Silas's POV
I walked calmly through the forest, a sense of satisfaction washing over me for having found a special NPC so early on. This was bound to give me a massive head start. Five years of waiting for this. It was worth it.
I glanced down, whispering "System" to make the screen reappear. A translucent window materialized immediately before my eyes, displaying detailed information about my race, stats, skills, and more. Of course, as a beta tester, my race was locked to "Human," but the developers had promised elves, demons, dragons, and other mythological creatures for the official launch. The mere thought of facing a dragon in close quarters for its treasure brought a smile to my face.
As I scanned the interface, I noticed another window left open with the mission details.
[Mission: Wheat Theft (Difficulty 3): Acquire 5 crates of wheat from the "Crow's Nest" company being transported through Sun's Pass.] [Time: 1 day. Reward: ???] [Quest Giver: Heretic of the Golden Eyes]
I'd never seen a mission like this where the reward was hidden. It had to be legendary equipment, considering how advanced that NPC was. My grin widened.
"Silas, you have that greedy look again," said Jenny, a beautiful woman with black hair and sharp features. Her gaze flickered with doubt.
"How could I not? A difficult quest given by an unknown boss... it's bound to make us rich," I replied, already imagining a legendary sword. "Who knows, maybe that NPC has a faction. I couldn't even see his stats when I analyzed him."
"It's true. He was a Raid Boss at the very least," Jenny added with expectation.
"Raid Bosses are scary; that old man was too kind," said a tall man, nearly 1.90m with muscles too unnatural for his age. "He gave us a quest and everything. Besides, I doubt he's too strong. The devs wouldn't put an ultra-strong boss in the game's starting area," Jared concluded. He looked like a meathead, but he wasn't as dumb as most people thought—especially when it came to gamesense.
We kept chatting about potential rewards; I was hoping for an invitation to a hidden faction. That would give us a massive edge over other players. While we daydreamed, we reached the location marked on the map.
Sun's Pass lived up to its name—a natural formation between two extremely long hills stretching from east to west. The sun naturally illuminated the entire path, except at the very end where a cobblestone tower stood proudly, serving as a toll booth. Caravanas passed through while merchants argued with usurious guards who charged more in bribes than anything else.
My companions and I watched from a distance until we spotted a caravan with a black raven, just as the NPC had described.
"We can't hit it here," Jared said, looking at me. "Too many guards, and other caravans might join in."
"You're right," Jenny added. "Ideas?"
Timidly raising his hand, the last member of our group spoke. "We could get ahead of them and block the path like bandits further down," Mike said with some apprehension. "Clearly, we aren't strong enough to face the city guards."
This kid always caught my attention. He was extremely shy, yet handsome—sharp features like a warrior, but the timidity of a helpless lady. He was tall and athletic, as if born for combat. Jenny clearly liked him, which annoyed me more than I cared to admit. The only reason I hadn't kicked him out was because he was the only one of us who practiced HEMA. He knew how to handle a saber and a foil, which made him extremely valuable in these new games that required us to move our own bodies.
Sighing, I said, "Sure Mike. It's obvious we'll have to ambush them and kill them fast."
"Alright," he replied softly, adding nothing more.
We moved ahead to find a good spot for the attack. We found it: an abandoned clearing with a single empty farmhouse. It was ideal for a hideout. We waited for a few hours, talking about nothing.
"Here they come," whispered Jenny, our scout.
The caravan moved slowly, with minimal security. Only four guards and a peasant accompanied it. The two wagons were overflowing with crates of wheat, the wooden wheels carving deep ruts into the mud from the weight. We didn't have a plan; it was just 'go and kill,' with Mike leading the charge to handle them. Just in case, I used Examine on the guards, and a screen displayed their stats:
[Level 1 Guard: Normal Human] STR: 8 | DEX: 5 | CON: 6 WIS: 5 | INT: 5 | CHA: 6
My own stats were nearly identical, just two points higher in Charisma. These were undoubtedly pathetic mobs. With that confirmed, I shouted, "Kill the bastards!" as I charged.
The guards immediately took combat stances, raising their swords while the peasant cringed in fear. Mike ran toward one, one hand behind his back and his foil in hand, seeking quick strikes and stabbing constantly. The guard barely reacted, attempting counterattacks that didn't bother Mike at all. Mike moved fast, slicing the guard's wrist and forcing him to drop his weapon. That mob was already XP for Mike.
I didn't stay behind, assaulting the one in front of me with heavy swings. But the guard looked at me strangely—almost with contempt.
"This mob is so realistic, but his stats are shit!" I shouted to my teammates.
"I don't know what you're trying to say, but you're a rat who doesn't know how to use a sword!" he spat back angrily. The guard looked at me... weird. As if he had no fear.
"So realistic..." I laughed.
I was wrong. His strike ripped open my torso.
"Jenny!"
She began firing arrows at the guard, giving me space to back off. I pulled out a red health potion that had cost me so much to get and drank it without hesitation. The NPC's reward would surely be worth it. My wound closed, and I jumped back into the fray. An arrow pierced the guard's shoulder, and he let out a small cry of pain.
I enjoyed it. This mob thought he was something special. It's always good to put enemies in their place. Taking advantage of the opening, I delivered a heavy thrust that pierced his chest with ease.
The mob's eyes filled with desperation. "No... please..." he wheezed as his gaze went dim.
"These textures and the realism are almost gross," I snorted at his words.
When I turned around, Mike and Jared had already taken out the rest, except for the peasant. He stood still, paralyzed by fear. His body wouldn't respond. I approached him, step by step. When I looked at him, he pleaded: "My daughter... please..."
But who cares what a mob says?
I lifted his head by the chin and cut. I could already see a bounty being placed on my head, making it so I couldn't enter the city or something. Small, muffled sounds came from the man as blood obstructed his airway, preventing him from breathing. He coughed and cried while his body went limp and fell.
Since I had cut his jugular, his blood splashed a bit onto the wheat, but it didn't matter—the mission was done. We stashed five crates into the inventory and left after checking the enemy drops. Nothing worth keeping. In my inventory, there was only an icon of a wheat stalk with the added status: [Stained].
"That was a bit too realistic," Jenny said with disgust. "I get they're NPCs, but why detail the deaths so much?"
I half-agreed; the whole thing was pretty morbid. We didn't care much, though, and quickly headed back to find the NPC who gave us the quest. We chatted and speculated about what we'd receive, but disappointment always comes with missions.
When we stood before Severin, we handed over the items. He looked surprised as they appeared out of thin air—the inventory, obviously.
[Ding!] [Mission Accomplished. Request the corresponding reward from the "Heretic of the Golden Eyes."]
"Old man, give us what you promised," I said after handing over the crates.
Severin looked at the crates. Then the blood. He didn't say anything at first. Silence dominated for ten seconds.
"I promised you nothing," he said coldly. "You said you helped people. So, thank you."
I was instantly enraged. This bastard sends us to do his dirty work and gives us nothing?
"Old man, you better deliver," I threatened, drawing my sword. "Actually, never mind. An NPC like you has to drop epic gear at the very least."
"You keep saying 'NPC,' but I don't know what it means," he responded, even colder. "What I do understand is that you are threatening me."
Without me even noticing, a spear appeared in his hand, and he settled into a combat stance. I felt irritation rise, but it didn't last long. I smiled.
"Guys..." I unsheathed my sword completely. "This is a Hidden Boss. Don't kill him too fast."