Hidden Quest Cleared – The Alchemist Takes the Stage

This merciless system window must really hate seeing me slack off.

Whatever. The bow's already fixed anyway, and with just a bit more work, I can wrap up the quest right away. Lucky me.

If some other NPC got saddled with this quest, they'd be hit with a penalty or forced into something horrific without a doubt.

"Sigh."

I shoved the penalty worries aside and focused on the rewards instead.

Rewards: Gallery posting privileges. And a level-up for my Synthesis skill.

Sure, missing out on the gallery stung a little, but gallery lurking without posting rights was half-assed anyway.

I needed to finish this quest ASAP and snag those posting privileges.

With a clear head, I crawled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out of bed.

Strike while the iron's hot, as they say.

No time to dawdle.

"Gotta finish up quick and return this bow to Choi Mi-na."

The bow was fixed, but there were still a few finishing touches left.

Borrowing Rohan's words: item laundering.

I had to make the tower recognize that I'd repaired the bow.

I got ready in a flash and bolted straight to Hans' shop.

Ding-a-ling.

The familiar bell chimed, and Hans greeted me warmly.

"Oh, Reina. Haven't seen you around much lately?"

"Uncle Hans, gimme an equipment repair kit."

"What's the occasion?"

"Got a quest to fix a climber's gear."

Hans pulled out the kit without a fuss.

"Man, you're the biggest celebrity among NPCs these days. Even got others trying to copy you."

"Copy me?"

"Looks ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like they're imitating your potion-making. Weirdly, no one else can pull it off."

I rolled my eyes a bit.

I learned potion synthesis from Rohan...

No need to spill that, though.

"Eh... practice makes perfect, right? Anyway, how much?"

"1000 gold."

"Here."

I tossed the gold like trash and headed out.

No time to waste.

Had to wrap this up fast and fire up the gallery.

My gallery time had been way too scarce lately.

This was hitting my life hard.

In this medieval hellhole with zero entertainment, the gallery was my one and only fun outlet. The tower's sole legit drug.

I was on the verge of withdrawal symptoms.

I slipped into a quiet, deserted spot with no climbers or NPCs around.

Pulled out the Elf Queen's bow.

It was perfectly repaired, but I couldn't just turn it in like this.

Call it what you will.

The tower was flawless on the surface, but not always underneath.

No item verification system, right?

Verification only kicks in when an item's status changes?

Too technical for me to fully get, but Rohan said a perfectly fixed bow didn't yet register as repaired by me.

So the tower still saw it as broken.

I needed to embed the fact that I'd fixed it into the bow itself.

Fixing it outside the tower meant the tower didn't recognize it, so it wasn't officially my repair yet.

Thus, I had to "repair" the already perfect bow one more time.

That way, it became "repaired perfectly by Reina."

Why it works that way? No clue. But Rohan said so, so it must.

I focused my mind.

Held the Elf Queen's bow and lightly scraped it against the wall to make a tiny nick.

World Tree branch or whatever—super tough. Took dozens of scrapes, but I finally got a minuscule scratch.

Now, repair it with the kit...

"Confirm."

The Elf Queen's bow glowed, and the fresh scratch vanished.

Now the tower recognized me as the one who'd fixed it.

"Hand this to Choi Mi-na, and we're good."

What a detour.

All that just to go outside, come back...

But quest cleared, so silver lining.

I stowed the bow in my inventory and went hunting for Choi Mi-na.

"Where's she at?"

I wandered casually.

Time had slipped by with all the busywork.

Normally I'd have tossed potions and hit the gallery by now, but here I was just starting.

"Maybe there?"

Figured she might be with the usual climber crowd.

Headed that way—and surprisingly, Choi Mi-na and all the climbers were still there, waiting for me.

"Huh."

Weren't climbers supposed to be busy with quests?

They looked fidgety as hell...

"...No way they're like that 'cause I haven't given out potions yet?"

It sure looked that way.

Like, "What if she doesn't give us potions?" vibes.

I smirked.

Today's task was completing the hidden quest, not handing out gifts.

