[Chain Quest: The Ledger's Shadow ]
Rain whispered over the docks as Zack's boots splashed through shallow puddles.
The faint blue quest marker flickered beside an old warehouse gate.
He pushed it open, the smell of sea salt and rust filled the air.
Inside, three figures turned toward him.
[Enemy Detected]
Dock Enforcer (Elite) – Lv.8 – HP: 4,800
Smuggler ×2 – Lv.6 – HP: 2,600 each
Zack's boots made no sound as he approached the marked crate. The quest tracker pulsed faintly beside his vision —Retrieve: Adventure Inn's Ledger.
Before he could move, a voice rolled out from the dark.
Dock Enforcer: "That's far enough, priest"
Zack stopped. A man stepped into the lantern glow; tall, wrapped in soaked leather, the insignia of the Dock Guild tattooed on his arm. His gauntlets looked heavy enough to break stone.
The Enforcer grinned, voice gravelly.
Dock Enforcer: "What's the matter, priest? Lose your prayer book?"
Zack blinked once, mildly surprised.
So the NPC knew his class.
Zack (thinking): He knows I'm a Priest… but probably not what kind.
A faint smirk tugged at his lips as he prepared to cast skills.
Dock Enforcer: "You people always show up where you don't belong. That ledger's Guild property"
Zack's gaze stayed level, unbothered.
The air rippled as mana surged around him, cold light bleeding through the rain.
The ground beneath them crackled as Arcane Surge flared to life, the air shifting from rain-chilled gray to searing blue-white.
[Skill: Divine Barrier Lv.1] — Absorbs 230
A silver dome shimmered around him. The first smuggler lunged forward, blade flashing.
[Enemy Skill: Quick Slash] — 107 Damage → Barrier absorbs (Remaining: 123)
Zack raised his staff, mana gathering like frost in the air.
[Skill: Ice Lance Lv.1] — (Equipment bonus included)
→ −582 HP (Smuggler #1 HP: 2,018 / 2,600)
The second smuggler circled — throwing a dagger.
[Enemy Skill: Dagger Throw] — 118 Damage → Barrier absorbs (Remaining: 5)
Barrier shatters into specks. Zack stepped back, cloak fluttering.
[Skill: Chain Lightning Lv.1]
→ Smuggler #1 −713 HP (HP: 1,305 / 2,600)
→ Smuggler #2 −706 HP (HP: 1,894 / 2,600)
→ Enforcer −694 HP (HP: 4,106 / 4,800)
The alley erupted with blinding arcs of lightning, the air buzzing with sharp static.
Dock Enforcer: "Not bad… but you'll need more than tricks."
Zack moved calmly, casting a buff on himself.
[Skill: Blessing of Resolve Lv.1] — DEF +15%, Resist +15% (30 sec)
He slammed his glaive down.
[Enemy Skill: Ground Smash] — 240 AoE Damage
→ Zack takes −112 HP ( due to buff and equipment defense )
[Skill: Ice Lance Lv.1]
→ −582 HP (Smuggler #2 HP: 1,312 / 2,600)
The smuggler froze mid-motion as ice spread across his chest.
The Enforcer charged, glaive sweeping in an arc.
[Enemy Skill: Power Bash] — 220 Damage
→ Zack takes −135 HP
[Skill: Momentum Shift] — Resets non-ultimate skill (Chain Lightning)
Cooldown reset.
[Skill: Chain Lightning Lv.1]
→ Enforcer −722 HP (HP: 3,384 / 4,800)
→ Smuggler #1 −706 HP (HP: 599 / 2,600)
Smuggler #1 dropped instantly. Only the Enforcer remained, his health bar dipping below 70%.
He roared, a dark glow covering his weapon.
[Enemy Skill: Berserker Guard] — Damage +15%, DEF +10%, duration 15s.
Zack didn't rush, he layered another spell.
[Skill: Benediction Aura Lv.1] — Restores 30 HP/s, DEF +10% (10s)
→ MP −60
A radiant light enveloped him; faint gold glyphs danced around his boots.
+49.5 HP… +49.5 HP… He already recovered whatever HP he had lost.
The Enforcer attacked again, glaive igniting red.
[Enemy Skill: Furious Slash] — 265 Damage → Reduced by Buffs (−155 HP)
→ Zack HP: 700 / 855
Zack's hand rose.
