Chapter 61: Reaping The Rewards

[ Ding! ]

[ Congratulations, Host! You have completed your first side quest.]

[ Rewards have been issued: You’ve received a Mid-Grade Talent Package.]

[ You have also received 10 lottery chances and a High-Grade Mana Veins Expansion Potion.]

[ Ding! ]

[ Congratulations, Host! You have met the requirements for the Guild upgrade.]

[ Ding: The guild upgrade will begin at midnight.]

——–

Sage abruptly sat up straight, his eyes wide and mouth agape as the system notifications echoed in his mind. He was both shocked and exhilarated at the same time.

After a few moments, he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Finally… after days of hard work, I’ve completed all my missions.”

With that thought in mind, he quickly pulled up the Adventurer Guild Status Panel without hesitation.

——-

[Adventurer Guild Interface]

Guild Master: [Sage Alistair]

Guild Rank: F [Unproven] [To Be Upgraded]

Guild Funds: [187 Gold Coins]

Reputation: 270 / 1000 [Unknown]

Active Members: [28]

Guild Territory: [None]

Guild Facilities: [None]

[Guild Objectives.]

Main Quest: [Establish The First Guild In The World Of Eldoria]

——-

As Sage examined the Guild Interface, excitement sparkled in his eyes. There were noticeable changes to the Guild’s status since he last checked.

First off, the Guild Funds had jumped to 187 Gold Coins,a significant amount considering the current size of the Guild. Since he was currently its only staff member, that money essentially went into his pocket.

Rubbing his palms together in anticipation, he turned his gaze to the Guild Reputation, which had risen to 270. The number of Active Members had also increased to 28. Apart from those updates, everything else remained unchanged.

His eyes flickered back to the Guild Rank panel; he couldn’t help but smile. He had now met all requirements for an upgrade, and according to the system, it would happen at midnight.

“Midnight huh?” Sage mused as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

It seemed reasonable; perhaps upgrading during that time would minimize attention or avoid disruption from others witnessing it. Whatever reasoning lay behind it didn’t matter much, he just wanted that upgrade.

Coming back to reality, Sage shifted focus to the rewards he’d earned for completing his first side quest, registering ten adventurers.

“Let’s see… I got a Mid-Grade Talent Package, 10 lottery chances, and a High-Grade Mana Veins Expansion Potion.” His eyes narrowed with intrigue as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Well these aren’t bad.”

“System, what’s the Mid-Grade Talent Package all about?” Sage’s thoughts flickered as he directed his question inward.

[Host, the Mid-Grade Talent Package allows you to upgrade your talent, enabling you to become a Warrior. Since your current talent is trash, this package grants you a Mana talent equivalent to that of a mid-level Warrior.]

The system’s cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

Sage nodded in understanding. He didn’t take offense at being called “trash.” After all, he knew his talent was lacking compared to an ordinary Warrior’s.

“System, retrieve the High-Grade Mana Veins Expansion Potion for me,” Sage commanded after a moment of thought.

As soon as he finished speaking, a small swirling blue portal materialized above his desk. The blue light illuminated Sage’s face as curiosity and fascination danced in his eyes.

Suddenly, a small crystal vial dropped from the portal before it closed instantly.

Snapping back to reality, Sage picked up the vial and leaned in closer for inspection. Inside was a mesmerizing azure liquid that shimmered like ocean waves.

[Mana Veins Expansion Potion (High-Grade)]

[Item Description: The Mana Veins Expansion Potion is a rare alchemical enhancement designed to permanently expand and reinforce a Warrior’s mana veins, increasing mana throughput, stability, and long-term cultivation potential. Upon consumption, condensed mana stimulates dormant and underdeveloped mana pathways for controlled expansion of the mana vein network.]

Sage’s eyes lit up as he read the holographic screen detailing the potion. He hadn’t expected such an extraordinary item; it felt almost divine.

A strange glow flickered in his eyes as he muttered under his breath, “Does this mean I can take this potion multiple times? If so, I could expand my veins repeatedly.”

[Host: This potion can only be consumed once per rank; you cannot consume two potions of the same rank. To gain further benefits, one must consume a higher-grade Mana Veins Expansion Potion. Consuming a lower-rank potion after using a higher-rank one will have no effect. Attempting to forcibly consume duplicate ranks will trigger mana rejection.]

The system explained coldly.

The information hit him like a bucket of cold water, snapping him back to reality.

Rubbing his nose with a bitter smile, he muttered, “Looks like I was getting ahead of myself thinking something so good could happen. If that were true, wouldn’t all Warriors be overpowered?”

[Host: With the High-Grade Mana Veins Expansion Potion, your Mana Veins can be expanded up to three times.]

[Note: The expansion does not grant mana talent or affinity; it only improves your capacity and flow efficiency.]

Sage couldn’t help but twitch his lips at the screens popping up before him explaining all these rules about the potion. “Seriously? How can one potion have so many rules?”

He shook his head and muttered under his breath, “Well, no need to complain. At least I got a treasure.”

With that thought, he finally glanced at the ten lottery chances he had received. Clasping his hands together, he narrowed his eyes and frowned.

“Another lottery, huh? This stupid system might just give me more useless rewards. I won’t draw it right now; I need to be in top condition to increase my luck before I make a choice.”

Raising his head, he surveyed the Hall. It was as quiet and empty as usual. The only reminder of its previous bustle was the dozens of Mission Dockets pinned to the Mission Board.

With a faint smile, he stood up from the chair, stretched his limbs for a moment, and walked toward the entrance. The sun had already set, and darkness began to envelop everything as the three moons took their places in the sky.

Sage smiled as he closed his eyes, savoring the evening breeze. He exhaled softly before shutting the gates of the Guild behind him. Without hesitation, he made his way up to the second floor and indulged in a long, comfortable bath that left him feeling invigorated.

Once in his bedroom, Sage took a moment to look around before sitting cross-legged on the floor.

Taking a deep breath with a serious expression, he said aloud, “System, I want to use the Talent Package.”

[Host must select your Warrior Path before using the Talent Package.] The system replied.

Sage raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What do you mean?”

[You must choose between becoming a Knight or a Mage.]

“Wait? What?” Sage exclaimed in surprise. “Can’t I have both? You’re supposed to be this omnipotent system, surely that’s easy for you! Why can’t I just be badass and overpowered?”

[Negative Host; this system doesn’t work like that. You can only choose one.] The system responded coldly.

Sage was left speechless for a moment before grumbling under his breath. “What kind of system are you? In all those novels I’ve read about people transmigrating into other worlds with systems, they get all sorts of talents! Why can’t I have that too?”

[Host should stop complaining like a child; this is reality, not some novel. Now pick one.]

Rolling his eyes at this response, Sage sighed heavily. “Looks like my dream of being an overpowered dual Warrior is out of reach, what a loss.”

Propping up his chin with one hand, he fell into deep thought as various considerations raced through his mind regarding both paths: Knight or Mage.

Two choices lay before him, simple yet heavy with consequence.

Knight Path or Mage Path.

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