Chapter 171: Volcanic Anomalies

That afternoon, many adventurers noticed two new open quests posted on the Adventurers’ Guild’s task board. Open quests are those that anyone can take; upon completing the requirements, they can exchange rewards at the guild. In contrast, private quests are usually assigned based on the client’s requirements, allowing only one adventurer or party to undertake them, or they are so difficult that the client permits multiple people to work on them.

Hunt Black-Scaled Lizardmen: Search for traces of Black-Scaled Lizardmen in the Green Cloak Forest, report back upon finding them, and receive three gold sols as a reward. Killing one Black-Scaled Lizardman and bringing back its head earns thirty gold sols.
Number of participants: Unrestricted.
Deadline: Until all targets are eliminated.
Notes: A single Black-Scaled Lizardman’s combat strength is comparable to that of a Bronze-level swordsman. Adventurers are advised to prioritize their own safety.

Search for Demons: Search the areas around Dalaran. Providing accurate information about demon sightings earns ten gold sols from the Adventurers’ Guild. Bringing back a minor demon’s core can be exchanged for twenty gold sols at the guild master or Dalaran’s city officials.
Number of participants: Unrestricted.
Deadline: Only the first report submitted will be rewarded; there is no limit on the number of minor demon cores submitted.
Notes: There are roughly a hundred minor demons, including one powerful Silver Demon. Adventurers are advised to report immediately upon discovery and avoid taking reckless actions.

The appearance of these two quests excited the adventurers greatly. Since the peak period of quests after the guild’s establishment had passed, most of them usually took simple tasks like searching for herbs or escorting caravans, or went into the forests to hunt monsters for extra income. The sudden emergence of quests involving alien races and even abyssal demons naturally thrilled these eager adventurers. Moreover, both quests were issued by the young lord from Dalaran.

All adventurers knew that the quests issued by that genius mage always came with generous rewards, and almost none of them were impossible to complete.

Compared to the task of hunting Black-Scaled Lizardmen, the task of tracking demons is undoubtedly easier, with a relatively higher reward. Everyone knows the strength of minor demons—any adventurer can take care of one or two of them alone. By obtaining their core, they can earn twenty Gold Solars. Killing a Black-Scaled Lizardman of bronze strength also yields around ten Gold Solars as a reward. Comparing the two, it’s obvious which is more worthwhile.

So even when facing the feared demons, they aren’t afraid. At worst, they’ll run away if they encounter silver demons. If they can take the chance to kill a few minor demons, then this mission will be a huge success.

While all adventurers in Dalaran were busy with those two open missions, Donald and the region’s elite forces were working hard to find a way to seal the spatial passage. Simply destroying the structure of the passage would be straightforward, but destabilizing the spatial structure posed a huge risk—it could not only close the passage but also cause it to explode, destroying everything in its vicinity. Even worse, the structure might change, causing the passage to expand instead of closing.

Neither of these outcomes was what Donald and his team wanted, so Messele prepared to find a milder method to close the abyssal passage. This greatly increased the difficulty of their research.

Moreover, according to Donald, the passage couldn’t be completely sealed, as it was a rare opportunity to obtain demon materials. Although this approach seemed like stealing from the enemy, even conservative witches like Hentia believed such risks were worth taking. Demon materials were in high demand among mages in the main world, especially for witches skilled in curse spells. Demon corpses and blood could be used to create precious magical amulets—small, convenient, and highly effective. Their value far exceeded that of ordinary magical equipment, keeping prices high among mages.

For Donald, having this abyssal passage meant a steady supply of soul power. He was also very curious about the effects of the magical amulets Hentia had described. Compared to the amulet-based equipment listed in the Truth Book’s Creation Factory, these magical amulets were more unconventional and often had unexpected effects.

