[ Level: 8 | EXP: 6745/7500 ]
Victor glanced at his experience bar and clicked his tongue. He was just about 700 EXP away from leveling up.
Kierra was probably close to level 10, while he hadn't even crossed the level 9 mark yet.
At this pace, could he reach level 10 by tomorrow? He wondered to himself.
Regardless, earning 5000 EXP in one go was satisfying.
If only he could get another quest like this… then he'd reach level 10, too.
With that thought, an idea struck him.
What if he tried triggering a quest with these girls—just like in those games?
Turning toward the five, he found them gazing at him and his companions with gratitude shining in their eyes.
"So, what are your names, ladies? And how did you end up here?"
The girls, their faces sunken from dehydration and hunger, their bodies covered in dirt, turned their weary gazes toward Raizel.
After a brief silence, the tallest among them finally spoke.
"Savior… my name is Lam, and these are—"
She introduced each of them one by one and continued,
"We are from a village called Greenleaf. Our people make a living by producing basic potions using herbs from the nearby forest. We gather the herbs, refine them, and sell the potions in the city to survive.
Some of these herbs are rare, requiring keen eyesight and deep knowledge to find. That's why only a few of us are entrusted with gathering them.
One day, like usual, we ventured into the deeper parts of the forest—five of us, along with four others and a few guards. But before we realized it, we were ambushed by Hobgoblins.
Sob...
They were cruel. Evil.
They butchered our guards right in front of us, then dragged us here to satisfy their vile desires.
Sob… If you three hadn't arrived when you did, we… we might have suffered the same fate as the others—violated and slaughtered without mercy…"
Lam's voice broke as she sobbed, her emotions overwhelming her.
"We truly… can't thank you enough…"
Kierra and Philip listened to the girls' story, sympathy evident in their expressions. These girls must have gone through hell during their captivity.
As the girls gradually calmed down, Victor spoke again, his tone deliberately friendly.
"So, where do you go from here, Lam? Do you know the way back to your village?" he asked kindly, a strange sense of anticipation flickering in his eyes.
Lam and the others exchanged uneasy glances before shaking their heads.
"Our saviors… we truly don't know," Lam admitted. "Without a map or our belongings, we've lost our way. Please… can our saviors help us return to our village?"
Suddenly, a notification flashed before them.
[ Congratulations! You have triggered an Optional Quest. ]
[ Quest: Safely Escort the Survivors to Greenleaf Village. ]
[ Rewards: 3,000 EXP, +5 Reputation Points ]
[ Time Limit: 24 hours ]
[ Penalties: None ]
Bingo!
Victor cheered internally—this had gone exactly as he'd hoped. He had successfully triggered another quest.
Kierra and Philip received the same notification and glanced at Victor with a strange glint in their eyes.
So that's why Raizel had suddenly turned so friendly with the girls—to trigger another quest?
Genius.
Why hadn't they thought of this earlier? It wasn't exactly an unheard-of strategy; many people used similar methods. It had simply slipped their minds.
Thankfully, Raizel was sharp enough to seize the opportunity.
And with a map in their possession, completing the quest within the time limit would be effortless.
This escort mission couldn't have been any easier.
All of them clicked "Yes," accepting the escort quest.
"Yes, we'll help you. Don't worry," Victor assured them with a warm smile.
The five girls gazed at their snow-white-haired savior with gratitude, their eyes glistening with emotion. His kindness seemed overwhelming—especially considering his otherwise scary appearance.
"Thank you, saviors. We will forever be in your debt," they said, bowing deeply.
Meanwhile, Kierra had already pulled out the map, unfolding it to locate Greenleaf Village.
When the map appeared seemingly out of thin air, the five girls gasped in shock.
"Savior… are you all mages?" Lam asked hesitantly, eyes wide with amazement.
Kierra shifted her attention from the map and smiled.
"Yes, we are. That's how we were able to save you so easily. Otherwise, with just the three of us, defeating those Hobgoblins would have been impossible, you know?"
Lam and the others nodded, their expressions instantly shifting to one of deep reverence and respect.
"I see… It truly is fortunate that we encountered mages in such a desperate situation. The gods must be watching over us," Lam murmured, her hands clasped together in a praying motion.
"More like the System," Victor mused inwardly.
"So, Kierra, did you find the path to Greenleaf Village?" Victor asked.
At his question, the girls turned to Kierra with anticipation.
She gave a small nod. "Yes, but it would be better to leave early in the morning. There are a lot of dangerous areas, especially at night."
"Then why don't we spend the night here? This place is safer than an open camp or a cave," Philip suggested, stroking his chin in thought.
"Sounds like a plan. Are you ladies okay with that? I hope staying here won't bring back any bad memories," Victor asked, glancing at the survivors.
The girls, though visibly uneasy, shook their heads.
"We're fine, as long as you're here, our saviors. Thank you for your concern," Lam said sincerely.
"Alright then, we'll need food and water," Victor said, looking at Kierra.
"No problem, Raizel. I can guard them while you're away," Philip said confidently, placing a hand on his chest.
Kierra scoffed. "You? Alone? Don't joke, Beastmaster. You can't even take down a single wolf by yourself."
She turned to Victor. "Raizel, you stay here. I'll go hunting alone while you and Philip gather water," she said, tossing a water bag toward him.
Victor caught it and frowned. Judging by its size, it wouldn't be nearly enough for everyone. He'd have to find a few more pots to store extra water.
"Can you manage alone?" Victor asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
"Heh, just trust me, Raizel. And even if I don't come back…" she smirked, "...you'll just have to complete the quest on your own."
She was clearly joking, but Victor couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy.