The warm scent of Earl Grey filled the air.
Ezekiel sat comfortably in a high-backed velvet armchair within the spacious drawing room of the Village Chief's manor. A porcelain cup rested in his hand, its contents gently steaming.
Across from him, Chief Roana sat with the regal composure she carried so naturally — her robe of deep indigo trimmed with gold shimmered faintly in the morning light that filtered through the high windows.
A Fourth-Circle Mage was a rarity — something even seasoned players might never witness. Individuals of that caliber were one in a million. Any higher, and they transcended into the realm of Grand Mages — a tier that stood above mortal limits.
It was a surreal feeling, meeting someone like that. He hadn't expected to face her this soon.
Between them stood a low, ornate tea table laden with an assortment of pastries, buttered scones, fruit-filled tarts, and delicate biscuits. A sight that, in any other circumstance, would've seemed like something out of a noble's high tea. But Ezekiel wasn't in a mood to indulge.
He hadn't touched a single pastry.
His mind gradually drifted elsewhere — trailing behind with the injured survivors he had personally escorted to the temple. It was only after they were fully in the hands of the priests that Roana had invited him to her manor, urging him to at least rest for a while.
The invitation had been more of a command than a suggestion, really.
Now here he was, sipping tea in awkward silence while the Village Chief watched him with quiet curiosity.
As he raised the cup to his lips again, Ezekiel let his thoughts wander once more. Despite how eventful the day had been, the streets of Fwerah were strangely quiet during his journey here.
Unlike him, most players were limited by their gear. The vast majority were still using standard-grade gaming helmets or basic immersion pods. At most, those allowed for six to eight hours of real world time to stay online — and they forced mandatory logout cycles to prevent neural fatigue. Few players could afford to stay logged in indefinitely.
He, on the other hand, had invested almost all his savings into a Crash V3 — the most advanced full-immersion pod available. It allowed him to remain inside ReLife for up to 100 continuous hours, with neural integrity safeguards and deep REM synchronization.
It was a luxury.
One that had bought him time — time to act in the game's formative early days without worrying about extended offline durations.
Most players must have already logged out by now. And the few who haven't... they'd be out grinding.
Though he was sure he'd find a bunch of them if he looked at the important infrastructures. There's never a shortage of hardcore players jumping at the promise of a new adventure, even if they had to spend their entire life savings on it.
He glanced toward the window. The sun was far from dipping below the horizon — but so much had changed.
I wonder how far they've gotten.
Had any of them figured out the soul penalty yet?
He doubted it.
Most wouldn't even know it existed until they experienced in-game deaths for at least upto 6 or 7 times. And by then... the real consequences would start stacking.
Ezekiel had vaguely entertained the idea of warning his fellow players, but he was not a saint and he wouldn't compromise his own identity and purpose to protect strangers. Even if he did, no one would believe him anyway.
Humans always needed to see the results themselves.
His introspection was cut short by the soft clink of porcelain.
Roana set her cup down gently and looked up. Her expression was no longer one of stoic command. It was softer now — touched by something deeper. Humility, perhaps. Or gratitude that words could never fully express.
"I still don't know how to thank you," she said, her voice low, steady. "I have led Fwerah for almost three decades... and in all that time, no tragedy cut us deeper than what happened to those youths."
Ezekiel met her gaze, calm and composed. "You don't need to thank me repeatedly. As I said, anyone in my position would've done the same."
Roana smiled faintly. "You and I both know that's not true."
Before Ezekiel could respond, the familiar ping of a system notification rang quietly in his mind — a sudden, gentle cascade that immediately captured his attention.
{Quest Complete: Dhamra's Will (Epic)}
{Calculating Completion Rank…}
{Rank: EX-Grade Achieved!}
{Reward Bonus: +300%}
{You have gained 60,000 EXP!}
{Level Up! Level 16 Reached!}
{4 Free Stat Points Available}
{Permanent Stat Bonus Acquired: Charm +10 | Luck +5}
{Item Acquired: Gold x48}
{Item Acquired: Magma's Heart (Epic)}
{Item Acquired: Magma's Book (Epic)}
Ezekiel's breath hitched for a split second. He masked his surprise quickly, keeping his face neutral as his heart thumped against his ribs.
An EX-Grade?
He hadn't expected that.
He was certain the rank would be lower as he hadn't been the one to deliver the killing blow to the Incubus.
But it seemed that even the system had enough courtesy to acknowledge that it was an impossible task to begin with. The fact that he completed it by any means possible was enough.
More importantly, he hadn't realized his evolved Quest could also be submitted to the Village Chief. Perhaps, this way he eliminated several unnecessary steps in the middle.
As for the rewards themselves, the EXP alone was staggering — enough to push him a full level. Especially considering how much the required EXP to level-up scaled after Level 10.
Even the permanent stat bonuses...
Since Ezekiel had yet to allocate his free stat points after reaching Level 6, currently Charm was his highest attribute.
