Ryan stood over the fallen Undead Rogue and scoffed. He raised a hand, letting Radiant Light wash over his wounds, then turned his back on the body and left the area.
Monts later, a new portal flared open. Scouts poured out in formation, quickly spreading to establish a periter.
Epitaph, cursing under his breath, dragged his corpse back and resurrected in the middle of the patrolling NPCs.
"Boss, Featherlight killed again."
He typed the ssage into the guild channel, then paused. A second later he deleted it. No one had seen him die. Why invite ridicule? Better to say nothing than give them sothing to laugh at.
After a mont of sulking, Epitaph restored his health, slipped back into stealth, and began scouring the plains for the elusive Guardian once more.
Ryan, however, had not gone far. He only needed to turn in a quest, and the NPC patrols would be too slow to catch him now.
He drew out the summoning stone Dapula had given him, rubbed its surface, and activated it.
A pulse of black light burst forth, and from it erged Dapula, small and crooked in his gnomish stature, yet carrying a presence that dimd the air around him.
"Haha, my friend," Dapula bead, pointing with one stubby finger, "what a pleasure to see you again. You reek of blood—many Minotaurs have fallen to you, haven’t they? Quite the captivating scent of slaughter."
The shadows deepened around them. Ryan felt his control slip away. A cutscene had begun.
He leaned back, content to watch it play out.
"Enough with the pleasantries," Featherlight said. His voice carried anger now. "You promised rewards for every Minotaur I killed, but you neglected to ntion the Druidic Order would co looking for ."
Dapula’s grin did not falter. "How could I have foreseen such a thing? The Druids have always stood neutral. Why would they stop you from striking down mbers of the Dark Horde? Unless, perhaps, they have allied with them. Have you considered that, my friend?"
A sharp whistling cut through the air. An eagle soared down from the sky and landed before them, feathers lting into the form of Arch-Druid Delta Starfall.
"Featherlight," the druid said gravely, "you have been deceived by this scher. His so-called revenge is a ploy ant only to divide us. His aim is to turn the Arid Plains back into the wasteland of disaster it once was. He is of the Twilight Cult, a group I am certain you have heard of."
"Yes," Featherlight admitted. "I know the na of that wicked cult. I listened to his lies, slaughtered Minotaurs without restraint, and was nearly driven to raise arms against the Druidic Order—believing them allied with the Dark Horde."
Ryan stifled a yawn. He already knew how this would go. Featherlight would co to his senses, team up with Delta Starfall, and together they would strike down Dapula the Deceiver. Then ca the pouch on Dapula’s corpse, the reward.
And, of course, Dapula’s spirit would rise one last ti, vowing his inevitable return. He always returned, because returning with new quests and treasures was his purpose.
When the cutscene finally ended, Ryan wasted no ti. He looted the pouch with eager hands.
A rush of experience poured in—one hundred thousand points. A generous amount, likely because he had cleared all ten waves. Yet despite the number, it was barely a drop in the ocean compared to what he needed for his next level.
After the rush of experience ca the gold reward. Only ten coins, though, and Ryan felt no excitent. The real prize was the two Limited Invulnerability Potions. Those ingredients couldn’t even be obtained anymore.
The pouch also held three rare-quality pieces of equipnt, five green uncommons, and a rare-quality schematic.
—
Forging Schematic: Sorrowful Dawn Relic (Forging)
Bind on Pickup
Profession Level: 225
Use: Teaches you how to craft the Sorrowful Dawn Relic.
Sorrowful Dawn Relic (Relic)
Bind on Equip
Level: 30
Quality: Rare
Effect: Increases the healing effect of your Radiant Light by 40 points.
—
Ryan scowled at the page. A Paladin relic, and not just any relic—a Holy Paladin relic. He felt a knot of frustration twist in his chest.
Still, he abided by the old principle: even a mosquito’s leg is still at. He tossed it into his inventory, deciding he would learn it once his Forging reached 225.
Relics were the unique equipnt of Paladins, just as Rogues, Warriors, and Hunters filled their ranged weapon slots for extra stats, or Mages, Priests, and Warlocks carried wands for spell bonuses. Paladins had relics, Shamans had totems, and Druids had idols. Unlike conventional stat sticks, these items usually empowered specific skills instead.
The Sorrowful Dawn Relic, for example, strengthened Radiant Light. If a Holy Paladin normally healed for 1000 points, the relic would push that to 1070. For a healer, that was far better than tacking on a handful of strength or stamina. But it only affected one ability, and for Ryan—who walked the line between three different specializations—it wasn’t exactly ideal.
The problem was market demand. Warriors remained the most common class in the ga. Paladins made up barely eight percent of the player base, and that was with Featherlight’s influence counted. Out of that, five percent were Protection, two percent Retribution, and a re one percent went Holy. A relic like this one wasn’t going to sell easily.
Sighing, Ryan stuffed all his loot into his bag. The quest felt like a mixed bargain. He hadn’t struck gold, but he had gained gear, consumables, and a good amount of experience—faster progress than grinding quests one by one.
He was just about to leave when the ground shuddered beneath his boots.
The earth trembled.
Ryan froze. The map almost never changed, not in ways that mattered. When it did, it ant sothing unusual—sothing extraordinary—was unfolding. Rare quests, hidden events, world bosses... all could appear with such a sign, and all carried the promise of imnse reward.
Heart pounding, Ryan began to search for the source of the disturbance.
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