Special Quest
Alex approached a particular door within one of the academy buildings, not too distant from his dorm. It led to Sherry's research lab, where she often delved into her research.
"Sherry, it's me, Alex. Can I come in?" he called out, knocking on the door.
Despite his attempts, there was no response. He turned to Aurora, seeking insight.
"She should be inside. Anyways, I will go in and check." she stated, deciding to investigate further.
Aurora phased through the door to inspect Sherry's presence. Swiftly returning.
"Is she there?"
"Mhmm, just taking a nap." Aurora responded.
"We should come later then." he suggested, noting Sherry's apparent busyness.
Aurora, however, intervened, "No need; she seems to have woken up by your voice and is coming."
Soon, the door opened, revealing a disheveled Sherry with a piece of paper amusingly stuck to her hair. Groggily, she identified Alex.
"...Alex?"
"Yes, it's me, Alex. Is it a bad time? Should I come by later?" he inquired.
"Yes...No, I mean, wait for me five minutes here. I'll be back." Sherry stuttered, rushing inside, leaving the door ajar.
'Let's just wait for her here.' Alex decided.
The lab was significantly more extensive than his dorm. The spacious room exuded a pleasant atmosphere, scattered with sheets of paper, various devices, and tools on the study table.
A sizable bookshelf, laden with countless ancient appearing books, adorned one side, accompanied by a large cupboard.
Adjacent to a window stood an opulent-looking sofa set. Alex settled in and waited, while Aurora, free-spirited, perused the books on the shelf.
Before long, Sherry emerged, now impeccably groomed and devoid of drowsiness. She greeted Alex, "Did you have any trouble finding the place? It's quite secluded."
"No, it's near my dorm, and your instructions were clear." he responded, concealing the fact that Aurora had already been here.
'Well, I can't exactly confess that earlier, I had Aurora keep an eye on you and knew precisely where to find you.'
Alex thought to himself, choosing to keep that particular detail under wraps.
"Did I disturb you or something? It seemed like you haven't had a good sleep." Alex inquired, expressing concern for Sherry's well-being.
"It's okay... You don't have to worry much. I always work late and often end up falling asleep here. Today, I must have been tired and unknowingly dozed off at the study." Sherry dismissed it nonchalantly, waving her hands.
"It may not be my place to say, but you should take proper care and rest. Working hard is commendable, but too much can be detrimental to your health." Alex advised, his voice maintaining a neutral yet stern tone.
Having heard from Aurora about Sherry's relentless dedication to her research on ancient relics and scriptures, Alex felt compelled to emphasize the importance of self-care.
Sherry blushed slightly, lowering her head at his words. Since her parents went missing, leaving her without any family, she had begun to feel a sense of loneliness. There was no one to look after her or show genuine concern for her well-being.
Originally handsome, Alex's appearance had been further enhanced by the Foundation Building Potion and his regular workout routine, making him more attractive and assertive.
Sherry, being naive and innocent, found this care from such a charismatic and dashing man overwhelming.
Unaware of Sherry's internal turmoil, Alex missed this nuance. However, Aurora, having observed the interaction, couldn't resist teasing him, "If you care a bit more and be more proactive, she's sure to fall for you."
Alex responded with a flat stare, then turned to Sherry, who still seemed unsure how to react.
Taking note of her demeanor, he decided to address the real reason he had come.
"Umm, Sherry, the main reason I came here today is that I wanted your help with something." Alex confessed, scratching his cheek with a hint of shyness.
"You're already helping me so much by assisting in finding my parents. Is there anything I can help you with?" Sherry asked, brimming with enthusiasm.
"It's nothing much. I need your help to practice magic. I was wondering if you could let me access the magic faculty training center. I want to train with magic, but I don't have a place where I can freely use it and keep it discreet." Alex explained.
"Sure, I can help you with that. Do you want to go now? We can use a private training room, and no one will notice us there." Sherry suggested.
"Yes, let's do that. Also, can I have a look at the key you needed my help with?" Alex inquired.
"It's safely locked here. I'll go and get it." Sherry replied, getting up and heading towards the cupboard.
Aurora followed her and marveled at the safe. "Wow! This safe is really strong and secure. It's made from high-quality materials and can easily withstand Tier-5 magic spells."
The key was a palm-sized, hexagonal disc with a semi-circular dark gem in the middle. The disc was entirely black, adorned with runes, while the half gem was red.
Upon seeing the "key", both Alex and Aurora were astonished.
[The Host received a Special Quest!]
Alex, for two reasons: he didn't expect the key to be something like this, and as Sherry showed him the hexagonal disc, a system prompt appeared.
Aurora scrutinized the disc and commented, "It appears to be an array controller, and not just a normal one, but something definitely related to a witch."
Upon hearing Aurora's words, Alex had a bad premonition. He quickly checked to review the first-ever Special Quest, which he received immediately after Sherry showed him the key.
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[Special Quest]
[Quest: Help Sherry find her parents]
[Description: The host has to help Sherry to locate her missing parents]
[Time Limit: None]
[Reward: 5000 XP and 200 SP]
[Penalty: A penalty will be issued accordingly]
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'I was planning to help her anyway, but what is with this quest... there is no time limit, the reward is 10 times more than before, and the penalty is not mentioned?'
Alex found himself perplexed by the mysterious and unusual special quest. It was markedly different from any quest he had ever received from the system.
Carefully placing the disc back on the table, he cast a sidelong glance at Aurora, who appeared lost in deep thought.
"You mentioned I needed to activate it at the place where they went missing. Do you know what this is, and are you sure this is the 'key' to that place?" Alex inquired.
"I don't exactly know what this is, but I've seen this thing before in one of the books where my parents learned about that place. I am 100% sure this is the same thing." Sherry affirmed.
"It's right here, see?" Sherry added, picking up an old, worn-out book from her study. Though its pages were torn and missing, the disc depicted within matched the one in her possession.
'Why do I feel there is something more to it?' Aurora sighed, lost in her thoughts.