Strictly speaking, no obligation to gift my hard-earned potions.

Heh heh heh.

Playing dumb, I approached Choi Mi-na.

"A bit late today?"

She spotted me and came over, beaming.

"Got held up."

"With what?"

"This. You know."

I mimed drawing a bow.

Choi Mi-na got it and nodded.

"Shall we...?"

I suggested a secluded spot.

No need for spectators.

She nodded, on the same page.

As we slipped away, the other climbers panicked visually.

Couldn't complain with an S-rank around, just stamping their feet.

Choi Mi-na looked like she wanted to say something but held back.

Hmm.

They all want it that bad, huh.

I stopped dead.

"Oh yeah, almost forgot."

I turned back to the fidgeting climbers—like dogs desperate to poop.

"Gifts for you."

Handed out 10 potions each.

Their eyes bugged out at the sight.

That's right.

Grateful, aren't ya?

Show it by joining my NPC rights campaign and Galju dethronement later?

I threw a wink loaded with intent and followed Choi Mi-na.

Bathed in their thankful stares, I walked on.

We sat on the same bench as last time.

"Snack time."

"Hell yeah!"

I tore into the snacks without hesitation.

Thanks to that chicken last time, I kept my cool—no losing rationality.

Savored them slowly.

"Oh. Right."

After demolishing a bag, I remembered the bow.

"This took some serious work."

Out of the tower, fighting that evil dragon thing, spotting a steamy couple...

Tough job.

"...Never thought you'd actually fix it."

Choi Mi-na took the bow gingerly.

She closed her eyes, lost in memories, stroking it tenderly. Then stood slowly.

Took a deep breath.

The wind died instantly.

Twang.

BOOM!

The empty bowstring unleashed a gale.

A distant tree exploded.

A passing NPC freaked and bolted.

The wind's path left the tree shredded.

Despite no arrow nocked.

"Thank you."

"Haha... no prob."

This is S-rank power.

My dragon kill? Pure item luck.

My skill? Zilch.

"W-Well... gotta run. Stuff to do."

I gathered the snacks she gave and stood.

The satisfying crinkle of full nitrogen packaging—pure bliss.

"Aw, too bad. Wanted to chat more."

"Super busy today."

Gonna manipulate some gallery opinion. Packed schedule.

She looked bummed, but oh well.

"Catch you later."

I waddled off like a squirrel stuffed with nuts.

Home sweet home—I dumped the snacks on the bed and checked the system window first.

"Phew."

System didn't catch on, thankfully.

Even if Rohan vouched, getting busted would've been bad for me.

"Hand over the rewards."

I demanded curtly from the system.

Whatever "even better" reward—nothing tops posting privileges.

"Yes."

There we go.

The system window grudgingly delivered, like it pained it.

"Nngh... perfect."

Gallery posting privileges.

This was what I'd been waiting for.

"Heh heh heh..."

I crawled into bed.

Alright.

Time to go ham today.

I opened the Tower Gallery.

"Oh."

Separate login creds from the system, huh. Neat.

I stared at the gallery.

"What the—broken?"

Waited forever, but no load.

If it had a body, I'd smack it. No such luck.

"Huh?"

"Wha—"

"Wait, auction house?!"

I flailed in panic.

"No no no no!"

Hell no.

My potions stay mine.

"Phew."

Potions safe.

"Right."

Time for a throwaway alt.

"Hmm, what to pick."

Safest bet: Anon. Most common in Tower Gallery—searching it alone won't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reveal my posts. Perfect for trolling.

"But kinda boring."

Anon was solid, but couldn't go named/big for momentum.

I pondered deeply.

How to keep my identity buried.

"Auction house... and... potions."

A spark hit me.

Possible?

Worth a shot?

Dunno. But this could flip gallery opinion 180 degrees.

Short deliberation, then decision.

"Yeah. That's it."

Nickname set—gallery loaded instantly.

"All potion talk."

They hadn't noticed the auction house yet.

"Heh heh heh..."

Sinister grin—I launched my plan.

...

The gallery's flow had shifted.