A month ago before the dungeon raid, I was just level 15 when I stumbled upon a strange quest chain. At first, I was hesitant to accept it since the exp reward seemed too low, but eventually, I gave in. In a chain quest, completing one quest leads to another, and each quest in the chain.
The system instructed me, "Quest: Go to any labyrinth inside the C-rank gates." It was a dangerous mission since I wasn't allowed to be there with my low level, but I still took the risk. I sneaked inside the labyrinth without provoking any monsters.
"Quest Complete: "Go to any labyrinth inside the C-rank gates." Then another quest appeared, "Quest: Gather 20 skulls and place them under the dragon skull's dead body."
Finding the skulls was a daunting task, especially for a level 15 like me. C-rank monsters kept chasing me around, making it difficult to find the skulls. "Eh?! Is that a necromancer monster?! That's so cool!" I paused for a bit in amazement and then continued running.
Finally, after completing the quest, another popped up, saying: "Sacrifice your soul by touching the head of the skull to finish the quest." I hesitated for a moment, slowly stepping back.
"Why would I do that?" I asked, feeling uneasy and uncertain about this dangerous quest chain.
"What if..." I hesitated for a moment before finally touching the skull. The bones felt cold to the touch and a shiver ran down my spine. But then, the quest system announced, "Congratulations! You completed a quest chain, You will be given 100 EXP for completion."
I was relieved that it was over, but at the same time, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. Suddenly, I felt a wave of sickness wash over me, and I started to see strange figures appearing around me. "What... is going... on...!?" I gasped in pain, struggling to remain upright as the pain intensified. It felt like my body was being torn apart and reassembled in a different way.
As the agony subsided, I could feel a strange energy coursing through my veins, and my senses sharpened. I felt more alive than ever before, and my body felt light and agile. The rush of adrenaline was so intense that I didn't even realize the monsters were closing in on me until I heard the voice. "Aim and Fire."
I followed the voice's orders without hesitation, and a massive skull materialized in front of me. I charged up its beam and fired at the monsters, obliterating them in a single shot. The power was incredible, but as soon as it was over, the skull vanished, leaving me bewildered and exhausted.
"What... just happened?" I gasped, collapsing to the ground as my body trembled with aftershocks of energy. I struggled to catch my breath and process what had just transpired.
A few hours passed, and when I finally woke up, I found myself in a sterile hospital room. My little sister was fast asleep on the sofa beside me, and I couldn't help but feel guilty for making her worry.
Suddenly, a man in a suit walked into the room, his expression serious. "Who are you?" I asked, feeling a sense of unease.
"I'm the one who found you in the labyrinth," he replied curtly. "You were lucky I came when I did."
I couldn't help but feel grateful for his help, but at the same time, his words made me wonder just how close I had come to danger. "Thank you for saving me," I said softly.
The man nodded, but his face remained stern. "No need to thank me. But there are some questions you need to answer." The seriousness in his voice sent a shiver down my spine.
"What were you doing inside the C-rank gates?" the man in the suit asked, his voice carrying a hint of suspicion.
Satori's heart raced as he tried to come up with a convincing answer. "I knew it! He's straightforward already!?" he thought to himself, feeling the pressure of the man's gaze on him.
"Well, I was doing a quest that involves C-rank gates, so..." he said, hoping his response would be enough to satisfy the man's curiosity.
But the man wasn't satisfied. "Huh? But aren't you level 15?" he asked, his tone skeptical. Satori couldn't help but feel frustrated. "Ack, I know I'm level 15 but I received a quest okay?!" he said, his voice rising slightly.
The man's expression remained unchanged. "...Hmmm... Well, let's say you had a quest on C-Rank gates... what were you doing inside the labyrinth?" he pressed.
Satori's mind raced as he tried to come up with a convincing answer. "Huh? Completing the quest," he said, hoping his voice sounded confident enough.
"Is doing a ritual one of your quests...?" he asked, his voice sharp with suspicion. Satori's eyes widened in shock. "No..!?" he said, his voice rising in disbelief.
The man looked at him and sighs. "Sorry for doubting you, But do remind yourself... This is not a game... You die, means your gone for good." He leaves, leaving Satori feeling a mix of relief and confusion.
