Surreal Victory

Danavar led the way through Gram's dark alleyway.

They had only two sources of light: the flickering blue moon above and the handheld light in the captain's hand. Their footfalls echoed back along their path, scaring rats and humans alike.

Silas abruptly changed direction upon hearing the sound of tiles hitting the ground. They used these sounds to track the beast. Above, a shadow suddenly covered them. Silas raised his hand over his head, fearing the worst. But what followed was the sound of crashing tiles.

"It just jumped onto another house," Danavar said. "Follow me."

Silas raised his eyebrows but followed without question. He knew better than to ask about their destination. Danavar, born and raised in this town, knew its twists and turns better than anyone.

They reached the town's plaza, where most hotels were located. The monster tried to leap from another building, but the gap was too far, and its earlier damage had weakened it. The beast fell short and crashed to the ground.

Silas raised his hand as dust flew in his direction.

Danavar approached cautiously. The beast screamed at him, raising one of its legs to attack, but its attempt was sluggish. It was more of a scare tactic than a lethal attack. The hunter had become the prey.

"We still have to be careful," Danavar said, keeping a safe distance from the spider.

Suddenly, the remaining guards burst out from the different streets leading to the plaza. They surrounded the monster. It wasn't just the Peacekeepers; residents, both afraid and curious, had come to see the creature that terrorized them.

The spider tried to raise its body to shoot webs from its back, but nothing came out. The transformation was incomplete.

The guards attacked the monster, aiming their guns at its vulnerable spots. The creature screamed in agony, blood pouring from the wounds. Amidst the chaos, Silas heard a familiar voice—a woman's voice.

His heart sank.

Clara pushed her way through the crowd, tears streaming down her face as she recognized the figure before her—her husband, Sam.

"My love," she said as she ran towards the remnants of his husband.

The guards attempted to stop her, but Clara found a strength within herself. She broke through their blockade and embraced Sam. In that moment, everything seemed to freeze, akin to the calm before a storm.

Silas watched, transfixed by the heartbreaking scene unfolding before him. Above, the sky shifted to a dark violet hue as morning approached. The spider's eerie red eyes dimmed and then transformed into human eyes. Sam recognized Clara.

His trembling hands reached out, lightly touching her back as if to comfort her.

But then, his eyes flashed red again, filled with anger and hatred. The gentle touch turned into a fierce grip, yet despite the pain, Clara refused to let go. Silas, from his vantage point, heard the sickening sound of bones breaking.

Beside him, Danavar remained stoic. His gaze flickered towards Silas before signaling the guards to take aim.

The plaza echoed with the thunder of gunfire. Silence followed, broken only by the tolling of the morning bell.

[Quest Completed!]

[You have been rewarded: 80 Destiny Exp, 1500 [Shields], Health Potions [Small] x 5 & Energy Fruit x 5]

The sun's rays bathed the plaza, casting a golden hue over the stunned crowd. A woman clung to her husband, her face a mask of horror as the darkness within him consumed her.

This moment would be etched in every witness's memory, destined to inspire tales and songs for generations. Each person had their own interpretation: some saw the man as a demigod, the woman as a goddess, and she cursed the man to be a monster. ut only those present knew the truth of that fateful night.

Guards encircled the tragic scene, gently removing the lifeless bodies. As the caravan members arrived, their cries echoed through the plaza.

"How do we tell their son?" one woman sobbed, her voice trembling. "He's just ten! How could she get close to that... abomination?"

'Only if they know.' Silas observed from a distance, contemplating their words. He slipped away from the crowd, pulling his hood over his head.

Morning mist hung in the air as the small town began to stir awake. The sound of clinking tools filled the streets lined with workshops. Silas considered leaving, but knew his mission bound him here, despite the growing danger. Danavar, recognizing him as a wizard and an enemy of the Three Destiny Church, posed a threat once he regained his senses.

He arrived at the edge of Gram, where he found Ben's House, a modest inn built of timber.

A familiar scent reached him, offering a rare comfort. He sighed and approached the innkeeper, who hummed a tune while cleaning tables.

"Excuse me," Silas began.

The man turned towards Silas with a yelp. "The chimes, I thought they were already working… What is it, young man?"

Silas cleared his throat. "Are there any rooms available? I might be staying for a while."

"Of course, there's always room here at Ben's House. Would you prefer the second or first floor?"

"The second floor, please, with a window."

Ben chuckled and wiped his hands on his apron. Silas couldn't help but notice the worn fabric. He extended his hand for a handshake.

"I'm Ben, the owner of Ben's House."

"Eris," Silas replied. "You can call me that."

"What a nice name. So, Eris, can you wait a moment? I'll prepare your room. Meanwhile, feel free to take a seat at any of the empty tables. There's freshly boiled water, coffee, and sugar cubes—help yourself if you like."

Silas nodded as he watched Ben ascend the stairs. Once out of sight, Silas sighed and took a seat, tapping his fingers on the polished table. He opened his [Questbook], but the interface remained empty.

Standing up, he poured himself a cup of coffee. He preferred tea, but coffee would have to do. It had been a while since his last cup. As he settled back into his chair, his thoughts returned to the recent events.

Even in victory, Silas couldn't shake a sense of surrealism. The memory of Clara's death tugged at his emotions. Was it sadness he felt for those people?

The irony almost made him laugh. "I don't even know if they were real," he muttered to himself.

Ping!

A box appeared before him, a Quest, marking the next chapter of his journey. Silas's mood darkened suddenly as he stared at the screen.

[Main Scenario Quests: Sinners of the Past ]

[Quest V: The Forest of Truth and Desolation]

[Description: Captain Danavar has something to say about his next course of action. Go talk with Danavar to know if you could be of any help to him. You must meet him at night.]

[Talk with Danavar 0/1]

[Reward: 100 Destiny Exp, 2500 [Shields], Health Potions [Medium] x 5, Energy Fruit x 5 & [Old Staff] (Normal) x1]

'So, a [Party Quest] it is?' Silas thought bitterly. [Party Quests] weren't new in RPGs. They required players to team up with NPCs to complete specific objectives.

"But at least the rewards are great," he muttered, eyeing the weapon promised as the first reward for this quest.

The system instructed him to meet Danavar. If the captain was controlled by the game's creators, then he had no intention of killing Silas.

Silas turned at the creak of the floorboards. Ben was descending the stairs, his apron now even dirtier than before.

"Eris, I've fixed your room. It's the second one," Ben said.

"Thank you," Silas replied.

He stood and ascended to his room. He needed to freshen up; the quest required him to meet Danavar at night for some reason, so he still had time to rest and groom himself.

"Another long and sleepless night ahead," he grimaced.