Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Match

Seeing Little Bob completely abandon his usual indifference and reveal such raw despair, Embers and Deepening Wine exchanged glances and slowly shook their heads, neither willing to reveal Old Bob's final fate to him.

Piecing together the information at hand, Embers could roughly deduce the entire process of Old Bob’s death. In his dying moments, Old Bob managed to suppress the Gardener’s bloodthirst by sheer force of soul, allowing the Gardener to regain clarity and fulfill the entrusted task. To honor his savior, the Gardener took the “Issue Twenty-Six” newspaper, intending to bury Old Bob in the most precious place he knew—his manor.

However, perhaps because too much time had passed, the virus dormant within Old Bob began to erupt; the Gardener lost his sanity once more, and in the end, Old Bob’s body was never left intact. Only his diary remained, perfectly preserved in the Gardener’s hut.

It was the subtle influence of the Bloodvine that set the Gardener on his path of rebellion against both the Farmer and the Shepherd.

At present, it seemed the Gardener had split off at least three symbiotic entities—two perished in the manor, and one remained in the Forbidden Zone. The main body had likely long since withdrawn, hidden deep within the wastelands.

This was, without doubt, a shrewd move—never put all your eggs in one basket. At the very least, it spared him the fate of being wiped out entirely by the Farmer, the Shepherd, or the Giant Tree Research Institute.

“So, will you still go through with your revenge?” Embers asked, though he already expected the answer; he wished to actively trigger the next phase of the hidden quest.

“That’s right. Before the Gardener left, he told me that if he ever lost his mind completely, I must find a way to eliminate him,” Little Bob replied, his face troubled. “But his power now is terrifying. If it weren’t, he couldn’t possibly have evaded the Giant Tree Research Institute’s pursuit, even in the Forbidden Zone.”

“Let’s set those worries aside for now. Since we promised to help you take your revenge, we will see it through,” Embers declared with confidence. “Besides, we can’t underestimate the Giant Tree Research Institute. Though the three of us are few in number, it doesn’t mean we must lead the charge ourselves. The priority is to ascertain the situation at the Sun Staircase. Since we’ve already spooked our targets, we mustn’t approach rashly. In that case, it’s time to try that item!”

“Alright!” Little Bob was convinced, and the two players immediately received the final phase of the hidden quest.

...

Quest Title: [Little Bob’s Revenge] (Hidden Quest, Third Phase)

Objective: Assist Little Bob in slaying the Gardener’s symbiotic entity

Reward: Unknown (Accumulates—distributed based on completion after all phases)

Description: Little Bob must cleanse his cowardice with the death of the Gardener’s symbiote. Facing a perilous, uncertain future, he needs your help.

[Hint: This is the final phase of the hidden quest. Completing it will improve your evaluation.]

...

[Hint: You have achieved an “Outstanding” rating in this trial!]

As the final phase of the hidden quest appeared, Embers and Deepening Wine both received the evaluation prompt. They were astonished; after all, an “Outstanding” rating surpassed “Hard” and was nearly equivalent to “Perfect” on Hard mode. Yet, thinking it through, the result was not so surprising. The secret of the Sun Staircase was fully revealed, and the players’ primary objectives were basically accomplished. To pursue a “Perfect” rating, they would have to complete the unfinished endeavors of the Solar High Priest and the Six-Eyed Prophet.

Of course, the final goal still lay behind countless obstacles, but with their success now guaranteed, Embers and his companion felt considerably lighter in spirit and even more confident about the challenges ahead.

...

“Though I have a matchstick to use at will, I’ve been pondering how best to maximize its value. Now, I think I have an answer. Let’s return to that place—let’s hope my judgment is correct!”

...

In the torch-lit underground passage, flickering flames illuminated the trio’s silhouettes.

Deepening Wine stood beside the yet-to-be-revived Six-Eyed Preacher, doubts in his voice as he asked Embers, “Are you really sure this will work?”

“Of course. Maybe not a hundred percent, but seventy or eighty, at least. The records were clear: in the Empire, souls are born of fire, and life burns as fire. The Six-Eyed Preacher has revived multiple times—his very existence is unique. Coupled with his status as a high-ranking figure in the Six-Eyed Church, he is well worth a matchstick.”

Embers’ reasoning was solid, and both Deepening Wine and Little Bob agreed, their eyes fixed on the unremarkable matchstick in Embers’ hand.

“I remember well the state the Six-Eyed Preacher was in when he died—though all were undead, his corpse was the only one burned by flame. If I now ignite him with this matchstick, imbued with a touch of greatness, what will happen?”

Whoosh!

With a flick of Embers’ wrist, the matchstick burst into a warm flame—not remarkable at first glance. Yet, as it appeared, every torch nearby dimmed, their light bowing low as if saluting the matchstick, leaving the three awestruck.

