The Arbiter

--

You have received a new quest!

 Quest Title: Runner's Break

 Quest Level: Common

 Quest Commissioner: The Not-A-Pervert In Running Shoes

 Objective: Get away from your current location as fast as possible.

 Quest Description: An unknown evil is on your tail. Shake it off.

 Task: Avoid getting attention from the Noir. 

 Rewards:

 - None

 Bonus Rewards:

 - Unknown

 Penalty for Failure:

 - None

 Time Limit: 2 minutes

 Caution: Something terrible might happen to the User if they don't run away!

--

"What the hell is wrong with these entities?" Adrian quizzed himself while running on the rooftops.

While the quest didn't offer any rewards, Adrian thought it would be better to follow an entity's request to form a better relationship with them.

After all, the entities were the only ones who would help Adrian in a world full of potential enemies, even though their intentions wouldn't be pure. 

Adrian had his theory of how these 'entities' operated following his brief exchange with the system. According to the system, these entities were drawn to interesting individuals. 

Essentially, they were an audience, and to capture their interest, Adrian needed to stage a performance and keep giving him gifts. 

Despite his initial intention to keep a low profile in the slums, Adrian decided to fight with the thugs. He wanted to test out two things: first, if the entities watched over him at all times and second, to gain something from them in return for fighting the thugs. 

However, his plan to gain a gift didn't pan out like he wanted, and instead of getting a 'gift' like he got from [The Mother Who Loves Her Plants], he got a different quest asking him to run.

Still, Adrian was glad that he had someone's attention on him. As long as he was able to get some eyes on him, there was a chance of getting stronger, and Adrian desperately needed strength to confront his past killers. 

The speed he had levelled up was good, but not good enough if he wanted to fight his three assassins from the Raven guild. 

'All this mess for a gift. It better be worth it!'

Adrian was initially a bit bummed out to find there was no guaranteed reward for completing the quest. However, there was a bonus reward, and as long as he fulfilled the hidden condition or made his escape entertaining, he should be able to gain something from the quest. 

But how could he make the simple act of running interesting? That's when an idea hit him, and he decided to spice up his escape by parkouring through the rooftops and 'entertain' the entities to give him a gift, no matter how small it was.

'Heck, I feel like a monkey in a circus, but if it strengthens me, I'll gladly do it.'

That said, parkouring was a bit more complicated than Adrian had anticipated. Just like experience mattered more than stats in a fight, the same held true for parkouring. 

He had high enough agility and stamina to run on a level compared to a Hare for prolonged distances. However, he lacked the techniques to effortlessly dodge unforeseen obstacles and alter his plans based on changing terrain. 

Still, Adrain was able to blow through the obstacles with much effort, and after running for three hundred metres, the prompt appeared before him again, informing him about the successful completion of the quest. However, as he read through the notice, dissapoint shrouded on his face. 

"No bonus reward even after all that?" Adrian blurted out while panting.

The result was disappointing, but it taught Adrian something... not to trust those fucking entities. Just then, another notice appeared before him to rub salt on his wounds. 

[The entity, [Not-A-Pervert In Running Shoes] found your performance entertaining but refuses to disclose the requirements to gain bonus rewards.]

"Not-A-Pervert, you might not be a pervert, but you sure are a masochist!"

[The Not-A-Pervert In Running Shoes is pleased to hear the User praising him and says, 'Still won't cough up a reward though.']

'...'

Adrian wanted to say quite a few colourful things to the so-called pervert but refrained. Not well-versed in dealing with newly discovered entities, Adrian wanted to avoid crossing them so casually, unaware of their capabilities. 

'Just blame your shitty luck and get going... as usual.'

While Adrian had gotten away with whoever the unknown evil on his tail was, the thugs he beat up were not as lucky. 

***

The gang leader groaned, slowly regaining consciousness in the dimly lit alley. His head throbbed, and he tried to piece together what had happened. The last thing he remembered was the stranger and the flower vase that hit him on the head. 

'Fuck... that cheeky bastard was better than I thought...' the Leader thought, caressing his forehead. 

As his blurred vision cleared, he noticed a figure in front of him. A woman dressed in an unfamiliar and expensive black dress stood with her back turned to him. 

He didn't know who the lady was but knew enough to mess with her. The power she exhibited was off the charts. Besides, the previous encounter had left its mark on the Leader not to underestimate anyone.

Unfortunately, she was standing between him and the exit, and the only way out was by either distracting her or taking her by surprise. 

With a grunt, he managed to rise, preparing to grab his weapon. But before he could reach it, the woman swiftly turned around. In a flash, she pinned his hand to the ground with her pointy heels, a cruel smile on her lips. 

The woman squatted to get a good look at the Leader. Her dark eyes pierced through the mask, concealing the upper half of her face. 

"Well, well, what do we have here? A witness," She said while delicately caressing the Leader's cheeks, "He's still too softhearted... tsk."

It wasn't until then that the Leader saw his dead gang members sprawled across the cold floor. 

"Who the hell are you?" The Leader gritted his teeth, glaring up at the woman. "Why did you kill my men!? Argh-"

Ignoring his question, she leaned in closer, scratching the Leader's face so it began bleeding. 

"Shh... dead men don't ask questions," she whispered in his ears before snapping his neck in half. 

The lady stood over the lifeless body of the gang leader at her feet for a moment, erasing the evidence of her presence. A moment later, her gloved hands snatched the Leader's phone from his pocket and dialled a number, holding the phone to her ear.

"Speak." After a few rings, an electronic voice answered on the other end. 

"The Chimaera, he spared the thugs," she sighed. "In other words, your beloved pawn failed the test." 

"Is that so?" A low chuckle resonated through the phone. "Let him be. Soon enough, he'll have no choice but to abandon the last shred of humanity he so desperately clings to."

The lady in black scowled. Her annoyance over the matter was clear and the sky above. "Just hope he doesn't become a liability when we want him to be a weapon."

"He'll figure it out... eventually," the voice replied. "Just keep an eye on things and make sure he doesn't get anywhere close to the Ravens."

With that, the call ended abruptly, much to the lady's annoyance. She clenched the phone in her hand and, in a fit of anger, dropped the device before stomping on it, destroying it. 

"I'm an Arbiter, not a fucking babysitter!"

She left the shattered phone behind and strode out of the alley. Slowly, her sleek attire blended into the shadows, concealing her presence as she left the lifeless bodies of the thugs sprawled around the alley.