The Realm Between: The Evil Within: A LitRPG Saga (Book 5), page 13
“I had hoped you’d return.” Eila pressed her body against Azure, immediately getting a response.
He knew it was probably a lie. She was paid to pretend. But he would be pretending too, so what did it really matter.
Azure handed Paul 10 gold, and then Eila took his hand and led him upstairs for an hour he would never forget.
Time passes too quickly, Azure thought with a satisfied sigh as he headed back to the inn. Almost as soon as the thought came to him, he realized it was an oxymoron. All Azure wanted was for James Bower and his Bower Boys to meet their demise as soon as possible. But that hour had definitely gone by too quickly. By the time it was over, he had half-considered spending another 10 gold to be lost in the fantasy that the pleasure house provided for a bit longer.
His hedonism had its limits, though. There was no way to tell how much money he’d need to have saved back to complete the journey to Finborh once he left Squall’s End. At least, Azure now felt a little less depressed. It had been worth every copper, even if the relief didn’t last for very long.
Wanting to recoup some of the money he’d spent, Azure sat in his room and began working on crafting Potions of Minor Healing.
You have received the following items:
Potion of Minor Healing
Quantity: 37
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 0 kg
Uses: Heals 30 HP
Potion of Minor Healing
Quantity: 19
Item Class: Common
Quality: Poor
Weight: 0 kg
Uses: Heals 25 HP
Potion of Minor Healing
Quantity: 4
Item Class: Common
Quality: Good
Weight: 0 kg
Uses: Heals 35 HP
He toiled into the late evening, until his hands ached and he was exhausted from the labor. Then Azure put away the potions he’d crafted and headed down to the tavern for dinner.
There was a different feeling to going to the tavern than there had been in days past. Tonight, he wasn’t waiting for anyone. Azure didn’t care if Lonnell or Uden showed up. He wasn’t looking for them. The pressing need for having his companions all together had passed. Once the Bower Boys quest was complete, Azure would leave Squall’s End. Alone.
He ordered an ale and supped on a meat pie. The food tasted particularly delicious today; Azure told the barmaid to praise the chef. Similar to how he had felt after burning himself alive, it was another day where he appreciated every moment that he still breathed. The air smelled crisper, doing tedious work hadn’t been quite so boring, and the feel of Eila beneath him—though there had been no emotional connection between them—had been more exquisite than any woman he had ever held before. Life just meant more to him today than it usually did. It seemed to be a feeling unique to The Realm, and though he enjoyed being mindful of every little thing that he typically took for granted, the frequency of which it had been happening made him yearn for his dull old life back on Earth. As soon as Azure finished eating, and drinking his ale, he headed back to his room to get to bed early.
Due to sleeping so early, he woke before the sun had risen. For having gotten an early start, there was a line of Adventurers waiting outside of The Adventurers Guild for it to open. Unfortunately, it seemed that most of the people who had been waiting ended up in the E line. Azure stood around Analyzing the unfamiliar faces until a notification popped up.
Congratulations! The skill: Analyze has reached Level 13. This skill allows you to see how dangerous a foe is in relation to your own level. Use this skill frequently to avoid getting yourself killed.
It took a little over an hour before he finally got his turn. Azure stepped up to the E counter, half expecting Mel to tell him that the Bower Boys quest hadn’t been completed yet. What he hadn’t expected, was this…
“Shane Garside is dead,” Mel told him plainly. There was more accusation in his voice than sympathy, as if Azure had been the cause.
“What?” His mouth dropped open.
“James Bower and his Bower Boys strike again.” The clerk sighed heavily.
“But he qualified for the quest.” Azure felt shocked to his core.
“If you don’t believe me, see for yourself. The quest is back on the Open Quests board.” Mel pointed at the board.
“You can’t be serious.” He didn’t want to believe that the Bower Boys had claimed the life of yet another Adventurer. And this time, it kind of was his fault.
“Do you want to take a quest? If not…” The clerk looked at the line of Adventurers waiting behind Azure.
Azure filed out of line, his jaw hanging slack as he tried to process this new information. The Bower Boys hadn’t been defeated. What was worse was that someone else was dead because of them.
Shane Garside had been strong. At level 40, he had been decked out even better than Sir Nash Thornton had been. That buster sword had looked like serious business. If he couldn’t kill James Bower, then who could?
Each step was wrought with emotional weight as Azure carried himself over to the Open Quests board. Seeing the Bower Boys quest pinned to it yet again felt like a nightmare. They were just men, but at this point, the Bower Boys seemed more like Gods. Why were they so undefeatable?
Adventurers Guild Quest: Defeat The Bower Boys
Outlaw James Bower has brought his despicable Bower Boys to Squall's End. They've been robbing people along the various roads leading into the city. These menaces need to be dealt with...permanently. Find them, kill them, and bring James Bower's severed head to The Adventurers Guild as proof that the deed has been done.
