Chapter 264 Stuck (Part 1)
Ye Ci stood at the bottom of the stairs leading into the Shrine of Sha'gar, and looked back at Mark, "Are you sure you saw those things entering this place?" she asked with a low voice.
"Yes, my friend. I swear to the Gods and all my lost wealth that they've entered this place." came the reply from Mark who was shaking with here as he was reminded of the horrifying scene, "It's so scary! They do not have their heads! They have no heads!" the man shivered.
Ye Ci motioned with her hand to quiet Mark down when she noticed that Alaunar's already pale face had turned a shade whiter, "Alright, I get it." She then turned to face the towering shrine, "Do you want to enter the shrine with us?" she asked.
"NO NO NO! I DON'T WANT TO! I'll wait for you two here." Mark furiously shook his head. He cleared his throat when he noticed Ye Ci's darkened expression, "Actually, my friend... My body is too weak... I'll just be a burden for you. I do not wish to drag you down, which is why I must remain here."
Ye Ci nodded at the NPC. She knew that the absence of an NPC like Mark would only serve to benefit her as she proceeded with the quest. The presence of Mark would only degrade her quest into a tiring escort mission. Settling Mark down outside the shrine was a very wise choice, "Alright, be careful out here."
"My dearest friend, if it's of convenience for you..." Mark rubbed his hands together as he stared at Ye Ci with a glint of greed in his gaze, "If it's of convenience for you, can you please bring my lost cargo along with you as well? I promise that I will make it worth your while."
Mark's request elicited a snort from Ye Ci, who promptly ignored the man and spoke to the pale-faced Alaunar, "Let's go."
Alaunar's grip on his staff tightened as he glanced at Mark. He then nodded at Ye Ci and followed after her. Mark sighed as the duo headed into the shrine, "Don't blame me if you die in there. This is not what I want... Of course, I'll be happy to see the two of you walking out of that place alive. My goods... My precious goods...."
Of course, Mark's words were lost to Ye Ci and Alaunar, who were already ascending the stairs to Sha'gar's shrine. Wind bellowed past the duo, peppering the duo with golden sand. Alaunar's eyebrows were deeply furrowed as he walked behind Ye Ci, "Hey Elf, what are the headless monsters that the merchant was talking about?"
"I have no idea. We'll find out when we see them." replied Ye Ci truthfully. There are many types of headless monsters in Fate, I wonder which of them will we be going up against.
"Why do I have a feeling that we should not trust that merchant, Elf." Alaunar spoke up carefully, "If those monsters are as formidable as he said. If they're capable of slaughtering each and every one of the members of his caravan... Why is he the only survivor?"
Ye Ci was shocked by the boy's words. She stared at Alaunar, an NPC like him is capable of such high order thinking? It seems that Alaunar will soon evolve into a higher level NPC. "He is not trustworthy at all." Ye Ci confirmed Alaunar's suspicion. To her, Mark was a mere quest giver NPC, and it mattered not to her if he was not speaking the truth. The man's job was to grant her access into the temple. After all, Ye Ci wanted to leave the place as soon as possible, and entering the shrine will unlock the map. She knew not what awaited ahead, but it was something that must be done. To Alaunar, however, Mark was an outsider that could not be trusted as his treachery will threaten his life.
The differing opinions between Ye Ci and Alaunar regarding mark was something that was well within her expectations. But to help with the boy's growth, Ye Ci placed herself in the shoes of Alaunar, and analyzed the situation from his point of view, "He must've had an agreement with the monsters. That was why he appeared before us. Besides, his appearance was so sudden that even I was unaware of his presence. Of course, this fact alone was necessarily an indication that something is wrong with the merchant."
Alaunar immediately grabbed hold of Ye Ci's arm, "Can we not go into that place then, Elf? Since even you are harboring some form of suspicion against Mark, he must be a bad man. Why must we let him lead us here? Why must we enter the shrine?" The boy looked up at the towered shrine and shivered, "I think we should leave."
"Alaunar, there are things that you can't back away from in this world. If you want to be a hero, you must have the courage to strive against hardship. Besides, we can't leave this place without venturing into the shrine. Is that something you want? Once we exhaust our supply of food and water, we'll either die of starvation or dehydration. We'll become two corpses in this vast desert, and vultures will pick our bones clean. It doesn't really matter to me, but you'll never be able to see Yolan and Mara again. Is this something you want?" Alaunar was a very useful NPC, but his lack of courage was a difficulty that would hinder Ye Ci's journey.
The only way to solve this problem was to face it head on, and light the flame of courage within his young heart with the things that he held dear.
As expected, Ye Ci was able to raise Alaunar's courage by a small margin. The boy cast a glance at the bones half buried under the golden sand and visibly shivered. He immediately quickened his pace and followed after Ye Ci, "Did Khutak face hardship like this when he left the tribe, Elf?"
For an aspiring Shaman like Alaunar, Khutak was an idol that was beyond his reach.
