Chapter Twenty-Two: The Six-Eyed Sage

My worries were justified. The gardener’s transformation has forced me to leave behind these written records in this way. He has begun to pay close attention to my diary, to my words, to every piece of information I’ve uncovered here.

That honest, good-natured young man has vanished. The murderous desire, long hidden in his bloodline, is now corroding his soul—and I am powerless to stop it.

From the newly deciphered texts and murals, I have seen the presence of the Bloodvine many times. Anyone parasitized by the Bloodvine is doomed to a path of destruction.

Yet there is still one way to remedy this, though the useful information is woefully scarce. I must find more effective clues if I am to have any hope of saving that once kind young man.

However, the gardener is growing ever more impatient with my directions. More than once, he has watched the position of the Sun Staircase.

But all the vital access points to the Sun Staircase are sealed off by ancient troops. Even the personnel from the Great Tree Research Institute dare not challenge them.

How can I stop the gardener?

I hope this ruin will soon provide the answers I seek!

…

[Hint: You have helped Little Bob find the first text record in the inner ring. Find the remaining two and you will complete the second stage of the hidden quest “Little Bob’s Revenge”!]

In this message, Old Bob focused on the gardener’s changes and the possibility of ridding someone of the Bloodvine’s parasitic influence. Yet in the end, despite his efforts to save the once good-natured youth, he failed—and paid with his life.

Watching his father step by step toward an inevitable death was a crushing blow for Little Bob. He wiped his face hard, unwilling to let Ember and the others see his despair. But the fiery red of his hair seemed to flare like an inferno, spreading through his whole being down to his eyes, making his resolve for revenge even more unshakable.

“Let’s move! Next stop!”

Ember refrained from any further words of comfort. It was better to uncover the truth than waste time in sorrow. He had a feeling that Old Bob’s death might not be as simple as the diary described.

Moreover, Little Bob’s willing confessions made Ember reconsider several things that had previously seemed ordinary.

For instance, how did Little Bob know that his father had left written records in the Forbidden Zone? And that there were three in the central ring and three in the inner ring?

Perhaps it was natural for a game character to know this, but was it really so simple?

With these doubts, Ember followed Little Bob and Cup-of-Wine-Growing-Strong through streets and alleys, dodging monsters, until they reached the second text record location—a rather ordinary-looking residence.

“Huh! Could there be something special about this house?” Cup-of-Wine-Growing-Strong was puzzled. Each of the previous text record sites had been unusual in some way, but this house was unremarkable amidst such a grand city. Without the leaf-marked guidance, they would never have found it.

“We’ll know once we go inside.”

Ember had the other two stand back and went forward to open the door himself. After confirming there was no danger, the three entered in single file.

The interior of this house was quite unlike the previous mansion; there were no signs of fighting, the furnishings were orderly, and even the dust was minimal, as if someone cleaned regularly. All three were puzzled as to why Old Bob would leave a record here—could it have served as a temporary hideout?

“No, something’s off!”

With his perception at level six, Little Bob immediately sensed the problem. He shoved aside the large bed in the corner and tapped on the floor beneath.

Thump, thump!

“Hollow?” Cup-of-Wine-Growing-Strong’s wide eyes lit up. Sweeping his gaze, he quickly found a mechanism, pried open a floor tile with a crossbow bolt, and revealed an iron ring attached to a chain.

“Step back, there could be danger.”

Such elaborate arrangements made this ordinary house suddenly seem anything but. After confirming with the others, Ember gripped the ring and pulled.

[Hint: Your strength level has reached five, enough to open the mechanism!]

A grinding sound echoed as the mechanism activated and a trapdoor appeared. As air rushed in, special torches embedded in the walls ignited, lighting the stairs and banishing the darkness. Ember descended a few steps and found the underground space much larger than he had imagined—a long, seemingly endless passage stretched ahead. After proceeding a few more steps, Ember’s eyes narrowed: a figure appeared in the dimness, and at the same time, the other sensed Ember’s presence.

