abcnovels
Chapter 72 Star Quest
Chapter 72 Star Quest
"Cough! Cough!"
Russell Moon reflexively covered his mouth slightly as he coughed because of his younger sister's words. Even though he knew what she meant by 'Designation: Human Domain', he couldn't help but laugh inwardly. It's one of the absurd settings he wrote in his unpublished novel in his previous life.
As it took him at least three years to write his novel that he didn't manage to publish because of a supercar that ran him over, he knew that 'Death Executioner' was a profession in the literal sense of the word, but the catch was that it was perfectly aligned with the meaning of the word 'Profession'.
Freya and Amelie looked at Russell with unknown expressions.
It happened before that he spat out a drink in front of their gazes when Freya asked about the Pure Form description that the Virtual System said when Celine Cello-ana, a classmate of theirs, conjured potions in its Pure Form during their Virtual War. It only means that Celine — who was a timid person, and a typical beginner that didn't want to be judged by her mistakes — has a Rare profession.
Pure Form kind of potions has 200% effectiveness compared to potions that haven't achieved total purity.
It means that whatever ingredients an Alchemist used in making potions, the nutrients or the ingredients function was fully absorbed, not leaving any kind of impurities.
"Hey, Freya. Have you read every message from the System?"
Russell — who put down the glass of Cassiopeian Ice Tea — asked his younger sister as he thought that not everything has been read.
Freya — who placed back the Alastor-made bun in the plate — scratched her right cheek as she looked away from her older brother's gaze.
"No, I haven't yet. Heh heh."
'Stop giggling!'
Russell said inwardly as he saw Freya browsing in the air.
'When I thought about it, I seemed like I butchered my novel back then just to write whatever came to my mind sometimes... I made it so that everyone wouldn't be able to see the holographic screen from the System, making it look like they are staring in the air.'
Russell only hope for 'that event' to happen quickly so that the System that seemed like a broken plate with its function, not being perfect, in his opinion change.
But he knew that it wouldn't happen in a few years, so he abandoned the thought that would make him feel dejected.
After a few minutes, he heard Freya's voice on his right side, asking a question.
"Oppa, what's a Star Quest?"
'I knew you'd ask that...'
He thought inwardly before replying to her younger sister, looking at him with her deep blue eyes.
"It's a long-term quest, but first of all, don't talk about it when we are with other people because it's a confidential and very personal assignment given to people by their respective Constellations. Many will question you if they find out about it, especially with your age... like you're only 15 because Star Quest is only given to a person that is contracted with a Constellation for at least 2 years at most after the forming of the contract. So, it wouldn't make sense for others for you to have it. It might even become dangerous at some point."
Russell said what he thought while Amelie stared at him with curled-up lips, making him feel uncomfortable for some reason.
"Hey, by the way, just don't read the first line!"
He knew that the moment Freya read the words, 'Star Quest', she didn't read the contents because her reaction was lacking.
Freya proceeded to read the contents of her Star Quest, causing her eyes to dilate because of too much content written on the holographic screen.
...
[You have been assigned a 'Star Quest'!]
[Star Quest - Assigned by the Ruler of Death]
A series of quests that helps the 'Player' to ascend into something greater throughout the period of time.
Star Quest Contents:
1. Soul Placation
Description:
As a Death Executioner, your jurisdiction is within the whole Human Domain, and as time passes, when the opening of Close Mystery Towers begins intermittently, the influence of the Constellations will be greater than ever.
At that time, a Death Executioner must wander the 'Soul Realm' to placate the wandering souls that are highly susceptible to the 'corruption' of some Constellations.
There is a minimum number of souls that you need to placate and bring eternal rest every single day, only after the first Close Mystery Tower opens.
Bringing them to eternal rest will send their souls to the Nether Realm under the Ruler of Death which almost every Constellation doesn't dare to have a conflict with.
Minimum Souls to Placate every day: 50
Maximum Souls to Placate: 100,000,000
Failure: Lost your 'Position' as Death's Executioner.
Rewards: After placating and bringing eternal rest to 100 million souls, you will undergo another Metamorphosis that grants you an additional 1500 overall stat except for Charm and Luck stat.
...
"W-what?!"
Freya blurted out as she read the first Star Quest content, prompting her older brother and Amelie to look at her.
Russell didn't manage to restrain himself as he burst into laughter. Amelie — who saw Russell laughing — asked what was wrong as her lips curled up, seemingly resisting laughing involuntarily because of Russell's laugh that seems to contain contagiousness.
"Just read it all first before you complain or anything. Hahaha!"
Freya frowned slightly at her older brother's words before she composed herself to read the next lines of the 'Star Quest' given to her.
...
2. The Co-Death Workers
Description:
Your Designation is only in the Human Domain, you cannot placate and bring eternal rest to souls that are not a part of the Human Race, but it does not mean that you are only limited to them. Remember, there are professions that correspond to yours, but have different abilities and authorities as Death's Executioner has countless different ways how to execute someone.
Eliminate the other Death Executioners across the world!
Take their Authority over their race, thus your jurisdiction will expand.
Failure: If you die in the hands of other Death Executioners, your position and authority will be transferred, as well as the Human Domain jurisdiction, to the one who killed you, but your soul will be imprisoned in the Death's Chamber for the time being.
Beware: Death Executioners are not always diligent, but rather twisted and drunk with power!
Rewards:
As a Death Executioner, if you obtain 50 other races' jurisdiction to have the rights to placate and bring their souls to eternal rest, you will be given an additional 500 overall stat points, as well as a weapon and armor of unknown rank.
