Chapter 226: Chapter 219: Personal Quest: The Penitent’s Hope

Hearing Dolores recount her past, Jon couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

’A story like that?’

’A Moon Thief adopted a human orphan, and she still grew up to have such a cheerful and lively personality?’

Even among players, this would count as a strange tale—and strange tales often meant "quests."

He glanced at the Warrior siblings diligently digging out tree cores in the distance. With a flick of his finger, a Silence Seal enveloped him and Dolores.

"An effect? Is this related to why you suddenly went quiet earlier?"

When Dolores saw Jon so meticulously cast a Silence Seal to ensure their privacy, a complex emotion flickered in her amber eyes. A wave of gratitude washed over her, only to be immediately submerged by a deeper sense of unease.

Her fingers unconsciously twisted together, and her whole body trembled.

"Y-yes."

The girl took a deep breath, her voice exceptionally clear within the Silence Seal’s Domain.

"Boss, that Dharma Seal you cast... that absolute quiet... it makes me... remember the place I stayed in when I was little."

"It was a very, very deep cave. There was no light, no sound. There was only ever the sound of dripping water, and... the whispers of the ’mother’ who raised me."

"Even though I left that place and now live in the sunlight, that feeling is carved into my bones. The moment all surrounding sound is stripped away, that deathly silence... it crawls back."

She glanced quickly at Jon, confirming he showed no signs of disgust or pity before continuing.

"Also... there’s something even stranger, something I don’t understand myself."

"Whenever night falls, especially when the moon is bright, I get incredibly excited and unusually energetic. I have to do something to burn it all off."

"And I can’t help but stare at the moon. It’s not that I think it’s beautiful, but... but there’s this... this desire to get closer to it, to embrace it."

At this point, Dolores looked at Jon and licked her somewhat dry lips. A mix of confusion and a flicker of... an indescribable craving shone in her amber eyes.

"Boss, back at the inn... when you cast that Magic... I... I had the same feeling toward you..."

"?"

Jon had remained calm while listening to the girl’s story, but when he heard her final, suggestive words, he really had to struggle to keep his composure.

’What does she mean she had feelings for me just because I cast a spell?’

If his recent experiences hadn’t trained him to not let his emotions show, he probably would have burst out laughing.

However, when he saw the girl standing there, looking pitiful as if awaiting her final judgment, his amusement vanished and was replaced by a trace of pity.

’It must have taken immense courage for this girl to confess all this to me.’

He sighed softly.

"I have a general understanding of your situation."

"But I suspect you chose this moment to reveal these deeply private—and potentially misunderstood—parts of your past because you needed more than just a listener to ease your anxiety, didn’t you?"

He leaned forward slightly. The pressure wasn’t intense, but it carried an inquisitive weight that couldn’t be ignored.

"Tell me, Dolores, what prompted you to speak up now?"

"Or rather, what specific expectations do you have of me—your ’Boss’?"

"Are you looking for answers? For help? Or... is there another reason?"

Hearing Jon’s words, Dolores knew she hadn’t misjudged him—the Boss had indeed guessed the real reason behind her confession.

Her amber eyes brightened, but her hands still unconsciously picked at the edges of her leather armor’s straps, betraying her inner apprehension.

"Boss, you’re right."

"I’m telling you this because... I’m afraid of these abnormalities. I’m afraid they’ll drag me back to that dark place, and even more afraid... that they’ll make me into someone who isn’t me anymore."

She took a deep breath as if she had made up her mind, and her voice grew louder.

"Boss, you’re capable and smart. I think... maybe you can help me figure it out?"

"Or... at least tell me which direction to look for answers? I don’t... I don’t want to just turn into a monster without understanding why!"

With that, the purple-haired girl bowed deeply and respectfully, presenting the back of her head to Jon.

"Please! Please help me!"

As her voice fell, a new line of text quietly materialized in Jon’s vision.

—

[The Penitent’s Hope I (Rare · Personal Quest)]

[Dolores ???, the girl raised by a Moon Thief, is plagued by a secret hidden deep in her bloodline and the instincts that surface under the moonlight. She seeks your help to find an answer to her curse. Perhaps this very search is an opportunity for an ancient mistake to seek redemption?]

