PLAYER SYSTEM C8 FIRST QUEST IV

The sky was calm, birds chirping in the distance, and the trees swayed gently in the breeze. The rhythmic clatter of hooves on cobblestone and the creaking of the carriage and cargo wagons filled the air as the convoy made steady progress. A group of armed escorts surrounded the caravan, alert and focused.

‘It’s pretty peaceful around here…’ Jack thought as he walked alongside the group, occasionally catching whispers and side glances from the adventurer party. He smirked inwardly. ‘Kind of amusing how these AIs act so curious—and even a bit wary—around me. I swear some of them actually dislike me. Blackstar’s NPC programming is on another level… I wonder if any of them realize they’re just lines of code in a game.’

He glanced around again, thoughtful.
‘I’m the only player here. Not surprising, since I was the only one who accepted Asha’s quest… Still, according to the pre-release guide, the game should feature quest chains that overlap—so I figured this escort mission would link to other quests—even if a player didn’t accept Asha’s specifically, they might still end up here through a different route. Like maybe an adventurer party could’ve hired a player to help with her transport.’

He looked at the adventurer party again, their guarded expressions and stiff posture toward him.

‘But that doesn’t seem to be the case. Either no other players were routed into this quest chain, or… this party didn’t want a player involved. Judging by how tense they are, I doubt their leader would’ve welcomed me at all if I wasn’t personally vouched for by Asha.’

He sighed inwardly.

‘I’m definitely the outsider here. And to be honest, it’s kind of boring not having anyone to talk to. Asha’s the only one I can speak to normally—but she’s sealed away in the carriage, out of reach.’

He crossed his arms with a quiet sigh, feeling the boredom setting in. ‘This road really does feel too well-patrolled… we’ve been walking for thirty minutes, and still no action. I just want to use my skills and level up already.’

He didn’t have to wait long.

From the left side of the road, the trees rustled—far too violently to be the wind.

The leader of the adventurer party, a tall, broad-shouldered man clad in heavy armor, narrowed his eyes. His voice boomed with authority. “Halt! We’ve got company.”

The group instantly came to a stop, forming defensive positions with practiced ease. Their eyes scanned the treeline, hands already on weapons.

The carriage rolled to a halt, and Asha peeked through the small glass window, raising an eyebrow calmly.

Jack observed their reaction and nodded to himself. ‘They’re used to this. Definitely not their first ambush.’

Then he spotted something in the treetops—a strange creature perched on a branch.

‘Is that… a bird?’

The creature looked like a bloated duck fused with nightmare fuel: rat-like limbs, bat wings, and a whip-like tail. Its beak clicked as it chirped, its eyes glowing faint yellow.

“Quaklash Vermin!” someone shouted.

“Ugh, again? Another one of those failed experiment freaks? Just my luck…”

“Ugh, not another one… If I get hit with that cursed «Tail Lash» again, I’m taking leave for a week!”

Even the party leader’s expression turned grim. “Everyone, prepare yourselves!”

Then, with a darker tone, he added, “And brace your ears. You know what’s coming.”

At his warning, the adventurers—and even the horse drivers—immediately covered their ears with practiced motion.

Jack blinked. “What the hell are they—?”

Before he could finish, the Quaklash Vermin spread its grotesque wings and swooped forward—tail twitching, eyes flaring.

Then it let out a deafening, distorted quack-screech that tore through the air like a sonic blast.

“Ugh—!” Jack staggered, clutching his head. His ears rang violently as the world spun around him.

[Status: Disoriented and Confused. You are affected by Quackbomb.]

‘Holy crap… what the hell kind of monster quacks you into a stun!?’

His balance wavered, but his fingers instinctively tightened around his dagger.

‘Okay… I wanted action. Guess I got it.’

The effect of «Quackbomb» faded after a few seconds, and Jack quickly regained his footing. Staying cautious, he immediately covered his ears again. His eyes locked on the same Quacklash Vermin that had stunned him earlier—it dove for another adventurer, but the target rolled away just in time.

“Hey, what are you doing? Why are you covering your ears?” a nearby female adventurer asked, clearly confused by his reaction.

Jack furrowed his brows. “Obviously, to protect myself from that rat screech.”

The woman blinked, then chuckled. Others around her started to laugh as well.

“Haha! Is this guy for real? Doesn’t he know Quacklash Vermin only screech once every ten minutes?”

“Tch. I knew it… these Summoned Heroes can’t be trusted. The Dawn Village Chief really thinks they can replace real adventurers?”

“And Lady Guinevere thinks he’s going to deal with Gelatine Slimes?” another scoffed, shaking his head.

Jack felt a flash of embarrassment at their mockery.

“Enough!” the adventurer leader barked. His eyes were sharp, tone commanding. “We’re still in combat. Stay alert.”

He pointed toward the treeline. “And look—there’s more than one!”

Everyone turned, and sure enough, more Quacklash Vermin were perched among the branches.

“Damn it… there’s five of them!” someone cursed under their breath.

The group’s demeanor changed instantly. The laughter stopped. Weapons were drawn. They shifted into battle formation, ignoring Jack completely now.

Jack, unbothered, adjusted his grip on his dagger and readied himself.

The four remaining Quacklash Vermin spread their wings and launched into the sky. Jack and the others immediately covered their ears.

A deafening series of screeches tore through the air—one after another.

This time, Jack braced himself. The effect of the Quackbomb was weaker now, and he stayed focused. No confusion. No dizziness.

He clenched his dagger tighter and narrowed his eyes.

One of the vermin swooped low—its whip-like tail lashing out. “Ack!” A man cried as it struck his back, sending him to the ground.

Another adventurer was hit by a second vermin, the blow knocking them to one knee.

“Martha! Heal those two, quickly!” the leader shouted.

A robed woman stepped forward, clutching a modest staff. “I’ll try—but I can only focus on one at a time—!”

Her words were cut off by another voice.

“Light that does not judge, descend and restore!”

Everyone turned.

Jack stood with one hand outstretched, a soft radiance pulsing from his palm. A golden light enveloped the wounded man, soothing warmth pouring into his body.

The adventurer gasped as his wounds knit themselves closed. His breathing steadied. The pain vanished. Even the fog in his mind seemed to lift.

[Healing Light] (Level 1)
Chant: “Light that does not judge, descend and restore!”
Effect: Radiant energy is released toward a chosen target, reacting based on their alignment.
• Ally: Heals HP and grants 5% damage reduction for 5 seconds
• Enemy: Heals 50% HP but applies Light Curse (-5% damage, +10% Holy vulnerability for 6 seconds)
• Twilight Bonus: If cast after a Dark spell, removes 1 minor debuff from the target.

The party stared at Jack—no longer laughing. The battlefield had shifted. So had their impression of him.