Nie Yan trekked over to the NPC strewn up on the cross and examined him. He was far taller than an ordinary person, with a robust physique that glowed a healthy bronze. The lower half of his body was covered by a pair of ragged fur trousers while his upper body was bare. Despite his sorry appearance, he brimmed with power akin to a ferocious beast.
From these distinctive traits, Nie Yan identified this NPC as a Barbarian!
Barbarians were a race of humans gifted with immense physical strength. They specialized in melee combat, often wrestling with beasts in the forest to hone their various techniques. Battle was practically in their blood.
Barbarians were a famous group of people. Although their population never exceeded 2,000, countless Champions were birthed from their tribe, some of whom even became legendary existences such as the God of War Kelo.
Nie Yan stood roughly 30 meters away from this Barbarian. It appeared he had been hung up on the cross for quite a while. His hair fell well past his shoulders, covering his face and preventing others from making out his expression.
Nie Yan had encountered a few Barbarians in his past life. They were powerful and well-respected NPCs who acted as the cornerstones of strength in every battle, slaughtering numerous creatures of darkness. Their feats were often spoken highly about in the Hilton Stronghold.
Nie Yan discovered this Barbarian was firmly nailed in place by metal spikes through his hands and feet, leaving him unable to move an inch. As if that wasn't enough, his wrists and ankles were bound in chains and shackles.
It was impossible for this Barbarian to break free in such a state.
Sensing another presence, the Barbarian raised his head to stare at Nie Yan. His deep black eyes were piercing and full of life.
Nie Yan inspected the Barbarian with Transcendent Insight.
Barbarian Kelowitz (Lord): Level 360
Health: ???
Nie Yan was shocked. Generally, NPCs over Level 300 were existences similar to legendary figures like Karsi. But he feared even Karsi might not necessarily be a match for this fellow in level.
"Youngster, what are you doing here?" Barbarian Kelowitz asked. His deep, husky voice carried a serenity unlike any other.
"I was just exploring," Nie Yan replied innocently. He remained unflinching under Barbarian Kelowitz's intent gaze, which was akin to a sharp blade.
Even while bound to the cross, Barbarian Kelowitz still radiated matchless might.
Barbarian Kelowitz cracked an appreciative smile. "Youngster, you're still but an infant, but you have great willpower." He lazily glanced at the flowing lava around him. "I've been imprisoned in here, this damned place, for close to 1000 years."
Nie Yan's expression flickered in surprise. This was probably a trigger for a quest!
"Do you need my help?"
Barbarian Kelowitz gazed at Nie Yan for a moment. With a faint smile, he gently shook his head. "Youngster, you're far too weak. It's impossible for you to free me. It would require someone with a Holy Spirit Heart to pull out Zennarde's Sword to unlock these restraints."
Nie Yan's mind trembled. In the previous timeline, a player had probably reached this place and heard something similar from Barbarian Kelowitz. Subsequently, the information about Zennarde's Sword leaked to the outside.
However, these rumours were never corroborated by the official website.
This quest probably had a very high level requirement and involved buried secrets of the Atlanta continent, neither of which the players had obtained in the previous timeline. So the official website never made any relevant information public.
"What must I do to obtain a Holy Spirit Heart?" Nie Yan asked. In the previous timeline, a Holy Spirit Heart was a distant legend. Those in possession of one could be counted on a single hand.
"Paladins are gifted beings with a straightforward path to obtain a Holy Spirit Heart. For other classes, although it isn't impossible, it would be as difficult as ascending the heavens," Barbarian Kelowitz answered. He gazed at Nie Yan's resolute expression, then revealed a self-mocking smile. "I don't know why—maybe because I've gone senile from being holed up here for far too long—but my gut tells me you can do it. Youngster, are you willing to unseal Zennarde's Sword and use it to sever these accursed chains?"
Will you accept Barbarian Kelowitz' request? Time Limit: 5 months. Failure will result in the loss of 10 levels.
Nie Yan thought for a moment, then pressed confirm. The penalty was nothing particularly grave in his opinion. There was no harm in accepting this quest. However, he still had some doubts regarding Zennarde's Sword. Could he really obtain it?
Even if he had to die again and again, it would all be worth it if he could obtain Zennarde's Sword! A mythical treasure like this was simply too great to pass up on.