[Option 1: Accept Dolores ???’s request, investigate the source of her abnormal condition, and find a solution if possible.]

[Option 2: Refuse Dolores ???’s request.]

[Option 3: Other.]

[Basic Reward: 12,000 general Experience Points, 2,000 reputation with an unknown faction.]

[Bonus Reward: Additional Experience and a reputation reward multiplier based on quest completion.]

[Accept?]

"Note: Refusing Dolores ???’s request will be considered forfeiting the quest."

—

’Another personal quest.’

Unlike Rosalind’s [Oswald’s Remnant], this quest didn’t have as many choices or clear objectives due to a lack of information. However, the details revealed in the quest description were equally worth pondering.

The question marks after Dolores’s name clearly indicated she had a background she herself was unaware of.

’The lines "an opportunity for an ancient mistake to seek redemption" and "reputation with an unknown faction" could also be connected. Dolores might be the "Penitent’s Hope" chosen by this unknown faction.’

Jon’s gaze lingered on the system prompt for two seconds before he turned back to Dolores, falling into deeper consideration.

’If I complete this personal quest, I might be able to recruit Dolores as a follower, or even have her offer a Soul Contract.’

One only had to look at Rosalind to understand the value of an absolutely loyal follower.

But helping someone so closely tied to a Moon Thief would also drag him into unknown trouble—especially when "Deities" were involved, which often meant endless obstacles.

During these troubled times, with his Giant God Workshop just getting on track and a mountain of other things to do, stirring up more trouble was clearly not a wise move.

’So, should I accept or not?’

He fell silent, weighing his options.

As Jon’s silence stretched, the space isolated by the Silence Seal instantly became as deathly still as the dark cave from Dolores’s childhood memories.

Only the sound of her own frantic heartbeat thundered in her ears like a war drum.

She watched Jon’s expressionless face, the slight furrow of his brow as he was lost in thought, and felt every second stretch into an eternity.

Tension wrapped around her heart like cold vines, tightening their grip until she could barely breathe, the tips of her fingers turning white from the strain.

She even began to regret it. ’Maybe I shouldn’t have dumped this heavy secret on an employer I’ve only just met...’

And just as Dolores felt the crushing weight of tension was about to overwhelm her, her vision starting to go dark, Jon finally looked up.

"I can."

Those two simple words exploded in Dolores’s ears like a clap of thunder, scattering the gloom that had all but frozen her heart.

In the end, Jon had chosen the tempting option of a "follower."

’If I want to expand my influence and explore Dungeons, I’ll need to build a reliable adventuring party.’

’Dolores is so young and already this powerful. It would be a real shame to pass up the chance to recruit her.’

’Compared to that, any additional trouble is just trouble. I’m confident my power will grow far faster than any problems can arrive.’

So...

"I can help you figure out what’s wrong, and I’ll do my best to find a solution."

"But it won’t be free, Dolores."

Jon’s ice-blue eyes stared directly at her, clearly conveying his conditions.

"During the time I’m searching for answers for you, you will need to work for me."

"This isn’t a simple employment contract that ends when the job is done. This will be a long-term superior-subordinate relationship."

"I need your loyalty, your abilities, and, when necessary, your absolute obedience. Can you accept that?"

"I can! I can! Of course, I can!"

Dolores practically leaped to her feet, her voice filled with ecstatic relief.

In her excitement, she even took a step forward, her pretty face coming close to Jon’s, completely forgetting the proper distance between them.

"Work for you? Boss, I’d even be your wife! I mean it!"

Seeing the girl switch from anxious to carefree and flighty in an instant, and hearing her "bold proclamation," the corner of Jon’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch in exasperation.

"Don’t be so quick to make promises... be careful you don’t choke on them."

With a flick of his finger, the Silence Seal enveloping them vanished without a sound, like a popped bubble. The sounds of the tunnel instantly rushed back in: the CLINK-CLANK of the Warrior siblings digging out the tree cores, the soft CRUNCH of falling ice shards, and the faint rustling of plants squirming deep within the ruins.

"Now, get to work!"

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