The straw mat bit into Lys’s back like a hundred needles, but his limbs remained locked in place. Any shift risked drawing eyes.

  Across the room, the lamp’s flame flickered, throwing long, wavering shapes against the walls. Every measured breath of his drew a trickle of mana from the air, slowly filling his mana core. The count hit 3/10. It was an agonizingly slow pace, yet it was the only progress available to him right now, so he kept at it.

  Crimson light suddenly flooded his retinas, so sharp that Lys clenched his jaw to keep from gasping. This wasn't the usual soft blue interface. This screen throbbed with urgency.

  << Tier 3 Quest: Rescue the Noble Lady >>

  Objective: Reach the forest’s edge and save Lady Elowen from an encircling wolf pack. Protect her life and secure her alliance.

  Reward: 500 SP + Enhanced Stamina Skill (Tier 2: Doubles recovery rate, +20 max stamina) + Mana Pool Expansion (+50 capacity) + Noble Affection Boost (+15% to all noble targets) + Rare Item: Freki Wolf Pelt (Grants the user partial immunity from cold and fire).

  Time Limit: 1 Hour. Penalty: -100 SP if ignored. (Failure: Tier-3 quest branch lockout for 1 month)

  Note: High risk, high reward. Target holds significant influence in nearby territories.

  “Five hundred SP.” The number burned in his mind. That was enough for Enhanced Strength or a Minor Healing skill purchase. It was the difference between scraping by and actually turning things around quickly. The stamina upgrade promised to mend his wrecked body, too, while that wolf pelt seemed like a good way to earn money overnight.

  A flicker of guilt surfaced as he looked toward the corner. Elara sat in her faded hemp gown, the fabric worn thin at the elbows, while Mira adjusted her rough-spun shift. They’d panic if he vanished into the night, but guilt didn't fix roofs or fill empty bellies. This was a necessity, he knew it, but still…

  The obstacles, however, were immediate. Elara’s voice drifted through the gloom, low and tired. "Three coppers for the eggs, provided the merchant isn't cheating us again," Mira murmured a response; her words were loud enough to be heard from even where he was.

  It seemed like they could talk for another hour, or they could fall asleep in five minutes; nobody knew. But Lys couldn't afford to gamble on either. To them, he was still an invalid who needed to be tucked in.

  Even if he somehow managed to get past them, his body was in no condition to cross the distance from her to the edge of the forest. Even walking to the well felt like an impossible task, and the forest sat miles away. He’d be lucky to crawl half that distance.

  As he was contemplating what to do, the timer flickered once again: 57:42... 57:41... 57:40. Each digit felt like a stone being dropped onto his chest.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Three paths sat before him: wait and pray they fall asleep before the quest deadline, lie and sneak out somehow, or forcefully go outside and finish the job.

  Not to mention the remaining problem after he goes outside with this broken body into the darkness and hopes his stamina lasts. Even after that, he has to figure out how to save the lady from those wolves. He himself had been injured by wolves, as his family had said. Now he was planning to go fight those same things. If it was not an impossible task, then he didn’t know what was.

  He weighed every possible failure.

  If he slipped out now, his legs, still like frayed rope, would give way before he reached the treeline. Then the wolves would finish the job the fever started. Yet, as the timer bled out toward the fifty-five-minute mark, the alternative felt worse. A thirty-day lockout from Tier-3 quests was a death sentence for his ambition.

  Then suddenly he remembered a discarded option in the shop.

  Basic Herb Knowledge (100SP).

  It needed only one hundred SP. The cost matched his remaining balance perfectly, as if it were waiting for him for this specific quest. He didn't hesitate to buy that skill.

  The SP bar hit zero. A cold buzz filled his skull, followed by a rush of clarity. Leaves that induced sleep, roots that brought on a heavy fog of dizziness, all of this information settled into his mind like they were there from the very beginning.

  He knew exactly where to use this skill now. Although not every herb Elara had brought here for him gained a label, but he recognized enough to act.

  On the far side of the room, Elara and Mira remained oblivious. Despite the poverty of the village, the hut was surprisingly spacious, and the distance between them was enough for Lys to move around the house without much of their notice.

  Lys rolled to his knees, moving with the agonizing patience of a turtle. The straw mat let out a faint whisper. He froze once as Mira shifted, but she was only stretching, her mind still fixed on the mundane cost of salt.

  He reached the basket of herbs beside the table. His fingers moved through the pile, discarding useless weeds until he found the herb he saw in his skill, thick green leaves with pale veins. Beside it lay the root, which is known for its dizzying effect if taken in large volume, brown sticks that released a sharp, peppery scent when snapped.

  He worked in the dark, crushing the flora between his palms. He adjusted the ratios, feeling the texture of the powder. Too much might turn the mixture toxic; too little would leave them wide awake even if he manages to feed them this somehow.

  After several silent attempts, the mixture finally felt right. He scraped the fine powder into a small clay cup abandoned near the foot of the table.

  He glanced toward the water jug on the table, then dismissed the thought. Handing them a drink mixed with this now would look overly suspicious. Not to mention, he had no way of justifying their sudden dizziness just when they took the drink he gave them. Plus, once the world started spinning for them, they would remember who handed them the cup.

  His grip tightened on the cup. A quiet sense of dominance settled over him.

  He looked at the iron pot resting on the stones. The soup was still warm, thick enough to mask the gritty texture and earthy bitterness of the herbs. No one would question the flavor of a pot that had been simmering all evening.

  So he moved towards the soup, with the cup in his hand, while the quest notification was glowing the countdown, 53 minutes left.

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