Eiko happily chewed the Beast Core she just stuffed in her mouth as she looked at Colette's and Matty's exhausted expressions after they defeated the Orc Warrior that was assigned to them.
Unlike the Berserk Horned Rabbits that specialized in speed, their opponent specialized in strength and it also had very high health.
Although both were Rank 2 Monsters, the difference in their fighting style was obvious to the naked eye.
Lux rubbed his chin as he checked the health of his Skeleton Fighters after the battle. Most of them were almost out of health, which showed how tough the battle was for them.
'If I summoned all seven Skeletal Fighters, Diablo, Ishtar, and the Skeleton Grand Archers, to fight side by side with Colette and the others, I estimate that we can fight against five to seven Rank 2 Monsters at the same time,' Lux thought. 'If there is a Rank 3 Monster among the group, we can at most fight three to four Rank 2 Monsters, while Diablo keeps the stronger monster at bay.'
Suddenly, a notification broke Lux out of his pondering. After reading the notification, he was unable to stop his lips from twitching.
—-
Eiko learned the Passive Skill Tough
< Tough >
– Add +30 Points to Vitality.
Eiko activated the skill Mimicry [EX]!
– Target Lux Von Kaizer.
– Successfully copied Skill Evolution [EX]!contemporary romance
—--
< Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >
– Since the skill Tough is a passive skill, it will automatically be upgraded to Very Tough.
< Very Tough >
– Adds +60 Points to Vitality.
—-
< Eiko >
"The world is my oyster!"
– Named Slime Monster
– Rating: E
– Progress ( 20 / 2000)
Health: 3,850 / 3,850
Mana: 7,500 / 7,500
Strength: 17
Intelligence: 150
Vitality: 77
Agility: 17
Dexterity: 17
—-
'Very Tough? Seriously?' Lux didn't know if he should laugh or cry due to his baby Slime's cheat-like ability.
Eiko managed to get a massive boost to her Vitality Points just from eating a single Beast Core thanks to Lux's skill. Of course, Lux was also very happy for her because the stronger the baby Slime became, the more help she would be to him in Elysium.
'If only she wasn't a troublemaker,' Lux shook his head helplessly. However, he now had a better understanding of one of the Skills that was available to Orc Warriors after Eiko had consumed the Beast Core. 'I need that Tough Skill as well. Diablo and Ishtar would benefit from it too.'
After Colette and Matty each consumed a stamina potion, the group once again continued to follow Lux as he guided them to their destination.
'We're here,' Lux thought as he looked at the small wooden cottage that was built in an inconspicuous place which wouldn't be noticed by someone who traveled along the main road.
He hurriedly went inside to check if the item he was looking for was still there, which would confirm whether someone had already cleared the hidden quest or not.
When he opened the door, the sight of a properly maintained cottage could be seen. There were no cobwebs, or any other signs that it hadn't been tended to for a long time. Clearly, someone was still living, or recently lived, inside the cottage for it to look like this.
"This is a good place to rest," Colette said as she stepped inside the room. "Is this the place you want to take us to, Big Brother?"
Lux nodded. "Yes, but we didn't come here to rest. I'm here to check something out."
"Check something out?"
"Mmm."
Lux walked straight towards the fireplace and stared at the bull ornament above it. An adult Dwarf wouldn't be able to reach it, unless they used a chair or something similar to help them gain that added leverage.
Orcs could easily reach it if they wanted to, but Lux crossed that possibility off. Since this was a dungeon for Orcs, the mission didn't include them in it.
Lux was still growing, so he wasn't that tall. Also, due to the imbalance between his soul and body for the past few years, he hadn't reached his growth spurt yet. Only after Eriol helped him stabilize his body, did his bodily functions finally get back on the right track.
According to his estimate, he would be able to reach his optimal height after a year.
Since that was the case, he lowered his pride and reached out for a chair, which made the Dwarves look at him with curiosity.
Now that he stood on top of a chair, Lux could easily reach the ornament. He held the two horns of the bull and pushed it upwards. The sound of something moving was heard inside the cottage, which made the Dwarves scan their surroundings in alarm.
"Relax. Everything is fine," Lux assured them as he climbed down from the chair and headed towards the large bed, located in the upper left corner of the room.
"Matty, Alex, Andy, help me move this bed to the side," Lux said as he asked the Dwarves for help.
Matty grumbled but he still went to help Lux move the bed according to his instructions.
Colette and Helen, who remained standing to the side, just watched the boys move the large bed that could easily fit an Orc.
A few moments later, everyone saw a set of stairs that seemed to be leading underground.
"You guys stay here," Lux ordered. "I'll go in by myself."
Lux could hear his heartbeat drumming as he walked down the set of stairs. Although the place was dark, Half-Elves were able to see through it with very minimal light. In his hand was a small glowstone that emitted just enough light for him to see a few meters in front.
He was silently praying that no one had taken the Hidden Quest before him. If someone really managed to do it, then there was nothing he could do about it.
After walking straight for half a minute, Lux saw a large wooden chest that was covered in a thick layer of dirt.
The Half-Elf took a deep breath before opening the chest with both hands.
There, lying inside the chest was some kind of ragged blanket that didn't seem special. However, after seeing this, Lux breathed out a sigh of relief. It was the item he was looking for.
"Fortunately, I am the first one to discover this quest," Lux muttered as he reached out to touch the item that would activate the Hidden Quest that he wanted to complete.
< You have acquired the Flag of the Blackrock Clan >
—-
Ding!
– You have discovered the Hidden Quest "I Wish For Dominion".
– Would you like to accept this quest?
< Yes / No >
—-
Lux decisively clicked the Yes option, and a notification prompted him that the quest was now active.
He was not the only one that received this notice. Colette and the others heard a voice inside their head that they had accepted the Hidden Quest.
Lux knew that he didn't need to beat the Boss of the Dungeon in order to clear the quest. As long as he managed to complete it, he would get the full rewards of the mission, as well as the rewards from the Dungeon, as if he had defeated the final boss.
This was why Hidden Quests were so good. It gave twice the reward for half the effort.
However, before Lux could even fully rejoice his discovery, a loud roar was heard in the living room of the cottage, followed by the shouts of Colette and the others.
Lux hurriedly climbed back up the stairs to see what was happening, only to find Colette and Matty standing in front of the others with their weapons drawn.
In front of them was a Half-Orc holding a greatsword in its hands. Its angry and bloodshot eyes glared at them.
Clearly, it was not too happy to see what the uninvited guests had done to its home.
done.co