Chapter 177: New Title, New Quest
Henry watched Eloise lead the way to the Chamber door. He watched as she was quickly joined by Aurelius and the Squires and automatically, his feet moved and he followed with Nyx trotting on one side and Louis and Andor, walking on his other side.
The other groups towed behind them with eyes greedily on the bags but Henry hoped they wouldn't try their thievery just yet. His mind was at the moment occupied with what the proposition could be.
He gave it a few thoughts as they crossed the Hall of Undead Knights and entered the corridor they had followed here. The other groups separated from them here.
There were many corridors that led into the Hall of Undead Knights and they all seemed more comfortable going through paths they had journeyed already. Even if the Dungeon Boss was defeated, it would be foolish to be complacent.
Had Henry been paying attention, he would have seen the conflicted expressions those raiders had as they considered ditching comfort for closeness to the loot they still had their eyes on. Eventually, they left.
Anyway, as they entered through the Corridor and met with the Squires who had been too worried to continue, Henry realized it didn't matter what the proposition was because one sure thing was that it would involve staying at Alvareen.
They arrived at the Hall where they had battled the Monstrosity. The ground no longer shook and the glowing red symbols were gone. With the Lich defeated, there was nothing to power the Monstrosities that had sought to be unleashed onto the Hall.
Henry, Louis, and Andor walked toward the door that had led them into the hall and they were about to walk through it and descend the spiral stairs when Henry realized they were being followed.
He looked back and raised a brow but Eloise smiled,
"Lead on," she said, "I'm seeing you outside safely."
And so, with Eloise and her Knight Party following, they descended the stairs.
Uninterested in the hassle of hoof placement, Nyx vanished into Henry's shadow.
Back within the room of Sarcophagi, Henry took note that the Squires did not appear familiar with the room or even the carcass of Echo on the ground. It made him realize they must have faced a different challenge. He was curious about what it was but not enough to ask.
The other previous cuff-wearers were gone and the door that led into the room and toward the far exit of the Dungeon was opened wide.
'They must have been very eager to get out,' Henry thought with a smile.
The way out was obvious and after a few minutes of trudging through the dimly lit corridor, they were at the large space that preceded the various channels that led deeper into the Dungeon and right there was the oval portal with its energy far less stable than Henry remembered it being when they first walked through it.
Others arrived through their chosen channels as well and slowed their pace when they saw Eloise observing the portal.
"It's still safe," she eventually said, "We still have time."
And so they all walked out and were greeted with the brilliant sky. It felt like so long that Henry had seen it last.
Even Louis, with his stated interests in Dungeons and Dungeon-raiding, grinned and looked up as though to welcome the sun's rays on his face.
Henry chuckled and then he heard the familiar alert in his head;
[You raided a Dungeon and Survived]
[You have gained the Title 'Dungeon Raider']
[Title: Dungeon Raider <Novice>
Description: You ventured through an inter-dimensional portal and faced the creatures behind. That is a feat worth rewarding.
The Title rank is <Novice> at the moment but will improve the more Dungeons with increasing floor difficulty you are involved in clearing.
The 'Dungeon Raider' Title grants you the 'Raider's Intent' skill.]
[Skill: Raider's Intent
Description: You are shrouded in an Aura that creatures native to Dungeons can sense. It induces caution within them and should you wish, could also induce fear for a maximum of 10 seconds.
• The duration and effectiveness of this Skill will vary depending on the physical and especially mental strength of the target/targets.
To overcome this, you must improve the 'Dungeon Raider' Title which in turn improves 'Raider's Intent'.
• This Skill only works within Dungeons.
• This Skill does not require Mana to activate.]
Henry felt like he was reading through the descriptions against his will and the farther he got in reading the descriptions on both the Title and the Skill, the more his brows seemed to furrow and the tighter he pressed his lips together.
First, the 'Dungeon Raider' Title just seemed like an incentive to have him start finding portals to jump in and he was not at all sure that was what he wanted to do.
Second, The 'Raider's Intent' Skill seemed nice to have but only worked inside Dungeons and on the creatures inside them so again, another incentive for Dungeon Raiding. Another Incentive he was not quite interested in.
[Grand Quest Updated!
Main Quest: The Gunslinger's Revenge
Description: You have broken your bounds and had to endure a grueling ordeal through a Lich's Dungeon, enduring Undead Woes all the way while navigating your thoughts to avoid or at least keep the electric jolts to your brain minimal.
Put simply, you've been through a lot. Will you just let that go?
The System says No, which is why you have been charged with Ruining Ralph Gribbo the Slave Master.
Quest Conditions;
- Ralph Gribbo's life must be the last to go.
- Bring down his Slave enterprise which has trickled into his other businesses.
- Break down his support system and leave him alone and desperate and only then, can you claim his life. And only then will the Quest be considered complete.
Quest Reward: Level +6
*Nyx will receive 50% of the Quest Reward.
Good Luck!]
Henry wasn't sure why but he was smiling by the time he was done with the Quest description. This was something he felt he could get into. This, judging by the Quest Conditions, was the most return to his past life —to something familiar—, as he could get.
Now, of course, there were differences. Ralph Gribbo was surely more defended and powerful than the marks Henry had gone after in his past life but Henry remained convinced the fundamentals were the same.
And then Henry remembered Yelena and he felt an ache in his chest as he wondered how she was while also feeling so sure he would not have an easy time if he attempted to go near Saint Claret at the moment. And there was a chance she wasn't even there.
Eventually, he let out a sigh. The connection he shared with Yelena through the System had him informed that she was alive and well. For now, that would have to be enough. Find more chapters on m_v l|e'm-p| y r
"I'll do it," he said in a low but intense voice.
[It wasn't in question. This Quest is not optional.]
Henry rolled his eyes at the system and his eyes found the Quest title again as his lips twitched at the word 'Revenge'.
'My Revenge?' Henry asked himself.
Had he liked the jolts of electricity into his brain? No, not at all. But he had thought very little of Ralph Gribbo through it all. Although, to be fair, his attention had been far more focused on escape at the time and that left little room for much else.
Anyway, if it was 'Revenge', why was there no mention of Maude Aleric who sold him into slavery?
'Step by step maybe? After Ralph Gribbo, Maude Aleric's next?' Henry asked but the System gave no insights so he shut the question aside.
When he pulled himself out of the attention he had been giving the screens the System had provided him with, he was able to talk with Louis and Andor who looked to be in no hurry. They just sat on the snow-covered ground and enjoyed being out and the danger and slavery behind them.
Henry smiled at them and asked,
"So what comes next for you?"