The group waited outside with bated breaths for Leo’s return and when he did, his expression was not good.
"What happened?" Crystal asked with concern evident in her tone.
"We received a Hidden Quest. Odds are it will be insanely difficult and we will need everyone to co along."
"What do you an by everyone?" Greg’s voice was somber as he felt sothing was off.
"We are going to need Luna, Lily, Nyx and Horo to tag along..."
Aria tilted her head in confusion
"I thought the max amount of people that could be included in a party is 6?"
Leo grimaced as he explained "That is normally the case. There are a few exceptions...like a raid for example. And this one is one of those tis. The quest we got is for a dungeon raid."
Aria frowned, she rembered how their last dungeon crawl went and it was rough to say the least.
Leo seed to read her mind as he shook his head. "It’s worse than you think, Sonata. Take a look."
He then shared the details of the quest that he had received.
Hidden Quest: Hinder the Procession.
Quest Details: The Procession of Demons has awakened and so have found Suitable Hosts to give their power. They are an infection upon the land and if not stopped here, the Forest shall die and then the Land. Then everything else. In order to combat the threat, the Royal Elf tried to seal the Portal herself but was captured and nearly killed in the process. The only way to seal the Portal now is to kill the hosts that anchor the Demons. If one falls for their temptations, they shall know no peace in life nor in death. Tornt and Despair will be their only future.
Note: While They are called the Procession of Demons, they are rely that in na and share no semblance to the Demon Race. They are Abominations of Life manifest.
Difficulty: EX
Rewards: Level Up to 20, 10,000 Gold, Blessing of The Elves, Specialized Skillbooks, Guild Enhancent, Specialized Equipnt. Soul Fragnts.
This quest cannot be declined. Failure will Result in Character Deletion. All Changes shall be reverted.
Crystal read the quest log in silence, her lips pressed into a thin line as she took in every word. The tension that had filled the air earlier was now replaced by sothing colder, heavier.
"This is insane," Penny muttered, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "If we fail, we lose everything. Not just the loot or the levels... but our actual characters."
Greg clenched his fists, jaw tightening as he stared at the ssage. "They’re really not pulling punches."
"No. It’s even worse than that. Read the last line again." Leo’s expression was dark as he grit his teeth.
Greg’s brow furrowed as he read it. All changes shall be reverted...
"No..." his voice ca out as a grated whisper "It can’t be.."
"Yes...All of our changes will be reverted ans that every physical change that has occurred to us will be reset."
Penny looked at everyone with a confused expression on her face. "Isn’t that a good thing? I don’t know about you guys but I would rather not be a vampire!"
Greg let out a low sigh before he pointed to his glowing orange eye.
"Rose, before I ca into this ga, I was blind in this eye. I, who was once a professional MMA fighter, was forced into retirent...essentially reduced to half the man and fighter I was."
Penny flinched as she had not expected that in the slightest, she turned her head to the others, hoping that soone would say that he was joking or sothing. But there was no such luck.
"As for ..." Leo began, slowly looking up at the sky. "If the changes are reverted...I will die."
Penny started laughing nervously "You an figuratively right? Did you have so embarrassing thing fixed by the change?"
However, even she herself didn’t believe her own words as Leo shook his head.
"No. Literally."
The laughter died in Penny’s throat as the gravity of Leo’s words sank in.
"Wait... what?" she whispered.
Leo’s gaze remained fixed on the sky, as if looking anywhere else would make it harder to say. "I was sick. Terminal. I didn’t have much ti left. In fact I was out of ti" He finally looked back down at the group. "But when I entered this ga, sothing changed. Whatever system rules govern this place... they cured . At least while I’m here. If we fail, I will be back on my deathbed and I will be in the ground in less than a week."
Crystal’s expression darkened with understanding. She gently reached out and placed a hand on Leo’s arm, steadying him.
Greg spoke next, voice quiet but firm. "So if we fail this quest... if our characters are deleted and everything resets, then it’s not just a ga over for us. For so of us, It would be the end."
Aria took a slow step back, her wings twitching as she too had found her own freedom through this ga, even if only for a short ti. She didn’t want it to end. Not like this.
Penny felt her stomach twist with guilt. "I didn’t know," she murmured. "I thought... I thought this world was just for fun. I didn’t think it ant that much. This takes the cake for shitty ga design!"
Leo offered a faint smile. "None of us did at first. But now we know. This quest isn’t just about protecting the Forest or saving NPCs. It’s about preserving what we’ve all beco. What we’ve all overco."
Crystal lowered her blindfold slightly, revealing one glowing eye. "Then failure isn’t an option. We fight. And we win."
Greg nodded. "Damn right we do."
Aria took a deep breath and gave Leo a steady look. "You’re not dying on our watch. None of you are."
Leo’s voice was steady but filled with emotion. "Then get ready. Because from this mont on, everything counts. Let’s find Luna and the others. We need to prepare for war."
And just like that, the stakes had changed. It wasn’t just about glory or gold anymore.
It was about survival...or oblivion
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