Rank:

Level Requirement: Any (Recommended level 25+)

Description: Bandit Warrior Jackson and his men have been abandoned by their former comrades within the bandit village and Bandit Warrior Jackson seeks revenge for their act of betrayal. You are tasked to complete the objectives below. Upon completion, Bandit Warrior Jackson is willing to give the appropriate compensation for your efforts.

Objects:

Pick up the trail for Jackson's former allies- 0/1

Track down these bandits back to their new base- 0/1

Destroy the new bandit hideout- 0/100%

Kill all the bandits in the hideout- 0/???

Kill all bandit leaders- 0/5

Capture/Kill Bandit Leader Cain- 0/1 (the final reward changes depending on the choice made by the play for this option.)

Recover the missing weapon- 0/1

(*Not all objectives for this quest must be met for the player to claim the reward but it is highly recommended that everything is done as the final reward will be reduced for a lower quest completion score.)

Rewards: +2 levels, Rare Treasure Chest (Untradeable), Random Architecture Blueprint (Uncommon), the right to claim Bandit Warrior Jackson's head.

Looking at the quest window before him, Kirou narrowed his eyes slightly at the final line for the rewards section. He then glanced at the female archer, noticing that she wasn't showing any strange reactions. Seeing this prompted Kirou to speculate that either he and the archer got two different quests or the rewards for both quests weren't the same.

Kirou then turned his eyes towards Jackson who was currently looking at him with a serious face and spoke in a somewhat serious tone, "With the rewards you've presented to me, I can see that you are very determined in getting your revenge on those people, especially the one called Cain. That being said, I'm afraid I cannot help you with this quest."

Upon hearing Kirou's words, all the other members of the squad and the female archer shot Kirou very nasty looks. If looks could kill, Kirou would currently be reduced to just ashes in a split second of those stares. While they were reacting like this, Bandit Warrior Jackson was looking at Kirou with slightly disappointed eyes as he spoke, "Would you mind telling me your reason for refusing my request, lad?"

Kirou ignored the nasty looks he was receiving for the squad and the glare trailed on him by the archer as he spoke, "Before I give you an answer to that, allow me to ask you a question first. By chance, are you aware of what my cla.s.s is?" When Kirou asked this, he had a peculiar expression on his face as he noticed quite a few people show hints of confusion on their faces.

Jackson sank into contemplation for a moment on that question. While there was a very obvious answer right before him, he could tell that the true answer lied somewhere else. The rest of his squad weren't as good with their observations but since this was a question to their boss, they kept their thoughts to themselves. The female archer had no reservations about this so she spoke up the moment she saw the rest keeping quiet, "Aren't you just a Wire Manipulator, though? It may not be one of the standard cla.s.ses but hidden cla.s.ses aren't exactly rare in this world, right?"

Kirou looked at the archer with a knowing expression on his face while Jackson himself just shook his head in defeat as he spoke, "I have no idea what your cla.s.s is. My best bet is with what the la.s.s just came up with, but from your expression, I can tell that it's wrong."

While the archer was now looking at Jackson in confusion, Kirou nodded his head at Jackson's words before speaking up, "You are correct, Senior Jackson. Though I may have been using wires during the whole time I've been around you, I'm not a member of the Wire Manipulator cla.s.s. I am a Weapon Master."

At those words, Bandit Warrior Jackson and a few members of his squad had their eyes dilated before sucking in a sharp breath of air. Upon seeing this reaction, the others quickly inquired about what was so special about this cla.s.s, only to be given a basic introduction to the cla.s.s. A few of them did similar actions after hearing about the cla.s.s.

Next to Jackson and Kirou, the female archer had overheard the info about weapon masters and thought to herself for a moment before something jumped out at her. She immediately turned to Kirou to address this issue, "Hold on. I get that weapon masters can make use of any weapons they can get their hands on, but your mastery of those wires seem a bit abnormal. It's almost as if you..." The female archer's words trailed off there as a thought entered her mind, prompting her face to turn pale almost instantly.

The rest of the squad that wasn't aware of weapon masters before heard this and were confused, while those in the know, Jackson included, were now nodding their heads in silent agreement at the conclusion that she had just arrived at. To give those who hadn't figured it out yet an answer, Kirou finally spoke up, "Unlike other cla.s.ses that already have a set system on how to advance in their path, for a weapon master to advance beyond their first bottleneck, they must completely master one of the many weapons they use, regardless of what it is. In my case, I am using wires."

