Elder Thomas's face brightened. "Oh, that's very kind of you, young man! Here—" He handed over the wicker basket. "You'll find them growing near the old oak tree, about ten minutes into the forest. Can't miss it—biggest tree around. The mushrooms are small, white with brown spots. She'll need about two dozen."
He gave Yamamoto directions to his house—a small cottage on the eastern edge of town—and sent him on his way with and expressive thanks.
Yamamoto entered the forest as the sun finally broke the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink.
He knew exactly where he was going. The old oak tree was a landmark in the game, used for several different quests. And true to Elder Thomas's word, the mushrooms grew in a ring around its massive trunk. Well, he already knew that much.
Yamamoto collected the mushrooms quickly, filling the basket.
Twenty minutes later, he was knocking on the door of Elder Thomas's cottage.
An elderly woman answered—presumably Thomas's wife. She accepted the basket with a warm smile and called her husband over.
"You found them! Wonderful, wonderful!" Thomas beamed at Yamamoto. "My wife will be so pleased. Thank you, young man." He said.
[QUEST COMPLETE: A Simple Request]
There was no experience gain, no items, no money, just the old couple's gratitude, but before Yamamoto could leave, Elder Thomas spoke again. "Actually... I hate to impose further, but since you've been so helpful... My wife just reminded me we're out of spices. Completely forgot to pick them up yesterday. Would you mind terribly running to the market for us? I'd go myself, but—" He gestured at his leg again.
'Old men, are they the same in every world?' Yamamoto asked himself, remembering an old man he used to encounter whenever he would go to the grocery store on rare occasions.
Another quest window appeared:
…
[QUEST RECEIVED: An Additional Favor]
Elder Thomas needs spices from the market. Purchase the requested items and return them.
Difficulty: Easy
Reward: None
Accept? [Yes] [No]
…
Yamamoto accepted without hesitation.
Thomas handed him a small list and some copper coins. "Just get what's on the list. Keep any change as thanks for your trouble."
'He says that, but this money is exactly the amount for the items.' He thought to himself with a mental sigh.
The market was just starting to wake up as Yamamoto arrived, so it was good he wouldn't have to wait. Vendors were setting up their stalls, arranging goods, calling out to early shoppers. He found the spice merchant easily enough, it had been a while, spices weren't something players needed to begin with, but she was easy to spot—a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes and quick hands.
Just like he suspected, the money sustained for exactly the quantity of items he bought. Once he was done, he returned to the cottage.
Elder Thomas accepted the spices with another round of thanks. "You're a blessing, young man. Truly. Oh, before you go—could you help me with one more tiny thing? I need to take out the trash, but my back's been acting up, and—" he tapped the leg again. "The bin's just out back. Won't take a moment."
'This guy.' Yamamoto sighed inwardly.
…
[QUEST RECEIVED: One Last Task]
Elder Thomas needs help taking out the trash. Dispose of the trash bag properly.
Difficulty: Easy
Reward: ???
Accept? [Yes] [No]
…
This was it! The final quest in the chain, and the one that actually mattered.
Yamamoto accepted and followed Thomas around to the back of the cottage. There, sitting beside the back door, was a large burlap sack tied at the top.
"Just take that to the refuse pile at the edge of town," Thomas explained. "Can't miss it—big pile of, well, refuse. Dump the bag there and you're done."
"Of course," Yamamoto said, hefting the bag. It was surprisingly heavy, clinking slightly as he lifted it.
He carried the bag through the town to the refuse pile—a designated area where people dumped their household waste. It was exactly as unappealing as it sounded, a mound of rotting food scraps, broken pottery, and various unidentifiable refuse.
Yamamoto set the bag down and opened it, his heart racing slightly. 'It better be according to the game, if not I'll be really pissed.' He thought to himself. Even if he wouldn't do anything, it would warrant at least a single tear from his eyes in anguish.
Inside the trash, beneath a thin layer of actual trash—potato peels, some moldy bread, fish bones—were several small spherical objects wrapped in cloth.
He pulled them out carefully and unwrapped them, and found five Fire Bombs and Five Sticky Bombs.
They were small, about the size of apples, with fuses attached. The Fire Bombs were red with flame symbols etched into their surface. The Sticky Bombs were a sickly yellow-green color.
Yamamoto's examined them confirming to himself that those were exactly what he expected. Elder Thomas—or whoever had orchestrated this quest chain—had essentially given him military-grade consumables disguised as trash.
'When I think of the fact that this is now real life, I can't help but wonder how the old man got all this?' He thought to himself, thinking of the old trope of a retired veteran.
It didn't matter anyway, he quickly transferred the bombs to his inventory, checking their descriptions:
…
[Fire Bomb] (Uncommon)
An alchemical explosive that bursts into flames upon impact.
Effect: Deals 50 fire damage on impact, then 10 fire damage per second for 5 seconds in a 3-meter radius
Quantity: 5
…
[Sticky Bomb] (Uncommon)
An alchemical explosive that releases a powerful adhesive substance.
Effect: Roots all targets within 3-meter radius for 8 seconds
Quantity: 5
…
"Perfect. Absolutely perfect."
With these, the Lost Abandoned Den would be challenging but manageable.
[QUEST COMPLETE: One Last Task]
Yamamoto disposed of the actual trash, then he made his way out of town, back toward the forest.