"Answer..."
The disappointed voice of Ninelra echoed just as Divine Slash's expression changed instantly. He shouted, "Beast-ear girl, I know you're anxious, but please don't rush! Let me analyze it!"
"Incorrect answer." Ninelra's voice carried a bit of helplessness, which caused Divine Slash to gnash his teeth. "Bullshit!"
Immediately, he swung his giant sword at the light barrier, only to be ejected from the independent space.
Ninelra shot him a cold glance. "Your intellect is not even one ten-thousandth of God-Emperor's. Asking you to solve riddles is an insult."
"#$%&￥￥#*%…m3!" Divine Slash exploded with rage and performed a whole rap sequence from the West Coast right then and there.
Meanwhile, Raven's eyes gleamed as he suddenly said, "Coffin!"
"Correct answer!"
A green "√" appeared on the light barrier, and Raven flashed a smile, turning to glance at Orson with an air of superiority. But, just two seconds later, Orson also answered correctly, which made Raven scoff and silently challenge him.
The score of both men alternated, and the difficulty of the riddles increased.
"Questions related to the Infinite Dimensions background?"
Even Raven couldn't help but furrow his brow. After missing one out of nine questions, he realized that the last one didn't require an answer to pass.
On the other hand, Orson answered slowly but steadily, getting all eight questions right, which made Raven's face darken.
Luna Frost and the others in the team had already been eliminated, each suffering a 5-level penalty.
Divine Slash cried out, "Holy crap! NPC bro is so OP! All-knowing and all-powerful, I'll call you the Riddle King!"
The riddles ranged from ancient Greek myths, US history, Mayan legends, and even some related to the Infinite Dimensions background story. Raven knew everything from astronomy to geography, but he had only recently started playing Infinite Dimensions, so solving the background-related riddles with pure logic was challenging.
"Unbelievable!"
Divine Slash widened his eyes, watching as Orson answered the ninth question correctly.
"This is impossible, he's only able to answer because the game's broken!" Raven secretly gritted his teeth.
Divine Slash had never seen such an arrogant NPC before!
"I'm an NPC, and I answered everything correctly. What's wrong with that?" Orson's voice was muffled, his lips twisted under the system's censorship.
"Congratulations, you've answered correctly!"
Ninelra's eyes showed a hint of surprise. The last question's answer could only be pronounced in Dragon language, yet Orson managed to solve it.
As an explorer of ancient ruins, Orson wasn't a master in Dragon language or ancient elven lore, but his basic skills were solid.
Orson stretched out his hand. "Where's my reward?"
Ninelra froze, not responding. Orson rolled his eyes and withdrew his hand.
So stingy, why bother with the riddles?
Suddenly, Orson had a realization and muttered to himself, "Water, coffin, man, treasure, demon…"
He began recalling the answers to each riddle, sensing that these words formed a complete clue.
At that moment, the light barrier vanished, and a small boat appeared at the shore. The mist in the distance dissipated, and the waves rose, revealing a small island with ancient ruins.
Divine Slash yelled, "No way! Treasure island!"
Raven jumped, startled by his shout. "Captain, why are you still alive?"
Divine Slash scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "It's because of my aura and courage, but it seems like I was blocked by a barrier. The rest is up to you guys."
"Please."
Ninelra smiled lightly, stepping aside to let them pass. Raven didn't hesitate and boarded the boat, glancing back suspiciously at Orson, saying impatiently, "Aren't you coming?"
Orson ignored him and stared intently at the Beast-Ear Queen, casually saying, "Go ahead, she reminds me of an old friend."
Both Divine Slash and Raven were taken aback. Had a hidden quest triggered?
The boat drifted on its own toward the island, and Divine Slash excitedly said, "Fortune favors the bold! Haha, I'll handle this quest!"
Raven's gaze fixed on Orson, his curiosity growing deeper.
In the next moment, Orson suddenly pulled out a fire stick, and Chaos Magic Balls surged toward Ninelra like a tidal wave.
"You..." Ninelra's face twisted with rage, shocked that an adventurer dared to offend her!
Critical Hit -70,000! Burning Damage -19,000!
...
Awakening: Hurricane Spear!
Orson's eyes glowed, and the projection of the Wind Elemental Goddess appeared as he unleashed a deadly attack!
"Die!"
Ninelra was completely stunned, having never been so humiliated. As the Guardian of the Tomb of the God-Warrior, she had never been treated this way.
Her defenses were shattered, and the critical damage hit -730,000!
...
"You have a lot of nerve!" Ninelra screamed. A blood hole appeared on her long leg, and she radiated a white electric ring. But just as she raised her claws, Orson's eyes emitted an eerie light.
Ninelra froze as her blood began to boil, and ancient memories from her ancestors awakened.
In that instant, she saw a figure wielding a blazing red sword, strong and magnificent, cutting down thousands of enemies as though they were nothing.
This aura... was unmistakable — the God-Emperor!
"mlss?"
"Here we go again with the invincible NPC!"
Orson stared in surprise, but standing nearby, Divine Slash felt his mouth drop wide open. "What the hell!! One hit for over 700k critical damage?!"
The Chaos Magic Ball dissipated on its own, and Ninelra entered an invincible state.
To be precise, it was a "system protection" state that only activated when an NPC triggered a quest.
"Ding-dong—"
"You have obtained the Super God-grade Divine Soul Seal [Heavenly Spirit's Right Eye]!"
"Your unmatched power has earned Ninelra's recognition!"
"You have obtained a clue for a hidden quest, would you like to view it?"
The system notifications kept ringing. Orson sighed, realizing that he had been planning to defeat the Beast-Ear Queen and reap a big reward, but now... he was presented with a different option.
"Hidden Quest: [Ninelra's Request]"
"Difficulty: Abyss-level"
"Background: The Orc Kingdom has been invaded by the Beastmen, leaving countless citizens dead, their homes destroyed. The surviving half-beastmen can only survive in hiding, hoping to rebuild their homeland..."
"Quest 1: Travel north to Bloodaxe City."
"Quest 2: You must stall King Bloodaxe Odes for at least 10 minutes to help Ninelra take back Bloodaxe City."
"Note: Ninelra has a good relationship with the Holy Church. By completing this quest, you may meet the Divine Messenger and wash away your sins."
A good relationship with the Holy Church?
That gave him another reason to dispose of her, didn't it?
The system protection state wouldn't last forever.
"What's in it for me?" Orson asked directly.
Ninelra raised one hand, and a jade-green bottle floated into the air. Orson quickly checked its attributes.
[Rootless Water]
Quality: Holy Relic
Effect 1: Allows rare plants to undergo metamorphosis.
Effect 2: Drinking it grants a divine effect of resurrection and immunity to death penalties.
Orson's eyes burned with desire. This was exactly what he needed for the Dancing Giant Boobs, and he was preparing to transplant it to the Celestial Fortress' Tree of Rebirth!
Furthermore, he needed another holy relic for the tree to fully mature: Heaven's Soil.
Wait, didn't she just mention meeting the Divine Messenger?
Orson's brow twitched. He didn't care about cleansing his sins, but... if he could meet the Divine Messenger and steal the Holy Soil... wouldn't that be even more profitable?
A wicked smile spread across his face, and Divine Slash watched from the side, wondering. "This NPC bro feels kinda... evil?"