Arsen was taken aback by the sudden information flashing on the screen. At first, he had intended to take advantage of his time with Rigus on the training ground, knowing the 5% growth bonus it offered could be a valuable asset.
However, a new realization dawned on him: using the monsters as practice targets was far more dangerous than he had initially considered, especially given the dire consequences should he fail and lose his life.
A smile tugged at Arsen's lips. If this NPC was offering him an opportunity, what reason could he possibly have to decline?
He clicked [Yes] on the screen, and a new window appeared.
You have accepted the monster's subjugation quest!
Description: For the past few months, farmers have been struggling with frequent boar attacks. Please assist them in reclaiming their crops and helping them restore their fields.
Number of monsters 10.
Difficulty: Easy
Upon seeing the number of boars, Arsen quickly formulated a plan for how they should tackle the problem. He then bowed his head to Rigus, a gesture of appreciation.
"Thanks to this quest, Sir Rigus."
Once again, Rigus shook his head and hands in unison. "Please, raise your head, Sir Velnar. This is the least I can do to make amends. You almost died because of me." His voice was heavy with regret.
"We should forget about it, Sir Rigus."
"If you say so."
After conversing with Rigus for over fifteen minutes, Arsen took the advice to heart on how best to deal with the boars. According to Rigus, setting up traps would be the most effective method, as these monsters were so aggressive that they would attack on sight.
However, the plan was time-consuming. Still, Arsen kept it in mind. If the situation called for it, he would set the traps in order to deal with the threat.
He didn't plan to stay at the training ground for long. After all, his only level 1 skill at the moment was Parry, and to improve it, he would need someone to attack him—someone he could practice blocking against.
Soon, Arsen left the area, but instead of heading directly to the farmer's location, he realized he needed to find someone who could guide him there. He could make the journey on foot, but that would take several hours.
As he walked through the streets, he noticed NPCs selling food. Upon closer inspection, he realized that some of the food could help replenish fatigue. His attention then shifted to a nearby weapons shop. It occurred to him that buying armor might be a good idea to prepare for the worst-case scenario. However, when he saw the prices, his jaw nearly dropped.
"2 silver coins, really?"
In this world, 100 bronze coins were equivalent to 1 silver coin, but at the moment, Arsen didn't even have enough bronze coins to make up a single silver. With that in mind, he quickly dismissed the idea of purchasing armor. Instead, he decided to head to the location Rigus had mentioned.
Approaching a middle-aged man, he greeted him respectfully. "Good day, Sir Glen. I am Velnar; Sir Rigus introduced you to me."
Glen looked him over with a stern expression, clearly seeing him for the first time. However, since Rigus had vouched for him, he had no reason not to speak. "How can I help you today?"
"Yes, I'm planning to go to Grook's Farm."
"Two bronze coins."
Arsen didn't hesitate to pay the price and tossed the two bronze coins without bargaining. "Thanks."
He climbed into the carriage, and their journey proceeded smoothly. There were no monsters along the road, and the magical lamps hung on each post provided light and helped ward off any creatures from straying into town.
About 30 minutes later, they reached their destination without encountering any monsters. However, Arsen couldn't help but notice that throughout the entire journey, Glen hadn't said a single word.
"Why is this guy so grumpy? Whatever," Arsen muttered to himself as he exited the carriage. "Thanks for the trip, Sir Glen."
Glen simply nodded and then turned the carriage back toward Grook's Town. Arsen, now on foot, looked around. In front of him was a small village, with wooden houses scattered around the area and destroyed crops littering the ground.
Before he could enter the village, an old man with a cane approached him. "Are you the adventurer who accepted our quest?"
Arsen nodded nonchalantly, his eyes scanning the surroundings. From what he could tell, it was clear the boars had been causing the farmers a great deal of trouble, as their crops were already ruined and unusable.
"Yes, Sir. My name is Velnar," Arsen replied politely.
"I am Samel, an elder of this village," the old man responded, bowing his head in respect. "Thank you for accepting our quest, despite the meager reward."
Arsen furrowed his brow, puzzled by the elder's words. "What do you mean by that, Sir Samel?"
