The night melted into day as the sun cast its warmth and light, as though the chaos of yesterday had nothing to do with today. But despite the golden rays stretching across the ruined landscape, chaos still reigned everywhere.
Today marked the second day of the world quest.
«WORLD QUEST: FIRST BLOOD»
TYPE: Mandatory
GOAL: Kill 5 monsters within 48 hours
RANK: E
SYSTEM NOTICE:
"Survival must be proven. Failure means erasure."
REWARDS:
+100 EXP
Basic Weapon (E-Rank)
Passive Skill: Adrenaline Surge (reflex boost when afraid)
FAILURE PENALTY:
-50% Health
Quests locked for 72 hours
System beacon attracts monsters
TIME REMAINING: 15:23:17
For many civilians and even some Ascendants, this quest felt like a curse. Many were lucky enough to be saved by factions, but still many weren't so fortunate, they had to fight, or they would be erased when the time ran out.
James stirred awake as sunlight poured into the damaged building, the beams landing gently across his face. He glanced at Collins beside him, still sleeping peacefully.
'It seems whatever power he used drained him too much… thank God that Hindu God of War helped. If not… I don't want to imagine what would have happened' James thought grimly.
Turning his head, he caught sight of Amara, still asleep as well. The exhaustion from yesterday's battle was written all over her, but even so, James couldn't bring himself to trust her, especially with the way she kept glancing at Collins whenever she thought no one was watching.
Finally, his gaze landed on Laide, who, to his annoyance, was staring directly back at him.
Silence, a stare off.
One minute. Five minutes. Thirty minutes.
Until James finally broke it.
"You really are persistent, aren't you?" James muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"So are you," Laide replied coolly.
James stretched his limbs, surprised that his body wasn't aching despite having slept on bare concrete.
'The power of being an Ascendant, huh?'
he mused. "So, how far is your faction base from here?"
Laide scratched his head, then shrugged. "Don't know, but it's not that far."
James bent down, lifting Collins onto his back with ease as if afraid he will break him. Then he glanced toward Amara.
"Hey, Amara, time to get going," he said curtly.
Though he didn't like her, he knew having more numbers was better, especially in unfamiliar territory with unfamiliar people.
Amara slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the sunlight. She noticed Collins on James's back, then Laide in the corner. Without a word, she rose to her feet, yawning and stretching.
"So, we're really going to this place?" she asked groggily.
"Yeah. We're going," James replied.
"I honestly thought you'd leave me behind," Amara said dryly.
"I considered it," James admitted with a half-smile. "But if Collins woke up and realized I abandoned you, he would lecture me about being a better comrade."
"Or he might approve," Amara countered, her tone sharp.
"You don't know Collins at all," James retorted firmly. "He's not the type to abandon someone after helping them."
Amara's eyes narrowed. "Well, people change."
James smirked. "Collins has had more reasons than most to change. But he hasn't. He's still the same, except he hasn't had time to bury his nose in books like he used to." His voice carried a quiet conviction, a belief that seemed unshakable.
Amara tilted her head, curious. "And what are those reasons?"
James leaned closer, lowering his voice just slightly. "He's smart. You saw it when you were with him, didn't you?"
His tone, eyes, even heartbeat stayed steady, making it impossible for Amara to tell if he was hiding something. She prided herself on reading people, but James's behavior today was different from yesterday. Was he telling the truth, or covering something up?
In reality, James himself had no concrete answers. After sleeping on it, he realized he'd given Amara too much suspicion about Collins yesterday. Now, he was carefully steering her thoughts away, keeping things vague. He didn't fully know what Collins had done, but he was certain it tied to Collins's strange attribute. From now on, he promised himself he would stay calm and not let emotions give away more than he should.
"Are you two done with your little banter?" Laide called from the corner.
"Little boy, you really need spanking for talking to your elders like that," Amara snapped.
Laide snorted. "Hah! Big-breasted sister, don't you realize? The world isn't the same anymore. In this new world, only strength rules everything." He let a flicker of his aura spill out.
Amara shivered at the pressure, but her fury flared hotter at the nickname.
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING BIG-BREASTED SISTER?!" she roared, lunging at him.
Laide laughed, dodging with ease, using her anger to amuse himself as he slipped past every swipe.
Meanwhile, James couldn't help but notice the bouncing distraction as Amara chased Laide. His eyes betrayed him for a second too long.
Amara caught his gaze and spun on him.
"YOU SCUMBAG! HOPELESS! SHAMELESS!" she spat, fury painting her face red.
"L… look at yourself!" James stammered defensively. "Don't you care about your image as a lady?!"
The commotion dragged on for minutes before finally settling, leaving James muttering silently,
'God, I was just looking…'
Trying to regain her composure, Amara asked Laide through clenched teeth, "So where's your faction?"
"If you hadn't wasted time chasing me, we would be there already," Laide said smugly.
"YOU…!"
"Please, Laide. Just take us there," James cut in quickly, knowing if the two argued again, they'd waste another day.
Laide folded his arms, suddenly serious. "Fine. But listen, this is important. When we get there, let me do the talking. Only answer what you're asked. Nothing more, nothing less."
Both James and Amara looked at him curiously.
"Why?" Amara pressed, though she already sensed the gravity behind the warning.
"Because those pot-bellied men and plum-faced women in charge? They're nasty. The kind who smile at you while planning how to use you." Laide's tone was sharper than usual, almost bitter.
James nodded slightly. Even if he didn't fully understand, his instincts told him to trust the boy. "Thanks, Laide."
Laide cringed. "That's creepy, man."
"Big bre…" he started, then froze as Amara's killing intent washed over him. He cleared his throat quickly. "Ahem… Big sister. You'll need to get stronger. Otherwise, you'll just become another pawn to those men."
Amara's face hardened. "…Are they really that strong?"
"Very strong," Laide confirmed.
"I guess no one's playing around anymore," James muttered under his breath.
"Enough talk. Let's go. I'm already starving. I wonder what they cook today." Laide said, leading them forward. Ahead lay the Eleso Faction.