Nian Yan felt a stir in his heart. Although he had experienced the myriad aspects of life in his previous life, he still could not remain indifferent to everything. He showed an expression of regret and continued listening.
“I was drunk beyond reason outside. Aina, I was wrong. I would spend the rest of my life repenting for my sins. But when I returned home, Aina was hanging from a beam with a rope. She was so quiet, as if she had simply fallen asleep. Her face was pale yet sorrowfully beautiful. She chose this way to silently accuse me. Aina, why didn’t you wait for me to come back? Why! We still had Niya, we still had a family! But no matter how hard I cried out, Aina would never wake again. She left this world, filled with resentment toward me. Oh God, how can I ever redeem myself! Niya held my hand and asked me, ‘Is Mommy asleep?’…” Earl Kelfield showed a face full of remorse. He wept bitterly, unable to continue.
Seeing the old tears streaming down Earl Kelfield’s face, Nian Yan sighed inwardly. If he had known it would come to this, why had he acted so carelessly in the first place?
“One day, Patsy suddenly came to me, holding a blood-stained dagger. This crazy woman, what had she done! She had killed Niya! She told me, from then on there would be no more obstacles between us, that we could finally be together. She could give me a child, give me a family. This woman had already lost her mind, how cruel could she be! In a rage, I ran her through with my sword, this wicked woman! Yet Niya, she was also gone from me, an innocent child! Many years later, I finally understood one truth: in fact, home had already become forever unreachable the moment I made that mistake. I destroyed everything with my own hands. This is the sin I committed. Looking back, I am alone, and pain will accompany me for the rest of my life.”
Actually, home becomes forever unreachable the moment you make a mistake. Earl Kelfield’s words deeply moved Nian Yan. Everyone has a demon inside. Once you make a mistake, you may drift further and further away, making mistake after mistake, eventually leading to lifelong regret.
“Why don’t you leave this ancient castle and start a new life?” Nian Yan asked. Why was Earl Kelfield so determined to stay here? This was one of the task clues he had just uncovered, so he took the opportunity to ask.
“Aina and Niya are buried in the flower fields below. I must guard them. One evening, a person dressed in a black cloak passed through my castle. He gave me something, telling me that if I gave this item to the right person, my sins would be forgiven, and the curse on this castle would also be lifted. I asked him to whom I should give it, but he did not answer. I have stayed in this castle for thirty years, as if I had lived through a thousand lifetimes. Until you appeared, I suddenly understood.” Earl Kelfield said, his withered hand fumbling in his pocket for a while before finally pulling out a strange stone. The stone looked like a tooth, white in color, about the size of a thumb. “This is what he gave me. With it, you can find what you are looking for.”
Nian Yan reached out and took the stone. It was crystal clear like jade, emitting a warm white glow that gave one a feeling of comfort and warmth.
He checked the stone’s attributes.
Holy Light Stone: Requirement, Willpower 60.
Item Description: Seek the buried history, O warrior, and embark on the journey to find the complete set of the Tyrant Abak, restoring the glory of the empire.
Attributes: Increases light radius by 30 yards. Comes with the skill Holy Illumination, which dispels surrounding darkness and expels all evil creatures nearby. Skill duration: 30 seconds. Skill cooldown: 2 natural days. Search: After casting this skill, displays the locations of components of the Tyrant Abak’s set within a 5000-yard radius. Skill cooldown: 2 hours.
Restriction: Can only be used by the holder of Shadow of Darkness.
“Respected Earl Kelfield, thank you for telling me all this,” Nian Yan said. It seemed this long task would continue onward.
Shadow of Darkness was the condition for triggering the task, and this Holy Light Stone was the clue guiding the task!
Earl Kelfield showed a relieved smile and said, “Now that I have given it to you, my mission is complete. There is nothing left for me in this world. Warrior, may courage and faith be with you always.”
Nian Yan could feel that as the Holy Light Stone left Earl Kelfield, the vitality was gradually fading from him. His withered appearance was aging at an alarming rate.
The militia Brecken and Bernard looked sorrowful. They knew that Earl Kelfield did not have much time left.
Earl Kelfield gazed into the void, his eyes losing focus, murmuring to himself, “I can hear my Father’s call. Friends, please do not mourn for me. At this moment, I can finally redeem my sins. I will depart like the wind. May the Holy Light shine upon the world, and may there be no more regrets or sorrows in this world.”
Earl Kelfield’s body slowly dissolved into the air, and a soul slowly floated upward, drifting out the window.
The body of Earl Kelfield vanished, leaving behind a book, which quietly lay on the armchair.
