Chapter 45: New Quest. SSS-RANK SUMMONING WEAPON SYSTEM

Chapter 45: New Quest.

The forest was alive with the sounds of morning—birds calling from the canopy, the rustle of leaves stirred by a gentle breeze, the distant crack of branches as Seliora hunted somewhere beyond the treeline. But Xavier paid no mind to any of it. His focus was absolute.

He dropped to the ground, palms pressed against the cold earth, and began his push‑ups. Each repetition was deliberate, his muscles burning, his breath steady. He pushed until his arms trembled, until sweat dripped from his brow and soaked into the soil beneath him. He counted silently, refusing to stop at the easy numbers. Fifty... sixty... seventy. His body screamed, but he pressed on, determined to break past his limits.

When his arms finally gave out, he rolled onto his back and began sit‑ups. His core tightened with each motion, his breath sharp, his body aching from the wounds Darakos had left. He welcomed the pain—it was proof he was alive, proof he could still fight. He pulled himself up again and again, his mind replaying the battle, the invisible bullets tearing through him, Darakos’s mocking grin. Each sit‑up was a vow: I will not be broken again.

Afterward, he found a low branch and leapt, gripping it tightly. His body rose and fell in rhythm as he performed chin‑ups, his muscles straining, his breath ragged. The branch creaked under his weight, but he refused to stop. His arms burned, his shoulders screamed, but he kept going, his jaw tight, his resolve unyielding.

Hours passed. Sweat soaked his clothes, his body trembled, but Xavier did not falter. He trained until the sun climbed high, until his muscles felt carved from stone.

Finally, he stopped. He stood in the clearing, his chest heaving, his breath heavy. His body was battered, his wounds still raw, but his spirit burned brighter than ever.

"System," He called out.

[Yes, Host.]

[Open inventory.]

A second screen popped up immediately, displaying his inventory to him.

He reached into his inventory and drew them—the Shadowfang Daggers. Their blades gleamed darkly, edges sharp, shadows clinging to them like living things. He held them in his hands, their weight familiar, their presence heavy.

He had thought of something. He knew that the weapon he summoned got experience when he fought his opponents, and it was always plus one. But what if he trained with it? Will it also gain experience and master its weapon?

’I’ve not tried it.’ He thought. ’But maybe it works.’

Xavier began to move.

At first, his strikes were simple—slashes, thrusts, spins. But soon his movements grew fluid, precise, relentless. He danced across the clearing, his daggers flashing, carving arcs of steel through the air. He struck at invisible enemies, twisting, ducking, spinning, his body moving with deadly grace.

[Shadowfang Daggers gaining experience +1]

"It works!" Xavier grinned in delight. "This is better than nothing."

"Why didn’t you say I could do that?" He asked his system.

[The host never asked for the details. The system only said what was necessary during Carragis. ]

Xavier just scoffed and began to train again.

The daggers sang as they cut through the air, their shadows trailing, their edges gleaming. Xavier’s breath was steady, his focus absolute. He imagined Darakos before him, imagined the invisible bullets tearing through the air, imagined himself dodging, striking, surviving. He trained as if the battle were happening again, as if every strike were life or death.

Sweat dripped from his brow, his muscles burned, but he pressed on. He struck again and again, his daggers flashing, his movements relentless. He trained until his body trembled, until his breath came in ragged gasps, until his vision blurred.

[Shadowfang Daggers gaining experience +1]

[Shadowfang Daggers Mastery: 64%]

But he did not stop.

He knew the truth now—Darakos had beaten him because he was overconfident. After all, he had relied too much on the system. After all, he had not sharpened himself beyond it. That mistake would not happen again.

Xavier’s daggers flashed one final time, carving through the air with deadly precision. He stood tall, his chest heaving, his breath heavy, his body trembling. The Shadowfang Daggers dripped with sweat, their shadows clinging, their presence heavy.

He lowered them slowly, his gaze sharp, his resolve unbroken.

He wiped the sweat from his brow, his chest heaving after hours of relentless training. His arms trembled from push‑ups, his core burned from sit‑ups, and his shoulders screamed from chin‑ups. The Shadowfang Daggers gleamed faintly in his hands, their edges whispering through the air as he practiced strike after strike, each motion sharper than the last.

Then, without warning, the world around him flickered.

A translucent screen burst into existence before his eyes, glowing with eerie light. He froze, his daggers lowering, his breath catching. The familiar hum of the system filled his ears, and words began to etch themselves across the shimmering surface.

[

SYSTEM QUEST ALERT

Quest Title: Shadows in Mayfair

Objective: Return to Mayfair. Investigate Baron Thomas. Find undeniable evidence that he is colluding with a Demaranian.

Reward: Eclipse Blaster (A‑Rank Weapon) – A ranged weapon forged from shadow and light, capable of piercing even invisible defenses.

Failure Penalty: –10 to all stats.

Time Limit: 14 days.

Note: This quest is mandatory. Refusal will be treated as failure.

]

Xavier froze. A quest? This was the first one he was given and he didn’t expect it.

The screen pulsed once, then hovered steadily in front of him, waiting.

Xavier’s jaw tightened. "Baron Thomas..." He muttered the name like a curse. He remembered the man’s name — the people in the inn at Mayfair had talked about him. Wealthy, smug, a noble who always seemed to have too much influence in Mayfair, and how Mayfair, which was a small town, rose up so fast that neighbouring towns were shocked.

Xavier had suspected him before, but now the system confirmed it: Thomas was tangled in something darker. Something tied to the Demaranians.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening. Colluding with a Demaranian... that explains the whispers, the strange movements in Mayfair, the sudden rise in his power. If Darakos has allies among the nobility, then this fight is bigger than I thought.

The reward glowed faintly on the screen: Eclipse Blaster (A‑Rank). Xavier’s eyes narrowed. He knew what that meant—an artifact weapon, rare and deadly, something that could shift the tide of battle. He imagined it in his hands, imagined the way it might counter Darakos’s invisible bullets. The thought burned in his chest like fire.

But the penalty was just as sharp. –10 to all stats. He knew what that meant too. His strength, speed, endurance, and intelligence—all crippled. Failure wasn’t an option.

The system pulsed again, as if reminding him of the stakes.

Xavier exhaled slowly, his breath steadying. He sheathed the Shadowfang Daggers and straightened, his gaze locked on the glowing screen. "So that’s it. Mayfair. Baron Thomas. Evidence. If he’s colluding with a Demaranian, I’ll find it. And I’ll end it."

The screen flickered once more, then dissolved into the air, leaving only silence behind.

Xavier stood alone in the clearing, his body trembling from exhaustion, his mind burning with resolve. He knew the truth now—his training was only the beginning. The system had set his path, and the stakes were higher than ever.

He clenched his fists, his voice low, steady, unyielding. "I won’t fail. Not this time."

The forest whispered around him, the morning sun breaking through the canopy, casting long shadows across the ground. Xavier’s journey had taken a new turn, and the weight of the quest pressed against him like a storm.

Mayfair awaited. Baron Thomas awaited. And somewhere, in the shadows, Darakos smiled.

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