"Thank you very much!" Pietro said as he held Lux's hand tightly. "We would have never survived without your support!"
The Mayor of Abingdon Town couldn't express how grateful he was for Lux's great effort in escorting them all the way to the Town of Broughton.
Although Pietro didn't know if they could return to Abingdon Town in the future, he was optimistic about the future.
After all, they were still alive, and being alive held infinite possibilities.
"You're welcome," Lux replied as he, too, firmly shook Pietro's hand. "Please, take care of yourself, and everyone, Sir Pietro. If Fate wills it, our paths will cross again."
Pietro nodded his head with a smile. "I pray for that as well, Lux. If we do meet again in the future, I'll do my best to repay this favor you did for us."
Lux returned Pietro's smile before bidding goodbye to the Mayor, as well as the residents of Abingdon Town.
"It's time to go, ALL-MITE," Lux said with a smirk as he looked at the Champion that protected everyone on the journey.
Currently, ALL-MITE was surrounded by the children, and a few of them were even sitting on his arms, while laughing.
The children of Abingdon Town idolized him. Some even said that when they grew up, they also wanted to become as strong as him, which made ALL-MITE laugh.
"Alright, kids, time for me to go," ALL-MITE said as he crouched down to allow the children to safely dismount his arms.
Although they were reluctant, the children obeyed. However, the next moment, all of them clung to ALL-MITE, telling him not to go.
Seeing that the little kids, who resembled clingy Koalas, had no intention of letting ALL-MITE leave them, the Half-Elf decided to give the Four-Armed Hero permission to play with them until nightfall.
Truth be told, Lux and his party were also tired from the journey and wanted to rest for a day or two in Broughton Town before they resumed their journey to look for the Transcendent Flames.
His Master, Randolph and Grandma Annie didn't complain during the entirety of the journey, but the Half-Elf was sure that they were at their limit. Also, the two Dwarf girls, Laura and Livia looked very exhausted.
Lux couldn't bear to see how tired they looked, so he decided to let everyone take a proper rest.
Truth be told, although everyone was tired due to the long journey, they were very happy with the rewards they received from their mission to help save the residents of Abingdon Town
—------------
< Congratulations! You have finished the mission: Abingdon Town's Great Escape >
< Abingdon Town's Great Escape >
– 1,000 Residents of Abingdon Town must survive.
– Quest Duration: 13 days.
—------------
< Rewards >
+200 Wanid Kingdom Reputation Points
5,000,000 Gold Coins
500 Free Stat Points.
One Rank 5 Skill Book that matches your profession.
You will obtain the Title: Insect Slayer
—---------
< Bonus Rewards >
– Bonus Rewards will be calculated depending on your performance in this mission. The bigger the role you play, the higher the rewards will be.
—---------
< Insect Slayer >
< Deals 100% increase damage against Insect-Type Monsters >
—------------
Everyone got the basic rewards for the quest, which gave everyone an increase in their stats, Wanid Kingdom Reputation Points, 5,000,000 Gold Coins, as well as a Rank 5 Skill Book that matched their Profession.
Rank 5 Skill Books were similar to Beast Cores of Rank 5 Monsters. Those that obtained them could freely choose what skill they wanted, regardless if the skill came from a Normal Monster, an Alpha, A Field Boss, or a World Boss.
Even the always grumpy Cethus couldn't remove the grin from his face when their mission was completed.
The Reputation Points for the Wanid Kingdom were extremely valuable. After helping the residents of Abingdon Town evacuate the Shaufell Plains, news of Lux's and his party's heroism started to spread.
This made the locals have a good impression of them, which would be beneficial as they continued their journey. Usually, the Wanid Kingdom was very wary of strangers. However, they welcomed those who had done good for their countrymen.
In fact, after arriving in Broughton Town, the Innkeeper with the best accommodations in Town, took the initiative to invite Lux and his party members to stay in their Inn for a few days, free of charge.
The Half-Elf happily accepted this offer to the delight of the Innkeeper. Clearly, the latter wanted to brag to his acquaintances that Lux and his comrades had stayed in his Inn.
Back on Earth, whenever celebrities or famous actors visited a place, the owner would usually take pictures of them, and display them as a commemoration of their stay. This enhanced the prestige of that establishment, inviting more customers to visit their establishments.
But, the rewards didn't end there.
The Bonus Rewards which were based on their performance during the mission gave them all a surprise that they never thought possible.
'I wonder what the others got?' Lux thought as he glanced at his party members, whose good moods were oozing from their facial expressions.
However, since he didn't want to pry, he decided to not ask them any questions and took Eiko to his room to rest.
—-----------
Cethus Room…
"Amazing…," the Dragon Born muttered as he looked at the Bonus Rewards he gained from the quest. "I knew that coming with him was the right decision. I'm sure that those uptight Royal Guards in Karhsvar Draconis will become jealous once they realize how much I've changed after leaving the Capital City."
The Dragon Born laughed happily as he summoned an exquisite looking spear that hovered in front of him.
"Not bad… not bad indeed." Cethus smirked as he held the handle of the spear firmly in his hands, making it hum and acknowledge the Dragon Born as its new Master.
