So when did Weed get the quest to retrieve the Helium from Las Phalanx? And what the hell happened to the Resurrection Church?
When Royal Road was first released to the public, the only place available for them to spawn was the Kingdom of Haven. The largest country on the continent and the economical center of the world, it was the perfect place for players to start their adventure. The EXP bonus granted to those who discovered a new area meant that these first few had a tremendous advantage, propelled to early heights by the blessing. NPCs would refer to this period as the Pioneering Golden Age.
Despite its size and wealth Haven was cut off from the surrounding nations in much the same way they were cut off from each other. Unicorn Corporation compared it to Japan's Warring States Era, if instead of war the various factions closed their borders and ignored one another. Many parties claimed this metaphor was inappropriate, as American and European users probably wouldn't get the reference. Unicorn ignored them, because fuck everyone else. If their opinions were so important, why didn't they make their own universe?
At any rate, this meant that any given country generally required some kind of large scale quest to unlock it before one could spawn there, as well as granting the best pioneering bonus you could find. With legends of the PGA floating around, players would flock by the thousands whenever such quests emerged. Though they varied from place to place, the Nation quest most lauded by fans had been the shared quest between Rosenheim and Brent. The reason the quest's broadcast was so positively received was because it had such an intricate plot; not the standard hack'n'slash or fetch quest they were expecting but a dark, convoluted tale of political intrigue, unexpected betrayals and hilariously successful seductions.
While this last point had been blamed for the quest's ultimate failure, Bad Ray had gone on record and claimed it had been totally worth it.
This did not, of course, stop him from seeking revenge. Since he had been fighting for Rosenheim at the time his failure had secured Brent as a spawning spot, complete with an incriminating lack of pioneer bonus. Rosenheim had been secured as a subject nation under Brent's rule, so the follow up quest had the air of a rebellion; complete with explosives, guerrilla warfare and half rationalized terrorism. The captured state was free of its tyrant, the countries were once more in deadlock and Bad Ray had his reputation back. Everybody won.
Weeks later, on the day Weed logged in for the first time, Bad Ray was back in town. He was essentially here on a fetch quest; the King of Haven wanted some artisan or another to come work for him, so Bad Ray had been sent to throw money at him. It just so happened that Serabourg was home to a particularly helpful NPC that had given Bad Ray crucial information numerous times during the quest against Brent. He had grown fond of her - a middle aged widow - over her delicious pots of meat stew, and planned on using the need for info as an excuse to catch up with her.
She lived in a quaint attached house made from the characteristic white stone of the city. The roof was neatly terraced and on the door was an ornate, dragon themed knocker that had been a gift from one of his guildmates. She was actually polishing it as he arrived: she was a smiley, grey haired woman who had once worked as a maid in the palace. He didn't even get to say anything before she invited him in for dinner.
"Ah," he sighed when he was done. "I'd forgotten how good your cooking was. That was fantastic Martha."
"Only the best for you, my lord." she smiled, likewise settling back in her seat. "But I'm afraid I blew you away a little since I hadn't seen you in a while. Was there something you needed?"
"Actually there was." he admitted sheepishly. "The King of Haven has heard of a sculptor in the area, and wants me to make him a job offer. His name is Zahab, apparently."
Martha blinked in surprise. "That's… My, that is a nostalgic name isn't it? I'm sorry, but Zahab doesn't live in Serabourg. He was simply childhood friends with the late Queen Evane."
"I see." sighed Bad Ray. Because of course a mission from the King couldn't be this easy. "Do you know where he is?"
"I do." she nodded, her face suddenly apologetic. "However, I will need you to perform a small favor for me first." Bad Ray accepted this at face value, because game mechanics. "If it's not too much trouble, I was hoping you could help me find my grandson. He was supposed to help me with a few chores today but never showed up. He's probably slacking off around town, and I would be ever so grateful if you could track him down and bring him here."
Quest Received: Locate Martha's Grandson
Find Martha's truant grandson and return him home before sunset.
Difficulty: F
Restrictions: None
Bad Ray knew this boy by sight, so it wasn't hard to find him. He and a few other children were beating a dog in an alley; Bad Ray simply picked him up, tucked him under his arm and walked off, ignoring his protests. Quick and easy.
