"Kyaah..."
A scream was heard, the knights panicked and kept trying to get in there, the NPCs could only watch from a distance and the players who participated in the event quest entered through the palace gates; like entering a dungeon.
"Get out of my way!"
Alice ran past several players who wanted to enter the palace gates. She even pushed them a few times, it looked like she was jumping in line, and the players who fell because of her push could only sit there and watch us. They looked confused by the reason Alice pushed them. They can only be silent as if they do not want to add another problem.
That's what I thought to those who were just pushed down by Alice, but when a player said, "That woman... I can feel a strong aura on her. She... does she have a high level?" I finally figured out why they didn't want to add another problem. Alice... they were afraid to harass her. They didn't want to disturb Alice, so they remained silent.
But what causes them to be like that? Was it just that because she looked like she had a high level and a strong aura? Is that why they are silent?
"Alice, calm down! You're pushing them."
I tried to calm her down, but she kept running nonstop to the palace gate and kept pushing the players in front of her until they fell.
"How can I be calm!? Veronica is summoning the dragons, and you're telling me to calm down!? How can that be? You know, if I'm late, more dragons will appear. Also... I'm afraid if..."
She couldn't continue her sentence but still ran. There might be something more dangerous than right now, but she hid it and didn't dare to tell me. She can still fear something dangerous even if she has honest feelings.
"But you have to stay calm! Chill... take it easy, you can save that woman, umm... Valencia."
"Veronica!"
"Yeah, you can save her. So, calm now!"
"Well..."
In the end, I managed to tell her to calm down. She lowered her running speed and no longer pushed the people in front of her. A few moments after she calmed down, I got a notification inviting me to join the party on my screen. Alice invited me to join her party.
Before I accepted that, I had time to think for a while. I just learned that an NPC could create and invite a party, so it's not just players who can do that.
I accepted it and saw the level I couldn't figure out because there was only "?". In other words, the number next to her name that should indicate her level is changed to "?". Well, it's probably because our friendship relationship hasn't reached 10 yet, so I can't see her level.
The two of us walked towards the palace gate. Slowly but surely, Alice removed her hand from my arm. There was a chance to escape from her, but I chose to follow her. There was a chance not to get involved with this damn event quest, but I followed it and participated.
As Alice and I stood in front of the palace gate, another notification popped on my screen asking, "Am I going in there with the party or solo?" Since I was with her, and she was the party's leader, I could only follow her. So, I chose to go there with this party.
The palace gate opened slowly after I selected it, and apparently, the players who hadn't entered the dungeon couldn't see the gate open. I think those who had not run the dungeon saw that the gate was still closed.
"Let's go in!"
Alice and I went in there, and the gate slowly closed.
"Oh..."
I was surprised when I saw the gate. There, where I first entered, the players who wanted to enter the dungeon seemed to disappear. They didn't seem to be standing behind the gate. They seemed to disappear. But this is interesting because I can see the players who have entered the dungeon in the yard. They were running, entered the palace, extinguished the fire, and were busy fighting some small dragons in the corner of the palace yard.
"Hurry up! We have to get to the basement now! They're there."
"Roger."
"I'll take care of these dragons. You guys can go!"
"But..."
"Relax, even if I only live once, I can still be happy because I have you guys. You're my friends. Just relax."
"Yeah, you said that because you can respawn."
"Shut up!"
They came with their party, but some did not. They help each other to save the king and his family. They are very compact. They don't want to overtake or grab other people to enter the palace.
"The hero has come..."
Several players had come from the gate. They came like a bunch of heroes, so arrogant and haughty. But in the end, a small dragon crashed into them. I think it must be enough to drain their HP (Health Points) and arrogance.
"Let's go there!"
Alice grabbed my hand, and she almost ran away, taking me with her, but since I knew she would be like that, I put myself in a firm stance so she wouldn't carry me away.
"Wait!"
Of course, she had to be patient before going there.
"What's wrong? We need to go in there..."
"I know that. That's why..."
I sat down and opened the Main Menu, and Alice made a confused face.
"Why are you even relaxing!? This isn't the time for a family picnic, you know!"
"No, it's a good time before we go there."
"Huh!? I don't understand. Do you want a picnic now? Are you still sane? Why are you picnicking here? Look over there, they-"
"You don't have to understand; just listen!"
"...But..."
She is getting worried about Veronica's condition, and I know that. Even if it was like that, she still had to be patient to get there.
"Let's see..."
This event quest had just started, so there might only be a few players who entered. Even if there were many of them, the event quest had just begun. I've got the information I need when some player tells me they are in the basement. It let me know I had to go. Even so, I lack one piece of information about the event quest.
"We have to hurry to save them, Rijal! You don't want to get the reward, do you?"
"We just need to stay here, Santy."
"Why?"
"I got information about-"
"About what?"
"Well, they say all players who have entered the dungeon will still get the reward. In other words, even if we sit in this yard and do nothing, we still get the reward. Rescuing them, fighting the little dragons, extinguishing the fire, and just entering this dungeon can all get the reward."
"So you chose just to sit down here?"
"That's better than having to waste my stamina."
Got it. I got the information I needed, and I finally knew why some players didn't want to help other players and chose to sit there.
I can see there are 5-10 parties, so the event quest will likely not be successful anytime soon. Only a few parties want to save them and go in there to get to the basement, while some players choose to do nothing. It's going to be long.
The quest's goal was to save the king and his family, and for that to work, they had to do it before the time allotted would run out. If the given time runs out, the event quest will end. I don't know what will happen when the allotted time runs out. Whatever happens in this yard, be it putting out fires, fighting with little dragons, or just sitting around, that's only part of the quest; not the original goal of the quest.
"Why are you silent? We have to get there quickly!"
I ignored Alice, who kept whining and grabbed my arm several times.
I opened the Map Menu, then looked at the palace's structure.
The palace has four floors and a basement. Each floor has rooms and long hallways. There is a family room, kitchen, dining room, hall... and a gym on the first floor. On the second floor, there are rooms for the royal family. On the third floor are rooms for the servants and knights who reside in the palace. And on the fourth floor was an alchemy room for some of the king's scientists and a few rooms, such as warehouses, weapons storage areas, and hazardous materials storage areas.
I can't access the palace's basement; this map doesn't show the structure. I don't know how to get to the basement; this map doesn't show it. It's hard, but I must find a way to get there quickly.
"Alice, have you ever been to the basement?"
There was no time, so I had to ask her.
"I... I've been there once. I... back then... umm..."
She tried to remember, but it would probably take a very long time, and I haven't any time.
"There's no time. Try to remember it when we go in there."
"Okay."
While pulling her hand and running with her, I told her to remember when she was there.
As we entered the entrance, we were greeted by a huge fire that could burn us any moment. I avoided them so I wouldn't get burned. Then, I saw some players already lying there and still alive.
Damn, this is harder than I imagined.