Deckard was still unsure how his creditors had come to an agreement, but they'd already made their picks. Now, he was 16 cards lighter. Unsurprisingly, most of the cards were from Ratu's choice deck, but six came from [The Worst Deck Ever]. Some cards that were useless in Terralore were apparently highly prized as AstroTerra skills.
Either way, he’d paid his dues and was now heading toward Ronan’s shop.
"Good evening, sir," a fisherman greeted as Deckard passed by. He blinked, wide-eyed. It was the first time an NPC had greeted him unprompted. Could it be because of the reputation points he’d earned from [Against the Odds]?
He spotted another NPC, a young woman, crossing a plank. She had completely ignored him the last time he tried speaking to her.
"Hello, miss!" Deckard called out.
“Eh? You da one beat Ratu at da bar, yeah? I hear ‘bout dat game—plenny people talkin’. I’m Mary Ann. At your service, eh.”
"Deckard. Nice to meet you."
“You look like good fella,” she said with a smile. “One fisherman borrow me knife, no bring it back. You go get it for me?”
“Of course.”
“Tank you, eh. I owe you one.”
You've received a new quest: [Mary Ann's Lent Knife].
Deckard was stunned. Unlocking quests had become so much easier. His newfound friendly reputation drastically changed the way villagers interacted with him. Instead of ignoring him, people now greeted him and offered quests.
Still, as curious as he was about the benefits of his good reputation, his mind was fixed on Ronan. Deckard was sure this NPC had a hand in his match against Ratu, and he was determined to find out how.
Furthermore, in his reputation window, Ronan and the villagers remained separate entities. This only deepened his suspicion.
He entered Ronan’s shop, where the NPC sat, sketching as usual. Three other players were rummaging through boxes of equipment. Deckard waited until they left, not wanting anyone to overhear his business. Once the shop was empty, Deckard moved closer, ready to speak, but Ronan beat him to it.
“Help yourself to any of my wares,” Ronan said without looking up.
"Is that all you have to say?" Deckard asked, frowning. But Ronan ignored him, focused on his drawing.
Disappointment hit Deckard. He had been so sure Ronan was involved in his recent match against Ratu. He had expected this visit to trigger a new quest or reveal something significant. Instead, he was getting the cold shoulder.
"I know you’re the one who gave Ratu those cards," Deckard said, stepping closer. "I just don’t understand why or how you have so many."
Ronan didn’t react. He kept sketching, but something felt off. Deckard’s eyes narrowed as he examined the drawing. It was a seagull, but the lines were crude. It didn’t seem as lifelike as before. Hadn't he helped Ronan improve his drawing skills in a previous quest? Why had he regressed?
“And why have him challenge me? Is that because I told you that I’m only interested in cards and nothing else?”
Deckard reached out to touch Ronan’s shoulder—only for his hand to pass through.
"What in the—?" Deckard recoiled, waving his hand through Ronan’s form several more times to be sure.
It was a hologram.
Deckard’s mind raced. After spending time in this seaside village, surrounded by fishermen and oil lamps, he had almost forgotten about the game’s opening cinematic—the one filled with advanced tech and planetary defenses. He had forgotten all the screens and machines in Ronan's secret room, too. This was some futuristic stuff. This hologram was impossibly realistic, far beyond anything in the real world.
Chain quest activated: [The Truth About Ronan].
The Truth About Ronan (Rare)
After visiting Ronan to investigate his involvement in your match against Ratu, you discover he left a hologram to make people think he’s still at the store. Where has he gone?
Objective: Find out what happened to Ronan.
Requirements: [Ronan’s Drawings I~X]; [Against the Odds].
So Ronan was involved, Deckard thought. But where?
Deckard made sure no one else was around and then tried the knob of the side room with the fish tank. The door creaked open. Inside, the setup looked mostly the same, except for one thing: a large cage now stood in the corner, with a few white feathers scattered inside, their edges blackened. Had Ronan brought a seagull here? And if so, what happened to it?
Perhaps it suffered the same fate as all the starfish I brought here.
His eyes fell on the blinking machines along the wall, but there were no consoles or instructions. No clues. It was a dead end.
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Thinking like an investigator, Deckard knew his next step. He had to meet the last person who had likely seen Ronan.
Without a second thought, he left the shop and headed toward the docks.
He needed to find Ratu.
*
Ratu was near the docks, scraping the hull of a fishing boat. After losing the bet in front of so many people he had bragged to, Ratu didn’t stay at the bar. He’d retreated here, away from the mocking eyes.
“Hi, Ratu,” Deckard greeted.
“Ah, foreigner,” Ratu muttered without looking up, still scraping the boat. “Why you come here? You no take enough from me?”
Deckard was pleasantly surprised by Ratu’s almost friendly tone. He had expected the NPC to lash out, but it seemed Ratu was torn between their bitter history and the 100 reputation points Deckard had earned with all the villagers, including Ratu, after winning their match.
“Listen, I know Ronan gave you those cards,” Deckard said.
Ratu’s hands slowed, and he turned his face slightly, enough for Deckard to catch a flicker of admission in his eyes.
“I’m looking for him,” Deckard pressed, “but he’s not at his shop. When was the last time you saw him?”
Ratu resumed scraping the boat, not answering.
“Come on, Ratu,” Deckard urged. “I need your help.”
“I no help cheatah.”
If anyone cheated, it was you, Deckard thought, but he held back. “I need to know where Ronan went.”
Ratu put down the scraper and turned to face him. “Okay. I tell you… but first, you give back my cards.”
“What?” Deckard blinked in disbelief.
“Yeah. You give back all my cards. Then I talk.”
