When the plot-skips players into the game world

Chapter 785: Chapter 166 Where to go, whom to kill, how many?

Chapter 785: Chapter 166 Where to go, whom to kill, how many?

Aiwass awoke to a persistent shaking and the crisp sound of music.

It felt as if he were on a ship.

His head felt somewhat sore…

It even brought back memories of a hangover from a previous life and the sensation of waking up the next day.

He slowly opened his eyes to find himself lying on a dry and tidy bed, with sunlight streaming through the window onto the blanket.

The thin quilt was encased in Elven Style pure white silk, devoid of any decorations.

His room was small, probably no more than ten square meters.

Aside from the bed beneath him, there was only a wardrobe and a desk with cabinets.

Stamped documents lay on the desk, and the cabinet above was adorned with various trinkets.

There was a brownish-red crystal cup with a bark-like rough texture, seemingly for drinking water; a palm-sized golden music box with its lid open, from which a figure made of rubies danced a complex routine to the melody emanating from it; there was also a square piece of clear crystal, inside which was something akin to a “photo” or “magical image”—a short animation preserved within.

First, Aiwass closed the music box, which seemed to be acting as an alarm clock.

Then, with his rough and powerful right hand, he picked up the “slice” of the moving picture.

The protagonist, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was a young man with a radiant smile and dazzling golden hair.

He had his arm casually slung over the neck of the woman beside him, hugging her closely as if they were “bros,” and giving a thumbs-up to the “camera,” seemingly uttering something.

His hair glinted in the sun’s embrace, and his pupils shone with the blue-green brilliance of turquoise.

His ears were sharp and long.

Of all the Elves Aiwass had seen, his ears were at least as long as those of the “Pure White” Holy Maiden or Cardinal Matilda.

The woman he had his arm around had long, straight black hair.

Her ominous crimson pupils, half-covered by her drooping hair, gave her an air of a rather gloomy temperament.

But what caught Aiwass’s attention most was the two long dragon horns on her forehead.

They were curved dragon horns similar to those of Ligeia.

“This is me…and Favna,” a thought flashed through Aiwass’s mind.

This is…

me?

Aiwass was slightly stunned.

Wait, is this really me?

Self-doubt, sharp as a blade, pried open a small crack in his memory.

And like the spillage from a cracked egg, Aiwass suddenly remembered everything.

There’s no waiting room for this promotion ceremony?

I was just thrown in here the moment I closed my eyes?

Oh right.

This time it’s solo queue.

If there’s no need for a party, indeed there’s no need to wait in a waiting room for others to gather.

And this time, there isn’t even a “host,” because the Lord of Scalefeather presides over it personally…

It was only after realizing his own identity that Aiwass finally heard the ritual announcement from the Lord of Scalefeather.

Unlike the rough and unpleasant voice from Aiwass’s first promotion ceremony, the Lord of Scalefeather used a tone as mysterious and mature as when They appeared before Aiwass:

“You are Helquinn Dragon Flame, the renowned White Knight.

“As a ‘Mediator,’ you roam above the realms of humans, dispensing justice with your own volition, discerning right from wrong.

Your name has spread far and wide with the wind, and humans hold you in high regard.

“But one day, a man you had judged cried out: ‘You like to meddle so much, why don’t you deal with the Giants?

They eat more people in one day than we kill in a month!’

“You know what Giants are.

They are the favored and bloodline of the Pillar God of Supreme Heaven, born powerful beings capable of matching dragons in strength.

“The barbaric and bellicose race does not revere the Nine Pillar Gods but worships Supreme Heaven alone.

They determine the hierarchy of the gods by might and consider Supreme Heaven the most powerful of all.

“And Supreme Heaven is also the most violent Pillar God.

For millennia, only They have personally meted out punishment to the irreverent.

Thus, some indeed regard Supreme Heaven as the ‘one true God.’ This presents a major challenge in the proselytizing efforts of the Nine Pillars Divine Church…

because only Supreme Heaven frequently reveals miracles known to all races.

“Yet you also find this matter extremely thorny.

For Giants are immensely powerful, almost reaching the Fifth Power Level upon adulthood; they are not social creatures but have the fearsome ‘Skinless Ones’ among them.

