When Zevrad returned to the Basic Realm's courtyard, he was met with the sounds of people taking huge gulps. They looked like they had just seen a ghost.
That was quite understandable. The longest he took to clear a mission was only around five minutes. Yet, he took several hours this time, so people were thinking that maybe he met an accident and got killed, whether through carelessness or by a mistake.
But, here he was, unharmed and healthy as if to taunt everyone looking on.
"Hahahahahaha!!"
Zevrad tried to clarify what happened, adding that it was all just a misunderstanding. That only caused Belath to beat the floor while laughing his head off.
"The u-undead, hahaha, k-killed itself… ahahaha!!!"
Even Allari was in tears as she joined in on laughing, her breaths eventually running ragged and short. Zevrad found this scene a bit addictive. Only two months had passed since the ending of the tutorial yet these two seemed to have gone through a rather remarkable transformation.
Perhaps it was their new outfits, but even their aura seemed to be different.
Allari and Belath laughed their hearts out and then complained how difficult it was to talk to him for the last couple of months, never mind even seeing his face. So, the three of them chatted for a long time.
Belath class was previously a [Hunter] class. His quick wits and that active personality of his combined to make the decision to not hold back on spending his silver coins as soon as the Awakening was completed. As a result, he got a head start over his peers in earning more rewards, and now he was known as a quite skillful survivor. Although the team he worked with wasn't as amazing as Odelette's, Belath said they were steadily clearing missions.
As for Allari, her life turned for the better after the Chamber of Awakening opened up. Her spec as a [Vengeance] user was a highly sought-after rarity. Thanks to that, the moment her spec was revealed, the number of teams that tried to court her couldn't be counted. Some even tempted her with the promise of advance coins as payment.
Allari entered the team that offered her the most amount of signing fee and potential. She was very proud of herself, saying that she was finally living like a normal person now, only to be promptly shot down by Belath. He mocked her for showing off in front of Zevrad, who had far more coins than she could ever dream of.
Zevrad simply smiled while listening to their banter. Realizing that these two had adapted well and were carving out their own paths now put his mind at ease.
"Ah, right. What about Loramus?"
Zevrad suddenly remembered about him in the midst of listening to the duo's antics and asked them offhandedly. He met up with Kor'vas a few times but he hadn't seen Loramus once.
Belath stopped talking for some reason. Allari's complexion darkened at the same time. Seeing their reactions, Zevrad felt his heart skip for a moment.
"Did he die?"
"No, he's… more or less alive."
Belath corrected Zevrad. But what he said sounded far more ominous. He was 'more or less' alive?
"Well, I think it's really tough for him. With his right arm in that state..."
Allari's voice was full of pity.
Zevrad inwardly went, 'Oh no.'
Now that he thought about it, some people either died or would receive mortal injuries here at the Basic Realm. Just because they had Awakened didn't mean that it would be a stroll in the park. In this case, Loramus had lost his right arm's mobility for good during a mission, just before the Awakening. All thanks to a party member he joined.
Allari told her account of how she saw the image of him silently shedding tears in a dark and secluded corner.
Loramus received 317 coins at the end of the tutorial. That amount was way too little to sustain a normal livelihood for two months of stay in the Basic Realm. Even if he saved up like a madman and lived frugally, even with whatever coins he earned, he still couldn't have enough to endure for more than a fortnight, at most.
"I think that Kor'vas had been constantly helping him out until now. Ah, that's right. You also gave out some of your silver coins, didn't you? Miss Allari."
"It was only once, though."
Allari averted her gaze and hesitated slightly.
"There was nothing that could heal his arm, maybe because the damage received is beyond healing? I tried to give him some more of my coins, but Loramus didn't want to take them. And it feels like he's been avoiding me for a little while now, too."
Listening to her voice getting progressively smaller, one got the impression that she was trying to come up with excuses. Actually, she was feeling ashamed for bragging about living pretty well nowadays.
Belath waved his hand about and said that there was no need to act like this. It was understandable for someone like Korvas, who was kind-hearted by nature, to tend to him as Loramus' caretaker. However, there was no reason for someone with his self-centered personality to go out of his way to help someone he has no relations with.
Even Zevrad had nothing much to say in this regard. Quite frankly, he had completely forgotten about this matter as he was too busy with the training regime until now. After a lengthy bout of silence went by, Belath slowly got up from his seat.
"You shouldn't worry about him too much. Sure, you can help him out if you've got some wiggle room yourself, but you know this too, don't ya? That we're all equally having a rough time trying out there, trying to fend for ourselves."
