The Achievement Junkie

Bowzer landed on his shoulder and Maura touched his forearm, which was still extended with the tutorial stone in hand.

"Jack, what's wrong?" asked Maura. To her, Jack had just angrily cursed a god she didn't know existed and exploded in anger.

'Jack, what wrong?' Bowzer was just as concerned, brushing his fur against Jack to try and calm the hero.

Suddenly, Jack's angry face changed to a hopeful smile. Before either Maura or Bowzer could react to the sudden change of mood, the tutorial stone shattered and crumbled to the floor. Only dust was left of the once miraculous item.

Startling Maura, Jack put his hands on shoulders and said, "Thanks, Maura. You've been a big help. Come on Bowzer!"

"W-wait! Jack, where are you going?" Maura didn't know what to think. She couldn't understand his mood swings. How could she know that Jack had spent more than a day in silence thinking over what Daruun had said? Something like that was impossible and far beyond her imagination.

"I've got to hurry and talk to your dad and the others. We've got to leave immediately!" Jack's voice came from the bottom of the stairs. He was hurrying to find everyone else.

It didn't take long for the entire association building to hear about Jack's sudden change of mood. When Jack found the three men he was searching for in his room, he smiled. "Good, so you're all ready!"

"Huh?" Rydel blinked, surprised to see Jack smiling. "What's gotten into you?"

"I'll explain it all on the way. Right now, all three of you should get ready to leave. We have to hurry if we want to get back within a week." Not looking at them, Jack walked to his bed and stored his pillow and blanket for later use.

When the others remained where they were, Jack looked back at them. "Come on, hurry and get ready. Or are you already good to go?"

"Jack, what's going on?" asked Zariff. The large man blocked Jack from walking out of the room without giving a clear answer. "The last time we saw you, you wouldn't say a word and were too sad to acknowledge our existence. Now, you're all smiles and wanting to leave somewhere?"

"Yup." Jack nodded without hesitation. "Now pack up, we need to leave ASAP!"

"But--"

"Oh! We also need Slivia's body to be preserved so it hasn't started decaying when we get back." Jack looked up to Zariff. "Can you make sure that happens before we go?"

The three men gave Jack a weird look. They each started having a few ideas since Jack had asked for Slivia to be preserved.

Maynard sighed, "Jack, ya know she's gone, right?"

"Yeah."

"And ya know that she can't come back, right?"

"Yeah," Jack answered, letting them feel a bit better, at least until he finished his sentence. "The only chance of getting her back is finding the nearby life spring, so we need to hurry."

"Life spring?!" All of them were dumbstruck. Jack was mentioning a life spring like it was a common tourist attraction.

"Jack, it's not that simple," said Rydel. "We don't even know where to find those, how do you plan to do that before we leave for the federation? Just let her go, Jack, you'll have to at some point."

"But I already know where it is."

Again they were stunned into silence. They couldn't think of a way to reply. He had always surprised them before, so why not now?

"Ya really think we can find a life spring and get back before ya have to go?"

"Well yeah, otherwise I would've been forced to search for a naturally blessed item," stated Jack, confusing the others even more.

"A naturally blessed item? What's that?" asked Zariff.

"That's unimportant now, so hurry and make sure her body is preserved before we leave. We don't have any time to waste!" Finishing with his quick orders, Jack skirted past Zariff and through the door. "I'm off to see Zarris. Meet me at Salendar Manor so we can choose a beast for Rydel."

"But Jack, where are we going?"

Zariff's question went unanswered and he sighed, "Are you two sure we haven't made a mistake following this brat?"

Rydel looked at Zariff and laughed while patting his shoulder. "You know, I think you'll be amazed by what will happen. If it's only a quick trip, you can still make it in your condition, right?"

"Yeah…" Zariff groaned.

"Look on the bright side, chief. Now ya have got a beast companion and can even use beast skills. Ya will be scary strong after we heal ya." Maynard left the room and called back to them. "Ya need to hurry and arrange her preservation. We'll be waiting at Tridon's place. Can't waste time so we better get ya a beast real quick."

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Rydel ran out the door, happy to no longer be the only one without a beast. Plus, after seeing the others use their beasts special skills, he wouldn't let Jack and them do anything till he had his own beast anyway.

"Uhhh…" Zariff was left alone. He was hesitant but he quickly called the Royal Court to send a mage who could preserve Slivia's body for the next week. After that, he ran to the Salendar Manor at full speed.

Jack wasted no time reaching Zarris' little shop. He was ecstatic to see that he'd returned so quickly. "Yo, Zarris! Got anything good? I'm leaving for the Zuran Empire and I'll be back in a week. After that, I'll be off to the Polt Federation and I don't know when I'll be back."

"Sounds like you'll be pretty busy for a while. Come in the back." Zarris smiled as he held up the flap to his tent, letting Jack step in before he cast silence. "By the way, thanks for filling me in about Reinolt's troubles the other day. I would've never made it in time without you."

"Huh, what did you say?" In his excitement to hurry and leave for the life spring, Jack had already started opening a few crates and exploring Zarris' new wares.

"Nothing, anyway, I think you'd like what's in that chest over there," stated Zarris while pointing at a plain-looking crate in the back.

"If you say so." Jack ran to the crate and threw the lid open. "Where did you get this?"

"I've had it for a while and have been struggling to find a buyer. Consider it a gift for saving the city, how about it?"

"Zarris… You really mean that?"

The old merchant chuckled, "Sure do, why else would I say that? Now hurry and get going, by the way, you're acting you're probably trying to hurry."

"Thanks, Zarris! I'll come see you before I leave for the Polt Federation!" Jack left the tent in a whirlwind, yelling back to Zarris as he disappeared.

Zarris smiled and shook his head. He wasn't sure why, but he had a hunch that Jack may become the most powerful person he'd ever met. However, to Zarris that felt strange since he was close friends with people over lv. 60.

*****

When Jack reached the Salendar Manor, there was someone waiting for him outside. The servant guided him into the manor and led Jack to the stable area where most beasts were kept.

There was a small group of people gathered in the back of the stable area, standing in front of a large steel door. As they bickered back and forth, they noticed Jack and the servant approaching them.

A surprising face popped out of the group and welcomed the young hero. "Jack, I'm glad I made it time to chat with you. I heard you're leaving somewhere. I'm just glad you're feeling better after everything."

"No need to worry about me Leo, you have a kingdom to run and a son to discipline," said Jack.

"Actually, I don't have to worry about the idiot anymore." The king smiled back at Jack. "During the chaos of yesterday's battle, that fool was killed by a few angry guards. After Arnole was believed to be part of the Chaos Syndicate, no one trusted him and was killed with no one there to protect him."

"Oh, well--"

"Forget about him. That idiot of a son tried to have me killed and had been plotting against me for some time now. He got what he deserved, so I should be thanking you." King Leodoro bowed to Jack, startling Tridon and the adventurers. "I want to give you this on behalf of the Reinolt Kingdom."

Jack accepted the storage ring and inspected it. A glimmer appeared in Jack's eyes as he bowed in return to the king. "Thank you, King Leodoro!"

"Just call me Leo, Jack," corrected the king. He nodded to the others and added, "I'd better get going. Good luck convincing him to part with his precious roc."

The king left the others to keep bickering, trying to convince Tridon to let them see his most prized beast. An adolescent roc!