Chapter 532
Eivass’s Heart Stirred
Eivass knew what Haibasha wanted them to do. That was precisely why he had tried to pay his way out of the mission.
This was the fifth-anniversary mission, the final link in Haibasha’s event chain, and the first time players would physically enter the Dream Realm.
In the previous two years of sequential missions, players had obtained the “Prototype: Drunken Dream Tincture” and the “Dream Realm Navigator” respectively. This year’s anniversary mission was to complete small tasks in various shrines and then request protection from an Apostle.
Upon truly entering the Dream Realm, they would encounter various overpowered story monsters, many of which were elite monsters from the next version. Then, friends and powerful allies they had previously befriended would appear from all corners, showcase their skills, help hold off the enemies, and then send the players to the next location.
Some of these powerful allies were found by players immediately after completing their repeatable quests; others were acquaintances from previous main story quests, like Merlin; and some were old friends Haibasha herself had found… Essentially, this was a tour and an initial introduction to the Dream Realm map.
Finally, after much effort, they found Haibasha’s daughter, only to discover she wasn’t a Phantom Demon, but a mortal soul that Haibasha had intercepted using mystical arts during her mortal life – she neither reincarnated nor became a Phantom Demon.
When Haibasha was still mortal, she had wanted to resurrect her daughter, but she failed even after dying and sublimating into a Phantom Demon. She had simply kept her with her ever since.
Her soul was placed in a very exquisite ancient puppet, hidden by Haibasha in her workshop before she was reborn, and the sense of time was sealed.
Because she was at the critical point of transforming into a Phantom Demon, she could easily become one. Haibasha couldn’t directly bring her along when she reincarnated.
In the interim, the puppet shattered at the last moment due to combat or some other reason. In a moment of inspiration, the player placed her soul into a mechanical bird that Haibasha had previously given to the player – this little bird was the “Dream Realm Navigator.”
When she awoke in the Material Realm, the first person she saw was the player who had saved her. Thus, she would call the player father/mother. Simultaneously, due to the damaged soul, she had forgotten her past memories. Until Haibasha found a way to restore her memories, she could only stay by the player’s side.
And clearly, Haibasha had not found a way before Eivass’s transmigration.
As a result, players obtained a talking pet with a sweet childlike voice—a nearly spherical, all-blue transparent little bird with a light blue halo trailing behind it. From a player’s perspective, this was a mission they had to complete. After all, “She calls me Dad/Mom,” and she was a pet with light effects… even if she just stood on your shoulder or head, she was valuable for taking pictures.
However, from a realistic standpoint, the birth of this daughter-bird was, in a sense, a mission failure; if the mission had been successful, what would have been brought down would have been the complete puppet. Then she would have been resurrected by Haibasha. Not to mention whether resurrecting the dead from over two thousand years ago would violate the Hourglass’s taboos… the Dream Realm was too dangerous.
Keep in mind that Eivass was still being hunted by the Bear Heavenly Envoy. If he entered the Dream Realm, the Bear Heavenly Envoy might track him down by scent. Those wild Phantom Demons that hunted souls could be intercepted or persuaded to leave by the Apostles of the Nine Pillar Gods… but if the Heavenly Envoy himself came to kill him, these Apostles wouldn’t be able to stop him.
If Eivass were to go to the Dream Realm, it would at least be after he had dealt with the Bear Heavenly Envoy. Fortunately, Haibasha was quite discerning—compared to the players who received benefits for three years for free, Eivass had paid properly. Moreover, the money he paid was far more than the cost of purchasing Grimoires on the market… although these Grimoires were all out-of-print. But Eivass was also an Archbishop, and the Minister of Affairs of Avalon, his status was entirely different from that of the errand-running players.
Therefore, Haibasha decided to personally collect the materials to create the “Prototype: Drunken Dream Tincture.” The process alone should take two months. Later, she would realize that Eivass could not travel freely in the Dream Realm and would then create the “Dream Realm Navigator”—this item was what Eivass had his eye on.
Eivass already had a stronghold gifted by Morgan. If safety was not a concern, he could go on adventures with Isabel in the Dream Realm even without the “Prototype: Drunken Dream Tincture.” The “Prototype: Drunken Dream Tincture” merely provided a powerful buff, preventing players from being instantly killed by unknown AOE attacks, allowing them to barely survive a few rounds in battles spanning several levels… but not knowing the way was the most fatal problem.
A soul from the Material Realm entering the Dream Realm was like a terrestrial creature falling into the sea. Although some animals could doggy paddle, and a very small number could dive and hunt, they were ultimately not as agile or free as purely aquatic animals. Merely entering the “deep sea” and losing one’s sense of direction was a fatal and unsolvable problem. Without the Navigator, Eivass wouldn’t even dare to leave “Morgan’s Wonderful Dream House”—he might not be able to return once he went out. By the time she finished gathering these items alone, several months would likely have passed. By then, Eivass would probably have already dealt with the Bear Heavenly Envoy. As it stood, the Bear Heavenly Envoy’s mark on Eivass was increasing much faster than that…
After bidding farewell to Haibasha, Eivass took the two of them to the goblin settlement.
