Chapter 137: The Temple of the Crimson Witch

Seeing that Ye Chen had accepted the quest, the Shadow Priest mentor nodded in satisfaction and carefully explained, "Because the Lich is indeed very powerful, this is not a solo quest. It must be completed by ten elites from the Five Cities."

Ye Chen paused, puzzled, "Ten elites from the Five Cities? Are professionals from other cities participating in this quest as well?"

"Professional" was how NPCs addressed players; players usually referred to themselves as professionals or adventurers when speaking with NPCs.

"Correct. The other four cities in the Five-City District will also send people. Two from each city. You all have the same goal: to retrieve the Necromantic Notes from the hands of the Lich. Whoever retrieves them completes the quest. The requirement is to complete the quest in a duo, so you may choose your own partner when the time comes." As the mentor spoke, he cast a black light that merged into Ye Chen’s body.

"Ding! You have accepted the quest: Search for the Necromantic Notes."

[Search for the Necromantic Notes]: Travel to the Red Blood Witch Palace of the Lich Triss, kill the Lich Triss, and retrieve Carlo’s Necromantic Notes. (Note: This quest requires a duo to complete. You may choose your partner upon arrival at the Red Blood Witch Palace. You will receive an extremely generous reward upon completion. If you fail, you will be unable to accept another advancement quest for ten days.)

Looking at the quest prompts, Ye Chen’s expression changed slightly. The rest was manageable, but being unable to accept an advancement quest for ten days upon failure was a real trap. He had heard that the alien continent was full of monstrous players, and without strength, it would be impossible to move an inch, not to mention the journey to the distant Dragon City. He immediately asked 2058, "Are you absolutely certain about dealing with this semi-spirit creature? If not, we might as well wait until tomorrow to accept a safer advancement quest. It doesn't matter if I die or not, but I fear that failing to advance will affect our upcoming trip to Dragon City. After all, your spirit body is the truly important matter."

"Are you willing to give up the Sword Demon’s secret?" 2058 was silent for a moment before asking back.

Ye Chen laughed suddenly, "What is there to be reluctant about? It’s just a hidden class. Could it be more important than your incarnation?"

"Thank you. Since that’s the case... then let’s go kill that little Lich!" 2058’s tone had been low for the first half, but the second half suddenly shifted, becoming high-spirited and excited.

Ye Chen was left speechless, feeling as though he had been played.

"Since you have accepted the quest, prepare to head to the Red Blood Witch Palace. Take this teleportation crystal. In fifteen minutes, you and the other nine professionals will be teleported to the Red Blood Witch Palace together. I wish you success." The mentor handed Ye Chen a palm-sized crystal covered in magical runes.

"Where are we going now? What preparations do we need?" Once outside the Professional Guild, Ye Chen whispered to 2058. Before entering the Illusory Realm, he had spent several days preparing and completing countless tasks just to gather those items. Now, with only fifteen minutes left, he didn't know if there was enough time.

"Put on that set of silver equipment; nothing else is needed. The secret to killing that Lich lies within the Red Blood Witch Palace itself. That palace was once called... you only need to..."

In fifteen minutes, 2058 explained the various strategies for the Red Blood Witch Palace in great detail, and Ye Chen memorized them all. Once the fifteen minutes were up, the teleportation crystal shattered automatically. A water-blue light instantly enveloped Ye Chen, and with a flash, he vanished from the crowd without a trace. Nearby players were stunned, "How did that guy just disappear?"

"Logged off, maybe?"

"Get lost, do you emit blue light when you log off?"

"Was that a city teleportation array?"

"Idiot, city teleportation arrays emit white light. You clearly don't know anything."

"Then what do you think it was?"

"I guess it might be some hidden quest. He could be a big shot. Did you see his name?"

"You call me an idiot, but you're one too; that cloak was anti-detection."

...

Ye Chen was unaware of the speculations caused by his sudden disappearance. When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing on a blood-red landscape. In front of him was a pitch-black cave entrance, and above it, four faint characters were visible: Red Blood Witch Palace.

"Damn, what kind of pathetic palace is this? I thought it would be imposing and majestic, but it looks just like a hole dug up by the undead."

A strange cry rang in his ear, and a figure gradually solidified nearby—an elven archer carrying a massive black bow.

Following that, a second, third, fourth... within a single breath, nine figures appeared in the vicinity. The ninth person was actually an acquaintance: Feng Wuxue!

None of the players rushed into the Red Blood Witch Palace, instead standing before the cave, observing and communicating with one another. A burly man carrying an axe stepped forward and shouted, "The quest requires a duo. I am 'Battleaxe', a second-advancement Berserker, the top tank of Storm City. Defense 405, Attack 388, HP 3255. I need a strong damage dealer; no scrubs, please."

