CHAPTER 490: MISSIONS

Coco pushed the doors open, causing a hush fall over the guild as the hunters nearby turned their attention towards the door, their surprise evident on their faces.

They had celebrated her absence because that means they can do missions without worrying about her finishing all of them by herself, but with her sudden return.. It caught them off guard.

A few of the hunters exchanged astonished glances, their eyes widening in incredulity as they took in the sight of Coco standing at the entrance.

Some even muttered complaints under their breaths.

However, even with the curious gazes of the hunters, Coco remained unfazed and focused on her task as she paid no mind to their stares, her thoughts fixed on her next destination— the mission board.

In quick strides, she made a beeline towards the board, her gaze immediately scanning through the various tasks listed as soon as she reached the board.

The chatter and whispers faded into mere background noise as she concentrated on the mission descriptions, her eyes taking in the details of each mission and pondering which one she should take.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Coco became so engrossed in the mission descriptions that she failed to notice someone approaching her from behind.

When she eventually became aware of the presence behind her, she whipped her head around, her eyes widening slightly in surprise— especially when her gaze landed on the person standing there, she blinked owlishly.

However, Coco’s expression softened when she noticed Neo’s sniffling, immediately realizing that he was on the verge of tears, if not already crying.

"Neo.. What’s wrong?" She asked, her voice gentle as she spoke softly. "Did something happen?"

Despite the tears glistening in his eyes, Neo shook his head and flashed her a smile, his voice trembling slightly as he responded, his words were genuine. "No.. Nothing... I’m just glad you’re fine now."

Oh.. He was worried about me. Coco thought, her concern deepening at the sight of a few teardrops streaming down his cheeks.

She placed a hand on his forearm, her touch gentle yet comforting as she gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Are you sure? You can cry as much as you want.. I won’t judge you. Crying helps people, after all."

"No, I’m really alright." Neo insisted, sniffling.

"If you say so.." She replied, reluctantly dropping it, but she decided to offer something to cheer him up. "How about this.. Why don’t you pick two missions for us? You choose what we’ll catch today."

Neo nodded in agreement and didn’t say anything, merely approaching the mission board, his focus shifting as he began to carefully scan the available missions.

As he read through the various options, Neo diligently selected two missions that piqued his interest.

He pointed to two specific quests, indicating his choice to Coco before he snatched them and handed the chosen missions to Coco, but as he did so, a quest scroll suddenly materialized directly in front of her.

Ding!

Coco’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected appearance of the quest scroll, a flicker of surprise passing over her face before she quickly composed herself.

She discreetly accepted missions from Neo, before making the scroll disappear from her sight, then Coco smiled, gesturing towards the front desk with a nod. "Let’s clip these over at the front desk."

She began to lead him towards the area where they would formally accept the missions and as they walked through the lobby, whispers and stares from the other hunters followed them, concern and curiosity in their gazes.

Coco continued walking, her focus shifting between the path ahead and the occasional glances she cast at Neo, still mildly concerned about his state.

When Coco and Neo reached the front desk, Neo swiftly grabbed the missions from Coco, his actions quick as he proceeded to clip them himself, efficiently securing the missions from the board.

The guild receptionist, who had been observing their interaction from a short distance, referred to them, a curious look in his eyes.

"Are you two heading out on these missions together?" He inquired, his eyes moving back and forth between Coco and Neo. "Isn’t it quite difficult to beat up five monsters in one day?"

Instead of answering, Coco smiled. "You’re a face I haven’t seen around here before.. Are you new?"

The receptionist straightened up, slightly taken aback by Coco’s question because he didn’t expect the renowned hunter to address him personally.

"Ah, yes.. I just started here a few days ago." He stuttered, a nervousness dripping from his tone. "I guess I’m not very known here yet.. You, on the other hand, had a lot of rumors around you!"

Coco tilted her head slightly before she chuckled softly.

"Really?" She replied, a small smile on her lips. "Anyway, it was nice meeting you, but Neo and I have missions to tackle so we need to get going. Until next time!"

The receptionist nodded, still a little starstruck by the encounter with Coco.

"Oh, yes, of course!" He beamed, his excitement evident on his face. "The rumors are all good things! It was nice to meet you as well, Miss Coco! Take care of yourselves on the missions. You two make a great team."

Neo, hearing this, felt a sense of satisfaction, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"See you." Coco bid farewell to the receptionist and turned away, a slight frown appearing on her face as she discreetly checked the quest scroll.

[ Hidden Quest {1}: A monster in disguise

One of the highly intelligent monsters sneaked in and disguised themselves! Catch them and subdue them before they create trouble!

Reward: A familiar

Penalty: -5 random active skill points

Time Duration: 79 hours and 56 minutes ]

The sight of the content within made her grimace because she literally just got back, but she already received a quest.

I have to catch this monster quickly.. And I already have a suspect in mind. Coco thought as she continued walking away from the front desk, her steps now heavy.