Chapter 100: The Soldiers. 

Why is that a system for trading has a quest system?

In the infinite universe, some people may be transmigrated into a young master body in a rich family. Or they can be transmigrated inside a small monster frog whose daily life is chilling on top of a leaf. 

For these types of unfortunate people, the quest system is added for them to get benefits even though they don't have any money. The feature also allows people to focus on their chaotic life. The management members have read a lot of novels with the player-type system in her past life that it seeped inside the ITS.

Quest follows the principle of equivalent exchange. The reward must be equivalent to the effort. 

The members of the chat group bypass the rule by stuffing stuff inside the Doraemon pocket. The management waited for the next session before they penalized the ones using the bug.

Ryan froze when he read the message that pops up in the interdimensional trading system. 

[ Quest Reward Scam. The culprit: Hydra is a bitch (Ryan Knight)]

The members involved also got the same message as Ryan. The scholar faction of the chat group is all penalized.

[Culprit: MephistoSucks (Ilyana/Ilyan Rasputin)]

[Culprit: Retired Mechanic (Reynold)]

[Culprit: QueenElf (Ayrenn Arana Aldmeri)]

[Culprit: MythicShopkeeper (Luo Hua)]

[Culprit: TheDoctor (William Birkin)]

The names aren't displayed to the public, only to each of them. The ones who aren't mentioned are safe from the penalty. 

[ Penalty: +15 quest to get to the next level. The inventory function and Rent function will be locked for a year]

[All quest rewards will be returned to the inventory of the quester: Mythic]

Mythic had bought the items from the others before he made the quest, the items are rightfully his. 

[KickBaal(Raikas) has to pay for the body he is using to the questor. The price will be 1,000,000 tc or completing 50 quest rewards]

Ryan is flabbergasted. He tries to open the inventory, but nothing happens.

"NOOOO…!" He screams as plops on the ground. He knocks on the ground repeatedly with his right hand but not with power behind it. It is just to release his frustration. 

If he didn't sell or buy an item, he can't keep it in the inventory. He keeps his miscellaneous daily life item in his storage ring. However, when he is working, he keeps the storage ring in the inventory for safekeeping.  

His research, his new Eclipse persona weapon, and magic suit, his newly created vibranium and mithril disaster class armor, Kai's new Kingsman suit that is woven by a polymorphic-vibranium woven thread, Dawn's new magic staff made with mana core of a giant dragon and a new mask, his Mandalorian armor, his newly created super-soldier serum, and inhuman serum, an Ice Gun made with the Jotun part, many….many superweapons from the Mass Effect world that he had made and…more. 

The results of his 5-month research are there. 

KickBaal: I am very sorry.

Mythic: Don't be. We kind of know we will be penalized, it is our choice to do it. What we don't think is that it will be this harsh.  

Their items can be sold in tier 3 marketplace and more. Screaming for a day is too easy to get the reward. The rewards should be only the Doraemon robot without the pocket. 

VampireKid: (Holyshit.gif)...why do I feel excluded?

RedWidow: Because you didn't do anything…

GreenWitch: (tears.gif)

Ryan sighs. He gets up and dusts himself off. He didn't regret helping KickBaal. Not one bit. It is his own fault that the storage ring got locked together with the inventory. 

'Wait does this mean I can't sell or buy items for a whole year?' He needs to test it out. He thinks he can still sell items, but the ones he bought will be stuck in the inventory.

Gwen is puzzled by his mood change. "Are you okay Ryan? Did something bad happen?"

"Ahh, Gwen. Sorry, it must have scared you. Nothing much happened, but I accidentally locked my research in a place I couldn't reach for a year."

"I told you not to use obscure magic. Go and ask Dawn for help," she said sternly. She knows how hard he works for his research. When he sees how worried she is for him, a bright smile breaks out on his face.  

"I don't want to. I just want to hug you right now. Is that okay?"

"Hmm… are you sure that's all you need?"

"Yes. I will get the research back later. Now, I need a hug,"

"Then take all the hugs you need," She opened her arm. Ryan approached her and wrapped his arm around her body. Gwen smiles and wraps her hand tightly around him. There was another message from the management at this time, but Ryan ignored it.

…

Mythic: @Hydra come in. Read the message now!! (excited.gif)

RetiredMechanic: Hey @Hydra... OIII

The group is calling for Ryan. After all, he is the only one who didn't react to the news announcement. Their penalty has changed! 

A person from the management had reviewed their crime. She felt that they didn't do anything wrong. She revised the penalty for them. 