Purchasing Grimoires cost a total of 240,000 white crown coins, with a small change left over—but even the change amounted to tens of thousands of coins. It was enough to buy some daily necessities.
Outside the bookstore at this moment, night had already fallen. Looking up, the night sky was filled with stars—although these stars were all fake. The elves used their ancient technology to synchronize the “ceilings” of each layer to the same starry sky. This was to provide convenience for astrologers and ritualists, so they wouldn’t have to deduce the positions of celestial bodies themselves… nor would they have to go to the edges of each layer to see half the sky and then to the opposite side to see the other half.
The brightness of these starry skies was far greater than that of normal starry skies—this was also quite normal. Unlike Avalon, where there wasn’t much entertainment at night, the Church’s nights were as bright as day with lamplight. Streets and alleys were filled with giant crystals of various colors, shining with neon light. Night had already fallen, but there were still plenty of people on the streets. Different crystal patterns and shapes corresponded to different types of shops. Different crystal colors corresponded to the race of the shop owner. Although the Church had many races, generally people tended to do business with their own kind.
Deep green rhombic crystals corresponded to goblin shops. Eivass quickly found a shop offering troll delivery services and purchased some necessary daily necessities.
Although the Church did not allow troll trade, as a permanently neutral country, it respected the customs of other races and countries and would not confiscate their property—for example, troll slaves, considered private property, were still considered the property of goblin merchants. They certainly couldn’t be sold, as the Church strictly prohibited such transactions. However, they could be rented. Just like the goblins who brought trolls to Avalon to build railways… some goblin merchants, after purchasing or capturing trolls, would bring them to work—essentially like labor contractors, except they didn’t have to pay wages to these trolls.
And for many trolls, they were happy to work here. At least on Church territory, they didn’t have to worry about being beaten, starving, or dying, and they could wear decent and well-covered clothes. If they were accidentally injured or fell ill, they received free medical care. It was better than randomly being born and randomly dying on the scorching Southern Continent.
“Your Excellency the Archbishop, this is your first time here, isn’t it?” The goblin merchant’s voice, compared to that of Mr. “Gold Coin,” fit the stereotype of goblins better—shrill, dry, and noisy. He had deep green skin, and even standing on a half-meter-high platform, he only reached Eivass’s chest. His Avalon language was not very standard, with a strong Church accent.
But his service attitude was very enthusiastic and respectful: “The hauling fee for this trip is completely waived, we’ll haul it for you for free! Also, this purchase gets you a 4% discount—would you like to look at anything else? For purchases over 500 white crown coins, you get a 8% discount, and over 1,000 white crown coins, you get a 15% discount, plus an extra lucky draw! 100% prize, with the lowest prize being a fine jewel accessory worth 50 white crown coins. The first prize is a pure-blooded Gryphon egg! No worries, all procedures are legitimate! I see you don’t have a scepter with you—I have exquisite white crystal scepters here for only 300 white crown coins. And there’s an even better Consecrated Scepter, originally 2,880. Look, the tag is right here… Your Excellency the Archbishop, let’s be friends, how about I sell it to you for 1,500?”
Eivass, who originally didn’t plan to buy anything, couldn’t help but be tempted as he listened. The Consecrated Scepter was already considered a slightly purple weapon. Although it was mass-produced—it was probably equivalent to Director Gordon’s rune sword. Sherlock’s cane was about the same level. Being able to buy one for 1,500 white crown coins was a huge profit! Eivass wasn’t short of money, and at this price, he could even resell it back in Avalon for a profit. Buying a proper, legal, and clean purple weapon in Avalon would cost at least several thousand white crown coins. Many young arbitrators couldn’t afford to use such items.
…And speaking of which, Eivass actually didn’t have a scepter. Although as a Demon Scholar, he already had a powerful main-hand weapon. But as a Priest, he only had the Episcopal Crown, which was considered a secondary weapon, and no scepter of his own. This shop had a good reputation among goblin merchants. At least there were no fake goods meant to trick people… The only issue was that some items were refurbished second-hand, and the shop owner particularly liked to push items that weren’t needed.
But Eivass did need a scepter, so this couldn’t be considered an unneeded item. This was a genuine need! A genuine need couldn’t be considered a pushy sales tactic… It just so happened that he had brought enough money this time, with tens of thousands left—
“…What’s the best scepter you have here?” Eivass couldn’t help but ask, “Is there anything better than the Consecrated Scepter?”
Hearing this, the goblin merchant’s face lit up with joy.
“For anything better, the discount might not be as much.” He clapped his hands. “Listen as I introduce them one by one…”
Behind Eivass, Sherlock covered his forehead with a helpless expression.
(End of this Chapter)
