First Side Quest Completed

A few hours passed, and the bait returned to the carriages as Franklin arrived with wide eyes.

"There are no bodies, and there are unusual gigantic depressions in the ground, mam." Franklin said as he wondered what happened here.

The other bait said similar things as they shrugged and looked at one another.

"Intriguing, this is very intriguing." Hendrix said as he wondered what had happened as well.

While everyone was chatting, a metallic thing was watching them within the forest. It began studying them and analyzing their movements.

"We're being watched, though I'm not sure where from." Christine said as she looked around and gripped her rapier tightly as she moved beside Hendrix.

"Perhaps the perpetrators are here still." Charles said as he narrowed his eyes. Wondering if he could kill whatever caused this atrocity.

"Well, should we head back and inform the Emperor?" Franklin asked out loud as he felt they couldn't learn anything.

"No, we can not. Now please head back to your carriage bait." One of the other leaders said.

Franklin quickly headed back to the carriage he stayed in with fear in his eyes.

'I guess I have no more use staying in this run.' Hendrix thought as he quickly grabbed Christine's rapier and plunged it through his eye.

Hendrix woke up in the bait carriage and sighed a bit. But he looked determined and willing to spend many years to evolve his achievements to a higher rank.

He first spent a century trying new plants and fungi while dying an unholy amount of times from the sheer number of deadly organisms he consumed and from other causes.

He re-tried every day of the eight months of travel to the village. And he tried every new stationary organism within five miles of the carriages whenever they stopped, as he woke up in the bait carriage again.

'Doing this for so many years is tiring.' Hendrix thought as he mentally aged a century.

[Trail and Error food Critic Achievement has evolved to Herculean rank.]

[You have fulfilled the first requirement, Help Save Yusriton Empire side quest.]

'Guide, how many different deadly organisms have I consumed compared to the twenty-five edible ones?'

[1,007 different organisms. That's the amount you have consumed, Hendrix.]

Hendrix nodded as he didn't waver from his ultimate goal of reaching the afterlife. He continued to aim for the highest possible outcome as he tried to evolve his achievements.

He spent another four centuries of retries making wooden needles endlessly, only stopping for breaks, food, water, and sleep. Always dying after the eight-month journey to the village ended. And his Needlemaker Achievement evolved to Herculean rank at this time.

After this, he showed his skills to Charles repeatedly and treated wounds alongside him. While rejecting all of Christine's offers the entire time.

He evolved his Ruthless Surgeon Achievement to Herculean rank after three centuries of treating different injuries. Once he finished this, he finally stopped and relaxed.

'My willpower stat is amazing. I hope I never lose it.' Hendrix thought as he rested in the bait carriage, burned out from all he did. He also felt he was abusing the retry feature, though he didn't care.

The other people in the bait carriage rested as the carriage gently swayed.

Hendrix then decided it was time to complete his, Help save Yusriton Empire Quest. However, he wanted the higher-ups to be involved as well, as he repeated the actions needed for the healer to ask for help.

During the eight-month journey, he wrote a small book and prepared to complete his side quest. While also getting samples of all twenty-five different edible organisms.

And once the carriages were one day from reaching the destroyed village. He began his plan.

"Charles, I have an announcement to make." Hendrix said in the morning when he got up.

"I'm curious what your announcement is." Charles said while raising his brow.

"First, can you allow Franklin to listen?" Hendrix asked as he felt he could fail the side quest if he didn't involve Franklin.

"I guess I could. Why not." Charles said, chuckling.

"Charles, why are you allowing a bait to listen to this important discussion?" Christine asked while she raised her brow.

"Why not? It won't hurt anyone." Charles said with an eerie smile.

"Fine. If any problems arise, you will deal with them alone." Christine said as she sighed while shaking her head helplessly.

Franklin arrived in the luxurious carriage fifteen minutes later after being called.

"I'm here. May I know why you called me?" Franklin asked, shivering a bit as he feared being in trouble.

Charles pointed his scepter towards Hendrix silently as he waited to hear what he had to say.

"Well, I have a book of the edible plants and fungi around. And you can use it to help relieve the starvation issue back home. I'm curious if all of you can work together to ensure this book makes it to the Emperor." Hendrix said as he pulled out his book, which had flawless drawings of each herb, fungi, root, etc.

Everyone narrowed their eyes at Hendrix as no one believed him.

"Hendrix, please don't joke about this. The problem with starvation is terrifying." Christine said as she looked at Hendrix coldly.

"If you don't believe me, I have multiple samples of each plant and fungi. And I will eat one of each and show you I'm correct." Hendrix said as he had this to help his credibility.

"Prove it to us then." Charles said in a serious tone as he looked at Hendrix coldly too.

Hendrix got all the samples and ate each one. As hours passed, Hendrix showed no symptoms, and everyone was shocked.

"You seriously were not lying. Well, since that's the case. Well done, let's head to the capital." Charles said, smiling as he felt there was hope to save the Empire from starvation.

"You did it, Hendrix!" Christine said as she picked up Hendrix without his permission and hugged his face deeply into her chest. She had tears dripping from her eyes as she smiled.

"Thank you, Hendrix, for this information. I feel like the problem with food will be lessened." Franklin said as he teared up as well while smiling. As he felt his family would not starve.

