Chapter 11: SS-Level Quest

Leon walked towards the eastern road that stretched ahead of him through a green field before disappearing into a forest several kilometers away. Birds flew above the trees, while the distant sound of insects filled the air. It looked peaceful.

As he walked, Leon noticed a small wooden building beside the road. A sign hung above the entrance.

Merchant’s Guild.

Leon entered. The interior was surprisingly lively.

Several NPCs moved around carrying boxes and documents, while merchants argued over prices and adventurers gathered around wooden tables. It looked less like a game interface and more like an actual functioning settlement.

Leon approached the nearest merchant. The man was middle-aged, with a thick brown beard, a round belly, and an expression that suggested he had been negotiating prices since before Leon had been born.

The merchant looked Leon up and down.

"You look like a fresh arrival."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Is it that obvious?"

"You’re carrying an Iron-grade Mana Staff and staring at the place like you’ve never seen a merchant’s guild before." The corner of the man’s mouth twitched. "Not exactly subtle."

"Fair enough," Leon said, glancing down at the staff.

"Don’t take it personally. Everyone who walks through that door looks the same for the first day or two." He set aside the ledger he’d been holding. "I’ve got a carriage leaving for the eastern checkpoint soon. My usual escorts haven’t come back from their last job, and I’m not fond of making that run without one."

Leon glanced toward the carriage outside. "So you’re offering the job to whoever happens to walk in?"

"I’m offering it to whoever’s willing to take it. The pay’s fair — better than fair, for a first job."

"How fair?" Leon asked, even though he hasn’t yet gotten a grasp of monetary value in Eternal Heaven yet.

The merchant rubbed his beard. "It’s enough that you won’t be sleeping in the street tonight. Do good work, and we can talk specifics after."

Leon considered that for a moment, then gave a short nod. "I can work with that."

The merchant studied him for a long moment. Then—

Ding!

A translucent notification appeared before Leon.

[Quest Detected.]

[SS-Level Quest: Escort Merchant through the Eastern Road]

[Objective: Safely escort the merchant and his carriage to the Eastern Checkpoint.]

[Quest Difficulty: Level 1-3]

[Quest Reward: ???]

[Accept Quest?]

[Yes / No]

Leon stared at the quest. SS-rank, on his first quest.

Then,

[Ding! Quest level determines the quantity/quality of reward one gets after completing a quest and quest difficulty shows the recommended level one needs to be to safely participate in that quest]

Leon couldn’t help but think of Lucky Fate. The God of Transmigration had told him that his luck will bend probability in his favor, increasing the likelihood of rare encounters, treasures, opportunities, and favorable outcomes.

An SS-rank quest appearing immediately after he spoke to the first merchant he encountered was definitely due to his SSS-Rank Lucky Fate talent.

Leon smiled. "Well, if fate wants to introduce itself this early, I suppose I shouldn’t be rude."

He selected Yes.

[SS-Rank Quest Accepted.]

[Escort Merchant through the Eastern Road has begun.]

"You actually accepted it?" The merchant blinked, his gaze dropping to the staff in Leon’s hand before sweeping over his posture. "From the look of you, you’re definitely a Support Role. You do realize an escort quest isn’t something people take lightly, right?"

"I’m aware." Leon’s tone remained calm as he adjusted his grip on the staff. "I’m also aware that standing here debating whether I should take the quest isn’t going to get your carriage moving any faster."

The merchant studied him a moment longer, then let out a short laugh — more relief than humor.

The merchant then climbed onto the carriage and took the reins. Leon followed and sat beside him.

The wheels began rolling across the dirt road, leaving Novice Village #0048 behind.

For the next several hours, the two of them traveled east.

The merchant turned out to be remarkably talkative. His name was Garrick, and he had apparently spent most of his life traveling between settlements. He explained the layout of the surrounding region, described nearby forests and hunting grounds, and warned Leon about several dangerous areas that beginners should avoid.

Leon listened carefully.

"So there are different monster zones?"

"Of course." Garrick clicked his tongue, guiding the horses forward. "The wilderness isn’t divided into neat little boxes, but some stretches are worse than others. The closer you get to the eastern forest, the stronger the monsters get. That’s why merchants hire escorts instead of just hoping for the best."

Leon nodded. "You’ve been doing this route a long time?"

"Longer than you’ve been alive, I’d guess." Garrick glanced sideways at him. "Longer than that, if half of what I’ve heard about you players is true."

The conversation kept going as Garrick told Leon stories about merchants who had lost entire caravans to monsters, adventurers who had become legends, and treasures hidden deep within the eastern forest. Leon asked questions about the Beyond, but Garrick knew almost nothing about it.

They continued traveling, as the sun gradually moved across the sky.

Leon learned more about the surrounding area, the village, merchants, monster territories, and even the different grades of equipment. Garrick explained that equipment generally followed a similar progression to skills, although higher grades could possess unique effects that made them vastly more valuable.

Eventually, Leon noticed something. The road had become quiet. Too quiet.

The birds had stopped singing. The insects had disappeared. Even the wind seemed to have died.

Leon slowly turned his head.

"Garrick."

The merchant’s hands tightened around the reins.

"I noticed."

A faint rustling came from the bushes. Then another. And another.

Leon stood up. His fingers tightened around his Mana Staff.

Garrick swallowed.

"That’s not the wind."

Leon stared into the trees.

"No."

Another rustle sounded. Then something moved between the branches.

Garrick’s face suddenly went pale. His eyes widened as he stared into the forest.

"Those..."

Leon looked at him.

"What?"

The merchant’s voice dropped into a whisper.

"Fang wolves."

One pair of glowing eyes appeared. Then another. Then another.

Leon slowly counted them: three, five, eight, ten, twelve. Twelve pairs of eyes emerged from the darkness between the trees. The creatures stepped onto the road one by one.

They were larger than ordinary wolves, their bodies covered in dark fur and their jaws filled with long, razor-sharp fangs. Their muscles rippled beneath their hides as they spread across the road, surrounding the carriage from several directions.

Garrick’s face tightened.

"There are twelve of them."

Leon raised his staff. The faint smile that had been resting on his face disappeared.

His first quest had finally shown its true colors: an SS-rank quest, his first battle in Eternal Heaven, and twelve monsters staring directly at him.

Leon took a slow breath. Then he looked at the Fang Wolves and quietly said,

"So much for a peaceful carriage ride."

The wolves lowered their bodies. Their fangs gleamed beneath the sunlight.

And then, they charged.