[Skill: Judgment Ray Lv.1] —
→ −932 HP (Enforcer HP: 2,452 / 4,800)
The light crashed through the warehouse roof, holy energy illuminating the darkness clinging to the dock's old warehouse.
Dock Enforcer: "You think it ends with us, priest?"
Zack's expression didn't shift as he replied, voice flat with a hint of amusement, "doesn't need to, just keep giving me more quests while you're at it."
He raised his staff and light surged through the rain like a blade.
[Skill: Ice Lance Lv.1] — 582 HP (Enforcer HP: 1,870 / 4,800)
[Skill: Chain Lightning Lv.1] — 728 HP (HP: 1,142 / 4,800)
[Skill: Ice Lance Lv.1] — 580 HP (HP: 562 / 4,800)
[Skill: Ice Lance Lv.1] — 572 HP → HP: 0 / 4,800
The Enforcer locked in place mid-charge, frost racing over its body before it burst apart like brittle ice.
[Enemies Defeated → +120 EXP]
[Loot: 18 Silver]
[Quest Progress: (2/3)]
The light faded as rain hissed against the boards.
Zack: "Two parts done huh"
He opened the quest log, next marker pulsing faintly at the harbor's edge.
The system ping echoed softly as Zack disappeared into the fog.
[Quest Updated!]
Next Objective: Investigate the Cargo Ship – "Echo of the Ledger"
Location: Eastern Dock
He exhaled through the chill. The harbor stretched before him, skeletal masts jutting from the mist, ropes creaking in rhythm with the tide.
One ship loomed larger than the rest, its nameplate barely visible through the rain-streaked light.
The quest marker pulsed faintly above its bow.
Zack's boots tapped softly over the warped planks as he crossed the half-broken walkway toward the moored vessel.
The ship creaked under its own weight, old timbers groaning with age and seawater, a faint scent of iron mingling with the salt.
He crouched by a shattered crate, fingers brushing the edges. The cargo markings were half-burnt.
[Detect Used – 5 MP]
Scanning area…
Result: Corrupted Cargo Seal.
Blue glyphs shimmered faintly along the crate's lid, the patterns pulsing once before fading back into black.
He straightened, staff angled across his back. The rain had dulled to a steady drizzle, but the air felt charged, something below deck was leaking mana, faint but constant.
[Optional Path Unlocked]
Enter the Cargo Ship alone.
Report findings to Ena Crest first.
Zack considered it for a moment, gaze settling on the faint crimson light pulsing beneath the ship's hull.
He stepped onto the ramp, rain dripping from his hood as the system chimed softly.
[Entering Instance Zone: Cargo Ship ]
The world dimmed for a heartbeat, his surroundings shifted and he could hear the storm raging outside, its fierce cries muted into a deep rumble, overshadowed by the creaking wood and the subtle vibration of tainted mana.
A single notification blinked at the edge of his interface:
[Warning: – Corrupted Zone ]
Zack gripped his staff tighter, golden light kindling faintly in his palm.
He descended into the shadowed hold, the sound of the water fading behind him as faint, rhythmic thuds echoed from deep below.
Darkness, then fog. Every step creaked beneath his boots, echoing through the hold lined with chained cargo. Some of the crates hummed, leaking thin trails of blue light.
-2 HP/sec per stack max (30 stacks)
Zack's eyes narrowed. He lifted his staff, casting [Purify].
A faint glow spread outward only for the corruption to twist back into form, defiant.
Zack (quietly): "Can't dispel it fully"
From deeper in the hold came a slow, heavy knock. Once. Twice.
Chains rattled.
Then a man stepped out pale-skinned, eyes faintly luminous red under the fog. His uniform bore the Dock Guild crest, tattered but still recognizable.
Dock Captain Varlen (Lv.8 — Corrupted): "You had no business being here, priest."
Zack's staff tilted slightly. "You people really need to work on your greetings."
Varlen's lips twitched, as he drew his cutlass, black energy rippled down its edge.
[Boss: Dock Captain Varlen – Lv.7]
HP: 9,200
Status: Corrupted (Hostile, Enhanced)
Zack activated [Arcane Surge], faint rings of light coiling around his hands.
"Fine. Let's make this quick"
Varlen lunged blade flashing. Zack's [Divine Barrier] flared just in time, sparks scattering as metal met radiant force.
