‘These damn f**kers.’

Before the quest succeeded, Grid was arrested and dragged to Winston Castle. It had already been an hour since the locked him in an interrogation room.

“Several people witnessed you talking to Huroi in front of Khan’s smithy. Did you already know that Huroi was planning to contact Earl Steim?”

“So what if I knew?”

“...It was a resident of Winston who entrusted Huroi to contact Earl Steim. Since you are close to the residents, don’t you know who that person is?”

“So what if I know?”

“Then aren’t you one of them?”

“No? Are you stupid?”

“...”

Grid made a much better dagger than that girl called Erina. In other words, the quest to make an item would have ended with his victory, and he would have earned 600 gold. However, due to this unreasonable arrest, the quest had failed.

‘Thanks to these bastards, my 720,000 won have flown away!’ Grid cursed inwardly.

The interrogating knight said, “I don’t think you know what position you’re in... If you continue to be so carefree, you will regret it.”

Grid talked back to the knight who was trying to intimidate him, “Shut up, you rotten bastard. Are you a comedian now? Then I want you to lose your heads immediately! I have no connection with Huroi. So let me out right now!!”

Although Grid knew that he could be tortured and locked up in prison or even killed, but he was now the incarnation of anger after losing his 720,000 won.

‘How many bowls of mackerel is 720,000 won?’

He was so angry that he spat curses at the knights, “You ridiculous jerk! I will remember all of this, Ugly! One day I will return to squeeze 600 gold out of you, so release me now!!”

“Look at this guy. He keeps talking nonsense!” The youngest knight pulled out his sword.

Grid flinched at first but soon changed his attitude. “Kill me, you motherfu*ker.”

“This rascal isn’t scared until the end!” The knight couldn’t stand it anymore and rushed forward.

Grid closed his eyes and accepted death. Why? That was because, in this situation, it was better to die.

‘If I die, I will be resurrected in the square. I can’t stay stuck here. It is better to die and resurrect, even if it means losing experience.’

Grid was concerned about Khan. In the worst-case scenario, Grid presumed that he wasn’t declared as the winner, which meant the Mero Company would obtain the smithy. If so, Khan would die, and the class quest Grid received would naturally be destroyed!

“Kill me quickly, you son of a b*tch!”

Grid couldn’t log out here. He had to die, resurrect, and meet Khan.

Then a quick-witted middle-aged knight came forward and stopped the hasty young knight. “Hey Leo, calm down. Aren’t you aware of it? He has an immortal body. Killing him will just release him into the field.”

‘Dammit, this plan failed.’

Nevertheless, Grid continued provoking the young knight, hoping he would lose his temper. “Hey, aren’t you going to kill me? Or can’t you kill me? Are you scared? What type of knight are you? You pathetic bastard, can’t you eat chili? You will die a bachelor! If you die, you will become a ghost. A ghost who peeps at girls taking a bath!”

“Ugh… Y-You...” The hands of the young knight called Leo shook as he held his sword. It wouldn’t be strange if he stabbed Grid right away.

Yet Leo refrained from attacking Grid. The young knight bit his lip so hard that blood emerged. Seeing this, Grid thought it would work if he insulted Leo a bit more.

“This... Oof? Oof!” Grid tried to provoke Leo further, but somebody shut him up.

‘These rotten, lousy bastards!’ Grid glared at the middle-aged knight who gagged him.

“You have no intention of admitting to the crime you are accused of. Do you also have no intention of telling us who commissioned Huroi?”

“Oof oof!!” Grid tried to say, ‘If you want me to answer, take off the gag.’

The middle-aged knight nodded as he interpreted Grid’s answer. “You really won’t answer? If so, I have no choice but to imprison you. However, if you tell me who commissioned Huroi, you might be treated differently.”

Grid didn’t want to get stuck in prison. The imprisonment wouldn’t just last a few days. Until he was released, he would continue to be imprisoned, no matter how many times he disconnected and reconnected.

‘I can tell them. If Khan gets arrested, I can find a way to rescue him.’

Khan was a precious friend to Grid, so he was invaluable to Grid in Satisfy and in reality. He might be an NPC, but he was a friend.

Nonetheless, a friend was just a friend! No matter how important a friend was, Grid’s own life was more important to him. So, Grid decided to give Khan up.

“Ooof! Oof!” ‘I will tell you who commissioned Huroi! So release me.’

The middle-aged knight nodded as he interpreted Grid’s answer.

“What a great guy. You have no intention of selling out your friend, even when you will be locked up in prison? You might be weak, but your sense of justice is admirable.”

“Oof oof! Oooooup!” ‘What are you saying? I will tell you who commissioned Huroi if you release this gag!’

The middle-aged knight nodded as he arbitrarily interpreted Grid’s reply and ordered the soldiers, “Imprison him. Put him in solitary confinement.”

‘S-Solitary?!’ Grid couldn’t do anything if he was stuck in prison, but to make things worse, he’d be placed in solitary confinement? That meant he would be trapped alone without any other prisoners.

“Oof! Ooooof!” Grid panicked and struggled to get rid of the gag.

However, the knights ignored his calls. In the end, Grid was dragged underneath the castle.

‘Damn, what the hell is going on? Will I have to be imprisoned forever? And what happened with Khan’s smithy? Khan absolutely can’t die... That stupid Huroi, why did you fail your quest and damage me...?’

Then it happened while he was being dragged by the soldiers.

[The quest ‘Apostle of Justice’ has been created.]

[Apostle of Justice]

[Difficulty: S

Huroi, who was trying to inform Earl Steim about the happenings in Winston, failed his mission and was caught.

