"Save him? What are you really talking about?" Finn questioned, examining the items before him one last time.
"Don't worry, just help me sell these," Jett replied, pointing to the beast cores and other items scattered on the floor.
"Why me? He's standing next to you, so why don't you do it?" Finn felt annoyed as he gestured towards the shopkeeper.
"Yeah, but it's safer if you do it," Jett assured him, earnest.
"What the heck? You know about my skill, don't you?" Finn's gaze bore into Jett with contempt. "I don't know how, but you do," he accused, now facing the shopkeeper while Jett offered a sheepish smile in return.
"I want to sell everything. What's it worth?" Finn inquired, his suspicions growing stronger by the moment.
"500 gold coins," the shopkeeper replied calmly, prompting Finn to shoot a questioning glance at Jett.
"You mind telling me how you got 500 gold worth of items and beast cores?" Finn demanded, suspicion etched in his tone. But Jett merely shrugged, avoiding eye contact.
Sighing, Finn activated his skill. "How much?"
"How about I take it off your hands for 650 gold coins?" the shopkeeper suggested again, his confusion evident.
"You've got yourself a deal," Finn agreed, using the storage pouch provided by Jett to collect everything and hand it over to the shopkeeper. In return, he received a bag of gold coins. "Can't believe I just made back my 500 gold coins," he muttered.
"Who says it's yours?" Jett interjected, his smirk widening.
"You crook! You used me to buy your stuff, so I need compensation," Finn argued, frustration evident in his voice.
"Majority of what you paid for was for the items you picked. As for mine, just think of it as payment for bringing you here," Jett explained with a smile. "I was originally going to use the money from selling my loot to cover my expenses, so I guess luck was on my side," he added, nodding to himself.
"You're totally ripping me off," Finn grumbled, feeling duped.
"It's just business, my good man, something your family should know better than anyone," Jett retorted, swiftly swiping the bag of gold from Finn's grasp.
"Did you steal them? I find it impossible to believe you got those items yourself," Finn pressed, unwilling to let the matter rest.
"Too many questions. Can we please focus on our main objective here?" Jett attempted to divert the conversation.
"Freeing the old man? What are you even going on about?" Finn's skepticism grew, wary of falling for any further schemes.
Jett turned to the silent shopkeeper and dropped ten coins on the counter. "I want your quest."
The shopkeeper's expression shifted, a crafty smile playing on his lips. "Are you sure, child? This is your last chance to turn back," he warned, his tone tinged with foreboding.
Jett remained composed, his gaze steady as he accepted the challenge. "Yes," he confirmed, glancing back at Finn. "You don't have to do anything, though."
Before them appeared three keys: gold, silver, and bronze, alongside two doors—one silver, one bronze. A system prompt materialized before Jett and Finn, heralding the beginning of their next adventure.
[Hidden Quest Activated]
[CURSED SHOP]
[Brief: This old man was bound by a force contract to operate this shop for eternity, with no means of escape. You now hold the keys to unlock the doors that contain the spells necessary to break his curse and liberate him from this CURSED SHOP. Your reward awaits you.]
[Time Limit: 4 Days]
[Reward: 1 Rune Stone, 20 Gold, 2 Heart Rings, 1 Blessing of Light]
[Failure: CURSED SHOP]
[Completion Rate 0.0%]
"Why did I get a quest? You're the one who paid for it," Finn exclaimed, his astonishment evident in his tone. "I'm leaving," he declared, attempting to sprint towards the entrance they came from, only to find himself blocked by an invisible barrier. "We're stuck! What did you do?" he yelled, frustration bubbling to the surface as he paced around the shop.
"Calm down. I had no idea you would get the quest too," Jett sighed, trying to diffuse the situation. "Let's just go. We only have 2 days to complete the quest."
"Cursed shop? What's that?" Finn asked, a sense of unease creeping over him as he glanced at the notification once more.
"It means we'll be stuck here forever if we don't beat the quest," Jett explained nonchalantly, a goofy smile playing on his lips.
"How are you so calm?" Finn's irritation grew, his patience wearing thin. "You know something, don't you?"
"Are you coming or not?" Jett interrupted, already using the bronze key to open the bronze door and stepping inside. "My first quest. Here we go," he declared, his excitement palpable as he disappeared into the darkness beyond.
Finn sighed, muttering something under his breath before reluctantly following Jett through the doorway. "Darn it, Jett," he muttered to himself, bracing himself for whatever challenges lay ahead.
*****
They stepped into a breathtaking scenery, greeted by endless grasslands swaying gently in the cool breeze. A myriad of vibrant flowers dotted the landscape, painting it with a kaleidoscope of colors that danced in the sunlight.
"It's even more beautiful than the book describes it," Jett marveled, his eyes wide with wonder. "Are you seeing this?" he asked, turning to Finn with excitement.
"Let's just get this over with," Finn replied, his restless demeanor betraying his calmness.
[Quest Objective: Find the firefly elements.]
[Reward: Sacred Ring Option]
"Alright, now let's rest a bit," Jett declared, flopping down onto the soft grass in an attempt to sleep.
"What are you doing?" Finn asked, confusion evident in his tone. "We have a time limit, or have you forgotten?" he pointed to the translucent screen hovering around them.
"You do realize you can make that go away, right?" Jett gestured, indicating that his screen wasn't present. "It'll only confuse you and mess with your sense of reasoning."
"Oh my god, do you even have a plan?" Finn's frustration threatened to boil over.
"Calm down, I do have a plan," Jett assured him with a smile, pointing to the sky. "I plan to finish this quest in less than a day. You just have to trust me."
"You're delusional. I'm going to look for those darn fireflies," Finn retorted, stomping away with heavy steps.
"Fireflies, not butterflies, but good luck," Jett called out mockingly as Finn ventured off into the grasslands.
Finn spent the entire day scouring the landscape for any sign of the elusive firefly elements. He searched tirelessly, traversing the vast expanse with determination. Finally, as dusk approached, he stumbled upon a massive pitch-black cave.
"Creepy, right?" Jett whispered into Finn's ear, causing him
to let out a startled scream.
"Ahhhhh!" Finn yelled in shock, his heart racing as Jett burst into laughter. But Finn's amusement quickly turned to annoyance. "You scared me nearly to death! Hold on..." He paused, looking around. "When did you start following me? How did I not notice you?" he demanded, seeking an explanation from Jett.
"Oh? The whole time, your perception's probably lower than mine since you were slacking off instead of training dummy." Jett answers as he flicks his finger on Finn's head.
"I deserve than." Finn was half crying.
Jett walks towards the cave "I'm going inside, you coming?" looks at Finn while smiling.
"It's literally pitch black in there, unless you have some kind of way to make it more visible." Finn explains.
"Of course I do." Jett replies still walking towards the cave while Finn follows from behind. 'I was able combine my a light skill I got from killing a rare slime with my Tactical Mirage, I think I've upgraded that skill a lot now it has too many attributes' he thins to himself, 'All that grinding in the forest will finally pay off.'
"Now would be a good time to do something." Finn points at the blackness they're about to enter.
"Right. You wanted to know how I got that many beast cores, pay attention from this point on."
[Tactical Mirage] Jett activates his skill as they disappear into the darkness.
*
*
*
Anticipating chapter 17