In that moment, all five of them automatically shifted their conversation to chat mode as they talk on their designated team chatroom.
⤷ She isn’t angry!
⤷ She probably didn’t notice us digging up those bodies.
⤷ Okay, thank goodness. We would be in huge trouble if she had somehow seen us…
Each one of them sighed in relief, exchanged glances, and quickly turned their eyes towards their captain as though waiting for his decision.
A moment of silence passed, and Boxlunch glanced at Calabash with a knowing look, which made the latter swallowed hard.
It was a familiar look their captain always seem to use whenever he wanted someone to do something for him.
Taking a deep breath, Calabash hesitantly stepped forward, imitating the NPC’s actions as he skillfully drew the symbol of a scepter upon his chest.
“Greetings, Lady Zero. Uh… you see, we have been searching for any signs of a ruin in the forest for the past few days, and we stumbled upon this place after chasing a goblin.” He spoke in an awkward yet still respectable manner.
“I see.”Zero nodded lightly.
Seeing that the esteemed, Godwarden Zero had accepted his explanation, Calabash’s shoulders relaxed as a wave of relief washed over him.
Then, after a moment of thought, he took a deep breath, his heart racing with a mix of expectation as well as unease, and boldly asked,
“Lady Zero, may I ask what brings you here?”
“…Me?”
In response to Calabash’s question, Zero, spoke in tone filled with reverence:
“I came here at the command of the Divine Matriarch as she bestowed upon me a mandate to find the last fragment of the Scepter of Life.”
Find the last fragment of the Scepter of Life?
All five of them immediately perked up in excitement as soon as they heard those words.
Zero’s response was clearly a sign for a potential quest!
Moreover, whenever an NPC brings up something of this significance to the players, it typically indicates only one thing—
The issue they are alluding about is likely intended for them, the players to resolve!
Each one of them couldn’t shake the feeling that they were about to trigger yet another major hidden quest!
In an instant, their experience being seasoned players allowed them to immediately catch the implications behind the other party’s words.
Their eyes brightened, and their breaths grew more slightly heavier as the five of them thoroughly examined the exact wording of Zero’s statement.
A divine mandate from the goddess herself, which required even the direct involvement of an esteemed Godwarden like Lady Zero….
Surely this situation could very well result in a major opportunity for them if it really turned out to be a hidden quest!
“Lady Zero… have you already completed your task? Or do you perhaps, require our assistance?”
Calabash asked respectfully once more.
⤷ Good job!
⤷ Bash, well done dude!
The rest of the players chimed in, praising Calabash in their team’s chatroom.
The way he phrased his question and steered the conversation to potentially trigger the hidden quest was a brilliant move on Calabash’s part.
Upon hearing his inquiry, Godwarden Zero, shook her head slightly:
“Not yet… I’ve encountered a difficulty.”
After saying this, Zero gently turned her head whilst looking towards a specific direction within the temple.
They followed her gaze and were met with a peculiar and rather surprising sight.
More specifically, not far from where they stood, there appeared to be some sort of spatial rift as tall as a person, hovering in mid-air, as if the very fabric of reality had been torn apart.
And inside this rift, thick fog swirled, shrouding everything within its depths.
What could it be?
The players exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued.
“What is this?”
Calabash asked on behalf of the group.
“This is a spatial passageway to a demi-realm,”
Zero replied softly.
Demi-realm?
A spatial passageway?
The players’ minds began to race.
The term “demi-realm” was familiar to them, as it had been referenced in the background settings of Elven Kingdom.
In fact, according to the game’s lore, the universe was made up of countless realms, with Seigües being one of them and each realm had various demi-realms of varying sizes that are attached to it.
In other words, a demi-realm is a semi-independent closed space that is attached to the main realm.
⤷ This… could actually lead to a new map, right?
⤷ Definitely! If that’s the case, we must have found a clue to a potential hidden quest!
⤷ Bash! Keep asking! Ask for more details!
The rest of the team excitedly discussed in their chatroom.
Calabash, being a veteran player, nodded and respectfully inquired:
“Lady Zero, does the difficulty you encountered somehow related to this spatial passageway?”
Zero nodded slightly.
“That’s right.”
Then, with a gentle sigh, she elaborated:
“According to the Divine Matriarch’s oracle, the last fragment of the Scepter of Life is located inside this demi-realm. However, this particular passageway has certain limitations and can only accommodate someone with the strength around Silver-rank. In other words, my power exceeds its allowable threshold, which forbids me from entering and retrieving the fragment inside it…”
So realms can also be divided depending on the strength it could accommodate?
—Wait!
Does that mean only those with Silver-rank strength could enter this space?
Upon hearing this explanation from Godwarden Zero, all five players felt a bolt of shock.
In that moment, they all understood that the situation inside this demi-realm seemed to be really specifically designed with the players’ intervention in mind.
⤷ Isn’t this a perfect quest for us?!
⤷ Absolutely! Everyone in our team are silver-rankers. Lady Zero also said that she can’t personally enter, but we sure definitely can!