[ Penalty: +3 quest to get to the next level. The inventory function and Rent function will be locked for a month]

[KickBaal(Raikas) has to pay for the body he is using to the questor. The price will be 10,000 tc or completing 5 quest rewards]

The members also had something extra given by the management of the ITS.

[Hidden Achievement unlocked: Realise the vision of ITS founder. 

Reward 1: -2 quest to get to the next level

Reward 2: +250% increase in trading sessions for the next week.

Reward 3: One chance to buy an item in a higher-tier marketplace. ]

When the management checked, Raikas' new body changed the timeline of the Diablo world to be better. Baal was shattered into pieces. As a prime evil, he won't die, but it will take hundreds of thousands of years before he can resurrect naturally. If Mephisto or diablo in that world helped, it would become faster, but they are too selfish to do it. 

Raikas had fought with the lord of destruction and saved the fate of the world stone getting destroyed. The sanctuary of the world is saved. The war is over for now. The citizens of the world can be free of the demon influence for a while. They can farm, breed livestock, and more now that the miasma-ridden sky dissipates and the sun shines again. 

The chat group member's selfless act of saving an entire universe had caught the eyes of the management. This is how they found out about a special man. The one who had bought the original magic of the founder. 

[The management (KaguyaOtsutsuki) is naming the chat group. A privilege for the Tier 4 member. The group name will be…]

VampireKid: @Hydra come in you bastard!!!!

…

Let's go back a week. Two days after Ryan got the news of KickBaal's death. 

In the Hidden Island. 

Dawn is sleeping on top of a Charizard after he got drunk with Kai and Ryan last night. Charizard had brought him to its nest 

He hears whispers flowing like the wind. Something muttering and mumbling right next to his ear. He is awakened from his sleep because of it. 

"Who is speaking?" Dawn looks around, puzzled. There is only the Dragonite, Charizard here, and 12 eggs inside the nest. None of them can speak.

"Am I going crazy?" Dawn is puzzled. He can only make out one word of it. After he wakes up, the whisper is gone. 

"Run? Why should I run?...what am I running from?" 

*Grrr* Charizard snorted as Dawn's mumbling interfered with her sleep. 

"Sorry buddy," Dawn patted the pokemon's head and he teleported back to the town, in his quarters. There is a big, 10-meter-wide wooden bathtub in his place. He takes off his dirty yukata and mask, and he walks slowly inside the water. 

"This is unlike you Dawn Teleporno," Hela, who had been soaking for half an hour, stared at the elf sitting down.  She had a wet folded towel on her head. That's all she has. 

In Helheim, she is sitting inside a hot tub in her castle. The one talking to dawn is her projection. She made sure that Dawn put the holographic location inside his house so she can bother him anytime she wants.

Dawn tied up his long, green hair into a bun, and he stared at Hela with his emerald eyes. His beauty surpassed even Hela. She stared at him in disbelief. 

"Please don't call me Teleporno, Galadriel. I know it is an elvish name, but it means something else in this realm," Dawn said seriously. If she uses Celebron's last name on him, then his reputation will suffer.

Hela had been hooked on the movie Lord of the Ring for a month now. She always makes him watch it with her. She doesn't know why, but she really likes the actress who plays Galadriel. 

"Why don't you make Dawn my last name and call me Celeborn Dawn instead?" He suggested while putting a wet towel on his head. Dawn doesn't know where Hela got the habit of using nicknames(the kids), but this behavior had been getting her closer to the people on the island. 

"No. Dawn is the name that symbolizes you. It must be your first name." Hela said. She got out from her sitting position and walked in front of Dawn. her long hair falls to her chest, covering her private areas. Dawn wishes she covers up the lower part too. 

She learned it from Ana, the troublemaker on ways to make a man restless. Too bad it didn't work on the almost asexual elf. She snorted as Dawn kept locking his eyes with her and not looking at her body.  

"I will find a suitable name to be your last name later on," She said while stepping over Dawn to get out of the tub. Her projection turned off when she was outside the bathroom.

"(sigh) She is becoming more and more like the troublesome ex-widows. Could she go one day without seducing me?" Dawn mutters. Hela got a feeling that Odin is going to sleep. She is tempting him daily so that he will come to meet her. 

"Boss, Frank Castle is up," R.Q said to him as he got out of the bath. Last night in New York, a tragedy happened. In central park, a family was shot to death during a sting operation by DA Samantha Reyes. Well, that is what was reported. 

Ryan gives the information to the Daily Bugle. Samantha Reyes couldn't avoid taking responsibility for this operation. 

In the island square, Frank Castle is running around hysterically while looking for his family. He is wearing a patient gown and his head is bandaged up.

