Liam equipped The Immaculate Eye, and the world suddenly snapped into impossible focus.
Five hundred meters away, a mosquito was fluttering through the air. Liam could discern every intricate vein on its translucent wings.
This sensation… it was incredible.
An Archer lived and died by their accuracy, and the synergy between this item and his class was flawless. Even in the late stages of the game—even during the chaotic era of The Cataclysm—The Immaculate Eye remained an utterly broken piece of equipment.
"So, you’re the one who killed Sam Miller and Seth Miller?"
The Elder Mayor’s gaze shifted, a strange, unreadable glint flickering in his eyes.
Liam had anticipated that submitting the quest would reveal his hand, so he didn't bother with a denial.
"I did."
The Elder Mayor’s expression grew increasingly subtle. "Do you have any idea who they were? Both were disciples of Miller the Smith. If he finds out you slaughtered them, his vengeance will be relentless."
Liam feigned a look of sudden panic. "What should I do? Maybe I should skip the Village Departure Quest. Can you just let me leave the Novice Village right now?"
The Elder Mayor waved a hand dismissively, a small smile playing on his lips. "There is no need for such haste. Miller the Smith is formidable, certainly, but I still run things here in this Novice Village."
The smile faded as he continued, "However, that man harbors a Primal Ambition that cannot be ignored. We must be cautious. I’ve learned he’s been getting quite close to Old Grog at the tavern lately. Grog has been heading into the wilds frequently to scout for ore on his behalf."
Liam cocked an eyebrow. The next link in the chain was here.
"What do you need me to do?"
The Elder Mayor gave an approving nod, looking like a teacher pleased with a bright student. "It’s simple. We must sever his reach. Go and kill Old Grog."
System Prompt: The Elder Mayor has issued a quest.
Quest Objective: Kill Old Grog.
Quest Penalty: None.
Quest Reward: Unknown.
Liam let a trace of hesitation show on his face. "With my current strength, taking down Old Grog might be a bit of a tall order."
The Elder Mayor nodded in acknowledgement. "Grog is indeed a capable man. However, he is a hopeless drunk. If you were to slip a little something into his wine jug, you might find the results quite favorable."
Liam looked troubled. "To be honest, I don't have any poison on hand."
After a moment’s hesitation, the Elder Mayor pulled out a small vial.
"This is Mandragora Draught. I’ve spent a long time collecting this. It’s colorless and odorless; slip it into his drink, and he’ll never suspect a thing. Once the toxin takes hold, his combat effectiveness will drop by at least half."
Liam took the Mandragora Draught, a smile finally breaking across his face. "Understood. I won’t let you down. Old Grog is as good as dead."
He turned to make his exit, but the Elder Mayor’s voice rang out, stopping him in his tracks.
"Frost Monarch!"
This time, he used Liam’s name directly, dropping the "Adventurer" moniker.
"Since you were the one who took out the Miller brothers... do you happen to know who killed Alvis?"
Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly.
As expected, the old man was suspicious.
"I have no idea. Shortly after Shadow-Slayer and I finished off the Millers, we heard the notification that Alvis had been slain."
"Oh? Is that so..."
The Elder Mayor’s smile was meaningful, lingering a second too long.
Liam knew his words wouldn't truly convince the man, but it didn't matter. Even if the Mayor suspected something, he would likely assume Liam was working some side deal with Miller the Smith. After all, the Smith was the only person who posed a legitimate threat to his position in the Novice Village.
As for Liam?
No matter how powerful he became, he was just a traveler. He would eventually head to the Capital City; he couldn't stay in the Novice Village forever.
What the Mayor didn't know was that Liam had other options entirely.
After leaving the Mayor's residence, Liam checked his messages. He sent a ping to Shadow-Slayer; they had added each other as friends back when they closed their initial deal.
It was only then that Liam noticed a flood of notifications.
Bulwark Pagoda had sent over a dozen messages.
"Frost Monarch, I’m willing to offer two hundred million. If you join us, the position of The Guild Master of Pagoda Guild is yours."
"Are you there? When are you heading to the Capital City? I’d love a carry, price is negotiable."
"Frost Monarch..."
Liam had been too preoccupied to notice the pings, having set his notifications to Do Not Disturb. Still, Bulwark Pagoda was his first real business partner.
