The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 187: His ultimate goal

Chapter 187: His ultimate goal

"Nice job not dying out there, lads and ladies."

Hex shook his head in exasperation at Old Gargoyle’s antics. The old man spoke unreservedly and seemed to get a kick out of irritating the people around him. The soft curses erupting in the crowd seemed to put the old man in a good mood.

"Thanks but why are we here?" Hex asked calmly before things could spiral out of control. "Is there another Calamity awaiting us?"

The tumultuous crowd silenced at once when Hex mentioned the Calamity. The ordeal left them traumatized and they preferred not to face another creature of that level. Even the haughty participants such as Tarquin looked troubled.

"Could be." Old Gargoyle sniggered, causing Hex to curse inwardly. ’This old bastard. I just mentioned it so he could use the opportunity to reassure the crowd but he would rather wish the world burn.’

"What we mean," a well-dressed female officer finally stepped forward, stopping the old man from causing more unrest, "is that the next mission for you guys has many opportunities and dangers. We have little information regarding both."

The female officer had a well-endowed figure and appeared to be in her early thirties. Her shoulder-long auburn hair and bright light eyes increased her charm. But her pursed lips and cold gaze proved she wasn’t amused by Old Gargoyle and disliked chaos.

’She is like the old priestess. Stern and a stickler to the rules.’ Hex profiled her based on his experience with someone else. This type of profiling wasn’t accurate but helped with a general indication of her personality.

"My name is Gina Tauriel, one of the deputies overseeing the clearance of the ruin," the female officer introduced herself. Hex glanced at Tarquin, who seemed nervous facing the woman with his surname. Gina, however, didn’t pay Tarquin any heed and continued.

"Each of you will receive documents related to your specific missions but in general you will be tasked with scouting the inner areas. Some will leave for the Temple district, some for the dried lake, and others for the housing district. Disclose the content of your mission at your own risk."

The crowd erupted in a slight murmur. The unexplored inner areas held riches but even more danger. After all, no one knew the true division of creatures and their ranks. At the very least, they expected a Calamity in each district.

At the same time, Gina signaled the servants at the side to give everyone their assignments. Hex took his stack but didn’t open it immediately.

"How will the missions be rewarded?" He asked, looking at Gina. The question garnered much interest from the crowd. After all, without appropriate rewards who would be willing to perform such high-risk missions?

"The rewards will be based on the importance and the accuracy of the information you bring. The information will be judged by the Duke, the Commander, and the Governor."

...

Name: Hex Darkenmane

Rank: 1

Task: Activating the monoliths

Description: The monoliths are the best tools to increase the strength of the Blessed and turn a piece of land into blessed grounds. The Heartless are cursed beings. With the help of active monoliths regaining control over the ruin will be easier.

Remarks:

1. Lower chance of encountering high-stage Heartless inside the Temple;

2. Activating the monolith requires a lot of resources. Completing the tasks might lead to extra rewards from the monolith itself. Failure might lead to a deduction in points and even injuries from energy turbulences;

3. The connection between the market district and the Temple district is destroyed. The participant is required to go through the center area to his target;

4. High chance of encountering Disasters on the path.

We wish the participant the best of luck and hope to see another miracle from him.

Hex stared blankly at the assignment in shock. His mouth stood in the ’o’ shape but he didn’t notice it. Time crawled past but he remained frozen in place. Only when a glob of drool landed on his arm, did he jolt to his senses.

"What. The. FUCK?!"

"Fuck!"

"Fuck!"

"Fuck!"

He repeated the only word echoing in his mind while slamming the document on the desk with each repetition.

Bang.

The desk couldn’t withstand such undeserved beating and collapsed. Only then did Hex stop and look listlessly at the piece of paper in his hand.

"Why not just remove me from the ranking instead of going in such a roundabout manner?"

The mission was a suicidal one. The path to the goal was obstructed and he would require a long route, leading deep into the central area. If the market district was any indication of the way the creatures divided the area, he would encounter multiple Disasters underway. And if he somehow survived that, he would have to go through a gate. What if a Calamity guarded that gate?

"And if I am lucky twice to reach the Temple district unharmed, what guarantee is there that the monoliths can be activated? I don’t even know how to do it!"

No matter how Hex looked at it, the mission was impossible to complete. And to make things worse, failure would lead to injuries and the deduction of points. In one fell swoop they managed to diminish his chances of ending in the first place.

Hex sat in the corner, cursing the unfairness of the situation. The night passed slowly. Only when the first rays of the rising sun fell through the gaps of the curtains, did Hex stand up.

Swoosh!

He opened the curtains and the windows, staring straight at the rising sun. The helplessness and worries disappeared from his gaze. He continued to stare at the horizon.

"I crawled through the depths of the earth and flew to the Heavens. As long as I exist, I will continue to step forward. One day, even the gates of Heaven’s Vault will crumble before me."

His whispers were meant for him. It reminded him of his ultimate goal of freeing the baron from the Vault.

"After all, he is the only opponent I have in this world. Only by defeating him can I become the next baron of Grindeston."

That was his ultimate goal!