After days and nights of relentless research, Messel and his team finally devised a complex arcane matrix that could effectively seal that small dimensional portal and reopen the seal when needed. Although it had not yet been tested, Donald had scanned the entire matrix diagram into the Book of Truth, instructing this artifact to analyze it. According to the Book of Truth, as long as no external forces intervened, the matrix’s effectiveness was guaranteed—once set up, it could fully seal that small abyssal portal. Feeling confident, Donald stopped asking his teachers to continue monitoring and instead worked with them to complete the matrix. Just as they finished it and before they could go to the location of the abyssal portal to place the seal, in the eastern part of Redmaple Town, dozens of miles away from Dalaran, and in the Yunshan Mountains to the north of Lord Gri’s territory, loud rumbling sounds, dark red flames, and rising smoke caused panic among the nearby residents. The older generations remembered there was a small volcano there that had erupted once years ago, causing a forest fire in the vicinity. However, since it was far from human settlements, there were no casualties. This time, the volcano’s activity caught the attention of some bold adventurers. Three adventurers who were on a mission in Gri Town thought about it and discussed whether to head in that direction together. “It’s not a good idea! Volcanic eruptions are extremely dangerous, and there’s no benefit to it. We still have tasks unfinished!” said the most cautious—or fearful—of the three. Another adventurer replied, “This second-tier task isn’t much of a deal. We can easily finish it once we return. Let’s go take a look. Besides, volcanic eruptions usually don’t happen suddenly; they take time to build up. This is our chance! And according to the elders nearby, the volcano hasn’t shown any activity in years—it’s like a dead volcano. Now, with no prior signs, it’s suddenly active. Maybe it’s caused by some external force. Have you forgotten the open mission the guild announced a few days ago?” The third adventurer also agreed enthusiastically, saying, “Exactly! As long as we stay at a distance, even if an eruption occurs, we can escape the blast zone quickly thanks to our speed beyond that of ordinary people.” “Well then!” The first adventurer, persuaded by his companions, agreed to their plan, though he remained cautious.

So the three set aside that secondary task, whose reward was unimportant to them, and headed together in the direction of the flames. The three skilled adventurers moved swiftly through the forest, and after about ten minutes, they began approaching the mountainous area where the volcano was located. When they stood on a small hill opposite the crater and looked ahead, all three spotted creatures not far away. Several small, half-human-sized beings with dark red skin were climbing along the edge of the volcano. The low crater emitted only black smoke and flames, suggesting that this was merely a precursor, and an eruption was still far off. “Look, it’s a little demon!” “I told you! These volcanic activities must be related to those demons. The North County hasn’t seen any demons in years—this is our chance to get rich!” The cautious adventurer immediately grabbed his two companions and said, “You’re not planning to hunt little demons, are you? The task clearly states that there’s a silver demon here! With our strength, if we encounter that big guy, we won’t be able to run far!” Another adventurer said carelessly, “Why be so timid? It’s not easy for us to encounter a silver demon. It’s better to take this chance to kill a few little demons…” Before he could finish speaking, he saw his two companions’ eyes widen as if they had seen something terrifying. When he turned around, he too showed the same expression. Behind the black smoke at the edge of the crater stood a huge and monstrous figure. “This… this is…” “Stop talking! Run!” The cautious adventurer immediately pulled his two companions and rushed down the hill. After running down the hill in one go, the three adventurers were filled with fear. They didn’t plan to return to LordLord Gry
LordLord Gry
Lord Gry
Lord Gryphon
Lord Grieve
Lord Gris
Lord Grizzle
Lord Gristle
Lord Grog
Lord Grumble
Lord Grunt’s territory either; instead, they headed west toward Red Maple Town, intending to report this news to the Dalarn Adventurers’ Guild’s office there and complete that assigned task. Just as the three left the forest and Red Maple Town came into sight, a young man dressed like a noble suddenly appeared before them—wasn’t he the lord of Dalarn they had seen from afar, the young genius mage Donald? “My lord!” The three adventurers called out in surprise. “What happened to you? Did you encounter any danger?” The three were too excited and nervous to speak clearly, so it was the cautious adventurer who explained everything. “We went to see the result of the volcanic eruption and encountered demons, and we even saw a silver demon…”

After hearing this, Donald couldn’t help but show a pleased expression. He said to the three adventurers, “You’ve done very well. Consider this task completed by you. I’ll give you an extra reward of one hundred gold sols. Go back to the town for now; leave this place to me!”