That was also true. It could get pretty hectic trying to survive within the Basic Realm. Looking after someone else in this place was basically a luxury very few could afford.
"Well, I should get going now. If we have a chance later, why don't we do some missions together? I'm confident of being more helpful to you now, you see."
Belath lightly tapped on his crossbow and grinned.
"Me too. If you need any help, you can call me anytime, regardless of when. I'll cancel everything and run to your rescue."
Allari waved her hand goodbye as well and walked away.
***
After separating from the two, Zevrad returned to the courtyard. He was planning to have a go at the remaining untouched [Hard] mission types right away. However, he was feeling a bit restless inside. So, he figured that, by immersing himself in clearing missions, he'd be able to forget about everything for a while.
The number of different [Hard] difficulty mission parchments found on the noticeboard was 11. All of them were combat missions, while the silver coin completion reward on offer varied greatly from 1000 to 2000 coins.
The [escape from encirclement] mission Zevrad ran to the ground just so happened to be one of the most dangerous available among the [Hard] difficulty. Since he didn't encounter any hardship completing that, he was confident of blitzing the remaining ones in no time.
Sometime later…
The remaining attempts for the missions were 15 for every single type, but he only did six times each before moving on to the next one. Even still, he got to earn another 43500 survival coins.
'This should be enough.'
He could probably do more, but, after chatting to Allari and Belath, he decided not to monopolize. Their stories taught Zevrad of the harsh reality that, although completing missions became easier than before, there were very few who could afford to live as good a life as him among the survivors, even now.
For example, if four people cooperated and completed a mission rated [Slightly hard] worth 300 silver coins, the reward would be split evenly according to the number of participants. Of course, the individual survival rate would go up, but at the same time, all their hard work would only result in a measly 75 coins per participant.
The truth could be seen from the way Allari described her situation. Someone as in demand as her didn't say that she was rich, but merely that she was 'living pretty well these days.' If one did some critical thinking, they would determine that she was just barely getting by.
Zevrad wasn't too worried about others criticizing him for hogging all the high-paying missions, but there was this one thing he came to realize during the treasure hunt. Because he got too enthusiastic and swept away every coin he could find, Allari and Belath had to go through so much trouble.
As time went on, more and more teams would start attempting the [Hard] missions. Since he left behind more than half of each mission type, the survivors should not complain. Not too much, at least.
Besides, it wasn't as if there were no harder difficulty missions, either.
[System Message: You have successfully completed a [Hard] difficulty mission.]
[950 silver coins have been added to your system..]
[Current silver coins: 329,730]
Zevrad clenched his fist tightly. He decided to stop doing the missions for now. There was something else he needed to do first before moving on to the next difficulty.
The [Very Hard] difficulty had a total of six missions. The lowest reward was 20,000 coins. That was ten times the reward of the most dangerous [Hard] difficulty missions. When Zevrd skimmed through the mission detail, it sounded rather challenging, as well. Clearly, he would need to make thorough preparations to challenge them. Not only would he need to acquire a set of armor and potions, but also capable comrades.
Right on top of the noticeboard, there was the lone [Impossible] difficulty mission, but he didn't pay that any attention whatsoever. Although its payout was an absurd amount of 3,000,000 coins, the mission goal was completely, utterly absurd that no one would be able to clear it.
Zevrad turned around to leave.
There were several things he needed to prepare. But he already knew what needed to be bought first.
***
The eighth floor.
As Zevrad stepped outside the VIP store, he had to do everything in his willpower to calm his wildly beating heart. Within his grasp were two small medicine vials. They were Ambrosias – the mysterious liquid that would evolve one's already awakened abilities.
Zevrad didn't stop at that though. Even after he bought both of the available vials of Ambrosia, he still had a fair amount of silver coins left, so he bought a bottle of Divine Elixir, which would raise his Magic (Pain) stat by one stage.
With this, the VIP store no longer had Ambrosias or magic-boosting Divine Elixir for sale.
All thanks to their enormous price tags, Zevrad's silver coins dropped all the way down to 89,730 in a single breath. With the remaining coins, he could have bought another bottle of Divine Elixir. However, he held himself back as he was reminded that patience is a virtue and that he still needed some coins to purchase his equipment, after all. He thought that, after getting himself the best equipment on sale, he'd be able to earn back the coins in no time.
"Hehe."
