The system chimed two times.
First was for the Mandatory Quest. The one that required Zane to lie to the Priest. Which he did.
The second notification belonged to a Hidden Quest of some sorts.
He would have first finished his shopping and talking with Xavier but the Hidden Quest got his attention and he wanted to know right away.
What's this hidden quest?
[ Hidden Quest: Death Stalker ]
[ Objective: Watch someone die in front of you. ]
[ Status: Accomplished! ]
[ Reward: Calculating… ]
Zane's brows quivered.
There are such quests too? Why is it hidden? And why does me watching someone die is a Quest in the first place?
[ Hidden Quests are the tasks that are not crucial but useful for the Host if he does them. ]
Fair enough. But forget that, what happened in the church? Why didn't my merged skill work?
[ There was an Obstruction. ]
What do you mean?
[ System does not have enough information. Host has to reach higher. ]
I can go to Cleaver mountain if you want.
The system said nothing.
Zane expected that as no way a window inside his head would laugh in his joke.
But he did understand what the system meant. Reach higher.
It meant status.
Zane always had his one foot in the grave because of his lineage. His poverty might have come for free but it would cost him his life.
I'll try.
That's all he could say.
[ Rewards Calculated! ]
[ Reward for the Mandatory Quest: ]
[ Synchronization +0.5 ]
[ Rewards for the Hidden Quest: ]
[ (1) Merge Points +2 ]
[ (2) One Basic Node Unlocked! ]
Zane read the words and the last bit made him question.
Basic node. That is new. What is it?
[ Nodes are the branches that allows Host to merge and create new combinations. ]
Zane's brows shot up.
Wait. So to merge anything I need to unlock nodes?
[ Positive. ]
Zane clicked his tongue.
I thought I only needed merge points and more synchronization. How many nodes are there in total?
[ There are 12 Nodes. 4 Basic. 4 Advanced. 4 Mythical. ]
That's a lot. And I unlocked a basic one by finishing a hidden quest? I thought hidden quests would give lower reward than Mandatory and other ones since you said they were not that crucial. But I unlocked a Node just in the first one.
[ The reward was supposed to be meager. But the Host witnessed a murder that was meant for him and a mysterious death in front of him happened on the same day consecutively. Hence the increase in reward. ]
Good enough, I guess. At least something came out from that experience. I wouldn't want to face that again.
But knowing the system, Zane knew he would face such things again and if he hesitated next time, no Xavier would come to save him.
Speaking of Xavier…
"I saved your life."
Zane stopped walking.
"I heard you the first time."
"Then why are you ignoring me?"
"What do you want? I have no money. I have no money at home. There is a pack of dough in my kitchen which I can't give you because I have a mouth to feed."
Xavier wrinkled his nose.
"Why would I want all that?"
"Then what?"
"Why would I want anything?"
Zane frowned.
"Then why did you save me?"
"Because I have some questions."
Zane sighed.
He turned to his right, towards the shop.
He would love to ignore and keep walking but he couldn't risk that as the Priest might be keeping an eye from somewhere. Since Zane had promised him, he had to buy it.
Also, free food wasn't that bad of a deal.
And since it was free, there were obviously gutterborns lined up.
Some held rough cloth sacks stitched with mismatched threads, chipped clay bowls, small reed baskets, old tin-like metal trays and patched satchels.
They were there with anything with enough space that could contain their hunger.
There were less commoners and zero rich bred as why would they need to stand in a line for free food?
Not only those who attended the prayer could benefit from this but also those slum dwellers who only prayed to their nearest peripheral shrine could come to the shop near the church after the prayer and take food or the idol or statue of the First Flame if they don't already have one in their house.
Zane stood on the line and Xavier followed behind him.
"I said I have some questions."
Zane rolled his eyes.
"What is it?"
"You…"
Xavier raised his hand and jerked Zane around, making the slum boy face himself.
Zane didn't even realize he was turned until he saw Xavier's face.
And seeing the face, the memory of the citadel replayed.
He is angry.
Zane felt it.
A few moments ago he was fine, slightly agitated maybe, but this time he was angry.
This was the same face Zane saw when he wanted to leave the Citadel.
Xavier gritted his teeth.
"First you bite me, then you try to hit an Enforcer, then you run away without any explanation, and now, you are talking to me, the man who saved your life, as if I am the questionable, annoying and problematic creature?"
… Alright. That made sense.
Zane swallowed.
"I am not annoyed at you, Xavier. It's just I have never seen death from so up close. I am just… shaken."
Zane threw a slight smile at the end to hammer the emotion. If it was visible from under all that blood, that is.
Xavier's gaze softened.
He removed his hands from Zane's both shoulders and put them back in his pockets.
Zane had seen his thick hands in the Citadel but now seeing them in front of him, they were something else.
Veins ran in his arms like wines in a forest.
Zane did a comparison of them with his own hands in his mind but he gave up.
I carry bricks all day and he has such arms? What does he do?
Xavier had thrown a person at Zane, such a thing would require strength. And Xavier had it.
The man was taller, bulkier than Zane. Conveying his privilege of not being the lowest of the barrel.
The only saving grace Zane found was that the man wasn't handsome. He wasn't ugly either though. He was just like someone who would walk past anyone and won't be looked at longer than one or two seconds.
Xavier's anger turned to smile at Zane's words.
"It's fine. But now can you tell me?"
"What?" Zane asked.
Xavier showed his right hand.
"Why did you bite me?"