Nian Yan rode the Dark-winged Dragon flying northward. More than ten minutes later, a small town appeared in his sight below.
Kelasu Town.
Rather than calling it a small town, it was more accurate to describe it as a large estate. Wooden fences surrounded its perimeter, and behind these fences were rows upon rows of medium-sized wooden ballistae, densely arranged, making the defenses quite formidable.
Large monster lords frequently attacked this area, so the local populace was tough and martial. The NPCs here were at least level 90 elites, and even the town mayor was a level 100 lord-type character.
This was exactly why Nian Yan had chosen Kelasu Town.
Few towns below level 100 had such strong defenses, and towns above level 100 might be avoided by the Wandering Soul Princess Aina out of fear.
Nian Yan had the Dark-winged Dragon land outside Kelasu Town, then dismissed it and walked toward the town entrance.
He pulled on a black cloak and entered the town through its gate. In the center of the town ran a single street, with basic shops lining both sides—pharmacies, weapon and supply stores, and so on. The shops looked deserted, with only the occasional player walking along the main road, all at least level 70 or higher. The maps around Kelasu Town spawned high-level monsters, so players usually only came here when they had specific quests. They were explorers of new territories.
Nian Yan strolled along the street, observing the NPCs.
He wasn’t sure how much longer it would be before the Wandering Soul Princess Aina arrived. Until then, he would have to keep waiting, though he wasn’t sure what else he could do in the meantime.
Following the main street further into the town, Nian Yan reached its center. A tall, church-like building beside the street caught his attention.
Constructed from white stone, the building wasn’t particularly grand compared to the sacred halls of Karol City, but it was the most magnificent structure in the town.
In his past life, he had been here before. Inside, there was nothing but some tables and chairs.
“I’ll go in and wait,” Nian Yan thought. He stepped inside. The interior was an empty hall with a dozen or so tables and chairs. There were no NPCs around, making the place feel hollow and desolate. In the center of the hall stood a statue of the Virgin Mary. Due to the passage of time and lack of maintenance, the statue was damaged and covered in dust.
With nothing else to do, Nian Yan sat down on a chair and patiently waited. He couldn’t leave until Princess Aina arrived.
Nian Yan understood that his presence might bring some disaster to the town. He could only hope the NPCs here could successfully defeat the Wandering Soul Princess Aina.
He wasn’t sure how long had passed—probably at least twenty minutes—when an elderly man, nearly seventy years old, slowly entered the church leaning on a cane. After glancing at Nian Yan, he ignored him and proceeded to the front of the church hall, carrying an ancient holy scripture.
The old man was clearly frail, his skin wrinkled like tree bark. His hair and beard were a dull grayish white. He walked unsteadily, as if a gust of wind could knock him over.
Seeing this suddenly appearing elderly NPC, Nian Yan wore a puzzled expression. In his past life, he had visited Kelasu Town hundreds of times—before forming a team, he often wandered around the town and came to this church to wait idly. He had come here dozens of times but had never encountered this old man. He had no idea where this NPC had come from. Thinking back, he was certain he had never met this old man before.
Nian Yan sensed that this old man must be no ordinary figure. He wondered if he could extract any useful information from him.
Nian Yan cast a Super Insight ability on the old man.
Cranston the Aged: Dragon Slayer, Level 180 Elite.
The title and level of Cranston startled Nian Yan. How strong this person must be! He never expected such an old and frail man to possess such an impressive title.
Nian Yan checked Cranston’s health bar—it was only in the hundreds of thousands.
Cranston’s combat power didn’t match his title or level at all. Nian Yan realized that the frail Cranston before him was a clear example of a hero past his prime. In Faith, unless one was a powerful being like Kars who could resist the passage of time, everyone else would age with the years, just like the Cranston before him.
These once-mighty heroes would eventually turn to dust like any other.
“Respected Mr. Cranston, it’s an honor to meet you,” Nian Yan bowed respectfully. A Level 180 elite NPC—perhaps he might offer some quests.
Cranston glanced at Nian Yan briefly, then ignored him and continued reading his holy scripture.
Nian Yan stood awkwardly on the spot. This was the first time he had encountered such a powerful NPC who completely disregarded his presence.
The more Cranston ignored him, the more determined Nian Yan became. He was determined to get something out of him. Standing beside Cranston, he listened closely to the murmured words coming from the old man.
Cranston was reciting lines from the holy scripture.
“With a heart of compassion, treat every person kindly. Be like the Holy Spring of Koluns Mountain, nourishing every tree, never drying up…” Cranston’s voice was low but powerful, spoken in Ancient Common Tongue, filled with a strange rhythm that brought a sense of peace and calm.
Nian Yan understood Ancient Common Tongue. These mysterious phrases gradually calmed his mind.
For the first time, he realized that the holy scripture of the Sacred Hall was full of rhythm and meaning, endlessly fascinating.
As he listened, Nian Yan became entranced. The scripture told stories of ancient times.
Time passed, and as he listened to Cranston reading, his mind felt increasingly clear and calm.
Since he had to wait anyway and had no urgent matters to attend to, it was fine to listen.
About twenty minutes later, Cranston finally turned to the last page of the scripture and finished reading the final syllable. He slowly put the holy book away, looked at Nian Yan beside him, and after a moment of focusing his hazy eyes, finally fixed his gaze on Nian Yan and asked, “Wandering hero, may I ask what you need?”
Hearing Cranston’s question, Nian Yan was momentarily stunned. It took him a while to recover. “Holy crap! So Cranston was just a vendor all along! The reason he ignored me earlier was because his eyesight was poor, and only now did he finally see me clearly!”
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