"Thank you for your service," we said politely, bowing to the maids of the Red Mansion before leaving.
At the big gate, we waved goodbye. Today was the perfect day to head out and take on new quests to level up.
"Hey, Serpent boy! Why don't we take a quest together?" Claude called out cheerfully. He slung his arm over Clifton's shoulder.
Clifton didn't seem to enjoy it. He quickly swung Claude's arm away.
"Thanks, but no thanks," Clifton replied in a cold tone. Without another word, he walked off with Raven by his side.
Claude scratched the back of his head and laughed. "Man, he sure is cold. But in battle, he's twirling around like a ballerina—Hahaha!"
"Come on. We should take a quest at the Beast Masters Guild."
"Yeah, you're right. We should," Dahlia agreed eagerly.
The three of us walked down the bustling street. Merchants lined both sides of the road, their stalls overflowing with goods.
We passed by them all, smiling politely but keeping our eyes on our goal.
I opened my Player Status screen and tapped on the map button, scanning the glowing lines and markers.
"There's gotta be here somewhere…" I muttered, zooming in until I finally spotted the red icon and the name Beast Masters Guild.
"Ah-ha! There it is. We need to head left now," I said, pointing the way to my companions.
We walked down the busy street, weaving through crowds of merchants, players, and townsfolk. After a long walk, a huge building came into view. A grand sign above the wide double doors read: Beast Masters Guild.
"Wow… it's bigger than I expected," Dahlia whispered.
We pushed open the doors and stepped inside. The guild hall was packed with life. Dozens of players filled the wide room, chatting loudly, comparing gear, or forming parties. Along the long counter at the front, several young women in uniform stood ready to help. Each one assisted players by handing out quests, checking papers, or stamping approvals. A line had already formed, and players shuffled forward one by one.
The sound of clattering boots and excited voices echoed everywhere.
I noticed a wooden staircase that led to the second floor. Up there, quests were posted on massive boards. Groups of players climbed the stairs, whispering and pointing at missions.
"Come on, let's check upstairs," I suggested.
As we set foot on the stairs, the noise in the hall shifted. I heard whispers from the players nearby.
"Hey, is that them? The ones who won yesterday's challenge in the Arena?" one player asked in a hushed voice.
"Yeah… it's them! No mistake about it!" another whispered, staring at us with wide eyes.
I felt the weight of their gazes following us as we climbed. The whispers spread like wildfire, and soon almost the entire hall was buzzing with curiosity.
We finally stepped onto the second floor. Right in front of us stood a massive board covered in quests of all kinds. Some were simple, with neat little notes and small pins, while others were marked with bright red pins—clearly indicating they were more dangerous or challenging.
I scanned the board carefully, my eyes darting from one quest to another. Most were too difficult for our current level, but then something caught my attention: a quest that seemed just right for us—not too simple, not too deadly.
"Hey, let's pick this one," I suggested, pointing at the note. My companions leaned closer to take a look.
Quest:
Objective: Slay 5 Mother Slimes
Reward: 10,000 Gold Coins
Difficulty: Moderate
Recommended Level: 8–15
Dahlia's eyes widened. "Wow, that's a huge reward for a quest at our level!" she exclaimed.
Claude scratched his head and grinned. "Not too bad. Mother Slimes, huh? Could be messy, but we can handle it."
I felt a rush of excitement. This was exactly the kind of challenge we needed to level up, test our skills, and maybe even earn a bit of gold.
"Alright, then," I said with determination. "Let's take this quest and show those Mother Slimes who's the boss."
The three of us moved forward together, ready to officially accept the quest and begin our next adventure: slay five Mother Slimes—and claim our reward.
We then come to the counter and have the young woman stamp our quest note for approval.
"Excuse me, we'll take this quest," Dahlia said politely to the young woman in the counter.
"Mother Slimes? Nice choice!" the NPC asked, looking at us with a friendly smile.
"Party, please," I replied, nodding.
The young woman stamped our quest notes with a loud thunk, confirming that the quest was officially ours.
I clicked the quest note and put it in my inventory.
As soon as we stepped outside, a glowing screen suddenly appeared in front of each of us, hovering in mid-air. The words and numbers shimmered, giving all the details of our quest.
[!] Quest [!]
» Slay 5 Mother Slimes
Progress: 0 / 5
EXP: 200 points
Reward: 10,000 Gold Coins
Location: Swampy Areas
We all paused for a moment, reading the screen carefully. The swamp area wasn't far from the kingdom, but it was known for being wet, muddy, and full of hidden dangers. Slimes loved these kinds of places, sliding through the murky water and popping up when least expected.
Dahlia frowned slightly. "Five Mother Slimes… that's a lot for our first group quest," she said.
Claude scratched his head and laughed. "Messy, sticky, and probably slimy… exactly what we need to level up. Come on, let's go!"
I gave a small nod, feeling a rush of excitement. This was it—our first real party quest together, and the chance to earn gold and experience.
"Before we head out on our quest, how about we share our passive abilities?" I suggested, turning to look at Dahlia and Claude.
Dahlia tilted her head thoughtfully, then nodded. "That's actually a really good idea. If we know each other's strengths, we'll be able to fight as a real team," she said with a smile.
She placed her hand on her chest. "Alright, I'll go first. My passive ability is Ocean's Refuge. When my HP drops below 50%, a soothing barrier surrounds me. The barrier lasts until the battle ends or until it absorbs a total of 200 damage."
"But that's not all. While the barrier is active, it constantly heals me. My HP gradually recovers as long as the barrier remains, so if it never breaks, I effectively have infinite healing. It protects me while restoring my health at the same time. The only disadvantage is… I can only use this once a day. After that, the power won't return until the next day."
Claude let out a low whistle and grinned. "Whoa…. so basically, when you're about to go down, the ocean saves you. That's amazing! With that kind of ability, you're like an unstoppable shield for the team."
I nodded in agreement, feeling reassured. Knowing Dahlia could protect herself—and heal at the same time—made our chances of surviving the quest feel much higher.
"Me next!" Claude said with a proud grin, placing his hand firmly on his chest.
"My passive ability is called Frostbite Lash," he began confidently. "Whenever I strike an enemy with my whip, whether it lands perfectly or just grazes them, it leaves behind a chilling effect. Each hit makes them slower and slower. When I use Ice magic, my Passive becomes more effective."
"The more times I strike, the colder and stiffer they get. And once the frost builds up to its limit, the enemy freezes solid for 3 seconds. It's like turning them into an ice statue right in the middle of battle!"
Claude flashed a wide, satisfied grin. "So basically, the longer they fight me, the weaker and slower they become. Then—snap!—I finish them off with a freeze. Not bad, right? And the best part? There's no cooldown on this ability. I can keep striking and freezing them again and again."
He chuckled. "The only downside is if the enemy has a healer-type ability or strong fire skills. Those can melt or cancel out my frost. But aside from that, they're pretty much in big trouble against me."
"Cool, that leaves my ability," I said with a small smile. "Mine is called Scorching Aegis."
I raised my hand as if to show them the fiery energy glowing faintly around me. "This ability makes me completely immune to anything that tries to stop me from moving or fighting. Things like stun, freeze, immobilize, silence, blind, or even confusion—none of them can affect me while Scorching Aegis is active."
"No matter what kind of crowd-control effect an enemy throws at me, I can still keep moving and still keep fighting. It's like having a shield of flames that burns away anything trying to hold me back. And the best part with this ability also? It has no cooldown."