Chapter 21: Story Quest Commences

I knew It, I was hoping that it wouldn’t occur but it did. A story quest popped out! Due to the change of difficulty the four of us along with this apothecary who’s related to the mad alchemist that goes by the name Blake. We’re on our way to an area that my characters found to be the next place where the 3rd mission will appear. If the difficulty didn’t shift the four of us would only need to kill the number of monsters needed to clear this stage. The thing that annoys me is that a story mission needs you to listen to any kind of information no matter how stupid it may be. Since the answer in clearing the mission is related to the story

[System: You’ve found a valuable clue connected to the story mission, you’ve earned 200 contribution points. 100 points will be given to your teammates for piecing together the clue you’ve found with their investigation. Now that you arrive at the last abandoned building that was the only remaining lead to the story quest]

‘Right off the bat, I’ve got 200 points that’ll be useful for my plans! I gotta say this place looked like a steampunk civilization, the design and everything looks appealing. If I didn’t know any better I’m inside a book, that’s right I forgot that I transmigrated in my book. Even with the advanced technology in their possession, it wasn’t enough to create a solution to stop the famine. This makes me curious to ask how a heavily guarded city fell. There must be something that I don’t have any kind of knowledge about, the only lead I have is him. Blake Belfast, from what I’ve heard the guy has some issues with the mad alchemist,’

“No matter what happens, don’t panic… The people in this underground city would immediately accuse you of treason. Don’t talk to anyone, and don’t look directly into their eyes, it’s lawless but the thing they hate more is a snitch. They’ll call the guards and kill us, no matter what you need to stay on your ties in this side of the city. If not, then you might as well pray if you have a deity that you’re contracted with,” Blake warns the four of them after they arrive at the darkest corner within the safe zone

“From what you’ve just said, it sounds like this isn’t your first time wandering this side of the safe zone. Are you guys sure that we should trust this guy? I don’t see anything that’ll make me believe his words,” Gale questioned Blake’s knowledge while his suspicion of him grew bigger as he explained a ton of information

‘Bruh??? This guy healed my wounds, he was polite to me, and he even gave me a medium-grade healing potion. I know a killer when I see it, but what kind of murderer would do so much for their target? I don’t even know why this character is too hostile to the same player that saved my life,’

“Gale can’t you stop picking a fight for once in your life,” Shin sided with Blake while the rest looked in his direction

“You two aren’t you guys getting a little close with that stranger? Even Morris’s reaction is a little saner than this guy seriously he healed him for free what kind of apothecary is that,” Gale turned the tables against him when he questioned his motives

‘Shut the fuck up Gale!!! Nobody asked for your opinion, this is my normal I’m not siding with a knucklehead like you!!’

His expression remains unchanged even though his inner voice was cursing at the ignorance of his character. Since he didn’t want to lose his position or any favorability in his characters. Morris chose the viable option where he could gain the favor of both

“I can vouch for him, he’s an avatar of some saint-like deity because I swept away his problems in return he healed me. Can you put your trust in me just this once? I’ve saved the three of you from that overwhelming number of infected. I know my way around this world, plus the name of his deity sounds familiar to my ears,”

‘Amazing Mr. Morris is truly a saint just as the deities had gossiped about, he went out of his way to welcome me into his team. When I heard my deity praising him so highly I thought his another madman thirsty for blood. I was too ignorant, this man is truly an ally that I’ve been trying to find for a long time,’

“Morris, I agree with what you’re suggesting but can you trust a person you’ve just met? Even if he helped you, this place isn’t similar to your world, you’ll die at any given moment. Are you sure you want him to join our team?,” Yoona felt a little guilty when she looked at his wounds. The same wounds that he obtained when he risked his life to protect three strangers he recently met. Apart from that, she couldn’t forget about the time when she heard his talk with his deity

“You have a point, but we don’t have a lot of choices, are you guys forgetting that we’re not the only players participating in the trials? You guys are an exception to the players that are greedy and have the tendency to kill just to get their hands on completing this mission. If you want to progress in this newly changed difficulty, then we need all the help that we can acquire,” Morris replied to Yoona’s question that puts all of them in his trap, they weren’t able to ignore

Their group consisted of people who didn’t even have a single drop of blood in their hands. He asked the three of them if they can survive with only their talents for their survival. After they paused for a long time and soon after the three of them welcomed their new ally

