Free Web NovelChapter 19: Ch 19: Unexpected Turn Of Events
"Sorry, I am not in the mood to take on any quests," the girl refused bluntly.
She had asked for help, not a quest, so of course she was annoyed.
Raidan’s smile didn’t falter.
"Ah, yes. I can see three burglars coming for you. Will you be willing to help me once I take care of them?"
The girl was stunned. She didn’t believe him at all. After all he looked almost the same age group as her.
"Mister, you look weak to me. You wouldn’t be able to handle them. Please, just tell me where the city guards are."
Hearing her, his face twitched.
"Did you call me weak, dear adventurer?"
She didn’t respond, but her silence confirmed her initial statement.
Raidan still didn’t lose his cool.
"You have wounded this brave soul, adventurer. Looks like I need to show you I wasn’t called Master Grimblade for nothing."
Wiiiin.
With that, he pulled out the Mythril Sword from his back, smoothly gripping the hilt with both hands.
"Wait, that looks like a very expensive sword... Could this NPC really be a hidden swordmaster?"
While the girl was stunned by the blood-red blade, Raidan swung the Mythril sword for the first time.
It was definitely heavy. Even with forty points in Attack Power, he was unable to wield it smoothly.
But one thing was for sure: it would grant an extra 50 Attack Power if swung properly.
Meanwhile, the burglars arrived before him, holding swords of their own.
"Who are you, mutt? Leave that girl to us," one burglar wearing a gold chain cackled, grinning viciously.
Another one’s eyes clouded with lust.
"I can see you’re one of us, my guy. So why are you standing up for this strangely clothed foreigner? Let it be. We can all have fun tonight."
Hearing that, the chestnut-haired girl unconsciously took two steps backward from Raidan, afraid he would join the burglars as well.
Raidan could do nothing about it.
"Sorry buddies, I am in a different mood today," he said, grinning slightly.
"What is that?" All of a sudden, the third burglar noticed the crimson sword in his hand.
"Isn’t that My—"
His crooked voice was abruptly cut off as Raidan swung the sword at him.
On reflex, the third burglar lifted his own silver sword to defend himself.
But—
Slice!
The crimson blade sliced through the burglar’s silver sword as if it were made of wet parchment.
There was no resistance, no metallic clang, except for the sickening sound of superior metal tearing through inferior steel.
The third burglar didn’t even have time to scream.
The overwhelming 90 points of attack power threw him backward violently.
His ribs were sliced open in wide radius, spraying crimson blood through the air.
Bam!
His bammed against the stone floor hard, quickly making him lose consciousness.
The remaining two burglars became stiff as statues.
They stared at the unmoving body of their companion, then slowly moved their trembling gazes to the glowing red sword in Raidan’s hands.
"M-Monster!"
They quickly ran back the way they had come.
"Wait... I killed him?!" Raidan exclaimed as he stared at the burglar’s lifeless body.
He had assumed that strike would only break the other party’s sword. Apparently, he had miscalculated the force behind his 90 Attack Power.
It was purely a mistake.
He hadn’t wanted to kill him at all.
His head felt dizzy.
Guilt and nausea hit him hard.
Slaying monsters was one thing, but killing a living, breathing human was entirely different.
And unlike monsters in dungeons, these NPCs’ bodies didn’t disappear. The corpse remained there, a cruel reminder that Raidan’s hands were stained with blood.
Meanwhile, the girl approached him with an apologetic expression.
"Master Grimblade, thank you. And I am sorry for being so afraid of you earlier. I thought you were the same as them, but I was wrong. You’re a hero. Thank you."
Hearing the girl’s sincere praise, the nauseating feeling in his stomach eased considerably.
Somehow, he regained his composure and flashed the same jovial smile.
"You’re welcome, dear adventurer."
After that, he couldn’t find the mood to assign her a quest.
He was about to turn around and leave when the girl suddenly grabbed his hand, acting unusually intimate.
"Where are you going, Master Grimblade? I am waiting for my quest."
Her eyes shimmered with admiration.
Raidan gently pulled his hand away and looked at her strangely.
"Could she secretly be a thief who wants to steal my Mythril Sword?" he thought inwardly.
He couldn’t be sure, but it was indeed a possibility.
Otherwise, why would she act so intimate?
There was a way to find out.
If she truly was a thief trying to get close enough to snatch his Mythril sword, giving her a task that required stealth and cunning would perfectly expose her true colors.
And if she wasn’t? Well, it would still keep her busy and far away from his pockets.
He cleared his throat, pushing the lingering guilt of the dead burglar to the back of his mind. He needed to focus.
Adopting his most imposing and stoic expression, Raidan spoke to her.
"So, you wish to prove your worth to Master Grimblade? Very well. But heed my words, dear adventurer, my tasks are not simple fetch errands. They require wit, agility, and a shadow’s touch."
He mentally accessed his Quest Creation System and created a befitting quest for her.
Target Selected: Player True Dawn_Fiona
Assigning Quest...
[ System Alert: You have triggered a Hidden Quest from Master Grimblade! ]
[ Quest: The Shadow’s Errand ]
[ Objective: Infiltrate the estate of the corrupt city merchant, Zodna. Bypass his guards, locate his hidden safe, and retrieve his "Business Accounts". You must not be detected. If caught, the quest will instantly fail. ]
[ Time Limit: 24 hours ]
[ Punishment: None ]
[ Rewards: 800 Exp, 1 ATK, +5 AGI ]
[ Do you accept? (Y/N) ]
The girl’s eyes practically popped out of her skull as she read the floating text.
"800 Exp, 1 ATK, +5 AGI!!!
The rewards were out of his expectations. freewёbnoνel.com
Besides that, the task was easy with her Thief class.
"Is this real, Master Grimblade?" She looked up at Raidan for confirmation.
Raidan crossed his arms. "Of course. I do not jest with my apprentices. The path of the sword is paved with wealth for those bold enough to walk it. But if you lack the courage to face a few mere mortal guards, you may walk away now."
"No! I’ll do it!" she shouted, and clicked the ’Y’ button immediately.
[ Quest Accepted! ]
"I won’t let you down, Master Grimblade! I am incredibly sneaky, I promise! Just wait for me at the city square!"
Without waiting for his response, she turned on her heel and dashed down the alleyway.
She was moving with surprising speed, he noted.
So, I was right. She has to have a Thief class. And those burglars might have lost something to her and been chasing her for it, rather than it being solely due to their lust.
Anyway, after this quest is over, avoiding her will be the wisest option for me.
