CHAPTER 57: A RECKLESS MARCH FORWARD

Time flowed like water.

Since arriving in the starter zone, Ryan and Moonlight Beauty had already completed a long string of quests together. Now, above the town’s skyline, the second wave of players had begun to descend from the skies—fresh blood, full of ambition.

After finishing off the grizzly bear in front of them, Ryan glanced at his companion. "Let’s head back to camp. Time to turn in these quests—and move on to the next phase."

Moonlight Beauty nodded without a word, following close behind.

Just earlier, Mia had mentioned Evelyn’s intentions to him. Ryan had taken a moment to consider it. Evelyn and her group weren’t top-tier pros by any means, but they were competent—far above the average player. With some guidance, they could easily push into the higher ranks.

So he’d sent them an invitation to join his guild.

As Ryan entered the camp, a wall of noise slammed into him. The once-quiet outpost had grown crowded. Dozens of players now gathered in chaotic clumps—those who’d missed the first airship transport were finally arriving in bulk.

It made sense. The dungeon in the Abandoned Mine wasn’t exactly insurmountable. Goldtooth, the first boss, was the only real challenge. As long as a group knew how to reach the lower floors, they could simply reset the dungeon until they got a more favorable enemy layout. After that, the rest was just a grind.

From the watchtower, streams of players poured down. Some, too impatient to take the long route, leapt straight off, triggering the system’s automatic warnings as they landed hard—earning themselves damage and a few groans from the crowd.

Moonlight Beauty trailed Ryan like a faithful shadow as they turned in quest after quest at the mission post. Her calm, graceful demeanor stood in stark contrast to the chaos around them.

With the backlog cleared, Ryan scanned the board and accepted the next quest. Moonlight Beauty mirrored his movements.

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[Urgent Notice: Your arrival and that of your companions heralds the repair of the aerial routes. Not only can our Alliance of Light continue to transport reinforcements, but the Orc faction will likely also receive new aid. However, our frontline combatants remain unaware. I fear they may be caught off guard. Take my token and travel to our frontline camps. Inform them of the situation immediately.]

Quest Objective: Speak with Commander Dark at Darkwood Camp (0/1), Commander Elmer at Elmer’s Watch (0/1), and Commander Inan at Inan’s Post (0/1).

Quest Reward: 2800 EXP, 15 Silver Coins, and [Emergency Whistle].

[Emergency Whistle]: Summons nearby Alliance of Light troops to aid you for 20 seconds. One-time use.

You have accepted the quest [Urgent Notice]!

You have obtained the quest item: [Steed]!

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Ryan let out a low chuckle as he inspected the item. "Nice. This’ll make things interesting."

The Emergency Whistle was little more than a novelty—summoning a single level-10 guard to assist in battle. Not especially impressive, but not worthless either.

The real prize was the [Steed].

Mounts usually required players to reach level 40, purchase riding training, and spend a hefty sum of gold. Even then, those mounts only boosted movement speed by 60%. This one? It was different. It doubled your speed—100%—and didn’t require any riding skills. The only catch? It could only be used inside the Blood Gorge area and would vanish once the quest was completed.

Still, for Ryan’s current plans, it was perfect. He was already eyeing the Dark Horde’s border—this would let him strike fast and scout ahead before most players even left the camp.

Without hesitation, he activated the quest item. A gleaming white horse materialized before him.

In one swift motion, he swung himself into the saddle.

"Accepted the quest?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"Accepted," Moonlight Beauty replied simply. Her own mount—a sleek black steed—appeared in a shimmer of light. She climbed up with ease.

Their sudden transformation didn’t go unnoticed. A chorus of surprised gasps rippled through the camp. Heads turned. Curious players surged toward them, wide-eyed and full of questions.

"Where’d they get mounts?!"

"Is that a quest reward?"

"Yo! Wait up!"

But Ryan and Moonlight Beauty had already kicked off, galloping through the crowd and leaving behind a trail of dust and jealous stares.

"Quest," Ryan replied curtly, eyes forward.

Without slowing down, he nudged his mount into a gallop, weaving through the crowd with Moonlight Beauty close behind.

Behind them, the reactions were instant and loud.

"Oh my god, they have mounts!"

"No way—how?!"

"It’s from a quest! I heard him say it—he said it’s from a quest!" one player shouted, even switching to the Regional Channel to spread the word like wildfire.

"What quest? Which one?! I’ve taken every quest in town and didn’t see anything like that!"

"They must’ve been here longer than us," someone chimed in. "I saw them coming back from the wilderness when I first logged in."

Speculation spread like wildfire. But Ryan didn’t spare it a second thought. He kept his focus on the road ahead, pushing toward the far end of the map without hesitation.

Moonlight Beauty pulled up beside him, her voice slightly uncertain. "Guild Leader, where are we going? I think we just passed one of the quest objectives."

Ryan just chuckled. No explanation.

Moonlight Beauty glanced at him but didn’t press further. Instead, she leaned forward, urging her steed to match his pace. Her trust was evident—quiet, but complete.

The sharp rhythm of hoofbeats echoed across the barren fields as the two of them raced forward. Soon, they thundered past a cluster of level 13 monsters.

These creatures were much stronger than either of them—far above their level. A single hit could knock them off their mounts, or worse. But thanks to the 100% speed boost granted by the temporary mounts, the monsters had no real chance of catching up. They gave chase briefly, only to turn back once their leashes pulled tight.

One group after another was left in the dust—level 14, then level 15, then 16.

Moonlight Beauty’s eyes sharpened. She realized what Ryan was doing.

She didn’t say anything. Just smiled faintly, and without ceremony, equipped the gear she had earned from their earlier quests. Her fingers were steady. Her gaze sharpened.

Ryan noticed, of course. He shot her a small, approving smile, then pulled slightly ahead to draw aggro from the next monster cluster, making sure she didn’t get caught off guard.

The terrain grew wilder. More treacherous. The monsters were higher level now—level 20s, some of them. They could detect players from a distance, and just entering their range would draw their aggression. Combat triggers flared left and right.

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But this zone was vast. The monsters slow. With smart maneuvering, Ryan kept just out of their reach.

Eventually, the scenery changed.

When level 15 monsters began appearing again up ahead, Moonlight Beauty knew they had crossed into the Dark Horde’s territory.

"Guild Leader," she said, glancing at the mobs around them, "should we level up now?"

After turning in their earlier quests, both of them had gained enough experience to hit level 11. Doing so would grant more health, better stats, and crucially—talent points. The power boost would be immediate.

But Ryan shook his head. "No rush. Might be better to save it... in case we need it mid-fight."

Moonlight Beauty blinked. Then nodded, a smile spreading across her face.

"Understood."