"Please calm down Frank, I will explain…" Yinsen is trying hard to calm the soldier down. Frank couldn't get away as he is surrounded by a group of female assassins. So he decided to fight. 

Yelena snorted inwardly. An ordinary soldier couldn't do anything to her. She catches Frank's punch. Before she can smirk, the man pulls her forward, destroying her footing, and swipes her leg. She falls and he can run away again. Her eyes widened as she got outwitted by the traumatic soldier. 

Dawn put on a black yukata and his mask back on. He looks in front of the mirror to admire his reflection. 

Yinsen finally caught up with Frank.

"Who are you guys? Where is my family?" Frank asked the old man who seemed to be the leader. 

"Do you remember anything from last night, Frank?" Yinsen asked calmly. The guy in front of him is a mess. Like he was when he first came to the island. 

"I…" Frank tries to remember. He and his family are going to a small theme park in central park. There, he sees a group of men carrying guns in their pants. The man is making some sort of deal, where it quickly turns sour. 

His family is caught in the crossfire. He got shot and he passed out. 

"My wife and kids… what happened to them?" Frank asks with shivers in his voice. 

Yinsen opened his mouth to explain, but another voice was heard coming from the side. 

"Your kids are fine. Your wife, however…" Dawn cut in. He teleported to save Frank's family but his wife was already riddled with bullets at that time. 

"Follow me, Frank," Dawn led the way to the medical clinic. The soldier is following him quietly from behind. The man is clearly responsible for the entire operation here. 

"I need you to prepare yourself…" Dawn said, snapping Frank out of his stupor. His face is crestfallen. He didn't remember all of it as his brain was pierced by a bullet, but he can guess what happened to his wife and kids. 

Yinsen is following Dawn from behind. When they are in the medical ward, another person joins them here. Hela is watching the newcomer with interest. 

"The boy. The leg had to be cut off. Limb infarction that causes the tissues to be dead." Droid No 41 is explained to Dawn. 

"Richard!" Frank yelled as he looked at his son. However, his son seems to be okay. 

"Your wife and your daughter are saved. But they are in a coma, " Yinsen said while looking at the medical record. He didn't know why Dawn wasn't waking them up. 

Frank can see the bullet scar on his wife and daughters. They had been shot in the head multiple times. Vengeance is bubbling inside him. 

"What do you want to do?" Frank asks Dawn solemnly. Dawn tilted his head as he turned to Frank. 

"Do you perhaps… think I am the cause of this?" Dawn asks calmly. Frank is silent. 

"Frank Castle. You killed your first man when you were 10 years old." Dawn said in a monotone voice. Frank's eyes widened. There isn't anyone in the world who knows about that. 

When he was a kid, there was a bully on his block. Using a self-made Molotov, Frank Castle burned the gangster to death in his own office. 

"Did you really think a murderer like you can live in peace?" Dawn said without mercy. 

Frank said after a while. "I know I am a sinner. But they are innocent. Don't let them suffer for my actions."

"I am afraid that is impossible. As long as they are with you, they will always suffer," Dawn patted Frank's shoulder and walked away. Hela is following Dawn from behind after she glances at Frank. 

"Interesting…" She mutters. 

Frank looks at his wife and kids with tears in his eyes. Yinsen walked to him to comfort him. 

"Let's talk…" Yinsen the old man didn't know what Dawn was planning with the man. But for the man to misunderstand his savior is unacceptable for him. 

Yinsen spent some time with Frank to let him understand the situation he is in. 

"You mean, he can heal my family?" Frank is doubtful. The old man keeps telling him about a miraculous island, but all he can see are some dirty flats. 

"You have no idea what he is capable of. Go and meet him. I am sure he will explain it to you." 

… 

In front of the Gesundheit clinic, Natasha is hesitating. She had been away for 5 months now. Will she just waltz back in?

She just come back from a mission and was wearing agent attire at the time. Not her combat suit, but she is dressed like an ordinary white-collar worker. 

"Oh, Kai isn't here. We forced him to go to sleep. He has been continuously working for days," Lana said to Natasha. 

The agent changes the target to his house. When she wants to knock on the door, it opens on its own as Skye is going out to NYU. 

Skye notices Natasha and excitedly hugs her "Long time no see!! Kai is sleeping in his. You can wait inside. I am late to class…" She put on her shoes. 

"...And also, make sure to lock the door behind you…" Skye reminded the agent before she went down the stairs hurriedly. 

Natasha thought it was about the house, not Skye warning them to lock up if they are doing something. 

She enters the house and walks to Kai's bedroom. She isn't going to bother him sleeping, but she wanted to see his face. 

