Hidden Quest

As expected, to reach level 15 within a week, slaying world-class bosses was indeed the best option.

However, Chen Zixuan soon found himself worrying again.

The server had only just launched a day ago, and there were only a few available maps. Where would he find so many world-class bosses to kill...?

Forget it. There are still a few days left before the week-long deadline. For now, Chen Zixuan would try his best to level up in the coming days and worry about the rest later.

Once he left combat, Chen Zixuan's stamina started to recover slowly.

A few minutes later, his stamina was finally full again. Chen Zixuan slowly got to his feet and gazed into the deeper reaches of the Mired Swamp.

Through the mist lingering above the swamp, he could vaguely make out the shadows of many water ghouls, slowly pacing further in.

Just as he was about to venture deeper into the wild zone, a shadow slowly emerging from the forest's edge caught Chen Zixuan's attention.

"A player?"

Chen Zixuan looked at the slightly stooped figure and a trace of doubt gradually appeared on his face.

No, it was an NPC!

It wasn't until the figure came closer that Chen Zixuan was surprised to discover—it was a human, and one at death's door: an elderly man.

He lowered his head, his thoughts racing. I just killed so many water ghouls—could it be I triggered a special quest?

At this thought, Chen Zixuan felt a flicker of delight in his heart. He no longer hesitated and instead walked toward the old man.

A few steps closer, he saw the elderly man's features and was certain he was an NPC.

It was an old grandpa, his face covered in fine wrinkles.

He wore a brown jacket patched over a dozen times, and his eyes were red and swollen, his exhausted expression tinged with bitterness.

Spotting the silver-haired girl approaching, the old man squinted, quickly stepping forward a couple of paces and cautiously asked, "Respected adventurer, have you seen my granddaughter?"

"Granddaughter?"

Chen Zixuan searched his memory. He'd only been here for a little over ten minutes and hadn't seen any NPC resembling a little girl.

He shook his head. "Sorry, I haven't seen your granddaughter."

"I see..."

The old man sighed, clearly crestfallen, muttering softly, "My Sophina, just where have you gone...?"

With that, he stopped paying Chen Zixuan any mind, bowed his head in despair, and continued deeper into the swamp.

Seeing the old man like that, Chen Zixuan was suddenly reminded of his own late grandfather and felt a pang of sympathy. He quickly caught up and blocked the old man's path.

"Grandpa, has your granddaughter gone missing? Let me help you look for her."

Judging by the old man's ragged clothes, he likely had no combat ability whatsoever. With so many water ghouls in the Mired Swamp, there was no way he would survive if he kept going deeper.

Chen Zixuan knew that an NPC dressed this poorly would have little to no money—even if he did trigger a quest, the reward probably wouldn't be great.

From a rational standpoint, he shouldn't have bothered.

Yet, following his own humanity, Chen Zixuan didn't hesitate and decided to accept the quest.

Blocked by Chen Zixuan, the old man stopped, sizing up the silver-haired girl before him. After a moment, he shook his head in disappointment and said, "Child, you should turn back. This isn't something you can be involved in."

Am I being looked down on by an NPC?

Hearing the old man's words, Chen Zixuan was torn between laughter and tears.

He couldn't help but feel he'd just been underestimated by a completely defenseless old man.

So he explained with a smile, "Grandpa, my level might not be high right now, but I'm actually pretty capable. How will we know unless we try?"

He wasn't wrong.

Though only level five, he was armed to the teeth and possessed many god-tier skills from the Vampire Prince class.

With his current power, he could even hold his own against a world-class boss at its prime.

Seeing Chen Zixuan's persistence, the old man finally relented, shaking his head helplessly and saying in a low voice, "Alright, then thank you, adventurer."

At the same time, a system message suddenly rang out in Chen Zixuan's mind.

"System notification: You have triggered the hidden quest — [The Missing Granddaughter]. Explore the depths of the Mired Swamp to find villager Pulis's missing granddaughter, sophina!"

It seemed that Pulis was the old man's name.

However, the red exclamation mark that popped up next from the system caused Chen Zixuan to frown.

"Warning: This quest is recommended for level 15, far above your current level. The system has determined it to be an extremely dangerous quest. Do you wish to accept?"

The silver-haired girl stroked her chin, deep in thought.

"No wonder the old man didn't want me to take this quest...the level requirement is so much higher than mine..."

To make matters worse, he was currently flagged red, with a 20% equipment drop rate upon death. Even a single death would result in an irreparable loss.

What should I do... should I reject it...?

Just as Chen Zixuan was hesitating, the hope that briefly lit up in the old man's eyes faded further, becoming utterly dim.

Seeing this, an image of the old man's loneliness suddenly flashed through Chen Zixuan's mind.

Feeling a pang inside, he reflexively pressed the [Accept] button.

Forget it, I'll just try it first. If I can't win, I'll just run...

With a helpless sigh, Chen Zixuan gently asked, "Grandpa, do you know which way your granddaughter went?"

This quest came with not a single hint from the system. He could only glean information from speaking with the old man himself.

"I don't know..."

The old man slowly hung his head, his face as withered as tree bark trembling, the pain in his expression deepening. "This morning... I got up to chop wood. Sophina was still in bed at home. By the time I returned...she was gone..."

At this, the old man covered his face with both hands, shoulders shaking as he began to sob softly.

Chen Zixuan watched calmly, and even knowing this was all AI, couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.

In an age overrun by monsters, the old man, who had lost his children and wife, now depended solely on his granddaughter—only to lose her too.

For him, to die alone in the Mired Swamp—wasn't it also a kind of release?

Although Chen Zixuan knew the chances of the old man's granddaughter Sophina being safe were slim, he still harbored a sliver of hope.

Lowering his gaze, he asked as gently as he could:"Is there any useful information you know? Don't worry, I will definitely bring Sophina back for you."

The old man's sobs quieted.

The next second, he suddenly put his hands down, his red and swollen eyes wide with fear as he cried out, "Monster! There's a man-eating monster in the swamp! It must be her! It must be the witch who ate my Sophina!"

Having finished, he squatted in the mud, wailing in despair.

"Witch?"

Chen Zixuan faltered for a moment.

And in that moment, the system's voice popped up again in his mind.

"System notification: You have officially activated the hidden quest — [The Missing Granddaughter]! Go to Talif Village and ask the other villagers for clues about the Witch of the Swamp!"

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