You have accepted Barbarian Kelowitz' Request.
You have received Barbarian Kelowitz' Blessing.
Barbarian Kelowitz' Blessing: Suppress the might of evil. Duration: 5 months.
Why did I get this blessing? What is it for? Nie Yan was dazed for a moment. He gazed up at Zennarde's Sword floating above the palm of the statue. This godly weapon had been sealed there for nearly 1000 years. It contained a mysterious power that appeared to transcend both space and time. Suppress the might of evil… could it be referring to Zennarde's Sword?
"But how do I obtain a Holy Spirit Heart?" Nie Yan hurriedly asked. The Holy Spirit Heart was the most important part.
"No need to worry." Barbarian Kelowitz chuckled. He chanted a series of syllables as a blaze of light enshrouded Nie Yan. "I once received the blessing of God, making me the only Barbarian who can wield magic. With it, I blessed you. As for whether you can obtain a Holy Spirit Heart, that will depend on yourself."
Nie Yan checked his status and discovered a new skill.
Purifying Aura: Wield the power of light to purify all evil creatures within a 5-meter radius.
A Holy Spirit Heart could be obtained by purifying countless evil creatures. As for the exact number, Nie Yan had no clue. However, he was certain it wasn't low. How else could there have been only three Paladins with Holy Spirit Hearts in the previous timeline?
"Kelowitz, sir, thank you for the blessing," Nie Yan said. It appeared it would be a long time before he could come back here to rescue this barbarian.
Barbarian Kelowitz appeared slightly out of breath after granting the blessing. "Please remember the task I entrusted you with. If you would like to leave this place, I can still muster open a teleportal for you."
"Hold on, please. Kelowitz, sir. Would it be possible for me to take away Zennarde's Sword?" Nie Yan asked. He gazed at the sword hovering in the distance.
"Go fetch Zennarde's Sword first," Barbarian Kelowitz replied.
An ordinary person couldn't reach such a high place. Nie Yan reckoned that the lucky fellow who stumbled upon this place in the previous time initially had no way of reaching the sword. So they could only return to the city and think of a way to overcome this obstacle. When they returned with an item such as a Levitation Ring, they could take Zennarde's Sword away.
"Sure, I can climb up there," Nie Yan said. He grew excited after Barbarian Kelowitz agreed to his request.
"Zennarde's Sword was sealed after the death of Zennarde. Its current power isn't even a fraction of what it once was," Barbarian Kelowitz said.
From Nie Yan's experience, the properties of legendary pieces of gear like this one were unmatched even when sealed.
Nie Yan conjectured the reason Barbarian Kelowitz granted him a blessing that suppressed evil was precisely so that he could wield Zennarde's Sword!
Aside from daggers, Thieves could also equip short swords!
Nie Yan thought for a bit before becoming impatient. He glanced at his Crawler Ring. Since he hadn't used it in a while, it was off cooldown.
Nie Yan bid farewell to Barbarian Kelowitz, then made his way to the distant statue. He jumped on the statue, his body bracing against it as he climbed. After a few minutes, he had gone from the feet to the chest. From there, he shot out a web line from his Silk Spinner Ring and swung himself over 15 meters through the air before smacking into the arm. He wrapped himself tightly around it before hastily crawling towards the statue's palm.
Before long, he reached its hand. Standing on a relatively flat part of its palm, he could see Zennarde's Sword right before him. A black flame covered the sword, its tongues leaping wildly into the air.
Nie Yan approached Zennarde's Sword.
The slender short sword was about a meter long and pitch-black. A lifelike serpent was engraved in the hilt, almost as if it were about to strike. The blade itself was like black crystal, pure and translucent, with a razor-sharp barb curving out from each side. The whole thing glinted with a bloody light, exuding a baleful sword aura.
You have discovered Dragon King Zennarde's Sword. It possesses an extremely powerful evil energy. Legend has it that users who cannot suppress the evil energy will be devoured by the sword instead.
It was just like Nie Yan had surmised. If a player wanted to take away Zennarde's Sword, they would need to have Barbarian Kelowitz's blessing!
Nie Yan walked up to Zennarde's Sword and wrapped his hand around the hilt. A powerful dark energy surged up his arm and into his body, causing him to feel a chill. However, immediately after, his body radiated a brilliant light. A warm, holy energy permeated his body and forced the dark energy back.