Rich Quest Rewards, Drum of Invigoration!

"Clang—!"

The dull metallic clanging sound rang out again.

This time, however, Gorehowl's attack was not blocked; instead, the battle axe in the Naga's hand was knocked away on the spot.

With the combined buffs of [Dwarven Spirits] and [Blood Ignition], his strength increased by 50% and his speed by 60%, allowing him to suppress enemies far stronger than himself.

"I did it! I did it!"

A smile of excitement spread across Gorehowl's face as he seized the opportunity to swing his axe, slamming it hard into the chest of the Naga War Puppet!

The immense force sliced through flesh, sending the enemy flying and rolling several times on the ground before finally coming to a stop.

Before the other party could get up, the Elite wolf beneath him pounced, its massive jaws snapping shut as it bit into the throat, its claws pressing firmly against the shoulder.

"Roar... roar...!"

The Naga War Puppet roared Wrath, its hands bracing against the ground as if it were trying to get up. Its terrifying strength was even overwhelming for the dire wolf.

Just then, a long-handled axe, with the force to Split Metal and Shatter Stone, slammed down on its crown.

"Puff!"

It was as if a watermelon had been cut open, and the juice was splashing everywhere.

The Naga war golem's massive body twitched a few times before finally collapsing onto the shallows and remaining completely still.

A level 9 Boss One Star creature, practically invincible below the Tier Two, was Execute by Gorehowl.

"Excellent! I originally thought Lü Bu was invincible, but I never expected there to be someone whose bravery Lü Bu's!"

Shen Xing nodded in satisfaction. "Truly worthy of being one of my top generals!"

On the other side of the battlefield, the second wave of Dark Naga who landed had almost been wiped out.

At this moment, the shallows were littered with corpses lying haphazardly.

Now only that fierce, pale-faced Naga priest is barely holding on.

But she's no longer capable of causing any significant trouble.

Faced with Hellscream, who had awakened the [Heart of the Strong], the battle, which started as a close contest, turned into a complete rout.

Bladestorm!

Heavy Strike!

Execute!

Hellscream unleashed a barrage of skills, his double-bladed battle axe flashing in his hands, each strike powerful and heavy.

After several rounds, several deep, bone-revealing bloodstains were left on the Naga priest's body.

One of the cuts was the most severe, slashing diagonally down from the left shoulder and covering more than half of the chest.

I almost turned her from (???) into (o??).

The Naga priestess knew she was no match for Hellscream, and glared at him resentfully, her eyes filled with resentment.

Then, with a sudden flick of its tail, it sped away towards the Blackwater River behind it.

But at that moment, a wisp of wind exploded beneath Hellscream's feet, closing in instantly at a speed even faster than hers.

Wind Walk, activated!

The battle axe aimed at her fair back and slashed down fiercely!

"Puff!"

The axe blade cleaved through flesh and blood, and the immense force sent him flying more than ten meters before he came to a stop against a black boulder on the shore.

She collapsed on the beach, blood gushing from beneath her, her breath growing weaker and weaker.

In its resentful gaze, it saw the tall orc approaching step by step, blood still dripping from the axe blade.

Just as Hellscream raised his battle axe, preparing to Execute him off...

"Wait a moment."

Shen Xing's voice rang out from behind, and the orc's battle axe suddenly stopped in mid-air.

The wheelchair rolled over the black gravel and stopped less than a meter away from the other party.

The Dark Naga priest on the ground raised her head, meeting his gaze directly into a handsome face and a pair of scrutinizing eyes.

"Ha... lowly humans..."

The Naga priestess stared intently at him, her voice barely a whisper, "You think this is over? Soon... you'll regret what you've done today..."

Shen Xing ignored her threat and went straight to the point. "Do you know Garrett?"

Upon hearing the name, a hint of confusion flashed in the Naga priestess's eyes, but it quickly returned to hatred.

"I don't know this guy you're talking about. If you want to kill him, just kill him. Stop with the nonsense." She seemed indifferent to life and death.

"You don't know Garrett?"

Shen Xing frowned slightly and pressed, "Then why did he order us to kill you? And why did he tell us to take the bracelet back, saying it was his deceased wife's keepsake?"

"Bracelet..."

The Naga priest instinctively looked at her right wrist, as if realizing something, and her expression quickly changed.

"Heh... So it was that ungrateful bastard who sent you. That's in line with his style."

Shen Xing's heart stirred slightly; this Naga priest was indeed connected to that wandering merchant.

Xia Wanyin walked over at this moment and asked softly, "What do you mean by ungrateful? What's your relationship with him?"