“You seriously expect me to return all your cards for one piece of information?”
“In dat case, I no talk.” Ratu shrugged, picking up his tool again.
Deckard clicked his tongue. “I’ll give you one card. That’s it.”
“One card? Pfft! That nothing. I want all. No 'ception.”
“How about two cards? That’s the most I’ll give.”
“Leave, foreigner. All or nothing.”
Deckard gritted his teeth. It had felt too good to be true—winning all those cards so easily. Was this how the game planned to take them back? But he needed to see this quest through. Reluctantly, he decided to bite.
“Fine. I don’t have all your cards,” Deckard admitted. “I traded some for the ones that helped me win. But I’m willing to give you back what’s left.”
“How many you trade?” Ratu’s eyes narrowed.
“Sixteen,” Deckard said, wincing.
“Sixteen?!” Ratu’s voice rose. “You take sixteen of my cards?!”
“You’ll still have enough for a full deck,” Deckard said quickly.
Ratu grumbled but eventually relented. “Okay, okay. I take what left.”
The cards originally owned by Ratu vanished from Deckard’s inventory.
Oof. At least, the ones the players traded me are still in my inventory.
Ratu finally spoke. “Yes. Ronan give me da cards. He say he need small favor. I keep cards, I play one game wit’ you. He say, ‘Challenge da foreigner.’ So I do.”
Deckard’s brows furrowed. “And after that?”
“He go Gull Rock.” Ratu pointed out past the docks. “You walk by da beach. Big rock, many bird there. He say he go draw dem gulls. But now… long time already. Maybe someting bad happen.”
[The Truth About Ronan] has been updated.
The Truth About Ronan (Rare)
After confronting Ratu and offering some of his cards back, you discovered that Ronan left for Gull Rock. He hasn’t been seen since, and Ratu is worried something may have happened to him.
Objective: Investigate Gull Rock and find Ronan.
“Thanks for the info,” Deckard said.
But Ratu wasn’t listening anymore, too busy rifling through his cards, pleased at some and groaning at the loss of others.
For Deckard, the feeling was bittersweet. From owning over thirty cards, he was left with only eight, the ones he had gotten from other players. He had only one creature card now. He couldn’t even make a deck. Still, if Ronan had enough cards to hand out to Ratu like candy, then completing this quest might be worth more than clinging to the cards he got from Ratu.
Deckard slipped out under the cover of night, the moonlight painting silver streaks across the waves as he made his way toward Gull Rock. The rhythmic crashing of the surf was his only companion, though he could see the faint glow of distant players' skills lighting up the beach. As he walked, seagulls loitered on the shoreline, their eyes glinting in the dark. Some screeched and flapped wildly, locked in chaotic battles with players. He steered clear, knowing a fight would only delay him, especially if this quest was time-sensitive.
The air grew colder as he pressed on, and soon, the encounters became more frequent. Seagulls littered the path ahead, but they weren’t ordinary anymore. Their feathers were patchy, molts of sickly flesh showing through. Some limped, others twitched unnervingly. The stench of decay hit his nose—a blend of rot and salt. Diseased, featherless seagulls squawked and hissed at anything that moved, even attacking one another in frenzied fits. Deckard felt a chill down his spine. Something was wrong here. He managed to avoid them all and outran the few that chased him.
Eventually, Gull Rock loomed ahead, a massive stone formation thrusting up from the cliffs like a jagged tooth. The oppressive cawing of hundreds, maybe thousands, of seagulls filled the air, their calls echoing off the rock face. White bird droppings coated everything like a thick layer of frost.
Deckard circled the base of the rock, scanning the jagged cliffs for a way in. A narrow, winding path caught his eye, but it wasn’t the path itself that troubled him—it was the crowd. Dozens of players clustered there, more than he’d ever seen in the village. Their chatter filled the air, and as he got closer, he overheard them.
“Looking for warrior with 25+ strength. PM if interested.”
“Need an esper with +30 intelligence. Got [Throw Rocks] and [Seagull Poison].”
What’s going on here? Deckard wondered as he approached the crowd, weaving his way through. Some players huddled in groups, forming parties. Others stood alone, staring at a massive stone tablet. Every few minutes, someone would touch the tablet and vanish, or a new group of five would materialize in the same spot. Teleportation.
He edged closer, pressing his fingers to the stone tablet.
Welcome to Gull Rock
Dungeon level: 3-5
Recommended number of players: 5
Boss: Sea Ghoul
Elites: Cranky Seagull; Radioactive Seagull
Description: Gull Rock is one of the many nesting sites on the island where seagulls come to lay their eggs. The birds here are fiercely protective of their nests, especially as the environment has warped them.
Defeat the Sea Ghoul to complete the dungeon.
Would you like to enter? [Y/N]
Deckard’s stomach dropped. A dungeon. Of course. The moment he saw the completion requirements, his fear was confirmed—this quest would require him to fight.
“Now what? I’m terrible at fighting,” he muttered under his breath, stepping back from the stone. His fingers nervously shuffled the eight cards in his hand, performing flourishes without thinking, making them disappear and reappear in intricate motions.
He glanced at the groups of players organizing themselves. He could try to join one, but the thought of relying on strangers made his stomach twist. What if they realized he was dead weight? Worse yet, what if they were the kind to ditch him the moment things got tough?
Hiring mercenaries might be a safer bet. But his resources were scarce. How was he going to pay them? His mind buzzed with indecision as he weighed his options, but one thing was clear—he wasn’t leaving Gull Rock without answers.
Visit the fiction page once you've caught up and leave a rating.
Which do you prefer for the dungeon's name?