Designation: D
Type: Bounty
Difficulty: Very Hard
Requirements: Character Level 36
One-Handed or Two-Handed Weapons Skill Level 43
Agility 40
Deadline: 7 days
Success: Kill all 5 members of The Bower Boys
Failure: Cancel quest
Reward: 11 gold
Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?
There’s one less, Azure noticed. He managed to kill one of them. Somehow, that had made the Character Level requirement go down, but it was still higher than Azure qualified for.
It was selfish—maybe even a waste of money—but he wasn’t going to give up. “I’ll add 10 gold to the reward for this quest for anyone who claims and completes it right now,” Azure called to his fellow Adventurers again.
“Gods damn it, Azure! You know you can’t do that.” Mel’s face pinched in annoyance.
Azure ignored him. “There are only five Bower Boys now. 21 gold is a lot, even if you have to split it with your party,” he said to the room.
Few heads even turned in his direction. Between the D, C, and B lines, there were only 8 Adventurers. 5 in the D line, 1 in the C line, and 2 in the B line. The A line was empty.
When no one answered his call, Azure raised the bar. “Make that 15 extra gold. I’ll give 15 extra gold to whoever completes this quest.”
A woman walked through the door leading to the back workings of The Adventurers Guild. Azure had seen her before but had never spoken to her. She wore a scowl on her face as she took long strides toward him.
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the woman said in a voice that was strictly business. “I understand that you’re upset, but you’re causing a disruption.”
Anger surged inside of Azure. Was she really going to kick him out when he was just trying to get this one quest completed? Adventurers were dying left and right because of the Bower Boys.
“Why isn’t this a quest that you offer to them?” He gestured irritably to the Adventurers standing in the D line. “The Designation has been reduced from C to D. Doesn’t that mean it should have cycled through the D line before being placed back on the board?”
“It did,” the woman assured him. “And now it’s back on the board again.” She gestured to the quest.
“Adventurers are dying,” Azure emphasized.
“Adventurers die every day. If you can’t handle that, then don’t be an Adventurer. If you can’t handle watching your friends die, then don’t be friends with Adventurers,” the woman said firmly.
Damn. She was a stone-cold bitch. There wasn’t even an ounce of sympathy on her face. The woman seemed too young to be so heartless, somewhere in her late 20s. Her long black hair was cut into bangs in the front. Brown eyes set behind round-framed glasses displayed a soul as hard as steel.
“I will find someone to take this quest,” Azure insisted almost spitefully.
“Well, you won’t do it here or you’ll have your membership revoked,” she shot back. “If you want to add to the reward, get in the Quest Submission line. Otherwise, get out.” The woman pointed to each place respectively.
Azure’s jaw tensed. He wanted to spit venom at her, but now wasn’t the time to vent his frustrations. Restraining himself from an outburst that was just on the surface, Azure glanced over at the Quest Submission line. It wouldn’t take anything for him to turn in the money, but it irritated him that there was no way to tell when the quest would be completed. He wanted it done yesterday. That’s why he had personally paid someone to do it. That had been a bust, though, and Azure was still left waiting.
With one last glaring look at the woman, who he now assumed to be the office manager, he turned and stalked out, making a beeline for the tavern. Surely to God, there were some brave Adventurers there that would be willing to take on this quest.
With the same determination as he’d shown at The Adventurers Guild, Azure made his way to the middle of the room. Then he crawled on top of a table and whistled to get everyone’s attention. All eyes turned toward him, and the patrons grew silent as they waited for his announcement.
“As some of you may or may not know, there have been a group of thugs wandering around Squall’s End lately known as the Bower Boys. There’s a quest posted about them on the Open Quests board at The Adventurers Guild. They have claimed the life of a dear friend of mine as well as several other Adventurers. Right now, the reward for completing the quest is 11 gold. I will add 14 more gold to that to bring the total up to 25 gold for anyone willing to go to The Adventurers Guild with me right now, claim, and complete the quest.”
Most of the people listening turned their attention back to their meals. A few eyes lingered on Azure, some seeming more interested than others.
“Would we get the 14 gold before or after the quest is completed?” one man asked.
“Before.” That was the enticing factor, the thing that was meant to motivate someone to take the quest. Azure expected it to be enough to cause several people to jump at it, but no one moved.
After a short while, everyone settled back into ignoring Azure.
“Is no one interested in earning extra coin?” he asked the room a final time, regaining a few sets of eyes that quickly looked away.
There was his answer.
Feeling defeated, Azure climbed down from the table. Perhaps turning the coin into The Adventurers Guild was the only way to make this happen. He sat and sulked, going over his options. Discontentment from the way he’d been treated at The Adventurers Guild still coursed through him. Determined to find someone to take the quest, Azure decided he would stay in the tavern all day, waiting until this batch of patrons left and another batch came to take their place. Then he’d make the announcement again. He’d do this all day if he had to.
The day was long and fruitless. Each time Azure stood on the table, it was with less hope and vigor. Many of the patrons seemed annoyed by his attempt, and several told him to take his coin to The Adventurers Guild and go about this through the proper channels. When he explained things to them, their sympathy rose, but Azure felt like a broken record repeatedly elucidating why it was that he was so fervent about having the quest completed as quickly as possible.
