'Fuck this shit I'm out'
Vio sprinted in the opposite direction as soon as he exited the house, his eyes catching sight of Purple flames consuming everything in their path.
[1 XP obtained]
[1 XP obtained]
[1 XP obtained]
As the Furious Night began, the mission "Mountain Conqueror" activated, granting Vio 1 XP for every second he spent in the village. The system was evaluating his performance in real time.
[Calculation successful. Grade: F.]
[All rewards will be multiplied by 1.]
Vio didn't care about grades or rewards—all he wanted was to get out.
While running, he crossed paths with some villagers screaming as the strange flames consumed them. He dodged them skillfully, avoiding any contact with the fire, and didn't stop until he reached the village's edge, where the protective barrier stood, shielding the village from the harsh external environment.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, glancing around to decide what was more dangerous: the eerie flames or the madness of the Furious Night outside.
'What kind of messed-up situation is this?'
For the first time, Vio truly empathizes with chickens—either the oven or the freezer.
He glanced at the mission more closely.
[Mission: 'Protect Zeer Village']
Type: Protection
Requirements: Threat to the village.
Restrictions: None.
Description:
A hero is called a hero because they do heroic deeds. When the opportunity arises, be a hero.
Objective:
Protect the villagers of Zeer Village.
Rewards for every 100 souls alive:
10 XP
2 Plastic
4 Metal
1 Steel
1 point
Special Bonus:
Every soul is precious, but some souls are more valuable than others.
If the hero can save the most valuable soul, he will be blessed.
Penalty for Failure: Minor Punishment: A hero's shame.
'Oh, please. Did you really believe I'd act like a hero just because you gave me that title? Why would I save people I don't even know? Shame? Like I care.'
[Would the hero like an explanation of the penalty?]
Vio narrowed his eyes. The system never offered to explain penalties before. He didn't want to know—he had a feeling it would force him to do the mission if he heard it.
As if reading his thoughts, the system explained anyway.
[A hero's shame: Upon failure, the hero will receive a 'Debuff.']
''Debuff?' What kind of debuff?'
[Any kind. It could be permanent or temporary.]
His eyes widened as the system continued its explanation.
[For example, a 'Debuff' that makes enemies 50% stronger, increases the chance of being detected, or—]
"Shut up, I get it!" Vio shouted, unable to take it anymore.
He turned to scan the village, clenching his teeth.
At the first opportunity, Vio had decided to distance himself from the explosions. This decision had already led to the deaths of many villagers and the destruction of even more homes. At this point, he doubted the mission could still be completed.
'How exactly is my failure determined?'
[The mission requires the hero to save lives. As long as even one person survives, the mission remains active.]
"Oh, how generous of you," Vio muttered sarcastically.
He stomped forward, dodging burning debris and flaming villagers. He scanned the area for the source of the explosions, but he couldn't pinpoint the attacker.
While legs moved and eyes searched, his mind analyzed the situation.
'Who's killing the villagers, and why?'
One thing was clear: the attacker wasn't from the Baniaasif, the mountain kings. For a good reason—they never used fire in their battles with Vio.
Still, he couldn't ignore the fact that he didn't know much about their abilities. He could be wrong. Yet, the bigger question lingered—why was the system suddenly so insistent on him saving these people?
Before Vio could figure it out, bitterness filled him.
Before finding the attacker, Vio already hated him. To the Baniaasif, Vio was considered dead, which would have made escaping easy as long as he kept his head low and avoided any fights. But now, he realized that the truth about his survival would inevitably come out, fueling his hatred for Zaves even more.
At a crossroads between houses, Vio finally detected someone behind a wall of purple flames. Fueled by anger, he charged forward.
His foot slammed into the ground as he leapt. Bursting through the flames, the inventory screen appeared before him, and he struck it with his bare hand, instantly equipping the metallic gauntlets.
Without hesitation, Vio's eyes locked onto the madman, who was scowling.
Vio delivered a punch straight to his filthy face.
"Boom!"
The man—Zaves was sent flying. Vio landed in front of Shama and her sister.
"Son of a bitch!" Vio growled. "Of all nights, you had to show up tonight?"
Zaves's crash stirred up dust, obscuring Vio's view of his condition.
"Damn it, this isn't going to be easy," Vio muttered, recalling the moment his punch landed.
In the end, Zaves sensed the danger. He couldn't completely avoid the attack, but he managed to raise his arms protecting his head. If not for that, his head would have exploded on the spot instead of the entire body being thrown backward.
'Where have I seen that bastard before?'
As Vio racked his brain, trying to remember, he heard the sound of clapping behind him.
Turning, he saw Shama staring at him with sparkling eyes, her hands clapping nonstop.
'Isn't this girl from earlier?'
His mind froze for a moment. Instead of crying or screaming, she was smiling at him. Last time, he'd resisted smiling back. But now?
Unintentionally, Vio smiled, which only made Shama beam brighter. He felt something odd about her.
"No, no, no," Zaves said as he emerged from the dust. "What are you doing, brother?"
The ominous voice snapped Vio back to reality. As Zaves approached, Vio's eyes met his, Vio's memory clicked—he'd seen Zaves before, when they hunted the bear.
