The weight of the [Silent Sentinels] quest settled upon Liam like a shroud. Failure was not an option. The Vangoria family's survival, his House's honor, and a crucial blow against Vorian's machinations all hinged on his actions. He couldn't wait for official channels; by then, it would be too late.
As dusk bled into true night, casting long, skeletal shadows across the Lithian estate, Liam made his preparations. He retrieved a simple, dark traveler's cloak with a deep hood and a plain black half-mask he'd acquired long ago for a forgotten masquerade – enough to obscure his features in the chaos of night. His common arming sword, the one detailed by the System, was all he had, but with Dragonheart Vigor, it would have to be enough.
A new feature had appeared on his System interface after accepting the quest: a faint, pulsing minimap in the corner of his vision, displaying a glowing marker several miles beyond Lithian territory, along the Old King's Road. The Shadow Vipers' presumed ambush site.
Slipping out of the mansion was easier than he anticipated. The guards were accustomed to the young lord's previously nocturnal and often aimless wanderings, though they'd noted his recent dedication to training. He moved like a wraith through the familiar grounds, his heightened senses from Draconic Senses picking up the rhythmic breathing of a dozing gate guard, the distant rustle of leaves, the scent of night-blooming jasmine.
Once clear of the estate, he broke into a run, Dragonheart Vigor already active, mana siphoning into Stamina. The miles blurred under his feet. He ran with the tireless gait of a seasoned ranger, a skill resurrected from his past life. The glowing marker on his minimap drew him onward, a beacon in the oppressive darkness.
He'd hoped to arrive well ahead of both the Vangoria convoy and the assassins, to scout and prepare. But as he crested a ridge overlooking a narrow, tree-choked section of the Old King's Road, his blood ran cold. Torches. A small caravan was already entering the gulch. And from the dense woods flanking the road, dark figures were beginning to stir, their movements purposeful and predatory. The minimap pulsed erratically, multiple smaller red dots flaring around the larger marker. He was almost too late.
"Damn it!" Liam hissed, pulling his mask up and hood low. There was no time for finesse.
He plunged down the wooded slope, heedless of the branches that whipped at his cloak. As he neared the road, he saw the Vangoria carriage, ornate and sturdy, surrounded by a handful of their own household guards. Ahead of them, three shadowy figures had just stepped onto the road, blocking the path, their blades glinting in the torchlight. Two more were melting from the trees on the carriage's flank.
"Ambush!" one of the Vangoria guards yelled, drawing his sword.
Screams erupted from within the carriage. Liam saw Lord Gareth Vangoria, a portly man with a determined jaw, throw open the carriage door, attempting to shield the interior with his body. Beside him, a young woman with fiery red hair – Lady Narine, Liam presumed – looked out, her eyes wide with terror.
Liam burst from the treeline like an avenging spirit, his sword a silver streak. One of the flanking assassins, surprised by the sudden appearance of a third party, turned, raising a short, curved blade. Liam didn't hesitate. He channeled mana into Strength, his arming sword whistling through the air in a powerful diagonal slash. The blow connected with the assassin's exposed side with a sickening thud. The man crumpled with a gurgled cry, his weapon clattering on the cobblestones.
The lead assassin, a tall, wiry figure whose face was entirely concealed by a dark wrap, whirled to face this new threat. Liam tried to use Vision, but the panel beside the figure simply read: [Rank Exceeds User's Vision Capability]. This one was strong.
"Who dares interfere with the Shadow Vipers' business?" the leader snarled, his voice a venomous rasp. He gestured, and the remaining two assassins on the road, along with the other flanker, moved to engage Liam, leaving the Vangoria guards to scramble.
Liam found himself facing three opponents. He parried a thrust from one, sidestepped a slash from another, the sounds of battle erupting around him – the clash of steel, shouts, the terrified whinnying of horses.
He struggled. These were not clumsy bandits; they were trained killers, their movements coordinated and lethal. A blade sliced his cloak, another nicked his arm, drawing a thin line of blood. Pain flared, but adrenaline and the draconic power coursing through him dulled it.
Too many. Need to even the odds. Fast.
He focused his mana entirely into Agility, the world seeming to slow for a fraction of a second. He ducked under a sweeping cut from the leader, the wind of the blade ruffling his hood. He spun, his own sword a blur, and delivered a precise, non-lethal slash to the leg of one of the lesser assassins, who yelped and stumbled back. Then, using the opening, he lunged at the second, his pommel connecting sharply with the man's temple. The assassin dropped like a stone.
Now it was just him and the leader, who watched with cold, reptilian eyes. The Vangoria guards were holding their own against the remaining Viper, but they were clearly outmatched.
"Impressive, for a whelp," the leader hissed, his stance shifting. "But you die now."
He attacked with blinding speed, his twin daggers a whirlwind of deadly steel. Liam was forced back, his common sword barely deflecting the flurry of strikes. He felt the sting of several minor cuts, his mana draining rapidly as he maintained the Agility boost, desperately trying to keep Dragonheart Vigor active.
Inside the carriage, Lady Narine stifled a scream, her hand flying to her mouth. Lord Gareth, though clearly terrified, bellowed, "Courage, stranger! By the gods, hold fast! We are indebted to you!" His voice, though strained, carried a note of desperate encouragement.
Liam knew he couldn't sustain this. The leader was too skilled, too fast. He needed one decisive blow.
He took a calculated risk. Feigning a stumble, he allowed one of the leader's daggers to graze his shoulder – a deeper cut this time. As the assassin pressed his advantage, expecting a killing blow, Liam switched his mana flow in a desperate surge from Agility to Strength. The 3-second cooldown felt like an eternity.
Now!
