Chapter 75: Quest

Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Quest

Arin could almost forget what it was like to have nothing to be worried about. Almost. He was sitting under a large tree at the edge of the elven settlement, a bowl of fruit in his lap as he watched the training ground. Saira was sparring with Adnan, Ayan was reading, Mira was helping one of the healers with sorting herbs, and Eldran was nowhere to be seen, most likely buried in the old archive again. Everything was fine. Too fine. Arin ate a piece of fruit. "This is boring." A voice echoed in his head.

[You wanted peace.]

Arin almost choked on the fruit. He glanced around. Nobody reacted. Of course they didn’t. The voice was in his head. "Arene?" "Who else would it be?" Arin swallowed. "I thought you where suppose to be the System guide." "I am." "You’ve gotten quite talkative." "I’ve always been capable of talking." "You weren’t this annoying before." A long pause. Then Arene responded, "I’ll remember that." Arin smiled. "Are you threatening your Dungeon Master?"

[I am reminding my Dungeon Master that I can remember what he says.]

"That’s even worse."

Arene laughed in his head. Arin laid back against the tree. It was still weird hearing from her like this. Arene wasn’t simply some emotionless System voice; she had opinions. She teased him, questioned his every action, and even seemed almost amused with his problems. Arin liked it, he just wasn’t going to let her know that. Arene spoke.

[You are restless.]

"Maybe."

[You have spent seven days recovering.]

"I know."

[You trained.]

"I know."

[You studied the ancient records.]

"I know."

[You complained about being bored approximately seventeen times.]

Arin frowned. "You counted?" [I remember things.]

"Of course you do." Arin glanced at the training ground where Saira deflected Adnan’s sword and the latter groaned in protest, and Arin smiled. Then a blue window appeared in front of him. He sat up. "What?"

[Quest Available.]

Arin’s eyes widened. "A quest?"

[Yes.]

"Why?" Arene paused.

[Because you’ve been complaining that you where bored.]

Arin stared at the window. "You’re serious."

[I usually am.]

The window expanded.

[Side Quest]

Quest: Missing Scouts Objective: Locate the missing elven scouts.

Objective: Ensure their safe return to the settlement.

Quest Area: Northern Forest

Reward: Hidden

Failure Condition: Quest will expire. ]

Arin blinked. "Missing scouts?" Arene’s voice darkened.

[Three elven scouts left the settlement this morning.]

Arin looked around. "How do you know that?"

[I know a lot more than I did before.]

Arene sounded proud. Arin smiled. "So this is your idea?"

[Partially.]

"What does that mean?"

[The System recognized a nearby problem that suited your current capabilities.]

Arin reread the window. "So this isn’t about Dungeon Masters?"

[No.]

"Caelan?"

[No.]

Arin grinned. "So I finally get a normal quest." Arene chuckled.

[Go enjoy your normal life.]

Arin stood, feeling relieved. No ancient secrets, no horrible Authorities, no stupid immortal Elves, just a simple quest. He walked over to Eldran, who was talking with two guards outside one of the houses. He turned at the sight of Arin. "Arin." "What happened?" Eldran looked at the two guards. "We have a problem." Arin raised an eyebrow. "Missing scouts?" Eldran stared at him. "How did you know?" Arin hesitated, needing an excuse fast. "I overheard the guards." One of the guards looked surprised. "I didn’t say anything." Arin ignored him. Eldran assessed him for a moment. "Three young scouts went into the northern forest this morning to gather information on the movement of beasts in the area." "And they haven’t returned?"

"They were suppose to return hours ago." Arin nodded. "Send me." Eldran frowned. "You just recovered." "I’m fine." "You were nearly killed less than two weeks ago." "Exactly, which means I’ve had more than enough rest." Ayan appeared behind him. "You are not fully recovered." Arin turned. "I hate it when you agree with people." Ayan shut his book. "Then recover faster." Saira approached. "What’s happening?" "Three scouts are missing," Arin said. Saira immediately grabbed her sword. "We’re going." Adnan joined them. "I’m coming too." Mira hesitated. Arin looked at her. "You can stay." She shook her head. "I’ll come." Arin nodded. Eldran looked the group over. "The northern forest isn’t extremely dangerous, but the deeper parts can be." Arin smiled. "We’ll be careful." Eldran looked at him. "That sentence doesn’t make me feel any better." Ayan sighed. "Come."