"Of course he did. The hardship that he faced might even be tougher than this." said Ye Ci, casting a sideway glance at Alaunar, "Do you think becoming a hero is easy? Their struggles were something that people like us would not know."
Just then, Ye Ci stopped dead in her tracks and stared intently at the rows of pillars outside the shrine.
"What is it, Elf?" Alaunar stood behind Ye Ci. Despite the dose of courage he received, the boy was still alarmed by Ye Ci's sudden behavior.
"Alaunar, prepare for combat." said Ye Ci as she unslung her bow as she fired Illumination Arrows towards the pillars.
The effectiveness of the Illumination Arrows were greatly affected when they were used in broad daylight, but they still served their purpose of revealing a large group of mounted apparition at the entrance of the shrine. These monsters were capable of stealth, which would have spelled certain death for the duo should Ye Ci was not alert.
"Riders, a lot of them." Alaunar visibly gulped as he took his stance, "I'm ready, Elf."
Ye Ci had recently discovered a very practical use for her Cat Claws other than scaling walls, and that was to... She launched her Cat Claw at one of the riders, and pulled the apparition down from his mount and towards the duo. The rider was dispatched by the combined firepower of Ye Ci, Alaunar, and Ol' Four before it could even react.
The same method was then employed by Ye Ci to eliminate the rest of the riders once she collected the loot of a few gold coins and a white-quality equipment from her victim.
As the map itself was meant to be a gigantic puzzle, the monsters were set to never respawn upon their deaths.
Despite their superior level, the riders were easily defeated by Ye Ci and her posse. They were able to clear the entrance of any foes in a very short time. Ye Ci stood before the doors of the shrine, which swung themselves open slowly without warning.
Ye Ci was startled, but it did not take her long to regain her sense. She picked Alaunar up from his feet and rolled behind one of the pillars. Ol' Four followed after its master as well, taking great care to hide its huge body behind the large pillar.
"What is it...."
Alaunar stared at Ye Ci, confused. He was dumbfounded by the sudden change of event.
Ye Ci responded by placing her finger on her lips, and the boy immediately glued his mouth shut. The frightening sound of bellowing wind blew out from the temple when the doors were finally fully open.
She heard a deep, gloomy voice from the temple, speaking a language that she was familiar with, but could not comprehend. It was a language that was widely used by monsters in dungeons. If Ye Ci was not mistaken, the language that was being spoken was Demon Tongue. This was proof that Sha'jia was a subordinate of the Dark Lord Naga, and that the shrine was filled with Dark-type demonic life forms.
Divine beings are the bane of Demonic beings. Monsters with Demonic traits will receive additional damage from Divine-type attacks. With the introduction of more enemy types in the later stages of Fate, players were forced to their characters with skills of different elements. Many of the mage players at the current stage specialized in three elements, but when more monsters with resistance to specific types of damage appeared, they would be forced to improve the mastery they had on their characters.
In the later stages of the game, the players will gain access to a significantly larger variety of skills. The monsters that players had to face in the field would also be tougher. This meant that players had to utilize a wider variety of skills to defeat an enemy. A severe limitation to this would be a player's mana points. Not many of them were equipped with Ye Ci's Energy Conservation that guaranteed her an unlimited amount of mana. The amount of mana of a character is the direct equivalent of the ability of the character to deal damage in combat. If a character was never lacking in mana, then the character would be able sustain the usage of its skills and abilities. Then again, this situation was very rare among players, and their limitation in terms of mana in the later stages of the game would eventually force the players to be better at utilizing their mana.
Another barrier that must be overcome by players was the very limited Talent Points. A character with high Talent Points would be highly customizable, but players could only gain very limited amounts of Talent Points by leveling up. Additional Talent Points would only be awarded to players with special achievements.
This was why First Blood was very important to the players of Fate. There was no limit to the number of players in the game, but the First Blood to dungeons and BOSSes were very limited. Only a party with superior equipment would be able to obtain First Blood for the reward of Talent Points, which enabled the players to further strengthen their characters. These stronger characters will then be able to secure more First Bloods and First Fives.
It was an unending cycle.
The difference was miniscule at the early stages of the game, but when more and more Talent Points were accumulated into the later stages of the game, the differences were obvious.
A character with higher Talent Points would be able to unlock more skills, obtain more HP and mana, and more stat points. These Talent Points could even be used to master certain skills. This was why Ye Ci was very obsessed with obtaining First Bloods.
Greed was something benevolent to Ye Ci when used correctly. And it was her greed that greatly benefitted her growth in Fate.
Of course, players such as her were few and far between. The weak will always outnumber the strong, as nothing is far in our world.
Ye Ci listened closely to the Demon Tongue. She could not understand the words that were being spoken, but they reminded her of a speech given to an army before they depart.
But where is the army?
Ye Ci loathed her luck at times like this. She would often find herself in situations where her worst expectations were turned into reality.
Loud cheers from within the temple entered Ye Ci's ears almost immediately after the thought surfaced in her mind. The sound was so loud that even the ground below Ye Ci's feet began to tremble.