Chains clattered—Ember now saw that the figure was bound with thick black chains, shackled near the wall, with barely any room to move.

Ember became instantly alert, ready for any sudden attack.

But the chained figure did not lash out. Instead, he struggled continuously, trying to break free, though he clearly lacked the strength. He ignored Ember and his companions completely, allowing them to stand at a safe distance.

“A Six-Eyed Evangelist?”

Little Bob’s eyes widened as inspiration struck. He studied the figure’s attire with surprise before confirming his guess. “I once read in an ancient tome that, in the precursor world to the Fairytale Realm, there existed a bizarre cult devoted to an evil god. Every evangelist responsible for recruiting followers wore a six-eyed mask, as multiple eyes symbolized wisdom in their faith. Six-Eyed Evangelists held high positions and possessed great power.”

Hearing this, Ember and Cup-of-Wine-Growing-Strong studied the chained Six-Eyed Evangelist with curiosity. He wore a tattered black robe, and his mask bore six lifelike eyes that seemed truly to gaze back at the three of them.

Ember activated his investigation skill, but once again received a “perception insufficient, investigation failed” notice. The same happened to Cup-of-Wine-Growing-Strong. Fortunately, Little Bob’s investigation skill was effective, allowing the other two to glimpse the true strength of the Six-Eyed Evangelist.

…

Name: [Six-Eyed Evangelist] (Leader Undead/Sealed/Unknown)

Health: 250/250 (Weakened)

Attack Level: Strong (35/Weakened)

Defense Level: Average (20/Weakened)

Attack Speed: Normal (Weakened)

Alert Range: Far (Weakened)

Skills: Summon: Zealot (Weakened), Six-Eyed Divine Light (Weakened)

Description: Once a devoted follower of an ancient kingdom, for mysterious reasons this evangelist’s body has been preserved to the present, and his soul has not wholly faded. Although his power has greatly waned during his long captivity, he retains special abilities granted by his god.

…

“Wow! Another boss! Should we fight him?” Cup-of-Wine-Growing-Strong compared this evangelist’s stats to the witch’s and found that, aside from having slightly more health, the other attributes were much lower—except for the two special skills, which greatly boosted his power.

The Zealots had stats superior to Great Tree Warriors, and the Six-Eyed Divine Light’s attack power was impressive.

This made Cup-of-Wine-Growing-Strong hesitate, so he looked to Ember for guidance.

“Fight! Of course we fight! To find the second text record, we have to defeat this roadblock!”

Ember flashed a confident smile. “But don’t worry—no matter how strong a Six-Eyed Evangelist is, he’s no match for that nightmare challenge. Besides, we’re stronger now, and I can use this opportunity to test the new effect of my Bloodvine bracelet.”

As he spoke, Ember flicked his wrist and the Bloodvine bracelet transformed before their eyes. In the blink of an eye, the dainty bracelet became a shield on his arm. Cup-of-Wine-Growing-Strong gaped in astonishment. “The Bloodvine accessory gains extra effects when it reaches its complete form?”

“That’s right!” Ember demonstrated the upgraded Bloodvine bracelet’s effects: it now granted an extra 200 health, increased fear and virus resistance to a high level, and added a transformation effect. When activated, the bonus health converted to shield value; the shield’s defense equaled twice the wearer’s defense. If the shield broke, the accessory would be disabled for two minutes. The lost shield value could then be replenished using healing items, with Ember as the medium.

In other words, with a defense of 12, Ember now wielded a shield with 200 points and 24 defense. Though his health returned to normal, if used wisely, he could perfectly fulfill the role of tank. Since the shield was formed from an accessory, it didn’t occupy his weapon slot, so Ember could still draw two weapons from his special slow-time inventory when combat erupted.

“With this shield, you two can attack without worry. I’ll make sure you stay safe!”