The group left the settlement. As soon as they were inside the forest, Arin brought up the quest window again. Arene appeared in his mind beside it. "You seem happy." "I am." "This is not a game." "I know." "You looked disappointed when I said that." "I wasn’t." "You were." Arin smiled. "I missed adventuring." Arene was silent for a moment before she said, "I understand." Arin was shocked and looked towards the trees. "What?" "Nothing." "You definitely said something." "I said nothing."

Arin laughed, "You’re getting good at that." They walked deeper into the forest. Arin activated Dungeon Sense. He couldn’t read the entire forest like he could a dungeon territory, but he could still sense movement and abnormal structures around him. Ayan suddenly stopped. "Tracks." Everyone looked down. Several sets of prints led through the muddy ground. Elven boots. Arin knelt. "They came this way." Saira looked ahead. "Then let’s follow." They quickly caught up to the tracks, which abruptly ended after a few hundred meters. Arin frowned. "That’s odd."

Adnan pointed out a broken tree. "There." A piece of green cloth was attached to one of the branches. Eldran had described the scouts’ clothing, and it belonged to one of them. Arin looked around. "They were attacked." Ayan nodded. "Something dragged one of them." Arin closed his eyes. Dungeon Sense expanded. He sensed fast movement ahead, several creatures, and three faint presences. Arin opened his eyes. "I found them." Saira drew her sword. "Where?" "North."

They ran forward as the sounds of battle reached them before they reached the clearing. Three young elves were backed up against a rocky slope while several large forest beasts surrounded them. The elves looked exhausted. One held his arm, another had a bloodied mess on his face, and the third was trying to fend the beasts off with a broken spear. Arin drew his sword. "Looks like we found them."

The nearest beast lunged. Arin moved out of the way as its claws raked the space where his head had been, and he drove his blade into its side. The creature fell to the ground. Saira rushed past him and took down another beast, and Adnan joined her. Ayan didn’t even draw his weapon. A gust of pressure pushed through the clearing, the remaining beasts hesitated, and then several turned and ran. The last one roared and charged. Arin stepped forward, his Dungeon Sense warning him of its movements, and he already knew where it would strike. He dodged as the beast’s claws swept over his head, plunged his sword into its shoulder, and as it staggered he delivered a second blow.

The creature collapsed. Silence filled the clearing. Arin looked around. "Everyone alive?" The three scouts nodded. One of them looked at Arin. "You’re Arin, aren’t you?" Arin blinked. "How do you know me?" The young elf chuckled. "Everyone knows who you are." Arin scratched the back of his head. "That isn’t always a good thing." The wounded scout tried to stand and immediately stumbled. Mira rushed over and steadied him. "Easy." She looked at his arm. "It’s injured, but not bad." Adnan helped the other two. Saira looked at the dead beasts. "You handled yourself better." Arin smiled. "I’m improving."

Arene suddenly spoke.

[You are also celebrating too early.]

Arin stiffened. "What?" She sounded amused.

[Look at the quest.]

Arin opened the window. The first objective remained, ’Locate the missing elven scouts.’ A green mark appeared next to it. [Completed.] The second objective still remained, [Ensure their safe return to the settlement.] Arin sighed. "Of course." Saira looked at him. "What?" "Nothing." The return trip was slower, for the wounded scout needed support, so Mira and Adnan helped him while the others kept watch. When they finally arrived back at the settlement, Eldran was waiting. His face changed when he saw the scouts.

"You found them." Arin nodded. "They were attacked by beasts." Eldran immediately turned to the scouts. "You three. You had everyone worried." The scouts bowed their apology. Eldran accepted it, then turned to Arin. "Thank you." Arin smiled. "No problem." The moment the scouts crossed through the entrance to the settlement, the System window appeared again. [Quest Completed.] Arin’s eyes fell to the last line. [Reward: Hidden Reward acquired.] He blinked. Arene spoke immediately.

[Congratulations.]

"What is it?"

[That would ruin the surprise.]

"You’re kidding." Arin stared at the window.

"Arene."

[Yes?]

"Tell me."

[No.]

He sighed. "You’ve become cruel."

[I prefer charming.]

Arin laughed and thought of how far he had come, from a eventless life and death to one of the hallmarks of another world. Arene interrupted his thoughts,

[Arin.]

"Yeah?"

[Your next quest is already available.]

Arin’s smile vanished. "Already?"

[Yes.]

He turned to the System as a new window appeared.

[New Quest Available.]

Arin stared. "You’ve got to be kidding me." Arene laughed,

[I thought you wanted a quest. Here’s one for you.]