"Thank you my lord," smiled Martha, the child having been exiled to his room for his truancy. "Well then, as promised. The last I heard, Sculptor Zahab was in the vicinity of Grey Pass. It is a violent and treacherous area, so please be careful."
Quest Updated: Locate Sculptor Zahab
You have found intel stating Zahab to be somewhere around Grey Pass. Find him and recruit him for the glory of Haven Kingdom.
Difficulty: A
Restrictions: Complete before someone else is appointed the position of Haven Royal Sculptor.
For a moment, Bad Ray could only stare.
What. The. Fuck.
Grey Pass. As in, the Grey Pass. The area so hardcore that when Bad Ray and his guild had tried to explore it the number one cause of death had been 'Eaten,then killed'. Hell, the whole reason Bad Ray had taken this job was so he forget that stupid trip.
Although, if he went alone and avoided all monsters, then maybe-
"Also, Sir Ray," continued Martha hesitantly. "There's something you should probably know about this man. Zahab may be a sculptor, but he is also one of the most proficient swordsmen on the continent. Since he has turned down offers from all the major powers at least once, it is doubtful your king actually expected you to succeed. It is much more likely he desires for you to grow as a warrior from your meeting. You should spend your journey meditating on the kind of warrior you wish to be."
Quest Received: Swordsman Zahab
Though not of a combat profession, Zahab was famous for his skill with a blade. He has much wisdom to give for one who follows the path of the sword. Speaking to him may uncover hidden secrets of your class.
Difficulty: Undefined
Restrictions: Advanced Sword Mastery required - Knight professions only
Bad Ray had two predictions on seeing this message.
Firstly, this whole affair was going to be a gigantic pain in his ass.
Secondly, the payoff would be HUGE.
He was right, on both accounts.
He did not, unfortunately, get to meet Zahab. Incurring massive losses to both the guild and himself, he did however manage to find a statue he had left behind. A sculpture of the man himself, it replayed Bad Ray's retrieval of Martha's grandson like a flashback, citing his directness and straight path to his goal. It had then claimed talents lay in his individual strength and abilities, prompting the message:
Class changed to Black Knight
Now, a Black Knight was an incredibly powerful class. It granted a greater bonus to melee stats and Sword Mastery than any other currently discovered class, along with skills like invincibility and doubling stats that were so overpowered they could only be used once per month. For an individual fighter it was an unfairly strong class, and with it Bad Ray would become an unstoppable force...
Right up until he splattered himself across the immovable object that was Weed.
Except in this world, things were a little different.
Instead of finding Martha's grandson beating a dog, by the time Bad Ray turned up Weed had already induced the boy into knocking himself out, scared off his friends and left. Bad Ray had rushed the boy home in a panic, cradling him in his arms the whole way. It was the scene of him frantically pouring a healing potion worth more than some cities down his throat that Zahab's statue called him back to, citing his benevolence and generosity as befitting a knight amongst knights. Instead of a class suitable for one who fights alone he a received a class for a leader, a general, a conqueror…
Class changed to Holy Knight
Did this make a huge difference? No, of course not. It would take more than a stat difference to defeat the God of War himself.
In the Black Knight scenario, the dog continued to be bullied by the children after Bad Ray left. Eventually a girl slightly younger than Weed who had logged in around the same time walked past, pushed the brats out the way and tearfully dragged the pooch to the nearest vet. The pair became inseparable companions and went on adventures of all kinds, which while lacking in fame would still make a heartwarming novel in their own right. One day the girl would log out and never come back. The dog would remain faithfully in the village where she disappeared for a month, at which point it was trampled to death by a horse and cart.
In the Holy Knight scenario the dog would already be bugging Weed out by the Training Hall. The girl would keep walking and meet a male NPC, who she would have missed had she doubled back to the vet. The man was wrapping his hand after cutting it in some accident, and the girl had panicked and offered to help.
Active Skill "Bandage" acquired
So when she met Martha's teary eyed grandson it was only natural for her to patch the boy's forehead.
"Thank you!" the boy enthused. "My name is Rex!"
"Nice to meet you Rex." the girl smiled. "My name is Yuuki."
I wrote this chapter after hearing Mother's Rosario was getting animated. FUKKIN SWEET!