'Damn, he lured me into the village. Is he trying to frame me for killing the villagers?'
Vio's mind connected the dots as Zaves stood still, watching him.
"It seems you don't recognize your brother yet," Zaves said, his face showing clear displeasure. He slipped his hand into his clothing, and Vio tightened his fists, ready for any sudden move.
"Calm down, calm down," Zaves said, raising his other hand while pulling out something folded and white. He stepped closer and placed it on the ground, taking a few steps back. "This is just to show my friendly intentions."
Vio didn't understand his words but could tell from Zaves's tone that he didn't intend to fight. To confirm, the "Kill or Be Killed" mission, which activated when someone intended to harm him, hadn't triggered.
With that assurance, Vio cautiously approached the white object and picked it up.
'What's this?'
"See, brother? It's a tent that'll make you happy," Zaves said, his face lighting up with a smile.
Vio inspected it but found nothing special about it other than its white color and some fur that reminded him of a bear's pelt.
'A tent? Did he just give me a tent? Why is he acting so friendly?'
"Just leave this to me. I'll be quick," Zaves said, flashing his annoying smile.
"What is he saying? Damn it," Vio thought as he stored the tent in inventory.
While Vio debated with the system in his mind, Zaves's smile widened, greed shining in his eyes watched the tent disappear from Vio's hand.
"Will I… Will I be able to use a storage spirit too?" Zaves muttered, saliva dripping from his mouth.
'System, is there a way to understand their language?'
[The only way is to obtain the Mind chest.]
'Shit. If only I could record their words, at least I wouldn't feel like information is slipping through my fingers for free.'
"Brother, step aside. I want to kill that girl," Zaves said, believing Vio had finally recognized him. But Vio suddenly raised his hand, signaling him to stop.
Zaves frowned, confused by Vio's strange behavior.
'Don't tell me the option to record their conversations was available all along?'
[Correct.]
Vio took a deep breath, calming himself to avoid losing his temper.
'Record.'
[Recording…]
Afterward, Vio gestured to Zaves to continue speaking.
"What is it, brother?" Zaves asked, his eyes narrowed slightly, full of doubt. "Don't tell me you want to share."
'If he doesn't want to fight, that's good,' Vio thought.
"Fine," Zaves said as he stepped closer to Vio. "I should've known—if you're my brother, of course, you'd want to share with me. But…"
Zaves stopped right in front of Vio.
"That one's mine," he said, pointing past Vio.
Vio turned to see who he meant. It was Shama. Her sister trembled and hugged her tightly in fear.
'He wants that girl. Why? Wait… what am I saying? This has nothing to do with me.'
Vio's mind was clear. His initial assessment of Zaves: strong. The mission wouldn't penalize him as long as he saved at least one life. Zaves didn't want to fight. Everything was perfect for Vio to escape the situation.
Since Vio said nothing, Zaves took his silence as approval and moved forward, walking past him.
The woman trembled, realizing they reached an agreement. But Shama's expression didn't change.
Quickly, Vio grabbed Zaves's shoulder, forcing him to turn around, irritation etched on his face.
"Haven't we already agreed?" Zaves asked, his eyes blazing. "Brother."
Vio locked eyes with him.
'Damn it. What am I doing?'
Vio pushed Zaves, forcing him to take two steps back in disbelief. Vio stepped forward, blocking the path to Shama.
Vio gestured at Zaves as if telling a dog to go away.
"Brother, brother, brother," Zaves said, his tone growing darker. "Are you telling me you're going to protect that girl?"
The air around Zaves turned cold, and his eyes gleamed dangerously. Vio remained outwardly calm, but his instincts flared.
'He's as much of a psycho as I thought. I gave him a good deal, but he still wants the first thing he set his eyes on. I'm done dealing with people like him.'
Vio clenched his fists, his eyes glowing.
"Frustrating, frustrating, frustrating!" Zaves screamed, his killing intent radiating outward.
[Mission 'Kill or Be Killed']
Type: Urgent
Requirements: None
Restrictions: None
Description:
Creatures have decided to stand in the Hero's path. It is the Hero's duty to eliminate anyone who prevents their progress.
Objective:
The Hero must ensure his safety by killing the enemies and ending their pitiful lives.
Rewards for Mission Completion:
1000 XP
13 Plastic
34 Metal
5 Steel
5 Points
Penalty for Failure: Minor Punishment: The Hero's heart will stop.
'Fine. You want a fight? Let's fight.'
[Demonic intentions detected.]
[Emergency mission activated.]
[Mission 'Death to the Demons']
Type: Urgent
Requirements: Encounter a demon.
Restrictions: None
Description:
A hero's eternal mission has always been, and will always be, to slay the Demon King. But no race ends with a single step—it requires many.
Objective:
Take the first step. The hero must kill the demon.
Rewards for Mission Completion:
XP amounts depend on the demon's power relative to the hero's.
13 Plastic
34 Metal
5 Steel
5 Points
Side Note:
Demons feed on hatred, suffering, and the misery of others. They must be destroyed in the most brutal way possible. The hero will receive a secondary evaluation—the more the demon suffers, the higher the secondary rating. Ensure the demon knows pain.