"Humph. At least you know your place and don't talk back. So why did you come here?" Drusilla asked, seemingly in the mood to discuss the quest.
"I am here to help with the encyclopedia. I have accepted the quest and came here to inform you about it," Saad responded carefully, and it seemed to put Drusilla in a better mood. She nodded and asked, "What else?"
"That's all," Saad replied, but it was evident that he forgot something important. "I need your Encyclopedia for it," he quickly added, remembering the requirement.
"O-Of course I know that! Since I issued the request! But you almost forgot it! didn't you! I wonder if its a good choice to even give this quest to you!" Drusilla's response was defensive, but it was clear she had forgotten about the requirement. She handed him the thick book, and Saad was thankful for the inventory option, which made the book vanish from his hand and store it in his inventory.
"I will get going then," he informed Drusilla, who just puffed her cheeks and returned to work. Despite continuously encountering troublesome NPCs, Saad had the book in his possession, completing the first step of the quest. He left Drusilla's shop and set the abandoned herb garden as his marked position before starting his journey there.
Now that he had time, he asked for the quest window to open and pressed his finger on the Hesperia flower.
[Hesperia Flower]
It is a commonly found flower in Seraphia. The flower is star shaped.
HP +1
Seeing as it was commonly found resource, Saad thought of gathering as much if he could find it in the herb garden. Health potions were never a bad thing to have. As he was thinking that, he arrived at the sight which made his stomach churn. The place really was abandoned. Now he was wondering if he could even find the ten herbs required for his quest here or not.
Saad struggled to push the door open, and it creaked before opening a little. He couldn't fit through the gap, so he wrestled with the door. "Why is this so unnecessarily hard?!" he groaned in frustration.
"Hey! Why are you shamelessly trespassing on private property! Young people these days have no respect!" scolded an old woman whose overall appearance screamed "witch." She wore a pointy hat and a puffy black dress with hints of purple peeking from underneath. Holding a wooden staff for support, her hair was tightly tied into a bun. Above her head, her name was written, 'Mysterious Old Lady?' he thought to himself.
Quickly, Saad explained, "I apologize! I had no idea the owner was around. I heard this place was abandoned, so I came to search for herbs."
The old woman frowned and sighed heavily, "So you are not a completely senseless brat." She walked closer to the door of the abandoned herb garden. "It got ruined two years ago when the shadow diggers attacked. The soil became completely infertile, and even though I tried many ways, it just isn't working." She sighed, seemingly lost in her thoughts.
But Saad's mind was focused on something else. Her words sounded like she needed help, and to him, that was a clear sign of a quest! He couldn't resist the call of an adventure.
"Can I help you with anything?" he asked, and the old woman's eyes lit up. However, her excitement quickly faded, and she sighed once more, "I don't have much money to pay you. If I did, I would have issued a quest."
Saad's gut feeling told him not to worry about the monetary reward for now. He had a strong feeling that he might receive an unexpected reward, as if fate itself was guiding him. So, he replied, "It's alright! I still want to help you. Monetary benefits are not important. We should all help each other."
As if acknowledging his kindness, [Your familiarity with the Ashen Witch has increased] flashed multiple times in his vision, and he was now acquainted with the Ashen Witch. As expected, her name actually was Ashen Witch. The name made him feel like she wasn't an ordinary NPC. Perhaps, it was really pure luck to stumble upon her.
"Hohoho. You have been raised well, child. Good, good. Then help me remove all of the snow here, and then we will do the next thing. Here is the key. Don't try to force open the door next time. Once you are done, call me," the old woman said, looking gleeful.
[You have acquired the old garden key.]
[The Abandoned Garden]
The mysterious old lady, who is the owner of the abandoned garden, wants to see it return to its former glory.
Quest details:
[Remove snow piles]: 0/20
Difficulty: D
Reward:
Familiarity with Ashen Witch +10
Experience points +20
Even though she claimed to have nothing to give, Saad took a deep breath and accepted the quest. He used the key to open the door, which now opened easily.
Saad looked around the ruined garden and found an old, almost destroyed shed that held garden supplies. He discovered an old shovel inside and got to work, filling up the wheelbarrow and then taking it outside. It was exhausting! Doing things with his own hands was not as fun, even in a game. But he had no other choice.
Using the shovel three times decreased his stamina by one point, and removing one pile of snow required using the shovel five times, followed by moving the wheelbarrow to take the snow out and dump it. So, in total, it took three stamina points to remove one pile, which took around ten minutes. Unfortunately, his stamina was only a measly 4, and one stamina point recovered every five minutes. It meant that it took him almost half an hour to remove one pile.
After four hours of work, he had only removed eight piles and started on his ninth one. He felt like giving up on the quest. At this rate, it would take him almost the entire day. However, just when he was about to lose hope, the game decided to be benevolent.
[Your stamina has increased by 1]
The message surprised him. He knew that stats could be increased through hard work and training, but he had thought it was only possible through martial arts training. Now, it seemed that any task that pushed his body counted as physical training. Removing ten piles increased his stamina by 1. Would that mean that if he removed the remaining snow piles, his stamina would increase again?
Excitedly, he continued to work, but this time, there was no message indicating another increase in stamina. It seemed that perhaps every time he got a free stat point, the requirements for the next one became harder. The sun had set by the time he knocked on the door, and the old woman opened it with surprise.
"Hoho! You took so long that I was sure that you had left. But you are here. Come inside," she said gleefully, and Saad followed her into the house.
[You have completed the quest The Abandoned Garden.]
Your familiarity with Ashen Witch has increased by 10.
+20 Experience points
Finally, he had completed his first quest. Saad wondered when he should return the key, but before that could happen, the old woman ushered him to come and sit by the fireplace as she handed him warm soup. He settled down on the nearby chair, grateful for the gesture.
The interior of the old woman's house was cozy and filled with various magical trinkets and herbs hanging from the walls. The crackling sound of the fire added to the warmth of the room, and the scent of herbs filled the air, creating a soothing atmosphere.
"You did well, young one," the old woman said with a smile as she sat down in her own chair, her staff resting beside her. "It's been a while since I had any help with the garden. The shadow diggers really did a number on it, but you've brought some life back into it today."
Saad nodded, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Helping someone in the game felt strangely rewarding, even though he knew the old woman was just an NPC. But Alf's advice about treating NPCs like real people had stuck with him, and he couldn't help but feel a connection to the virtual world around him.
"I'm glad I could be of assistance," Saad replied, sipping the warm soup. It tasted surprisingly real, and he marveled at the level of detail in the game's design.
[You have tasted the grandma's special Moonflower Soup.]
[You feel invigorated. Your stamina has temporarily increased by 3]
[You feel your feet becoming light. Your agility has temporarily increased by 3]
Saad was taken aback by the benefits of the soup. The old woman chuckled as she saw the surprised expression on Saad's face. "Moonflower Soup is an ancient recipe, passed down through generations," she said, her eyes twinkling with nostalgia. "It has healing properties and can restore your stamina and vitality."