Chapter 670 - 424: The Light Chaser in the Village (Part 2)

Chapter 670: Chapter 424: The Light Chaser in the Village (Part 2)

The village was built in a hidden canyon, surrounded by brown volcanic rock. Several steaming hot springs were scattered about, magically absorbing the area’s heat and maintaining a relatively normal temperature. It was so temperate that Zhou Chen even spotted a few fields of crops.

Zhou Chen dismounted and walked toward the village. His appearance immediately drew the villagers’ attention. A few shouts rang out, and a dozen or so villagers rushed out, armed with swords, spears, and clubs.

"Don’t be alarmed! I’m an outsider. I just happened to find this place after falling from a cliff," Zhou Chen quickly explained, trying to show he meant no harm. He also presented identification documents issued by the Magic Academy and the Holy Hall Church, but none of the villagers came forward to take them.

"An outsider?" The villagers exchanged glances, their hostility unwavering.

’They must have been screwed over by Players before. Maybe someone snuck into a villager’s home and ransacked the place or something...’ Zhou Chen thought.

In the earliest iterations of the game, quite a few Players had committed heinous crimes. As the saying goes, bad news travels fast. Those crimes spread across all of Gaia as if they had wings and were even recorded in books. As a result, many natives in remote areas remained hostile toward Players to this day.

Before long, the armed villagers parted to form a path, and a man in armor walked out. He looked to be in his late twenties, with a scruffy beard. His armor was covered in dents, and a faded insignia was visible on his pauldron.

"The Holy Emblem of the Holy Hall Church?"

Zhou Chen recognized the insignia. "Are you a Light Chaser?"

The armored man’s expression flickered, but he quickly regained his composure. "And who are you?"

"I’m Zhou Chen, the outsider you mentioned. I’m just passing through."

"It’s time for the outsiders to arrive again?" The armored man seemed surprised, as if he had been cut off from the world for so long that he had lost track of time.

"That’s right. Just a few days ago." Zhou Chen waved the identification documents in his hand. "You should recognize this, right?"

The armored man stared at it for a few seconds, then waved for the villagers to lower their Weapons. He walked forward and said respectfully, "My apologies. A band of bandits has been harassing the village recently, putting everyone on high alert... Ahem... Since you are an outsider... could you perhaps help us eliminate them?"

Zhou Chen shook his head. "To be honest, I have a more important mission... Besides, even if I kill those bandits, it won’t matter. The volcano is about to erupt. Your entire village should evacuate as soon as possible."

"What volcano eruption?" A hunched-over old man leaning on a cane walked over, followed by a little girl who stared at Zhou Chen with wide, curious eyes.

This old man was the village chief, so Zhou Chen explained the situation with the volcano.

"...When I was climbing the mountain, I saw a volcano more than ten kilometers away. If it erupts, this village will definitely be affected. And it won’t be just one volcano erupting, but all of them except the dormant ones. It will be extremely dangerous if you don’t evacuate in time."

"How could this be?" The village chief sighed. "Our original village was overrun by monsters more than ten years ago. We struggled so hard to build a new one here, and now we have to leave again... Where can we go?"

"Go to the nearest town," Zhou Chen said. "At least it’s safer than staying here."

"I will discuss this with everyone." The village chief sighed, shaking his head, and left with the little girl.

The armored man said, "If you don’t mind, you can rest in the village for a while. Oh, right. My name is Miso, a Light Chaser of the Holy Knights."

"I’m on a tight schedule, so I can’t rest here..."

Zhou Chen paused in thought, then asked, "Do you have any information about the Magma Giant Beast or Sun Cliff Peak?"

At the mention of the Magma Giant Beast, Miso’s entire body trembled as if he were terrified.

Seeing that Zhou Chen had noticed his reaction, Miso knew he couldn’t brush it off. He had no choice but to lead him to his residence, shut the door and windows, and explain his past in a low voice:

"I was once a member of the Light Chasers... Once.

A few years ago, I took part in an expedition to slay the Magma Giant Beast. In the end, I was the only one who survived. That monster... that monster is too powerful. It’s impervious to blades and spears. Even Magic spells couldn’t harm it. A single stomp of its foot could kill a whole group of people...

I was lucky to survive, but every time I think of that monster, I can’t help but tremble in fear."

’He’s been on an expedition against the Magma Giant Beast?’ Zhou Chen’s eyes lit up when he heard this. He cleared his throat and offered some consolation, "I hope you can overcome your trauma soon... Ahem... which route did you take when you went to slay the Magma Giant Beast?"

"What are you planning to do?!" Miso asked, startled.

"Slay the Magma Giant Beast," Zhou Chen replied calmly.

"Th-That’s impossible! It’s a King! No one can be its match..." Miso stammered. "Its body is taller than a mountain peak and harder than steel! There’s no way to harm it..."

"Nothing is impossible," Zhou Chen said with a wave of his hand. "Just tell me the route."

Miso looked at Zhou Chen with a complicated expression and confirmed once more, "You’re really going?"

"Yes." Zhou Chen nodded.

Seeing how determined he was, Miso fell silent. After a moment, he said, "I can give you the map to the route, but in return, I need you to eliminate that band of bandits. They are a great threat to the village. If we run into them while migrating, many people will surely die."

[You have triggered the side quest: "Eliminate the Bandits"]

[Quest Type: Event]

[Quest Difficulty: Simple]

[Quest Description: You have discovered a secluded village in the Volcanic Area. The villagers have recently been harassed by bandits. Please eliminate the bandits and help restore peace to the village.]

[Quest Reward: 500 Experience Points]

’Ah... of course, I have to do a quest...’ Zhou Chen wasn’t surprised in the slightest. ’Would it even be an open-world game without a few extra quests?’

’At least it’s not like "Assassin Simulator" with a map cluttered with question marks.’

"You’re a Light Chaser, after all. Taking out a group of bandits should be a piece of cake for you, right?" Zhou Chen mentioned casually.

Miso instantly grew tense, then forced himself to calm down. "I need to protect the village. It would be disastrous if the bandits showed up while I was away."

"Oh, I see." Zhou Chen didn’t press the matter. After getting the location of the bandit hideout, he left Miso’s residence.

’There’s something wrong with this guy. He’s so hesitant, like he’s hiding some secret...’

As Zhou Chen was walking, the village chief’s granddaughter suddenly darted out. She held a white flower in her hand and shyly offered it to him. "Big brother, this is for you."

Zhou Chen was curious. "Why are you giving this to me?"

The little girl paused for a second. "Do you need a reason to give someone a flower? I thought it was pretty, so I wanted to give it to you."

"Haha..." Zhou Chen couldn’t help but laugh as he accepted the flower. "Of course not. It’s beautiful. Thank you."

"You’re welcome!" The little girl beamed with delight and skipped away.

Leaving the village, Zhou Chen spurred his horse into a gallop.

Half an hour later, he arrived near the bandit hideout Miso had described.

At the entrance to a hidden cave, two bandits stood guard.

Zhou Chen waved his Magic Wand. Thorny Vines shot up from the ground and constricted violently. The two guards died without a sound, unable to even let out a scream.

Then, he charged straight into the bandit hideout and began slaughtering everyone in his path.

These bandits were all ordinary people, and he quickly wiped them all out.

But as he was counting the bodies, Zhou Chen suddenly froze.

The number didn’t match what Miso had told him!

Thirteen people were missing!

A sense of foreboding rose in Zhou Chen’s heart. He immediately spurred his horse and galloped back to the village.

Half an hour later, he returned to the village, and the stench of blood drifted toward him.