Chapter 201 - 196: Changing Situation, New Mission, Junior Sister Esra
Chapter 201: Chapter 196: Changing Situation, New Mission, Junior Sister Esra
After quelling the riots, Paris capitalized on the momentum and immediately launched an offensive against the towns and villages along the Bolaya River Valley, officially kicking off the counterattack.
The "Independent Army" led by the Blood Eye Association was, of course, no pushover. A variety of countermeasures followed one after another, and for a time, the back-and-forth between the two sides was quite intense.
But overall, the quality of the troops Paris had assembled by concentrating the nobles’ power was far superior to that of most of the rebel forces. Winning more than they lost in local skirmishes, a constant stream of victory reports flowed back to Birch Town. This managed to stabilize the hearts of the people, who had been shaken by the riots.
Meanwhile, Jon had shut himself up in Grent Manor, paying no mind to the turmoil and single-mindedly focusing on his own affairs.
The first of these was, naturally, production.
He now had a total of forty-five apprentices, most of whom possessed a basic knowledge of Engineering. Under the guidance of the Silverbeard Clan Dwarves, they could be entrusted with manufacturing and pre-assembling the Mechanical Body parts. Jon only needed to be responsible for crafting the main component, the Crystal Energy Core, and handling potion orders.
The second was improving his own strength.
Without going out to participate in combat, the objective for the Warrior’s [Advanced Trial: Oppression]—to single-handedly kill 5 enemies of a level no lower than his own—was naturally impossible to complete.
But Jon wasn’t worried about this.
Firstly, he was protected by two Advanced Level powerhouses, Claudio and Sutton, and couldn’t leave the Workshop anyway, so he had no short-term need for combat.
Secondly, compared to the Warrior’s Advanced path—which he had walked once before and was therefore familiar—the Mage’s [Advanced Trial: Creation] was far more complex and time-consuming. It required creating 3 original spells and would naturally demand more of his attention.
However, after several days of contemplation, he had gradually formed some ideas and was just waiting for the right moment to start experimenting.
Then there were the rewards from the previous phased quests.
From the outbreak of the rebellion to Paris gathering forces for the counterattack, the second phase of the chain quest [Comprehensive Counterattack] had been triggered and completed, officially beginning the third phase.
——
[Comprehensive Counterattack II (Perfect · Area Quest), Completed]
[You captured the zealot sent by the Blood Eye Association to sow chaos and proclaim their cause; you proposed manufacturing Mechanical Bodies to establish a supply route along the Bolaya River Valley; you dispatched Mechanical Body troops to stabilize the impact of the riots in parts of Birch Town; you ensured the survival of Yed Xavier, an important figure in the Resistance Alliance.]
[Contribution Points: 53%, reward multiplier: 3.0]
[Completion Rewards: 150,000 Universal Experience Points (50,000 base x 3.0), 15,000 Birch Town reputation (5,000 base x 3.0), Skill Points x3 (1 base x 3.0), Random Inscription (Minimum Rarity: Excellent) x3]
[Current Birch Town Reputation Level: Respected (14,334 / 80,000)]
[Your actions in Birch Town will now have the support of the majority.]
[Physical rewards have been delivered to your follower, Rosalind Neivandt Oswald. Please speak with her to confirm the list of rewards.]
——
For a quest completed at the "Perfect" level, in addition to the massive experience and reputation gains, rare rewards were beginning to appear. These included items like Skill Points and Inscriptions, which could significantly improve a player’s strength without excessively disrupting game balance.
Area Quests further increased the quantity of these rewards. This quest, for instance, gave him 3 Skill Points, replenishing the point he had spent on [Light-Sealing Shield]. And that’s not to mention the opportunity to draw 3 random Inscriptions.
Although the minimum rarity wasn’t as high as the guaranteed Rare Level from the [Fiendish Advent] quest that had given him [Multiple Projections], if he could trigger the bonus effect from his [Perfectionist] achievement to obtain a higher-rarity reward, even a Rare Level Inscription would be quite good.