He sent a brief reply: Notifications were off. Busy.
Then, he moved toward the coordinates Shadow-Slayer had provided.
When he arrived, Shadow-Slayer was busy power-leveling, taking down Level 10 Twisted Treants. Seeing Liam approach, he finished off the last of the wooden monsters and sheathed his blade.
"What’s the follow-up quest the Elder Mayor gave you?" Liam asked.
Shadow-Slayer knew they were in the same boat now and didn't hold back. "He told me to go and protect Old Grog at the tavern."
Liam’s eyes sharpened. "That’s interesting. He gave me a quest today too. He told me to kill him."
"What? How does that work?"
Shadow-Slayer looked genuinely bewildered. One person tasked to protect, the other to kill—it was a blatant contradiction.
Liam, however, already had a theory forming. This was a setup, plain and simple.
The key likely lay with the Mandragora Draught.
If his hunch was correct, the poison didn't belong to the Elder Mayor. He had likely stolen it from Miller the Smith.
The plan was for Liam to poison Grog, while Shadow-Slayer was supposed to "rescue" him. As long as Shadow-Slayer could stall Liam for even a moment, Grog would have the chance to escape.
"Your quest rewards and penalties... they aren't light, are they?" Liam asked.
Shadow-Slayer nodded. "Yeah, they’re heavy."
"We killed the Miller brothers together, so the Mayor knows we’re associates. That’s why he gave you that specific task. It’s an open gambit."
Shadow-Slayer thought it over, the pieces starting to click. "Wait, so you're saying the Mayor doesn't actually want Grog dead? He wants me to 'save' him?"
Liam nodded. "Exactly. He’s playing for loyalty."
"Explain."
"He gave me a toxin to use on Grog. If I’m right, that poison is Miller the Smith’s signature blend. If I poison Grog and you save him, it creates an immediate, violent rift between Grog and the Smith."
Shadow-Slayer took a sharp breath, stunned. "He's sowing discord?"
"That’s the play. My quest has no penalty and the reward is 'unknown.' Your quest has high stakes. The Mayor assumes I’ll prioritize helping you succeed since we're allies."
Shadow-Slayer exhaled slowly, reeling from the realization. "I never imagined a Novice Village NPC could be this calculating."
Liam let out a cold snort. "In this game, NPCs aren't just lines of code. They’re a different breed of AI entirely."
"So," Shadow-Slayer asked, "what’s the move?"
"Just doing the Mayor a favor," Liam said with a smirk. "Like I said, this is a transparent scheme. If I kill Grog, it’ll only end up hurting you. Besides, the Mayor clearly holds more sway in Novice Village. If Grog dies, this entire questline might just vanish."
Shadow-Slayer sensed that something was off, but he didn't care. As long as Liam helped him finish this quest, he could finally leave Novice Village. Whatever Liam planned to do afterward was none of his business.
"I'll carry you to Level 10, then we’ll go find Grog," Liam said, sending over a party invite.
He had already planned to grind mobs to increase his HP anyway. Since he couldn't gain any more experience past Level 10 without leaving the village, he figured he might as well help Shadow-Slayer out.
With Liam leading the way, Shadow-Slayer’s level soared. In less than half an hour, he hit Level 10.
"Let's go. Time to find Grog."
Liam headed toward the Iron Grotto. If the man was looking for ore, the grotto was the most likely place to find him. However, after circling the area, Grog was nowhere to be found.
"Where the hell is he?" Shadow-Slayer grumbled, his brow furrowing.
Liam frowned as well. He felt a pair of eyes tracking his every move—a prickling sensation of being watched that he absolutely loathed.
"Come out. You've been following us long enough."
Liam scanned the surroundings. He trusted his instincts; someone was definitely lurking nearby. Shadow-Slayer looked surprised—they were being followed, and he hadn't noticed a thing.
"Hahaha! The younger generation truly is full of talent. So young, yet so sharp."
A booming laugh echoed as a ragged old man carrying a Wine Gourd stepped into view.
Old Grog: Level 12
HP: ???
Attack: ???
Skills: ???
(Note: The Barkeep of Novice Village seems to be searching for something near the Iron Grotto. Perhaps you could be of assistance.)
