Liel ran as fast as he could to Ashwell village. The only thing on his mind was that he needed to save Naomi.
That was all.
He didn't care about the billowing smoke, the blazing flames, or the villagers' deafening screams and cries as they watched the three houses in the middle burn.
Nobody was doing anything aside from scurrying frantically to save their family and treasures or just standing by like fools.
"Why is nobody doing anything?" Liel asked one of the girls, who continued to look on with horror on their faces.
"They deserve it," the pony-tailed girl answered. "My father and brother suffered because the leader Deja did something terrible to Uvaris' lover. At least, that's what Naomi told us."
"Where's Naomi?"
The pony-tailed girl glanced sideways at him. "I'm sorry, who are you? I never saw you before."
"Liel Leinster, I'm Naomi's friend." He was getting impatient.
She took a moment to think as if it was a tricky question to which nobody knew the answer. Then, tentatively, she pointed to the nearest burning house. "That's her house."
His eyes widened, shocked as to why nobody was doing anything when Naomi was not at fault – if the burning fire was their judgment for the village leader.
[You might as well burn the village down.]
[Complete the quest and all of that.]
'I don't give a fuck about the quest!' Liel growled at the suggestion, for the only thing echoing in his mind was the question, 'Where is Naomi?'
The System gave no reply. It was content to leave him in panic. But, the ding and floating purple screen in his sight annoyed him even in its translucent state.
Liel shot and ran straight towards the burning houses. The villagers' alarmed screams followed in his wake. But he brushed it aside, just like he ignored the incessant notification of the System for him to complete the quest.
Unprotected – and hell, he didn't even have anything to cover his upper body against the fire – Liel wouldn't be surprised if he found his skin melting along the way. Because it indeed felt like that.
"Naomi!"
His shout was swallowed by the roaring fire of the burning house. Useless and only added to his despair.
Their house was already burning, leaving nothing untouched by the fire. Inside the earthly inferno, he tried to avoid the licking flame from his skin, which proved to be rather difficult as he got further inside.
Liel didn't know where he should search for his girlfriend's counterpart in this universe, but he would be damned if he couldn't find her.
"Naomi!"
"Help!"
"Naomi!"
He heard her. Naomi's voice seemed to originate from behind the burning wooden wall. It wouldn't take much longer before the roof collapsed into smoldering ruins.
"Naomi!"
"Here! Please help us!"
With careful steps, Liel paced around the burning wall and found Naomi on the ground, crouching with a face full of tears and fear.
"Liel! Help me here!" She was dragging something covered in a white shroud.
But, it was not something. It was someone – her father. Naomi's already a dead father.
"We should get out of here!"
"Please help me carry my dad!"
That was a bad idea.
They had no use in dragging a corpse around inside a burning house. Not when the roof threatened to crumble down on them in a matter of seconds.
"We can't–"
Naomi was begging him. He couldn't. "Liel…"
With a growl, Liel turned to the System for an answer. 'Show some use, would you?'
[Please complete the quest.]
It demanded, reminding him yet again of the quest he should complete to get something–
That was right. 'What's the reward again?'
[Quest No. 3: Burn Ashwell village.]
[Difficulty: Grade A.]
[Time Left: 1 day 4 hours 27 minutes.]
[Status: Incomplete.]
[Reward: A chance to get a power-up item – Cold Shoulders Armor or a one-time use item – Atrahasis' Bottled Flood.]
"But it's already burning," he muttered without a second thought.
Part of the roof above them fell, and he instinctively shielded Naomi with his own body. It was a miracle that the main frame didn't fall on him. Only burning debris, unharmed but still felt hot on his unprotected skin.
"You okay?"
Naomi nodded; panic settled behind her eyes.
Liel stood up and helped her onto her feet. He shoved the still burning wood away from the door to make a way. However, it caused the fire to spread to the other room, further adding fuel to its already burning inferno.
[Congratulations!]
[Quest no. 3 completed!]
[Please choose your reward.]
The floating purple screen appeared, showing two white boxes that begged him to choose.
'Are you kidding me?!' Liel exclaimed in his head. He didn't think the quest would only take him to shove a piece of burning wood with the sole of his boot for him to complete it.
Either way, he was saved. Hopefully, he got the flood or whatever it was if the name was any indication.
[Congratulations!]
[You receive a one-time use item – Atrahasis' Bottled Flood.]
In a second, a small glass bottle filled with water appeared from the glitching air in front of him. Liel grabbed it and threw the bottle to the other side of the room, passing through a burning window.
When it broke against the ground, a surge of water came out of the bottle. It became a flood that extinguished the three burning houses in the middle of the village.
Thankfully, Liel had helped Naomi bring her dead father along before her house collapsed from the flood's intensity.
"Thank you," she said, dripping wet and teary-eyed.
"I know it's not the time, but I found something that can give us a clue to erase Melva's curse on this village."
"Tell me about it."