CHAPTER 33: CH 33: TAKE HER WITH YOU

Cane returned to the village where the chain quest started. The system had told him to say ’goodbye’ to the old man and the even older chief before he was to continue on his journey.

However, the atmosphere of the village seemed to be somewhat different compared to the last time he was here.

The village seemed...much more cheerful.

He had not gone too far in the village when he came face-to-face with a beautiful woman. The female had green hair, and flowers seemed to sprout around her as she walked.

Cane could instantly tell that she was not another player, but she did not feel like an NPC either.

He could not explain why he felt that she was not an NPC, especially since Clash Online had all kinds of races and environments, but he could tell that he felt interested in her.

[HaremKingXXX: Oh wow! That NPC sure is beautiful. Do you think it’s possible for players to romance her?]

[Shura: Even if players can romance NPC’s, I don’t think anyone would be interested in you based on your name and behavior.]

[Bugcontrol: Oh wow-! Talk about a roast.]

"Hey, does anyone know who she is?"

Cane asked his chat, and the immediate ’no’ told him that no one knew who this female was. The NPC was too beautiful to not have a fanbase.

Then, that could only mean one thing — she was a quest-specific NPC.

"Excuse me, but can I help you out? You have been looking at me for quite some time? You should calm down and not worry about unnecessary things."

The female asked, and her sweet voice washed over Cane. However, instead of making him feel calmer, it made him feel nervous.

He felt as if something was touching his mind and trying to interact with him. So he resisted that feeling.

The female in front of him suddenly frowned, her eyes becoming just a bit wider, and a small gasp escaped her mouth.

Before Cane could ask what was wrong, the old man NPC who started the chain quest came forward.

"Young Hero, you are back? And you look significantly stronger compared to last time. I can finally entrust the next part of this quest to you...Ah, you have already met Ai? Isn’t she a darling?"

The old man asked, and Ai blushed red at the compliment she received from the man.

"Please stop-! I am not-!"

She tried to defend herself, but the older man just laughed her worries off.

"Don’t worry. You are a darling, and we all appreciate you being here. Anyway, do come in, Hero. We can finally discuss the next part of your journey."

The old man told him, and Cane followed him. But he could not take his eyes off Ai... and not because she was stunning or beautiful to look at.

There was just...something about her that caused Cane’s eyes to keep drifting toward her. His instincts told him that he was in danger, and he did not even know it yet.

[Heerafan: It’s a sad day for sure. Looks like Cane has fallen for the new NPC. There is no coming back from this.]

Cane wanted to deny that claim, but then Ai moved toward him, and his eyes darted toward her instead of the screen. His heart skipped a beat as she almost reached to touch him but pulled back at the last second.

[HaremKingXXX: Tsk, he didn’t even deny it. Look like we lost a warrior today.]

Once again, Cane showed his incredible restraint and stopped himself from throwing a fit. He could still feel Ai looking at him as he walked inside.

The older NPC quickly took over from there and started to explain the quest to Cane.

"Well, since you are now powerful enough, you should head to the ruins of Alzar. According to folklore, that place has a ’special’ power connected to the elemental guardians. Maybe you will find something there."

The NPC told Cane, and the system quest immediately showed up in front of him.

[Chain Quest #2 Uncovering the Ruins of Alzar. Would you like to accept?]

There was no time to waste. Cane accepted the request, but just before he was about to head out, the chief called out to him.

"Brave warrior, would you please take another request from me? The child here has lost her home and her memories. She no longer recalls where she used to live. Would you take her back to her home?"

The older male asked, and Cane paused to look at him. That was not in the quest request...

[Quest request updated: Additional Side quest — take Ai along with you on your journey and keep her safe until she reaches home. Time to complete: infinite.]

Cane looked at the sudden request with interest in his eyes. The quest had updated itself in a weird manner.

The NPC saw Cane looking at the quest window as well, and he immediately asked the most important question — why had this additional quest been added? There was no reason for it.

"Can I reject this request? I don’t think I will have time to help out Ai and also complete my own request...."

"NO! You must help Ai out. That is non-negotiable. You do not get to say no."

The NPC was making it very clear that he did not want Cane to back out of helping the unnamed girl. It all felt very fishy to him... and unnatural as well.

Combined with the fact that Cane could not bring himself to trust her, the situation somehow felt even worse compared to before.

’What a hassle. I guess he has no choice but to accept. For the sake of his content, he needs to play this quest.’

Cane looked at the NPC and Ai before he gave them the answer they wanted.

"Alright, I will take Ai along with me. But don’t expect too much from me. Helping her out is not my main focus."

He made that point clear, and the old chief sighed.

"Of course. We are just glad that you are willing to help us."