Chapter 75 Red Potion

After a long and weary journey, the adventurers have finally arrived back at the Hunters Guild. The group had been traveling for several hours, facing challenging terrain and inclement weather. David was exhausted from his efforts. Despite the hardships David faced during their journey, he was grateful to finally be back in the comfort and safety of the Hunters Guild.

As they stepped inside, they were greeted by the familiar sight of the spacious and elegantly decorated main hall. The grand reception desk was manned by a polite and professional attendant, who welcomed them back with warm smiles. 

Kieran strode towards the attendant at the reception desk, intent on turning in the completed quest. As he approached, he noticed Suzuka walking toward him with a serious expression on her face.

"Hey Kieran," Suzuka said, a hint of excitement in her voice. "I've been thinking about the reward for this quest. I don't need the money. I was hoping that you could use it to buy some cheap healing supplies for David. Instead, I'd like to keep the kill proof as my reward. What do you think?"

Kieran considered her proposal for a moment before nodding in agreement. "That's fine by me," he said. "I don't really care about the kill proof, so you're welcome to it."

Suzuka beamed with pleasure at Kieran's answer. "Thanks, Kieran. I really appreciate it," she said.

Kieran walked to David and said, "Come on David, let's get you to alchemic. He will boost you up back on your feet. Don't worry, the lady is paying."

David was not feeling well, his body was weak and he was struggling to maintain his balance. Despite this, he mustered enough strength to nod his head in agreement. With difficulty, he rose to his feet and stumbled a bit.

 Kieran, sensing his distress, stepped forward and offered him a supportive shoulder. Together, the two of them made their way out of the grand guild building. Despite David's weakness, he was grateful for Kieran's help.

Suzuka stepped up to the grand reception desk, where one of the attendants was waiting to receive her. With a smile, Suzuka handed over the kill proof and the attendant took a quick look, nodding in approval. "Well done, Helen," the attendant said, "You've just taken down one orc and 20 goblins, an impressive feat. As a reward for your hard work, we're pleased to award you a new title: 'Goblin Hater'. Your progress is outstanding, and you now have only eight more quests left to complete before you're eligible for rank advancement. Keep up the good work and best of luck on your future quests." The attendant then handed back Suzuka's card with the new title.

As the sun began to set and the day drew to a close, Suzuka realized that she had nothing left to do. She decided to retire for the night and headed towards her accommodation for the evening, the Mystic Oasis Inn.

 She made her way to the reception desk and said goodbye to the friendly attendant. With a final farewell, Suzuka stepped out of the building and began walking toward the inn.

The Mystic Oasis was located in a quiet, serene area of town, surrounded by greenery and a tranquil garden. Suzuka felt a sense of peace wash over her as she approached the inn, eager to rest for the day.

 She opened the door to her room and was greeted by a warm, inviting space. The bed was soft and inviting, and Suzuka felt herself sink into its comfortable embrace. After a refreshing hot spring bath, she was soon fast asleep, lost in dreams of adventure and excitement.

The morning dawned and with it came the sunshine as if the rain from the previous day had never existed. The sun was at its zenith, shining with radiant brilliance. Suzuka had completed her morning routine and was now dressed in the casual leather attire that she had purchased from a local clothing store. She was eager to explore the city and see what it had to offer. She gathered 294 shiny copper coins and set out.

As Suzuka made her way down the street, her attention was suddenly drawn to the opposite sidewalk where she spotted David walking with another person. He was accompanied by a woman who was not only stunning in appearance but also taller than him. 

Suzuka noticed that David appeared to be walking in a slouched posture with his head downcast, while the woman had her arm resting dominantly on his shoulder. The woman was speaking to David with great animation, her expressions intense and focused. Despite being at a distance, Suzuka could sense that the woman was talking harshly.

Suzuka's curiosity was piqued as she observed the scene unfold. She stood still for a few moments, taking in the details before her. The elegant woman led him down a nearby alleyway.

 As they approached, Suzuka could see that they were meeting with four other stunning women, all dressed in attire that highlighted their beauty. The women were gathered together, their expressions serious and hostile as they spoke with David. 

Suzuka couldn't hear what they were talking about only see what was happening. She couldn't help but feel a sense of intrigue as she watched the scene unfold, wondering what could possibly be going on in the alleyway.

The woman suddenly launched into a vicious attack on David as they stood in the alleyway. Suddenly, the situation took a violent turn as the woman kicked David with force, sending him stumbling back against the wall.

She pressed her leg against his abdomen and kept on pushing him against the wall as other women slapped him. The attackers laughed loudly, the sound echoing off the walls of the narrow alley. David did not resist, as the two women continued to laugh and jeer, seemingly relishing in their cruel behavior.

The abuse lasted for a grueling ten minutes as the woman continued to torment and ridicule David. Eventually, the woman became bored and decided to leave, leaving David lying on the ground in a state of distress. 

