Publish Task (2)

Dawei set an alarm and finally got some sleep. Years of staying up late had trained his body to wake like clockwork. At 5:00 AM sharp, his eyes popped open, and he began his usual routine: instant noodles, bathroom, log into Mercenary World.

Sitting cross-legged at his desk, holding a steaming cup of Moon Moon Instant Noodles, he felt a familiar swell of emotion.

"God... if I eat one more pack of these noodles, I'll qualify for NPC status at a ramen shop."

But there was no choice. The mission had to succeed. Otherwise, he'd be stuck eating budget noodles for the rest of his life.

As he reentered the game, Dawei's character materialized inside Great Sage Dioise's cabin.

The old sage raised an eyebrow the moment he saw him. "You found the werewolf already?"

Dawei stared at him, the corner of his eye twitching. If he weren't in a god-tier mission, he would've thrown the entire cup of noodles at Dioise's smug face.

The man had clearly known the werewolf was a walking disaster of a mission—had known it would be a trap, a maze, and a painful wild goose chase—and yet he sent Dawei anyway.

Of course, he was surprised Dawei returned so soon. Who wouldn't be?

Dawei took a deep breath. "Yeah. Sort of."

After hearing Dawei's summary, Dioise nodded calmly, as if it all made perfect sense. "Ah, I see. He was taken back to the castle again."

Dawei's hand trembled around his cup. Three-minute noodles, boiled water from a half-dead electric kettle, a perfectly timed pour... just to be disrespected like this.

This man didn't even blink. He had known this would happen. Still sent Dawei into it. And now he was acting like it was just another Tuesday.

System Prompt:Favorability with Great Sage Dioise has changed: [Somewhat Unexpected]

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Dawei muttered. "Somewhat unexpected? That's not even a real mood! Is that because he's a special NPC or what?"

Still, he couldn't be too mad. For the first time, he'd gotten a measurable result. Favorability status was now displayed, and that meant progress. And progress meant rewards.

So, like a true professional, Dawei buried his rage beneath a smile. He hadn't come this far just to rage-quit over a lack of chicken legs.

Dioise chuckled. "I must admit, I didn't think you'd find Montico's trail so quickly. Now then… how about helping me catch him?"

Dawei's inner alarm screamed.

Wait, we're escalating? Already? Not even a break for tea?

System Prompt:Do you accept the mission: [Catch the Werewolf Montico]?

Dawei stared blankly at the text.

"Catch him? I haven't even seen him properly. Last I saw, he got scooped up like a kid's plush toy by a vampire and yeeted into the fog."

He looked at Dioise and said it plainly: "You know I got killed by him, right?"

Dioise waved it off, eyes twinkling as he turned the page of a floating magical tome. "To capture Montico, you don't have to fight him head-on."

His expression was downright irritating: that wise mentor smile with a sprinkle of condescension—the look of a man who knows the answers but won't share them unless you ask the right way.

It was the magical equivalent of saying, "You got this, champ!" right before throwing someone into a volcano.

Dawei narrowed his eyes. "Okay... so there's a way."

That meant it was a logic puzzle. If the NPC said it was doable without direct combat, then there must be a mechanic designed to trap or immobilize Montico.

That also meant—resources. Tools. Items. Triggers.

He scratched his chin. "If there's a method, then it's either a scripted trap... or bait. Maybe both."

Dioise casually flipped another page, clearly enjoying Dawei's silent struggle.

Dawei took a breath.

"Let me guess. You know how to do it, but you won't say anything directly."

Dioise's response? A vague smile and one cryptic sentence:

"There are things even a wolf cannot resist."

And just like that, Dawei knew—it was bait.

He opened his quest log. The new objective was vague:

[Catch the Werewolf Montico]Optional Objective: Discover Montico's weakness.

"Of course," Dawei muttered. "Can't even get a hint. This game expects me to go Sherlock Holmes in a cursed forest with vampire politics and lunar mechanics."

But he was no longer surprised. At this point, Dawei had fully accepted that Mercenary World wasn't a game—it was an IQ test wrapped in a fantasy novel.

He sat back and considered the facts:

Montico couldn't transform without a full moon.

He fled instead of fighting.

He had a deeply emotional reaction to Jilice and the Count.

He'd tried to give Dawei the offer of immortality.

"That guy's got baggage," Dawei muttered. "There's gotta be something—or someone—he cares about."

His thoughts spiraled. "Family? An object? A location he visits when hiding? Maybe a diary? A keepsake?"

Suddenly, the next phase of the mission felt real. It wasn't just about combat—it was about understanding the target.

Catch the man, not the monster.

He turned back to Dioise.

"One last thing. You wouldn't happen to have... I dunno, a werewolf-trapping tool or something, would you?"

Dioise chuckled. "No, no nets. But I can provide you with... a scent."

A tiny bottle floated toward Dawei, sealed with silver wire. Inside swirled a strange misty essence.

Item Acquired: [Residual Scent of Montico]Use: Reveals Montico's trail for 15 minutes within a 100-meter radius.

Now we're talking.

Dawei grinned. "Brother's back in the game."