‘Of course, I just added a new tool, a meat shield. Even better, this shield can even craft some potions. I need to get on his good side since I’ll get a ton of potions for free im not going to miss this chance… No matter what kind of bullshit I have to do, I’ll extort some potions in the name of friendship. That’s right, let’s call it friendship from now on this apothecary is my friend, ahahahahaha,’

“To tell you the truth, my pride’s making this hard for me. what you’re not gonna shake it? I’m getting tired over here,” Gale initiated a party invitation in the form of a handshake

‘Get along now I need the three of you to build an everlasting bond with Blake, so I can use him as a scapegoat if we’re put into another problem sacrificing one life in exchange for a million is not a bad choice at all

Arriving at their destination they were near an abandoned warehouse when they saw a person entering the building. Shin jumps from the skyscraper and using one of her skills, she then safely lands on the ground tailing the person in question. When she was busy with her side, Morris and the others spread out and entered from the other side of the warehouse their plan was simple. Find any clues regroup and when there’s trouble kill if they have to. Once they entered the warehouse, they saw nothing it was just a normal abandoned warehouse

“Something isn’t right about all of this. We’ve followed the scent correctly, I can even smell a hint of evo gas. There must be a few things that I haven’t discovered, I need to learn more about the story asap!” After he notices that there wasn’t any kind of traps, Morris then notices a timer that suddenly appeared at the top of his head

[What does this timer even mean? Countdown will start after 0:59]

Morris remembered a design he made, something that he had forgotten when he entered the trials. He designed the Gm’s to play tricks on the first people to arrive at a story quest. After he realizes this, he uses haste as he ran through the building and screams for all of them to gather as the timer continues its countdown

“Everyone!!! Gather, it’s a fucking trap!!! we’ve been played by the Game masters!!!,” Morris yelled at the top of his lungs, while he drew multiple circles and placed his mana. Activating multiple layers of earth array at once, he continued his plan and used his mind as a blueprint for his countermeasure. With the idea that he came up in the nick of time, in return, the circles form a pattern

With the remaining time, they have before it finally triggers its activation. The four of them rushed through the area where they heard Morris’s voice. They realized that it came from what appeared to be a giant ball made out of rubble before the time limit would reach its end. Every one of their members simply trusted his voice and jump at the area where he hadn’t yet sealed

[Everyone’s inside close that hole]

When the countdown arrived at 0 the whole area revealed a ton of circle magic that was placed by none other than the Gm Kishar blowing anything into oblivion while the building remained unchanged unable to be destroyed by the explosion, because of the law that can’t be broken, the Gm’s can’t destroy an area that’s meant for players

[System: You’ve survived the Gm’s surprise you’ll be given 50 contribution points for your survival

Alert: the story quest has now commenced, the chimera will now be spawned]

The mobs materialized inside the warehouse while the ball of rubble remained intact. Once they appeared, they naturally targeted the ball of rubble when their incredible hearing picked up a heartbeat. These monsters jump and climb up to the rubble the chimera that surrounds the ball has thrust their claws, fist, or even their heads. They didn’t stop and intended to smash through the rocks until they felt them shaking, again and again. It grew stronger making them hold onto the rubble after they got too high that they were afraid of falling to the ground

[System: The player Christoper Morris has activated the skill Mana breathing, the player will now gain mana as simply as breathing]

On the top of the rubble, the chimera gazed upon a white-haired person wearing but a black robe. He controlled the rubble that they were holding onto, reshaping the ball into a flat area while he bonded them to the rubble. Struggling to escape they were killed within a minute, after taking care of the ones that chose to climb. The five of them looked down only to see a ton of chimeras waiting for the arrival of their prey

“Yoona, stay inside this platform and provide air support when we’re getting pinned down. Shin don’t waste your energy in killing, just circle and strike their vitals and come back after. Gale, you’re the vanguard, kill or stall them. It’s optional just don’t let them get close, and lastly Blake you’ll be helping me at the center, we’re going to control this battle. I’ll cover you if you need some time to brew some potions, with all that said and done attack!!!” Morris yelled out a battle cry when he jumped down the platform he created. The four of them went into the separate formation and their battle have finally begun

[Story quest: The mercenaries, the players are titled, as mercenaries that are investigating the mysterious increased power of the infected luckily, you’ve found a clue that led you through a warehouse

Requirements:

Kill chimera’s 150/16

Find any kind of evidence left by the perpetrator

Failure: Death]

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep