Chapter 62. System update
"Is there no news of him till now?"
Count Ravenstein moved back and forth from one spot to another, as he asked that question from Vlass.
"Yeah, there's still no news."
Vlass glanced at the old man on the bed as he said that.
The old man was obviously the father of Count Ravenstein, the former Count Slavenstein Griphline.
"I should have never trusted a mercenary."
Count Ravenstein said as he pulled on his hair. He looked at the condition of his father with a worried look.
In his prime, his father was really fit and full of muscles but currently, he was just an old skinny man on the verge of death.
In the last few days, the effect of the Venomous python's poison has spreaded in his whole body.
Most of the healers have already given up on him and told Count Ravenstein to be prepared for his death.
But Count Ravenstein can't accept that.
Until now, he was still hoping for Ian to come with the antidote, but there were no signs of him.
'Did he run away with the antidote?'
He knows that the value of the antidote for the poison of Venomous python was enormous in the market.
Anyone can become greedy for that much money.
Ian was still a mercenary and a chosen one at that. The sudden appearance of thousands of chosen ones was a case of worry for the empire.
Although the situation has stabilised, but still, it was a mess when the chosen ones had first appeared.
Most of the nobles were still against the chosen ones but he had heard news of nobles working with the chosen ones.
Count Ravenstein also knows that the chosen ones were known to do all types of tasks if there is profit for them.
That's why, Count Ravenstein had given the task of bringing the antidote to Ian.
Ian's way of speaking and etiquette were a part of it, but the main reason was still that but there were no signs of Ian yet.
"Cough! Cough!"
"Father!!"
Suddenly, Count Ravenstein saw his father coughing up blood from his mouth. He quickly went towards him and held his hand.
His face was filled with worry.
"I-it seems like… Goddess Gaia… wants me to...meet… her…"
"Father, nothing would happen to you. Don't worry, you will survive."
"I… can't be… saved... Cough!!"
His father kept coughing out blood while talking. Tears started appearing in the eyes of Count Ravenstein when he saw his father's miserable condition.
His father's body was jerking as he vomited blood.
Death was now looking inevitable for him...
Creak!!
At that moment, the door to the room suddenly opened and a panting Ian quickly came in. In his hand was a veil containing dark blue liquid.
"Ian!!"
Both Vlass and Count Ravenstein shouted when they saw Ian.
They had already lost hope but hope was now returning to their eyes. Ian had come at the right time.
'I was able to make it somehow.'
Ian was getting really desperate as he was riding his horse. The fear of failing the quest was creeping up in his heart.
But he was able to make it here somehow and by the looks of it, the former Count Slavenstein was still not dead.
"Quickly give the antidote to him."
There was not much time to think as the condition of the former Count was getting more and more miserable by the passing second.
'Hope it works.'
Ian quickly opened the veil and made the former Count drink the antidote.
Soon, the former Count had gulped down the antidote and Ian looked at his face after that but…
'Why is his face still the same?'
The former Count's face was still pale.
There were no signs of his condition getting better. Ian got worried when he saw that. He doesn't even know what would happen if the antidote didn't work.
"Why isn't the antidote working?"
Count Ravenstein turned to look at Ian and asked.
'How would I know why it is not working?'
Ian inwardly thought and shook his head. He has no idea what was going on.
"The antidote… It's real, right?"
Vlass asked, standing at the back. Count Ravenstein was also thinking of the same thing.
"Yeah, it is real! I got the antidote straight from the Village Chief of Ale village, who also happens to be the old alchemist."
Ian explained himself but the reality was that the antidote was not working.
'Is the former Count grown past the possibility of getting cured?'
That thought appeared in Ian's mind and he got scared momentarily. If that was really true, then all his effort would be for nothing.
It would all go to waste.
There was also the issue of getting the approval to get to the third floor of the public library.
All his efforts, time and sacrifices would go to waste...
'Is my luck that bad?'
Ian thought with despair but suddenly, the former Count's body started to glow with a faint light.
"What's going on?"
Count Ravenstein asked as he looked at the glowing body of his father.
"I don't know…"
Ian kept staring at the body of the Count. He can guess what was going on; the antidote was finally taking effect.
The antidote was purifying the body of the former Count.
"Cough! Gwaack! Cough!!"
The faint light started to dim a little and the former Count suddenly threw up some more blood...
Count Ravenstein got scared for a moment before realising that his father was not coughing up blood.