He has been locked in solitary confinement for a long time.

You are the only one who knows Huroi’s circumstances, so you are the only one who can help!

Rescue Huroi for the sake of justice.

Quest Clear Conditions: After being trapped in the deepest dungeon, rescue Huroi within seven hours.

Quest Reward: The title ‘Apostle of Justice’. Affinity with the Winston residents will rise to the peak. Reputation in Winston will rise to the peak. Create a linked quest with Huroi.

*Apostle of Justice: The ‘Courage’ stat will be opened. All stats +10. The skill ‘Unbreakable Justice’ will be generated.

Quest Failure: Level -2. The title ‘Coward’ will be generated.

* Coward: Affinity with NPCs will decline. The probability of acquiring quests will decline.

You will be despised by NPCs with a positive inclination.]

‘The contents of the reward are familiar...? Ah!’

This was the same compensation Grid saw stated in the information of the ‘For the Residents of Winston’ when Huroi shared the quest details with him. A linked quest with Huroi was generated.

‘I am greedy for a new title... B.U.T. I have no intention of accepting the quest!’

Grid was going to be stuck in solitary confinement, yet he was expected to rescue Huroi? In addition, it had to be within seven hours!

It was an unconditional quest failure. ‘What fool would be stupid enough to accept this quest? The penalty if I fail the quest... I have goosebumps just thinking about it. My level would drop, and I would receive the Coward title...? It is a junk title.’

The ‘Coward’ title was just as bad as ‘Noble Killer’. Grid could never accept this quest.

However...

[You can’t refuse this quest. Quest is in progress.]

Why? Why him?

“Oof! Ohh! Ohhhhhh! Ohhhh!” Grid was going nuts. He couldn’t help cursing despite the gag in his mouth, and he almost choked.

Grid drooled and coughed through the gag in his mouth, causing the soldiers escorting him to hit him on the back.

“This bastard! Can’t you be quiet?”

“Bah! Solitary confinement is scary. Stupid guy, you should’ve talked when the knights gave you a chance. Why are you pretending to be cool when you’re just afraid?”

“Oof! Ooof!” Grid thought it wasn’t fair. It was frustrating for him to see the soldiers misunderstand and talk so arbitrarily.

“Ow!” Grid was brought deep underground and pushed by the soldiers into the solitary confinement cell.

They didn’t release his gag though.

The soldiers talked amongst themselves.

“Hey, should we release the gag?”

“Leo told me to only release it at meals. Apparently he has quite a mouth, so Leo will be tempted to kill him if his mouth is free.”

“I see.”

What was this?

“Oof! Ooof!” ‘Release the gag! Eh?’

The soldiers looked at Grid with terrified expressions.

“Wow, he is so desperate to talk that saliva is dripping down. If we keep him gagged all day, his blood pressure might rise.”

“This is really a punishment for him.”

“Ooof! Ooooof!” ‘Then release this rope!’

The rope was pressing against Grid’s body, making it difficult for him to move his fingers.

Kwang! The soldiers ignored him and walked away.

‘They really are leaving.’

Grid’s body was tied up, and his was mouth gagged.

‘Will I be trapped in this smelly place forever?’

Furthermore, time was running out. The Huroi rescue quest would fail even if Grid just stood still.

‘What about my level?’

Moreover, why did Grid have to get the ‘Coward’ title? He had to be called a coward because he couldn’t rescue Huroi?

“Ooof! Ooooof!” Grid started shouting again. ‘Please help me!’

Alas, there was no answer. His moans echoed in the deep and dismal basement.

Time passed with nothing happening. At the top of the screen, there was a window showing that he had four hours left in his quest time limit. Grid had been trapped in jail for three hours already.

‘Shit... This rotten...’

Somehow, both good luck and bad luck followed him recently. All that luck was a precursor to his misfortune today.

‘I forgot how unlucky I am and wasn’t vigilant...’

He was someone who had never found a 10-won coin on the side of the road in his 26 years of life! Yet he managed to obtain a legendary class!

‘I want to hit Lady Luck...’

Just as he was cursing at Lady Luck...

“Grid! Grid!”

Grid heard a woman’s voice from upstairs.

‘This voice?’

It was familiar. Where had he heard it recently?

‘Ah!’

Erina—her voice was as pretty as her face.

‘This damn unfair world! Why was one person born with so many advantages?’

No, now wasn’t the time to lament at the world.

‘Why is that kid here? No, it doesn’t even need questioning.’

A very surprising person had come, but she was Grid’s only hope. So he had to accept her help.

He started shouting, “Ooof! Ooooof! Oof! Oof!” ‘Here! I am here!’

Nonetheless, no matter how he shouted, it was hard for him to make a loud noise with the gag in his mouth.

Erina was still looking for him upstairs. “Grid! Where are you? Where is this man?”

“Ooooof!” A hoarse cry emerged from Grid’s mouth.

Just the same, Erina couldn’t find him easily.

At the top of the screen, the quest display window was pointed at two hours. In the next two hours, he had to escape and rescue Huroi.

‘What can I do? Dammit, I don’t know! I have to do something!’

“Ooof! Oof!”

“Grid!”

‘Ah, finally…’

Erina, who came downstairs, barely heard Grid’s voice and ran over.

‘Ahh! That unlucky girl seems like an angel at this moment.’

Grid’s appreciation toward Erina rose significantly as she confirmed the situation through the bars and said, “I’ll save you, but not just that. I’ll also give you this dagger.”

“Oof! Ooof!”

Erina held a sheath made of a minotaur horn. It was the dagger Grid had made when he competed with her.