Chapter Fifteen: Accumulating Favor

The sky was a deep shade of blue, with a faint mist shrouding the empty valley. Occasionally, the wind swept through, making the endless grass bow down as though they were green waves crashing against a shore.

Here, a single slender figure in a white cloak stood out most strikingly, surrounded by luminous light-elemental energy that danced around him. The white-robed priest, alone with his staff, was more than a match for an army. Several light spells streaked wildly among the gray wolves, who, bound by invisible barriers, could only howl in frustration.

The once-level ground trembled beneath the force of such fearsome magic, and now and then, shattered stones were flung aside with a dull crash. The white-robed priest’s face was cold and emotionless as he wielded his staff with composure. An indescribable sense of oppression radiated from him, so much so that even the wolves with crimson-gold eyes shrank back a step.

In an instant, the light in the valley grew dazzling. White brilliance rained down at a visible speed, and the golden-eyed wolves howled with even greater fury. The priest’s eyes remained indifferent and cold as he chanted softly, streaks of frosty radiance buzzing like icy fireworks atop his deep violet staff.

With a thunderous explosion, an overwhelming white light burst forth, blotting out the sky and shining straight through the clouds!

The wolves stared dumbfounded at the blinding radiance, their howls and resistance forgotten, the light in their golden eyes extinguished in a flash. In mere moments, their massive forms were reduced to drifting ash.

Watching this spectacle, the priest’s eyes glimmered. Though such terrifying power had come from his own hand, he was inwardly shaken. He looked up at a distant figure lounging lazily in a tree—a man whose eyes seemed half-closed, a silver cloak blending into the lush leaves, almost indistinguishable.

The priest’s gaze darkened as he clenched his violet-rhinoceros staff tightly. If it weren’t for the short-term mana-boosting potions provided by Sairos, his spells could never have reached such terrifying effect.

From morning until now, all six hundred gray wolves had been slain by Shen Ce alone. Sairos had merely teamed up with him, handed over a pile of potions and scrolls, and then gone off to rest in the treetops. Yet Shen Ce felt no resentment over Sairos taking half the experience despite doing nothing. After all, he was indebted to the man since their first meeting, when, in a sense, Sairos had saved his life. Besides, Shen Ce was well used to solo grinding; now, with Sairos’s supplies, he was mowing down monsters with even greater ease. “Harvesting lives” was no exaggeration.

For this reason, Shen Ce grew ever more convinced that Sairos was the very embodiment of a high-roller. He even suspected that Sairos’s equipment, items, and level had all been bought with money. The only thing that didn’t add up was Sairos’s nearly bug-like skills—something no one else could help him with. Shen Ce still remembered the way that man had pinched a blade between his fingers at their first encounter; only two words could describe Sairos’s prowess: utterly terrifying.

The more Shen Ce interacted with Sairos, the more the clarity he thought he’d gained was shrouded in mist. He glanced up at the idle, comfortable figure in the tree, then slowly walked toward him. Six hundred wolves slain—it was time to return to the city and hand in the quest.

Before Shen Ce could get close, the man in silver suddenly opened his eyes. The leaves rustled, and in a flash—faster than the eye could follow—the figure landed before Shen Ce. With a lazy yawn, he smiled, offhanded and unhurried. “You’re even faster than I expected.”

Shen Ce regarded Sairos warily. That blinding speed unsettled him. He had thought Sairos was only sleeping, yet this movement would make any top-tier assassin envious, and he’d used it right as Shen Ce finished his quest. Did this mean Sairos had been watching his every move all along, even while resting?

After a moment’s hesitation, Shen Ce finally spoke. “Sairos, your timing is impeccable.” There was a fleeting shadow in the priest’s eyes—uncertainty tinged with suspicion.

Sairos’s black eyes were unfathomable, but he spoke with the same careless ease as his smile. “We’re married, so perhaps our hearts are in sync.”

Rarely did Shen Ce feel sullen or intrigued by anyone, but right now, he truly wanted to rip off Sairos’s mask and see what expression lay beneath it.

Shen Ce reminded himself not to let Sairos get under his skin; except with quest NPCs, he’d never been one for words. He pressed his lips together and lifted his return scroll for Sairos to see. “Back to Lingshui City.”

With a flash, both figures appeared inside the city. Together, they headed to the cathedral to turn in the quest to the priestess. She smiled radiantly, her voice sweet and gentle. “You two completed the task so quickly! You’re the fastest pair I’ve ever seen. That wolf pack has caused so much harm to innocent townsfolk. This time, you’ve truly blessed the people!”

“Ding—Congratulations! Your favorability with your partner Sairos has increased by 10. Please keep up the good work.”