Ezekiel was pleased. The amount of restricted places he could get into with just high enough Charm were countless. And besides that, he also got +5 Luck.
While appearing as normal attributes, neither Charm nor Luck could be increased with the free stat points a player got from level-ups. Ezekiel had planned on prioritizing various quests with luck or charm points as rewards. Thus, these two attributes as bonuses from only EX-Grade clearances were always welcome.
However, even beyond the stats and gold — the highest form of currency within ReLife — what really stirred his heart with genuine excitement were the items.
The items.
Magma's Heart. Magma's Book.
While Epic on their own, Ezekiel had no doubt that if used together, the synergy between them would be no less than that of a Pseudo-Legendary item.
In his memories, these had only appeared in their Pseudo-Epic versions for the Pseudo-Epic Dhamra's Will Quest — and even then, they were meant to be powerful enough to have wars fought over them.
And yet.
He had them both.
And they were the Epic version.
Did the system elevate the rewards because of the quest's rarity... or maybe because of the completion rank?
Ezekiel fought to keep the smirk off his face. His fingers twitched slightly in anticipation. These weren't just powerful artifacts — they were exactly what he needed for the path he was walking.
He was aiming for a class most players would ignore: Summoner. It branched off the Mage tree, yes — but early-game summoners would be notoriously weak, almost unplayable.
Players who may choose the Summoner class to avoid direct combat were sure to abandon it in frustration before it ever had a chance to flourish.
The reasons were many. Experience from kills was split between the summoner and their summoned creatures, making progression slow and arduous. Worse still, summoned creatures drew entirely from the caster's mana pool.
Without a high Intelligence stat, maintaining a summon for more than a few seconds was nearly impossible. Yet in a world where every attribute played a vital role in survival, investing solely in Intelligence was a reckless gamble.
But Ezekiel knew the truth.
With the right skills and class evolution quests — the Summoner class could become one of the most devastating endgame roles in ReLife.
And these two Epic treasures?
They weren't just the best tools a summoner could have at this stage. They were the reason he pursued this Questline to begin with.
Roana gestured toward a nearby maid, who stepped forward carrying a tray with three ornate boxes — two silver, one wooden.
A servant cleared the table swiftly, while the maid lowered the tray gently before stepping back with practiced grace.
Roana took the wooden chest first and opened it, revealing a neat stack of glimmering gold coins — forty-eight in total.
"The bounty placed on each of the missing villagers was one gold coin at the time of their disappearance. That bounty remained untouched for a decade. But your actions today… they deserve more than a forgotten promise."
She looked at him, solemn.
"So I've matched the bounty and raised it. Three gold coin per life you saved."
Ezekiel gave a small nod. "It's generous," he said. "Thank you."
But a thought nagged at the back of his mind — something he couldn't leave unspoken.
"There was one person missing."
Roana stilled.
"Lance's brother," she said softly.
Ezekiel nodded. "I couldn't find his remains."
He didn't elaborate. The details — what he'd seen — weren't his to tell. If the victims knew of Dhamra's betrayal and chose to reveal it, they would. And if not, then the truth would lie buried.
Roana didn't press him. She simply let out a long breath, eyes darkening with the weight of memory.
"I see. Even so... the fact that anyone made it back alive is miraculous enough. And you even rescued a stranger not from Fwerah."
She met his gaze.
"Don't let guilt cloud what you've accomplished. No one escapes fate unscathed."
Ezekiel inclined his head in solemn agreement. It was almost ironic how fitting her words were.
"Yes. I will keep that in mind."
Then, with a smooth motion, Roana opened the remaining two boxes — both of them made of polished silver, their lids inscribed with warding runes.
Inside sat Magma's Heart and Magma's Book — glowing faintly with power, humming with potential.
The heart was a core, different from the Dark Life Core he'd harvested from the Children of Darkness.
This one was a sparkly emerald gemstone, brimming with life and large enough not to fit in his hands.
The book was a simple leather tome, unassuming from a distance. But its real value lay inside in its contents.
Even knowing they were his, Ezekiel still swallowed hard at the sight. They were... perfect.
He quietly dismissed the lingering questions — how these items were meant to be passed by Lance in his memories, how their rarity had been lower — and simply accepted this new reality.
Roana didn't comment on them, and he didn't question it, either.
He stored both treasures in his inventory and stood.
The Chief followed suit, walking him to the front door of the manor. She didn't speak much — only nodded as he thanked her once more.
As he stepped into the open air, Ezekiel exhaled deeply.
The sky was brighter now. The village slowly stirred — missing the hustle and bustle of earlier that day. The silence felt... comforting.
He thought about stopping by Somia's shop, to sell some things. He was certain that she would be interested. But it was still too early in her terms. He'd already woken her up once, and had no intention to test her patience. She was no ordinary NPC either, after all.
Best let her sleep.
His next stop was already decided.
The Adventurer's Association.
He was Level 16 now — far past the required level for a Class Change. Most players triggered theirs by Level 10.
He was too behind. That needed to be changed.