However, no matter how hard Zevrad tried to restrain himself, he couldn't prevent a foolish grin from bursting out of his lips. He even momentarily thought that the entire world was blooming in a rosy color.
'I should wait until I get to my room first... no, no. Waiting around might invite a disaster.'
He only had to climb up two flights of stairs, but Zevrad couldn't wait anymore. He drank both vials of Ambrosias in one go. Fearing that his other abilities might evolve instead, he fervently thought of [Spectral Sight] and nothing else.
[System Message: Your Innate ability, [Spectral Sight] is evolving!]
[Your Innate Ability – [Spectral Sight], Black color: 'Escape Immediately,' has been unlocked.]
[Your Innate ability, [Spectral Sight] is evolving.]
[Your Innate ability – [Spectral Sight], Gold color: 'Golden Opportunity,' has been unlocked.]
Finally, he got to pull back the two layers of the veil covering his ability. With this, he unlocked six out of... seven... colors?
'Wait, what? Black and Gold?'
Zevrad was confused and questioned why these two colors appeared.
'I was expecting either Blue, Indigo, or Violet. Why did these colors show up?'
Zevrad activated his ability right away and fell into deep contemplation.
Green was [Normal].
Yellow was [Attention Required].
Orange was [Do Not Approach].
Red was for [Danger].
Black was for [Retreat].
Gold was for [Golden Opportunity]
Judging from this, the newly unlocked color, Black, was an extension of already available emergency warning signals.
'I understand the concept of Retreat, but Golden Opportunity?'
He pondered for a while, but he couldn't quite grasp what it did and how it differed from the Yellow color.
'How can I use it without knowing what it does?'
Zevrad began walking again and climbed up the stairs, all the while shaking his head slightly.
But then...
'Gold color?!'
Zevrad's eyes shot open abruptly. Beyond the tenth floor railing, he could see a clear and radiant golden glow, coming from a spot right in front of his quarters. He hurriedly ran up and found a person quietly waiting there. His thought process dimmed just for a bit when he confirmed who it was.
"It's been a while."
As if he sensed his approach, the middle-aged Night Elf turned around to greet him.
"You're…"
It was none other than the man who had attempted to befriend Zevrad on the first day he arrived at the Basic Realm.
"Rough night?"
He smiled refreshingly, and sure enough, his entire body was bathed in a golden hue.
Zevrad couldn't help but be confused. For one, he was curious who he was, and two, why was there a golden aura coming from him?
"Let's go inside? It'll be a bit awkward to talk out here and all."
His friendly voice brought Zevrad back to reality. As soon as they entered his room, the man couldn't hide his astonishment and admire the interior design.
"Wow~, it really is nice here. Honestly, who would've imagined that we get to be in such a grand room such as this."
The man's facial expression implied that he wasn't sure where to sit as he stood around before he chose a spot on a comfy couch and settled down. Zevrad quickly sat on the opposite side. Seeing this, he burst out laughing.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Mother Malevolence and, especially Ariana, seem to be particularly invested in your growth for some reason and after doing some research, I can see why."
"Are they?"
"Yes. Those two are pretty infamous as the Battle Maniacs of Outland."
"A battle maniac? Ariana is…?"
"Yeah. She's the direct subordinate of Mother Malevolence and the Illidari's top executive. She's even known as the demonic drill instructor. Almost everyone in Outland knows about them."
As the explanation continued on, a certain sense of chill crept up on Zevrad's backside. He had no idea that Ariana was such a big shot.
'Maybe I, uh, I shouldn't have teased her.'
"Interesting... before we get started, perhaps I should appease that curiosity of yours. What would you like to know?"
Zevrad almost blurted out 'Why is your body glowing in a golden aura', but somehow was able to change his words at the last second.
"Who are you?"
"Now that, I can't tell you yet. Not until you ask the right questions kiddo."
Zevrad raised an eyebrow and attempted to ask another.
"Fine. You've been following me, why? What do you want from me?"
The man looked to the ground and got up from his seat as he inspected the interior design of the No.1 room. As if he was trying to avoid Zevrad's analytical gaze, he proceeded to answer his question, "My dad was a petty thief. Never could keep a job so he just robbed. Market stalls, shops, small-time stuff. One time he sat me down, he told me something I never forgot."
The man turned back to Zevrad to emphasize his next words.
"My old man said, 'everyone steals.' That's how the world works. Do you think people out there are getting what they deserve? No. Even if they're getting their dues either over or under someone always gets bamboozled in the hierarchy."
