Chapter 667 - 423: I Believe in Him

Chapter 667: Chapter 423: I Believe in Him

A long silence fell over the classroom.

After a long moment, the dean gazed at Zhou Chen, his expression grave as he said, "Do you know what this means?"

"When the Kings of old fell, the King of Gaia infused the Authority of kingship into his own sword. Whoever can claim the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings and earn its recognition will have the right to become the next King of Gaia.

"To prevent the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings from falling into the wrong hands, the Ancient Dragon King took it before his death. In collaboration with the Magic Academy and the Holy Hall Church, he built a secret palace deep beneath the Southern Mountain Range to seal it away, tasking his most powerful offspring with guarding it for eternity. After he died, his corpse transformed the region into the treacherous Valley of Miasma, a deadland that not even Abyssal Demons dare tread, thereby ensuring the sword’s safety.

"The key to the palace was split into two halves, one kept by the Magic Academy and the other by the Holy Hall Church. Only someone approved by both factions can gather the complete key. But collecting the key is far from enough; you must also possess the immense strength needed to overcome the many trials ahead.

"You may have saved the academy in its hour of need, but to be frank, I don’t believe you can succeed.

The dean paced over to the window and looked out at the city. "Twenty centuries have passed since the first Players arrived. Among the Players from the nineteen previous arrivals, there have been many brilliant individuals who truly impressed us—Xia Yuanling, Li Qing, Rivens, Dolan Hilton, Noah...

"Some among them even earned the approval of the academy and the Church, embarking on the journey to find the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings, yet they all ultimately failed. In my opinion, you still fall short of their caliber, which is why I don’t believe you can succeed."

"Dean, you’re underestimating me. How can you be so sure I’ll fail before I’ve even tried?" Zhou Chen wasn’t angry. He put himself in the dean’s shoes. ’If I had witnessed that many failures, I’d probably be disappointed in Players, too.’

’The natives of Gaia must have provided the Players with countless forms of aid. They’re the ones who want the Players to beat the game the most, yet the Players fail every time. For the natives, that must be a heavy psychological blow.’

’Especially since some people don’t even try to beat the game; they just come here to leech for benefits. That would undoubtedly sour the natives’ opinion of Players as a whole.’

’If the Star Association hadn’t been consistently sending people to help develop Gaia and improve the situation, the natives’ resentment toward Players would surely grow with every new wave.’

’So, it was understandable that the dean didn’t have high hopes for him.

’So many prodigies and heroes have failed before... what makes you think *you* can succeed?’

"Success isn’t about what you say. It’s about what you do."

The dean turned and waved his Magic Wand. A map of Gaia materialized in midair, with four points of light glowing upon it:

"You have killed the Vine Witch and two Dark Stalkers, which proves you have some strength. But that’s not enough. You need to go kill a King to truly prove yourself.

"These are the locations of four enemy Kings: the Magma Giant Beast in the volcanic zone, the Sea Serpent Emperor Dragon in the great sea, the Frozen Demon Spirit on the High Heaven Snowfield, and the Valkyrie in Storm Main City.

"Kill any one of them, and you will earn the Magic Academy’s recognition. I will then grant you half of the palace key. You’ll need to go to the Holy Hall Church for the other half."

[You have triggered the Main Quest—"Path of the King"!]

[Quest Type]: Event

[Quest Difficulty]: Epic of the Ages

[Quest Description: You have embarked on the journey to find the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings, but you’ve hit a wall at the very first step. Gandoldov, the dean of the Magic Academy, does not believe you have the ability to obtain the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings and is unwilling to give you the key.

Therefore, you plan to kill one of the four enemy Kings to prove your Power.]

[Quest Reward: 30,000 Experience Points]

’Of course it wasn’t going to be that easy to get the key. Still, just taking down one boss shouldn’t be too hard...’ Zhou Chen nodded. "I accept the quest."

"Good. I will tell you what I know about these four Kings."

The dean said, "The Magma Giant Beast lives in the volcanic zone. Its presence affects the environment for ten kilometers around it, raising the average temperature to over three hundred degrees. The air is also filled with an invisible, intangible, scorching heat. You must wear fire-resistant armor; otherwise, if that heat enters your body, you will instantly burst into flames.

"The Magma Giant Beast’s body is composed entirely of rock. To damage it effectively, you’d best prepare a blunt weapon, like a hammer.

"The Sea Serpent Emperor Dragon lives in the oceans of Gaia. To this day, no one knows its true length. A casual flick of its body can create tidal waves, so you must never fight it on the open sea.

"The Frozen Demon Spirit possesses the terrifying ability to freeze anything and can conceal itself within blizzards. When heading to the High Heaven Snowfield, you absolutely must bring cold-resistant Artifacts. The temperature there drops as low as absolute zero, and bone-chilling winds blow constantly. If that cold seeps into your body, you will gradually lose your ability to fight until you become an ice sculpture.

"As for the Valkyrie, she is a King corrupted by Abyssal Power. She possesses superb Combat Techniques and immense Power. She once single-handedly routed an assault by the allied forces. She now commands Storm Main City and is the greatest obstacle for the alliance."

Zhou Chen had already made his choice. "I’ll need the necessary supplies for the volcanic zone."