In Realm of Ascendency, only Players were able to receive quests from NPCs. It was such common knowledge among VR fanatics worldwide that it didn't even need explanation.
There had never been a case where an NPC issued a quest to another NPC. The only way for an NPC to get a quest was through the Adventurer Guild.
'So what exactly is this?' The frown on Gabriel's face deepened as he watched the screen still flashing before him.
Could it be he was a unique case? An NPC that could accept quests from other NPCs and get rewarded for it?
His mind raced with thousands of thoughts. If this was true, it was another cheat in itself. As an inhabitant of the world, it shouldn't be possible for him to receive quests like this.
Without wasting another second—and not letting his excitement show on his face—Gabriel accepted the quest. 100 EP was something he couldn't afford to pass on.
Besides, he already had plans to increase his level, so this was a win-win situation.
After agreeing to Scarlet's request and taking his reward from the guild, he quickly left under the watchful gaze of all the adventurers present.
From the window of her office, Scarlet Voss watched as Gabriel boarded a cab and headed downtown.
Beside her stood Lilly, her best friend and personal assistant. Alice had already left after the spar was over.
The large, spacious office was silent for a long while as Gabriel disappeared amidst the hundreds of pedestrians.
Even after he was gone from sight, Scarlet's eyes remained fixed in that direction. In a soft, low voice, she asked, "Did you conduct the background check on him?"
Lilly nodded. "From what we were able to gather, he's homeless and has no family."
A frown crept onto her face as she added in a puzzled tone, "It's like he popped out of thin air or something. No matter how hard we tried to dig, we couldn't find anything—just that he's homeless."
"Someone is likely covering his background," Scarlet replied, eyes gleaming sharply. "Either way, keep an eye on him... he's a very interesting young man."
"Interesting?" Lilly raised an eyebrow.
Scarlet gave a faint nod. "Yes. He's the first I've seen with such unbalanced stats for his level. It's like he has another method of gaining stat points apart from leveling up. And those eyes... they hold years of experience."
"So you're say—"
"He's hiding more than he's letting on."
Lilly narrowed her eyes. She wanted to ask how Scarlet knew, but decided against it. Even as friends, Scarlet never revealed the full extent of her talents.
"Oh, right," Lilly added, as if suddenly remembering something. "Princess Sophie has been waiting for a while now."
* * *
Gabriel walked through Stellar City, admiring the royal capital. From his position, he could see the royal castle built atop a hill. The structure was majestic and grand, visible from nearly every corner of the city.
While walking, his eyes suddenly fell on a grand church building just a few meters away from the castle. His entire mood shifted when he saw it.
The Holy Church.
They were an organization deeply respected throughout the Valerian Kingdom, playing a crucial role in governing the kingdom.
Furthermore, the current Pope was also a close friend of the king, strengthening the bond between the two powers.
The church had erected smaller branches in all four corners of the capital due to their influence and reach.
Gabriel's lips pressed into a tight line.
"I almost forgot about them."
The moment he laid eyes on the insignia—golden wings wrapped around a radiant cross—his mood soured.
That symbol… it brought back memories he thought he'd buried.
But now wasn't the time. At his current level of strength, even a high-ranking devoted worshiper could eliminate him, let alone an Apostle or the Pope himself.
He turned away from the church and quickened his steps toward the commercial district. Since it was close by, he didn't need a cab.
Sometime later, he found a hotel and checked in for the night. Once alone in his room, he summoned the skill scrolls he had decided to keep.
---
[Burrow Shift LV.1]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Description: Vanish underground and reappear within a 10-meter radius. Cooldown: 30 seconds. MP Cost: 35]
"Do you wish to learn this skill?"
Gabriel sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes calmly scanning the skill's details.
Not only was it rare-grade, it was also highly useful for stealth-type attacks. He knew it would come in handy, especially during tricky situations.
It was one of the reasons he had decided to keep it rather than sell it.
'Yes,' he responded inwardly and felt the knowledge of the skill flood into his mind.
After learning the skill, Gabriel decided to try something.
He wished to use his talent on an already learned skill.
---
[Ding! Do you wish to Extract the skill, Burrow Shift? Cost: 30 EP]
---
"So it doesn't have to be physical? Neat," he muttered with a soft smile.
Afterward, he began planning how to raise his level to 20 by nightfall.
The wilderness was a decent hunting ground, but it was competitive and monsters were scarce.
Gabriel needed a location with densely populated enemies.
"Dungeons… they're the only place with constant respawn rates."
In the end, he decided to rent a low-level private dungeon using what little money he had left.
—
The next morning, Gabriel woke early and left the hotel. He headed straight to the Adventurer Guild.
He walked up to the large LED screen displaying a series of private dungeons available for rent. Dungeons were ranked from E to SS.
However, the highest available on the screen was only B. Some of the higher-tier dungeons were greyed out which meant that it was currently occupied.
"Goblin Nest… Abandoned Crypt… Spider Den."
Gabriel's gaze scanned the options. A single E-ranked dungeon cost about five thousand dollars to rent, with the guild taking 10% of the monster cores.
"That old man truly lives up to his name," Gabriel muttered, smiling faintly at the shady business model clearly designed to bleed adventurers dry.
He wasn't too surprised. The one who had originally proposed the dungeon rental system was a professional scammer.
"I had a feeling I'd find you here again."
Gabriel turned at the sound of a familiar voice. Standing behind him in her professional uniform was Lilly.
"Yes. I wanted to rent a dungeon to level up quickly and prepare for the exploration," he explained.
Lilly's eyes lit up, and she said in a cheerful tone, "Oh, what a coincidence! A close friend of mine is planning to raid a dungeon as well, but she's short on teammates. If you don't mind, would you like to tag along?"
"What level?" Gabriel inquired.
"It's a C-ranked dungeon—mostly populated by undead monsters."
Gabriel saw no harm in accepting. He gave a faint nod. "Lead the way, then."
—
"Your Highness, are you sure you want to do this?"
Meanwhile, in another part of the guild, a woman with a stern expression questioned a lady whose face was covered by a transparent veil, making it hard to see her clearly.