The fleeing red dragon was the final straw that broke the black-clad figures.
Looking at the advancing holy knight before them and the unharmed Trineph nearby, they let out a resentful sigh.
“Retreat!”
The black-clad figures scattered abruptly, abandoning their gravely injured comrades without a second thought, vanishing into the depths of the forest without a trace.
The scene finally fell silent; the battle was over.
“Thank you…”
Trineph’s pupils were dilated, her body trembling, clearly still reeling from the tension.
Bai Yue Ling patted her shoulder.
“Tell us what happened.”
Trineph, her voice shaking, nodded.
“We… we’re all novice priestesses of the Goddess of Nature’s Followers, led by a senior priestess, tasked with spreading nature’s gospel across the world.
“We bring greenery to barren deserts, restore life to desolate farmlands, and teach coastal fishermen to withstand storms, helping people live in harmony with nature.
“Five days ago, we were on a carriage heading home, expecting to reach the capital by tomorrow, but we were suddenly ambushed by these black-clad figures… sob… they killed everyone without a word, then had the red dragon burn the bodies and set the mountain ablaze…”
Her voice grew quieter, tears welling up again, and she gripped Bai Yue Ling’s hand tightly, as if unwilling to relive the horror.
If Bai Yue Ling and her group hadn’t passed by, these young priestesses would have been wiped out entirely, but now, at least one survivor remained.
Wait, a survivor…
A spark flashed in Bai Yue Ling’s mind, and she finally recalled where she’d heard the name “Trineph” in her past cycles.
She remembered—
***
Trineph was a nature priestess who died shortly after the game’s launch, and her corpse was the spark that ignited a civil war within the Light Faction!
According to the game’s lore compiled by players in past cycles, this group of nature priestesses was ambushed by unknown enemies and completely annihilated.
The Goddess of Nature’s Followers found only Trineph’s body, lying quietly in the forest, her green priestess robe stained with blood, a tragic and haunting sight.
Her corpse triggered long-simmering tensions within the Light Faction.
The Goddess of Nature’s Followers, furious, demanded a thorough investigation to seek justice for the fallen priestesses, but with no culprits found, they turned their anger on other Light Faction powers, who retaliated in kind.
The Light Faction descended into chaos and conflict, dragging players into the fray, shattering the thousand-year peace that followed the God War.
This was the destined course of World of Fate’s story: the Light Faction would inevitably erupt into civil war, sparked by the death of Trineph, the nature priestess, in every cycle.
But this cycle was different—Trineph, who should have been killed by the black-clad figures, had been saved by Bai Yue Ling.
What impact would this change have on World of Fate’s storyline?
***
Bai Yue Ling approached the black-clad figures writhing in pain on the ground, unable to move.
She crouched down, intending to question them about their motives and the mastermind behind the attack.
But then, an unexpected event occurred.
Suddenly, flames erupted from the black-clad figures’ bodies.
They let out agonized screams as the raging fire consumed them in an instant, leaving only piles of ash, as if they had never existed.
“This…”
Bai Yue Ling stared at the ash-strewn ground, momentarily speechless.
She had hoped to pry some information from them, but they hadn’t given her the slightest chance.
The trail went cold.
Who had ordered the slaughter of the nature priestesses?
Were they deliberately trying to spark a civil war in the Light Faction?
To influence the world’s course…
Bai Yue Ling vaguely sensed that the black-clad figures were tied to an extraordinarily difficult quest, perhaps even “Legendary” in rank!
Completing such a quest would surely yield unimaginable rewards.
At that moment, a system prompt sounded.
[Your quest “Dragon’s Assault” has been completed. Please claim your rewards from NPC “Trineph.”]
[Congratulations, you have reached level 13.]
Trineph handed over the quest reward.
“The senior priestess entrusted this crown to me before she died, instructing me to give it to an ally of nature.”
Trineph spoke softly.
“Since you saved me, Little White, I believe the Goddess of Nature’s Followers will be your loyal ally from now on, so giving it to you feels like the best choice.”
[Faction “Goddess of Nature’s Followers” relationship with you has changed to “Friendly.”]
Bai Yue Ling took the crown and placed it on her head, instantly feeling the air around her grow fresher.
[Equipment Name: Emerald Crown]
[Quality: Perfect]
[Defense: Weak]
[Equipment Requirements: Charisma 20, Friendly or higher relationship with Goddess of Nature’s Followers]
[Attribute Bonuses: Health S, Charisma A]
[Additional Skill: “Photosynthesis (Passive)” – When bathed in sunlight or holy light, automatically restores health and mana at a rate based on light intensity.]
[Description: A crown woven from vines and flowers, imbued with faint natural power, capable of purifying the air.]
[Note: Bears a striking resemblance to the Goddess of Nature’s crown, perhaps a replica.]
Photosynthesis?!
Bai Yue Ling’s eyes widened slightly.
This skill worked under holy light too, meaning she could cast Holy Light while restoring health and mana, turning herself into a self-sustaining dynamo!
A true endurance god-tier skill!
With this, she’d never need to eat wild berries again.
Then, Trineph pulled a pile of gold coins from her bloodstained priestess robe, offering them with dirt-covered hands.
“Thank you again for saving me. I don’t have much money left, but please take this as a token of my gratitude…”
“No need, keep it for yourself,” Bai Yue Ling said, gently shaking her head.
“I’m not short on money.”
Though the quest reward included 500 gold coins, this priestess big sister was too pitiful, and Bai Yue Ling would rather let her keep the money.
Trineph’s eyes glistened with gratitude.
“I’ll never forget your kindness,” she said softly.
Aiya spoke up.
“Miss Trineph, are you heading to the capital? Why not travel with us?”
The black-clad figures might return, and it would be dangerous for Trineph to travel alone.
“Yes, I need to report this to the church in the capital,” Trineph nodded, then hesitated.
“But before that, I want to bury my companions’ bodies…”
The priestesses killed in the attack were her closest kin, and she couldn’t abandon them.
The four girls retraced their steps.
The raging flames had died out, leaving only scorched earth and scattered ashes.
As they emerged from the forest, Aiya glanced at the roadside and froze.
“Little White…”
Bai Yue Ling tilted her head.
“What’s wrong?”
“Our horses are gone…”