Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

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The sound of a new notification drew Kieran's attention away from Dusvim. A new message meant the system found substance behind Dusvim's frightened pleas.

Fearing death explained part of why Dusvim raised these claims, not the entire matter.

〈System: Evidence of a pending quest has been found. Would you like to explore the opportunity? [ Y | N ]〉

'A quest reliant upon my decision,' Kieran thought.

While considering his options, Kieran's grasp of Crimson Ashrune loosened as his shoulders grew lax. The possible quest instigated by an Epic NPC could be a worthwhile opportunity.

"Consider yourself lucky. But, this extent of your luck depends upon your answer," Kieran said. He withdrew Crimson Ashrune and canceled Sanguinem Tempests.

Kieran couldn't risk Sanguinem Tempests misfiring and claiming Dusvim's life before he could extract the necessary information. After all, Kieran didn't fear retaliation.

He could tell Dusvim exhausted all of his Mana to perform that Manifestation Technique. All of Dusvim's gathered Mana dissipated after Kieran shattered the technique, so his body was essentially an empty container.

Of course, Kieran's situation wasn't much better in comparison. Abhorrent Paroxysm ended while Kieran stood above Dusvim.

Because of Deranged Spirit's adverse effects, Kieran also decided to cancel that skill. As a precaution, however, Kieran kept Blood Mania active to thwart Dusvim's possible backstab.

Dusvim braced his battered body against the wall while coughing violently. "Trust me; I have crucial information. Furthermore, I can deliver a shocking amount of riches to you. All I ask is that you spare my life."

Kieran remained silent. Rather than trust Dusvim's word, he glanced at Facina and Vidal's heads hidden under the rubble. "And what about your children? Are they so worthless in your eyes?"

"My children are the jewels of my life—" Dusvim covered his mouth and hacked up blood. The fury birthed from Kieran's disregard for his children agitated his injuries.

Dusvim sighed and exhaled after much difficulty. "I love my children. But, I have no power of the dead. I can't change what has happened. That kind of power eludes my control. The most I can do is plead for my life and hope you honor my request."

Kieran grunted. "Information."

Kieran ignored Dusvim's attempt to target his empathy. In his eyes, Dusvim's worth was the information and items he held. The rest meant nothing to Kieran.

"Do you know why I targeted the Aeredale Kingdom when countless richer kingdoms are nearby?"

"Probably because your forces are pitiful."

Dusvim sputtered after hearing Kieran's remark. "That was harsh but understandable. However, that isn't the reason. The Aeredale Kingdom became our target due to a request."

Dusvim's revelation piqued Kieran's interest. Someone requested a brigand organization to target the Aeredale Kingdom specifically? Why?

According to his memories, Aeredale Kingdom didn't have any enemies. And, if it was an enemy of the Xesian Empire, targeting the Aeredale Kingdom was foolish. Its value amongst the many kingdoms was pitiful.

"Who?" Kieran questioned.

"The Merchant Association," Dusvim revealed.

Kieran's expression immediately darkened. Why? Because the revelation of the culprit's name should have triggered the quest. But it didn't. This left Kieran questioning the validity of Dusvim's claims.

"Why should I believe you? What reason would an organization like the Merchant Association, which controls a vast portion of the global wealth, have to target a lowly kingdom with a yearly income of less than 10 million Gold?"

Desperation filled Dusvim's eyes when he saw Kieran's expression darken. He wondered how a human could possess such a demonic gaze.

"D-d…. I'm not lying! A Manager approached me from the Merchant Association, and that man asked that I target Aeredale. Not only did they provide me with information about recent changes to their trade routes, but they asked for nothing in return!"

'Nothing in return?' Kieran's brows furrowed as he grew skeptical. He could tell from Retaliatory Sense that Dusvim didn't deliver this information with foul intentions.

Otherwise, Dusvim's words would trigger his ability.

In other words, Dusvim believed his words to be true. But how is that possible?

Kieran rubbed his chin while glancing at his party members. They all shrugged in response, failing to muster an answer.

"How do you know it was Manager of the Merchant Association?"

Dusvim gulped, scurrying to recall his meeting with this unknown Association Manager. Eventually, he remembered a vital detail.

"Their badge! Their badges can't be replicated, as you know. All of their badges are created by a peerless Enchanter. Hoping to counterfeit their badges would be foolish. And this man wore his badge proudly!"

'Their badge… He isn't wrong. I recall there being word that players couldn't create an Association Badge no matter what means they employed. Only the Merchant Association could impart one of its badges.'

Asking the creator of the badge was a workaround, but that was next to impossible to request.