3. Demon World Extermination
Description:
The demons are beings that are naturally evil and mostly follow their desires without even the need for Evil Constellations' corruption or guidance, but due to this reason that they have the best synergy with Evil Constellations when it comes to scheming evil acts.
Exterminate as many demons as possible, and destroy their territories!
Don't let their soul wander in the Soul Realm for a long period of time as they might be used by Evil Constellations to be an incarnation for the descent, instead vanquish them by 'True Death!'
Demonic Beast Killed: 20,000,000
Demon King Attendants Killed: 10,000
Demon Kings Killed: 50
Demonic Kingdom Destroyed: 50
Failure: Death, Loss of Authority
Rewards: Sword of True Necromancy (True Unholy)
4. Martial World Lesson
Description:
The Martial World is a world where magic has a different meaning.
It has something called Martial Arts that every one of its inhabitants learns.
Martial Art is a fighting style that uses one's Ki within their body, similar to Aura in your world.
Its ruler for millennia is the Heavenly Demon that caused peace with 'Her' existence because the other Martial Schools, instead of fighting with each other, made an Alliance to exterminate 'Her', but they cannot do anything at all.
Seek guidance and learn from 'Her'!
Learn the Heavenly Demonic Magic Arts.
Learn the Heavenly Demonic Martial Warp.
Learn the Heavenly Demonic Ki Cultivation.
Learn the Heavenly Demonic Mana Cultivation.
Failure: Ban from Entering the Martial World.
Rewards: Pill of Death (Treasure Herb)
5. Arcane World
Description:
It's the world of magic! Magic, magic, magic!
You, Death Executioner, must polish your magic to its greatest extent so that your job of placating souls won't be hindered by external forces because the longer you are in your position, the greater and stronger enemies you will encounter!
Find the lost skillbook and artifact of the Constellation, 'Queen of the Arcana World!', Alises!
Failure: Distrust from Queen Alises, and ban entry to the Arcana World!
Rewards: Items of equivalent value.
6. [Locked for the time being]
Star Note:
- Duration to complete all the Star Quest Contents: 13 Earth Years
- The duration countdown will start the moment the first Close Mystery Tower opens.
- The quest can be done randomly and not in order.
- You can form a party to clear the quest, but no rewards will be given to them.
- The party formed will be permanently bound until the Star Quest completion, when someone in your party leaves, they will die because of a Soul Contract from the Ruler of Death.
...
Freya stared in the air, momentarily at a loss for words as she finished reading the so-called 'Star Quest' given to her by the Ruler of Death.
Many questions entered her mind such as...
What is 'something greater' than a 'Player' means?
What is the Demon World?
What is the Martial World?
What is the Arcana World?
How can Queen Alises, a Constellation lose a skillbook and an artifact?
Are there any more worlds out there?
Then where...?
...
Seeing his younger sister confused, Russell asked with a smile on his face, not because he was all happy, but because of the absurdity of the settings he made in his unpublished novel that came to life, though only a part of it as many things already changed.
"Are you done absorbing them?"
Freya looked at her older brother, her deep eyes flickered before she asked...
"Oppa, do you want to form a party with me?"
She wanted to know if her older brother will join her on a long journey because she wasn't sure if he also has a Star Quest given by his Constellation, Goddess of Night.
"Of course!"
'Instead of bringing the Egg just around the world per Goddess' order, I'd bring it to the other worlds.'
He — who knew deeply the Close Mystery Towers — felt glad inwardly.
Amelie — who came back after she washed the dishes — sat on Freya's bed before joining the conversation.
"So... that's how it is... I wonder when I can get a Star Quest..., but it feels like your Star Quest makes you a worker instead of a player like you have a part-time job. I wonder if other Star Quests have similarities to yours."
Russell chuckled when he heard Amelie's words.
After some time, Freya formed a party with her older brother and Amelie.
[You have formed a party under the Soul Contract.]
[Party Member, Russell Moon, has been bound by the Soul Contract.]
[Party Member, Amelie Rose Merveil, has been bound by the Soul Contract.]
[Due to Russell Moon's nature of Chaos, the Soul Contract is nullified under the Goddess of Night's watch.]
[Due to Amelie Rose Merveil's nature of Chaos, the Soul Contract is nullified under the Goddess of Spade's watch.]
[The Ruler of Death pays respect and feels grateful to the Goddess of Night!]
[The Ruler of Death scoffs at the Goddess of Spade.]
[The Goddess of Spade's lips curled up twistedly.]
[The Ruler of Death looked away.]
...
The unexpected subsequent System messages sent the trio into a daze.
"What was that?"
It was Amelie who asked, confused with what she had read just now.
As a party, notifications concerning general matters will be sent to everyone instead of personal ones. Also, each holographic screen will be seen by the other unlike staring blankly in the air.
"By the way, Freya, My Goddess asked me to grant you a Chaos Buff."
"Yes!"
Freya said gladly, her fist clenched as she raised them halfway.
"I want to watch it, I'm curious what it looked like because I was asleep last time..."
Amelie said, wanting to watch how something like Body Reconstruction takes place.
Russell just nodded as he proceed to use his Unique Skill: Chaos Buff on his younger sister.
...
Wednesday, the Day of the 40th Emergence Anniversary.
'Time for Registration...'
Russell — who was making a black coffee — said inwardly, as there were only 30 minutes left before Freya's Body Reconstruction finished.
He decided to get to an A-1 class through 'Ranking Exchange Battle' as he realized it was no use in distancing himself anymore. He felt apologetic regarding his younger sister which felt like a middlewoman that lets him interact with the main characters in his unpublished novel.
'Also, it's time for that revenge. I'd never forget.'