The pleasing chime of the system notification instantly swept away any annoyance Shen Ce felt toward Sairos. Indeed, increasing favorability was the most practical reward; everything else was fleeting.

“Is there anything else you’d like to do?” the priestess asked with a warm smile. She’d figured it out—this couple might seem indifferent on the surface, but their relationship must be excellent for them to complete the quest so swiftly.

Shen Ce searched through the stacks of parchment for a long while, but found no suitable quest. The wolf-slaying task had given the most favorability; the others only increased it by five, and were all rather mundane in nature.

Seeing Shen Ce’s indecision, the man in silver pointed casually, his voice as ethereal as if from the void. “Don’t bother choosing—let’s take that one.”

Shen Ce followed Sairos’s gaze, just about to take a closer look, when the priestess said, “Alright!”

“Ding—You have accepted the quest ‘Help Xite from the east side of the city deliver a pair of earrings to Elir in the west as a gift.’ This is a couple’s quest; both participants must attend the final handover, and it must be completed within three hours.”

Shen Ce’s eye twitched. He had never imagined he’d end up with a quest like this. If he remembered correctly, the parchment mentioned that one person needed to present Elir with a Mistshadow flower, whose meaning was “unspoken affection.” But that wasn’t the main point. The flower grew in a remote spot and was very difficult to pick.

Fortunately, the system had assigned him to deliver the earrings, which only required collecting them from Xite. He glanced at the man in silver; with Sairos’s skills, picking two bouquets of flowers shouldn’t be a problem.

He looked at Sairos and said quietly, “In that case, I’ll go find Xite first.”

Sairos’s gaze glimmered with a dazzling intensity as he stared at Shen Ce. “You’re not coming with me?”

Shen Ce shook his head. Delivering flowers on someone else’s behalf was something he’d rather avoid—though he seemed oblivious to the fact that delivering earrings was hardly any more dignified.

When Shen Ce arrived at Xite’s home in the eastern part of the city, he was genuinely startled by the exuberant blond youth. The moment Xite heard Shen Ce was there to run his errand, his emerald-green eyes lit up and he even wanted to hug him in gratitude.

Naturally, Shen Ce politely declined, but Xite’s enthusiasm was undiminished. With a cheerful grin, he handed over a jewelry box containing the earrings, then scratched his head, a trace of youthful longing and shyness in his eyes. “Thanks so much! There are plenty of guys who like Elir, but I’ve never dared confess my feelings. Please, you must tell her how I feel.”

Shen Ce nodded calmly, slipped the jewelry box into his inventory, and set off for Elir’s home.

After explaining his purpose, he was granted an audience with Elir—undeniably the kind of girl many boys would fall for. She wore a boldly cut red outfit that radiated youthful energy, revealing slender legs and bare shoulders. Yet, looking into her amber eyes, one felt no hint of frivolity, only the enchantment of her striking beauty.

Elir reached out slender fingers to take the jewelry box. She blinked, her long lashes fluttering like the wings of a swallowtail butterfly. “That silly boy finally found the courage to confess,” she said, sticking out her tongue with a shy expression. “If only he’d brought it himself.”

“Ah, is that also for me?” Elir’s delighted voice drew Shen Ce’s gaze to the door, where, as expected, Sairos appeared, holding a bouquet of snow-white Mistshadow flowers, the dew still glistening on the petals—freshly picked.

“Yes,” Sairos replied, approaching them with a voice as light as plucked strings, his every movement relaxed and at ease, as if obtaining the flowers had posed not the slightest difficulty.

Elir took the bouquet, held it to her nose, and inhaled deeply. Her smile turned innocent and bright, as if she were a child who’d just received candy. “So fragrant! I once told Xite I loved Mistshadow flowers, but he said he couldn’t pick them. It doesn’t really matter, but I’m so happy to receive them today.”

“Ding—Congratulations! You and your partner Sairos have successfully completed Xite’s confession quest. Favorability increased by 5. Achievement unlocked: Love Stronger Than Gold.”

Shen Ce and Sairos exchanged a glance and were about to leave when Elir called out to them. “Excuse me, are you two a couple as well?”

Shen Ce froze. He’d believed only the cathedral priestess and the three NPCs at the manor could discern his relationship with Sairos.

Sairos looked at Shen Ce with measured calm, as if waiting to see how he would respond. Shen Ce narrowed his eyes at Elir. “Why do you ask?”

Elir smiled shyly, her eyes curving into charming crescents. “I saw you both wearing the same rings, so I thought…”

Shen Ce felt as if struck by lightning. He stared at Sairos’s left hand in disbelief, and sure enough, there was a ring identical to his own on those slender fingers.

How could this be?! He was certain it hadn’t been there this morning!