⤷ Hurry! Quick! Bash, trigger the quest!
Calabash had thought of this as well as he suppressed his excitement.
“So… Lady Zero, what do you think of us?” he eagerly asked.
“You?”
Zero, raised an eyebrow slightly.
“That’s right! We are also the goddess’s most loyal followers. Since you can’t enter yourself, then we are willing to step in on your behalf and search inside this demi-realm for the last fragment of the Scepter of Life!”
Calabash said in a flattering manner.
⤷ Haha! Bash my dude! you’re so damn clever!”
The other players chimed in the chatroom.
After Calabash finished speaking, Zero turned her body and carefully scrutinized each of them:
“You are willing to assist me?”
“Indeed! Yes!”
The group nodded eagerly, like chicks pecking at a speck of grain.
This was the ideal moment to establish a connection and earn favorability points with this esteemed NPC!
After all, she was one of the most coolest NPCs in the entire game, second only to the goddess herself, and there was also a strong likelihood that she could hand out important hidden quest like the one at this very moment!
They all held their breath in anticipation until Zero finally smiled, a gentle curve forming at the corners of her mouth, instantly transforming her previously aloof demeanor into one of warm friendliness, akin to a breeze in spring.
“Thank you, brave chosen ones.”
Zero nodded slightly, her once-cool voice now carrying a hint of softness into it:
“In that case, you may go and infiltrate this demi-realm on my behalf.”
With that, she waved her hand gently, and a stream of green light floated out from between her fingers before entering the bodies of the five players.
“I have set up a long-range communication spell in your bodies. Once you enter the demi-realm, I will be able to see everything you see and communicate with you.”
“Let us all work together to retrieve the last fragment of the Scepter of Life for Her Majesty, the Divine Matriarch!”
Zero said passionately.
As her words resonated in the area, a new series of system messages appeared simultaneously within the vision of all five players, whilst being accompanied by the familiar female voice of the system:
【❗ 】
【 Zero’s favorability toward you has increased by ‘20‘ points. Your relationship can now be considered ‘Friendly.’ 】
【❗ 】
【 You have triggered the hidden questline: The Last Fragment. 】
【 Quest Description: Godwarden Zero has been assigned the task of locating the last fragment of the Scepter of Life by the Goddess. To aid her in this mission, you choose to infiltrate the demi-realm that houses the fragment… 】
【 Quest Objective: Find the last fragment of the Scepter of Life and deliver it safely back to Godwarden Zero. 】
【 Timelimit: None. 】
【 Number of Players: 5-person team 】
【 Minimum Level Requirement : 41 】
【 Individual Quest Rewards:100,000 experience points, 10,000 contribution points, 50 resurrection coins. 】
【 Team Rewards: Companion Pact Allocation ×1 (This mysterious pact is said to be related to dragons.) 】
As these system messages materialized before their eyes, each players exchanged excited glances, their faces lighting up with exhilaration.
“Shit! We really did triggered a hidden quest!”
“Hahaha! And our favorability with Lady Zero had also increased by 20 points! What a huge profit!”
“Looks like the reward we’ll receive for this quest is quite generous!”
“Wait…Team quest rewards? Companion pact? And it’s somehow related to dragons?”
“Whoa…another reward I’ve never seen before! Does it mean that we could form a pact with a dragon?”
“If that’s the case then, we definitely hit the jackpot!”
As they scanned the list of rewards for the quest, all five of them inhaled sharply, their hearts racing with anticipation and excitement.
“Brave chosen ones, the passageway to this demi-realm is quite unstable. To avoid any accidents, please set off as soon as possible. Once your task is completed, our Divine Matriarch will surely reward each of you generously,” Zero continued.
After hearing her words, their expressions grew even more eager.
They all nodded, and with Boxlunch leading the way, the entire team finally walked towards the spatial rift.
Each five players formed an orderly line as they neared the rift, then without hesitation, jumped straight into it one after the other.
In an instant, their figures vanished into the spatial passageway.
Viscous and slow-moving.
That was the first sensation they experienced upon entering the blank white space inside the passageway.
It was as if they were entirely submerged in an area surrounded by nothing but glue.
However, they only felt this uncomfortable sensation for a fleeting moment.
Once the whole team sensed that they had somehow crossed an invisible barrier, all five of them instinctively closed their eyes as the surrounding white mist that obscured their vision suddenly burst forth with blinding light.
For a brief moment, each player felt their consciousness wavered, as a wave of dizziness washed over them.
However, their clarity returned just as quickly, and when the blinding light finally dissipated, they tentatively opened their eyes to the sight of a lush green forest right beneath them.
Yet before all five players could even rejoice, they were suddenly hit by a strong feeling of weightlessness.
With a loud ‘splash,’ the five of them swiftly fell from midair, before plunging down into a shimmering lake on the ground…
Faintly, the players heard a crisp shout coming from the shoreline:
“Oh no, someone fell into the water!”
It was spoken in elven language.
— 428 —
【 ANOTHER ‘WORLD‘ 】
— —
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