Luo Feng and Miya stood together before the large wooden quest board, the guild hall still buzzing with chatter and clinking tankards behind them. His calm eyes scanned the posted papers—requests for goblin subjugation, herb gathering, escort missions—until one notice stood out, written in bold red ink and marked with a special seal:
NO RANK LIMIT
Reward: 200 Gold Coins
Urgent: Cure the Duke's Wife
He reached up, unpinned the paper, and carried it straight back to the reception desk. Miya walked beside him, her hand resting lightly on his arm, the silver lotus hairpin still gleaming in her hair.
The receptionist looked up again, surprised to see the new adventurer already holding a quest. "What can I do for you?"
Luo Feng held out the paper. "What does this mean? No rank limit?"
She took the notice and nodded. "Anyone can take this quest—whether they're low rank or high rank. The guild doesn't restrict it by strength. It's open to all."
Luo Feng glanced at the empty space on the board where the paper had been. "Then why is no one taking it? The reward is two hundred gold coins."
The receptionist sighed, lowering her voice a little. "Because no one has the ability to complete it. It's been posted for a month now, and every high-rank party that tried has failed."
He tilted his head. "What is the quest exactly?"
She leaned forward, speaking quietly so only he and Miya could hear. "A month ago, the wife of Duke Harlan—the same noble who bought all your goods and wine this morning—was poisoned. Someone used a legendary mushroom poison called Shadowveil Deathcap. It can't be cured by ordinary healers or even the strongest cure potions. The Duke has offered everything, but no one has been able to save her. She's fading fast."
Luo Feng's eyes softened with quiet recognition. The same Duke… He looked at Miya for a brief moment, then back at the receptionist.
"I will take the quest," he said simply.
A sudden hush fell over the nearest tables. Then the entire guild hall erupted in murmurs and stares.
"Did he just say he'll take it?"
"On his first day? B-rank or not, that's insane!"
"The kid's trying to grab the impossible quest the moment he registers?"
"He's going to get himself killed for two hundred gold…"
The receptionist blinked, then gave a small, respectful nod. She stamped the quest paper with the guild seal and handed it back to him, along with a small tracking crystal. "Quest accepted, Luo Feng. Good luck. You have thirty days to complete it before it expires."
Luo Feng bowed politely, clipped the paper into his pocket, and turned away from the desk. Miya stayed close at his side, her eyes shining with trust and a hint of worry. The adventurers kept murmuring and watching as the two of them walked out of the guild hall together, stepping back into the bright afternoon sunlight of the capital streets.
Outside, the noise of the city washed over them once more. Miya squeezed his hand gently. "Feng… are you sure? That poison sounds terrifying."
He smiled his calm, steady smile and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I have my ways. The forest gave me more than just herbs and metal. We'll help the Duke's wife… and then we'll go home with more than enough for the village."