Having vanquished both Ogres, Arlo's voice echoed through the heavens, "Do you trust me now, Agnes? Did I prove my faith?"
The sky responded with a deafening silence. Undeterred, Arlo called out again, his face beaming, "I've rendered them harmless, just as you wished. Now, bestow upon me my reward."
As he prepared to deliver the final blow to the Ogres, a realization struck him—the objective of the quest was not their slaughter, but their immobilization.
In a prior side quest, his mission was to "Slay the crocodile." This time, it was about incapacitating the Ogres. He surmised this was the key to fulfilling the quest.
"Agnes!! I've accomplished the task."
"Agnes!" "Agnes! Agnessssss!" His voice reverberated, his gaze fixed on the heavens.
"Enough of this, let's finish off the Ogres and move to the next cloud."
"DING!"
Suddenly, a massive golden window prompt materialized above the clouds, visible not just to Arlo, but to anyone present. In an instant, the Ogres vanished.
The prompt read:
[Side Quest Updated: Agnes's Favor]
[Congratulations on Immobilizing the Ogre (2/2)]
[Reward: Agnes's trust. Agnes thanks you for sparing her children.]
Arlo gasped in disbelief, "Whaaaat!! These Ogres are her offspring, is she a mother of monsters!"
A series of blue prompts filled his system:
[A new attribute updated:]
Trust: 100]
[Chain Side Quest: Agnes's Favor]
[Condition requirement met.]
[Quest info updated:]
[Main Quest: Agnes's Vengeance]
[Eliminate Sven, Tyrant of Constellation]
[Inscription: Sven, one of the fallen constellations, has slain nearly all of Agnes's children. You have demonstrated your worth and loyalty to Agnes; she trusts you implicitly. Agnes sees you as one of her own and wishes for you to avenge the fallen.]
[Reward: Agnes's Will]
[Agnes's Message: Agnes yearns for her children to find eternal peace.]
Arlo pondered aloud, "Did I receive two main quests? One is to thoroughly search the chest, and the other is to defeat Sven. Who is this Sven? Is he the Dungeon boss?"
"Yes, I am the dungeon boss," a voice echoed from behind Arlo, causing him to startle.
"Whaaaa…," he jerked suddenly, tumbling onto the cloud.
"Good reaction," the voice chuckled. "I'm Sven, Tyrant of Constellation. Pleased to finally meet the child of Agnes who is destined to end me."
The voice belonged to a figure of imposing stature, his muscular physique bare for all to see. Wings sprouted from his back, and his eyes were a stark white, devoid of an iris.
An ornate headdress adorned his head, enhancing his aura of authority and divinity. His hair flowed around his head like a halo, and he wore elaborate garments around his lower body, fashioned from a swirling line of cloth. He radiated an air of majesty and mystery as he stood before Arlo.
Arlo could do nothing but stare in awe at his divine presence.
As Arlo lay sprawled on his back, Sven knelt down and said, "I've grown weary of waiting. Let's commence."
Arlo felt a wave of terror wash over him. As he locked eyes with Sven, his body began to falter. He found himself unable to utter a word.
"DING!"
A red window materialized above them, displaying,
[Warning!]
[Sven has entered a restricted area]
[Initiating teleportation to designated area.]
Sven began to fade away, and with a smirk, he taunted as he disappeared,
"Pity, I was discovered too soon. Hurry to the final stage. It's been a while since I've had the pleasure of ending one of Agnes's children."
"HA… HA…" Sven's laughter echoed as he gradually vanished.
"What just transpired? Did the final boss appear before me?" Arlo felt dizzy, the pressure was overwhelming.
[Welcome again to the Haven, a resting area for players.]
[Rebooting player's health and status.]
Arlo was teleported to Haven. He rested as he wrestled with his thoughts, 'What will I do when I encounter him next? Will I be able to stand my ground?'
Arlo felt his confidence wane. He was despondent.
After spending the next two days in the Haven, he gradually regained his composure.
"I must confront him, one way or another," Arlo sighed.
Arlo rose to his feet and approached the edge of the cliff to leap. He decided to conserve his Wings of Life for later, in case he found himself on the brink of defeat.
Arlo leapt from the cloud, descended to the bottom, and teleported to the top. To his surprise, upon his first teleportation, Arlo spotted a massive grey cloud in the center. Sven was seated on a throne made of clouds.
As soon as Sven spotted Arlo, he greeted him with a wave and a broad smile. Arlo swallowed hard and glided towards the cloud.
Arlo landed as Sven rose from his throne. The cloud throne dissolved and merged with the surrounding clouds.
"CLAP!" "CLAP!"
"I commend your courage. Shall we commence?" Sven challenged Arlo.
Arlo unsheathed his sword. As they prepared to duel, a swarm of dark clouds began to gather overhead, and the sunlight gradually dimmed.
Arlo's hand trembled as he gripped his sword. Sven noticed this. "Are you planning to engage me while you can barely hold your sword?"
Sven's smile faded, replaced by a cold, stern expression. He added, "Kid, if you don't fight with all your might, I need only a moment…"
"To end you."
Suddenly, Sven was standing beside Arlo, his sharp nails poised at Arlo's throat. Arlo gasped, taking deep, ragged breaths. He felt cornered, but he refused to accept defeat lying down.
Arlo tightened his grip on his sword, swinging it instinctively at Sven, who deftly evaded the attack by leaping back.
"That's the spirit," Sven applauded Arlo and continued,
"Let's play a game to lift your spirits. Don't perish, Kid, before you've had a chance to amuse me."
[End of Chapter]