (a minimum of two-star Common rank), or hunt for rare-rank monsters to fulfill his quest. Experience new tales on empire
“Four level-ups, eight attribute points to all stats, and three random skills!”
Michael couldn’t be any happier.
The first reward alone brought him immense satisfaction.
Advancing would make him a Level 11 Necromancer, and the four instant level-ups would boost him to Level 15.
This significantly shortened the time required to push toward Rank 2, a milestone Michael was far more concerned about.
Then there were the attribute points.
Gaining eight attribute points in all four stats was equivalent to leveling up four times and heavily investing in a single stat.
Combined with the previous four level-ups, it felt like leveling up eight times in total.
On the surface, the eight attribute points seemed like the better reward, but for Michael, the immediate level-ups were more critical since he had a clear goal in mind.
His choice might have been different had he awakened years ago, but now, with his circumstances, every moment mattered.
Of course, what made it even better was that he didn’t have to choose—he was receiving both rewards.
And just like the previous two, the third reward didn’t lose out in value.
Three random skills.
Though random, they represented an incredible opportunity for Michael to expand his arsenal, particularly with magical skills.
He lacked proper means to defend himself directly, and this reward held the potential to change that.
Unfortunately, all these rewards would only activate after advancing.
The chilling night wind did little to calm Michael’s bubbling excitement.
After glancing at the quest summary, his eyes shifted to another panel that had appeared moments ago, following the quest summary.
[Do you wish to advance now?]
Michael didn’t need to be asked twice.
It was finally here.
His first advancement.
Michael forced himself to calm down as he summoned Lucky and Prince.
It was said that an Awakener advancing through ranks was at their most vulnerable.
Having Lucky and Prince—his two strongest summons—by his side gave him a sense of security.
With his preparations complete, Michael took a deep breath.
He was ready.
“Yes.”
********
[Talent: Infinite Evolution]
Evolution Points: 165