"As you can see," Samel gestured around, "the reward for our request is only 50 bronze coins, which should be the equivalent of 1 silver coin."
It seemed Arsen had already figured out why the elder was being so respectful. Specifically, they likely hadn't expected anyone to accept their request due to the low reward.
He rubbed his chin, considering the situation. It made sense now—Rigus had probably taken on this quest because no one else was willing to help the elders. In Arsen's mind, 50 bronze coins was already a reasonable reward.
The people in this small village were mainly elders and children. They lacked the strength to deal with the wild boars that were ravaging their crops.
"That's fine, Sir Samel. There's nothing to worry about I'll take care of the wild boars so you can focus on restoring your crops."
"Yes, Sir Velnar." Samel's voice faltered, and his expression darkened.
He had explained earlier that wild boars had begun raiding the fields under cover of night. By the time Arsen arrived, the damage was already extensive: the boars had ravaged the crops, injured several farmers who tried to intervene, and even destroyed nearby homes. Twelve farmers were confirmed injured, and that number was still rising.
"Sorry to hear that, Sir Samel. Rest assured, I'll take care of those wild boars."
Arsen had no intention of waiting until morning. He immediately asked Samel for the exact location where the boars had last been seen.
"Are you planning to go alone, Sir Velnar?" Samel asked, a note of concern in his voice.
"Yes," Arsen replied simply.
"But why? You should wait for your party members tomorrow," Samel pressed, visibly uneasy.
"Party? I'm alone," Arsen said, narrowing his eyes as he caught the subtle shift in Samel's expression. "Is there a problem with me going alone?"
Samel hesitated. Something was off. Arsen could tell the wild boars weren't the only problem lurking in those woods.
"Are you out of your mind, Sir Velnar? The monsters include ten boars and one of them is a magical boar—" Samel abruptly stopped and clamped a hand over his mouth, realizing he'd said too much.
Apparently, when they submitted the request, they deliberately left out that crucial detail. Why? The reason was obvious: once word got out about a magical boar, the reward would have to be far more than a mere fifty bronze coins.
Any other adventurer might have walked away or demanded higher pay. But Arsen stayed calm, understanding why Samel had felt the need to hide the truth.
Ding!
Quest was triggered!
Please eliminate the magical boar!
Difficulty: Medium
Reward(s):
+1 skill profiency
+2 to all atrributes
+ 300 Exp
Even though the chain quest hadn't been triggered, Arsen still planned to help. Without a word, he headed toward the area where the boars had been sighted.
Fifteen minutes later, he found them. The creatures lay scattered across the ground, seemingly resting defenseless. But Arsen didn't strike immediately. One of the boars stood out: it had a yellow core embedded in its forehead, pulsing with an ominous orange glow. Its presence alone was enough to make him hesitate.
"With a single shot, I could take down one of them. But the problem is, my presence would revea—"
He stopped mid-thought. A sound echoed in his mind—footsteps.
Four figures in black robes approached, each wearing a malicious smile. Arsen felt a prickle of danger crawl up his spine and instinctively sharpened his senses.
Staff. Blade. Shield. Axe. He noted their weapons immediately and with that, he could already guess their classes.
"What are you doing out here, man?" asked the one with green hair, gripping his blade casually.
Arsen had no intention of responding, at least not with words or steel. He turned to leave. In his mind, if these players stumbled upon the monsters, they'd likely wipe them out themselves. Two birds with one stone.
"Leaving already?" said a man with blond hair and a tattoo on his shoulder. He smirked before adding, "That's totally fine. You can go, just hand over everything you've got first."
Arsen smiled slightly. It all made sense now. These were the types of players he'd read about in countless articles, the kind who preyed on new adventurers, ambushing them for valuable items, especially monster cores. If someone refused, they'd be hunted down relentlessly, killed over and over to block any chance of leveling up.
He stared at them, unfazed.
"Why would I do that?" he said coolly. "Pretty sure this is the first time we've met—and I don't recall agreeing to hide your loot."
A mocking grin spread across his face.