Meteor's side wasn't looking good either—one dead, one injured.
Meteor used a Recovery Syringe to save the injured merchant, but the other merchant had been poisoned too deeply and died.
After the team suffered casualties, they stopped moving forward. Feng Ling remembered Meteor saying that they had to escort the team safely to the next plot trigger point. Now that the quest had failed, she didn't know what to do next.
She headed back, intending to ask Meteor.
The Leader and several merchants were also heading toward Meteor.
Feng Ling saw the familiar Wooden Box.
Looks like the gratitude-repayment scenario has been triggered.
As for why it wasn't being given to Feng Ling this time, it was because she had already claimed a Quest reward once and couldn't claim it again.
Meteor crouched halfway to the ground, her right hand gripping a Potion she hadn't had time to inject, while her left hand rested against the dead merchant's chest. After confirming that his heartbeat was gone, her expression turned extremely grim.
Several merchants approached from nearby, carrying the Wooden Box.
They came before Meteor and opened their mouths to recite the system-scripted lines: "Thank you, brave warrior who stepped forward..."
Meteor ignored them, her gaze fixed on the merchant's corpse on the ground. Only when the Wooden Box was offered to her did she look up at those who had come to thank her.
The failed quest had left her unusually irritated. Though none of it showed on her face, in the next instant, she raised her hand and knocked the Wooden Box away!
The merchants froze at the unexpected turn of events.
Before they could react, Demon Claw shot out from behind Meteor! Without warning, it sliced off their heads!
Feng Ling, who had been following behind, was