With much less of a hassle, Darren was able to reach his destination with plenty of time before sundown. He asked around for a bit, using pokerface to mask his lack of social skills, and eventually found the 'wizard' who was able to make the medicine.
After acquiring the item he needed, he paid with the money given by the village mayor, and wasted no time to embark on his journey back to the other village. The distance between the two villages made him wonder why such small groups of human settlement would be out in some remote forest, but he didn't really feel the need to dig deep into stuff about this world, so he just shrugged it off.
It was about an hour before sundown, when half of the sky was painted with hues of red, did Darren get back to the village.
The mayor was so incredibly relieved that even the buff, rough-looking man teared up at his successful return. Darren was invited into the mayor's house, so that he could watch the ill patient consume the medicine he himself delivered. Apparently, it was customary in their area.
As for Darren, he didn't feel all that touched, even with [Pokerface] inactive.
In Darren's mind, Ryn was chuckling as she realized how unfazed Darren was when it came to saving strangers. He didn't have too much of a sense of accomplishment about his deed, and the feelings of happiness about the rewards he was about to get was more apparent.
"Yes . . . that's how you should be." Ryn made a low giggle, looking at Darren who was standing in front of the village mayor with a polite smile, "There's no need to feel true empathy when it comes to strangers. Well, with the kind of life you grew up in, I guess that's not all too surprising."
Ryn the stretched, materialized a glass of soda mixed with liquor out of nowhere, and took a sip. "At the very least, I won't have to worry about this guy turning into some hero."
She then fiddled with her own system panels for a bit and marked Darren's quest as complete. It was automatically going to notify Darren once he returns back to his world.
♦♦♦
▬▬▬Quest Complete▬▬▬
Postknight I
Deliver a medicine to the village mayor's ill daughter.
Rewards: Postknight's Chestplate, 200 Coins
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When Darren got back, he found himself in the same spot he left this world for the quest-- in his provided room at Naphaela's house.
In a jovial mood, he opened his inventory and selected the armor he got from the quest he just completed, before walking to in front of the mirror and clicking on [Equip]. White light appeared around his chest and torso, and upon vanishing, a simple, blue chestplate was now fitted perfectly around him.
Its designs were minimal, and its weight was very little. Still, Darren thought he looked strange, wearing an incomplete-looking piece of armor, so he unequipped it. He glanced outside through the window, and found that time didn't stop while he was in the other world.
"As for the items and materials . . ." Darren mumbled, a smile taking over his lips. He reopened his inventory and selected the [Bag of Coins]. Its description was simply, 'a bag of coins, worth 2000 Aria.'
There was a button below its description named [Convert], and he could guess that clicking it meant him getting 2000 coins. As such, he did not hesitate and clicked on the button, prompting for his Coins count to start rapidly increasing to the value of 2210.
All his materials were also in abundance-- Tusks, Hide, and Spikes. He tried selling one of each, and found that they all sold for 3 coins each. But since he had quite a lot of money, and the system had implied that 'materials' would come to have more uses in the future, he decided to keep the rest.
Darren did not forget the reason why he needed Coins in the first place, so he visited the Shop and bought a Training Ticket, plus the two dummy scrolls. He was tired, however, so he didn't use the ticket immediately.
Instead, he went out the house to buy some food he could cook dinner for himself and his siblings.
♦♦♦
The next day, Darren decided to drop by the Clover HQ. He wasn't sure if he was lucky to arrive an hour before a meeting started, or if he wasn't. Because Luck lowkey began scolding him about not appearing often and having chances to hunt creatures with the help of others.
Still, Luck didn't push the topic too far, since he could tell that Darren was a little different from the last time he saw him.
An hour later, the brigade meeting began. There were much more people compared to before, when there was only Mug, Ellia, Ranfel, Lyssia and him being present.
One cultivator stood out particularly though. It was a huge man, sitting on one of the couches with a forward slouch. Darren guessed that his arms were about as thick as his own thighs.
"Going directly to the point," Luck began, addressing everyone in the room, "Humanoids have been discovered in the forest to the east. Two of them."
A streak of greed flashed in most of the cultivator's eyes. Humanoids were the creatures who resembled humans the closest.
They have the ability to refine flux cores of other creatures, just like humans, but there were subtle and obvious differences between the two species.
Humans were social, humanoids were not. Humans didn't drop flux cores, humanoids did. Humans could choose to transform to their human form or flux-enhanced form, but humanoids were different. Once they refine a flux core of another creature, they gain its abilities, and their physique immediately begins morphing.
That was the reason why full-fledged humanoids were easy to tell apart from humans, because they were hostile, couldn't talk, and were flux-enhanced all the time.
But there was one special quirk regarding these 'humanoids.' Absorbing and refining their flux cores meant receiving all the boons and abilities that they have already refined. It was like, jam-packing a load of different abilities into one single flux core.
As such, they were wanted by all cultivators, because there was a limit to how many flux cores a person could refine.
"This goes to say that all the other brigades in Rodor will be hunting for them, so the chances of anyone of you snagging a humanoid core is abysmal. Especially since Steelfang brigade seems to be keen on suppressing us."
"But we'll continue on with this like usual." Luck swept his gaze over his subordinates, "We're splitting into three groups. The main party, the ranged party, and the harass party."
Darren at least knew the terms that his brigade leader used-- the main party's objective was to deal the final blow to the target creature. The harass party's objective was to keep other hunters at bay. And the ranged party's objective was to support the other two parties from a distance.
One might think that all would want to join the main party, since joining it had the best chance of landing a final blow against a target creature, but that wasn't the case.
First of all, flux cores can be given, but not stolen. One cannot take an unrefined flux core with force, unless the owner of that core willingly gives it.
When a brigade party hunts for creatures, all kills are audited and the cores are surrendered to the brigade.
That's where the Brigade Points come in. All the cores surrendered to the brigade can be bought or reserved with points. And in the brigade's current case, fulfilling the role of your party properly is the one thing that can net a member the most points.
This way, harmony was created and cultivators were able to group up and hunt creatures, with a systematic way to distribute the gains.
"I know you all want the humanoid core, because even I want it. But in this mission, if you refine any core that is considered owned by the brigade," Luck explained, his expression cold, before suddenly turning it back to normal, "Well, I don't think anyone here would try to pull that stunt, so it doesn't really matter. Let's get on with the assignations."
Everyone knew well which role they would suit, so the assignations were quick. Everyone except for Darren of course.
'System, which should I pick?'
▬▬▬▬Answer to Query▬▬▬▬▬
It is up for the user to decide. The choice matters very little, as long as the user gets to join in the hunt.
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'Ehhhh,' Darren complained in his head, but the system stayed silent.
"You," Lyssia addressed Darren as he was the only one left undecided, only sparing him a glance, "Which party do you want to join?"
". . . Harass party."
Without any confirmations or whatever, Lyssia left him alone and went back to near the brigade leader.
Mug was part of the ranged party, Ellia of the main party, and Ranfel of the harass party. The huge man Darren took notice of earlier was part of the harass party, and he seemed to be sending glances of disdain at Darren's direction.