He countered with [Ice Lance], frost striking the captain's chest and freezing his left arm for a heartbeat before it shattered. (debuff of slow applying)
Varlen grunted, then slammed his palm to the floor.
The ship's sigils flared crimson.
Dock Captain Varlen: "You think light alone can save you?"
Zack answered with a Ice Lance on his face.
Then he sidestepped, casting his other skill [Chain Lightning]!
Two arcs split through the air, each one hitting clean, tearing away chunks of corrupted armor.
HP ticked down — Varlen: 9200 → 4845
The captain roared, mana bursting around him. [Corrupted Slash] — the wave cut through Zack's shield, shattering it.
He slid back, HP dropping to 855→ 610.
"Alright," Zack muttered, snapping his fingers.
[Momentum Shift] → [Divine Barrier] reset.
Another shield flared into being, brighter and stronger than before.
Varlen tried to break it again. Didn't work this time.
[Judgment Ray] fell from above, a column of golden light piercing through the fog and striking dead center.
Critical Hit — 1612 Damage!
The blast threw Varlen back against the hull, as he groaned under the impact.
His HP dipped to 3233
The captain lunged one final time, reckless and unguarded.
Zack met him with a final 2x [Ice Lance] and [Chain Lightning], the arcs ripping through him and bursting into light.
"Varlen froze as the corruption shimmered over him, luminous filaments dancing across his form. Slowly, almost reluctantly, the aura unraveled and vanished, leaving only stillness in its wake."
[Boss Defeated: Dock Captain Varlen Lv.8]
EXP Gained: 500
Item Obtained: Adventure Inn's Ledger (Quest item)
Fog began to fade. The ship's hum quieted.
Zack exhaled softly and looked up toward the deck.
***
By the time Zack stepped back into the plaza, the rain had eased replaced by quiet murmurs.
Back at the Adventure Inn, warmth replaced the chill. Ena was still at the counter when Zack set the quest item down. She gave a brief nod, nothing else needed to be said.
A soft chime confirmed it.
[Quest Completed: Echo of the Ledger]
Reward: 500 EXP | 20 Silver | Crest of Fivefold | 10 HP and +1 Stat | Reputation +5
Among the rewards, Zack discovered a unique item called the Crest of Fivefold. When activated, it would provide a permanent boost of +100 HP and +5 stats to as many as five members of his guild.
However, he needed to join a guild first to utilize it; the item was a one-time use consumable and could not be stacked. He considered it to be a valuable item.
A soft ping resonated through Zack's interface as the quest window faded.
Then, another notification slid into view, this one outlined in faint gold, pulsing like a heartbeat.
[System Notice]
The User has gained Reputation Points.
Reputation System will now be unlocked.
Zack blinked as a new icon materialized beside his status bar, a shifting emblem of interlocking scales and threads.
When he tapped it, the air shimmered and a translucent scroll unfurled across his vision, glowing faintly with system light.
[Reputation System — Unlocked]
Lines of text formed one by one, tracing a path of hierarchy and consequence.
+1000 and above – Exalted "World's Chosen"
Revered by all; free access to restricted zones.
Perks: –20% merchant discounts, unique quests.
+600 to +999 – Revered "Emissary of Light"
Respected throughout the realm; Guilds and Orders acknowledge your deeds.
Perks: Similar to Exalted, with slightly reduced influence.
+300 to +599 – Honoured "Beacon of Trust"
Highly respected by most factions.
Perks: +5% increase in skill effects.
+100 to +299 – Good "Trusted Ally"
Welcomed and assisted by friendly NPCs.
Perks: Unlocks local faction perks and special quests.
+1 to +99 – Neutral "Recognized"
Standard interactions; no hostility.
Perks: Slightly friendlier merchants.
0 – Balanced "Unaligned"
Treated as unknown.
Perks: None.
–1 to–99 – Tainted "Untrustworthy"
NPC suspicion; limited dialogue options.
Perks: Certain black-market traders available.
–100 to–499 – Corrupted "Marked by Shadows"
Hostile reactions from lawful factions.
Perks: Hidden merchants; minor loot rate boost.
–500 to–999 – Notorious "Name of Dread"
Feared; towns turn hostile.
Perks: +20% increase in skill effects.
–1000 and below – Forsaken "World's Enemy"
Kill-on-sight; hunted by all.
Perks: Unlocks hidden quest/profession and 30% increase in skill effects.