"Madame Vex, I come to offer you a deal that will change the fate of Beasts forever. Both in the Kingdom and throughout the Razzar continent."
Madame Vex's eyes widened, betraying her normally composed exterior. She leaned forward, her fox ears twitching with interest and allowing her eyes to roam Enzo's calm and imposing dragon form.
Inwardly, however, Enzo's gut was clenched as he hoped she wouldn't recognize him as a Dragon. 'If she knows I'm a dragon, it won't help my plans.'
He had taken a calculated risk, one he could afford to get away with, only because the Razzar continent was closed off from the rest of the multiverse.
Once Update 2.0 rolled around, any trace of a dragon inside the Razzar continent would have to be wiped clean. Or the consequences would be catastrophic.
Luckily, his worries were unfounded.
"Your race isn't something I'm familiar with, I'm afraid." Madam Vex pursed her lips. "But I can see that you are no normal Beast."
She hesitated a moment longer before shrugging her shoulders. "Very well. Tell me what you came here to ask of me."
Enzo settled his massive form more comfortably in the room, careful not to damage any priceless artifacts surrounding them. "It's about the Crown Prince," he began, his voice a low rumble. "I have reason to believe he's planning something against Princess Kayla. And I-"
"The Crown Prince? The bastard Matros?" Madame Vex's eyes turned into catlike vertical slits. "What do you know about the Beast snatcher and my niece?"
'Beast snatcher? Niece?' Enzo's mind raced a thousand miles a minute, trying to recall certain details from his previous life, when something clicked.
'The uncompletable quest!' The pieces of a puzzle that had been scrambled suddenly fell into place. 'Of course! No wonder Princess Kayla went missing!'
A slight smile appeared on Enzo's draconic lips. "Madame Vex, it seems I wasn't fully informed, but that has changed."
"You see," Enzo explained, "I was recently born here through the integration."
"Ah, yes. That should have started recently," Madame Vex's eyes scanned Enzo. Yet, it seems the wheel of rebirth favored you…" Realization dawned on her face, and her eyes grew wide. "You knew the universal greeting! You're a descendant of the clans!"
Enzo's mind went blank, and his stoic expression broke into one of bewilderment. 'I'm no descendant of the clans," he scoffed, "not me!" His mind raced, 'Sure, I joined the Dragon Clan when Port shoved all that creation energy into me, but that doesn't mean I'm a descendant. Right?'
Seeing the confusion on Enzo's face, Madame Vex smiled. "You might not know this, but there are special inhabitants of your world, Earth. Those with special favor are descendants of the five great factions."
Enzo strained his memory to remember if he'd heard of these great five factions, but he couldn't recall anything.
"I believe you're mistaken, Madame Vex. I am no descendent."
A small smile pursed Madame Vex's lips. "That's exactly what a descendent would say."
Just as Enzo was going to deny her assertion further, Madame Vex waved her clawed hand. "No matter. Nothing will change either way, continue your story."
So Enzo did. He told her about his chance meeting with Princess Kayla, his quest, his suspicions about the Prince, pointing out how the Prince used mind control on the Princess.
The only thing he kept out of his story was his Dragon race, Port, and his rebirth. Those secrets weren't the kind you shared with someone you had just met.
"Hm." Madame Vex hummed softly, raising the glass to sip her tea while she contemplated.
After a moment, Madame Vex set her teacup down, her eyes focused intently on Enzo. "I know you came here with a proposition for me, and I can take a venture at what it is."
She leaned back, her tail swishing thoughtfully. "But I have a different proposal, one which I think will suit us both."
Enzo's brows lifted, signaling his interest.
"The Beast Snatcher," Madame Vex continued, "has been a thorn in the sides of the Monster Elitists for years. Many Beasts have gone missing over the years, only to reappear as his or his ally's seemingly loyal servants. We suspect some form of powerful mind control, but we've never been able to prove it."
She paused, her expression darkening. "As for my niece, Princess Kayla, she's been a target of his schemes for years. I've tried to protect that poor girl, but my influence only goes so far in the human court."
Enzo nodded, pieces falling into place. But one piece wasn't falling into place.
Princess Kayla.
"What does Princess Kayla have to do with all of this? And you called her your niece, I can't help but notice that you're not human."
Madame Vex's eyes glinted, a genuine smile now cresting her lips. "You'd be right in that. But who told you Kayla was entirely human either?"
Enzo's mouth fell open. "She's a-"
Madame Vex nodded. "Kayla is a half-breed. The only one in the Razzar continent as far as we know."
Enzo sunk deep into thought. 'That's why she was able to form a contract with me so easily. Not even a Tier-5 Beast Master should have the soul power to attempt a contract with a Void Dragon. How did I never consider that?'
"Okay, what is your suggestion?" Enzo asked.
He would be jumping for joy right now if he had still been in his previous life. This dialogue was exactly what he needed if he wanted a-
[New Quest!]
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Quest: Protect The Princess! (2)
Details: You have become a tamed beast of Kayla Alveron, a Princess of the Alveron Kingdom. Protecting your link to the human world is in your best interest as a tamed beast. You have discovered a sinister plot that threatens every Beast in the Alveron Kingdom. It is your duty as the Princess Beast to squash the traitor!
Reward:
+ 1,000,000 EXP
+ 10 Platinum
+ 10,000 Reputation points with the Monster Elitists
- 2,000 Reputation points with the Alveron Kingdom
Punishment For Failure:
- 10,000 Reputation points with the Alveron Kingdom
- 250 Reputation points with the Monster Elitists
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"Should you accept, young warrior, your task will be to take down Prince Matos and his followers."
Enzo looked at the quest with hope-filled eyes. '10,000 reputation points is almost max level! I'll practically be their leader if I complete this quest. Plus, I'll be the kingdom's savior in the eyes of Alveron.'
But although his eyes were filled with hope, his heart was as cold as ice. He turned his gaze on Madame Vex. "This quest is nice and all, but what makes you think a little Tier-1 Dra-" Enzo caught himself, "Beast can defeat Prince Matos, who is at least in Tier-3?"
Enzo wanted the rewards, and he knew that if he didn't accept the quest, his golden goose would be gone, but the downsides were too great for almost no chance of survival.
Madame Vex nodded slowly, a smile still fixed on her face. "That would normally be true, but I happen to know exactly how you can defeat him."
Enzo looked at Madame Vex with an incredulous stare. "Oh yeah? How?"
"The Tournament of the Searing Flames."
Enzo's mouth hung open and stayed that way for a very long time.