Even a pair of Papal Guards would struggle to confront a Skinless One.

“Although this matter involves the Pillar God, Giants, and formidable foes—you believe it must be addressed.

While humans also consume Serpentfolk, Birdmen, and Lizardfolk, only Giants consider such devouring a matter of course.”

“——And as you continued with your investigation, you were enraged to discover that not only humans but also elves were on the giants’ menu.

To be precise, the giants consumed all races, even their own kind.

The conquered became slaves, the defeated became food, and for the giants, slaves were just stockpiled provisions.@@novelbin@@

Had the giants not been confined to ‘Magic Cauldron’s’ infinite provisions on Avalon, they would have become a race bringing endless calamity.”

“Thus, you decided to bid farewell to your pregnant wife and, accompanied by your followers, ventured to Avalon Island for an adventurous investigation.

Your wife, also your mount, was the dragon Favna.

Having lost your mount as a ‘Dragon Knight,’ your strength would be greatly diminished; therefore, you temporarily summoned a Pegasus as a supplement to your combat power.”

“These followers of yours were not your subordinates, but friends voluntarily inspired by your heroic deeds and righteousness in the past to follow you.

Among them were elves, humans, lizardfolk, serpentfolk, goblins, and even dwarves—forty-eight people in total, who arrived at Avalon with you by boat.”

“One of your secrets is…

you are a natural-born Prophet, able to catch fragments of the future in your dreams.

When you arrived in Alktoth and woke from your dream, you already knew…

you were going to die here.

The giant priests, too, had seen this future; they would come to capture you.”

“What will you do?”

As the Lord of Scalefeather finished his announcement, the mission from the Lord of Scalefeather materialized before Aiwass.

[Mandatory Mission—]

[Continue to impersonate Helquinn Dragon Flame, without being discovered or exposed by anyone (Points: 100)]

[Survive (Points: 100)]

[Extra Missions—]

[Giant Killer: Kill a giant of higher rank than yourself (Points: 100)]

[Giant Slaughterer: Kill all the giants at the ‘forechest,’ ‘back loin,’ ‘rib strip’ gathering spots (Points: 500)]

[Giant’s Bane: Go to the Holy Temple and kill three giant priests of ‘cervical’ rank or above (Points: 500)]

[Giants Must Die: Kill a total of one hundred giants (Points: 500)]

[Heartless and Skinless: Go to the royal court, kill a Skinless One (Points: 1000)]

[Wildfire Rises Again: Go to the Holy Temple, kill a giant priest of ‘skull’ rank (Points: 1000)]

[Royal Court’s Resentment: Go to the royal court, kill or severely wound the Giant King (Points: 2000)]

[Blasphemer: Go to the royal court, destroy the Supreme Heaven’s Holy Image worshipped there (Points: 2000)]

“Damn!”

Aiwass couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement, “Boss is awesome!”

Having been in this world for so long, he had never seen such clear, simple, and straightforward mission requirements.

——Where to go, what to kill, how many to kill.

Beyond that, there was nothing else; it was clean and straightforward.

He finally understood why the Lord of Scalefeather was so sure that this ascension ritual would lure out the Bear Celestial Marshal…

The person Aiwass was impersonating was none other than the elven hero “Sir Helquinn,” whom he had seen in Eagle Cape Village and who had turned into The Wild Hunt after death!

He could be said to be the person most hated by the giants.

In a sense, he was the first one to question “why a man-eating giant could exist,” the first to ask “even if it’s always been like this, is it right,” and the first to attempt to overthrow the Giant King’s rule.

With him, humanity realized “giants could actually be resisted.”

Before him, humans only saw giants as a divine race that had to be revered and offered tributes to avoid annihilation—even if as dark gods, they were still gods.

This ascension ritual involved nothing but killing giants.

There were no puzzles to solve, no battles of wits, nor any pitfalls based on the impersonation—although he had to maintain the impersonation, if he just took off, Sir Helquinn’s followers wouldn’t be able to catch up with him.

But…

I do have a small issue here, boss.

Aiwass reviewed the missions again, harboring some doubts about his new boss’s plan.

…Are we really just fishing with a straight hook?

Doesn’t the Bear Celestial Marshal clearly see there’s something fishy here?

Can this really lure him out?