Chapter 22: Departure, The Old Man’s Request

And if one wished to break the seal, it was first necessary to slay a certain fearsome beast dwelling upon the Dark Plateau. This was a creature much like the one Naer had mentioned earlier, a monster fashioned from corpses—its name, the Dark Guardian.

After defeating the Dark Guardian, one would obtain a Heart of Darkness. This Heart of Darkness could consume the power of dark creatures, thereby unlocking the Fountain of Vitality.

Along with these revelations came a chart detailing the distribution of creatures across the Dark Plateau. This bestiary had been compiled by information gathered from experts hired by some of the fairy folk, as well as data purchased from the intelligence market, and then organized into its current form. It recorded in considerable detail the deadly beasts that Wang Chen and his companions might encounter.

Wang Chen gazed upon the illustration of the Dark Guardian, particularly its grotesque visage bearing three heads, and his heart grew heavy. This dungeon was indeed no simple challenge.

At that moment, the system prompt chimed:

[Quest Information Updated]
[Quest Title: Give the Fairies a Home (Five-Star)]
[Quest Objective: Retrieve the Fountain of Vitality for the Fairies]

“It seems I’ll have to make another trip to the market and prepare some extra means of protection,” Wang Chen murmured inwardly.

“May I take these materials with me?” he asked, turning to Naer.

“Well? You see now, recovering the Fountain of Vitality is truly perilous, isn’t it?” Naer nodded, her expression tinged with worry.

“That’s right,” Wang Chen agreed. But what choice did he have? This was his class advancement quest. His aid to the fairies was not the act of a hero bravely facing adversity, but merely that of a hapless soul assigned a burdensome task.

“At this point, all I can do is give it my utmost,” Wang Chen said to Naer.

Naer looked at him with gratitude, then turned and fetched something else from the safe.

“These are magic scrolls I’ve saved over many years,” she said, lifting a particular object. “This was given to me by our tribe’s astrologer. He never explained what it was for, only told me to entrust it to the hero.”

Wang Chen took it and examined it closely. It was a jade flute, its texture smooth and warm—a relic passed through countless hands over the years, lovingly preserved. The flute was a vibrant emerald green, cool and lustrous in his grip, as though it were a living plant.

“Your astrologer’s divination of the Fountain’s location was remarkably accurate. Now that he’s told you to give me this flute, I’m sure it serves a purpose,” Wang Chen observed.

Naer was taken aback, then broke into a delighted smile. Like many races whose society remained primitive under the protection of supernatural forces, the fairies placed great importance on rituals and worship. Their astrologer was central to such ceremonies.

Most humans with whom she had spoken, shaped by the subtle influence of science over the years, scoffed at rituals and divination. Naer often felt her beliefs were not respected—one of the “homesicknesses” she spoke of as a foreign race. But Wang Chen was different; he treated her faith with respect.

For a moment, Naer could not help but steal glances at Wang Chen as he examined the scrolls. Wang Chen himself had no intention of seeking common ground or respecting differences—he was simply a pragmatist. If the astrologer had divined the location of lost things so accurately, there was no reason to dismiss his other instructions.

“Hm? A gold-tier scroll!” Wang Chen’s eyes lit up as he examined it closely.

[Azure Thunder Bind (Gold-Tier)]
[Description: Upon use, releases a chain of rampant lightning to bind the target, continuously shocking it. The entwined electric chain has a chance to draw down heavenly lightning, striking the enemy.]

“In terms of effect, it’s not much different from a reversed lightning barrier, but the energy intensity must be on another level. And it even has a chance to call down thunder from the heavens!” Wang Chen was satisfied, storing the Azure Thunder Bind along with several silver-tier scrolls in his dimensional ring.

“I’ll be off, then. Tomorrow, I’ll head to the Dark Plateau and see what awaits,” he announced.

Naer tried to persuade him to stay. “It’s already so late. Wouldn’t it be better to spend the night here?”

“I can’t sleep in strange beds,” Wang Chen replied with a laugh.

Naer pressed him to stay a while longer, but when her efforts failed, she personally escorted him to the gate. She lingered by the door, watching until Wang Chen’s figure vanished at the end of the long street, lost in thought and reluctant to return inside.

“He’ll be fine,” she murmured. “He showed such quick wits during the trial. On the Dark Plateau, cleverness is more vital than strength. He’ll surely come back safely.”

…

At dawn, Wang Chen made his way to the trading market, purchasing a large supply of silver-tier scrolls to bolster his arsenal. As for gold-tier scrolls, he bought none—none were suitable, and those that were came at an exorbitant price. Even if he spent all his remaining money, he could only afford the most mediocre ones.

Afterward, he made his way to the teleportation array that led to the Dark Plateau. As he was about to step forward, an elderly man, resting nearby with the aid of a cane, called out to him.

“Young man!” The old man, needing his cane to walk, shuffled unsteadily toward him. “Are you headed to the Dark Plateau?”

“Yes, sir,” Wang Chen replied politely.

A look of worry appeared on the old man’s face. “Don’t underestimate the Dark Plateau. It’s dangerous beyond belief. Are you sure you want to go, child?”

Wang Chen smiled calmly. “I’m sure. This isn’t a rash decision—I’ve done my research and made my preparations.”

The old man sighed heavily, shaking his head. “Such misfortune,” he muttered. Then, turning his clouded gaze upon Wang Chen, he asked hopefully, “Could you do me a favor?”

Wang Chen was taken aback, frowning slightly. “That depends on what you’re asking.”

The old man coughed as he spoke, and Wang Chen quickly handed him a tissue. The old man gripped his cane tightly, took a moment to steady his labored breathing, then continued.

“You can see for yourself—I don’t have many days left,” he said. “My son got into trouble, and afraid of punishment, he fled to that lawless place, the Dark Plateau.”

He paused, tears brimming in his eyes. “All I wish is that, if you encounter him, you’d tell him to come home. Whatever he’s done, we’ll face it together and pay what’s due. At my age, I only wish to see him living honestly before I go.”

Hearing the old man’s plea, Wang Chen felt a pang in his heart. “If I meet him, I’ll do all I can to persuade him to return. Do you have a photo of him?”

“I do!” The old man reached into his inner pocket with a trembling hand, pulling out a balled-up tissue. He carefully unfolded it to reveal a crumpled photograph—a middle-aged man with a kind face, holding the old man in a warm embrace, both smiling radiantly.

“His name is Xu Yong,” the old man said.

Wang Chen snapped a picture of the photo with his phone. “Don’t worry, sir. I’ll keep an eye out.”

“Thank you, young man. But put your own safety first!” the old man urged. “The Dark Plateau is full of killers and scoundrels—don’t trust anyone too easily.”

Wang Chen nodded, bade the old man farewell, and stepped toward the teleportation array. As the white light flared, the old man’s quavering voice echoed after him, “But Xiao Yong is not a bad person—he’s a good boy…a good boy…”