The attackers then rummaged through his pockets, taking all of his coins and any other valuables they could find. They emptied his coin bag and threw it back in his face, taunting him with cruel insults as they walked away. 

Before the woman leave, each of them gave David a goodbye kick and the last one even spit on him, as he lay on the ground, before walking off laughing loud.  

David was left alone, battered and broken, with nothing but the empty coin bag as a reminder of the vicious attack he had just endured.

After watching David, Suzuka tough to herself, "Oh my god! That David is such a creep! He paid these girls to make fun of him and beat him. What a sick and twisted freak he is, ughh! Disgusting, now I see why women don't like him. He is a pervert, stalker, and peeping creep. I better avoid any interactions with him from now on." 

And with that note, she walked with her business leaving David lying in that cold, damp alleyway by the dumpster, covered in trash.  

After spending several hours exploring the bustling town and indulging in the local cuisine, Suzuka found herself having spent a total of 80 copper coins on various snacks from street vendors. Now she has 214 copper coins.

Suzuka thought it was about time she paid a visit to the guild, hoping to catch up with her friend Lisanna and perhaps take on an easy quest that may have dropped.

She approached the guild building, pushed open the heavy wooden doors, and stepped into the spacious and elegant interior of the guild. She was greeted by Lisanna, who was working today. 

Suzuka approached the quest board with anticipation, scanning the various requests posted in the hopes of finding a quest that was aligned with her interests. Unfortunately, she was disappointed to find that there was nothing available that matched her current rank or scheduling constraints.

 Suzuka turned to Lisanna, who was standing nearby at her desk. She greeted her with a warm smile, "Hey Lisanna! It's great to see you. How have you been? Has anything interesting happened lately?"

Lisanna returned the smile, "Oh, hey Helen! Nothing much has been going on here, but I heard that you've been busy. You earned another title and completed another quest, right? You're certainly moving quickly! Call me impressed."

Suzuka approached Lisanna at the guild's reception desk. With a hint of boredom in her voice she said, "Thanks for the compliment, Lisanna, but I was actually hoping to find a quick quest to undertake. I've got some free time and I figured I might as well put it to good use."

Lisanna nodded understandingly and turned her attention to the various quest boards and scrolls scattered across her desk. After a moment of searching, she retrieved a parchment and handed it to Suzuka. "For your current rank, I can only offer you a relatively simple task," Lisanna explained. "It's a collection quest for medicinal herbs used in making a red potion. The reward is a modest 5 silver coins. You need five kilograms of them."

As Suzuka took the quest, Lisanna reached for a small map and marked a rough area on it, pointing out where the herbs could be found. "This should give you an idea of where to start your search," she said, handing the map to Suzuka with a smile and a playful wink. "Good luck!" 

Suzuka thanked Lisanna for the quest and set out on her quest. By looking at the map, She knew, that the herbs could be found in the nearby forests and meadows. Without wasting any day time she set on her travel.

As she traveled through the forests, Suzuka marveled at the beauty of the countryside. Finally, she reached the place where the herbs were known to grow. They were small, delicate plants with vibrant red leaves. 

Suzuka carefully collected the herbs, making sure to gather only the freshest and most potent specimens. It took her several hours to gather the full 5 kilograms, but she finally succeeded. With the herbs safely stored in her pack, Suzuka began the long journey back to the Hunter Guild.

The quest had been simple, and there had been no danger at all. She had completed her task with ease, and she was looking forward to returning to the guild and receiving her reward. The sun was starting to go dawn, the night will come soon. 

When she arrived at the Hunter Guild, she was greeted by Lisanna, who thanked her for her quick work. Suzuka handed over the herbs, and Lisanna praised her for her efficiency and skill, "Good job Helen, I see you picked a good amount and even better quality. This will do just nicely. Here are your five silver coins. Also, I just wanted to inform you; there is a title for herb-gathering quests. After finishing 5 quests, you get the 'Herb collector' title, which will give you a discount in any alchemy shop. It will get you 20% off of your purchase of potions. And so just happen, some new herb quests came in a few minutes ago. If you are interested I can give them to you, but you need to be quick about it. These quests are very favored by adventurers, everyone wants these discounts."

Suzuka said, "Thanks, Lisanna. That discount would really help me to save some coins. I will gladly take all the quest you have, but I will have to finish them tomorrow, it is getting dark outside. I don't want to wander around the woods in the night."

Lisanna said, "Alright, I will give them to you. But I have to warn you, the reward is small, all 5 quests will get you only 5 silver. But then again, getting that discount is what this is all about."

Suzuka replied, "Yeah, 5 silver will be enough. I will save much more with all the discounts I will get. Thanks again Lisanna, for doing this for me. I will see you tomorrow, good night." 

And so, with a smile on her face, Suzuka left the Hunter Guild, already thinking about her next adventure.