Chapter 668 - 423: I Believe Him

Chapter 668: Chapter 423: I Believe Him

The relics of the Magma Giant, the Dwarf King, and the Giant King are all in the volcanic region, so heading there is the best course of action.

"Okay. I’ll have someone prepare a fire-resistant suit for you. Before that, you should take a trip to the Holy Hall Church," the dean said. "The academy has a direct Teleportation Array."

·

「Fifteen minutes later, at the Holy Hall Church.」

The glaring light of the Teleportation Array dimmed. Zhou Chen stepped off the platform, where someone was already waiting for him.

"Welcome, outsider."

A blonde Saintess with a light, elegant posture, her face covered by a veil, bowed slightly. Her voice was pleasant and melodious.

"My name is Lisi Jeanne, the current Saintess of the Holy Hall Church. I have heard of your deeds at the Magic Academy.

Since you wish to embark on the journey to find the Sword of Ten thousand Kings, the Holy Hall Church will certainly offer its full support. But before that, you must complete a trial."

"No problem."

That was what Zhou Chen had come for. He nodded. "Who do I kill?"

"You’re not killing anyone."

Lisi Jeanne led him down a long corridor deeper into the Holy Hall Church, explaining as they walked, "After the Sun went out, the Dwarf King and the Giant King forged themselves into suns, providing Gaia with a brief period of light. Now, the suns they became have long since been extinguished, yet their souls remain trapped within, enduring endless pain and torment."

She placed a hand on her chest and said in a low voice, "I can often feel their screams and whispers. They pray for someone to come and grant them release."

Lisi Jeanne stopped and looked at Zhou Chen earnestly. "So, please, end their suffering."

[You have triggered the side quest—"Release"!]

[Quest Type: Event]

[Quest Difficulty: Epic]

[Quest Description: The self-sacrifice of the Dwarf King and the Giant King bought Gaia a brief era of light. Now the Artificial Sun is extinguished, but the heroes’ souls are trapped within, suffering great torment.

Please travel to Gaia’s highest peak and destroy the Artificial Sun.]

[Quest Reward: 35,000 Experience Points]

["Path of the King" quest updated: You have received a new quest from the Holy Hall Church.

Destroy the Artificial Sun to free the Dwarf King and Giant King from their suffering and prove your Ability to the Holy Hall Church.]

"You want me to... destroy the extinguished Artificial Sun?"

Zhou Chen pondered for a moment after she finished, scratching his head. ’Isn’t this quest a little... out of my league?’

"This is what will prove your strength and set you apart, is it not?" Lisi Jeanne said. "If you can complete this trial, you will earn the Holy Hall Church’s recognition, and I will give you the other half of the key.

To become a king, one must naturally accomplish a feat that will shock the world."

"...Alright."

Zhou Chen had no other choice but to accept the quest. It was on his way, anyway. The biggest problem was, ’How am I supposed to destroy the Artificial Sun?’

’Go to a Satellite City and get a nuke?’

’But even a nuke probably couldn’t destroy a creation of that magnitude...’

Lisi Jeanne then led Zhou Chen to a treasury. "You may choose any three Artifacts from here to take with you."

Zhou Chen didn’t waste any time and immediately began his selection.

He was already decked out in rare gear, so he didn’t really need any combat-type Artifacts. Instead, he focused his attention on Enhancing Artifacts.

’In a game, skill is important, but high Attributes are what make you truly powerful!’

In the end, he chose three Artifacts that enhanced his Attributes.

[Golden Intelligence Badge—A sacred Golden Badge imbued with the power of a blessing.

Effect: Intelligence +10

Currently Equipped Badges: 1/3]

[Golden Power Badge—A sacred Golden Badge imbued with the power of a blessing.

Effect: Power +10

Currently Equipped Badges: 2/3]

[Golden Dexterity Badge—A sacred Golden Badge imbued with the power of a blessing.

Effect: Dexterity +10

Currently Equipped Badges: 3/3]

Equipping the three badges instantly boosted his total Attribute Value by 30 points!

