Echo Of Infinity: 100× exp

The Echo of Infinity: Chapter 24 - Report and Ripples

Kael rode back to Riverbend pushing his pony hard, arriving late on the third day. He went straight to the Guild Hall administrative section, asking for Elara or Finn. Finn was on duty, looking surprised to see Kael back so soon and covered in dust.

"Kael! Back already? Everything alright?" Finn asked, concern in his voice.

"Mission complete," Kael reported, trying to sound breathless and slightly shaken. "But the quarry... it wasn't entirely abandoned."

He followed Finn to a small debriefing room, where he laid out his 'official' story. He described the quarry, the deactivated guardians, then finding the active ones on the lower levels. He presented the crystal shards he'd collected from the first two he'd disabled.

"Then," Kael continued, clutching the Resonance Stone for effect, "I must have disturbed something. Maybe this stone reacted?" He held it up; it looked inert now. "A big crystal formation down in the pit lit up, and *more* guardians activated. They were stronger... one even shot crystal shards at me!"

He described his 'panicked' escape, the 'artifact surge' granting him speed, and firing a 'desperate spark' (his Enhanced Mana Bolt) to disable one pursuing guardian before fleeing. He emphasized the danger and his narrow escape, omitting the campsite and the complex runic circle to keep the story simple and focused on his survival against unexpected threats.

Finn listened intently, taking notes. "Active guardians with ranged attacks? And a central crystal array? This is more significant than we thought." He examined the shards Kael provided. "These match the energy signature of the Scaleshaper's pebbles, but purer, less... corrupted. So the source *is* the quarry."

"What about the campsite?" Kael asked, feigning ignorance. "Did you see who might have reactivated them?"

Kael shook his head. "Didn't get a good look down there before things went crazy. Just saw the big crystal and the guardians activating. Had to run."

Finn nodded, accepting the explanation. "Okay. Good work, Kael. Getting out with this information and these samples is valuable. Especially confirming the active defenses and the ranged capability." He filed the report. "Elara will want to see this. The Guild will likely cordon off the quarry and send a proper investigative team – probably Silver Rank or higher."

Kael felt a surge of relief. His story, backed by the shards and his 'performance', seemed to hold. He'd successfully completed the recon, provided crucial intel, and kept his deeper involvement and true power level hidden.

He received his quest payment and another batch of Guild Points. His official contribution was noted: 'Confirmed Crystalline Quarry activity, identified active Tier 1 Crystal Guardian constructs with ranged capability, retrieved energy samples. Demonstrated survival skills under hazardous conditions.'

News of the 'dangerous' quarry and Kael's 'narrow escape' filtered through the Guild Hall. It reinforced his reputation as the 'artifact kid' – lucky, prone to attracting trouble, but surprisingly survivable. Some remained skeptical, but fewer were openly dismissive. Grak clapped him on the shoulder when he saw him later, a gesture that nearly sent Kael stumbling. "Heard you tickled some rocks and they tickled back harder," the Orc chuckled. "Good job not getting smashed, kid."

Even Silky gave him a nod that might have contained a hint of respect.

Kael felt a complex mix of satisfaction and unease. He was successfully navigating the Guild, building a reputation (albeit a flawed one), and growing stronger. But the quarry incident was a loose end. Who was camping there? Why reactivate the guardians? And how did that energy reach the Mirewood? The ripples from that abandoned quarry were spreading, and Kael had a feeling he hadn't seen the last of them.

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Publishment Date:  8/4/2025