Chapter 19: Full Achievement Guide
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 19: Full Achievement Guide
My Master?
Xie Bai looked around, but no one else appeared.
Is he talking to me?
Wait, since when did I become this guy’s master?
And besides, I was hiding perfectly well. How did I catch his attention?
This was getting a little creepy.
Remaining cautious, Xie Bai did not reveal herself.
The air grew deathly still.
Facing the silence, the Soul Guardian sighed, as if he had expected no answer.
"Forgive us, My Master. It was the incitement of the gods that led us to betray you. I am well aware of the gravity of our sins. I have stood guard here for tens of millions of years, never once wavering. I only hope that this small offering might earn a shred of your forgiveness."
With that, the Soul Guardian produced a scroll of parchment and tossed it into the air.
"My Master, according to your prophecy, these lost souls will play a role in the future, paving the way for your return. If the foretold era has arrived, then follow this guidance to dispel the mists of this place and reclaim all that is yours."
As the parchment drifted halfway through the air, Xie Bai instinctively reached out and caught it.
【You have obtained the "Abandoned Village Full Achievement Guide"】
What a blunt name.
Xie Bai’s lip twitched slightly.
As the parchment entered Xie Bai’s inventory, the Soul Guardian noticed its disappearance.
He lowered his head again and swore a low, solemn oath.
"Your forgiveness is a luxury I dare not beg for. If this guide can assist in your resurgence, I shall be deeply honored—for I will have fulfilled my mission and may return to the embrace of the Void at any time."
Having finished his piece, the Soul Guardian sank back into silence.
He returned to his oppressive, motionless state.
By then, Xie Bai had already put a significant distance between herself and that place.
She was clearly baffled by the Soul Guardian’s behavior.
"What was he blabbering about? Why do these guys always have to be such riddle-mongers? It’s always 'betrayal' this and 'forgiveness' that."
"It’s like there’s some unspeakable hidden history behind everything."
Though she complained, Xie Bai wasn't stupid.
She could vaguely guess the secrets hidden behind those words.
The fact that the Soul Guardian could sense even a trace of her presence while she was in her Spirit Form was incredibly surreal.
This meant there was definitely some sort of connection between the Soul Guardian and herself.
Add to that the blunt, straightforward name of the parchment...
Xie Bai couldn't help but start speculating.
Do I actually have some mysterious 'main account' that existed here ages ago and paved the way for my future self?
And everything I’m doing now is just a play to reclaim that high-level account and stage a grand 'return'?
If that were true, would the "her" of that time still be the same person she was now?
Xie Bai shook her little head.
Ultimately, this was just a guess. If she let herself believe it too easily, she’d be throwing herself into the arms of a conspiracy theory. It would be a total negation of her own existence.
Rather than some "mysterious past" setting, Xie Bai preferred to believe she was simply a newcomer who had inherited something.
With that thought, she pulled out the parchment she had just received.
【Abandoned Village Full Achievement Guide】
"That name is still so hard to take seriously."
If some entity really was paving the way for her, they must have been influenced by 21st-century internet culture and had a gamer's sense of humor. After all, "Full Achievement Guide" wasn't a name a normal person would come up with.
"Whatever. I haven't been here long; no point overthinking it."
"Instead of worrying about that, I should just follow the guide and clear the dungeon first."
Xie Bai unrolled the parchment.
【Step 1: Look up at the sun. Walk toward the sun until you find a well. The bucket inside hides a key that opens a secret door at the bottom of the well. Oh, and remember to watch out for the undead lurking in the well, okay~?】
...
"Oh, look, there’s a well here."
Edward came to a halt.
Seeing this, Cecilia, who was traveling with him, leaned in.
"Wow, Edward, dear, you're so amazing! You found a water source so quickly."
Ignoring Cecilia’s flattery, Edward walked straight to the edge of the well.
"We ran into so many undead along the way, I almost died. Let’s draw some water and take a break."
Just as Edward reached out to pull up the bucket, a terrifying figure lunged directly at his face.
【Floating Undead Lv.80】
"Holy crap, there’s—"
Before Edward could finish, Cecilia instantly activated a charm and lunged forward, landing a critical hit on the undead.
-4,128,200!
She landed and sheathed her blade.
The entire sequence was fluid and seamless, a literal one-shot kill. Edward didn't even have time to react.
"Uh... thanks."
Cecilia turned around cutely, looking at Edward with a beaming smile.
"No need for thanks! After all, protecting you is my mission, Edward, dear."
With the jump-scare ghost dealt with, Edward returned to the well.
"Phew. Getting ambushed by undead just trying to get water... talk about bad luck."
Muttering to himself, Edward began to haul up the bucket.
Based on his usual experience, the well he was drawing from would, without a doubt, be...
"Bone dry."
There was no water in the bucket.
Instead, there was a strangely shaped skeleton key.
Cecilia leaned in again.
"Ooh, I know this one! According to detective novel tropes, the answer is usually near the puzzle."
"This well is the only suspicious thing for miles, and since it’s dry, I bet there’s a secret door at the bottom that needs this key."
Cecilia reached her conclusion in just a few sentences, making it hard not to suspect she was just guessing randomly.
"I'll take your word for it for now."
Edward tossed the key to Cecilia.
"You. Go down and see if there’s a secret door like you said."
Catching the key, Cecilia first looked surprised, then started squeezing out tiny tears.
"Hey! Are you really going to make a frail, delicate girl do such dangerous work?"
"What if I slip and fall to my death down there?!"
Edward remained unmoved.
"Give me a break. I’m the one who’d fall to my death. You could probably jump down and not even sprain an ankle."
Hearing Edward’s retort, Cecilia dropped her aggrieved act.
"Hmph. Since you trust me so much, Edward, dear, then this young lady shall go through fire and water for you."
With that, Cecilia performed a graceful backflip and dove straight into the well.
Edward: "?"
The sight made Edward’s eyes bulge.
"Wait... headfirst?!"
That bold?
Edward sucked in a breath of cold air.
He really had underestimated her.
What "Assassin"? This was clearly a Berserker with an Assassin's burst damage.
Edward couldn't help but reflect on their journey so far.
In the twenty-three battles where they were surrounded by undead, Cecilia had fought every single one of them head-on. Even though she was right in the enemy's face, she somehow managed to trigger the Assassin's "Sneak Attack" critical hits every time.
He had to admit, a Child of Fate from the Assassin Pathway was truly something else.
Her playstyle was... unique.
On the flip side, as a Child of Fate from the Alchemist Pathway...
Do I need to find a playstyle that’s different from ordinary Alchemists too?
Edward began to ponder his future development path.
A moment later, Cecilia climbed back up from the well.
She brought good news.
"There really is a secret door down there!"