Chapter 50: Ch 50: Parting Quests Again
After Leo left, Raidan adjusted his grip on the Mythril Blade, preparing to step into the alleyway and drop his disguise.
Suddenly, a chaotic stampede of footsteps echoed across the cobblestone street.
Before he could even turn around, a massive crowd of adventurers swarmed his small corner of the market.
"Master Grimblade, please give me a quest!" a tall swordsman shouted, aggressively shoving a cleric aside.
"No, I was here first! I want one!" a rogue fired back, waving his arms frantically.
"Master, I can bring you any material you need! Just give me a hidden class token!"
Raidan maintained his stoic expression. Internally, however, his mind was running. The friendly stall owner had mentioned a new wave of people seeking information about him, but he did not expect an actual mob. His reputation as a generous, hidden quest giver had clearly spread like wildfire through the player base.
But, he also remembered the strict warning his System had given him earlier this morning. He could only assign five quests a day before his accumulated Karmic Debt began to cause severe misfortune.
He had already given one task to Leo. That left him with exactly four remaining slots.
He could not just hand them out randomly to these desperate adventurers. He needed strong individuals who could complete incredibly difficult tasks and yield massive returns through his SSS-Rank Multiplier System.
"Silence!" Raidan bellowed.
His loud voice instantly suppressed the chaotic noise. He purposefully released a fraction of his newly acquired 784 Attack attribute, creating a suffocating physical pressure in the air around him.
The rowdy players stopped immediately.
They stared at him with awe. To them, this intimidating display was absolute proof that they had found a high tier NPC.
"Heed me well. I do not hand out tasks to the weak. If you want to earn my favor, you must prove your absolute worth."
"What do you mean by that? How do we prove ourselves?" one young man asked.
Raidan went over to a boulder nearby. It was easily several hundred pounds.
But he effortlessly lifted it above his shoulder.
Seeing this, all the players’ eyes went as wide as saucers. Even the muscular brutes were no better.
They were sure they could never do that, and yet this Master Grimblade did it so easily.
Thud!
After throwing it onto the ground, Raidan said,
"Whoever can lift it for a second, they will earn my favor. But you do not need to lift it on your shoulder like me. I know it is not possible for any of you."
Staring at the massive boulder resting on the cobblestones, the players swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Then, a massive man roared, stepping forward.
"I will go first!"
He carried a giant steel battleaxe on his back and wore heavy iron armor. His class was clearly a Berserker.
He rubbed his hands together, spitting on his palms before gripping the rough edges of the boulder.
The veins on his neck bulged as he let out a furious battle cry, pulling upward with all his might.
The boulder shifted slightly, scraping harshly against the cracked street, but it did not leave the ground.
The Berserker’s face turned completely purple before he finally collapsed to his knees, gasping for air.
"Weak," Raidan stated coldly, his imposing figure towering over the exhausted player.
"Next."
The crowd murmured nervously. If a high-level Berserker could not lift it, who could?
"Let me try, Master Grimblade."
The calm voice belong to a lean warrior clad in dark leather armor. He did not look exceptionally strong, but a magical aura glowed around his gauntlets.
It was clearly a strength-enhancing item.
The lean warrior approached the boulder, planted his boots firmly, and gripped the solid stone. He closed his eyes, chanting a quick buffing spell under his breath.
Suddenly, he hoisted the boulder. It left the ground by a mere inch. His arms shook violently, and his boots dug deeply into the cobblestones.
One second passed.
Thud!
He dropped it, entirely out of breath, but a triumphant smirk painted his face.
Raidan nodded in approval.
"Acceptable. You have proven your worth."
Seeing a successful attempt, the crowd erupted into a frenzy once again. Players with strength buffs, special skills, and enchanted gear frantically pushed their way to the front.
Over the next ten minutes, dozens of players attempted the brutal trial. Most failed miserably, leaving with bruised egos and sore muscles.
However, exactly three more players managed to replicate the lean warrior’s success.
There was a female Paladin who used a holy blessing to lift it. A massive Orc player relied on his racial strength passive. And finally, a silent Monk channeled his inner energy to heave the rock upward for exactly one second.
Raidan signalled the end of the trial.
The remaining players groaned in deep disappointment, but they did not dare argue with the intimidating NPC.
"The four of you have earned the right to follow my instructions. So step forward and receive your tasks."
Raidan mentally accessed the Quest Creation System. He quickly drafted four high-difficulty quests, tailoring them perfectly to extract the maximum amount of experience points and rare materials from these highly capable adventurers.
He assigned them to hunt down elite monsters in the perilous Northern Canyons and gather extremely rare herbs from the highly toxic Swamp of Sorrows.
As the glowing blue notification screens magically appeared before the four chosen players, their faces lit up with pure joy.
They bowed and thanked him profusely before rushing off to complete their newly acquired tasks.
Raidan watched them leave with a hidden smile.
Today’s work was done.
With his daily limit of five quests finally reached, he turned his back on the remaining crowd and stepped into the shadowy alleyway to return home to Naida.
However, a figure suddenly blocked his path.
It was a Knight clad in silver armor, with long white hair flowing down his broad shoulders.
His posture was rigid, and his hand rested casually on the hilt of his sheathed longsword.
"Hold your steps, Master Grimblade! Or whoever you truly are."
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