[Hint: You have used “Matchstick” and triggered a special event.]

[Hint: Would you like to make a wish with the “Matchstick” to resurrect the “Six-Eyed Preacher”?]

Yes!

The sudden prompt made Embers clench his fist. A spark drifted down, landing on the Six-Eyed Preacher’s black robe. In an instant, flames engulfed him, and the six eyes of his mask flickered wildly. Amidst the roaring fire, the chains that bound his freedom were utterly burned away. The six-eyed mask and black robe rose in the flames, a new body forged anew, declaring the successful resurrection of the Six-Eyed Preacher.

[Hint: You have successfully resurrected the “Six-Eyed Preacher” and lifted his chain seal. For the next twenty minutes, he will follow you.]

[Hint: When the wish effect ends, the “Six-Eyed Preacher” will regain self-awareness. At that time, you will face an unknown event.]

As the prompt appeared, Embers could see all of the Six-Eyed Preacher’s attributes.

...

Name: [Six-Eyed Preacher] (Weakened/Temporarily Empowered/Temporarily Follows)

Health: 350/350 (Weakened)

Attack Level: High (50/Weakened)

Defense Level: High (30/Weakened)

Attack Speed: Normal (Weakened)

Alert Range: Very Far (Weakened)

Skills: Summon: Fanatics (Weakened), Six-Eyed Divine Light (Weakened), Six-Eyed Judgement (Weakened), Six-Eyed Bewilderment (Weakened)

Description: An ancient follower of the Six-Eyed faith, his body preserved through special means and his soul not yet extinguished. Though most of his strength has withered in long captivity, he still retains divine abilities. Now, through your wish and a spark of greatness, part of his power has been restored upon resurrection.

...

After reviewing all the Six-Eyed Preacher’s attributes and skill effects, Embers realized he could now strike boldly in the game’s next phase!

He had originally hoped just to summon the Six-Eyed Preacher as a minion—already a cause for joy. Now, with the preacher not only following him but also considerably empowered, Embers couldn’t help but show off his underling’s stats, earning Little Bob’s admiration and leaving Deepening Wine dumbfounded.

“Wow… That’s way too strong! Why is your luck so good?”

“It’s what you call leveraging informational advantage for sound judgment—plus a touch of luck,” Embers replied, inwardly impressed by his own decision. “Twenty minutes—if I don’t get results, that would mean my judgment was wasted! Let’s go straight to the Sun Staircase. Dragon’s lair or tiger’s den, I have the nerve to test its depths.”

At Embers’ self-aggrandizing, Deepening Wine couldn’t help but laugh, rolling his eyes as he followed behind, the trio heading quickly toward the Sun Staircase.

With such a powerful ally, the three felt full of confidence for the unknown ahead. Perhaps because game time was approaching the sixtieth minute, patrol squads that once filled the inner city suddenly surged toward the Sun Staircase.

Noticing this, Embers realized the decisive moment was near and led the group at full speed to the city center.

Boom!

A deafening explosion rang out, and Embers’ expression changed slightly. This blast did not come from magic, but from technology.

“Heavy artillery? The Giant Tree Research Institute actually brought those into the Forbidden Zone?” Little Bob’s gaze grew grave. “Looks like Sycamore is launching an all-out assault—but is his target the Gardener’s symbiote or the Sun Staircase?”

“We’ll know when we get there,” Embers replied, unfazed by the appearance of heavy firepower. While individual power was increasing rapidly, so too was the pace of technological warfare. If the Institute didn’t leverage their technological advantage, that would be the real surprise.

With the Six-Eyed Preacher’s far-reaching vision, Embers, standing at the edge of the battlefield, quickly took in the situation.

Though the Institute lacked numbers, after securing their foothold with Bloodvine artifacts, they deployed heavy artillery requiring manpower to operate, targeting a temple before the Sun Staircase. This temple was not only more intact than the previous one but also extremely sturdy—one shell shattered only half a pillar. Still, under a barrage from three cannons, it was clear the temple couldn’t hold out for long.

The patrol squads defending the temple immediately mustered in force and attacked the Institute, but the latter was clearly prepared. Their specially fortified shields were plentiful, and the patrols could neither break through the line nor devise a solution with their limited intelligence.

“What should we do?” Deepening Wine asked, hearing the constant rumble of explosions but unable to see the battle.

“Fate always leaves a way out. There must be a clue we’ve yet to discover. For now, let’s find someone in the know to ask.” Embers, unconcerned, turned to Little Bob. “I remember, the chaos apostle named ‘Thorn’ gave you a communication talisman, didn’t he? Now’s the time to use it.”

“What if he doesn’t come?”

“If he’s willing, he’ll bite. If not, we lose nothing.”