Ignoring the searing pain in his shoulder, Liam exploded upwards. His sword, empowered by the sudden influx of draconic strength, met the leader's descending dagger not in a parry, but in a brutal, overpowering bind. Steel shrieked. With a guttural roar that was more beast than human, Liam twisted his blade, snapping the assassin's dagger at the hilt and sending shards flying.
Before the leader could react to the shock, Liam slammed his masked forehead into the assassin's face. There was a sickening crunch. The leader staggered back, dazed, blood streaming from his nose. Liam didn't give him a chance to recover. He reversed his sword, the pommel smashing into the leader's jaw, then again into his temple. The Viper crumpled, unconscious but alive.
[Talent: Swordsmanship (D) -> Swordsmanship (C)]
[Talent: Close Combat (F) -> Close Combat (E)]
Liam swayed, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His mana was almost depleted. He glanced at the remaining Viper, who, seeing his leader fall and his comrades incapacitated, hesitated for a split second before turning to flee into the woods. Liam had no energy to pursue.
He turned, his masked gaze sweeping over the Vangoria carriage. Lord Gareth was staring at him, awe and disbelief etched on his face. Lady Narine peeked out from behind her father, her terrified expression slowly giving way to wonder.
"You… you saved us," Lord Gareth stammered, his earlier bravado replaced with genuine gratitude. "Who… who are you? How can we repay this debt?"
Liam didn't answer. He could feel his strength waning, the adrenaline fading. He had to leave before his identity was compromised or he collapsed. He gave a curt nod towards the carriage, then turned and melted back into the shadows of the forest as quickly as his exhausted legs could carry him, ignoring the renewed calls from the grateful lord.
As he stumbled away, the familiar translucent panel flickered into existence.
[Quest Completed: Silent Sentinels]
[Difficulty: Challenging]
Quest Fulfilled:
• Assassin threat to the Vangoria convoy neutralized.
• Lord Gareth and Lady Narine unharmed.
• Optional: Shadow Viper leader captured alive (incapacitated).
[Rewards Granted]
• +5 to All Stats
• 1000 EXP
• A-Rank Weapon Selection Voucher (Stored in Inventory)
• Title Acquired: Protector of the Innocent
[EXP: 100 (Previous) + 1000 (Quest Reward) = 1100]
[EXP: 1100/500 -> Level Up!]
[Stars: ★ (Swordsman Trainee) -> ★★ (Swordsman Apprentice)]
[EXP: 600/1000 to next Star]
[Remaining Stat Points: 0 + 5 (Quest Reward) = 5]
The journey back to the Lithian estate was a torturous blur of pain and exhaustion. Liam used the last dregs of his mana to sustain Dragonheart Vigor for Stamina, but it wasn't enough. He stumbled several times, his shoulder throbbed, and the cuts on his arm and cloak stung with every movement.
He reached the estate walls just as the first hint of dawn painted the eastern sky. He avoided the main gate, circling to a seldom-used postern gate near the servant's quarters, one whose rusty hinges he knew how to manipulate silently.
Slipping inside, he moved with the stealth of a ghost, sticking to the shadows, his breath held tight. He was a mess – cloak torn, mask askew, bloodied and caked in dirt.
As he passed a dimly lit alcove near the kitchens, a flicker of movement caught his eye, but he was too focused on reaching his room undetected to register it properly.
Sarah had been unable to sleep, a strange premonition unsettling her. She had slipped down to the kitchen for a calming cup of herbal tea when she heard the faintest scrape from the postern gate – a sound she knew most wouldn't even notice. Curious and a little fearful, she peered cautiously from the shadowed alcove.
She saw him. A figure, cloaked and hooded, moving with an unnatural silence but also a deep, bone-weary exhaustion. As he passed a stray moonbeam that pierced the corridor, she caught a glimpse of silver hair beneath the hood, a flash of familiar amber eyes, and the dark stain of what looked like blood on his sleeve. He was favoring one shoulder.
Her breath caught in her throat. Lord Liam?
It couldn't be. But the build, the way he moved despite his evident injuries… it was him. What in the Nine Hells had he been doing out at this hour, and in such a state?
He disappeared up the servants' stairs, a silent shadow swallowed by the pre-dawn gloom. Sarah remained frozen in the alcove, her mind reeling, the forgotten cup of tea growing cold in her hands. A new, deeper worry for her young lord began to bloom in her heart, mingled with a profound, unshakeable confusion.
[Liam's Status]
Name: Liam Lithian
Age: 15
Race: Human
Title: The Regressed, Protector of the Innocent
Stars: ★★ (Swordsman Apprentice)
Affiliation: House Lithia
Potential: C
Attributes (Base + Quest Reward):
• Strength: 12 + 5 = 17
• Stamina: 7 + 5 = 12
• Agility: 8 + 5 = 13
• Vitality: 20 + 5 = 25
• Endurance: 40 + 5 = 45
• Mana: 0/204 (Max) (depleted, will regenerate over time)
Talents:
• Swordsmanship (C)
• Close Combat (E)
• Archery (F)
• Hunting (E)
Skills:
• Dragonheart Vigor (Passive - Rank SS+)
* Passively consumes 1 Mana Point every 10 seconds. Each point consumed grants a temporary +5 boost to one selected Attribute.
* Switching Attributes: 3-second cooldown.
* Dragonheart Refinement (Passive): Subtle, permanent enhancements to Vitality and Endurance over time.
* Draconic Senses (Passive - Latent): Enhanced senses when Dragonheart Vigor is active.
* ???
• Vision (Active - Rank A)
* Perceive stats of lower-ranked individuals.
EXP: 600/1000 (to ★★★ Adept)
Remaining Stat Points: 5