The System's Change & The Main Quests

A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, whispering secrets to the ancient trees that stood like silent sentinels. The campfire was the heart of the clearing; it crackled and popped, its flames reaching for the velvet sky. Tongues of orange and gold danced a mesmerizing jig, casting flickering shadows that stretched and contorted on the surrounding trees. The air, cool and crisp, carried the sweet scent of woodsmoke, mingling with the earthy fragrance of moss and damp earth.

Around the fire, stones glowed with residual heat, radiating a comforting warmth. Beyond the ring of light, the forest surrendered to the embrace of darkness, punctuated only by the occasional glint of moonlight filtering through the canopy. The silence, broken only by the soft crackle of the fire, held a certain magic, an invitation to introspection and quiet contemplation.

But the silent echoes of the flames were soon joined by the soft melody of whispered songs. The night was full of laughter, dancing, and singing, and old tales and stories were told around the fire.

The embers of the previous night's campfire pulsed with a dying red glow, a lone ember occasionally defying the darkness with a defiant spark. The crisp mountain air, once warmed by the crackling flames, now carried the playful chill of dawn. Sunlight, a golden blade splitting the horizon, bathed the snow-capped peaks in a luminous glow, pushing back the shadows that had held the campsite captive through the night.

 The valley floor, which had been shrouded in darkness only hours before, now shimmered with a delicate layer of frost, reflecting the first rays of dawn. A symphony of birdsong, a joyous chorus celebrating the arrival of light, echoed through the crisp air, replacing the comforting crackle of the campfire.

 Eldric had woken up early in the morning and spent time with Starlight. This was the most tranquil time of day, and he enjoyed spending time with Starlight. He had a feeling he would probably miss it if he did not do it now.

 After dinner last night, Eldric returned to cultivate. He had reached his small cabin, and compared to a few weeks back, it still looked somewhat crude, but there had been some improvements, especially on the inside. Now, there could be said to be a more charming element to the room. The bed and the bedside cabinet were still the same. 

A few more pieces of furniture were added to give it a more comfy feel, and finally, after months, his room looked like a proper room. Eldric had returned to cultivate, but as he was sitting on his bed, he summoned his status panel.

[Name: Eldric Balmore]

[House Name: House Snow]

[Power Tier 1 Level 4]

[Household Power: Sanctuary]

[Knights: Eleven Squires (+), 25 Man-at-arms (+)]

[Population: 36 Knights, 60 Civilians, 27 Special Professions]

[Quests: Trade with 5 Towns. Expand to 2 Kingdoms. Nurture a Tier 3 Official Knight]

[Inventory (+)]

His whole panel had significantly changed from the last time he opened it. Eldric scanned through the whole panel and nodded with approval. Over months, the House of Snow had grown to become a [Sanctuary] level knight household, and its population had grown significantly. 

Now, they even had a few civilians to help with manual labor so the knights could focus on their patrol and hunting duties. The normal people also brought a type of joy the knights did not seem to have. The atmosphere has only risen ever since more people gathered.

Especially since there has been a surge in the amount of women in the House.

His eyes were inevitably attracted to the second-to-last column. The [Quests] column had been added at one point in time, and with it were a series of missions. There were main quests and a few side quests.

The side quests were easier to complete, but their rewards were less abundant than those of the main quests. 

Eldric tapped on the column, and a variety of other missions were shown. But only three quests had attracted his attention. Those three were precisely the Trade with 5 different towns, to expand to 2 kingdoms and the other one being the Tier 3 knight quest.

Eldric already knew of them beforehand and had strived to complete them, but the requirements for two of the quests were rather stringent. The trading with the 5 towns was, without exception, the easiest to complete.

While the two kingdom expansion needed an influence requirement, Eldric had no clue what it could possibly mean. The only thing that was stated was that they needed to be rather 'well-known' in two kingdoms to complete the quest.

Eldric closed his panel. He did not need to look at the other quest, as it was pretty straightforward. 

Eldric threw the thoughts to the back of his mind and calmed himself down. He slowly calmed his breathing, his chest heaving in a smooth rhythm. His muscles relaxed, his mind was clear, and he started to cultivate.

The energy flows through the predetermined route.

Eldric cultivated for hours on end and only stopped when the morning sun's light could be seen filtering in from the small crevices in the corners. His eyes slowly opened, and with foul breath, he stood up from the bed and walked out of the room.

Eldric had cultivated for almost the whole night, and that session made him feel even closer to reaching the next level. 

Eldric stepped out of the cabin, feeling the warmth brought by the morning light. The soft sound of water rushing echoed ever so softly in his ears. 

The smooth and soft melodies of nature soothed Eldric's mind, and he quietly listened to nature's chorus.

Eldric's quiet listening was soon interrupted by an abrupt sound echoing in his head. 

{Ding*: Congratulations on completing the Hidden quest - earn 15,000 gold coins}

{Claim Reward: Y/N }

Eldric was not that surprised that the business had earned such a staggering amount of money in the last few days, but what surprised him was that the system would reward him for it.

Eldric scanned the prompt and soon realized why. The Quest Colomn had main and side quests, but there were still hidden quests for which Eldric would be awarded.