*Silence.*
"I steal, kiddo, but I don't get caught. Now if you catch me stealing, then I'll go to jail. But if you can't, then I earn the money. That's my contract with the world."
The man chuckles yet sadness can be seen on him as he continued.
"I respected that man. He was my hero, as a little kid. A few years after that, the world finally caught him. Dies a few years later, my respect goes with him. Leaving me and my mother alone in the world."
Zevrad silently listened to the man's story and somewhat felt like he had just met a kindred spirit. All with a few words.
"He was condemned in prison. Just like you are right now… but I'm going to break us out."
Zevrad was stunned at what the man just claimed.
'Break us out? What prison?'
"I can tell by your face you're confused or that you don't believe me. But let me tell you 'why' you're really here. You're here because you sense something wrong with the world, with reality. Something you can't explain. But you know it controls you and everyone you care about."
"What are you talking about?"
"The narrative. Our reality has been influenced by cosmic forces since the infancy of time. As each of the primal forces fights for supremacy. To climb their so-called hierarchy just so their desires can be met. Whereas we mortals are always caught in the middle, but now, we are on the verge of changing all that."
Zevrad was smirking at how ridiculous this man's claim sounded.
"Think about it. What if we can take down one cosmic force? Isn't that what you're attempting to do these days?"
"What you're trying to do will lead to cataclysmic suffering across, not just our world, but the entire universe. We'd be having countless wars for untold years. Why would I want that? Everyone would be in pain."
"What if I told you that this cosmic force just happens to own nearly 70% of the entire universe, huh? How? It's because Death holds no authority on them as they keep coming back but stronger than before."
Zevrad suspected this back in his homeworld, Azeroth, as many had claimed to have seen the demons that they had slain in the past return more powerful and smarter. No one wanted to admit to this. How could they? It'd be like saying that their past efforts to thwart the demons were in vain.
"Now here's something that was recently discovered. Demons are not of this world as they originate from a different plane of existence we call The Twisting Nether. It's there that they spawn and return to when killed in our reality. So the concept of Death is foreign to them, but what would happen when they're killed in their realm?"
A profound realization shows on Zevrad's face as several thoughts swarm from this question.
"Then that would-."
"End the demon's existence. From the smallest imps to the ginormous Overlords. Not death, but oblivion."
The man returned to his seat before leaning himself forward to Zevrad to indicate the importance of the results by telling him what he wanted to hear, "Creating the single greatest story in Azerothian history."
Zevrad was silent. A second, a minute, before he was compelled to ask, "The demons, the cosmic forces, is that all you came to see me for?"
"That's the primary reason. More will be revealed until you've processed all that, but for now, keep doing what you're doing and get stronger. You did the right thing by stopping at the [Hard] missions. You see, the difficulty spike in the [Very Hard] missions is nothing to laugh about. You have to prepare yourself properly first."
Of course, Zevrad was expecting as much as well. Seeing that the rewards on offer jumped in value, the difficulty should rise just as much too.
"And you should find yourself reliable comrades. If I have a critique to make, then it is the way you act by yourself. No one should be alone in the world after all."
"Comrades, huh?"
"That's right. Odelette Priam and Mao Kingmaker's group, I recommend these two people. I'm telling you this before you get the wrong idea, my suggestion isn't solely because of their skills."
"Then why?"
"They will certainly become a big help to you in the future, that's why."
It was rather clear what the man was implying here.
"Are you telling me to form a personal connection with them?"
"That's one way of looking at it. I mean, there's nothing to lose by getting friendly with them, right?"
"I get it with Odelette since she's a [Vengeance] Demon Hunter, but what about this Mao Kingmaker?"
"He's a big player in the darker side of the society on Azeroth. I heard that he's a top-level executive in the biggest syndicate in Silvermoon."
Zevrad slowly facepalmed. Not only the Illidari's 'Battle Maniacs,' but now he had to deal with a man from a criminal organization, too? Will he become a villain the more time he spends with them? He would've never imagined getting mixed up with these sorts of people in his old life.
It was here that a thought popped up in his head.
"If I work together with those two, then could I challenge the [Impossible] mission and..."
"No. Do not even think about challenging that one."
He was just blurting out the possibility, but the man promptly cut him off before he got anywhere with the idea. Zevrad could only smile bitterly.
"It's that difficult, huh?"
"From the research and rumors I've gathered, even I'm not confident with that mission. At a bare minimum, only a mid to large-sized team of Novice or Veteran Demon Hunters would be needed to have a chance of clearing it. Really, I don't know why The Lords of Outland would have such a mission here in the first place."