Not only could one not get an audience without proper credentials, but even some esteemed figures were turned away when requesting to commission the badge's creator for other tasks.

"What exactly were the objectives you were given?"

"At first, we were to cripple the Aeredale Kingdom's financial standing indiscernible. After weakening it sufficiently, our actions became more brazen. Our true intention, however, was launching a large-scale attack on the kingdom's main city and gradually spread our torment from there."

Kieran pondered Dusvim's words. 'Mayor Lowe mentioned the thefts started abruptly but happened at a negligible rate, so there was no alarm. But, the frequency increased every year until it arrived in its current state.'

However, Kieran couldn't understand why one would focus on a lowly kingdom.

"Where did this meeting occur?"

"Outside the territories of Aubrililes Kingdom."

Kieran squinted and crossed his arms. "Why didn't you involve the Aubrililies Kingdom in your ploy? As Aeredale's direct neighbor, it'd be easy to put machinations in place."

"Not at all," Dusvim disagreed. "In the recent years, Aubrililes has bolstered their defenses considerably. All of their cargo is guarded by two Platinum-Ranked Adventurers."

"Two? That's interesting. Because it almost sounds like they had a clear grasp of your power." Kieran's eyes flashed with a dubious light.

Even if it was far-fetched, he felt there was a link between the Manager meeting with Dusvim and Aubrililes bolstering their defenses and employing a specific level of security to each trade event.

'Truly suspicious,' Kieran inwardly noted.

"I thought the same thing! Then it dawned upon me, perhaps that Association Manager reached out to the Aubrililes' central Mayor and informed them of Aeredale's situation and explained how to avoid the predicament."

"Incorrect. Word travels fast, but not so fast that they could enact countermeasures immediately. No, I believe that Association Manager managed the branch in Aubrililes and alerted those people. You weren't approached for no reason.

Kieran paused and shook his head. "You were just a vile pawn to the end. A dispensable tool easily tricked by your greed."

"Exactly! I'm just a foolish pawn who knows nothing else but to be subservient and execute the bidding of those who employ me," Dusvim shamelessly agreed. He believed appealing to Kieran's views would inevitably save his life.

However, Kieran fell silent after a new quest window appeared before him.

〈System: You have acquired a branching Main Quest!〉

'A branch quest?' Kieran's eyes sparkled with excitement. A Branch Main Quest was slightly different from a normal quest. It was a quest awakened by a player's actions, not one included in the original scenario.

If Kieran had lost all reason and killed Dusvim before listening to his words, he would miss out on an additional questline. After all, the Brigand Eradication quest mentioned nothing about a further questline.

On the contrary, the quest reward implied the kingdom's security. Otherwise, one of Kieran's rewards wouldn't be the city savior title.

Kieran sighed in relief. 'Thankfully, I didn't give in to that unusual temptation. While it was possible something would have experienced an evolution, losing myself in the process remained a possibility. I'm not willing to accept those stakes.'

If he gave in, the matter of his Soul Permanence would be ignored, which would alter Kieran's personality at a base level.

Why? Because the Seed of Vengeance would undoubtedly assimilate most if not all of his soul if he wasn't careful. It was a deadly item, on par with the Arcane One's Akashic Seal.

A moment later, Kieran checked the quest details.

「 Aeredale's Dark Manipulator (Main, Kingdom Quest)

Quest Rank: A+

Recommended Party Size: 1 - 6

Recommended Party Level: 46 or above

Objectives: The Desertborn Brigand's actions were not without reason. There is deep manipulation at play, but the culprit is unknown. Eradicating the Brigands is only a temporary fix, not addressing the root issue. Find proof of the masterminds behind Aeredale's decline.

- Find proof of deeper manipulation. 0/1

- Identify the mysterious Association Manager. 0/1

- Unveil the motives behind the Association Manager's actions. 0/1

- Notify Mayor Lowe of your findings. 0/1

Rewards:

p - *Aeredale Property Deed x1

- 2,000,000 Experience

- «Chain Quest»

Failure Penalty:

- Aeredale will face a new threat

- Level -2

- Revocation of «Aeredale's Savior»

Time Limit: N/A

*Special Note: Sometimes the first assumption is a drastic oversight. Make inferences after exploring every avenue. 」

'The penalties aren't as severe as my current quest, but they do bleed into each to some extent, namely the title reward. Still, it seems there is some truth to Dusvim's words. This quest involves an Association Manager.'

Kieran closed the quest menu by moving his hand before giving Dusvim a meaningful gaze. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Not at all. I haven't forgotten."