If an ordinary player had encountered him, they might have actually triggered a quest. Liam watched Grog, who stared back with bleary, half-lidded eyes.
"Frost Monarch... you've certainly made a name for yourself in our village lately. But you're already Level 10. Why haven't you headed to the Capital City yet?"
Liam chuckled. "Trust me, I want to leave. It's just that the Mayor offered a price I couldn't refuse."
"Oh? So the Mayor sent you to kill me?"
Liam arched an eyebrow. "Sounds like you already know the deal. In that case, let me see what you’re capable of."
Without another word, Liam let an arrow fly.
Whiz!
The shaft whistled through the air. Grog narrowed his eyes and performed a backflip, dodging the projectile with ease.
"Now, now, let's not lose our tempers. We can work something out, can't we?" Grog gave him a greasy smile. "Whatever the Mayor offered, I can match it."
He held out his wine gourd toward Liam.
"Have a drink, then leave Novice Village. The grudges here have nothing to do with you."
Quest Issued: Old Grog's Offer
Objective: Drink the wine and immediately leave Novice Village.
Penalty: None.
Reward: +50 AP.
Liam and Shadow-Slayer traded a look of pure shock. The reward was absurd—beyond anything they had imagined. Most players had to complete a tedious Village Departure Quest just to leave, but this offered a shortcut plus a massive bonus. Fifty Attribute Points was equivalent to ten levels' worth of stats.
"Don't worry about the quest penalties," Grog added. "Once you drink my wine, you'll be teleported straight out of Novice Village. The Mayor won't be able to touch you."
Liam knew Grog wasn't lying. It was an easy out with a massive reward. But he still hesitated. If he completed the tasks on his two Quest Scrolls, the 'Blessing of the Gods' would likely far outweigh this offer.
Shadow-Slayer only hesitated for a moment before accepting. He had no intention of staying involved in this drama anyway. After taking a swig of the wine, he vanished, transported out of the zone.
Grog turned his smile on Liam. "And you?"
Liam didn't answer. Instead, he drew his bow and fired.
Whiz!
A cold light flashed in Grog’s eyes. "What could that old fox have possibly given you to make you this loyal?"
Grog spat out a mouthful of Strong Ale. The liquid shimmered and condensed into Spectral Blades in mid-air, hurtling toward Liam in a heartbeat.
Liam slammed the limb of his bow against the blades, redirecting them as he threw himself into a side roll. The movement was fluid, flawless. He came up from the roll already nocking another arrow.
The battle was on.
Liam knew next to nothing about Grog—no stats, no skills. He had recently dumped the 20 AP from his previous quest into Movement Speed, boosting it by another 2 points. His Attack Velocity was sufficient for now; in fact, his damage was so high he couldn't even fully utilize his current speed. Movement was the priority. If he was fast enough, he could kite anything.
Whiz!
Whiz!
Liam maintained a steady rhythm of fire, prioritizing evasion over raw damage. However, Grog was far more experienced than he anticipated. The old man splashed wine across the ground and flicked a flint.
A wall of fire erupted, engulfing Liam. There was nowhere to run.
-921.
-921.
-921...
The Burn Damage ticked relentlessly. Liam felt his skin crawl—the flame lasted for a full eight seconds. Over seven thousand HP vanished into thin air.
Liam scrambled back to create distance, launching a Spiral-Draw Archery shot. He needed to knock Grog up; it was the only way to chain his combos and burn through the old man's health.
Grog saw right through him. He swatted the arrow aside with his gourd and then, unexpectedly, hurled the entire Wine Gourd at Liam.
Startled, Liam tried to dodge. He had opened up plenty of distance, but it still wasn't enough. The gourd detonated five meters in front of him.
BOOM!
The shockwave from the explosion sent Liam flying.
-8,520.
A massive damage number popped up as his health bar plummeted. Before he could even hit the ground, Grog blurred into a shadow, reappearing directly beneath him.
Thwack!
Grog delivered a rising uppercut straight into Liam's gut, launching him even higher into the air.
-1,029.
Liam was CC'd by the knock-up, unable to counter-attack, but he refused to just take it. In a flash of light, he swapped his main weapon, and the full Black Iron Treant Set materialized on his body.