"What is happening?" Alaunar gulped anxiously.
Ye Ci shook her head, a signal for the boy to remain silent. She cast her gaze at the direction of the entrance, and the uniformed clacking of hooves entered her ears. A tall dark horse mounted by a rider in black armor soon appeared in view
The knight's armor was glowing with a faint light that highlighted its demonic aura. The longsword hanging at the waist of the knight further contributed to its intimidating aura. Of course, the most eye-catching trait of the knight was the empty space above its neck.
A Dullahan.
Chapter 264 Stuck (Part 2)
Ye Ci's heart sank.
Dullahan's were formidable opponents with high resistance to magic and a high physical evasion. The most effective way to deal with an opponent like this was with a Priest's high level Holy Prayer, that could potentially one-shot a Dark-type opponent. Ye Ci did not have a Priest companion. She was a Huntress that dealt Physical and Magical damage while Alaunar was a Shaman with only Magical damage. Taking on the Dullahan would prove to be a challenge for the duo.
Ye Ci almost gagged when she cast Detection on the Dullahan. It's a level 95 mini boss! The Dullahan even had a name: Vantor. Named monsters in Fate were formidable opponents, and Vantor itself was a min boss, which meant that Ye Ci would have a hard time taking the NPC down.
Vantor began moving down the stairs before Ye Ci could formulate a strategy that would allow her to defeat the NPC. He was followed closely by a large group of Dullahan. Twenty of these monsters marched in a single row, in a formation with twenty rows. Their equipment was not as impressive as Vantor, but they were very well equipped.
The Dullahans formed ranks in the sea of sand in front of the shrine.
Ye Ci hid behind a pillar and dismissed Ol' Four. The pillar was huge, but it was not enough to hide the beat's stout body.
Vantor and his Dullahan then began their drill on the sand. The group would split into smaller formations, regrouping and splitting into different formations again and again.
This went on for quite some time before Vantor raised his swords and gathered his troops. He began delivering a speech that Ye Ci was still unable to understand. What was being said mattered not to Ye Ci. To her, the Dullahan were enemies that she must eliminate to gain access to the shrine.
But how can it be done? This was a question that had been repeating in Ye Ci's mind again and again.
Ye Ci entered Stealth after instructing Alaunar to hide himself behind the pillar. It took Ye Ci 10 minutes to scout out the area surrounding the shrine, but Vantor was still not done with his speech. Wait, even monsters are into meetings like this? Just what is taking him so long?
Of course, Ye Ci's main concern was to look for a spot that she could use to her advantage in the coming fight. She needed a safe place that she could safely deal damage to the Dullahan while staying out of their reach. It did not take her long to notice the two huge pieces of boulders at the base of the shrine.
The two huge boulders were leaning against each other at a 45 degree angle, forming a perfect hiding spot for three. Due to their position at the base of the shrine, there was only one possible entrance from the east, which was a rather narrow crevice.
Ye Ci knew from her past experience that a phenomenon was perfect for funneling monsters into a chokepoint. This would of course require very exquisite positioning, which was why Ye Ci decided to have a look at the area first. She needed a spot that could fit both Alaunar and herself, and could also reduce the effectiveness of the Dullahan's charge, while simultaneously enabling the duo to effectively dish out damage to their opponents.
Ye Ci stepped between the boulders and observed her surroundings. It was a very good spot. The position of the rocks could be said to be an unintentional bug. The rocks leaned against each other and against the base of the temple, forming a triangular space with a tiny entrance at its tip. A slab of stone protruding from a shrine served as a roof, completely blocking off access from the top, and with Ol' Four blocking the entrance, no monsters would be able to reach the position.
With her survey of the area done, Ye Ci silently led Alaunar to the spot.
At that point in time, Alaunar was already at level 86, which meant that the boy could deploy 14 totems at a time. She carefully directed Alaunar to place his totems around the entrance, which would form a kill zone for the Dullahan.
Ye Ci entered Stealth and crept towards Vantor once the preparations were done. Vantor had 400 Dullahan under his command, and their aggro were all linked together. An attack on one of their numbers would trigger the entire horde.
She knew that she could never outrun the Dullahan on their steed, but she stood a chance with the use of a bottle of Potion of Haste. It's time to put the two bottles of Medium Potion of Haste dropped by the shadow riders earlier on to good use. She unslug her bow, and fired off an arrow at Vantor
It was a Barbed Arrow
The arrow hit, and Vantor was affected by Bleed.
Ye Ci was shocked. She did not expect her first shot to land on an opponent that was 35 levels ahead of herself. Damn! That's quite some luck I have! She did not even have the time to have a look at the damage done by her arrow. She drank the Potion of Haste and immediately dashed towards the two boulders.
Due to a difference of 35 levels, the Barbed Arrow did only a very tiny amount of damage to Vantor, but it's damage over time effect was dealing at least 200 damage to the NPC every second. This was easily nullified by Vantor's self-regenerating HP. The Dullahan turned to face Ye Ci, and despite the absence of its head, Ye Ci could still feel a cold glare on her back. She had been discovered by Vantor.
