A few minutes earlier...

Loraine continued her pursuit after the hooded boy, determined to track him down and get her money back. Her eyes scowered every surface, her chest heaving with anxiety as she tried her best but couldn’t locate him anywhere.

"Damn it...where is he?" She breathed, exhausted as she leaned against the side of a wall, "I...I can’t continue any longer." Loraine muttered, the burn in her lungs an agonizing pain that ate away at her durability.

She decided to take a walk, both to catch her breath and conserve her stamina for the next sprint she was going to tackle. She moved through the dark corners of the Royal Capital, the noise from the bright and festive sight of the city fading into the background as she treaded dark waters.

’I have to go back...this is pointless.’ Loraine thought with a sigh, finally haven given up.

She was about to turn around and leave, when she heard the sounds of loud voices and what sounded like bickering catching her ear, her interest spiking as she peaked around a corner into a dark alleyway.

’T...there he is!’ Loraine thought with a glimmer of hope returning in her gaze, as she immediately crouched down to avoid her visibility and perceive what was going on in more detail.

Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the very boy she was chasing, talking to a tall and intimidating man wearing a black jacket, what looked like brass knuckles adorning his hands as he violently slapped the boy poor boy into the wall, the sight both horrifying and confusing Loraine immensely.

"What’s going on!? I thought the little brat was just some thief, is he apart of some gang?" Loraine muttered, paying close attention as she noticed the absurd amount of coins in the man’s hands, his eyes roaming greedily as she noticed the empty pouches on the ground, her eyes turning dark with her fury as she realized that her money was apart of the mass in his hands.

’Well shit...things just got way more complicated.’ She thought, clicking her tongue in distastefulness. She knew for certain that facing someone as intimidating right now would practically be suicide, and as someone who didn’t like the possibility of dying, Loraine wasn’t very favorable of ending her new life when she hasn’t had the chance to fully experience it yet.

’Welp, back to Margret I go I guess.’ Loraine thought with a nervous chuckle, ’While she may rip my head off, there’s at least the chance that I could get away with only a few broken bones. Terrible regardless, but better than dying.’

Just as Loraine was considering booking it and running away from this place, the system ringed in her mind, flashing before her eyes and scaring her to hitting her head into the wall before blinking in surprise, a bit annoyed by the timing of the translucent screen.

[Ding! An Urgent Quest Has Arrived!]

[Urgent Quest]

[Quest Details: The young boy in front of you is subject to a brutal, life-threatening beating. Save the boy and defeat the hulking brute in a desperate act of heroism.]

[(Incomplete) Defeat The Hulking Brute(0/1)]

[Incomplete) Protect Jacob and ensure his safety(0/1)]

[Warning! The suggested quest difficulty is of a very high difficulty, as your level is not of recommendation to handle such a difficult task.]

[Do You Wish To Accept?]

[Yes] [No]

’Heroism my ass! I’m not hero!’ Loraine thought with a frightened expression, did the system really expect her to ahead and face off the hulking brute by herself!?

She glanced one more time around the corner, noticing the Jacob being lifted into the air as if he weighed nothing from the titan’s grip, his fist raised and ready to strike as his hands glowed with a powerful orange glow, a strong rush of adrenaline bursting through her veins at the sight.

Without thinking Loraine stood up immediately, coming out from around the corner as the immediately yelled at the top of her lungs, grabbing the brute’s attention.

"That’s enough!" Loraine said, her eyes locked on the man’s as she stared him down, a fierce determination burning in her chest. Her hands were clenched at her sides, whether it was from anger, adrenaline, or fear of her own stupidity, Loraine wasn’t sure anymore.

But she didn’t give a singular damn about all that.

’I’m not letting him harm a child...even if that child was a little thief.’ She thought with a strong determined gaze, approaching the big burly man as her aura spiked around her body, her crimson eyes glowing in the dark like jewels as she glared at the man, empowered by her own mediocre sense of heroism.

’What am I doing...’

[Ding! Quest Accepted!]

[Good luck!]

The big burly man chuckled upon watching Loraine approach, a smug grin on his lips as he didn’t bother dropping Jacob, still holding him in the air as a sort of hostage, not being intimidated by her outburst in the slightest.

"Oh? And who’s this? A friend perhaps?" The man laughed with a mocking tone, glancing briefly at Jacob who was equally surprised to see Loraine, wondering just how she even managed to find him.

’She...she kept chasing?’ Jacob wondered, shock eminent in his eyes as he wasn’t expecting her at all.

Glancing Loraine’s uniform head to toe, and the intimidating aura she tried to give off, the man deduced that Loraine was most definitely a maid, making him feel far more at ease in the rather tense situation.

"Dressing in that uniform tells me you’re a maid of some kind," The man said, scoffing. "What is a non-combat profession doing around these parts at night young miss? Are you perhaps related to this kid?" He asked, thrusting Jacob towards him as he let out a menacing chuckle.

"Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. It doesn’t matter." Loraine said, her tone calm and professional. "Whether I’m related or not I’m related to the boy, I’m not going to watch you hurt him." She warned, raising her hand as a bright blue glow emanated to envelop her hand, her crimson eyes turning a bright shade of blue as she fiercely glared at the man, strange symbols appearing in her gaze.

’This...’ Loraine thought with a gulp, breaking a sweat from nervousness as she glanced at the man’s status panel, a shiver running down her spine.

’Am I really prepared to handle this?’