Beatrice followed as well, “Beatrice Larkin, a proud member of the guild and always ready for a good story.”
Lila, still blushing, spoke up softly, “Lila Monroe, healer and… uh, grateful to have shared dinner with you guys.”
Axel and Blitz grinned. “Later, see y’all tomorrow!” they said together.
Lila, blushing even more, got up from her seat. “I-I’ll also be making my way to my room. Good night, Alister,” she stuttered.
Alister smiled and told her, “Good night, Lila.”
Alister, stood up to leave, before he did he spoke to Beatrice, “Thank you for the invitation. This was just what I needed.”
She smiled warmly. “You’re welcome to eat and chat with us anytime.”
Alister smiled back. “Okay,” he said, then turned around and headed for his room.
…
Alister walked past the massive metal doors of his living quarters and stepped inside. The doors closed behind him with a heavy clang, sealing him off from the outside world. He took a deep breath and surveyed his space, feeling the weight of the day settle on his shoulders.
“What a packed day,” he said to himself. “So many things happened in the span of just 24 hours.”
As he thought about the day’s events, a sudden notification from the Dragonforge system popped up in front of him, glowing faintly in the dim light.
[Notice! 05:45:20 left for daily quest completion!]
Alister’s eyes widened in shock. “I almost forgot about the daily quest,” he said aloud. He quickly headed to his room and changed out of his guild uniform, replacing it with his well- worn equipment.
Sitting on the floor, he took a moment to gather his thoughts. “But before I can step out,” he said, “Inventory.”
A yellow system window materialized before him. He reached into it, feeling the sizzle of mana as he pulled out two of the items he had acquired from the treasury.
Alister dropped the items before him and gazed at them for a moment, taking in their shapes and auras. He picked up the Phantom Spade’s mask and examined it closely, its dark, smooth surface reflecting the room’s light.
“It appears to just be a disguise item,” he mused. “So I won’t be needing it for the quest. Maybe I could use it when I go to the black market.” He placed it back into his inventory with a slight sigh.
“The real mystery now is how I’m going to get this item to take the form I want,” he said, his eyes landing on the Eternal Bond Master crystal.
The system’s voice suddenly echoed in response.
[The player simply has to place their hand on it and channel their mana into it.]
[Picturing your weapon of choice will also better help the process.]
‘Picturing the weapon I want.’
“Alright then.” He proceeded to place his hand on the crystal and began channeling his mana into it as he closed his eyes.
Alister focused his mind on the image of a pair of gauntlets, their metal surfaces gleaming with a dark, obsidian sheen. He imagined sharp claws, their edges razor-sharp.
As he poured his mana into the crystal, he felt a tingling sensation in his hands, as if the gauntlets were already taking shape. The crystal began to pulse with a vibrant light, responding to his vision and will.
The light grew brighter, filling the room with an intense glow. After a few intense moments, the light began to fade. Alister opened his eyes and saw the crystal had changed, now holding the form of the clawed gauntlets on his hands.
“It worked.”
Alister admired the clawed gauntlets flexing his hands and having a feel for them.
‘They seem to be replicas of the original one, I can’t tell them apart.’
Feeling the weight and power emanating from them. He took a deep breath and said.
“System, open the status window for the clawed gauntlets.”
A transparent window materialized before him, displaying the details of the gauntlets:
Eternal Bond Master (Clawed gauntlets)
– Rank: C
– Traits:
– Growth: Gets stronger as the user gets stronger
– Unbreakable: The weapon cannot break
Alister studied the information, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. ‘The rank must have dropped due to its desire to adapt and grow with me.’
‘Makes sense.’
‘And it’s also unbreakable, so that means I won’t have to worry about replacing it.’ Satisfied with his new weapon, Alister smiled slightly and rose to his feet. “I guess that’s all then,” he said, preparing for the quest. “System, open the gate.”
A yellow rift appeared before him, shimmering with energy. He stepped through it, feeling the familiar tingle of mana as he was transported to a new location.
He emerged in a massive jungle, the dense foliage intertwining with the ruins of buildings from the old world. The leaves above allowed only a few rays of the moonlight down, creating a scene that looked somewhat mythical.
Trees and vines grew over crumbling structures, creating a surreal landscape where nature
had reclaimed its territory.
‘Guess it’s a new location.’
‘Part of me silently knew that would be the case.’
Suddenly a system window materialized before him.
[Train your weak body (daily): The player is expected to survive and fend off all the monsters
until the time runs out: 01:50:00.
Quest completion condition: the player has to ‘personally’ kill at least 80 monsters in this
time frame, else the time would reset.
Ouest reward: Random summoning conduit.]
Alister studied the quest details on the system window and shook his head slightly. “It seems the system has adjusted the quest since last time,” he thought aloud. “An increased time limit, more monsters to kill, and there’s a reward now. Not bad.”
He took a deep breath, focusing his thoughts. “It’s nice and all, but what I would like to see is
if I can find any of the ingredients for the Elixir out here.”
Lost in his thoughts about the Elixir, he was startled by the sudden appearance of root-like monsters with glowing green eyes emerging from the dense foliage around him.
“I guess I can begin my search after I complete this quest.”
Alister then raised his hand, his yellow eyes glowing slightly, calling out, “Cinder, Terra,
come forth.”
Massive rifts opened up beside him, and from them, a towering Drake and a mighty Sand
Dragoon stepped out.
“My lord, we are here and ready to serve.” They both said.
“Good, let’s get started,” Alister said, the glow in his eyes intensifying.
…
The moonlight cast a silver glow through the tall windows of Lord Han Li’s study, illuminating the room with a soft light. Lord Han Li stood by the window, his gaze fixed on the night sky, a thoughtful expression on his face.
The streaks of silver moonlight highlighted the rich decor and the numerous scrolls and
artifacts that lined the walls.
The door creaked open, and Liang stepped inside.
“Grandfather, you summoned me?” Liang asked.
Lord Han Li turned from the window, his sharp eyes meeting Liang’s. “Yes, Liang, stand here
and listen.”
Liang came to a halt near the center of the room, remaining standing as he waited for his
grandfather to speak.
Lord Han’s gaze remained steady. “I am sure you know what happened to Kai’s girlfriend.”
Liang’s lips curled into a slight smirk. “You mean his new toy?”
Lord Han’s expression remained stern. “Yes. But that is not the reason I called you here.”
“It’s about that boy, Alister.”