Then again, Vantor was a high level monster. Spotting Ye Ci was anything but hard for the NPC.
Vantor let out a large shriek that shook the ground itself.
She dared not look back at her enemies. She knew what horrors would be coming her way just by the sound alone.
Ye Ci was not slow on her feet, but even with another dose of Potion of Haste, she had a feeling that she could not outrun the Dullahan. She sprinted full on ahead, as if Death itself was right on her heels.
Vantor was enraged. It charged at Ye Ci with an angry roar. The soundwave that was empowered with magic brushed past Ye Ci and her movement speed was immediately decreased.
Shit! It's a Sonic Attack! Thought Ye Ci. She was afflicted by a debuff that reduced her movement speed by 50%. I'm going to die if this keeps up, and I'm almost there too! She gritted her teeth and prepared to activate her ring's Dark Dispersal.
That thing got to have a cooldown right? There's no way he can use it again so soon right?
Dark Dispersal!
The 50% movement reduction debuff on Ye Ci was immediately removed, and she immediately headed straight for the two large rocks.
Vantor did not expect that his opponent would remain unaffected by his attack. The monster's enraged gap that he was able to close was rapidly widening. He spurred his horse onwards and dashed towards Ye Ci.
"Hurry, Elf! The big guy is right behind you!" shouted Alaunar as he peeked out from behind the rock.
Ye Ci knew that Vantor was right behind her, but she was at least 8 yards and 2 seconds away from safety.
A second could pass in the blink of an eye, but it could also mean life and death.
The whistling of wind was picked up by Ye Ci's sensitive ears, and she dodged slightly to her left out of reflex. A sword brushed past her ears, missing its mark but also taking away nearly a third of Ye Ci's health. This was a great source of alarm to Ye Ci, who increased her speed.
Vantor momentarily lost his momentum when his attack missed. He paused for a mere second, before charging at Ye Ci. The horse reared its legs and leapt at Ye Ci....
Who did a roll and right into safety, with the hoofs of Vantor's steed missing her head by mere millimeters, leaving two pockmarks in the sand. Ye Ci knew that she would lose her life there and then if the hooves did not miss their mark.
Ye Ci gazed out from the crevice, and saw the sand that was kicked up by the countless Dullahan galloping at full speed towards the two boulders. With all the aggro currently on her, Ol' Four would be torn to pieces by the monsters. This was why Ye Ci had to transfer her aggro immediately to Alaunar.
She stared at the mass of Dullahan, and shouted once they were within the range of Alaunar's totems, "Begin your attack!"
Despite his anxiety, Alaunar was encouraged by Ye Ci's presence. He nodded at his companion and began channeling his spells. Ye Ci cast feigned death once Alaunar's totems began dealing damage to the Dullahans.
"You're no longer in combat." rang a system notification.
As long as she was no longer in combat, her aggro would be transferred to Alaunar, which meant that the monsters would not attack Ol' Four even if he stood in their way. Such was the rules of the game. The party member with the highest aggro would be the one who would be attacked by the monsters.
Alaunar's Chain Lightning dealt massive amounts of damage to the Dullahans and caused a "Paralyzed" debuff that greatly reduced their movement speed. Ye Ci rummaged through her inventory and produced her three remaining Scarlet Bombs. It's time to put them to good use.
As the momentum of the Dullahans's charge carried them forward, none of them noticed the single Scarlet Bomb slipping into their midst.
"BOOM!"
The explosion blew a huge crater in the ground, and shrapnels rained on the surroundings. The boulders were able to block most of the shrapnel, but this did not mean that Ye Ci and Alaunar were left unscatched. A Recovery from Alaunar, however, was able to heal the duo up.
Ye Ci saw countless corpses of Dullahan scattered around the crater when the dust had finally settled. A number of them that survived were strewn across the ground, missing most of their health, and disoriented from shellshock.
Vantor who could be seen staggering had apparently survived the explosion, but with only less than a third of his health.
"Keep attacking, Alaunar!" Ye Ci was overjoyed by Vantor's state. She could barely damage the monster, but with Alaunar's aid, taking out Vantor was easy especially when they were safely hidden away in this fortress of stone.
Alaunar nodded at Ye Ci. He was brimming with confidence when he laid his eyes on the havoc wrought upon their enemies by the Scarlet Bomb. The fear in his heart was gone. He closed his eyes and began channeling a spell. The totems crackled with energy, and began dishing out vast amounts of damage.
Ye Ci could see a sea of red damage values from her safe spot, and her EXP gauge immediately soared. This is a very good way of farming EXP!
It's a shame that something like this can only be achieved with the right conditions... Despite her slight disappointment, Ye Ci had racked in a huge profit from this battle alone.
Chapter 265 Dark Inferno (Part 1)
It did not take the duo long to dispatch the Dullahan.
