Chapter 224: The Hunt
Two players, panting for breath, ran up to Zhou Ning. Lowering his voice, Qingbai Wild Sake said, "Boss, we've found where the Chosen Ones are being held!"
"Oh? Come inside first," Zhou Ning's eyes lit up. He pointed to the alchemy shop behind him and smiled.
"Knew it—another hidden quest!"
The onlookers nearby shot the two players envious and jealous looks, wishing they were the lucky ones.
Qingbai Wild Sake and his companion were already used to this kind of realistic quest interaction. Without surprise, they followed Zhou Ning into the alchemy shop.
"T-The Chosen Ones are locked up in a manor in the northwest of the old district. There are lots of Cursed God Cult cultists patrolling the place, and two very powerful priests among them. From time to time, a researcher also visits." As a player, Qingbai Wild Sake still found it awkward to use the term "Chosen One."
"Priests? Researcher?" Zhou Ning's attention sharpened instantly.
At the same time, a string of messages flashed across his panel:
[You have triggered the instance quest [Reckoning]! Accept?]
[Once completed, this quest will become a historical replay-type instance.]
[Quest description: This is your first step in settling the score with the Cursed God Cult. Let's see what you can actually do to them.]
[Hint: The quest difficulty is high. Watch out for the enemy's unknown artifacts.]
[Blood and Fire: Kill 10 Cursed God Cult cultists.]
[Investigation: Discover the identity of the mysterious researcher.]
[Patience and Slaughter (I): Kill Priest Gaskell. Rewards based on contribution.]
[Patience and Slaughter (II): Kill Priest Niam. Rewards based on contribution.]
[Patience and Slaughter (III): Defeat or kill Harrison Rivers. Rewards based on contribution.]
[Destroy Austin Manor: Destroy the quest location—Austin Manor. Rewards based on completion and contribution.]
"Oh?"
A gleam flashed in Zhou Ning's eyes. He'd only planned to disrupt the Cursed God Cult's operations, but this was an unexpected bonus. This was the largest-scale quest he'd received since entering the game, and the rewards would surely be impressive, especially with additional evaluation bonuses at the end.
It also meant he would have to go all out…
Suppressing his thoughts, Zhou Ning continued listening to their report.
"It's hard to explain the exact location. We can take you there later. Oh, and some of the Chosen Ones inside have been brainwashed and forced to join the Cursed God Cult, but not many," Qingbai Wild Sake added.
Of course, he was being strategic—he could have given exact directions, but this way, he maximized the chances of being included in the quest follow-up.
"Not bad." After asking a few more details, Zhou Ning nodded with a smile, settling the quest.
The two players then received a prompt:
[C-rank quest [Find the Chosen Ones] completed. You gain 14,000 EXP, 10 Vecktas, and M1876 Revolver ×1.]
[Wayne Sturwell's favorability toward you has increased by 10 points. Current status: Friendly.]
Seeing their EXP shoot up, the two exchanged grins so wide they could barely close their mouths. This haul was huge—not only a massive amount of EXP and a deadly-looking revolver, but also an increase in the main character's favorability.
"Your actions have shown me your courage, adventurers." Zhou Ning took out a pocket watch, snapped it open, and glanced at the time. "Tonight, I intend to explore that manor. Will you be free?"
"Yes!" the two replied in delight. This was exactly why they'd offered to guide him.
Zhou Ning issued them a follow-up quest, telling them to meet him in the old district around 10 p.m.
After seeing them off, Zhou Ning adjusted his top hat and, without delay, headed toward the nearby Duel Monsters shop.
Since he'd decided to move against the Cursed God Cult, he planned to buy some cards to test his Stand ability. And for this quest, he intended to go it alone—no helpers.
Spending 10 Roshens on 5 booster packs, he tore them open one by one. His luck wasn't bad—he got the CEO's wife's dragon, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and a Flame Swordsman that looked decent. The rest seemed unremarkable at first glance.
Returning to the alchemy lab, Zhou Ning shut the door, sat down, and laid out all the cards. First, he pulled out the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and placed it on the table.
Extending his right hand, he gestured over the cards—but frowned. The summon failed.
He tried several more times, all ending in failure. As a mythical creature, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon naturally wouldn't be easy to summon.
Since it wasn't working, Zhou Ning didn't force it. From the remaining cards, he successfully summoned the Flame Swordsman, though its strength was mediocre. Then he randomly picked a magic card—Mystical Space Typhoon—and tried summoning it. To his satisfaction, a complex array of symbols lit up, and a visible whirlwind shot forward, like a meteorologist's power. The stamina cost was minimal.
Perfect effect.
The corner of Zhou Ning's mouth curved upward. He began picking through the rest, ready to use Lucky Clover again at any moment. Tonight was his first reckoning with the Cursed God Cult, and he had no intention of letting anyone—or that pesky little book—interfere. Based on earlier tests, Lucky Clover worked well against the book's meddling.
…
By around 11 p.m., a light rain had begun to fall. Zhou Ning silently used Lucky Clover, changed into a fitted black combat overcoat, pressed the brim of his wide black hat low, and strolled toward the old district.
Choosing secluded streets, the night was hushed as he passed block after block, arriving to find Qingbai Wild Sake and Haicheng waiting for him.
According to them, the manor lay diagonally across from this road.
"Stay here and don't move," Zhou Ning said in a low voice.
"Alright." Though something felt a bit off about that instruction, the two didn't dare object.
Zhou Ning concealed himself in the street's shadows, quietly watching, waiting.
Tonight, Wayne Sturwell would join the hunt.
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