He complained bitterly before turning his sharp gaze on him.
"Wait a minute. You are not thinking of trying your luck on that one, just because you've heard of someone clearing it in the past, right?"
"Someone cleared it before?"
Now, this was the first time he heard of it.
"Indeed. In the entire history of the Basic Realm, only one man succeeded."
"But, how?"
Seeing Zevrad's shocked expression, the man simply snorted.
"Only a few know about this. But that man, he didn't clear the mission in what you'd call a 'proper' fashion. He just got lucky, that's all."
"Even if it was down to luck, it still counts."
"That's true, too. But whatever you do, do not ever attempt that mission. Got it? It'd be better to fight an abomination from the Scourge with your bare hands rather than attempting that mission."
The man passionately voiced his opposition and slowly regulated his breathing before he shook his head, causing his ponytail to sway this way and that.
"I'm sure you'll do what's best for you."
He sneakily raised the end of his sentence and glanced at him.
Zevrad ignored that and asked him once more.
"What is the rest of your secondary reasons?"
"Hmm… other than befriending and finding comrades, it's more like nurturing future ones. If you don't wanna do it, fine. You don't have to. But if you do decide to go for it, there are plenty of benefits for the both of us, think of it as a quest."
"What's the quest?"
"You know Loramus, right?"
The man's mention of Loramus took Zevrad somewhat aback.
"You see, the person Loramus has the Invited status like you. Meaning that he has a sponsor behind him. With each sponsor holding the power and authority to reward something substantial."
Only then did Zevrad get a rough idea of what the quest could be.
"Let me get straight to the point, look after Loramus."
"That's too unspecific, isn't it? Do I need to give him 1000 silver coins and be done with that? After all, he'd be able to leave the Basic Realm with that amount of coins."
"That would be worse than failing, actually. Okay, if I were to get more specific, the best approach would be to properly develop Loramus in the Basic Realm, just like everyone else. Heal his arm if it's possible, maybe let him tag along when you go around clearing missions, and so on. Basically, I want you to carry him as a guide."
'Carry?'
Zevrad inwardly let off a long groan. Coincidentally, he got to hear about Loramus twice in one day. He understood that his life in the Reakn was fraught with extreme hardship. It wasn't as if he had no plans of helping him out. However...
...he also thought what Belath said not too long ago wasn't wrong, either.
The man was waiting for Zevrad's reply, still emitting the golden hue.
"What do you think I should do?"
"It's a secondary quest."
"I know that but..."
Perhaps he didn't expect to be questioned as his expression became somewhat dazed and lost. Soon enough, though, the corner of his lips arched up ever so slightly as he thought about the response.
"Of course, I'll be very happy if you do this."
There was a slight grin etched on his face as he spoke up, clearly enjoying himself.
"I understand. I can't give you a definite answer, but I promise I'll look into it."
"Hng. Not bad, at least that's not a refusal."
He muttered to himself, 'it seems the direction is unfolding the way we want it' and continued on with what he wanted to say to him.
"In any case, consider it carefully. Loramus's supposed to be a rising star with an Invitation. Having him owe you a favor from a debt would be a good thing for you too."
"Having him return a favor from a debt, huh?"
Zevrad hadn't given much thought to the notion of Loramus being a potential rising star, but that did make sense. Back in the auditorium of the tutorial, his performance show a lot of promise as he fought side-by-side with him.
Having finished what he wanted to say, he began standing up.
"That's right, a favor. Well, there's that saying, right? The Golden Opportunity?"
"Wait, what did you say?"
Zevrad was taken by surprise again and stared at him.
"You know the saying, the world doesn't shower us with blessings but golden opportunities."
"That's the Golden Opportunity?"
"It's a verse from the Book of Elune. Chapter 7 verse 12 I believe. I've never really thought of those words as altruistic babble, though. Since it's much closer to seizing the day for one's self. Don't you agree?"
"..."
The man gave a smile...
"No need to see me off. Oh, and I'm sure I don't need to tell you to keep the matters we discussed private, right?"
"Oh, uh… right."
"Don't get killed. I'll see you again real soon."
...before he closed the door. Although the man was gone, Zevrad didn't show any signs of movement. For a long time, he sat there and dwelled on everything the man said. And then, dwelled on them some more.
He was so immersed in his thoughts that he even forgot to ask his original question, 'who was that man?'