'His hair is pretty long. It is covering his face," She is standing next to the sleeping man. She bends forward and is trying to slide the hair away. But her hand is grabbed suddenly. She couldn't even react to it and she was pulled into the bed. 

"Did you come to watch me sleep? Perv" Kai said teasingly in a tired voice. Natasha is now laying right next to him. 

She is a little surprised, but it seems like Kai is going back to bed. She watches him fall to sleep. 

After studying his face for a few minutes, she wanted to get up. But Kai is still holding on to her hand. She realized that he had fallen to sleep while holding her. 

She doesn't know what to do. She lay back down next to him. Before she realises it, she too had fallen asleep. 

… 

After the nap, Kai wakes up in surprise. He is now hugging Natasha tightly in his arms. 

'Wait, what did I just do?' 

Slowly, he releases his arm. He wanted to get up and move away, but Natasha opened her eyes at this time. Their eyes are locked together as both of them are becoming embarrassed.

'This is unexpectedly awkward.' Natasha thought. However, it is a nice nap. The duo is now in the kitchen. 

Kai goes to the fridge and takes out a couple of beers. He has been drinking a lot lately. 

"So, what happened?" Natasha asks. 

"What do you mean?" Kai pop opens a can of beer and drinks it. 

"You drink beer in the morning, and you have been working non-stop. Something must have happened," Natasha said while she was picking up a beer for herself. 

Kai didn't offer any to her as it is still early. He is silent for a while before he tells her the story.  

"A friend of mine died. However, I can't mourn for him. I can't attend his funeral. He just disappeared from my life, and I couldn't do anything about it." 

So he decided to take control of other things. That is why he had been obsessively working. 

Natasha approaches Kai who is sitting on the stool at the kitchen table. She pulls his head to her chest. 

"Are you seducing me right now? Never thought you're the type of person to take advantage of the vulnerable" Kai cracked a joke. The hug felt nice honestly.  

"What if I am?" Natasha asked in a playful tone. She placed her hand on his chin and pushed his face to look at her. 

"It'll be hard for you. Especially since you didn't wipe the drool on your face from your nap," Kai smiles as he watches her face. 

Natasha's eyes widened and she turned her face to the side quickly. She rubs her finger around her mouth to check her face. "You bastard…" She said in disdain. There is no drool.

"Hahaha, my bad. I must be seeing it wrong. How long are you going to stay?" Kai asks after his mood got a little better. 

"Only for two days. After that, I need to return to headquarters," She said in a sad tone. 

"Are you here to investigate the vigilantes that recently debuted?" Kai said. He knows why Shield is sending agents here. Not only Natasha is here, but there is also a team of agents setting up camp a block away. 

"You made it sound like I am only here because of a mission, " Natasha said teasingly. 

"Not like that. Instead, I am thankful the vigilante is here. Otherwise, you will never come." Kai smirks at her.

She didn't expect the counterattack from Kai. She pretended something in the living room caught her attention and walked away. When Kai couldn't look at his face, she grinned widely. 

"Ahh Nat, I just remembered I have something to do in Brooklyn. How about dinner together at my house tonight?" Kai looks at the time and he realizes that he is late for a meeting.

"Just the two of us?" Natasha asks? 

"I don't know if Skye will come home today. If she didn't, then yes." Kai picks up his winter coat and goes to the garage. He didn't mind letting Natasha stay there alone. It's not like she is going to see anything. 

Natasha takes out her phone and texts someone. 

Nat  > Hey don't come back tonight. 

Skye> ???

Taking his bike out, Kai rides to a veteran bar in Brooklyn. It is the bar he always frequents. It is in the same bar he got a call to help Tony fight the Samurai Steel. 

*Vroom Vroom* He parks his ride next to the bar. Most people will avoid using a motorcycle during winter. But not him. The cold wind can never touch him. 

Dressed in a black winter coat, carrying his cane, and a black helmet still covering his head, he kicks the bar door open like every time he comes. *Bam* 

The bar watches him silently as he walks in. 

Seeing the bartender, he reaches into his pocket and takes out a bottle of medicine. 

He throws it to the bartender as usual. Unexpectedly, a blonde young man with blue eyes catches it instead. He has a scraggly beard on his face. His body looks like he has been lifting. He wasn't a normal man, but a soldier. 

"If you come here for trouble, I suggest that you get out of here," The blonde man said calmly to Kai. Even though the opponent is bigger than him, he has no fear of fighting them. 

Kai realizes who that man is after scrutinizing his face. He stared at the man without taking off his helmet. '… Captain?'