After listening, Yusei calmly asked, "Then how can you be sure your daughter is still alive? It's been a week, you know."
The blacksmith owner wiped his tears. It was hard to imagine a tough man crying, but it wasn't laughable… instead, it made him seem more flesh and blood.
"My daughter wears a necklace that belonged to my late wife. It's a matching pair with this one. If the wearer of one necklace dies unexpectedly, the other will shatter automatically."
"Furthermore, the necklaces have the ability to sense each other's direction. Sir Warrior, please save my daughter! I'm willing to pay any price!"
The blacksmith owner pleaded, presenting the necklace with both hands, seemingly waiting for Yusei to take it.
This was the condition for accepting the quest. Taking the necklace meant accepting the quest.
"Alright, I accept." Yusei took the necklace.
Simultaneously, a quest window popped up on his game interface.
[Quest: Save Serena]
[Quest Introduction: A kind-hearted young girl, wanting to give her father the best birthday present, risked into the Frost Dragon's territory and ended up trapped there.]
[Quest Reward: Obtain the Blacksmith Owner's Treasure x1, the Blacksmith Owner's Gratitude]
[Additional Quest: Obtain the Frost Dragon's Heart, Scales, and other materials.]
[Reward: Can use materials to have the Blacksmith Owner forge corresponding equipment.]
[Do you accept this quest?]
Yusei, of course, immediately selected [Accept].
With the quest accepted, both Yusei and Shiro found this quest added to their party's quest log.
'So, the blacksmith owner's treasure means one each for me and Shiro? Pity that silly girl Shinomiya Kaguya ran off so fast, otherwise it would probably be three, right?'
Yusei thought to himself, took Shiro's hand, and, with the blacksmith owner's blessings, quickly left, heading for the Western Mountains.
…
The Western Mountains, located in the most dangerous area of the first floor, were marked with [Warning] and [Danger] symbols on the game guide.
Some might think the floor boss is the most powerful entity on each floor, but that's not actually the case.
Many closed beta players knew that some of the hidden bosses were the real deal. Their strength lay in the fact that their level might not correspond to the current floor.
For example, the first floor could generally be tackled around levels 10-15.
Yet the acceptance condition for the Frost Dragon quest was level 25. Following the setting where bosses are 5-10 levels higher than players, this meant the Frost Dragon was at least a level 30 boss.
One can imagine how powerful this boss was. Theoretically, you should clear the first floor, quickly level up on the second floor, reach level 25, and then return to the first floor to accept the quest.
But the problem was, once you reached the second floor, who would return to the first floor to look for hidden quests? Weren't there any on the second floor?
This was why some hidden quests were so difficult to discover.
…
The Frozen Forest of the Western Mountains was a world wrapped in silver. The leafless, withered trees were covered in ice and snow. Stepping on this land, one would sink in up to their calves.
Shiro was so cold her nose was almost running, looking pitifully at Yusei.
"Nii, it's a bit cold."
Yusei also hugged his arms, shivering, looking at the snowy, icy weather with a headache.
"I miscalculated. I forgot to buy some warm clothes."
Seeing his poor little sister suffering in the cold weather, Yusei felt very distressed. He opened his mailbox and sent an email to an unknown address.
[Send me two heavy coats.]
The email had just been sent, and before three seconds passed, Yusei received a reply. It contained an emoji smiley face and, attached, two heavy coats.
Yusei checked their attributes and fell silent.
'Divine-tier coats? Well, alright then. I just need them for warmth anyway.'
Yusei immediately put one on Shiro. Her pale complexion improved noticeably, and a healthy pink quickly returned to her cute face.
"So warm. Just like being in Nii's arms."
Yusei smiled, picked Shiro up to carry her while walking. Seeing her content expression made him very happy.
Passing through the stormy forest, they climbed the real domain of the Frost Dragon… the Western Mountain. Only then did Yusei see the Frost Dragon's lair.
It was a place bristling with icy spikes, looking like a giant hedgehog. It was hard to imagine where the dragon actually slept.
"Roar!"
Just as Yusei and Shiro were about to continue climbing to the summit, a tremendous roar echoed.
Immediately after, a blue dragon dozens of meters long charged out from the mountaintop.