Their leader Vantor was in grave peril as well. The boss went Berserk when his health was at 20%, but it did nothing to turn the situation around. The boulders would not budge despite Vantor's onslaught, and Ye Ci was able to dodge the boss's blows when he stabbed his sword through the crevice.
Ye Ci's hiding spot was simply too perfect. It almost felt like a bug that was intentionally left behind by the developers themselves. Of course, Ye Ci's priority was not to report the bug. She stumbled upon the map through sheer luck. It was very unlikely that another player would be able to gain access to the map after her departure, which meant that reporting the bug would do her no good.
The sanctuary provided by the two boulders stood firm despite Vantor's attacks. The boss's impotent rage did nothing to harm his enemies and was instead weakening himself. Boss-tier monsters in Fate tend to go Berserk at low health, greatly enhancing their attack and defense. However, this state would not last forever. It was just like a temporary buff that would put the boss in a weakened state upon expiration.
Berserk could be said to be an act of paying for extra stats in advance, and the price that a boss had to pay was its health. It was a gamble that could change the course of the battle if it was able to defeat its opponent during its Berserk state.
Defeating a Berserk Vantor would usually require at least a hundred level 90 players, but with their unmovable stone fortress, all the duo had to do was to wait for Vantor to be weakened after his Berserk.
Perhaps realizing Ye Ci's ploy, Vantor's attack grew even more frantic. It swung its sword in a flurry of attacks and even directed his steed to stomp its hooves against the boulder in an attempt to create an opening. His efforts were futile.
It was a one-sided slaughter that ended with Vantor's demise.
After making sure that the enemies in their surroundings were eliminated, Ye Ci led Alaunar out of their hiding spot. The boy, despite his limited inventory slots, could still hold some items for Ye Ci. She handed some of the loot with better stats to Alaunar, and filled her own inventory slots with blue-quality equipment.
She was also able to gain a considerable amount of Ancient Ores from the Dullahans, enabling her to afford Lia's harp and many of the items from the merchant NPC.
As a minor boss, the items dropped from Vantor were all unidentified, but Ye Ci could tell by a glance that they were meant for tank characters. She stuffed them all into her inventory and would hand them over to Bai Mo when she finally returned to the Eastern Continent.
Once all the loot was sorted out, Ye Ci could finally enter the Shrine of Sha'jia.
She slowly climbed up the stairs and stood before the shrine's massive doors. Ye Ci stared into the pitch-black interior of the shrine, took in a deep breath, and walked through the entrance.
Two system notifications appeared before Ye Ci the moment she entered the shrine.
The first notification was a change to her equipment, "Your equipment seems to have experienced some sort of change, please take note." She immediately raised her hand and stared at a particular ring on her finger. The plain-looking ring was emanating a faint glow as she called up the stats window of her item.
Mysterious Ring (Rarity: Normal):
Strength +20
Intelligence +2
Level requirement: 0
Special Trait: Allows user to activate skill: Featherfall. Duration: 3 minutes. Cooldown: 20 minutes
Just like when it first appeared, there was a short description written under the ring's stats. "Life has returned to the seemingly dead ring when you entered the Shrine of Sha'jia. What caused the change?"
Ye Ci was not surprised by the change. Sha'jia was a demon, a subordinate of Naga. The ring was an artifact of Naga according to Frodo. The ring's reaction to a demonic shrine would, of course, be natural. Ye Ci wanted to know how the ring would look like at the final stage of its growth, but she was still unclear about the future of her gaming career.
Will I continue to be a devout follower of the Gods, or will I end up as a follower of Naga?
But there was something that would not change: Ye Ci's desire to grow stronger.
She needed strength. The strength to protect the people around her.
Light or dark, divinity or corruption, there was no right or wrong for a player. It was merely a choice of the game. The only thing that would go on was the conflict between humans.
Ye Ci was determined not to allow the system to dictate her choices after her reincarnation. She wanted to grow stronger with her knowledge of the game. Good and evil mattered not to her, only her desire to protect. Even when she knew that the ring was trying to lure her onto the path of corruption, it mattered not as long as she had something to gain.
The other system notification appeared in the form of a low voice, narrating a story just like Ciel did. The voice could be heard by Ye Ci, but not Alaunar, who was standing beside her.
"I cannot forget the day we first met, my master, my king. You stood before me and my followers alone, and you said to me, 'You will swear your allegiance to me, or die by my sword.' With the difference in our status back then, I could've refused your demands, but I chose servitude instead. I threw everything away and became your most devout follower. It mattered not if we were walking down the path to hell itself or the heavens. As long as you're here my lord, I, Sha'jia, will always follow you. Please do not hide your face from me. Please guide me and give me strength. I, Sha'jia, am always yours, in this life and the next," said the androgynous voice.
The voice grew softer but clearer as Ye Ci headed deeper into the temple.
The interior of the shrine was instantly lit up following a loud "Bang!" Ye Ci was finally able to see her surroundings clearly once the shrine was illuminated by the countless torches on the walls. She could see a red carpet with delicate patterns at the center of the shrine hall, with twelve 30-foot tall pillars on both sides of the carpet. Cushions littered the floor beyond the pillars. Those were apparently the praying altars for devotees of a god. The wall behind the praying altar was lined with drawings.