"What's this substance?"
The thing he threw out was a black substance and it was radiating a bad smell. Ian was even feeling nauseous smelling it.
He can also guess what the substance was.
"It's the poison. He is vomiting all the poison from his body."
Count Ravenstein took a sigh of relief when he heard that. Then, he turned back and told Vlass.
"Go call the healers from the Church."
At the same moment, a message appeared in front of Ian.
"The goddess of luck still hadn't given up on me."
Ian muttered as he beamed a smile. It was the smile representing the success he had gotten after all the hard work.
* * *
"Thank you for bringing the antidote from Ale village."
Count Ravenstein said as he stared gratefully at Ian. His father's life was saved because Ian came in time.
After the healers had checked him and used some healing spells on him, his father was said to be out of danger.
He would recuperate slowly from now on.
"It was just my duty. The esteemed Count had given me this quest. I would of course give it my all in it."
"You have really done me a favour this time. You can ask for anything and I would fulfil it with all my strength."
Although Count Ravenstein said that, he doesn't entirely mean that Ian can ask 'anything'.
He would fulfil his request, only if it is in certain boundaries.
Ian also knew that and he had already decided on what to ask. So, he quickly opened his mouth.
"Actually, I need the esteemed Count's help in a matter."
"What sort of help?"
"I want to get access to the third floor of the public library, but as I'm just a mere commoner, I can't enter."
Count Ravenstein nodded his head when he heard that.
"So, you need a permit to enter the third floor of the public library."
"Yes."
Just like Ian had thought, Count Ravenstein agreed to his request and immediately wrote a permit for Ian.
He would be able to access the third floor of the public library now.
"Is this all you want? Don't you want something like a treasure or something?"
Count Ravenstein had thought that Ian would ask for a treasure as the chosen ones were known to covet valuable things.
But Ian had just asked for a library permit.
If Ian didn't ask for anything valuable, then Count Ravenstein would feel like he owes something to Ian.
That's why he asked that but Ian's answer was unexpected.
"No, I don't need anything else."
He can easily ask for a good weapon or armour but Ian wanted Count Ravenstein to owe him a favour.
That was better than any other reward.
"Do you really don't need anything?"
Count Ravenstein applied slight pressure as he asked.
"No, I'm content with doing the esteemed Count a favour. You even gave me the permit. I can't ask for anything else."
Ian emphasized the word 'favour's here and Count Ravenstein could not help but furrow his brow a little.
'He's crafty.'
He thought but he could do nothing here. In the end, he just said.
"Then, let's meet again in the future."
"I would be honoured if I got the chance to meet the esteemed Count again."
Ian left the Count's estate after that. As he got the permit and even made Count Ravenstein owed him a favour, he was really happy.
'I have some hours left before I have to make dinner. I should go visit the library.'
Ian thought as he headed towards the public library. He was planning to read the book written by Piolan.
But something strange happened when he reached close to the library. A message appeared in front of him.
This message not only appeared before him, but in front of all the players spread across countless kingdoms and empires.
'A system update!'
Ian was surprised by the sudden system update. It was also the same for the other players.
As he was in an area with a lot of players, he was able to hear their surprised mutterings.
"An unexpected system update?"
"I wonder if there would be new hunting regions or dungeons in the new patch."
"I wish there would be more hidden classes introduced."
"You are an idiot! Even if they add more hidden classes, Pegasus corporation won't reveal any information about them."
"Yeah…"
The players muttering gradually stopped as most of them decided to log out.
Ian wanted to go to the public library but he didn't have much time left. That's why he also decided to log out.
"Log out!!"
* * *
"Is everything ready?"
"Yeah, we have already announced the system update and players are logging out at an incredible speed."
"Good."
James Ray looked at the core of Origin as he ordered the other scientist to prepare for the system update.
As it was a system update for Ark, they couldn't make a single mistake.
"Have you released the press release about the system update. We don't want people crashing our official site."
"We have already done that, sir!"
Everything was mostly ready now.
This system update would open up a complete new region filled with unique monsters for the players.
Moreover, it would also open the 'Arena'.
"The best thing is the main scenario quest that would start with this."
Main scenario quest!
A type of quest that would involve the whole Ark and one has to work hard to complete the quest.
Main scenario quests are the backbone of any game.
"Let's start it now!!"
James Ray shouted and the system update finally began. It was the start of a complete new journey.