Getting confirmation from Kirou's words, those were already aware now had wry smiles on their faces as they can see that Kirou is going to be another of those monsters from legend, if his skill with just those wires that he's currently stuck using are any indication. As for the rest, they were now understanding the implications behind Kirou being a weapon master and they too started to pale slightly.

While they were doing that, Kirou released a shrug before he continued speaking, "Until I finish my cla.s.s advancement, I'm currently stuck using only my wires. As good as I am with them, wires aren't suitable for sieges so I'd rather not do something if I won't be able to do it right. That said, if that quest of yours doesn't have a time limit and you're willing to wait a day, I don't mind helping you out then."

Hearing Kirou's words, the group now looked at him in a new, more favorable light. The female archer had her gaze lowers while the squad members themselves were showing hints of embarra.s.sment. As for Jackson, he currently had a small smile on his face as he spoke, "I don't mind waiting a bit in order to get my revenge. After all, I need to settle my men before the revenge is carried out as I won't be able to rest easy if I die before they have found a new place for themselves."

The squad members looked as if they wanted to say something but Jackson's fierce gaze stopped them in their tracks. How could he not tell that his men were willing to join him on the road to h.e.l.l after working with them for so long? He knew d.a.m.n well that if he didn't stop them here and now, it would be too late to do so later on.

With what needing to be said and verified out of the way, Kirou accepted Jackson's quest and saw a new addition to his quest window. Now that he accepted the quest, Kirou asked Jackson, "Since I won't be able to complete this quest right now, where do you guys plan on staying in the meantime, Senior Jackson? I need to be able to find you guys when I'm ready to turn in this request after all"

At those words, a somewhat sheepish expression formed on Jackson's face as he responded to Kirou's question, "That is true. Unfortunately for us, there isn't a hospitable area where we can hold up in the meantime so our next best option is to hang around the closest town to this area while laying low."

Listening to Jackson's words to the end, a strange idea formulated within Kirou's mind. This was reflected on his face in the form of a peculiar expression on his face as he spoke to Jackson, "Since that's the case, why don't I give you a place where you and your men can settle down, Senior Jackson?"

"Excuse me?" said Jackson in a slightly confused voice. This reaction was shared by Jackson's men, along with the female archer.

Kirou ignored their confusion as he spoke, still sporting that peculiar expression on his face, "I know an area on the northern side of the continent where you and your men can settle down, Senior Jackson. It's quite a distance away from the nearest inhabited area, so you won't have to worry about dealing with unnecessary people poking their nose in your business. That being said, the area is surrounded by a few unpopular monster habitats so you won't be running into many people that can support your current bandit occupation. Should you decide to settle down in that area, however, you and your men will have to abandon your lives as bandits and find another means to support yourselves." When Kirou said that last part, his voice changed from the casual tone he had been using for most of the speech to one that was serious.

Hearing the change in Kirou's voice, Bandit Warrior Jackson and his men understood that Kirou was giving them an opportunity to leave their past behind and start anew. This prompted the squad members to whisper amongst themselves while Jackson himself sank into contemplation. This was something Jackson and his men had to think about for themselves.

Off to the side, the female archer was currently looking at Kirou as if he was a strange lifeform. She had been in this game since the very beginning, having had to stand in line for hours just to get the chance to buy her gaming helmet, following which she logged in on the opening night, where she found herself amongst the many that had logged in at the same time to experience the game for themselves.

During those three weeks, she has been through many situations, even managing to join a bandit village after randomly b.u.mping into Jackson and his squad a while back. With all that said, this was the very first time that she's met a player like Kirou, one who's strength was completely abnormal, yet it seems like it was just par for the course with him. This was the very first time that she's met a player who was capable of influencing NPCs to this degree, though if she's being honest, this was also the first time she's seen a player willing to speak and listen to a regular NPC so courteously, much less a bandit NPC like Jackson.

While the archer was lost in her thoughts, Jackson hesitated for a minute before speaking, "Would my people need to fight for you in this area that you are sending us? Would they be able to partake in other fields, such as crafting and mining should they feel like it?"

Hearing Jackson's questions, the peculiar expression on Kirou's face grew even more p.r.o.nounced as he stared at the faces of Jackson and his squad. Kirou made sure to clap, gaining everyone's attention on him before he spoke, "In that area, all I ask you to do is to set up a settlement for yourselves. Whether you choose to hunt in those monster habitats, decide to set up a few shops to sell some stuff, or decide to go fis.h.i.+ng, I don't care. So long as you agree to not commit any banditry or anything shady within that entire region, I'll welcome your presence with open arms."

