Maybe this was the world’s way of finally saying, ’Hey, we’ve rawdogged this guy enough. Let’s give him a break.’

The two quests I’d grabbed from the Guild went like a breeze. It was a classic petty rivalry: two alchemists whose shops were side-by-side were basically at war. They both needed specific ingredients to one-up each other, and they’d both posted their requests at the exact moment I’d walked into the building. Ho-fucking-ray.

"There," I said, thumping a heavy sack onto the wooden counter. "One Elderhag root and one Damgum."

The Guild worker pulled the sack toward her and peered inside. With a satisfied nod, she looked up at me. "Condition looks good. Fresh."

"Hmm."

"That completes both contracts," she said, marking a ledger. "Total payout: two gold coins."

The pay wasn’t exactly something to boast about, but the effort had been minimal. I’d just slipped out the west gate and followed my map. Since the UI tracked everywhere I’d already been, it even highlighted the herb locations for me. Easy money.

She reached under the counter and resurfaced with her hands full of shimmering silver. "Sorry, we’re tapped out on gold coins at the moment. You’ll have to take the change."

"No problem." I unhitched the pouch from my belt and pulled the drawstring wide.

She poured the silver inside with a rhythmic clink-clink-clink. I cinched the rope tight and tucked the pouch back into place.

"That’s it for today," she said, her expression turning a bit more serious. "You should probably head back to your dorm, kid. Word is there’s a pervert on the loose near the academy district."

"I know," I replied, thinking of the "underwear-hat" creep Jelda described. "I’m heading out. And... thanks for not drawing me into another death trap today, Ma’am."

She let out a weary exhale. "Yeah..."

I turned and left the building without another word. As I stepped into the cool evening air, a notification pinged, confirming the quest completion. I swiped it away and pulled up my EXP.

╔═══════════════════════╗

> Ace | LC: 106 | EXP: 86/340 | LVL 5

╠═══════════════════════╣

> HP ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 115/115

> MP ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 75/75

> STA ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ 67/90

────────────────────────

> Class: MAGE

> Known Abilities:

• Fireball

• Heal

• Shield of Aangr

────────────────────────

> PERKS

• +15% More magic damage

• +10% CRIT chance

• Backstab DMG

╠═══════════════════════╣

> [ BAG ] [ MAP ] [ SHOP ] [QUESTS]

╚═══════════════════════╝ 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Alright. A little more grinding and I’d hit level six. It was getting late, I had maybe five or six hours before it hit midnight? Dunno. It was hard to tell exactly without a watch, so I needed to move. I had one more objective to clear before I called it a night.

The lost cat. Time to wrap that up.

"Now, where was she..."

I opened the map and set a waypoint for the side quest. Thankfully, the old woman who’d lost her pet lived close to the Guild. I took off at a light jog, hoping this would be as simple as the herbs.

The streets had quieted down a lot. Night had fully settled over the city, the sky clear enough for a full moon to hang high above, bathing everything in a pale, silver glow. Lanterns flickered along the roads, their light swaying gently with the wind, stretching long shadows across the stone.

It should’ve been calm. Peaceful, even.

It wasn’t.

Guards were everywhere.

Pairs of them patrolled the main roads, armor clinking softly with each step, hands never straying far from their weapons. Some stood at corners, watching every passerby with sharp, suspicious eyes. Word of the incident at the girls’ dormitory had spread fast. Too fast. The entire place felt tense, like a string pulled just a bit too tight.

I followed the marker on the map, turning left into a quieter street. The noise of the main road faded behind me, replaced by the faint rustle of leaves and the distant hum of the city settling into the night. A few houses lined the road, their windows dimly lit. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked once, then went silent.

The marker grew brighter as I approached.

"There you are..."

I slowed down as I reached it. Right in front of a small house, there was a faint, white circle on the ground, barely visible unless you were looking for it. A quest marker. Simple, clean, almost out of place against the worn stone path.

I stepped into it and looked up at the door.

"Well... here goes."

I raised my hand and knocked.

The sound echoed softly inside. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then I heard movement, slow footsteps approaching, followed by the faint creak of wood.

The door opened.

An old woman stood there, slightly hunched but steady on her feet. Her hair was a soft gray, tied loosely behind her head, a few strands falling over her face. Deep lines marked her skin, not just from age but from years of work. She wore a simple robe, clean but worn at the edges, and a faint scent of herbs drifted from inside her home.

Her eyes, though... sharp. Kind, but sharp.

"Hello, Ma’am," I said. "Sorry for bothering you at this hour."

"Ah, it’s fine." She smiled, her voice gentle. "I’m a healer. I work at nights and sleep in the mornings."

"Sounds tough."

"It is," she chuckled softly. "So, why are you here, young man?"

"Oh, I heard you lost a cat recently," I said. "I wanted to help."

Her expression softened immediately.

"Ah... thank you, young man. But I don’t have any silver." She shook her head lightly. "I’m actually saving some to post a request at the Guild."

"No silver needed." I waved a hand dismissively.

"Really? Wow... are you sure?"

"Yep." I gave her a small smile. "So, tell me. Where did you lose your cat Mrs..."

I paused, waiting.

"Yasi Jeng."

"Ace Walker," I replied with a nod. "Where did you lose your cat, Mrs. Jeng?"

"The little cutie would always get into fights with Mr. Menny’s cat," she said, a faint sigh escaping her. "This time, after getting his poor butt beaten up, he ran off. He’s been missing for two days."

Mr. Menny again. Figures.

"When did that happen?" I asked.

"At the gates," she answered.

I frowned slightly. "Did the cat run back into the city or out?"

"Out," she said, letting out a small, helpless laugh. "That’s why I can’t search for him. I’m not as adventurous as I used to be, boy."

I nodded slowly.

"Alright. I’ll see what I can do, Mrs. Jeng."

"Thank you," she said warmly. "I hope you come back with good news."

"Hmm. Have a good evening, Ma’am."

"You too, kid. You too."

The door closed gently, leaving me alone under the moonlight again.

I exhaled and glanced toward the direction of the west entrance.

"Finding lost cats should be on my resume..."