Chapter 52: The Agony Of Success

Sage felt as if he had picked up a stone and dropped it on his own legs.His expression twitched constantly, a sore sensation spreading across his face from the effort of maintaining his unchanging professional smile.

As he looked at the long line in front of him and glanced at the others seated at tables in the Guild Hall, a mix of happiness and bitterness filled his heart.

He was thrilled that the Guild Hall was bustling with people eager to post missions, yet he also felt sad and bitter because he was busy working.

“Looks like my days of lounging around are coming to an end,” he thought, his hands mechanically processing the Mission Docket while he smiled warmly at the man in front of him.

“Well, this is what you get when you want your business to thrive,” he mused inwardly, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

He had anticipated that Pax’s word-of-mouth and Gregor’s flyers would bring in some visitors, but he never expected it to become so overwhelming.

Initially, Sage thought maybe ten or fifteen people would show up, after all, not many would rush to trust rumors, but he quickly realized how wrong he was.

For the past couple of days, sleep had been elusive. He used to wake up around eight or nine if the system didn’t rouse him first; now, however, he’d been getting up by six or seven in the morning thanks to this “Eternal Alarm Clock” ringing incessantly in his mind.

He couldn’t afford to sleep or enjoy any peace; work consumed him. His fingers ached from all the writing, his throat felt hoarse from constant chatter, and his face stretched taut from holding back fatigue behind that professional smile. In fact, it seemed he’d developed muscle memory for it.

What truly frustrated him was the system itself. Just thinking about what it had put him through made him grind his teeth with anger.

———–

Flashback — Two Days Ago.

———-

[Ding]

[Congratulations Host! You have successfully completed the second side quest: Post 10 Missions.]

“Please come back in three days to receive your items for completing this mission.” Sage smiled warmly at an elegantly dressed middle-aged man.

“I will do just that, Guildmaster,” said the man as he waved goodbye and exited the Guild.

Sage sighed with relief before turning back to check System notifications. With excitement sparkling in his eyes, he opened his status panel and checked the mission section, his second side quest of posting ten missions was finally complete!

Looking at that completed mission eased some tension in his chest as he patted himself with a relieved smile. “Looks like Pax is really putting in some effort, and that green-haired guy too…”

“My chances of being castrated have dropped significantly,” Sage thought with a grin as he glanced at another side quest requiring him to register ten adventurers. “All that’s left is registering those adventurers, and I can avoid becoming an eunuch.”

He rubbed his chin, his eyes sparkling with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. “That green-haired guy needs to hurry up and bring in those Adventurers; otherwise, I might end up as a eunuch.”

Running his fingers through his thick black hair, he exhaled softly. “No need to worry; there’s still time left. I believe it will be completed soon… I trust that green-haired guy.”

Despite his words of confidence regarding Gregor, a wave of nervousness washed over him. After all, if this mission failed, he would have to say goodbye to his balls, something no normal man in this world wanted.

“It’s pointless to get worked up now,” he smiled to himself, trying to shake off the tension. “I just have to wait for the green-haired fellow. And if the first side quest fails, I won’t be the only one losing hia balls.”

With that thought lingering in his mind, he redirected his focus back to the system. The nerves quickly faded away, replaced by excitement as he rubbed his palms together.

“Okay, system! Now that I’ve completed the second quest, where’s my reward?” Sage asked eagerly.

He could hardly contain his anticipation; after all, the last time he had received ten lottery chances and scored some pretty decent rewards,..well, at least decent enough.

[Host: There is no reward for the second quest.] The system’s cold voice echoed in his mind like a bucket of ice water.

“Ehh..!”

Sage froze in disbelief as confusion morphed into shock and finally erupted into anger. “What do you mean there’s no reward for the second quest? Are you kidding me?”

His grip tightened on the edge of the table until it creaked under pressure; fury lit up his wide-open eyes.

The system remained silent, seemingly unaffected by Sage’s outburst, maintaining its indifferent demeanor.

Seeing it unresponsive only fueled Sage’s rage further. If only it were standing before him; he’d gladly punch it right in its non-existent face.

“What a lousy and incompetent system! Why did I even get stuck with you?”

He raged on silently, muttering every insult he could think of at the system while it continued its mute existence.

After five minutes of venting frustration, Sage finally calmed down and rubbed his temples wearily.

“Fine! Don’t give me any reward, I don’t care anymore. Just wait until you see what happens if you don’t reward me after completing this mission; then you’ll be sorry.”

———–

Present Day

——–

Sage snapped back to reality as memories from two days ago flooded back,his toothache was a painful reminder of how much work lay ahead.

“Ahhh..! This is not what I signed up for; it’s simply too much work.” He grumbled inwardly while maintaining an outward smile at the clients lined up at his desk.

Time dragged on as more people entered the hall; the line seemed endless and was only getting longer.

The desk was overflowing with papers. Stacks of Mission Dockets were neatly arranged on the table, with one side steadily decreasing while the other kept piling up. Sage’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief.

For a guy who preferred to take it easy and avoid hard work, this situation was overwhelming.

Yet, he knew he had to keep pushing through; otherwise, he risked serious consequences, like losing his livelihood or worse. He was truly suffering from the weight of his own success.

As time slipped away, an hour and a half later, the Guild Hall returned to its usual quiet state. All the clients who had come to post missions had left, leaving behind a stillness that enveloped the room.

Sage wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a heavy sigh. Exhaustion filled his eyes, and every part of him felt sore, especially his fingers and shoulders.

Just then, a familiar voice broke through his fatigue. “Hey Guildmaster Sage! Long time no see.”

Sage looked up, instantly revitalized by the sight of a green-haired figure approaching him slowly.

The sunlight seemed to wrap around this person like a halo, making Sage feel as though he was gazing at a savior, a prince charming coming to rescue him from his plight.

Tears threatened to spill from his eyes as he muttered under his breath, “My savior, you’re finally here.”

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