Chapter 162: High School Connections "Lord Schrodinger!" Yuzuro waved excitedly when she saw Xin.
"Hey, where were you last night?" Rever inquired. "Victor mentioned you were working on some project. I told you that school would just interfere with your gaming. You’ve got to prioritize what really matters."
Yuzuro gave Rever the side eye and wryly sighed. "I think your priorities might be a bit skewed."
"Not at all," Rever argued. "I’m earning more in the game than most college graduates make in their jobs. I just chose not to quit my jobs because it’s enjoyable."
While the two bantered, Xin leaned in closer to Victor and whispered, "You didn’t mention the fire, did you?"
"I thought it would be best if you told them," Victor replied quietly.
"Thanks," Xin appreciated Victor’s discretion. He didn’t want to burden the others with worries about his personal life, especially when everything seemed to be fine now. There was no need to create unnecessary drama.
"Shall we proceed with our third quest?" Victor suggested. "Just a heads up, the third and fourth quests of the Abandon Fortress aren’t as straightforward as the previous ones. Things are about to get more challenging."
"I’m up for a challenge," Rever replied.
"But . . ." Yuzuro glanced around. "Midnight Duchess isn’t here yet."
"I’m here."
"Whoa!" Both Rever and Yuzuro were startled by Midnight Duchess’ sudden appearance.
"You do enjoy making grand entrances, don’t you?" Victor quipped.
"I had some things to take care of, so I’m running a bit late," Midnight Duchess explained.
"Now that we’re all here, let’s get going!" Rever declared and led the way.
"I heard you weren’t here last night," Midnight Duchess asked Lord Schrodinger as they prepared for their third quest. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, just had a project to finish," Xin replied. "Sorry if you had to wait for me."
Midnight Duchess shook her head. "No worries. I had some other plans last night, so the cancelled meet up worked out in the end."
"That’s good to hear," Xin said, feeling a growing sense of trust toward Midnight Duchess after everything they’d been through and the multiple times that she had saved him.
"It seems like everyone had their own business last night," Yuzuro joined in the conversation.
Rever rolled his eyes skyward. "It’s because you have that pesky school stuff." And the two argued again.
Eventually, they arrived at their third quest.
[Devious charlatans had stolen a noble family’s lands in the once-glorious Dwarven Chateau. After 150 years of deception, the nobleman’s daughter sought justice and her family’s heritage.
She had discovered deeds bearing her father’s name and family seal in the abandoned chateau after extensive research. She hired a team of skilled adventurers to retrieve the valuable documents and return them to her.]
ǁ Quest Objectives ǁ
❶ Explore the Abandoned Chateau: The adventurers must navigate the chateau’s deteriorating halls and chambers, facing challenges and uncovering its mysteries to locate the vault rumored to house the genuine deeds.
❷ Overcome Traps and Obstacles: The chateau is riddled with traps meant to deter intruders. The explorers must conquer these dangers to pinpoint the vault’s whereabouts.
❸ Retrieve the Genuine Deeds: Once the vault is discovered, the adventurers must painstakingly search for the deeds bearing the noble family’s seal. Protecting these records is vital.
❹ Deliver the Deeds to the Daughter: Hand over the authentic deeds to the nobleman’s daughter. This act will validate her family heritage and restore their honor.
ǁ E N D ǁ
ǁ R E W A R D S ǁ
❶ Financial Compensation: The nobleman’s daughter promises wealth and valuable heirlooms as a token of gratitude for restoring her family’s honor and legacy.
❷ Beneficial Connections: Success in this mission may lead to valuable alliances with powerful nobles, opening doors to future quests.
❸ Renowned Reputation: The adventurers’ heroic deeds will spread, earning them a positive reputation among both commoners and nobility. This recognition may result in more prominent undertakings and invitations to influential gatherings.
❹ Grateful Legacy: The nobleman’s daughter will remain willing to assist the adventurers if they ever require her aid.
ǁ E N D ǁ
"It seems like a typical dungeon run," Rever remarked.
"Don’t be too sure," Victor cautioned. "From this point onward, we’ll mostly be isolated from other groups, and the monsters and beasts we face will be more challenging than before. Plus, I don’t have much information on what lies ahead. We’re going in blind."
"Did you find anything on the forums?" Xin inquired.
Victor shook his head. "Since most groups end up isolated inside, they tend to keep their knowledge hidden to maintain their advantages."
"That makes sense," Yuzuro chimed in.
"It adds excitement and intrigue!" Rever exclaimed.
As the group conversed, a soft, melodic voice penetrated their discussion.
"Rever?"
Turning their heads, they spotted an angelic figure with straight black hair smiling warmly.
"It’s really you!" She exclaimed with a laugh. "It’s me, Meilyn."
Rever chuckled nervously and glanced briefly at Xin. "Meilyn! What a coincidence running into you here."
"We’re here for the hidden bosses," Meilyn replied to him.
"Hello, Meilyn," Yuzuro greeted her with a small smile. "Do you remember me?"
Meilyn’s smile faltered a little and tried to identify the avatar.
"It’s me, Yuzuro," Yuzuro said when Meilyn couldn’t seem to recognize her.
Meilyn’s eyes widened, and she gasped. "Yuzuro? You’re also here?"
"Yeah. Rever and I are in the same guild, and we’re tackling the Abandon Fortress quest together," Yuzuro explained.
"Really?" Meilyn was delighted and assumed that both Midnight Duchess and Grey Smoke were part of their guild, too.
Her gaze then landed on Lord Schrodinger, and she visibly paused. He seemed . . . oddly familiar.
"Ah, guys." Rever stepped in and quickly introduced, "This is Meilyn, our high school classmate. Meilyn, these are Grey Smoke, Midnight Duchess, and, um . . ."
"Lord Schrodinger," Yuzuro interjected firmly. "His name is Lord Schrodinger."
"Right." Rever scratched his head, avoiding eye contact with Meilyn. He wasn’t very skilled at lying and feared that he might blurted out Xin’s identity.
"Nice to meet all of you," Meilyn beamed before bidding her farewells. "Unfortunately, I have to go. My guild is waiting for me. It’s great to see you again, Rever and Yuzu. I hope both of you can make it to the reunion during the holidays."
Meilyn waved goodbye and hurried toward her teammates.
As she left, Victor couldn’t help but comment, "I sense some awkward tension in the air."
His gaze then shifted between Rever, Yuzuro, and Xin. "Who is she really?"
Rever and Yuzuro glanced at Xin.
Xin merely shrugged, turned toward the fortress, and casually replied, "She’s my ex."