The drawings, done in a unique style, recorded the first meeting between Sha'jia and Naga. The two demons were depicted as benevolent deities full of righteous glory in the drawings. The ghost of a smile appeared on Ye Ci's lips. Only the weak would record their life's story in the form of paintings so that they could be remembered. They were unaware that it was futile. These paintings could last for a long time, but they could not last forever. They would one day be lost to the unforgiving forces of nature.
She turned around and headed to the front of the shrine. There were no portraits, no drawings, no statues, but a desk. And on that desk laid an arrow.
Yes. It was an arrow.
Ye Ci could not believe her eyes. It's an arrow! But why is an arrow doing here? Isn't this the Shrine of Sha'jia? Why are they worshipping something like this here?
Based on her past memories, Sha'jia was the final boss of the Death Abyss dungeon. The Demon himself was a mage and not an archer, adept at casting high damage spells. That was why the presence of this arrow in the Shrine of Sha'jia felt so out of place to Ye Ci.
Ye Ci could feel the temperature of her ring rising as she approached the arrow, and it eventually burst into black flames that surrounded the golden ring in a horrifying sight. She checked the stats of her ring once again, but nothing seemed to have changed.
Of course, the change of its appearance alone was a shock to Ye Ci. She could tell that the ring was leading her to a hidden quest in Fate.
"Hold it right there! Where did you come from? How dare you a vermin defile the divinity of Sha'jia!" a voice rang out in the empty hall.
Ye Ci turned her gaze toward the direction of the voice and saw a woman in a black mantle standing by the main altar. There was a faint red glow in her eyes as she stared at the intruders. She stood with a golden staff in hand, staring at Ye Ci with a cold glare, her eyes glowing faintly red. It was as if the woman would bring destruction upon Ye Ci if she took another step forward.
Detection was not even needed for the NPC's stats. It was available for all to see.
Servant of Sha'jia, Ciss. Level: 95. She was a boss-tier NPC.
If Ye Ci's assumption was correct, Ciss was the boss of the Shrine of Sha'jia. She was not worried despite their difference in levels. She knew that it would take a party of at least 100 players to take on Ciss head-on. She was nothing but a speck of dust compared to Ciss.
But this did not necessarily mean that Ye Ci had no way of taking down Ciss.
If she wanted me dead, she would've killed me the moment I entered the Shrine. Why now? Ye Ci stared at the black flames surrounding her ring, and her eyes narrowed. This is an open-ended quest that can be cleared easily if I can give the correct answer.
I might even get something unexpected out of this.
Ye Ci's gaze then strayed towards the arrow. She had a strong urge to check it out, as if her whole being was drawn to the arrow.
After all, it had something to do with her character class, and not many players could remain calm when they came across an item that had something to do with their class. Ye Ci, of course, was one of them.
"A shrine, you say?" Ye Ci sneered at Ciss. "How dare a low-level demon play god. It's a joke!" Ye Ci did not wish to anger Ciss, but under such circumstances, any answer had the potential of triggering her anger. Yet when Ye Ci stared at her ring, she felt the urge to make a gamble. It was a gamble of Ciss' loyalty to Sha'jia, and Sha'jia's loyalty to Naga. It was also a gamble to see if the ring was indeed an artifact of Naga.
The worst-case scenario upon her loss was death. She was not afraid of dying as she would receive no reduction in level in a dungeon like this. Most of the monsters had been defeated, which meant that retrieving any items would be an easy task. She could always revive Alaunar with Soul Restoration with a 24-hour debuff. It did not worry her much.
Since it was a gamble, there must be a risk to play. But the rewards that she could gain from winning this gamble outweighed her loss. It was a chance that she would never let slip.
"What did you say? How dare you insult Sha'jia! You will pay for your impudence!" Ciss began channeling a spell.
With Ciss's level, she could kill Ye Ci very easily. "Run!" Ye Ci whispered to Alaunar.
"What?"
Chapter 265 Dark Inferno (Part 2)
"Don't just stand there, leave!" Ye Ci stood in front of Alaunar and raised her hand. The dark flame surrounding her ring was burning brighter and brighter.
Understanding dawned upon Alaunar. He stared at Ye Ci. Her already pale skin was a shade whiter under the sickly glow of the dark flame that casted greenish shadows on her skin. Despite the fearful sight, there was no fear in Ye Ci's eyes. The boy saw something he could not understand in those eyes, and was surprised to see the faint smile on her lips.
Alaunar could not believe what he saw. He blinked once, twice, and continued staring at Ye Ci's face. The Elf was indeed smiling. Her face was not filled with fear, but with joy. It was as if she was not staring upon her imminent death, and was instead looking at a very precious treasure. At that moment, Alaunar finally realised that the Elf standing before him was not an ordinary person. He realised that she was a gambler.
