VIP System

Chapter 27 - Problems of the Past

Alex and Eman worked at their office under the same team but in different domains. Alex was doing security tests while Eman was focused on manual and automated testing for the client acceptance phase. One day, Alex noticed how haggard one of their colleagues looked—a guy from a different team.

"Hey Eman," Alex started.

"Hmm?" Eman responded, still engrossed in creating his test case.

"Have you noticed Mark recently?" Alex asked. Eman glanced at him and saw Alex pouting his lips in a particular direction. He followed the gesture and saw a man inside a room with a glass window, seemingly busy with a report.

"He's the new guy, right?" Eman asked.

"Yes, but he's already a team leader," Alex replied. "How about you?" he continued.

"What about me?" Eman replied, hitting Ctrl+S repeatedly and turning to face Alex.

"You've been here for five years, and the bosses like you," Alex said. "Aren't you envious of Mark for outshining you?"

"Not really," Eman replied. "I don't want more responsibilities, and I also don't want my work to eat up all my time." Alex just nodded.

"But if I can still enjoy life after being promoted, why not then?" Eman added. "But look at him, he's still a team leader, but he looks like he used ten years of his life in advance," he said, raising his head towards where Mark was doing his report.

"So why are you hiding the fact that you are a system user?" Alex asked.

"Hmm? What are you talking about, Alex?" Eman said, turning and seeing Amanda. His forehead furrowed as he tried to make sense of the situation when she suddenly asked him,

"Are you okay, Leo?"

When he heard the name Leo, he suddenly woke up.

Back in the present, Leo blinked rapidly, shaking off the remnants of the dream.

He woke up to find one of the cats sitting on top of him while the other was playfully flicking his hair. He smiled, stroking them gently and muttering, "What a weird dream." He took a deep breath and murmured, "I can't."

His mind raced with the potential consequences of openly declaring himself a system user. The kingdom might burden him with endless tasks, leaving him no personal time. What if he died during one of those missions? Amanda had already sacrificed years of her life for him. It would be selfish to put her through more grief if something happened to him.

He reassured himself that there were many system users far stronger than he was. Despite that, the idea of revealing his secret gnawed at him.

What if Amanda felt that his abilities undermined her years of helplessness? What if she became furious, thinking he had been lying to her all along? These thoughts terrified him.

With a sigh of resignation, he decided that, at the very least, he should tell Amanda. Maybe it was time to stop thinking negatively. After all, he was living a new life now, and he wanted to embrace it fully.

Turning to Amanda's bedside, he saw Ai sitting there, watching him intently. "Where's Amanda?" he asked.

"Someone from the guild center handed her a scroll," Ai replied. "She said she just needed to do something there."

Leo nodded. "Okay, I'll be going there today too anyway."

After a refreshing bath, they stopped by a bakery and bought some bread to eat while walking and to share with Amanda later. As they walked, Leo learned that Ai didn't need to eat since she was a system-generated artifact. However, the cats needed to be fed, or they would die. Although there was a pet resurrection scroll, Leo didn't want them to die, so not feeding them was not an option.

Upon reaching the guild center, he noticed there were no people around. So, going early made a significant difference in getting a good quest. He was about to approach the front desk but saw that no one was there. Instead, he proceeded to the quest board and selected a quest to kill 50 wolves. He was about to leave the guild center when he remembered his wolf-slaying weekly quest. He opened his quest list and tapped on it.

Move to Wolf Plains?

He looked around to ensure no one was watching and tapped yes. Instantly, he was enveloped in a bright light, causing him to shield his eyes.

Wolf Plains

Leo looked around, searching for Ai and the cats. As expected, they had teleported with him. He smiled and began hunting wolves. It was still early morning, and there were no other adventurers around the area yet.

The wind rustled through the trees, carrying the distant sounds of wolves howling. Leo's eyes scanned the surroundings, alert for any movement. The serene yet eerie ambiance of the Wolf Plains heightened his senses. He took a deep breath, feeling the thrill of the hunt surge through him.

Not wasting any time, Leo rushed from wolf to wolf, his movements a blur of efficiency and precision. Each thrust and swing of his sword was calculated, his strikes clean and effective. In a short period, he had completed the quest.

To do a quest here, an adventurer needed to obtain a quest scroll first, either from the guild center or directly from a client. The scroll automatically tracks the quest requirements, allowing adventurers to check their progress. Leo opened the quest scroll: "50/50." He also leveled up to 8 and was only 50 more short to complete his Progressive Quest II.

The cats had already finished picking up his loot, their tiny bodies darting around with surprising agility. Then the wolves had started to respawn, their growls echoing through the forest. Leo continued his relentless assault, each swing of his sword accompanied by the satisfying sound of a wolf being defeated.

Notifications flashed before his eyes as he reached each milestone. Finally, the moment he'd been working towards arrived.

Congratulations! You have reached Level 10.

A new notification popped up,

Congratulations! You can now change your job!

"Please select a job to continue," the system prompted.

Leo tapped on "Swordsman."

Job quest received: Collect 50 wolf fangs.

Leo was both surprised and elated when he saw that he had already collected 23 out of the 50 wolf fangs required for the quest. He smiled, realizing he had a head start. Collecting quests typically took more time, especially if luck wasn't on your side with the loot drops.

Feeling invigorated, Leo continued hunting, each wolf slain bringing him closer to his goal. The forest was alive with the sounds of his quest—wolves howling in the distance, the rustling of leaves as he moved, and the occasional meow from the cats as they worked tirelessly to gather his loot.

As he fought, Ai kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, her demeanor calm and calculated. Leo appreciated her presence, knowing that she had his back. The sun began to climb higher in the sky, casting dappled light through the trees and illuminating the forest floor.

After what felt like hours but was actually only a short while, Leo finally saw the notification he'd been waiting for:

Congratulations! You have collected 50/50 wolf fangs.