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Chapter 17 - Rewards and hidden dangers

Staring at the gargoyle's lifeless body with pride, Marc reminisced about the battle. The only way to describe it from his point of view was glorious—just glorious.

He set to work harvesting the gargoyle's teeth, claws, poison sacs, and anything else of value from its body. He stored these items inside his storage ring, a handy tool he had bought a few months ago that greatly improved his hunting efficiency.

Marc informed the mayor about the completion of the quest, hoping to put the townsfolk's minds at ease; he also mentioned his arrival time since he knew they would treat him well.

To his disappointment, the VIP treatment ended as soon as the danger was gone. He didn't hold a grudge against them, as he could pay for his stay, but he was annoyed. Putting his life on the line for their sake only to be treated like this frustrated him, so he just ate his food to calm his anger.

Afterward, Marc returned to the association. There, he approached the receptionist he was familiar with, Lily. She greeted him with a warm smile and asked how his journey went.

Irritated by his earlier experience with the townspeople, Marc recounted what had happened.

Lily stared at him before bursting out laughing, like a dam that had broken. She apologized, but each time she tried to compose herself, the laugh would come back. Marc's annoyance grew, and he even threatened to go to another receptionist.

Finally, she managed to regain her professionalism and asked for proof of completion and the materials he wished to sell.

Marc handed her the gargoyle's byproducts, which she placed on a tray and moved to the sorting room.

Lily then asked Marc how his application to Silvercreek Academy was progressing. He replied that he was waiting for a response letter. Silvercreek was the best academy for those looking to grow their strength and secure any job in the imperial palace, from grand mage to accountant or advisor.

Lily was still impressed, noting that not many people were able to write an admission letter to Silvercreek unless they had sufficient skills. Therefore, having his letter accepted was a matter of pride.

Marc had only one month before the admission exam took place, and he felt confident he could rank in the top two. He didn't know about Leigard's progress, so he tried not to get his hopes too high.

Unbeknownst to him, Leigard was training harder than ever. Unlike Marc, Leigard wasn't following the script of the game precisely. With real emotions that marked him as more than just programming, he had felt the fear of battling the demon king. To avoid that feeling again, he pushed himself to train more vigorously than ever before.

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Somewhere in an abandoned castle, two cloaked men knelt before a mysterious figure seated on a throne.

"We greet you, our heavenly cult leader," they said in unison, expressing their reverence.

The mysterious figure gestured for them to continue. One of the cloaked men stepped forward to discuss their plans for infiltrating Silvercreek.

"Cult leader, we managed to sneak some of the young cultists inside," he began—but he hesitated.

"Go on," the cult leader beckoned.

The man struggled to finish his thought, but he abruptly could not because his head was no longer attached to his body.

The other cloaked figure bowed deeply, asking for forgiveness on behalf of his deceased companion and himself. He dared to glance at the cult leader, only to find him giving a chilling stare. The cloaked man felt fear overcome him.

"Well, no one should ever question my decisions again," the cult leader proclaimed, grinning maniacally.

"Yes, cult leader," the man replied.

Suddenly, with a swift motion, the cloaked figure vanished from the throne room.