Hendrix froze up as he felt he might suffer torture. He began to shiver in fear, thinking everyone was like Kendra.

"Are you okay, Hendrix?" Christine asked, concerned as she rubbed his back worryingly.

"P-Please let me go. I don't want to be touched." Hendrix said as he began to cry and shiver.

"Okay, I'll let you go. I'm sorry, Hendrix." Christine said as she quickly put Hendrix down. As she sighed, thinking Hendrix had trauma.

"Well, let's head back now." Charles declared as he began to walk out of the room.

"Leave me here, everyone." Hendrix said as he got up.

"Huh, why do you want that?" Charles said as he stopped moving and turned around, shocked.

"Just solve the problem back home and let me go." Hendrix said as he didn't want anyone to help him with the remaining Tribulation quests and things.

"Why do you want to stay? You'll be famous and given a noble title for your deeds. Plus, I plan to take care of you." Christine said with her shoulder back and her hands on her hips, wanting to take care of, protect, and spoil Hendrix as she felt grateful to him and wished to help him.

"Wait, are you serious, Christine?! I'm surprised you wish to do so." One of the other leading people said.

"I am certain. Now please reconsider Hendrix." Christine asked.

"I'm afraid I cannot. I have other things I need to do now. Farewell, everyone." Hendrix said, bowing a little as his goal was still fresh in his mind, no matter how many years passed.

"But you'll die! Please come back with us! I don't want to lose you!" Christine yelled as she began to cry.

"There are monsters in the wilderness, and you are defenseless. Hendrix, you can die." Charles said while clenching his fist, though his smile didn't leave his face.

"I want you to meet my family, Hendrix. Please come back with us." Franklin said.

"I still will leave. I apologize. But please keep the book to remember me by if you must." Hendrix said, shaking his head as he felt this was all a ploy. And that they had insidious secret agenda.

"I won't let you die!" Christine said as she quickly tried to pick up Hendrix again, as she didn't want him to leave and die even if she had to sit him on her lap the entire way back.

Everyone else tried to as well. But Hendrix bolted out of the carriage, ran around it, and into the forest.

"Hendrix! Come back!" Christine yelled as tears fell from her eyes, as she felt Hendrix would die in the wilderness. She gripped her rapier tightly before loosening her grip on it and running after him.

The soldiers looked at Hendrix's retreating figure while shaking their heads as they saw Christine run after him.

Hendrix used his small stature to his advantage as he hid behind trees and rocks while running. He then spotted a burrow and crawled into it, covering the hole with dirt. While also quieting his breathing.

"Hendrix! Where are you!" Christine yelled as she looked frantically for Hendrix.

Hendrix didn't answer as he had the urge to cough but suppressed it as he patiently waited.

A few hours passed as Christine looked for Hendrix, becoming more desperate as time passed. Until she left, but Hendrix still didn't come out.

Another hour passed as many footsteps could be heard, along with shouting.

"Everyone search for Hendrix. We will search for him all night." Christine said coldly to the soldiers around.

"Yes, mam!" The soldiers shouted as they spread out and began to search for Hendrix.

"Please come out, Hendrix. I won't hurt you." Christine muttered under her breath as she stopped crying.

Hendrix didn't come out and stayed in hiding. As the night passed, the soldiers failed to find Hendrix.

"Everyone, please head back and get a good rest. You earned it." Christine said as she looked at the soldiers with narrowed eyes.

All the soldiers left as Christine's cold look on her face didn't fade as her rapier began to glow an eerie magenta hue, as she swung her rapier around randomly, as a magenta-like line flew out of her sword with every swing. And each line sliced through many trees and boulders perfectly.

"Agh!" Christine yelled as she clenched her fist and jaw. She feared he could die out here. She only wished to take care of, spoil and protect him.

She continued to vent her frustration for three minutes until she stopped and sighed.

"If you can hear me, Hendrix. Please rethink this." Christine said as her cold expression changed to a sad smile. She felt Hendrix was somewhere afraid and cold.

Christine then headed back to the carriages while crying silently. And once she left, silence prevailed in the destroyed area.

Hendrix waited for another day before he uncovered and exited the hole.

[You have completed the Save Yusriton Empire side quest]

[You have found a save point. Do you wish to save?]

[Y/N]

'Yes, I do. Please save.' Hendrix thought as he nodded.

[Warning, you can't undo a save point if you accept. Do you still wish to save?]

[Y/N]

'Yes, I still would like to save.' Hendrix thought as he raised a brow at why Guide was warning him.

[You could have had help and convinced them to stay. If you have requested their assistance, you could quickly fulfill your main Tribulation quest.]

[Knowing this, do you still wish to save?]

[Y/N]

'Yes, I do still wish to save.' Hendrix said as he rolled his eyes.

[Noted.]

Hendrix walked back to where the carriages were. There were none, but he saw a large piece of paper on the ground. He picked it up, and it read.

{If you are reading this, Hendrix, I hope you stay safe. I don't know why you ran away. But there's a map on the other side of this paper. Please use it to come back. I worry for your safety. Though if you still decide not to, I understand, and I wish you luck on whatever you choose to accomplish.

From Christine}

Hendrix sighed as he finished reading the note. As he placed the paper back on the ground, he walked towards the village to solve his second Side Quest.