The Naga priest glanced at her and said coldly, "Weren't you sent by him to kill me? Just do it already, why ask so many questions?"

Shen Xing shook his head and said, "It's better to ask clearly. That guy wasn't telling the truth, and I don't want to be tricked without knowing why."

"Heh... not stupid after all." The Naga priest sneered. "You were indeed used by him. If you had killed me just now, you would have suffered the ancient curse of the Dark Naga race."

"In less than a week, it will turn into a pool of black water and die a painful death."

"A curse... what do you mean?" Shen Xing frowned slightly.

"Didn't you notice that I'm different from the other Dark Naga?" The Naga priest seemed to have regained some strength and was no longer as murderous as before.

"No the same?"

Shen Xing scrutinized her several times with a critical gaze, then nodded silently. "You are indeed different; you've grown quite a bit."

Don't get me wrong, I'm talking about strength.

Besides, there's a significant difference in their auras. Other Naga seem to lack intelligence, and even their life force is very weak, like monsters in a game.

This female Naga, however, not only possessed abundant vitality but also extremely high intelligence.

"What's with the curse?" Xia Wanyin asked softly.

The Naga priest glanced at her and slowly spoke, "Most of us Dark Naga were born in the Dark Holy Land at the bottom of the river; they are the main fighting force of our race."

Only a small number of Dark Naga are conceived through a mother and reproduce naturally.

"And we Naga, who are born through reproduction, bear the responsibility of leading our entire race and protecting the sacred land."

"Therefore, if you kill me, the Holy Land will cast an ancient curse upon you, and you will surely die."

"That ungrateful wretch coveted the Holy Land, but he didn't want to bear the curse, so he used you all to deal with me."

Shen Xing nodded in realization after hearing this, cursing inwardly.

Damn it, this mission definitely had a trap.

Fortunately, I didn't believe everything the wandering merchant said. It seems that even the neutral NPCs in this world are not harmless.

Sure enough, there aren't many honest people like myself anymore.

"Then why did he insist on killing you? And why did he say the bracelet on your wrist belonged to his deceased wife? What's going on?" Xia Wanyin pressed.

Upon hearing this question, a complex mix of Wrath and sadness flashed in the Naga priestess's eyes.

After a moment of silence, she slowly spoke.

"More than a decade ago, a knight was crossing the Blackwater River by boat. When he reached the middle of the river, a sudden strong wind caused him and his horse to fall into the river."

"A young Naga priestess, unable to bear seeing the knight perish at the bottom of the river, rescued him and took good care of him."

"Perhaps due to excessive contact during the caregiving process, feelings developed between them, and the two people of different races came together."

"A few months later, the Naga became pregnant."

"The bond of blood made her completely lower her guard against the knight, and she led him to the most important place in her tribe, the sacred ground."

"Only then did the knight reveal his true colors."

"All of this he did was to enter the sacred grounds of the Dark Naga and seize the sacred relic, the 'Scepter of the Lord of Blackwater'."

"He sealed the Naga priest, intending to seize the scepter. Fortunately, the holy site had set up a final barrier that couldn't be opened without the key."

"In her grief and rage, the Naga priest used forbidden power to break the seal and drive the knight away."

"But she died filled with regret because of the immense strain on her body and her pregnancy."

At this point, extreme hatred flashed across the Naga priest's face, and her voice turned cold.

"But that guy still hasn't given up, and wants to enter the Holy Land again to take back the scepter."

"This bracelet is the key to unlocking the sacred site."

After listening to her story, Shen Xing and Xia Wanyin both remained silent for a moment, digesting the information in her words.

The story sounds melodramatic, but it has some logic and can explain why the wandering merchant wanted the pearl bracelet and why he killed the Naga.

It sounds like I'm the villain here, doesn't it?

After all that fighting, it turns out they were aiding and abetting the evildoer, helping this wandering merchant to harm the Dark Naga race?

However, Shen Xing did not completely believe what the Naga priest said.

After learning that the wandering merchant had deceived them, Shen Xing naturally wouldn't easily believe the one-sided stories of these NPCs anymore.

Moreover... if I let her go, it will be difficult to explain my mission.

His gaze fell upon the Naga priest lying on the ground, and he said in a deep voice, "You just said that killing you would incur the ancient curse of the Naga race."

"If I have someone else do it, then the curse won't befall me, right?"

Upon hearing this, the Naga priest's pupils suddenly contracted.

Xia Wanyin, who was standing next to her, also turned her head, a look of surprise flashing across her face.

Chapter 55: Generous Mission Rewards, Drum of Invigoration!

Half an hour later.