"Mayor Saya seems troubled. If you have time, you might ask her about it," Qiuxia said to Nameless after he completed his final quest with her.

"Mayor Saya...? Thank you." Nameless nodded at her words. "Is there anything else I can help with?"

"Not for now. Go ahead and focus on your own tasks," Qiuxia shook her head, waving him off. "Work on leveling up. Come back when you reach level 10."

By "us," Qiuxia likely meant the five NPCs whose favor had increased during his quests—all clearly tied to future tasks. Yet her words suggested Mayor Saya wasn’t involved. Strange. In most games, the village mayor was always central to beginner quests.

Since the quest required level 10, Nameless set it aside for now and headed toward the mayor’s house.

As mentioned earlier, Beginner Village #2’s mayor was a stunningly beautiful young woman. Previously, crowds of players had lingered near her home just to catch a glimpse. Since she’d never given out quests, Nameless had only observed her from afar. This time, however, the crowds were gone.

The guards had dispersed them. Too many players had blocked the mayor’s daily routines. Other villages with attractive female NPCs faced similar issues. Some players complained on forums; others demanded explanations from customer service. The official response was clear:

> NPCs in *EndlessHorizon* possess advanced AI with independent thoughts and emotions. They live like ordinary people. Do not treat them as mere programs or cross boundaries. Excessive misconduct will trigger system penalties.

Most players heeded the warning. A few rebels tested the limits—flirting with female NPCs or attempting harassment. None escaped punishment: persistent offenders were jailed by NPC guards after warnings; would-be harassers were instantly kicked offline and imprisoned.

Mayor Saya sat in her courtyard, draped in a crimson straight-hem robe. Her jet-black hair was pinned up, framing delicate features and an air of quiet nobility. Most striking were her dark-gold slit-pupiled eyes and elf-like pointed ears—neither human nor ordinary.

Her beauty, elevated by that noble aura and otherworldly traits, was breathtaking. No wonder crowds had gathered before.

"Mayor, hello," Nameless called out, rapping lightly on the courtyard railing instead of entering uninvited.

"Ah, Nameless One. Please, come in." A faint, satisfied smile touched Saya’s lips as she spoke.

She’d noticed him approaching long ago but waited until he spoke before responding. Nearby onlookers—some lingering intentionally, others passing by—immediately perked up. *She invited him inside?* After guards had dragged away trespassers, some players had tried polite knocks like his. Saya had never granted entry. Until now.

Screenshots of Nameless entering the courtyard flooded the forums within minutes.

Though it was past 3 a.m. Beijing Time, active forum users still scrolled through hot threads. With fewer eyes online, new posts stood out. The screenshots sparked immediate speculation: *Isn’t this the Monster Snatcher?*

*EndlessHorizon* blurred players’ faces in screenshots and recordings by default to protect privacy. Only with explicit permission could faces remain clear. Though the viral video of Nameless had his face obscured, players recognized his unique gear—especially those one-of-a-kind bracers. Even without confirmation, suspicion mounted.

The thread quickly spiraled off-topic: *Is this really the Snatcher?* Had Nameless checked the forums, he might have chuckled at his own infamy.

...

"Nameless One, the villagers have spoken highly of your deeds. On behalf of the village, I thank you," Saya said, her smile perfectly poised.

"Just doing my part," Nameless replied awkwardly. Such formal gratitude was rare for him.

"You’ve resolved so many troubles for us. As mayor, I should reward you properly... but we have little left to offer." A shadow of worry flickered across her face.

"I heard you’ve been troubled lately. If you don’t mind sharing, I’d be glad to help." Nameless cut straight to the point—he’d come for this very reason.

"Call me Saya. No need for titles." She paused. "There *is* a matter... but—"

"Saya," Nameless pressed gently, "tell me what you need. I’ll handle it."

Saya hesitated, her expression conflicted.

Curious onlookers had gathered near the courtyard while they spoke. Among them were players who’d personally had monsters stolen by the infamous "Monster Snatcher." Though Nameless had an utterly forgettable face, his reputation—and gear—made him recognizable.

*He triggered a quest.* System privacy protocols muted NPC dialogue during personal quests, fueling the crowd’s speculation. Unlike that earlier incident when Blacksmith Hu confronted Nameless about his collapsed roof—a non-quest interaction everyone overheard.

...

After a long silence, Saya finally spoke.

"Nameless One, you’ve roamed near the village lately. You must have noticed how docile animals have turned violent. They’ve injured many villagers. That’s why we asked Adventurers to cull the frenzied beasts... but the problem persists."

Nameless recalled monster names like *Frenzied Hen* and *Rabid Rabbit*, and villager quests complaining about "sudden animal aggression disrupting daily life." He’d assumed it was just game flavor.

"I believe something unnatural caused this shift. Could you investigate north of the village? Check if wilder creatures there show similar changes? After your trials, you’re strong enough for this."

"Consider it done." Nameless nodded. Her last sentence confirmed this was a level 6+ quest.

**[Quest Accepted: Investigate the Anomaly (Moderately Difficult)]**

**Objective:** Slay 30 monsters level 6 or higher north of the village.

**Restriction:** Level 6+

**Details:** Villagers are endangered by abnormally aggressive monsters. Scout areas beyond 5 li north of the village to assess the anomaly’s spread.

**Reward:** EXP, BeginnerVillage #2 Reputation.

**Penalty:** None.

The lack of restrictions or penalties marked it as a standard post-level-6 quest. But due to Nameless’s skewed stats, "Moderately Difficult" felt accurate. The reward—only EXP and reputation—echoed Saya’s earlier apology about having "nothing worthwhile to offer." Not even a copper coin or white-grade gear.

Nameless didn’t mind. Hefting his Novice Sword, he set off toward the village’s northern edge.