Hearing the word 'dungeon' come out of Alfaera's mouth, Valyr could not help but raise his eyebrows in curiosity, his interest greatly piqued. At that moment, he ignored the notification sound that had resounded in his mind, which informed him of the quest that had been triggered by her words.
In the world of Greater Beyond, there were four things a player could participate in if they wanted their equipment to be up to date and up to par. The first one was quests, specifically main quests that rewarded special equipment. This was generally the most preferred method for many players to obtain strong equipment, with every piece of equipment they get from it lasting them far longer than any normal equipment.
Next up were world raids, which would only be available to players and beings of a higher level. These raids would only be accessible when one owned the key that unlocked that respective raid, allowing them to receive great fortune in the chance that they successfully beat the raid. Naturally, it went without saying that superb equipment was included among the rewards, their quality only losing out to equipment obtained from the hardest of quests.
After that were reoccurring field events, such as the monster tide. Unlike the first two methods, reoccurring field events were one of the easier methods for a being to obtain decent equipment, with those able to land a final hit on the boss being eligible for equipment of a far greater quality.
Unfortunately, due to how it was more accessible compared to the first two methods, most high-leveled players would monopolize on the equipment dropped during the monster tide, only leaving the scraps behind for those weaker than them to pick up.
And last but not the least was the topic of Valyr's current interest, dungeons. Being the most accessible method for beings to obtain equipment for their levels, equipment that's dropped from dungeons were considered as the baseline standard by many.
Nevertheless, even though dungeon equipment lost out in comparison to equipment obtained from the three earlier methods, it had still its advantages, such as the fact that almost every piece of dungeon equipment made up a set. In fact, once Valyr had returned from registering to the Blacksmith Guild, he had plans to find a dungeon at his current level and clear it for its equipment.
'I wonder how difficult the dungeon near the village is?' Valyr thought to himself, returning his attention to the words that came out of Alfaera's mouth.
"We've already had multiple people enter the dungeon in the past. After collecting all of the information we've gotten from them, we've concluded that it's a dungeon made for beings around Level 10 to 15," Alfaera said, her gaze focused on Valyr's face.
"Is that the reason why those at a higher level haven't entered the dungeon and solved the problem yet?" Valyr asked in response, to which Alfaera nodded with a bitter smile.
"To be honest, I've offered this same exact request to every newly ascended Rank 1 class holder in the village. Even Damian was not exempt from this. However, even though most of them entered the dungeon at the highest level it could accept, all of them still lacked the firepower necessary to kill the final boss." Alfaera lightly sighed.
"Do we have any idea as to what kind of monsters lurk within the dungeon?" With the dungeon becoming more and more unique in Valyr's mind, his urge to attempt it gradually increased with every passing second. At this point, the plan to find a dungeon suitable for his current level had been discarded outright, being replaced by the thought of clearing this dungeon instead.
"Goblins. All of the monsters you'll be fighting against in the dungeon are goblins and goblin variants." Hearing Valyr's question, Damian took the initiative to respond, slightly shuddering in fear as he recalled his memories of entering the dungeon. "As for the final boss… let's just say it's an incredibly strong goblin."
"Hmm?" Noticing the hesitation in Damian's words regarding the dungeon's final boss, Valyr could not help but raise his eyebrow. However, as Damian went silent after saying what he had to say, he placed the matter at the back of his head, making a mental note to try and find out what kind of final boss the dungeon contained.
Seeing as Damian had responded to the question for her, Alfaera lightly nodded before bringing Valyr's attention back to her. "And that pretty much sums up the second matter I wanted to discuss with you. Naturally, if you succeed in clearing out the dungeon, removing the final obstacle that's hindering the village from expanding, I assure you that you'll be rewarded handsomely for your efforts."
Hearing those words, Valyr took it as his cue to check out the quest that the system notified him about earlier, wondering if what Alfaera had said so far matched up with what was written.
Ding!
[Roadblock to Expansion]
Difficulty: B
Finding out that you have newly ascended to Rank 1, the chief of Astarto Village has decided to ask for your help in removing an obstacle that has been hindering the village from expanding for a long time. According to her, a dungeon only those at the lower levels of Rank 1 could attempt was what blocked this expansion from happening. Of course, as she had approached you about the dungeon, you fit the criteria to enter it.
Although she has high hopes in you being able to create a miracle as the Tidebreaker, she also understands if you ever fail in clearing it. After all, she has already asked many before you to do the same thing, but to no avail.
Quest Requirements:
> Clear the dungeon [Astarto Goblin Den] (0/1)
Quest Rewards:
- Affinity +500 with Alfaera
- Planetary Reputation +20
- +50,000 XP
- Improvement to [Astarto's Tidebreaker] title
- [Astarto's Beacon of Hope] title
- [Knight] nobility title
Quest Penalty:
- Reputation -100 within Astarto Village
[Note: Though Alfaera is not urging you to complete the quest as soon as possible, understanding that preparation is key, the flames of ambition roar greatly within her. Perhaps you could earn better rewards if you finish it faster.]
Reading through the quest's description, Valyr could not help but inwardly take in a deep breath, being left at a loss for words at the rewards that he would obtain if he succeeded in clearing the dungeon. Aside from the fact that he would gain a decent chunk of XP and a good amount of Planetary Reputation, the fact that he had the chance to obtain effectively three titles at once shocked him, with the last title among the three shocking him the most.
'A nobility title…' Valyr thought to himself, thinking that having one early on would definitely help out in the creation of his organization in the future. Eventually, he had come to a decision, gaining a new impression of the woman before him as he read the note at the end of the quest.
Commanding the system to accept the quest, Valyr nodded at Alfaera as a smile appeared on his face. "Alright. I'll try my best to clear the dungeon. It wouldn't make sense for the Tidebreaker to not have the same level of ambition as you, after all."
Hearing Valyr's words, Alfaera was slightly taken aback, only to let out carefree laughter soon after as she extended her out for a handshake. "I do hope you clear the dungeon. After all, you'd be fulfilling the dreams of my ancestors from a long time ago. No pressure, though. If you end up failing, then that just means I have to wait for another person to clear the dungeon instead."
"You say no pressure, but it feels like you are." Letting out a chuckle in response, Valyr reciprocated the handshake as Alfaera looked at him with a slightly mischievous smile.
"You're Astarto's Tidebreaker, after all. If it isn't you who does it, then who else?" Saying those words, Alfaera went ahead and bade farewell to the two, informing Valyr of her residence before congratulating him once more on ascending, eventually leaving the two on their own.
Once he was certain that Alfaera had completely left, Valyr could not help but let out a long sigh, to which Damian responded by flashing him a bitter smile. Seeing the bitter smile on Damian's face, Valyr could not help but wear a bitter smile as well, eventually opening his mouth to ask a question.
"Has she always been that way?"
"Pretty much. Well, you'll eventually get used to it."
"I see… say, would it be possible for me to get a set of uniforms in my new size?"
"Ah, yes. I'll get that sorted out later."
"Thank you."
