The OP twist

I'm so hambled by the shop owner's actions. I look at Luna. She's shocked.

I take the ring and get closer to her, as if asking to put it on her with my gesture. She brings up her hand with one finger slightly raised, and I put it carefully on the finger she chose. "We are still getting you the staff", I say, smiling.

-"Are you sure, Rune?" She asks.

"You like using a variety of magic spells, right? With both magic regeneration and capacity, you'll be able to freely use any skill you wish".

-"Okay", she says, blushing.

We thank the shop owner.

We decide to go to the guild in order to see if there are any more available carriages, for if there aren't any, we might have to wait a whole day before being able to return to Learslake.

Entering the guild, we notice a few people murmuring, something about a huge monster sighting. This might have been what Ni and Roku talked about.

"Luna…"

-"Yea, I hope they are okay…"

The guild employee behind the desk tells us we can get aboard a wagon in an hour from now. In the meantime, Luna goes to talk with the guildmaster, explaining him we'll be gone for a while. He then calls me too, in order to complete my registration. I forgot I'm technically a "guest".

We spend some time at the guild until the wagon comes. We then travel back to inform grandma of our decision.

We get to Learslake. -"It seems business is flourishing here lately. Getting such frequent travels to Learslake is not something I'm used to", Luna says.

"I doubt they would make it a permanent routine though, since the shops here are not usually for the 'normal visitor'", I reply.

We go to grandma's house and inform her of our decision.

-"I'm very glad you accepted my offer. You're just in time for dinner as well".

The next day

We wake up and get the details of the daily quest from grandma. After eating breakfast, we take some food to have on the road. Our first destination today is the library.

We go to the local library and reach the counter. "Hello. I have a weird question. Do you have any books about world quests?"

The silence continues. It is a library after all, but he looks a little uncomfortable.

-"World quests? What's that?" The librarian looks confused.

"Do you have anything about Treeza forest?" I ask, recognizing a dead end's pattern.

-"I'm afraid not. Most of the books here are about…"

"History and herbs, right?" I interrupt his sentence.

-"Yes, you are quite correct".

"Well, thank you anyway."

-"I'm sorry Rune…" Luna says.

"It's okay. Hey! If anything, everything is great. I sure want to learn the truth about this mystery, but… Ever since I reunited with you…"

-"I know", she says, smiling.

As we leave the library and start heading to the forest, I open my skills menu. I realize I haven't done that in a while.

There's a new skill! I can't raise it though since I'm out of points.

"Luna, check this out!" I try getting her attention.

Luna starts reading out load: -"Homing – Sacrifice extra damage lines. Each possible line sacrificed - creates a separate automated homing attack, targeted at the same monster. (Maximum level: 1)".

"Wow! That sounds really cool, doesn't it? I can't wait to raise that one".

-"Rune…"

"Yea?"

-"This is completely overpowered…" She says, seemingly in shock.

"It is?"

-"Think about it…" She starts explaining, "Your first attack hits once. That will be normal and only deal 2 damage. The next attack will have already accumulated stacks to create lines.

One will deal damage, and a homing attack will spawn. That separate attack will also have more than a 100% critical hit chance… Creating further possible lines…"

"Which will be also converted to another automated homing attack!" I realize.

-"Exactly. Rune, you don't have any points left, correct? In your next birthday, if you raise that skill, any monster you hit more than once, will be rained upon in homing daggers. I bet our combo triggered that skill's appearance".

"Oh my god…"

-"Yea… Now add to that my duplication skill, just to double the amount of homing daggers. Any monster will be doomed to begin with, but with the extra duplications it will just end up happening faster…" Luna explains.

"I… This is…"

-"Rune, in less than a year you will be able to '2-shot' any monster! It's crazy! We could rank up to level 5 in no time. If… You'd still want to adventure with me… Since you'll be all…"

"Luna! Without you this is all pointless! I would get back my damage to a solid 2 if that is what it takes to adventure with you… But we are free! We can go explore wherever we want. Do whatever we want… I don't want to ever be separated from you…"

I'm getting emotional. I'm a little overwhelmed. Luna gets closer to me. She hugs my head and says -"I know, I know. And I'm glad", she says with a smile.

She suddenly gets more serious. She puts her hand on my cheek and looks at me, straight in the eyes.

-"I bet you noticed it, but… Rune… I love you".

"I love you too, Luna".

-"Come!" She yells as she suddenly grabs my hand and starts running.

"Are we going to the forest?" I ask.

-"Yea! Time to get grandma her requested items! We can probably stay here until your birthday!" She says.

We go on our daily adventure. I love starting a quest holding hands with her.

Numerous months pass. It's a new year. It's my birthday

-"Rune! What are you doing, buying me a gift for YOUR birthday?" Luna asks.

"We worked so hard for this! Today, we get your staff!"

-"We can buy a mansion with that money!"

"Do you prefer a mansion?" I ask.

-"Hmm… I would actually prefer a small, quiet place", she realizes.

"Then we'll get that too".

We go to the 'weird shop'. We enter, and the owner recognizes us.

-"You've returned. I assume, for the same reason we discussed?" He asks.

"Yes".

-"You two are so young! How did you get so much money?"

-"We are 16 already", Luna answers, "and we worked really hard", she says proudly.

The transaction is done, and Luna holds the incredible staff. She seems so excited. I am excited too.

There seems to be a big commotion outside. The shop owner gets out to see what it is all about. We follow him.

We see Ni and Roku explain in the guild stand that a huge monster, possibly a dragon, is on its' way to Quadmountia. They try to recruit as many fighters as they can.

-"There might be a few of them!" Ni yells.

"Ni, Roku, are you heading there now?" I ask, trying to figure out what to do.

-"Yes, you kids should stay here. It's too dangerous", he declares and get some warriors with him. Ni, Roku, and the warriors they gathered take the wagon to Quadmountia. We are forced to stay in Learslake.

The shop owner looks distressed, and is unable to make up his mind about what to do.

"Luna! I wish they would let us come with them… There wasn't any spot left on the carriage, but I don't think they would have let us join with them regardless…"

-"We didn't have a chance to tell them about the world quest", Luna says.

-"How do you know about world quests?" The shop owner asks. He looks so troubled… But it means he knows about them!

"I accidentally took one. I don't understand how nobody knows about these…" I suddenly feel free to share.

-"World quests appear at certain places, and only every few years. They are then available for a while, a few days maybe, before disappearing into thin air. Nobody knows about them for a reason", he explains. -"Hold on a second".

He goes inside the shop and we follow him.

He reaches for a book that was high above the counter, on a distant shelf. As he brings it to us, I realize it's not a book… It's a…

-"It's a diary", he says it at the same time I was thinking it.

-"The man who wrote this diary entrusted me to give this to anyone who asks about world quests. However, I cannot allow this diary to leave this room. You can only read it here".

-"Rune… This is a huge clue". Luna says. -"Do you think it was written by…" She pauses for a second.

"It might have been. Let's read it".