Chapter 104: Morning Star's Extra Rewards
"What are you doing?!"
Morning Star quickly transformed back into her cat form, leaping into the air. She turned, glaring at Su Yu with annoyance.
"Huh? Didn't you say you wanted to take me in?" Su Yu feigned confusion.
Morning Star could shapeshift into a dragon and an elk, which made it clear she was a Druid. When Druids transform into deer, a "riding" feature becomes available to carry teammates.
Seeing Morning Star turn into a deer, Su Yu had assumed she intended to give him a lift. He hadn't expected that this was not at all what she meant.
Morning Star's frustration was palpable; she glared with a mix of anger and disbelief. She looked ready to incinerate him with a dragon's breath. "I meant for you to follow behind me, not to ride me!"
As a noble and dignified Astral Cat, Morning Star prided herself on her independence—she had never allowed anyone to ride her, not even Queen Alizee. That this human dared to assume otherwise was outrageous!
"Apologies!" Su Yu quickly replied, contrite. "It was an honest mistake—just instinct! To make it up to you… How about I bring you some fish snacks next time I'm in Oran City?"
"Fish snacks? Make it fresh sea fish!" Morning Star demanded, still indignant.
"Consider it done."
"At least a hundred pounds!"
"I'll bring you five hundred."
"Hmph! Now you're talking sense."
Reluctantly mollified, Morning Star gave a disdainful sniff. But her warning was unmistakable. "Don't ever try that again! If you get too close, I'll roast you like that vampire I dealt with earlier. Understand?"
"Understood, no more misunderstandings," Su Yu promised quickly.
Satisfied with his apology, Morning Star flicked her tail and soared toward the manor.
Once she was out of earshot, Su Yu sighed in relief and hurried after her.
---
While flying, however, Morning Star found herself recalling the odd sensation from a moment ago, when Su Yu's strong legs had wrapped around her back. It was strange, and hard to describe—a feeling that left a flicker of warmth in her chest.
"Ding! [Astral Cat Morning Star] has +5 favorability towards you. Her favorability has risen to 'cold.'"
Su Yu raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" She'd been furious at him seconds earlier; how had her favorability suddenly increased?
"Must be the 500 pounds of fish," he mused.
---
In the princess's residence hall, Princess Alize sat at the main seat, listening with interest as Su Yu recounted his journey. She then took a moment to read the letter that Colin Filler had entrusted to Su Yu.
When Morning Star arrived, she disappeared somewhere, leaving Su Yu and Alize to talk uninterrupted.
Upon finishing Su Yu's story, the princess sighed, "If what Colin Filler reports is true, he may no longer be with us. His sacrifice means we have lost another valuable contact."
"My sympathies, Your Highness."
"Thank you," the princess replied, gazing out the window in quiet contemplation.
After a pause, she looked back at Su Yu, her expression softening. "I'm grateful for your dedication in delivering this message. The information Colin Filler provided will be invaluable to our cause."
Then she turned to the nearby attendant. "Kelderon, please bring the reward."
"With pleasure, Your Highness."
Kelderon stepped forward with a silver tray, setting it in front of Su Yu. On the tray lay a bottle of golden-orange potion and a scroll imbued with strong spatial energy.
The princess smiled gently. "This potion is your reward. And since you were nearly ambushed by a vampire, Morning Star also insisted you receive this scroll as an added precaution. Use it if you face a powerful adversary in the future—it could save your life."
"Ding! Congratulations on completing [Glory of the Gorse Empire (14/100)]."
"Quest rewards: [Energy Potion (Gold)] x1, 500 XP."
"Ding! [Astral Cat Morning Star] has suggested an additional reward: [Random Teleportation Scroll (Normal)] x1."
---
**[Random Teleportation Scroll (Normal)]**
*Uses Remaining:* 1
*Activation:* Infuse with magic
*Effect:* Teleports the user to a random location within a 5-kilometer radius after a 0.5-second delay. The destination must be on solid ground or water.
*Note:* If someone ends up lodged in a wall, it's not a glitch—just a bit of bad luck.
---
Su Yu looked at the scroll, pleasantly surprised. It seemed that Morning Star's annoyance had been soothed by his promise of fresh fish.
He examined the [Random Teleportation Scroll], appreciating its potential for escaping tight spots. With this scroll, he'd have a failsafe for dangerous missions. It also had a rarity level, meaning he could enhance it with [Pointing Star Hand]. Unlike non-rarity items like [Blood of Tina] and [Mourning of Fungus], which were ineligible for upgrades, this one had room for improvement.
Su Yu concentrated and activated [Pointing Star Hand].
"Ding! Would you like to spend 10,000 psionic coins to enhance [Random Teleportation Scroll (Normal)]?"
"Yes."
"Ding! [Random Teleportation Scroll (Normal)] has been upgraded to [Random Teleportation Scroll (Excellent)], expanding the teleport range by an additional 5 kilometers."
"Ding! Would you like to spend 100,000 psionic coins on a further upgrade?"
"Not right now."
The upgrade's only effect seemed to be increasing the teleport range, so Su Yu decided against spending more on it. Still, the improvement was satisfying.
Then it struck him—he was now at level 21. He could upgrade all his skills to legendary quality with [Pointing Star Hand]! But he decided to hold off until he'd left the princess's residence. Completing the current mission took priority.
Bowing respectfully, Su Yu expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, Your Highness, for these rewards."
"You've earned them," the princess replied warmly. Then, her expression grew serious. "But there's something more I must ask of you."
"Anything, Your Highness."
The princess's gaze turned steely. "According to Colin Filler, Duke Cypher has been conspiring with the Wind Chime Empire in the north, though there's no concrete proof."
"Colin suspects that evidence of this collusion may be hidden in Duke Cypher's manor on Fishtail Lane, south of the city."
"Su Yu, would you be willing to infiltrate the manor and retrieve this evidence for me?"
"Ding! Your main storyline quest has been updated! [Glory of the Gorse Empire (15/100)]."
**Quest Objective:** Infiltrate Duke Cypher's manor on Fishtail Lane and uncover proof of his dealings with the Wind Chime Empire.
**Quest Reward:** 1000 XP
Su Yu frowned slightly at the quest reward. Mainline quests at every fifth milestone—like this 15th one—typically offered impressive rewards. Yet, this quest only provided a standard XP boost.
Puzzling, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. It was time to focus on the mission.
"Your Highness, I am at your service. I'll go to the duke's manor and bring back the evidence you need."
"Thank you, Nemesis," Alize replied, her voice filled with hope. "I'll be here, awaiting your success."
(End of Chapter)