[Physical Strength: 13

Intelligence: 54

Endurance: 14

Power: 18

Dexterity: 24]

An Intelligence Attribute of 54 rivaled that of a Magic Master. Combined with the bonus Magic damage from the Magic Master’s Scepter, ordinary monsters stood no chance against Zhou Chen and would be killed instantly. Even a Boss Level monster like a Dark Stalker would struggle to withstand his damage.

"When you’re ready, you can take the Teleportation Array directly to the volcanic region," Lisi Jeanne said.

’I should ask Tang Ling if there’s a way to destroy the Artificial Sun first...’ Zhou Chen thought, pulling out his phone and opening the Player chat group. By now, many Players had reached Level 10 and unlocked their Abilities, and the chat was buzzing with activity. But the message he’d sent Tang Ling was still marked as "read" with no reply.

He sent another message, telling him he had accepted a high-difficulty quest and asking if he had any ideas.

Zhou Chen hadn’t been holding out much hope, but to his surprise, Tang Ling actually replied this time. The response consisted of just four short words—

"Destruction of All Things"

’Destruction of All Things... hmm... If I use the relics of the two Master Forgers to repair the Hammer of Forging to a certain extent, there’s a chance I could destroy the Artificial Sun by using Destruction of All Things. But it’s only a chance, and not a great one...’ Zhou Chen typed again, asking if there was a more reliable method.

Tang Ling didn’t reply.

’Maybe this is the most reliable method after all.’

Zhou Chen put away his phone with a sigh of resignation. He headed to the Holy Hall Church’s teleportation platform and teleported directly to the volcanic region.

After he left, Lisi Jeanne entered a large conference hall. Seated around a long table were the higher-ups of the Holy Hall Church, along with several projections of figures from distant locations.

"Zhou Chen has departed for the volcanic region," Lisi Jeanne said, taking her seat and addressing the projection of the Magic Academy’s dean across from her.

"We must be patient. He killed the Vine Witch and two Dark Stalkers. Perhaps he can work a miracle," the dean said with a nod.

"Perhaps," Jeanne replied, her tone flat. She clearly didn’t have high hopes.

Dean Gandoldov turned to another projection.

"Ms. Jiang Che, you’re an outsider as well. Have you heard of Zhou Chen?"

"I have," Jiang Che affirmed with a nod.

"Do you think he can succeed?"

"He will succeed."

Jiang Che said calmly, "I am certain he will succeed."

Everyone present was slightly taken aback. Jiang Che’s attitude was so absolute. ’Does she really have that much faith in this Zhou Chen?’

"It seems the two of you are quite close." Lisi Jeanne’s expression was odd, as if she had sensed something.

"We are," Jiang Che admitted openly.

"Enough. It’s time to begin the meeting."

Tang Ling, seated at the head of the table, spoke coolly. "I have convened this alliance meeting to share some bad news with all of you.

The Abyssal Power within Gaia is growing increasingly active. And if my predictions are correct...

disaster is coming."

·

·

Even though he was still a considerable distance from the volcanic region, a sweltering heat already enveloped Zhou Chen.

The Holy Hall Church’s Teleportation Array was situated in an underground chapel. Less than two hundred meters from the exit was a bonfire, but just walking that short distance left Zhou Chen drenched in sweat.

He lit the bonfire, saving his progress.

Just then, an unexpected person appeared.

The Nameless Ghost materialized without warning. "It seems you’ve already embarked on the Path of the King," he remarked. "Your progress is even faster than I imagined."

"Oh? What are you doing here?"

Zhou Chen was stunned for a moment before it dawned on him. His expression grew increasingly strange as he pointed at the Nameless Ghost and demanded in a shocked voice:

"Don’t tell me you’ve been secretly following me this whole time?!"

"Ah... Of course not..."

"You sound guilty!" Zhou Chen’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You really were following me?"

Seeing that he couldn’t hide it any longer, the Nameless Ghost shrugged. "I have high hopes for you, so I’ve been following along to see how far you’ll go. I can also offer help when needed."

’What kind of creepy stalker behavior is this...’ Zhou Chen grumbled internally, then said, "Couldn’t you have just been upfront about it? It’s not like I would’ve stopped you."

"Of course!" The Nameless Ghost smacked a fist into his palm. "Why didn’t I think of just telling you!"

"..." Zhou Chen was left speechless.