When Kirou said this, Jackson and his ten squad members all looked at Kirou with a bit of reverence in their eyes. To think, they had just been betrayed, abandoned, and lost all of their possessions, yet a man whom was previously their enemy was now willing to provide them with a new place to live, so long as they give up on their bandit way. They were all moved on the inside but they managed to keep their emotions in check.

Jackson was the first to kneel on one leg while putting his fist in his palm, giving Kirou a martial artist's salute as he spoke, "As you command, Master Kirou."

This action was repeated by the rest of Jackson's squad moved and spoke in sync, "As you command, Master Kirou."

Standing before them, the female archer was looking at this with shock while Kirou retained a casual smile on his face, musing over the events that just played out. Kirou eventually shook his head of his musings as he spoke, "There's no need to address me as master as I don't plan on leading nor taking control of your lives. You can think of me more as your landlord. I was planning to find some people to live in the area and you guys needed a new place, so there's no need to overthink this."

Although Kirou said this, Jackson and his men never budged an inch as Jackson spoke, "Even if that's the case, we will still regard you as our master since you've decided to give us a home."

Kirou could see the determination in their eyes and their unwillingness to back down so he could only release a sigh as he spoke, "Fine then, but don't call me master. Captain or leader would be a better t.i.tle to use. Also, when you get to the area, I want you guys to make a house for me in the area that I choose. I'll provide you with enough materials and tools for the endeavor, but the design is up to you. As for everything else, you'll have to take care of it on your own."

Jackson and his men stood up and gave Kirou a bow as they spoke in unison, "Understood, Leader Kirou."

For some reason, even though there was no communication on their part, all of them just naturally went with calling Kirou 'leader', which gave him a chill. As for the archer, she was shocked to her core and currently questioning what she's seen and heard during the last ten or so minutes.

It was around this time that Kirou turned his eyes towards her and spoke, "Hey, young miss. I'll leave it to you to lead these guys to the area. Since I don't see a map on any of them, that leaves you to be their navigator since you have access to one via the system."

Although she wasn't sure where, the archer felt a bit of familiarity with how Kirou spoke to her, prompting her to react with a huff as she spoke, "Why should I be listening to what you say? What's in it for me?"

As if waiting on her to say those exact words, Kirou took out a bow from his inventory that was giving off a blueish glow and dangled it before her eyes. Upon seeing this, the girl's eyes remained rooted on the bow for a few moments until Kirou put it away, prompting the girl to awaken from her stupor and stare at Kirou with narrowed eyes. Kirou ignored this as he spoke, "Tell me your name. I've got something to show you."

The archer stared at Kirou for a few moments before responding, "Moon Lily."

Kirou nodded before sending the now identified Moon Lily a private message. When Moon Lily checked the message, her eyes bulged slightly at what she saw before she spoke, "Alright, I'll take on your request."

'Of course, you will,' thought Kirou as he rolled his eyes at the girl's prideful voice after seeing the stats on the bow being offered as her reward. Kirou then gave the girl the coordinates and watched as the group left after saying their farewells.

Kirou waited until the group was completely out of sight before he turned around and went in the direction of the now ruined village. He had to move quickly if he wanted to pick up their trail. Although Kirou had originally told Jackson and his men that he wouldn't be able to start the quest today, what he truly meant was that he wouldn't be able to deliver Bandit Leader Cain's head or kill off the other bandits just yet as his wired gloves truly wasn't suitable for siege battles. That said, picking up their trail and tracking it down to their new location was something Kirou could do before going back to deal with his quest.

While Kirou was busy with this, he didn't notice that he had a message from the system. It appeared after Jackson and his group had started addressing him as 'Master' but he was too busy musing over the situation to notice it. The system message read as follows:

[System: Due to your recent actions, you have unlocked the u003cRecruit NPCu003e system]

[This system allows the player to recruit NPCs without a home into their base to work for them and to help build their base. The requirements to recruit each NPC varies but it is highly recommended for the player to play on the NPC's interests for a high success rate.]

[System: For being the first to unlock the u003cRecruit NPCu003e system, you have received 1000 gold, Fame +1000 and the t.i.tle u003cFledgling Leaderu003e]