Night came, and with it, the remainder of his hope seeped away. The day had been a waste. It was enough to make him want to drink himself blind. But drinking would only cause him to be less productive the following day, and his sole focus was on making sure that someone took the quest.
This wasn’t working, though, and Azure knew it. He needed to come up with another way to attract Adventurers. Perhaps add more money to the reward? 25 gold was already a lot. Maybe tomorrow he’d try raising it to 30. Surely, someone would bite eventually.
But what if no one did? Would turning in the same amount of gold to The Adventurers Guild garner faster results? Azure didn’t know anymore.
The frustration of the day had been taxing. After finishing his dinner, Azure climbed back up onto the table to make his last announcement for the night. Those who had heard him before rolled their eyes and returned to their own business. Those who hadn’t, spared him but a moment of their attention before doing the same.
Feeling like there was no point in lingering any longer, Azure stood to leave. He was halfway to the door when Uden and Lonnell walked in. Part of him wanted to continue to his room, but another part wanted to vent and blow off some steam.
“How are you holding in there?” Lonnell patted him on the shoulder.
“Poorly,” he admitted. “No one will take this damn quest.”
“What quest?” Uden asked as they walked back to the table where Azure had previously been sitting.
“The Bower Boys quest,” he replied irritably.
“I thought you’d hired someone.” Lonnell raised an eyebrow.
“They killed him.” Azure slapped his hand down onto the table. “Would you believe it? I hired a level 40 dude that looked like a tank, and the fucking Bower Boys killed him.”
“Well, looks can be deceiving.” Lonnell gave a slight shrug.
“Take me, for example,” Uden piped up. “I don’t look like much, but I’m one hell of an assassin.”
They both ignored him.
After a few silent moments, the half-imp continued. “Why don’t we do it?”
“Do what? Go after the Bower Boys?” Lonnell asked.
“Yeah. Why not?” Uden looked from his brother to Azure.
“Because the quest Requirement is level 50,” Lonnell informed him.
“Level 36,” Azure corrected him. “The guy I sent was able to kill one of them. There are only five Bower Boys left.”
“That’s still too high for us. Almost as high as the three of us combined,” he pointed out.
“Yeah…”
The discussion was dropped, and the three Adventurers once more fell into silence. Azure retired to his room shortly after, feeling like there was nothing else that could be done but submit to the rules of The Realm and turn in the extra coin for the reward to The Adventurers Guild, hoping that it would be enough to make someone step forward and take the quest. Whatever the case, he wasn’t leaving Squall’s End until he knew for a fact that the Bower Boys had met their demise.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE REALM – Day 105
The trek to The Adventurers Guild the following morning felt like a slog of defeat. Azure wasn’t sure why it bothered him so much to conform. This was the way of the world that he lived in now. If he upped the reward, hopefully, more Adventurers would be eager to bite.
He scowled as he caught sight of the office manager walking around behind the bay of windows. She was none the wiser to his presence though, disappearing after a few moments.
The Quest Submission line was long, with six people ahead of Azure. When he finally reached the counter, he was greeted by a cheery woman with long white hair. Apparently, she was the only person working at The Adventurers Guild who didn’t hate her job.
“I need to add 14 gold to the reward for the Bower Boys quest,” Azure told her a bit coldly as he dug into his Bag of Holding for the coin. “Do you take a fee out of that?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Any additional rewards are added to the bottom line.”
“Good.” He paid the woman and then moved over to the E line to grab a quest from Mel. Waiting for someone to take the Bower Boys quest would drive him crazy. He was better off spending what time he had left in Squall’s End productively.
“I see you finally fell in line,” Mel said a bit smugly, gazing past Azure at the Open Quests board.
“Don’t sound so happy about that,” Azure replied shortly, then followed it up with, “What quests do you have?”
There was no need for any conversation that didn’t relate to business. They both knew that. Maybe Azure really was falling in line. The world around him was making him callous and cynical.
Adventurers Guild Quest: Escaped from the Circus
The ship belonging to a traveling circus has capsized off of Restless Bay. They were able to recover most of their animals, but one particularly ferocious beast managed to escape. Unfortunately, it’s too vicious to be taken alive. Track down and slay the escaped Abysstree before it has a chance to hurt anyone. The creature is strong against melee weapons but weak to magic.
Designation: E
Type: Monster
Difficulty: Medium
Deadline: 7 days
Success: Track and kill the Abysstree
Failure: Cancel quest
Reward: 1 gold, 3 silver, 2 Quest Points, Aged Stockwhip
Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?
Adventurers Guild Quest: I Need Fireweed
Business is booming at the atelier and Jasmyne Swailes has orders that need to be filled but not enough alchemy components. Collect 10 Fireweed and turn them into The Adventurers Guild.
Designation: E
Type: Gathering
Difficulty: Very Easy
Deadline: 5 days
