From the moment Candice smiled without explaining the mission, Dawei had a bad feeling.
A trap, he thought grimly. The beauty president's way too smooth. This has "setup" written all over it.
He opened his mouth to ask what the quest actually was—but immediately stopped himself.
"Wait… she said I wasn't blinded by the world. If I turn around and ask her for the quest details first before deciding, doesn't that make me just another cautious, short-sighted mortal?"
He clenched his jaw. "Nope. If I'm going in, I'm going all in."
Even if it was a trap, it was a god-tier trap. At worst, he'd get buried in problems. At best? He'd ride the coattails of the mercenary guild's most powerful leader. As a human player, sticking close to Candice was already worth it.
With that resolve, he clicked Accept.
[System Prompt: Player has accepted the Legendary Quest "Road to Revival" – Prologue Mission: 'Return of the Ice Horses'][System Prompt: Candice's favorability has greatly increased. Current status: Actively Mentoring.]
[Return of the Ice Horses]:The Mercenary Guild seeks to restore its former glory. Complete Candice's mission to begin the revival of the guild's legacy.
Dawei stared at the glowing quest log and almost choked.
"Big damn quest alert! I just wanted to say hi, and now I'm carrying the guild's destiny?!"
The last time he accepted a mission this high-tier, it had nearly sent him into cardiac arrest. Killing a god-level boss had taken days. He barely slept, nearly broke his keyboard, and had to crawl through mental puzzles just to survive the cursed forest.
Now a Legendary Quest—the type usually given to max-level characters with elite parties—had landed in his lap. At level 1.
This is how they get you, Dawei thought. First, they flatter you. Then they drop a boulder on your head.
He considered backing out… but it was too late.
He glanced at Candice, trying to explain. "President, uh… about this…"
But Candice interrupted with a soft chuckle. "This isn't a mission that needs to be rushed. You're still young. You need tempering."
Dawei let out a deep sigh of relief. So it wasn't time-limited.
Not only that—her tone clearly implied she wasn't just giving him a job. She was investing in him. That changed everything.
"The Bounty Guild was once the most feared and respected force in the world," Candice explained, her tone distant. "But when it fell, we lost contact with many of our allies. Rebuilding means rekindling those bonds. That's where you come in."
[System Prompt: Candice has issued sub-missions – "Song of the Black Swan," "Perilous Command," "Thunder City Pact," and "Black Dragon Invasion."]
Dawei's eyes widened.
He scanned the quest descriptions. Every single one was S+ difficulty. Not one looked remotely easy. And now he had four of them at once.
Legendary quests are unhinged. They don't just pile pressure—they pile entire continents on your head.
He began reviewing the content.
[Song of the Black Swan] – diplomatic mission involving the Elves.
[Thunder City Pact] – involves securing alliances with Orcs in Thunder City.
[Perilous Command] – related to the World Tree; heavy nature faction involvement.
[Black Dragon Invasion] – assisting Dragon City in resisting human conquest.
As Dawei read the details of Black Dragon Invasion, a chill ran down his spine. He quickly opened the World Event tab.
[World Event – War Goddess of Valkyrie]:The human kingdom is mobilizing to destroy Dragon City. Princess Amuran, known as the Valkyrie, is recruiting warriors to lead the assault.
Then he cross-referenced Black Dragon Invasion:
Help Dragon City repel the human kingdom's offensive.
"…Wait, WHAT?" Dawei snapped.
The mission's asking me to go up against my own people?!
As a member of the human faction, taking a mission to defend dragons from human armies felt like treason. The mercenary guild—one of humanity's core powers—was actively considering a side that conflicted with the royal war initiative?
"President, not to be rude, but… helping Dragon City against the human kingdom? Isn't that a little… treacherous?"
Candice shook her head slowly. "The doubt in your voice tells me you're still looking at the surface. This isn't about choosing a side—it's about uncovering the truth. What we seek isn't war… it's justice."
Her words lingered in the air like incense—calm but heavy with meaning.
Just then, the World Channel exploded.
[World Channel: System Announcement]"Player [Messy Star] has entered the Valkyrie event and obtained temporary follower status from Princess Amuran. Human Kingdom Reputation +500. World Reputation +100. Mercenary Eligibility Unlocked."
Dawei's jaw dropped.
Messy Star?! That name's familiar...
He quickly opened a browser and searched the name.
"...I knew it."
Messy Star was the online handle of one of China's top-ranked esports pros—part of Dragon Soul Gaming, one of the oldest elite gaming guilds in Asia. They had recently become the eighth team worldwide to complete a God-tier mission.
So while Dawei had been busy chatting up Candice, someone else had already triggered a World Event and recruited a top-tier military NPC—Amuran, the War Goddess of the Human Kingdom.
That changed everything.
The war wasn't just on the horizon. It had already begun. The players were picking sides. Factions were forming. And now Dawei, a level 1 rookie on the outside, was in the middle of the entire continent's power struggle on the inside.
Four legendary side quests.One pivotal world war.And only one Dawei.
He looked at Candice, then back at the quests. His hand hovered over the selection screen.
If I'm going to make a choice… I need more than safety. I need power, allies, and leverage.
Because in this war?
There won't be a second chance.