Chapter 101: Elania
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: Elania
"Hmm? Who is..."
Feeling a tug on the hem of her clothes, Potato Is Not Taro looked down.
Before she could get a clear look, a flash of golden light seared her vision.
"Wait...! My... my eyes..."
Once her vision cleared, she finally saw the person standing before her.
It was a blonde loli dressed in white, radiating a shimmering golden glow. Her hair, in particular, was so bright it could have served as a lightbulb.
[Elania Lv.45]
Before Potato Is Not Taro could react, the girl had already snuggled into her arms.
"Um... Big Sister, can you help me? There are bad people looking for me... I'm scared..."
The delicate, fragile voice reached her ears, and combined with the loli's helpless anxiety, it tugged right at Potato Is Not Taro's heartstrings.
For a moment, she forgot the reality that she was only Level 1 and immediately pulled Elania into a nearby corner.
"Shh... Little sister, calm down. Big Sister is here, there's no need to be afraid..."
"Mm..."
As she spoke, Elania gripped Potato Is Not Taro's right hand tightly.
The next second, a game prompt suddenly popped up.
[Your Lines of Fate have intertwined. The Main Quest has been updated.]
[Acquired Independent Main Quest: "The Light That Fell to the Human Realm"]
[Elania, the Child of God who has been caught in an unknown conspiracy, has found you under the guidance of fate. To escape the prying eyes of the surrounding factions, please safely escort her to the destination guided by fate.]
[Reward: Unknown]
Looking at the quest prompt, Potato Is Not Taro held her breath.
An independent main quest... Did I just stumble into a hidden quest? And it even replaced the main questline...
After a moment of thought, she realized she had encountered a massive opportunity and had to seize it firmly.
But what does 'destination guided by fate' mean? Why is this quest condition acting like such a riddle...
Just as she was pondering her next move, her friend interface popped up.
["Taro Ball Is Not Round" has requested to add you as a friend.]
[Friend request accepted.]
[Potato Is Not Taro: We are now friends! We can start chatting now~]
[Taro Ball Is Not Round: Where are you right now?]
Seeing the message from her older brother, Potato Is Not Taro quickly typed a response.
[Potato Is Not Taro: I think this place is called the Lightless Outpost. The environment is pretty dark and feels a bit unsafe. I keep feeling like a lot of people are watching me.]
[Taro Ball Is Not Round: Such a remote place?]
[Potato Is Not Taro: Seems like it. Oh, right, I need some outside assistance!]
[Taro Ball Is Not Round: What's wrong? Can't find the exit to the Beginner Village?]
[Potato Is Not Taro: Who says I can't find the exit! Talk to me properly. I'll send a screenshot, see for yourself.]
[Potato Is Not Taro: [Game Screenshot]]
After sending the screenshot, she felt like her brother had frozen for a moment.
Ten seconds later, a new message arrived.
[Taro Ball Is Not Round: ......]
[Taro Ball Is Not Round: First, tell me, how did you manage to hook up with this Child of God?]
[Potato Is Not Taro: Huh? What do you mean? What Child of God? You mean this little girl?]
[Taro Ball Is Not Round: Didn't I buy you those eight fan-made dolls? Those are all extremely important Children of Fate in the game. I remember telling you to memorize them.]
[Potato Is Not Taro: Uh... I think that might have happened... maybe?]
[Taro Ball Is Not Round: Forget it. Anyway, just remember: this little girl named Elania is the Priest-side Child of Fate and also the Child of God of the Holy Church. I know you like playing Priests; you definitely won't lose out by following her.]
[Taro Ball Is Not Round: As for this so-called destination, just take her to the Imperial Capital, Carlos Lilanka. Once you're there, walk around a bit, and it'll likely be completed.]
[Taro Ball Is Not Round: However, a quest like this shouldn't be that simple. There's an entrance to an Underground Black Market at the Lightless Outpost. Inside is a complex underground network you can use to reach your destination. I'll send you a map in a bit.]
[Potato Is Not Taro: Hmm... how do you know so much? You even know about secret map passages like that. Hasn't the closed beta just started?]
[Taro Ball Is Not Round: It's nothing. The class I chose this time is Traveler. I started with map exploration skills and items.]
[Taro Ball Is Not Round: Alright, message me when you reach the destination. Things aren't looking too good on my end right now; I can't get away.]
[Potato Is Not Taro: Wait, you haven't said where you are yet!]
After sending the last message, the conversation ended.
Just as Potato Is Not Taro was feeling lost, a notification popped up in her game mailbox.
[Your friend "Taro Ball Is Not Round" has sent you 3 items. Please check them.]
[Received.]
[Obtained: Basic Custom Map x1, Luck Compass x1, Ice-Snow Candy x1]
Looking at the three items that had appeared in her hands, Potato Is Not Taro wondered for a moment about her brother's situation.
It wasn't until her clothes were tugged again that she snapped back to reality.
"Hmm... what is it?"
Seeing Elania's gaze fixed on the candy in her hand, Potato Is Not Taro asked tentatively, "Um... do you want to eat this?"
"Mm-hmm..."
"Alright then. But you have to remember not to wander too far from me, okay? I'm going to take you out of here in a bit. Understood?"
"Mm..."
After giving her instructions, Potato Is Not Taro opened the map and led Elania away.
Shortly after they left, a figure came running over in a hurry.
"Phew... finally shook off the pursuers. I have to take the Child of God and leave quickly... Wait, where is she?"
Looking at the empty street corner, the man froze in place.
"I'm screwed, I'm totally screwed! I finally managed to get the Child of God out of the Church, how could I lose her? If I can't find her, I'm dead meat!"
Thinking of this, the man pulled out a compass.
"Fortunately, I carved a tracking rune on the Child of God's necklace. She shouldn't have gone too far yet..."
With that, the man dashed off in the direction indicated by the compass.
After he left, a figure emerged from the shadows.
It was the Holy Bishop in disguise.
"Ahem... So it was you, brat, who abducted Her Highness the Child of God from the Church, making me suffer the Pope's wrath for nothing. Once I catch you, I'll see how you beg for mercy!"
With that, the Bishop kept his eyes on the man's movements and followed closely behind.
And in a dark corner, another pair of eyes watched it all.
"Tsk... what the hell? Wasn't I supposed to meet someone? Why was the target picked up by someone who looks so weak? And now two pursuers have popped up. Should I go after the target first, or deal with those pursuers..."
The speaker was Cecilia, who had previously been disciplined by Atoris.
As the price for sneaking into the lounge to peep, Cecilia had to work for the Wheel of Fate for three months for free to earn her amnesty.
Not long ago, she had received a mission to meet a Child of Fate from another region and bring them back to the Wheel of Fate.
But the situation just now had truly left Cecilia's head spinning.
"Could it be they suspected I'd do something to a kid and changed the contact person midway?"
Thinking of this, Cecilia shook her head vigorously.
"No, no, no. No matter what, I have a sense of propriety. I can tell a real loli at a glance. A child as innocent as that one—if I laid a hand on her, I'd definitely be hacked into mincemeat."
After thinking for a moment, Cecilia decided to follow them and observe the situation for now.
At the very least, she had to ensure the safety of that Child of Fate.
Once Cecilia had moved off into the distance, a pitch-black figure appeared at the highest point of the outpost.
[Thanatos Lv.126]
Watching everything unfold below, Thanatos, the mastermind behind the scenes, shook his head.
"Tsk... where exactly did the plan go wrong? An Unfated suddenly appeared and disrupted everything. Fine, if it comes down to it, I'll just pack both of them up and take them back together..."
With that, Thanatos vanished into the shadows and left the Lightless Outpost.