Chapter 284 – Legendary Quest (1/2)

Chapter 284 – Legendary Quest

“You’ve come.” Yao Yao revealed a brilliant smile. Her bright eyes resembled glittering gemstones.

Nie Yan fell into a daze. For an instant, Yao Yao’s appearance overlapped with Xie Yao’s in his mind. But he quickly shook his head in self-ridicule. How could there be such a coincidence in the world? He met Xie Yao long before Yao Yao in his past life. It wasn’t until after graduation that he started playing Conviction, where he eventually met Yao Yao. Interestingly enough, his meeting with her was purely coincidental. They had become acquainted through the girlfriend of one of Zhai Hao’s friends. Yao Yao was invited to play with their group, and they started running dungeons and levelling together.

At that time, Nie Yan was downtrodden with life and lonely. As he gradually got closer to Yao Yao, the two of them formed a special relationship. Her genuine concern for his well-being touched him deeply. It was a short-lived happiness, however. They took it a step too far in a secret chamber beneath Fenarte City, after which Yao Yao started avoiding him and their friendship slowly returned to being platonic. He felt remorseful toward Yao Yao. Back then, he had indeed been at fault for taking their relationship down that path. But Yao Yao never rejected him. So in a moment of weakness, he gave in to his carnal desires and committed a grave sin of the virtual world.

Nie Yan walked up to meet her on the stairs. “Come on, let’s go in.”

“Mhm.” Yao Yao nodded before following behind Nie Yan. Her lips curved into a crafty smile as she stared at his back. He behaved more seriously inside the game, a stark contrast from how exasperating he was with his constant teasing in reality.

The two arrived at the entrance of the Holy Shrine, where they were greeted by two large gates crafted from towering, ancient trees. They were mottled with cracks and exuded an archaic air.

Nie Yan slowly pushed them open, revealing a massive hallway.

Rows upon rows of candles lined the walls, their flames swaying ever so gently from the slight draft created by the opening of the gates. A crimson-red carpet lay spread out before them, with over 20 NPCs standing on either side in a line that stretched out to the far end of the hallway. Nie Yan recognized almost all of them by name. He settled his gaze on a certain individual among them.

This NPC wore ash-gray robes. His left sleeve was empty while the hand he held his staff with was missing a forefinger. This was the legendary Holy Mage, Karsi!

Karsi watched as the two walked over to him.

“It’s an honour to meet your Holiness,” Nie Yan greeted in a respectful matter.

“Sir Demon Hunter and Grand Scholar, greetings.” Karsi nodded.

Nie Yan’s current status was far from comparable to the other side’s, so he had to abide by noble etiquette.

Seeing Karsi address Nie Yan in such a manner, Yao Yao was slightly taken aback. But then she remembered just what kind of person Nie Yan was inside the game; someone who created a miracle wherever he went.

Nie Yan glanced at Yao Yao, then faced Karsi and respectfully asked, “I’m here to request permission to help this young lady with her quest. Your Holiness, are you willing?”

Karsi looked at Yao Yao. “She is as beautiful as the stars. I naturally see no problem in allowing you to help this little miss.”

“Thank you, your Holiness.”

A player was permitted to enlist the help of up to two others if they couldn’t finish a quest by themselves. However, the levels of the helpers couldn’t exceed their own by more than three.

Ever since dying to the Demonified Lord Sonia, Nie Yan still hadn’t gotten his level back up. Yao Yao was currently Level 31 while he was only Level 29. So he definitely fulfilled the requirements to be her helper.

Karsi’s gaze slightly trembled as he noticed the medal on Nie Yan’s left shoulder.

“Pardon me, Grand Scholar. Is that not the Medal of the Ten Holy Paladins?” Karsi asked as he stared at Nie Yan with an intense gaze. His right hand was slightly trembling. He was clearly agitated.

“Yes, your Holiness. This is indeed the Medal of the Ten Holy Paladins. May I ask if you know the history behind it?” Nie Yan curiously asked. He had to be very deliberate with his wording when trying to fish out a quest from such an important NPC.

A peculiar light flashed across Karsi’s tranquil gaze. He revealed a wistful expression and let out a deep sigh. “This is an ancient matter.”

Nie Yan inwardly celebrated after seeing Karsi’s reaction. He had successfully triggered the quest dialogue!

“I am retracing the events of that era because of a task entrusted to me. Your Holiness, could you recount some of what transpired back then?” Nie Yan asked. He still had a quest regarding the Legend of the Ten Holy Paladins that remained unfinished. It was to seek out the truth behind what happened to them.

“I’ve lived for almost a thousand years, so long that I don’t even remember exactly how old I am anymore. Humanity is destined to never overcome their desires. Everything is as fleeting as a cloud of smoke, while time passes in the blink of an eye. I know I’m not a great record keeper. But I’m confident that I’ve looked back on the path I’ve trodden more than anyone else. I reminisce, constantly, every waking day. I try to stand still, but the vicissitudes of time continually pushes me forward. The things I’ve witnessed over the years are as countless as the stars in the night sky. However, I still haven’t forgotten the events that took place during the time we now call the Dark Era. I followed Sir Kavana across the vast land of Glennin in his campaign against the dragon race. Swearing blood oaths, reading out the Will of Light…”

From the pledge of the Ten Holy Paladin to the betrayal of Brewin, Karsi narrated these events in chronological order.