Chapter Twenty-Three: Carrying Out the Mission

At seven o’clock, I woke from my slumber. After a good stretch, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and hit the streets for a few kilometers of jogging. On the way back, I stopped by the breakfast shop at the entrance of my community, bought some vegetable buns and pork buns, and devoured them with piping hot soy milk until my stomach was round and full. Satisfied, I bought a few more to take home. By the time I returned to my place, both body and spirit were thoroughly refreshed.

For someone like me who doesn’t ask much from life, simply living peacefully and happily is a joy in itself. Yet reality is always harsher than plans, and changes come unbidden. Who knows how many years this game will last, or what comes after? But there’s little use in worrying; no one knows what tomorrow brings. I decided to let things take their course. With that, I put on my helmet and re-entered the Second World, ready for another day’s adventure.

Upon logging in, I found myself in Celestial Dragon City. After a full day yesterday hunting centaurs and minotaurs until I was sick of the sight of them, I decided it was time to find somewhere else to level up. But first things first—I headed to the quest hall to pick up some missions. The board was crowded with tasks, so I chose those for levels 20 to 30, thinking they’d be safer and more manageable.

With a few quests accepted, I stepped out of the hall and checked the first assignment:

“Farm Cleanup,” Grade C.

Quest Details: Recently, troublesome snake monsters have appeared on Sunshine Farm, stealing crops and livestock. The farmer is at his wits’ end and hopes adventurers can swiftly clear out these creatures so the farm can return to normal operations.

Without further ado, I set out toward Sunshine Farm as directed. The sky gradually darkened along the way, and thick mist hung over the abandoned fields. Not far off, several dilapidated wooden shacks stood scattered among the overgrown land, and many snake monsters roamed the wild grass.

Snake Monster, Level 25, Common Beast. Level 25 mobs—not intimidating. I summoned my Black-Haired Hound and targeted one of the snake monsters.

I charged in, unleashing an energy blast, then followed with two heavy punches. The numbers –142, –52, –58 floated above the monster’s head. Its defense was surprisingly high, but I still managed to knock it back a bit.

I quickly followed up with an over-the-shoulder throw—this move is fast, and targets caught are left momentarily stunned. It’s always wise to strike first.

With my Black-Haired Hound’s Shadow Ball and Shadow Claw, slaying monsters became a breeze. Often, I could take down seven or eight before needing to pop a potion. These snake monsters didn’t hit hard, but their defenses were monstrous. Still, each kill yielded 430 experience points—a respectable reward.

Field by field, I cleared the monsters. When the farm was finally rid of them, I patted the Black-Haired Hound’s head, and it affectionately nuzzled me in return. Playing as a Summoner certainly has its perks; when not in combat, summoned beasts make fine pets, keeping loneliness at bay during breaks.

Glancing at the time, it was already 9 a.m.—first quest completed. The next was a mining mission: “The Blacksmith’s Dilemma,” Grade D.

Quest Details: Blacksmith Hughes is currently forging fine armor for the army but lacks a special copper ore found only on the eastern slopes of Half-Mountain in the Sighing Canyon. Unfortunately, the mining area has been taken over by a pack of werewolves. The blacksmith hopes an adventurer can gather twenty pieces of this ore, but warns that the werewolves are formidable—extreme caution is advised!

I set off east toward the Sighing Canyon. From a distance, I could see Half-Mountain living up to its name—one side still standing, the other a heap of collapsed rocks.

Along the way, monsters became more varied: level 14 carrion vultures, level 16 kobolds, level 17 grey wolves… I dispatched any that blocked my path. After half an hour, I reached the foot of Half-Mountain, my experience now at 45%. Leveling past twenty had become slow going.

The Black-Haired Hound barked excitedly ahead. “Must be werewolves,” I mused.

Werewolf, Level 18, Common Beast.

The hound cast Shadow Ball, drawing one of the level 18 mobs closer. I moved in to cut off its escape, landing a Crushing Blow for 224 damage—not disappointing. The werewolf struck back for only 34 damage, which was nothing against my thousand health points. After finishing one, my mana was already less than half.

After a few small blue potions and catching my breath, I muttered, “Fighting these things really drains mana. Still, if I carve a path up from the base, the mining spot should be further up the slope.”

Carefully, with my hound, I edged along the rocks. Soon, a cavern came into view. At the entrance, werewolves gathered in small groups around campfires, discussing something I couldn’t hear. Beyond them, glowing stones caught my eye—surely the copper ore I needed.

The Black-Haired Hound lured the mobs, and together we picked off four level 18 werewolves. Luck was with me—one dropped a piece of gear:

Werewolf Shield

Quality: Pale Blue

Defense +42

Armor Mastery +2

Required Level: 15

A shield, but alas, as a Summoner I couldn’t equip it—only warriors could. Still, with 42 defense and 2 points in Armor Mastery, a level fifteen warrior with this shield would be a veritable fortress amongst his peers.

Grinning, I said, “Nice piece—should fetch a good price later.”

After clearing the rest of the werewolves and finding none respawned, I set to mining. Using the shovel given when I took the quest, I chipped away at the glowing stones—“Ding! Obtained Copper Ore x5!”

I searched for more mining spots, combing the area for nearly two hours. By the time I’d cleared out almost every monster, I finally collected the required amount of ore. With that done, I opened my next quest.

“Sandworm,” Grade C.

Quest Details: Recently, a batch of sandworms has appeared at coordinates seven hundred miles south of the Blood Wastes. These creatures have attacked travelers and merchants, disrupting trade and causing damage to the commercial sector. The empire has issued a quest for adventurers to swiftly eliminate the sandworms, restoring safe passage for caravans.

I arrived to find a vast expanse of desert—an endless sea of sand. The scorching sun poured its heat unrestrained, sending waves of shimmering air rolling over the dunes. Everywhere I looked, sand glittered beneath the light. The dunes rose and fell like frozen waves, as if nature had stilled a tempest for all eternity. Only the hardy sand willows and bramble grass could take root in this harsh place, spreading defiantly across the wasteland.

What a hellish place! I wiped sweat from my face, lips parched and cracked, cursing under my breath. Even my Black-Haired Hound panted endlessly, but at least for him it cooled him down—for me, it was useless.

I’d never been to the Blood Wastes before and hadn’t realized it was such a desert. I consulted the quest map, checked the coordinates and system timer, and realized I’d spent nearly three hours trekking to my destination. Good heavens, I hadn’t even noticed how long I’d been walking.

My mission was to slay thirty sandworms and retrieve their crystal cores. Finally, after climbing one last dune, a lush oasis burst into view.

A small lake shimmered like a jewel, surrounded by velvet-green grass and a few towering olive trees—a living island adrift in a sea of sand. I dashed toward it, having seen nothing but sand for so long, and, overjoyed, threw myself down by the lake, plunging my overheated head deep into the cool water and sighing with relief.

After savoring that comfort for a while, I straightened and stretched, filling my lungs. According to the quest details, the area around this oasis was sandworm territory—but where exactly would they appear?