For someone who was not a part of Amaharpe, it could prevent them from entering the kingdom or trading with it.

As for those who were residents of Amaharpe, it could be something as small as paying a hefty fine or as big as being exiled from the kingdom. However, dishonor marks were different for the nobles of Amaharpe. If a noble household accumulated a certain number of dishonor marks, then that family would be seen as unfit to uphold the pride of Amaharpe and stripped of their nobility!

Due to this system, the noble families in Amaharpe constantly stayed on their toes as not to bring shame to their kingdom and end up losing their status as a result. Unfortunately, there were still those like Ikaris who took this rule lightly and paid a heavy price for it.

It was not uncommon for noble families to disown those who were the cause of a dishonor mark in order to protect their position. With this thought and many others flooding into his head, Ikaris' mind went blank as he tried to process everything before he ultimately fainted from shock.

Not only did he offend the grandson of the Pride Clan's head, but he also accumulated a dishonor mark for his Juhstiss family. Even his father may not protect him! His life was as good as over.

"Young lord!" One of the guards called out as he tended to Ikaris.

...

Several moments later...

With the help of Lances destroying the barriers and the additional reinforcements, Broken Karp, Lily, and the rest of their squadron survived. In the end, they were victorious against the group of Ogres!

Of course, the MVPs this time around were Halls and Guan Yu. Thanks to their timely response to the call for help and the battle prowess they displayed, there were no further deaths.

Lances observed Halls and Guan Yu from a distance. After he destroyed the barrier, Lances did not make another move and merely watched over the battle. If there was an emergency or things started to look bad, he would not have wasted any time jumping in; however, it appeared that his worry was unwarranted.

"It seems there are still many hidden talents out there. It reminds me of those guys who took the second team's selection top two spots by surprise. The second team's selection may be out of current reach for those Lieutenants, but if they were to participate in the third team's selection, they would hold their own just fine. Perhaps I should invite them to visit the Pride Clan." Lances thought to himself as he took note of Halls and Guan Yu.

The players under Ex-Lieutenant Ikaris' command surrounded Halls and Guan Yu as they displayed their gratitude. Some of the NPCs were even crying tears of joy. After all, unlike players, they only had one life in this world. In their eyes, Halls and Guan Yu would forever be their heroes.

...

Meanwhile, at the Wiseman's abode in the city of Everpeak...

"Are you finally leaving?" A calm yet enchanting voice sounded from the spiral staircase. This voice belonged to the Wiseman of Everpeak, Kryxelsia.

"You make it sound as though you don't want me here, master." The person near the exit responded half-jokingly.

"There is only so much that can be absorbed through studying and theorizing, Valentine. It is crucial to developing your magic that you also gain experience through actual application." Kryxelsia commented.

"You're right, as always." Valentine sighed.

He then continued, "Recently, I hit a roadblock. I feel that I'm close to unlocking the secrets of the seventh sequence, but something is missing. In order to find that missing piece, I must first discover- No, rather I must forge my own path to walk on. What I desire to create is the ultimate magic. To do that, I have to start by mastering every magic sequence."

Kryxelsia was satisfied with Valentine's answer. As someone with the title of Wiseman, she could teach him virtually any magic that existed in the Mortal Realm. However, in the end, if one did not create and master their own spells, how could they ever be viewed as a true student of magic? For someone like Valentine, who was obsessed with magic, his goals were far beyond that of a typical student of magic. It was this enthusiasm and drive that convinced Kryxelsia to take Valentine under her wing.

Kryxelsia smiled lightly and said, "My time has not been wasted taking you in as a student. You have come far since we first met, Valentine. I look forward to your future progress, and-"

Krxelsia lightly tapped her staff on the floor as she started to disappear from the spiral staircase. At the same time, the exit to her abode opened.

"To witnessing the ultimate magic that you will bring into this world." Krylxesia's voice echoed as her figure vanished.

Valentine respectfully bowed towards the spiral staircase and said, "I'm off, master."

Valentine then stood tall as he stepped through the doors of the Wiseman's abode.

"Now... Where should I head to first?" Valentine said to himself. His lips curved into a smile as he lightly pushed down on his mage's cap.

...

Somewhere in a remote region of Malentansium...

"Move it! If anyone is caught trailing behind, they won't have to concern themselves with keeping up! I'll see to it that they have a slow exit from this world!" A threatening voice shouted.

