"How can you still be alive? This is impossible!" The eagle could hardly believe its eyes, expressing utter shock.
Could they have turned back halfway and retreated from the tunnel? Otherwise, with only two people, it was inconceivable that they could defeat the emotionless queen! Many teams of six brave warriors from the Otherworld had never returned alive after facing the Queen of Silence!
Out of caution, the eagle used its other ability — the power to sense dark energy! Since transforming into this avian form, it had gained two abilities: sensing dark energy and seeing through illusions. Thus, no matter where the Queen of Silence moved within the Silent Forest, her powerful dark energy could not escape its detection!
Closing its eyes, the eagle rapidly formed a mental map of the Silent Forest. However, in this condensed representation, except for one spot, everything was filled with tranquil green energy, and the black aura representing the Queen of Silence had vanished completely!
"Did... did you really kill the Queen of Silence?" Confirming once more, the eagle, knowing the Queen of Silence was no longer in the Silent Forest, spoke with great excitement.
"What's happening? It seems like there's a follow-up quest," Xiao Hua noticed the eagle's unusual behavior and immediately asked Piaoling.
"I'm not sure either. The post mentioned that foreign players killed the Queen of Silence and, after completing the quest, returned directly to the camp to collect their rewards. There seemed to be a full video, but I didn't watch it. If this is a follow-up quest, I suspect it triggers after killing the Queen of Silence and encountering the eagle in the forest. Foreign players, seeing the quest marked as completed, probably went back to claim their rewards without discovering this," Piaoling speculated based on her memory of the post.
"That doesn't make sense. We were heading towards the camp, and the foreign players were also heading towards the camp. How come we met the eagle, but they didn't? Something seems off!" Xiao Hua found Piaoling's analysis logical but had one unresolved issue. If they weren't heading towards the camp when they encountered the eagle, it would be understandable, but given they were both returning to the camp, it was unlikely that only they would encounter the eagle and receive a follow-up quest.
"Don't worry about it. Let's hear what this bird has to say. We don't know if it's a quest yet!" Piaoling, having pranked Xiao Hua into meeting the eagle, knew they were different from the foreign players, but she certainly wouldn't admit it.
"Alright, let's probe and see." Xiao Hua agreed with Piaoling. He was there to play the game, not to study the game system.
"The Queen of Silence was indeed killed by us." Xiao Hua nodded to the eagle. If there was a quest, following the NPC's lead usually worked.
"Honored heroes, you are the most powerful warriors I have ever seen. Even the Queen of Silence, who possesses immense dark energy, was no match for you. I believe that on the continent of Elen, there are few who can rival your prowess!" The eagle, changing from its previous indifferent demeanor, showed utmost respect and devotion.
"No, no, you flatter us too much." As a level 23 thief with a bright future, Xiao Hua felt embarrassed by the eagle's exaggerated praise, knowing that any boss could easily defeat him at present.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
"Heroes, there's no need for modesty. On the continent of Elen, no one knows the Queen of Silence's strength better than I do! I thought it would take at least five people to defeat her. Yet, you accomplished it miraculously. This is your strength, and I believe anyone hearing this news would agree!" The eagle shook its head stubbornly, insisting on its point.
"Alright then, do you need our help with something?" Xiao Hua felt it was pointless to keep being polite with an NPC and got straight to the point.
"Heroes, you are truly kind-hearted. Indeed, I have a request. With your abilities, I am confident you can accomplish it easily!" The eagle praised sincerely and began to narrate the story.
Decades ago, the Silent Forest was not silent. This vast forest teemed with countless creatures living peaceful lives under the protection of towering trees, brimming with vitality.
One day, a female sorceress arrived. Attracted by the forest's isolation from the human world, she saw it as the perfect place to conduct her evil experiments in dark magic. She was a black sorceress who had sold her soul to demons!
The evil black sorceress conducted countless cruel experiments on the forest's animals, summoning all sorts of ferocious dark creatures. To escape her clutches, the forest's inhabitants fled, gradually turning the once vibrant forest into a truly silent one.
One day, the wicked sorceress performed another summoning experiment, which failed, resulting in the emergence of a terrifying creature beyond her control — a queen devoid of emotions from an unknown realm!
The black sorceress, unwilling to let the Queen of Silence destroy her decades-old paradise, repeatedly attacked her. Despite the death of all her summoned dark creatures, she could not drive the queen away from the forest. Eventually, using her identity as a regular mage among humans, she issued a quest to harness the power of Otherworldly heroes to eliminate the Queen of Silence!
Hearing the eagle's tale, Xiao Hua and Piaoling exchanged glances.
"What should we do? It seems the quest involves killing the old woman." They quickly deduced that the evil black sorceress was none other than the frail old woman at the camp.
"Let's see what happens. It may not necessarily involve killing the black sorceress," Piaoling suggested, unsure.
"Honored heroes, I beseech you to remove the evil black sorceress and truly save the Silent Forest!" The eagle pleaded earnestly.
System prompt: Do you wish to accept the quest "Truly Save the Silent Forest"?
Quest: Truly Save the Silent Forest - The true cause of the forest's decline is another entity. The real culprit is the black sorceress Ferela. Quest objective: Kill the black sorceress Ferela! Quest difficulty: A-grade!
"S-grade quest followed by an A-grade quest. I want to accept it, but it's a shame." Xiao Hua sighed privately to Piaoling.
"Forget it. A black sorceress capable of summoning a boss like the Queen of Silence is likely too powerful for us. Let's go back and claim our rewards," Piaoling pragmatically responded.
"I know, hence the regret. Could we return later to accept it?" Xiao Hua was persistent, especially regarding linked quests.
"Probably not. Such a dungeon is likely unique. Once someone kills the Queen of Silence, the dungeon will no longer appear, replaced perhaps by another challenging boss. The scenario and plot would differ, and the quest would naturally be different," Piaoling explained, familiar with such special boss-killing dungeons. Successful completion typically meant the content would change and become more difficult, preventing repeated attempts to farm gear.
With a sigh, Xiao Hua regretfully declined the quest, and Piaoling did the same.
"Why? Heroes, you defeated the Queen of Silence. Removing the black sorceress Ferela should be simple!" Disappointed, the eagle questioned their refusal.
"Sorry, we used all our strength against the Queen of Silence. In our current state, we are no match for Ferela, so we cannot help you," Xiao Hua explained.
Upon hearing this, the eagle's spirits fell. It had thought it had found hope, only to be disappointed again.
But then, it raised its head with determination: "Then, may I ask the two heroes to grant me a small favor? Any one of you helping would suffice, a very simple task!"