After he leaves, his little sister wakes up and immediately hugs him. "Brother! Brother! I was so worried!" She cries in his chest, her relief and love for him palpable.
"I'm sorry, I won't do it again..." He smiles as he pats her back, feeling grateful for her
"Where's mom?" He asked. "She's currently on the way here but I'll have to tell her that it's all good now." She lets go of him and takes out her phone.
"Is that so..." Satori looks out from the window, still processing everything that happened. Then he sees a figure standing on the edge of the rooftop. "!?" He immediately leaves his room. "Brother?! Where are you going!?" His little sister tries to follow him, but his agility as a player is too fast, and already disappeared from the corridors.
Satori kicks down the rooftop door and notices the figure. "Wait!" he shouts, The person turns around to face him. "Who are you?" they ask.
"What are you doing...!?"
Hm? Ahhh, I was just looking for the person who was responsible for the labyrinth quest. I believe his name was Satori Kikuchi," she says, eyeing him up and down.
"T-That's me."
"Oh, so you were the player that is responsible for the labyrinth quest? How are you feeling?" she asks, her tone curious and almost playful.
"I feel very tired," Satori replies, his eyes still fixed on her suspiciously. "Don't stare at me like that. Let's get to know each other," she adds, hoping to diffuse the tension in the air.
"Huh?"
She slowly walks toward him, her gaze unwavering. "Call me Laplace," she says, a small smile playing on her lips. "I may look small to you, but I'm stronger than you."
Satori's heart skips a beat at her words, and he instinctively takes a step back. "Huh?"
"For example, if you haven't checked your inventory, you just received a 'Devil's Stopwatch'--the item that can be worn as a necklace, the item that gives you the power to stop time," Laplace says, tossing her hair over her shoulder.
Satori swipes the air, and the system inventory appears. "You're right... The Devil's stopwatch is in my inventory," he says, almost in disbelief.
"Ah, so I was right... Then here you go," Laplace says, tossing a blade with a sheath at him. "What's this?" he asks, confused.
"It's an Astral Bone Knives. Here, let me show you how it works, but don't move, okay?~" Laplace says, her voice sweet and almost sing-songy.
The girl looks at him with a smile then raises her left arm, and the blue knives shoot out from the ground, thrusting into Satori's body. He gasps in pain and shock, but she warns him not to move. "You're not allowed to move since... if you move, you'll die."
"Then can you please take these knives off of my body? I don't feel comfortable," Satori pleads, his voice trembling.
She lowers her right arm, making the knives retract back into the ground. "But it doesn't hurt, right?" Laplace asks, her voice teasing.
"Yeah, it doesn't, but... why are you helping me?" Satori asks, feeling a mix of confusion and gratitude.
"Fufufu~ because you're an interesting person~ I mean, why would a person sacrifice their own soul just to get powers~ I mean, you've got guts, I'll say that, but... this isn't just a game for us. You have exceeded my expectations. Now, let me get to the real point," Laplace says, turning around to face the other direction.
"Satori Kikuchi, I want you to work for me permanently,"
"What's the catch?" Satori asks, his voice guarded.
"Nothing. I'll make sure you get stronger, though," Laplace says, her tone reassuring.
"Isn't it obvious? I want to duel with you as a player." Satori replies, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Then...If I win you'll work for me, okay?~ " Laplace swipes the air and clicks the duel system, inviting Satori with a smirk on her lips. "That's a good deal."
Satori receives a mail message about the duel system and takes a deep breath before pressing "yes". In an instant, the battle has already ended within a second. Satori doesn't even have time to react before he feels a sharp pain in his stomach. "How did she do that?" he wonders, feeling a mixture of shock and awe.
"I win~" Laplace smugs at him as she removes the katana from his stomach. Once the duel system finishes, everything goes back to normal as Satori no longer feels the pain.
"Now then, Let's get to work, Satori. Your first assignment is to get to level 30. Once you've done that, go report to me at once." Laplace commands, her voice leaving no room for argument.
"Alright... I'll do that tomorrow."
"That's good, now go now before people catches us flirting in the rooftop."
"Oh, please shut up." He leaves the rooftop leaving Laplace alone. She then smiles as she observes the people on the ground. "A player with 1 ATK and 1 DEF, Interesting~"