Yes, Ye Ci was a gambler. She was a gambler who was addicted to high stakes.
Life or death, victory or defeat... It all depended on that single moment.
Ye Ci adopted a defensive stance and stared at Ciss. She could still feel Alaunar's presence behind her. "Why are you still here? Go!" She did not want the boy to die. Despite her ability to revive Alaunar, the cost that she had to pay in terms of Loyalty was simply not worth the risk.
A sudden surge of courage flared in Alaunar's heart, "No! I will not leave you here!" the boy shook his head. With Alaunar's decision already made, Ye Ci no longer voiced out her objections, and instead focused her attention on Ciss.
Will she live? Or will she die?
Ciss completed her channeling, and launched a dark shade at Ye Ci from the tip of the staff. The shade was in an even purer color of black than the dark flame of Ye Ci's ink. It was just like the darkness of night, and the black of ink.
The ring seemed to have sensed the incoming shade as its flame flared swell. The dark flame was now half the size of a human.
Ye Ci could feel her hand shaking. The ring seemed to have come to life. It was hungered, and it wanted to devour the dark shade.
The dark shade shot towards Ye Ci at high speed, but it collided with the dark flame of her ring. The flame was able to block Ciss's attack, but the impact of such a high leveled skill sent Ye Ci sprawling on the ground at least 6 yards away.
Ye Ci could feel a stabbing pain in the back from her fall, but to her great fortune, did not suffer significant damage. The dark shade did not dissipate, but was instead trapped by the dark flame, and was slowly being devoured.
"Are you alright, Elf?" Alaunar immediately cast Recovery on Ye Ci, bringing her back to full health. Concern was clearly written on the boy's face.
As Ye Ci stood back up on unsteady feet, the trembling of her hand was getting greater. It was of course not due to her injury, but because of her ring that had become even more active after devouring the dark shade. The ring was livelier than ever, and the dark flame surrounding it was almost as large as Ye Ci.
There were no changes to the stats of the ring, but Ye Ci remained vigilant. She knew that demonic items might turn against their owners if a player was not careful. A large number of players in her past life had suffered from such fate due to their negligence. Some of them lost their levels, while others had their Talent Points devoured by such artifacts.
This was why Ye Ci was wary of the ring even when she desired the power of Naga. She had to make sure that she was in control before taking the risk. The ring's reaction to the dark shade was a source of great concern for Ye Ci, but she decided to keep in on. After all, it was not easy for a demonic item to harm its owner unless it was highly refined or the seal placed on the item had been removed.
Ciss's visibly stiffened when her attack was devoured by the dark flame. "Y-you..." she said with a soft voice as Ye Ci approached her.
"Do you want to go for round two?" Ye Ci was brimming with confidence as she raised her hand. She knew not the effects of another attack from Ciss would have on the ring, but it was worth a try.
"N-no, no." Ciss recoiled in fear.
She let go of her staff and knelt before Ye Ci, "My master, my king, I knew not of your arrival. I have offended you. I'm willing to atone for my mistake."
Ye Ci let out a long sigh and lowered her hand. The ring immediately returned to its dormant state, as if nothing had changed, as if it was just an ordinary ring.
"You are forgiven." said Ye Ci.
"I thank you for your mercy, master." Ciss' voice was full of gratitude as she prostrated herself before Ye Ci.
Ye Ci could never understand the obsession of religious fanatics harbored for their deities. Even a normal person carrying an artifact of their god was treated like the god himself. It was a foolish gesture.
"Why is the Shrine of Sha'jia here?" This was a question that Ye Ci desperately needed an answer. She could remember being transported to this map after touching the book, which meant that the map was an illusion.
"This is not the true shrine of Sha'jia. It is an illusion created by the power of the Book of Demons.", The ring was an artifact of Naga with strong demonic energy that was something familiar to Ciss. The servant of Sha'jia recognised the ring as Naga's artifact, which led to her respectful treatment of the ring's bearer, Ye Ci.
"If I'm not mistaken, there's a Doluo Tribe nearby. Why did you choose this place to create a shrine?" asked Ye Ci.
Despite her lower intelligence, Ciss hesitated. She did not want to answer the question. Her hesitation prompted Ye Ci to raise her hand once again. Flame surged out from her finger and Ciss cowered back in fear.
"Oh? You will not answer my question?"
"N-n-n-no." and Ciss immediately spilled all her secrets to Ye Ci.
A large gem known as Inferno's Heart was hidden at the bottom of the Kalidar Volcano. It was the source of the energy stored within the volcano. Naga's men had been searching for such an energy to awaken their master after he was sealed during the Great War. They soon discovered Inferno's Heart that was hidden deep in the heart of the volcano. Try as he might to obtain the gem, Sha'jia was met with failure due to the strong magical barrier that protected the Inferno's Heart. This was why he colluded with Nuoba of the Doluo tribe. If Nuoba could destroy the magical barrier, Sha'jia would grant him the power to take over the Doluo Tribe and become the new chieftain.