This voice belonged to a hunter of the skounae. At the moment, that hunter, along with two other hunters, led a group of people in a straight line through the dark interior of an unusual underground structure.

"You all should feel honored. Not just anyone can enter the Crypt of a Night Lord." One of the skounae hunters stated.

He then whispered under his breath with a smirk, "Though it's not like any of you will be coming out alive."

The group contained individuals from different races; however, they consisted mainly of humans and zensana. The majority of them wore very modest and simple clothing. In addition, the zensana present were of the sheep and rabbit sub-species—two of the least combat-oriented zensana.

"Ah..!" Suddenly, a small thud could be heard from near the end of the line. One of the prisoners had fallen after tripping over something on the ground. The skounae may not have any difficulty seeing in the dark, but the same could not be said for other races.

"Ow... It hurts..." The young human child who just fell over winced from the pain of her scraped knee. When she attempted to stand to her feet, a piercing sting shot throughout her body that originated from her ankle—it was sprained. The child wanted to cry but held back her tears after remembering what happened to the other children from her village.

As for the others in line, they turned their heads away. No one dared to step out and help the young child to her feet for fear of their own life.

The young child fought through the pain and stood to her feet, but just as she managed to gain her balance somewhat, a large figure loomed over her. When she looked up, she trembled in fear as her eyes widened in horror.

"What's this? Didn't I warn everyone to stay in line? Since your human parents failed to teach you any discipline, I will do so in their place!" The hunter skounae declared as he lifted the staff in his hands and swung down without mercy towards the child!

Bang!

The hunter skounae struck something; however, a fierce look soon appeared in his eyes when he realized what he hit was not his intended target. At the last moment, a hooded figure moved before the child and used their body as a shield to block the attack.

"Trying to play the hero?! Then, you can die with this child!" The hunter skounae yelled. But, before he could attack again, he felt a tight grip around his wrist that prevented him from doing so.

"Enough. Even one of their deaths right now may delay the revival of our Night Lord. Besides, that one is off-limits. They are a rare offering." One of the other hunter skounae explained as he intervened.

"Tch...! Consider yourself lucky—for now. Get back in line!" The hunter skounae who initiated the matter growled as he got back into position.

The hooded figure reached their hand out towards the young child; however, the frightened expression remained as they instinctively flinched.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you. What's your name?" A calm and gentle voice sounded from the hooded figure.

"A-Aria..." The young girl stuttered. One could tell that she was still shaken and panicked by what had just transpired.

"Aria, that wound on your leg looks painful. Do you mind if I take care of it for you?" The hooded figure asked in a soft tone.

Aria was a little hesitant but gave a slight nod to show her approval.

The hooded figure pulled back their hood as a pair of slightly pointed ears revealed themselves.

"So pretty..." The young child uttered without thinking. However, it was not uncommon for those words to leave one's mouth upon their first time seeing a member of the trephasia race. Though, this particular trephasia was not born as a member of that race.

"My name is Luna. Aria, I will treat you now, okay?" Luna said with a light smile as a warm and faint green aura encompassed the palm of her hand.

A few seconds later, the wound on Aria's knee vanished. The pain from her sprained ankle also faded away.

"Amazing..." Aria whispered at the sight of her wounds being healed.

...

After healing Aria, Luna guided her back to the line and stood next to her. Every so often, the young child would glance to check if Luna was still behind her.

Luna gave a friendly smile and a small wave, which caused the child to snap their gaze forward.

"If I just had to take care of these hunters, then it would not be an issue. But, as expected—an SS-ranked quest is not easy to clear. Hopefully, the other two have already made it inside." Luna internalized.

Quest Name: Saving Grace

Recommended Level: ???

Recommended Party Size: 3

Quest Rank: SS

Quest Objective: The Skounae have captured innocent civilians by raiding isolated villages throughout various kingdoms and have brought them to the Night Lord of Decay's Crypt to help with his revival. Save as many civilians as possible while returning alive to the nearest allied outpost. Rescuing less than 10 civilians will lead to the automatic failure of this quest. The more civilians saved, the better the rewards.

Time Limit: 6 hours

Civilians Saved: 0

Civilians Captured: 228

0/1 Leave the «Night Lord's Crypt: Decay» alive with at least 10 civilians.

0/1 Return to the nearest allied outpost.

Reward:

...

Special Note: This quest cannot be shared and must be assigned by the quest giver.