It was an ancient book. Nian Yan picked it up and looked at it. It was a prayer book filled with many hymns. Throughout the long years, Earl Kelfield had continuously sung these prayers to atone for his sins.
The book was written in Old Common script. On its cover were several golden words: Holy Light Prayers.
It was just an ordinary item, not particularly useful. A small chain was tucked inside the book. At the top of the chain was a light blue gem, bordered with metal, looking exquisitely beautiful. Along its edge were a few small words written in Old Common: May the penitent find redemption, may all people find happiness.
Nian Yan checked the chain’s attributes.
Holy Light Chain (Epic): Requirement, Focus 30.
Attributes: Increases HP by 500, all Holy Light magic levels +1.
Restriction: Can only be used by Holy Word Priests.
It was an item for Holy Word Priests. Seeing the attribute of increasing all Holy Light magic levels by 1, Nian Yan felt a surge of excitement. This Holy Light Chain was definitely worth far more than some common sub-legendary items. Many equipment attributes were randomly generated, and the chance of getting a +1 to all magic levels was extremely rare.
It was a Holy Word Priest item, so he couldn’t use it. Thinking for a moment, he decided to give it to Xie Yao.
Xie Yao’s gear was second only to his within the Bull People Tribe. With her outstanding abilities and beautiful appearance, she had become a goddess-like figure admired by all in the Bull People Tribe. Among the most dazzling beauties of the Bull People Tribe—Xie Yao, Yi Chui Ding Qing, Shi Li Hua Sha, Yue Er Ya, Yu Lan, and others—each had their own unique charm, making it hard to declare a clear favorite.
Thinking of Xie Yao, a soft spot in Nian Yan’s heart was touched.
Nian Yan put the Holy Light Chain into his backpack. It was about time to leave. He wondered what new clues awaited him next.
Suddenly, Nian Yan felt the Holy Light Stone in his backpack vibrate slightly. Startled, he took it out and cast a search skill. On the coordinate map, it showed that a component of the Tyrant Abak’s set was nearby.
“Breken, Bernard, could you please guide me around this ancient castle?” Nian Yan turned to the nearby militiamen Brecken and Bernard. Since he was unfamiliar with the castle, having the two militiamen lead the way would surely be more efficient.
“Yes, respected Demon Slayer, Scholar, and Master Thief,” Militiaman Brecken respectfully replied. “Please follow me.”
Militiamen Brecken and Bernard began leading Nian Yan to other parts of the castle. Nian Yan felt that the closer they got into the castle, the stronger the Holy Light Stone’s reaction became. At the intersection of two corridors, Nian Yan looked down one corridor, which had a series of densely packed rooms. The doors and walls were very dilapidated, and the floor was covered in thick dust, clearly undisturbed for a long time. A metal barrier blocked the corridor.
As Brecken was about to lead Nian Yan in another direction, Nian Yan stopped and asked, “Why aren’t we going that way?”
Brecken explained, “Before his death, Earl Kelfield gave strict orders that this area was cursed. Two servants had died there, their deaths horrifying. Therefore, Earl Kelfield sealed this area off, and no one dared to enter. It became a forbidden zone.”
Nian Yan looked at the corridor. The metal barrier at its end was made of ordinary metal without any protective enchantments. He drew Zennarde’s Sword, and with a single swing, the barrier exploded into pieces with a loud crash.
The sudden action startled Militiamen Brecken and Bernard. The power of that single sword strike was overwhelming.
“Now we can go in,” Nian Yan sheathed Zennarde’s Sword and started walking down the corridor. After a while, noticing that Brecken and Bernard had not followed, he turned back in surprise and asked, “What’s wrong with you two?”
“Earl Kelfield once warned us not to enter this area. He was a venerable elder,” Brecken replied hesitantly.
“Then you can wait here,” Nian Yan said. From Brecken’s words, he understood immediately that according to the task’s design, Brecken and Bernard would not follow him inside.
Nian Yan had a very keen sense of tasks. From every word spoken by an NPC, he could instantly determine the next part of the task’s storyline.
He walked further down the corridor. His footsteps echoed on the wooden floorboards, creaking and resounding farther in the silence, giving a sense of vast emptiness.
The ground was covered in dust. As he passed by, clouds of dust swirled into the air. Nian Yan slowed his pace. Through the thick layer of dust, he could vaguely see traces of blood on the floor, now blackened with age, though he could not tell how many years had passed.
From these bloodstains, he could deduce that someone had been murdered here. It seemed as if they had been targeted, bitten to death, and then dragged away, leaving a trail of blood.
A powerful dark presence lingered in this area. Nian Yan was certain that a formidable dark creature must reside here.
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