The Doluo tribe was led by a powerful Shaman that was feared by even Sha'jia himself, and was protected by the Mermaids. Sha'jia who was severely weakened after Naga's defeat was no match for their combined might. He could only erect an illusion of his shrine within the Pitch Black cave as a means of communication with Nuoba, and to collect dark energy that he could use to erode the barrier.
Alaunar was enraged. The boy held Dalufar with high regard, but Nuoba and the woman standing before him were planning to kill the great Shaman. He would have attacked the woman had Ye Ci not stopped him in time. Fearing that Alaunar would foil her plans, Ye Ci sent the boy out of the temple. Despite his protest, Alaunar obeyed her order.
Ye Ci then turned around to face Ciss once again when Alaunar was a safe distance away, only to find the servant of Sha'jia staring at her with a doubtful expression, "Why are you with a member of the Doluo tribe?" and Ye Ci responded with a smile, "Oh? You're working with Nuoba, but I'm not allowed to have a Doluo as my guide?"
"N-n-no, it was not my intention to doubt you." Ciss's face became a mask of fear when she noticed the displeasure in Ye Ci's voice.
Ye Ci stood at the grand hall of the shrine. An illusionary dungeon like this was very common in the later stages of the game, but the creation of such a dungeon would require a medium. The master of this dungeon was no doubt Sha'jia, and the medium that was supporting the existence of the dungeon was definitely the arrow on the altar.
"Where is Sha'jia?" Ye Ci stood before the altar, carefully hiding the glint of greed in her eyes as she studied the arrow.
"Lord Sha'jia has not recovered from his wounds from the Great War." Ciss was apparently excited at the mention of Sha'jia. She had fully trusted Ye Ci due to their previous interaction. This was proof that an NPC with lower level of intelligence could be tricked easily with the right way.
"So where is Sha'jia? Is he here?"
"N-no," Ciss shook her head, "I do not know where Lord Sha'jia is. I can feel his presence in every shrine."
Ye Ci nodded at the NPC. She was able to deduce from Ciss's information that Sha'jia had erected multiple shrines and illusions of himself, and was hiding his true form in an unknown location.
But how did Sha'jia receive his wound? Due to the vast quantity of information that had been accumulated in the later stages of the game, Ye Ci could not remember the minor details of the lore. She knew nothing of the wound suffered by Sha'jia.
"Are you an illusion as well?" Ye Ci shifted her gaze from the arrow to Ciss.
"No, I'm real." a strange glint appeared in Ciss's eyes.
"Placing your true form in an illusion is very dangerous." Ye Ci raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not afraid! I'm willing to give my life for Lord Sha'jia, and for you my master!" Ciss madly proclaimed her faith.
Ye Ci stared at her ring. If this ring can absorb her spell, can it devour her soul as well? A cold sneer appeared on Ye Ci's face as she stared at Ciss. She stood before the woman and pointed at her, "I do not believe you." Dark flames immediately surged from Ye Ci's ring. Ciss's expression grew slack as she stared at the ring as if she was in trance, "What do I have to do to gain your trust?"
"Offer to me your life." Ye Ci responded without even a shred of emotion.
Ciss stared at Ye Ci with dull eyes, and Ye Ci could see the confusion on her face. She knew that the NPC was hesitating.
"What is it? Are you denying your own words?" Ye Ci sneered at the NPC, "Is this the extent of your loyalties?"
"N-no! No, it's not!" Ciss shook her head. Her religious fervor was pathetic to Ye Ci's cold gaze.
As an NPC, Ciss was still trying her best to analyze the situation, but her personal trait had decided her fate. She could only think of one thing in her fervent state.
I MUST PROVE MY LOYALTY! I MUST PROVE MY LOYALTY!
"What will you do if I can prove my loyalty?" Ciss retained some basic sense of judgment despite her ever decreasing retionality.
Ye Ci waved her hand in front of Ciss, and the dark flames danced with her movement, "Then you shall be granted eternal life."
It was a temptation that Ciss could not resist. Madness crept into her red pupils as she continued to stare at the ring, and she drew a dagger without warning.
Ye Ci could tell from the jewel encrusted hilt of the weapon that it was no ordinary item. The dagger, which was a mage's secondary weapon might be lacking in terms of damage compared to the dagger of a Rogue, but it could still deal a high amount of damage if it struck a vital spot.
Ye Ci narrowed her eyes at Ciss. If the NPC decided to strike at that very moment, she could only resign to her bad luck.
But Ye Ci had apparently overestimated the level of intelligence possessed by Ciss. The servant of Sha'jia stared at Ye Ci with a hysterical laugh, "I AM SHA'JIA'S MOST LOYAL SERVANT! NOBODY CAN DOUBT MY LOYALTY!" and she plunged the dagger into her heart.
Warm blood gushed out of her wound, splattering the ground, and onto Ye Ci's face.
As she wiped the blood away from her face, Ye Ci stared at Ciss.
The beautiful looking NPC was staring back at Ye Ci as the life slowly drained from her eyes.