Atlas took it and cleaned himself; the blood stains weren’t on his skin anymore. The diamond resting in his stomach shone brightly, maybe because he had just indulged in a battle.
Soon after, Emil and the others continued their journey. This time no kind of obstacle came in their way as they walked for a couple more minutes; the pace remained slow because of the dwarves, but they managed to reach the outskirts of the city.
Even before they stepped inside, loud murmurs echoed through the area. Rustling sounds of metal and people talking filled the air.
There were two other paths that arrived from the left and the right to the city. Carriages were entering the city through these paths.
Some carriages carried goods, some carried dungeon scraps, and some carried materials to make weapons. Just by looking at these carriages, it made Emil assured that this city was actually renowned as a ’trade hub’.
Emil led the dwarves inside the city safely, and the moment they stepped inside, a translucent blue screen appeared in Emil’s vision; multiple characters were written across it.
═══════════════════
◇ SYSTEM ◇
═══════════════════
[Quest Cleared]
└ Escort the Dwarven Caravan
───────────────────
[Quest Result]
• Successfully escorted the three dwarves through the forest
• Ensured their safe arrival at the City of Asteria
• Eliminated all hostile threats encountered along the route
───────────────────
[Unexpected Occurrence]
The three dwarves were originally fated to perish beneath the weapons of an orc raiding party.
By intervening and eliminating the orcs, you altered their predetermined fate.
Hidden Event Detected.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[Quest Evaluation]
Perfect Completion
Your actions exceeded the original requirements of the quest.
The dwarves have recognised you not merely as an escort but as the saviour of their lives. Your deeds will be reported throughout the Dwarven Kingdom.
───────────────────
[Rewards Obtained]
└ 25,000 EXP
└ 150 Copper Leaves
└ +40 Reputation with the Dwarven Race
└ Random Dwarven Equipment
(Rarity: Rare+)
└ Hidden Reward Unlocked:
『Dwarven Merchant’s Favour』
Permanent discounts with dwarven merchants and access to exclusive dwarven quests.
═══════════════════
Emil’s eyes moved from one entry to another, reading each thoroughly. When he reached the ’rewards’ section, his eyes glimmered brightly. His face lit up as a bright smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Unexpected joy burst out inside him. ’A rare or higher rarity of equipment? Also, free access to limited dwarven quests. Oh my lord!! I didn’t expect that after saving them from that orc it would create this huge variable for me.’ He shouted inwardly.
But he didn’t allow his excitement to take over him; a small sigh left his nose as he composed himself. He turned towards the dwarves as he muttered. "We’re in the city, and this concludes my protection over you three."
The older dwarf stepped forward; gently, he stroked his beard. "I’ll agree that you’re not as bad and selfish as the others of your lowly race. And just because of that, I’ll grant you access to my smithy."
He slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out a wooden badge which was engraved in the form of an axe with dual blades just like that of Atlas’s.
"Take this, human. You’ll be granted access to dwarven land with this."
A thought curled inside Emil’s mind. ’Land of dwarves? Such a thing exists in this game, huh?’
A gentle smile appeared on Emil’s face; he leant over and accepted the badge. "Thank you for this; I’ll definitely pay you a visit soon." He said politely.
All three of them turned in the opposite direction and walked away steadily. Emil stood there for a while, watching their backs as they slowly drifted away from his sight.
When they fully vanished, he let a sigh leave through his mouth; his hands trailed down to his waist. "The rewards were extraordinary, and now I also have this badge which will allow me entry into the dwarven land. This surely was a ’jackpot’ for me." He muttered to himself.
His gaze slowly shifted towards the city; a pathway which led inside the city was in front of him. "Now I just have to go and find Sara’s apprentice."
He made his way inside the city; the pathways were broader than the city of Lumina. NPCs, who were just normal humans, strolled around the roads; kids ran from one path to another.
The shops were set across the streets; players and even normal adventurers stood next to them, trying to purchase goods.
This time, however, he noticed a group of adventurers who clearly weren’t players. They were dressed in matching brown leather jackets and trousers, each topped with a round-brimmed hat that marked them as members of the Adventurers’ Guild. Some carried staffs, while others had swords hanging from their waists; their disciplined appearance setting them apart from ordinary travellers.
He didn’t pay any more attention to his surroundings and made his way further inside the city. He reached an enormously broad place; on each corner stood merchant guilds. Each guild had a board on top of it which reflected the name of the guild and the goods they traded.
But the one which caught his attention was at the corner; the guild was made of wood, and floor-to-ceiling glass covered the front of it. Through the glass he noticed shelves containing alchemy equipment and materials.
Emil crossed his arms, looking straight at the guild. "I think I found out where I have to go."
Before he could even put a single step forward, a scream that belonged to a woman echoed through his ears.
"AHHHHH!!! Don’t touch me!!"
It came through the very same guild; he didn’t waste any time and rushed inside. There was a group of players circling someone.
The person wasn’t visible, but it seemed that she was sitting on the ground, slightly wounded.
The workers of this guild were minding their own business as if they didn’t intend to butt into someone else’s business. But Emil couldn’t control himself; he grabbed the shoulder of the man who stood at the front of the group and pulled him back.
"What do you think you’re doing?" Emil asked, his voice carrying coldness.