System Message: Quest [Request from Master Alchemist Syl] completed.
System Message: Quest [Request from Master Alchemist Syl] completed.
System Message: Quest [Request from Master Alchemist Syl] completed.
…
After handing over all the materials in her inventory to the shop clerk to be delivered to Master Alchemist Syl, Lost in Clear Skies finally received the quest completion notification.
Seeing the dozen or so silver coins appear in her backpack did lighten her mood a little—but only just a little.
“No need to head back to the bat cave near Fort Winter today,” she muttered, exiting the shop.
“Wouldn’t want to draw too much attention.”
Just then, two mage-looking players approached the alchemist shop.
As fate would have it, Lost in Clear Skies brushed right past them at the entrance.
“…More people, huh?”
She’d already known she wasn’t the only one who had seen that hidden quest guide online. But lately, she could visibly feel the number of players taking the quest growing.
Even near the Forest Ruins in Soma Town, a few more people had started buying bat materials.
Knowing that materials would get increasingly scarce in such a crowded market, she had decided to relocate to a different city to buy bat drops.
A quick glance at the two passing players caught her attention—she recognized the emblem pinned to their chests.
“Eternal Spire, huh? Didn’t think even they found out about this hidden quest.”
Eternal Spire was one of the old elite guilds.
Though not as famous as Stormwind, they were a top-tier force in many previous MMOs.
“This is getting tricky…”
She’d already noticed members of the Rose Heart guild operating nearby, and now with Eternal Spire joining in, the profits she could make were going to shrink for sure.
After all, a solo player couldn’t compete with the industrial machine that was a full guild.
The sense of urgency crept up on her.
She shook off her original plan, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and slipped into an alley before making her way toward the teleportation gate.
***
Northern Fortress – Fort Winter.
Located near the snowfields of the far north, this city marked the edge of the Aorwyn Empire.
Snowflakes drifted gently from the sky year-round, painting the city in a palette of icy whites—a scene that earned it the poetic nickname sung by bards: “The Imperial Snow Lotus.”
But Lost in Clear Skies wasn’t here to admire the beauty.
No, the moment she arrived via teleportation, she immediately beelined for the Bat Cave outside the city gates.
The cave was home to level 3–4 Cave Bats, offering solid EXP and drawing in a decent crowd of leveling players—one of Fort Winter’s main grinding spots.
As soon as she reached the cave entrance, players who recognized her quickly swarmed around.
“You’re finally back, sis! We’ve been waiting forever!”
“I just finished farming some drops. Same rate as before, right?”
“Hey pretty lady! Still buying bat claws and poison sacs?”
“Of course I am. Bring me everything you’ve got.”
One by one, she opened trade windows with the gathered players.
“Hey,” one of them asked after handing over the goods, “you and that other chick have been buying bat mats here for days now… still not enough?”
Lost in Clear Skies glanced over to the “other chick” in question, who was posted just a short distance away.
She had shown up a day later than Lost, but had already built up a decent trading circle too.
To avoid drawing attention to the hidden quest, players who’d read the same guide online had silently abided by a few unspoken rules.
One of them: “No more than two or three people should be buying mats in the same area.”
The Forest Ruins were already monopolized by Rose Heart’s buyers.
With too many people in one zone, it was only a matter of time before the hidden quest got exposed—or worse, guild conflict would break out.
That’s why most players just accepted the territorial boundaries and went searching for new cities where they could farm materials.
Lost in Clear Skies had been lucky to claim Fort Winter early.
But what she didn’t expect was that just one day after she arrived, another quest-savvy player would show up.
Still, since the newcomer hadn’t tried to price-gouge or fight over the spot, and the bat drop rate here was decent, she didn’t mind sharing… for now.
“Eh, it’s no big deal. Potion crafting’s a nightmare to level up right now anyway,” she said with a smile, brushing off the concern.
“These mats are just a drop in the bucket.”
Just as she prepared to resume her buying spree, a sudden commotion came from up ahead.
She turned toward the noise and saw a warrior—clearly a newcomer—striding up to the cave entrance and shouting at full volume.
“Buying bat poison sacs! I’ll take all you’ve got!”
…Seriously? Did this guy not see that the area was already taken?
Lost in Clear Skies frowned.
She was clearly annoyed by the newbie’s disregard for the unspoken rules, but she didn’t say anything—she knew how this would end.
And just as expected, no one paid him any attention.
Most of the players grinding bats here were regulars—either solo or in small fixed teams.
After a few days, they’d already built trust with her and the other buyer.
Any bat loot they got would obviously go to their usual customers, not some random newcomer yelling at the gate.
Even the other girl paused her transactions and looked over.
Lost in Clear Skies could tell exactly what she was thinking—
“There’s no room for you here.”
She hoped the guy would realize that too and just leave before embarrassing himself.
But what happened next was something neither of them expected.
Something that shattered their assumptions completely.
Or rather—something they never imagined anyone would be shameless enough to actually try.
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