As soon as the Berserker spoke, several damage dealers were tempted. Whether he was truly the top tank of Storm City didn't concern them, but those stats for HP and defense were undeniably top-tier, and his damage wasn't low either. Having such a heavy-armored teammate in a dangerous environment was definitely desirable.

"I am 'Wind-Chasing Youth', a high-level archer from Gale City. Attack power 415. Battleaxe, how about we team up?" It was the archer who had appeared first, looking eagerly at the Berserker.

Battleaxe sneered, "Stay where it's cool. You think 415 is enough to team up with me? Know your place, you scrub. If your attack isn't over 500, get lost."

"You..." The Wind-Chasing Youth’s face flushed red, and he reached for his bow, already nocking an arrow.

"Don't go looking for death. Although there are penalties for killing in this place, if you annoy me, I won't be polite. With that scrawny frame of yours, I can chop you down in two swings." Battleaxe drew his axe, and a pale red light glowed on his body. Everyone present felt a slight chill; it was the Frenzy skill. This Berserker was not to be trifled with; there were few Berserkers who knew Frenzy at this stage.

Sure enough, the Wind-Chasing Youth immediately backed down, silently cursing with his lips, but Battleaxe didn't even glance at him.

Ye Chen’s eyes narrowed. It seemed that this quest required not only facing a semi-spirit-level Lich but also dealing with these fellow players who might strike from the shadows at any moment. This pathetic quest was truly frustrating; since it wasn't an exclusive advancement quest, second-advancement players could also accept it. While they couldn't advance, they could obtain rare skills, and they would certainly end up fighting each other in the end.

However, anyone in this place would have to think twice before killing, as not only was there a double drop rate for dying while red-named, but each additional kill meant losing an extra level upon death. Without enough temptation, no one would act lightly; it should be relatively safe in the beginning.

Battleaxe’s requirement of 500 attack caused several damage dealers to retreat, and the others didn't seem interested either. In the end, it was Feng Wuxue who stepped forward to team up with him.

With Battleaxe and Feng Wuxue teamed up, the others began looking for partners. Many approached Ye Chen to ask, but upon hearing he was only a first-advancement professional, they ignored him directly.

After three or four minutes, three more teams were formed. The only ones left were Ye Chen, who hadn't advanced yet, and a cold, aloof female thief. Ye Chen was ignored because of his advancement level, while the female thief seemed quite famous; the swordsman from her city had called her "Asura Blade" and tried to team up with her, only to be refused. She hadn't accepted anyone else's invitation either.

Seeing that Ye Chen was the only one left without a partner, the female thief frowned slightly and said with cold indifference, "Join the party. Since there’s no best option, I’d rather have the worst."

Pfft! Ye Chen nearly choked, not from laughter, but from disbelief. He couldn't believe someone could be so dismissive. He just felt this woman had too much personality; her single comment had offended everyone around her. It meant she looked down on everyone. Even Battleaxe’s face darkened, but both he and Feng Wuxue seemed wary of this "Asura Blade" and didn't utter a word.

"Ha, you've been ignored. This woman really has character."

Listening to 2058's voice and seeing the female thief’s emotionless party invitation alongside the disdainful gazes of the other players, Ye Chen felt a strong urge to rip off his cloak, unleash the full glow of his equipment, and shout, "I’m no rookie!"

But he decided against it. Staying low-key for now was a good thing. Those guys wouldn't pay him any attention, and when the time came to strike, the element of surprise would definitely give him an advantage. And that Feng Wuxue—he and Battleaxe would surely start slaughtering others later. Hmph, the more people they kill, the more miserable they'll be when they die.

"Ding! You have joined the party of the player 'Cold Moon Frost'."

Cold Moon Frost, Level 40. Seeing the player's info in the party screen, Ye Chen was slightly stunned. This woman was fierce!

The highest level in Lishan City was only 38—himself and the monk Dingyuan—and that was thanks to the Illusory Realm. Otherwise, the top player in Lishan City, Jian Wuxin, was only 37. This woman was actually level 40. There probably weren't many people higher than her in the entire Five-City District; perhaps she was even the number one player of the five cities?

Cold Moon Frost was also slightly stunned when she saw Ye Chen's level information, her rosy lips parting slightly. Just as Ye Chen expected her to be deeply surprised and view him as a hidden master, she suddenly said in the party channel, "Level 38 and not yet advanced? You really are a freak."

A freak?!

Ye Chen’s face turned pitch black.