TheShingPen
Surprising Reward
Zarin’s thoughts whirled as the paralysis began to fade, leaving his muscles weak and unsteady. He gasped for air, stumbling forward as the succubus’s charm lost its grip. Though his body felt drained, he was free—alive, for now.
The room was eerily quiet, the oppressive tension slowly lifting. But her parting words echoed in his mind: ‘We’ll meet again.’ A shiver ran down his spine, being certain that it wasn’t an empty threat.
“Are you okay?” Jorra’s voice pulled him back to the present. She stood beside him, her hand gripping his arm with a surprising amount of concern.
“Yeah...“ Zarin nodded, still trying to steady his breathing. “That was... too close.“
Jorra’s frown deepened as she glanced toward the spot where the succubus had vanished. “She’s gone for now, but don’t think she won’t return. Succubi never let go once they’ve picked their prey.”
Before Zarin could respond, movement came from the corner of the room. The hooded figure who had attacked the succubus earlier stepped forward. His movements were silent, and his face remained hidden beneath the hood, but there was an air of quiet authority about him.
Without looking at Zarin, the hooded figure addressed Jorra, their voice calm but impatient. “Is the detour over? We need to get moving. We’re already behind schedule.”
Jorra sighed, turning to face him reluctantly. “I know, I know.“ She then glanced back at Zarin, her playful smile returning, though with a touch of regret.
Zarin blinked, his confusion growing. “Who...?”
Jorra grinned. “This here is my bodyguard,“ she said, gesturing toward the hooded figure. “I hired him to ensure I return to my tribe safely.”
Zarin raised an eyebrow. ‘Bodyguard?’
Jorra leaned in, her voice low and conspiratorial. “And he’s not just any bodyguard—he’s a Gold Ranker. One of the best.”
Zarin stared at the figure, starting to understand more about how powerful the man standing before him must be. A Gold Rank adventurer was leagues beyond Zarin’s current level.
The hooded man stood still, arms crossed, waiting with an air of practiced indifference.
“Unfortunately,“ Jorra said with a pout, “that means it’s time for me to leave. I’ve got to return to my tribe, and my serious bodyguard won’t let me stay any longer.“ She shot a playful look at him, but the man didn’t react.
Zarin felt a pang of disappointment but nodded. “I understand. It’s probably for the best.“
Jorra’s expression softened as she stepped closer. “Don’t worry,“ she said teasingly, “you’re not getting rid of me that easily. You WILL come visit me soon, won’t you?”
Zarin chuckled despite his exhaustion. “Of course. I’ll visit.“
“You’d better,“ she said, poking him in the chest. Then, her tone grew more serious. “Stay safe, Zarin. That succubus... she’s not done with you.”
Zarin nodded, the gravity of her words settling in. “I know. I’ll be careful.”
Jorra smiled one last time before turning back to her bodyguard. “All right, I’m ready.”
The hooded man nodded and turned toward the door. Jorra followed, but before stepping out, she glanced back at Zarin again.
“Good luck with your quest, hero,“ she winked. “And remember—if you ever get tired of this place, my father’s always looking for strong warriors to join the tribe.”
Zarin laughed weakly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
With that, Jorra waved and left, her footsteps growing faint as she disappeared with her bodyguard. The house felt strangely quiet without her, the silence thick after the chaotic events unfolding.
Zarin stood alone for a moment, collecting his thoughts. He had barely escaped the succubus and discovered Jorra’s powerful protector, and now he was left with his quest unfinished.
He took a deep breath. ‘I still need to figure out what’s going on with Lady Mariel.‘ But one thing was certain—the succubus would return. And next time, Zarin wasn’t sure luck would be enough to save him.
As the footsteps of Jorra and her mysterious bodyguard faded from earshot, Zarin took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. The room was finally quiet, though the tension from his encounter with the succubus still lingered in the air. He could hardly believe what had just happened. ‘I can’t believe I survived that.’
He was about to head back to Lady Mariel, hoping to figure out how to help her, when the familiar glowing notification window suddenly appeared.
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Quest Completed
Quest: A Cure for Lady Mariel
Reward: Random Trait Token
————————————————————
Zarin stared at the notification in complete confusion. “Wait... what?“ He blinked, rereading the words to ensure he hadn’t imagined them. ‘Quest completed? But I did nothing!’
He stood there, dumbfounded. How could the quest be completed when he hadn’t even figured out Lady Mariel’s ailment or found any cure? He had barely survived the succubus attack!
Then it hit him.
‘The ailment wasn’t real.‘ Zarin’s eyes widened in realization. ‘The succubus—she must’ve been behind everything. Lady Mariel wasn’t sick; the succubus used her as bait to lure adventurers in.‘ He recalled Ordan’s warnings about the quest and how adventurers who attempted it either went mad or met strange accidents. It all made sense now—the succubus had manipulated the situation to trap unsuspecting victims.
And now that the succubus had fled, the “ailment“ was gone too, which technically meant… the quest had been resolved.
Zarin let out a breath of disbelief, shaking his head. ‘I didn’t even do anything, but it still counts as a success.’
As the reality of the situation sunk in, another notification appeared, drawing his attention.
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Random Trait Token
You have received a Random Skill Token.
Would you like to use it now?
[Yes] [No]
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His confusion quickly turned into excitement. A skill token! It took little to understand what it did. A rush of hope surged inside him. ‘A random skill could be anything! And with my Luck stat being so high…‘ He grinned, anticipation building. ‘This is my chance to get something really powerful!’
Without hesitation, Zarin selected Yes.
The notification flashed, and the token appeared in his inventory as a shimmering orb of light. It spun rapidly momentarily, then burst into energy particles, which flowed into him. A strange warmth spread through his body, excitedly making his heart race.
‘Here we go… something big!‘ Zarin thought eagerly.
————————————————————
New Trait gained
Skill: Universal Comprehension
Effect: Allows the user to read, write, and speak all languages.
————————————————————
Zarin blinked as the notification disappeared. He stood there, processing the information. It wasn’t the flashy offensive or defensive skill he had hoped for—no fireballs, no super strength, no teleportation. Instead, it granted him the ability to read and speak every language.
At first, he felt a flicker of disappointment. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized how incredibly useful this could be, especially in a world full of different cultures, races, and ancient texts.
His eyes lit up with realization. ‘Wait, a minute… I can read all languages now.‘ He looked at the quest parchment still in his hand—the one he couldn’t understand before.
With nervous excitement, Zarin raised the parchment to his face. The strange symbols on the page began to shift, transforming into legible words right before his eyes.
“Find the cure for Lady Mariel’s ailment,“ he read aloud. The letters were now as clear as day. He could read it! He could read everything now!
Zarin grinned, a mixture of relief and excitement bubbling inside him. ‘This is going to make things a lot easier.‘ He had yet to gain an offensive skill, but reading and speaking any language was a massive advantage, especially when dealing with quests, foreign lands, or ancient scripts.
He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. “Well, it’s not flashy, but I can work with this.”
Feeling renewed confidence, Zarin glanced around the room before heading for the door. He still had a lot to figure out—especially with the succubus still lurking somewhere—but for now, at least, he had completed one quest and gained a valuable new skill.