Jon planned to save up a few more draw opportunities and use them all at once when he was feeling exceptionally lucky.
Next was the third phase of [Comprehensive Counterattack].
——
[Comprehensive Counterattack III (Perfect · Area Event)]
[The flames of war are kindled. The forces of resistance have crossed swords with the self-proclaimed "independents." How will you wield your Power to tip the scales of victory?]
[Current Faction Affiliation: Birch Town · Resistance Alliance · Giant God Workshop]
[Currently Controlled Force: Giant God Workshop]
[Current Influence: 83]
[Faction Contribution: 6,335]
[Contribution Points Store: Click to expand]
"Note: Depending on your actions, you may be attacked by hostile forces, and your reputation will change accordingly."
——
The conflict between Birch Town and the Blood Eye Association, with its impact spanning an entire county, was significant enough to qualify as an [Area Event].
Although its impact was not as great as a Major Event like the [War of the Scepter], the basic Rules were the same: no fixed objectives and no base rewards. Everything depended on the player’s performance in influencing the event’s outcome, which would determine their final benefits.
For Jon, the most direct way to earn Faction Contribution was to leverage the Giant God Workshop. By producing Mechanical Bodies, potions, and weapons to help the Resistance Alliance achieve victory, his final calculated contribution would undoubtedly be much higher than if he went out to fight himself.
This coincided perfectly with the path he had already chosen; he just needed to develop things step by step according to his plan.
Of course, the Influence and Faction Contribution for this event were calculated separately from the [War of the Scepter]. That was why the Giant God Workshop had an Influence score as high as 83. Jon’s active performance as the faction’s leader against the Blood Eye Association and the Eternal Frost Sect, combined with his Respected-level reputation in Birch Town, accounted for a large portion of this score.
The other quests triggered during [Comprehensive Counterattack II] weren’t worth much thought, as they mostly just provided experience and reputation rewards.
Finally, there was one other matter. The young Artisan girl, Esra, whom he once had the idea of... ’kidnapping... no, hiring,’ had actually shown up for an interview on her own and was even chosen by Claudio to be his assistant.
According to the Elf Blacksmith, the girl had the potential to become a [Mechanical Mage] and was worth training to be a help to Jon.
This surprised Jon a little.
Unlike Sutton, Claudio was only staying at Grent Manor in his capacity as Jon’s mentor for the [Enlightener] identity. Aside from his daily Magic lessons, he never got involved in the Workshop’s affairs.
’And now he’s taking the initiative to help me train talent?’
’Was it because the Old Dwarf bringing his clansmen to help me sparked some kind of competitive spirit in this Elf Master?’
’Or was Esra’s talent just that outstanding, stirring his appreciation for the gifted?’
’Probably a bit of both.’
’And...’
’Could it be that, in the original timeline, this girl was the one who died when the Blood Eye Association incited bandits to attack Birch Town?’
While "attending class" with Esra, Jon looked at this new, unexpected junior sister of his and speculated silently.
’Considering her grandfather, Old Quell’s, future demeanor—refusing to interact with anyone—it’s highly likely.’
’Otherwise, there’s no explaining why a character like Esra, with such a distinct personality and remarkable talent, left no trace in the game’s history.’
’No matter how talented someone is, if they don’t get the chance to develop, dead is dead.’
’But now, I can look forward to seeing just how brilliantly she’ll shine.’
Feeling Jon’s gaze, Esra, who was clumsily copying Magic Runes, shivered like a small animal. She then turned pitifully to look at her unscrupulous boss and senior brother.
"M-Mr. Jon... is something wrong?"
Jon subtly averted his gaze from Esra’s moist eyes and said calmly.
"It’s nothing. Just focus on your studies."
He looked down at his own magic notebook, where several ideas were waiting to be brought to life.