Free Web NovelChapter 11: The Scent
Gabriel remained lying on the cold floor of the boss chamber for several minutes, bathed in the bright glow of the chest.
His chest rose and fell heavily. The Jester Mask remained motionless, its carved smile seeming wider and more mocking with every breath.
The pain in his ribs and muscles was intense, but his abnormal recovery was already taking effect.
Finally, he pushed himself upright with a grunt. His legs still trembled slightly from the exertion. In front of him, the golden chest shone with blinding intensity. He extended a hand and opened it.
An endless light enveloped him. The system exploded into notifications that filled his vision:
_________________________
[Dungeon: Abandoned Mine completed in Solo Mode!]
[Reward multiplier for extreme difficulty: x4]
[Additional experience granted]
[You have reached Level 8!]
[You have reached Level 9!]
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Gabriel blinked, stunned. The rewards were generous, but still within reason for an early dungeon.
Silver coins, fragments of rare ore, a pair of intermediate recovery potions, and a minor agility ring.
He also received materials from the boss: iridescent black scales, a curved fang, and a pulsating dark energy core. Everything was valuable.
A bluish portal opened above the mound of bones where the black serpent had once rested.
Gabriel did not cross immediately. First, he carefully reviewed the drops from the entire run.
The Deep Rats had left behind tough hides and slightly flexible tails. The Blind-Eyed Bats dropped sonic membranes and crystalline eyes.
The Mineral Vein Spiders left mineralized webs that could be used for crafting. The Vengeful Ghosts had dropped fragments and various pieces of equipment. Together with the boss materials, his inventory had become considerably heavier.
All of this would turn into credits.
He could sell it at the Novice Village Fair. But he understood he could not unload everything at once. His plan was to sell just enough to generate stable income without drawing too much attention.
He crossed the portal with a triumphant yet exhausted bearing.
The world distorted once more, and he appeared in a forest clearing near the mine. Guiding himself with his map, he took several secondary routes to avoid unnecessary encounters and soon spotted the illuminated gates of the Novice Village.
The NPC guards stood firmly at their posts. Gabriel gave them a slight nod. They answered with neutral gestures.
The constant flow of players entering and leaving was like a noisy human river: some returned exhausted from hunts, while others departed excitedly toward new adventures.
He moved through the cobblestone streets, guided by memory. The bustle was the usual: merchants shouting offers, players haggling over prices, laughter and arguments everywhere. He was heading toward the public relations table when three players abruptly intercepted him.
"Look at this! What the hell is that mask, clown?" exclaimed one of them, a warrior wearing cheap armor and an arrogant grin.
He extended a hand intending to grab the mask, but Gabriel reacted instinctively: a sharp, precise slap knocked the man’s hand away before he could touch him.
"Don’t touch me," he said in a low, cold voice.
Within seconds, he found himself surrounded. There were five of them in total, all carrying the same subtle emblem on their shoulders.
Probably some gang of troublemakers. One of them, apparently the leader, let out a sarcastic laugh.
"Well, well. A brave little loner acting all fearless. Coming from the tutorial, clown? That’s impressive. But here, in our territory, you’ve gotta pay ’rent’ for breathing the same air."
Gabriel looked at each of them in turn. His eyes, hidden behind the mask, showed no fear. It was far from the first time he had dealt with situations like this.
Desperate junkies, knife-wielding gangsters, and people rotten to the core. This was just virtual noise.
He walked past the leader, slamming his shoulder into the man’s chest with controlled force and breaking through the circle.
"If you want to charge me rent, come find me outside. No guards. We’ll see who pays," he said without turning around.
Shouts and threats followed behind him.
"You really don’t know what’s good for you, damn clown."
"The Black Stone Faction never forgets faces... or masks!"
Gabriel ignored them completely and kept walking.
He reached the Fair’s stall area. He paid sixty copper coins, part of the reward from the old blacksmith, for a four-hour rental a small wooden table space. It was modest, but enough.
He sat behind the table and laid out several items: rat tails, bat membranes, mineralized webs, and a couple of random pieces of equipment. Not everything. He kept the best drops for later.
The hours passed slowly. He sold little, but satisfactorily.
A group of beginners bought basic materials for gathering quests. Another player traded a potion for an ore fragment.
The Black Stone troublemakers watched him from afar with restrained fury, but they did not approach. The presence of the village guards was enough to deter them.
When nearly three hours had passed, the routine broke.
A strange customer approached. He muttered to himself as he walked between the stalls, as though holding a conversation inside his own mind.
Suddenly, he stopped, sniffed the air, and turned his head directly toward Gabriel. His eyes were deep, bottomless pits of black, contrasting with a frivolous, almost childish expression.
He approached in silence. He observed the objects on the table without touching any of them. Then he looked up and fixed those unsettling eyes on Gabriel’s mask.
"It’s rare to smell something like you these days..." he murmured in a soft, almost sing-song voice.
"I don’t know what you are, but I like it."
Gabriel felt a chill run down his spine. He said nothing.
"You’re special," the man continued, tilting his head slightly.
"You should go see the little... paranoid... amusing... Dan. Yes. He’ll know what to do with you."
After saying that, the man smiled in an unsettling way, turned around, and disappeared into the crowd with a magnetic, mysterious aura. His figure seemed to glide more than walk.
Gabriel remained still for several seconds, processing the words. Then a notification flashed before his eyes:
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[New Quest Received!]
• Find Paranoid Dan.
Rank: Unknown
Reward: Unknown
Description: A strange man mentioned someone called "Paranoid Dan." He seems interested in people like you. Investigate.
_________________________
Gabriel closed the window with a blink.
The confusion was real. Who was that man? And who the hell was Dan? The encounter had left a peculiar taste in the air, as though something much bigger had just brushed against him.
He remained seated for the rest of the rental time, selling the last items while his mind spun in circles.
The mask hid his expression, but inside he felt a mixture of caution and curiosity.
His goal for the day had only been to gain experience and money. Instead, he now had a mysterious quest in his hands.
When the four hours ended, he gathered what remained and stood up. The torches illuminated the streets in warm, dancing tones. freewēbnoveℓ.com
He let out a long breath, because he was beginning to understand something unsettling.
Strange quests always seemed to find him first.
