CHAPTER 77: CH 77: FIRST WORLD QUEST- PART 2

The system’s world-wide alert echoed through every terminal, dungeon interface, and guild communication hub like a tidal wave crashing into humanity’s consciousness.

Messages poured across screens in dozens of languages. Forums exploded. Newscasters interrupted broadcasts mid-sentence.

Dungeon runners froze mid-raid, staring at the golden text hovering in front of them.

[WORLD QUEST UNLOCKED: ECHOES OF THE TOWER]

Confusion erupted.

In the Mermaid’s Melody dungeon, Fenrir stood among the stunned mermaids.

None moved, still frozen by the same strange power that had kept them from attacking him. He adjusted his coat, let out a long, tired sigh, and turned to leave.

"This is gonna be a mess."

He muttered as he navigated his way back out, boots crunching against the coral and dust.

Once outside the dungeon’s range, he activated his teleport crystal, reappearing just outside the main gates of the city.

A few startled hunters nearby were too distracted by the ongoing chatter in their comms to notice him.

Fenrir slipped away unseen.

Back home, he tossed his jacket onto the nearest chair and collapsed into his desk.

His system alerts still blinked in the corner of his vision, but he ignored them for now. Instead, he pulled up the social media feeds and news channels.

The chaos was worse than he imagined.

#HashtagTower

#EchoesOfTheTower

#TowerQuest

#WhatIsTheTower

#IsThisTheEnd

#GodsReturn

Posts rolled in at lightning speed. Speculation, panic, and conspiracy bloomed like wildfire.

"World quest?? What tower??"

"Why does this sound like some apocalypse-level event??"

"Can someone tell me what a ’fragment’ is supposed to be?"

"If this is another dungeon update, why is it classified as a world threat?"

[Is this related to Mr. ’X’? That guy’s been at the center of every insane breakthrough lately...]

Fenrir rubbed his temples and leaned back in his chair.

His message pinged. It was Fredric.

[Fredric: Do you know anything about this world quest? Don’t lie.]

Fenrir rolled his eyes and typed a response.

[Fenrir: Why are you asking *me*?]

[Fredric: Because ever since you started doing your weird nonsense, things that shouldn’t be possible *became* possible. Healing potions. Artifact weapons. Now some global Tower quest? You’re the common factor.]

Fenrir scoffed and typed:

[Fenrir: That’s a baseless accusation. I’m just a misunderstood, law-abiding citizen.]

But he sighed and followed it up with something more useful.

[Fenrir: Still... I might have an idea what’s happening.]

With that, he forwarded the full log of the system’s interface from inside the Mermaid’s Melody dungeon, including the details on the Tower fragment and the triggered global quest.

He also included the timeline of how it unfolded and the hints the system had given him.

Fredric immediately messaged back:

[Fredric: Wait—hold on. You triggered this?! YOU TRIGGERED THIS?! Fenrir—!!]

Fenrir smirked and closed the chat window before more messages could flood in.

"Not dealing with that right now."

He turned away from the chaos of the internet and Fredric’s inevitable freak-out. The Tower was going to be everyone’s problem soon enough.

Fredric could handle the communications, politics, and resource panic.

Fenrir had more important things to do.

Like forging.

He walked back to his forge and checked in on the upgrades.

Grizze, his imp contractor, had started expanding the workspace as instructed, laying down new mineral foundations and setting up better mana circulation channels.

"You’re back early."

Grizze said, pausing from hammering stone.

"World nearly exploded. No big deal."

Fenrir replied dryly, grabbing his tools and inspecting the smelted ingots he’d left out to cool.

Grizze grunted.

"Humans panic over everything."

Fenrir chuckled under his breath.

"Especially when I’m involved."

He set aside the rare ore he’d collected from the mermaid dungeon and began sorting his materials for the greatsword he’d promised Rick.

The forging would be difficult—time-consuming too—but at least it made sense. Metal, fire, mana. Simple rules.

Not like the Tower. The Tower broke every rule and remade them in its own image.

He worked late into the night.

______

Fenrir wiped the sweat from his brow and examined the weapon resting in the center of his forge.

The greatsword gleamed faintly, its core forged from mermaid scale-infused alloy and embedded with a faint rune for regeneration. The system window floated in front of him:

[Item Created: Unnamed Greatsword

Grade: A

Effects:

• Increases user’s power by 100%

• Passive heal effect: 2% HP per 120 seconds up to 50%]

Fenrir clicked the window away, unimpressed.

"It’s fine. Not great. Not bad."

He muttered.

He slid the sword into a custom case, wrapped it in protective cloth, and got ready to leave.

The journey to Legion’s headquarters was uneventful until he reached the building itself—where he was met by chaos.

Hunters ran up and down the corridors. Assistants scrambled with tablets in hand. Security was stationed everywhere.

Screens displayed fragments of the system message that had sparked the commotion: Echoes of the Tower – Global Quest Activated.

Staff huddled in groups, whispering rapidly, pointing at projected dungeon maps and theorizing frantically.

Fenrir frowned.

"Figures. One little world-wide system quest and everyone turns into a headless chicken."

He stepped into the reception area, his case tucked under his arm, and tried to flag someone down.

"Hey. I’m looking for Rick."

No one stopped.

Most barely even glanced his way before brushing past.

Some gave him a brief look—long enough to recognize his presence—but then turned their eyes back to their task as if he were just another forgettable face in the storm.

"...Right. I forgot. Mr. ’X’ can’t be recognized unless I’m blowing something up."

He exhaled loudly, glaring at the ceiling.

He stood still for a few moments, watching the whirlwind around him.

People sprinted between conference rooms. Dozens of communication links were open.

A massive wall screen displayed a rotating list of high-ranking dungeons, each marked with "Unverified Fragment" labels.

"If the system didn’t exist, none of this madness would be happening... "Panic wouldn’t be a weekly event. People wouldn’t be breaking their brains over something they don’t understand."

Fenrir grumbled.

He finally sighed and pulled out his phone. He scrolled down to Rick and hit call.

Rick picked up on the second ring.

"Fenrir? You’re here?"

"I’ve got the sword. Come get me before I’m trampled by people chasing imaginary rewards."

There was a pause and then Rick replied.

"Hang on, I’ll be right down."

A few minutes later, the elevator doors opened, and Rick stepped out, eyes sharp and hair in disarray.

"You weren’t kidding. It’s a madhouse up there."

Fenrir held up the case.

"Let’s get this over with."

As they walked toward the upper floors, Rick briefed him.

"All the major guilds havel mobilized their top hunters. They’re in a race to find the Tower fragments. Everyone thinks there’s going to be a legendary reward. Theories are everywhere."

Fenrir rolled his eyes.

"So now it’s a glorified scavenger hunt?"

"Basically. Fredric been going insane trying to coordinate our response without losing ground to the other guilds. He’s barely slept."

Rick chuckled.

"Should I break it to him that the quest doesn’t actually promise a reward?"

Fenrir mused, tilting his head.

Rick laughed nervously.

"Please don’t. He needs the hope."

"Right. Hope. Let him dream, then."

Fenrir smirked as they stepped into the elevator.