—-----------
Gerhart's Room…
A light breeze blew inside the room as Gerhart fanned himself with a green fan that seemed to have been made by a great artisan.
"I never thought I'd acquire a Pseudo-Legendary Item after finishing this mission," Gerhart said as he looked outside the window of his room. "Heaven's Gate… I look forward to the day when I no longer need to hide the name of my Guild, and can show everyone that I am one of its members."
The green-haired Half-Elf silently thanked Cai's Grandpa, Maximilian, for looking after him and making Lux take him on his journey. Back then, the only thought on his mind was to avenge his mother's death. He didn't know what he would do after he finished his revenge, but now, it was different.
He now had something to look forward to.
A place where he belonged.
Gerhart was now looking forward to his future adventures with Lux, as he set a new goal, not only for himself, but for everyone who was part of the one and only Mythical Guild in the world.
—-----------
Laura's and Livia's Room…
"Cora, you've become stronger!" Laura praised her Baby Slime, who had gained a Unique Ability as part of the Bonus Rewards the little Dwarf received from the quest.
"Yes!" Cora replied happily as Laura spun her round and round, while giggling.
Livia was humming a happy tune, while holding her Baby Slime, Nora, in her hands. Just like her twin sister, she also received a Bonus Reward that allowed Nora to gain a Unique Ability.
Although they weren't sure how powerful these abilities were when put into action, the twins believed that their Baby Slimes would be able to accomplish amazing things in the future.
—-----------
Randolph's Room…
"I always thought that our adventuring days were over," Randolph said as he looked at Grandma Annie who was seated on the couch opposite him. "I'm just worried that our old bones will be unable to bear the burden of accompanying these kids to unknown lands."
"Well, you're not wrong," Grandma Annie replied before drinking her tea. "Truth be told, I thought that my time had come when the Insects attacked us in the Shaufell Plains. If not for the fact that Laura and Livia were with me, I would have probably gone to the frontlines to help Lux fight against those Insects."
Randolph snorted after hearing Grandma Annie's words.
"What good would an old lady do on the battlefield?" Randolph asked. "Well, I guess the Insects wouldn't bother to do anything with you because you don't look appetizing to them."
Instead of being angry, Grandma Annie just chuckled after hearing her friend's sarcasm.
"Say, do you really think we can make them submit?" Grandma Annie asked as she placed her tea cup on the table.
Randolph shrugged as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Subduing Transcendent Flames is not an easy thing," Randolph replied. "Many have died because the Flames didn't deem them worthy and burned them alive. Are you prepared to be burned alive?"
"No," Grandma Annie replied while shaking her head. "If I die, no one will take care of Laura and Livia. Because of that, I have no intention of dying. How about you? Have you already prepared your coffin?"
Randolph snorted, but didn't give a reply to Grandma Annie's inquiry.
Both of them understood that making the Transcendent Flames recognize them as their Masters wouldn't be easy.
Although it didn't show in their expressions, both of them were extremely anxious and excited at the same time.
Excited because there was a possibility of finding the elusive Flames that all craftsmen longed for, and anxiousness due to the possibility that the Flames that they were pursuing had already been taken by others.
There was also a fact that they were worried that the Transcendent Flames would reject them and burn them alive.
"Annie, if I die, I just want you to know that I have always lo–"
"Hush… let's not talk about this anymore. It's all in the past now. You're just feeling sentimental because of the danger we are currently facing."
Randolph sighed internally because he understood that Grandma Annie didn't want to talk about the things that happened in the past.
In the end, the two Dwarves drank tea in silence, while reminiscing about the days of their youth.
Days where they were still strong, fit, and ready to face the challenges of the world. Although those days were already gone, the two felt as if they were given a new starting point in life.
As long as they were able to subdue the Transcendent Flames, their second chance at life would officially begin.
—----------
Inside Lux's Room…
"..."
The Half-Elf didn't have time to look at his rewards earlier because several things were happening at once. However, after everything settled down and he finally had time to check his rewards, he found himself staring at his Soul Book in disbelief.
"... This can't be real, right?" Lux muttered after he regained his composure.
The Half-Elf stared at the projection in front of him, which displayed a giant map that encompassed the entirety of the Wanid Kingdom.
And on that map, he found a marked location, which showed the location of one of the Transcendent Flames.
This discovery was a pleasant surprise for the Half-Elf because finding the Transcendent Flames was his reason for coming to the Wanid Kingdom.
However, the thing that surprised him the most was the location of the flame.
"Blackrock Clan…," Lux said softly as he looked at the familiar emblem on the projection.
When Lux was just starting his journey in Elysium, he came upon a hidden quest inside the dungeon of Norria.
And in this quest, he came upon Barca, the Half-Orc, whom Lux had helped to become the Tribe Chieftain of the Blackrock Clan.
"Is this a coincidence?" Lux narrowed his eyes as he looked at the blinking location on the map. "I guess there is only one way to find out."
The Half-Elf knew that second-guessing wouldn't get him anywhere.
But, one thing was for sure. If they wanted to get their first Transcendent Flame, they had no choice but to go to the Blackrock Territory, and meet up with the Orcs, who were one of the pillars that protected the Wanid Kingdom.
