Can't trigger the quest?
Sebastian surveyed the group of people before ultimately resting his gaze on the crying child.
As he approached, the crowd instinctively parted to form a path.
"Little one, are you lost?" Sebastian asked, bending down to the child's level.
Whimpering continued, the child was inconsolable, unable to communicate.
"Give it up, we've tried everything possible," Jason chimed in from the side.
Mia then gracefully approached Sebastian and introduced herself, "Hello, my name is Mia, the captain of the North Wind Team."
North Wind Team?
Sebastian looked up at the beautiful woman who stood before him.
In the [Original Realm], players formed teams to better accomplish quests.
These teams varied greatly, with hundreds of them existing just in Darkstone alone, ranging in size but never exceeding a hundred members.
The five-person team before him was actually on the smaller side.
Yet, the name "North Wind" had reached Sebastian's ears before, reputed for its stunning level 16 beauty of a captain and a team consisting solely of players above level 15, a force to be reckoned with. Seeing them today confirmed the rumors.
Standing up, Sebastian nodded and introduced himself simply, "Sebastian."
In the gaming world, it was uncommon for individuals to share their real names, opting instead for their gaming IDs.
However, given Mia's open and forthright introduction, Sebastian chose to reciprocate honestly.
After all, his real-world persona was just an average individual; sharing his real name held no consequences.
Mia studied the somewhat handsome man standing before her and said softly, "It seems this quest can't be triggered."
Sebastian didn't respond but fell into deep contemplation.
According to the intelligence he had, this child should be the lost one mentioned.
The intel specified that a reward awaited anyone who could bring the child to the village chief.
Didn't that imply that the quest would be complete if, by any means, the child was brought to the village chief?
With that thought, a flash sparked in Sebastian's eyes.
He stowed Breeze into his backpack and, without a word, strode towards the child and lifted him into his arms.
The child in his embrace continued to weep incessantly, as if it was a fixture of his programming.
This action left the members of the North Wind Team with bewildered expressions, with Mia in particular casting a curious, twinkling gaze towards Sebastian, as everyone wondered, "What is he planning?"
"I have something else to take care of, I'll take my leave now," Sebastian said to the group, proceeding to carry the child away, heading towards the outskirts of the forest.
The group paused, stunned.
He's just leaving, just like that?
They couldn't fathom why he would decisively take the child with him when the quest seemed untriggerable. Where was he planning to take the child to?
"Captain, what is he..." Jason asked, his face riddled with question marks.
A sly smile crossed Mia's face as she said, "Why didn't I think of that?"
In her eyes, Sebastian was acting out of a need to protect the child from potential danger, planning to remove him from this location first before pondering the next steps.
It was well known that, in random events, game NPCs would generally stay in a fixed area, waiting for players to trigger something, unwilling to leave easily.
Thus, no one thought to simply take the child elsewhere.
Yet, now, it seemed that the move might indeed be feasible.
As they observed, there were no adverse consequences as the child was taken out of the initial area.
"Let's follow him," Mia ordered, curious to find out where this man named Sebastian intended to take the child.
Meanwhile, Sebastian carried the weeping child, steadily making his way out of the dense jungle.
Along the way, they caught the attention of other players.
"Isn't that the kid from the forest?"
"Wasn't it said that he could trigger a special event? How come he is being taken away?"
"Damn, that guy is quite bold, why didn't I think of this?"
"Shoot, I was planning to try my luck there."
"Forget it, so many people couldn't trigger the quest; I guess that guy is just giving it a shot in desperation."
…
Along the way, many players watched Sebastian, their discussions abuzz with speculation.
Despite the clamor, Sebastian seemed blissfully unaware, only feeling slightly bothered by the noisy child in his arms, contemplating whether to knock him unconscious to spare himself the trouble.
Yet, he hesitated, fearing it might sour the village chief's impression of him.
Regardless, he carried the "human siren" along the path to the village.
As they approached the village, the number of players increased and Sebastian, cradling the crying child, naturally became the center of attention, spawning debates and discussions about his intentions.
"Look, isn't that the North Wind Team?"
"What are they following that player for?"
"Could it be some special quest?"
"Is that guy just extremely lucky?"
…
The sight of Mia and her team further ignited the curiosity of the bystanders, who began to follow en masse, eager to discover Sebastian's endgame.
Darkstone was vast, and the village chief's house was situated at the village center.
There stood a gigantic human-shaped statue emitting a faint glow.
Surrounding the statue was a pool, known as the Spring of Life.
Anyone nearing it would steadily recover HP, marking it a distinctive structure in the newbie village.
Beyond the statue was a small courtyard, encircled by brick and stone with only a small door serving as its entrance.
Until now, apart from seeing the village chief's portrait when initially choosing the newbie village, no player had ever glimpsed the true face of the village chief.
The small door to the courtyard had always remained closed.
"Is he intending to meet the village chief?" Mia wondered as she trailed behind, her mind swirling with doubts.
Initially, she assumed that Sebastian planned to take the child to his dwelling before continuing his exploration.
Yet, witnessing his direct path towards the village chief's residence, it seemed like he might be harboring some undisclosed knowledge.
Upon reaching the courtyard's small entrance, Sebastian barely had time to stand before the door suddenly swung open.
Out came an elderly man with a kind face adorned with wrinkles, laughing heartily as he exclaimed, "Haha, look, the Smith family's grandson has indeed been found!"
The moment the village chief appeared, the child abruptly ceased crying, his large eyes curiously scanning the elder figure.
"Holy shit, is that the village chief?"
"I've been here for so long and this is the first time I've seen the village chief make an appearance."
"It must be because of the child, that guy definitely triggered a special event."
"To engage an event that drew out the village chief, this guy is insanely lucky."
...
The sudden appearance of the village chief stirred a wave of astonishment amongst the onlooking players.
They had wandered around this village for quite a long time, never having seen the village chief in person.
Yet today, they were witnessing the legendary village chief, a sight previously consigned to myth.
As players, they were vividly aware of the extraordinary implications this held, a recognition mirrored in the shocked expressions of Mia and her team members.
Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that the child could possibly be connected to the village chief in such a manner.