The mont Kelly finished speaking, a system notification suddenly exploded in Daniel’s ears.
[Ding! You have triggered a hidden instance quest. Please guide "Kelly" into revealing her origins.]
[Hint: A new quest has been added to your quest log. Please check it for details!]
With a dark expression, Daniel opened his quest log.
[Kelly’s Origins (Side Quest)] (Hidden Instance)
Quest Difficulty: Exalted-grade
Objective: Investigate the secrets of the hidden instance and guide "Kelly" into revealing her origins to unlock the next stage of the story.
Ti Limit: 9:57:40
...
Daniel closed the quest log. When he looked at Kelly again, his gaze had completely changed.
If this girl could serve as the key to an instance quest, then it ant she was deeply tied to whatever ca next. She might even be an extrely important character.
A smoldering anger rose in his chest as he asked her,
"What about your parents? They just abandoned you?"
He truly could not understand how any parent could throw away their own child like this.
Kelly gave a bitter smile.
Her eyes were red as she lifted her head to look at the sky. The wind brushed past, stirring the loose strands of hair on her forehead.
"Mom and Dad said they were taking to a big city to have fun," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "They said they’d buy lots of delicious food."
"But they couldn’t fool ."
"I already knew they wanted to leave there alone, so soone could take here."
"I just didn’t expose them, because I knew that no matter how much I cried or made a fuss, it wouldn’t change anything. So I could only pretend I knew nothing."
"Then they told to wait while they went to buy food for . I knew... once they left, they would never co back."
"I hoped they wouldn’t bla themselves too much because of . I wanted to leave them with the happiest version of ... so that would be the one they rembered forever."
"After that, I was brought here and left to wait for the Soul Devourers to co."
Kelly suddenly turned her head, looked at Daniel, and grinned.
"Don’t you think adults are stupid? They always think kids don’t know anything. But actually, I know everything."
Daniel finally understood.
"So that’s why you mistook for a Soul Devourer?"
Kelly smiled awkwardly.
Daniel laughed as well and slowly got to his feet.
"Don’t worry. Even if the Soul Devourers co, there’s nothing to fear."
"From this mont on, no matter how many of them co, I’ll kill every last one."
"I an it."
Kelly’s eyes sparkled. She nodded hard.
At that very mont—
[Ding! You have completed the side quest "Kelly’s Origins." The next stage, "Soulreaving Mont," has now begun.]
[Hint: Your quest log has been updated. Please check it for details.]
Daniel opened the quest log again, his eyes settling on the new lines of text.
[Soulreaving Mont (Quest Chain)] (Hidden Instance)
Quest Rank: Exalted-grade
Objectives:
Slay the Soul Devourers and rescue the sacrificed human civilians; Escort "Kelly" to "Starlight City."
Quest Description:
During the quest, Kelly’s power will continue to evolve. You must ensure her safety at all tis. She must not die or suffer serious injury, and under no circumstances may she co to dislike you.
Ti Limit: 9:59:09**
...
After reading it, Daniel understood everything clearly.
Just as he had suspected—Kelly was the lifeline of this instance.
His luck was not bad at all. The mont he entered, he had run into her imdiately, unlike the other players who had likely been scattered to random corners of the map.
Still, to be absolutely safe, he took out a Replica Crystal and stockpiled several hundred thousand points of Immortal Singularity.
Kelly stood nearby, watching curiously as he handled all sorts of things she could not understand. She said nothing and simply observed him in silence.
After putting everything away, Daniel smiled at her and softened his voice.
"The other sacrifices... are they in the valley too?"
Kelly nodded. "They’re all gathered near the wooden huts."
Daniel blinked. "Take there."
...
Kelly led him deep into the valley.
Several large wooden huts stood in a row, and hundreds of children were scattered around them.
Every single one of them looked dull and lifeless, their spirits utterly drained. Even when they saw Kelly and Daniel approaching, they remained listless, their eyes empty, as if they could not even be bothered to lift their eyelids.
Daniel frowned and looked at Kelly in confusion.
Kelly pursed her lips. She understood his question and answered in a low voice,
"They all think they were abandoned by their people and their families. It hurt too much... they couldn’t bear it... so they beca like this."
Hearing that only made Daniel even more puzzled.
Wasn’t Kelly the sa? She too had been chosen as a sacrifice. She too had been abandoned by her parents. So why was she different from these children?
Not only had she not fallen apart, she was always smiling. Even when she had mistaken him for a Soul Devourer, she had not seed especially miserable.
He did not ask the question aloud, yet suddenly he understood.
Why had Kelly said that no one wanted to play with her?
Because soone who could still raise her head and look at the white clouds in the sky even in the depths of despair... was destined to be lonely.
Buzzzzz—
Just then, a black mass suddenly surged across the sky in the distance.
The mont Kelly saw it, her face turned deathly pale.
At the sa ti, the children who had been sitting there in numb silence all changed expression as well. So of them were so terrified that they turned and ran blindly toward the outside.
It was obvious.
The Soul Devourers had arrived!
As Daniel watched terror and chaos spread through the area, killing intent surged in his eyes.
"You damned beasts!"
"You will pay for your sins!"
He shot into the air and charged straight toward that black cloud.
Kelly clasped her hands together tightly and stared at his back with nervous eyes.
In her heart, she silently prayed for Daniel’s safety.
...
Daniel flew into the sky, and the black cloud abruptly ca to a halt.
The cloud was made up entirely of Soul Devourers, their bodies wrapped in black mist.
The mont they saw Daniel flying toward them, every one of them changed expression.
"Who are you? Why are you in our ranch?"
The leading dark figure barked the question harshly.
"The one who will punish you."
Daniel’s body trembled, and ninety-nine clones instantly burst into existence around him.
"You dare devour and oppress my human race—die!"
He drew Stellar Wrath, and arrows poured down like a torrential storm.
"Hunting Domain!"
"Shadowfont!"
"Skyfall Strike!"
"Thunder Abyss!"
"Permafrost Prison!"
"..."
Tens of thousands of forbidden spells erupted all at once, changing the very color of heaven and earth.
In Daniel’s field of vision, damage numbers cascaded like a waterfall.
-300,000,000!
-300,000,000!
-300,000,000!
...
In almost a single instant, the army of Soul Devourers was nearly wiped out beneath the tide of forbidden spells.
"How is this possible?! That kind of power... forbidden spells?!"
"Damn it! Since when could the human race wield forbidden spells?!"
"The human race barely has a few legendary-grade powerhouses, and this man can actually use forbidden spells?!"
Even in death, they could not understand what kind of being had slaughtered them.
Since when had humanity possessed such a terrifying expert?
The kill notifications rang nonstop in Daniel’s ears.
In the span of a single minute, he had butchered the entire group of Soul Devourers until not one remained.
Only then did the killing intent in his eyes finally recede a little.
Whether in Aetheria or in Heavenscar, he had dared to kill even the lofty Godkin.
And these Soul Devourers—creatures from who knew where—actually dared to threaten humanity and demand human sacrifices?
What a joke.
...
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