Wild joy surged in Kalis's heart. It was like walking through a winding path in the mountains, suddenly emerging into a beautiful village, total relief after despair!
"Thank you both for your kindness! Farewell, and may we meet again someday!"
He immediately pulled out a Return Scroll, gathering energy in his fingertips to activate the casting animation.
As long as he returned to Silverpeak Hamlet, he could completely escape this absurd Abyssal entanglement.
However, Thalyn in the cell suddenly shrieked frantically, his voice shrill and piercing: "Bastard! You can't just let him go! He's a god-blaspheming sinner, a damned heretic! If you don't kill him, I'll never be able to ease the hatred in my heart!"
His words were absurdly illogical. As a devout follower of the Divine Pantheon, he was actually trying to order Abyssal demons to execute a human. His stance had long been distorted by jealousy. But Kalis instantly understood his madness:
Thalyn had been relentlessly teased by Princess Lilith, almost forced to become the Abyssal prince consort. Subconsciously, he had already bound himself to the Abyssal princess.
Yet Kalis's appearance had made Lilith, who was "obsessed with him," switch her affections in an instant. This fall from being a "special existence" to a "discarded pawn" was a devastating blow to any man, whether he liked Lilith or not.
At this moment, jealousy had long devoured Thalyn's sanity. He only wanted to use any means to eliminate Kalis, his "rival in love."
"Very well, dying once isn't a big deal. I've already mentally prepared for it anyway." Kalis shrugged indifferently, taking the initiative to interrupt the scroll's casting. He was curious to see how Lilith would resolve this farce.
Lilith looked at him deeply, a hint of pity flashing in her deep purple eyes.
Her voice was soft and melancholy: "I almost forgot. You bear Augustus's Eternal Hatred Curse. After returning to the human world, temple followers will ostracize you, and soldiers will be hostile to you. You are destined to face countless hardships, enduring contempt and humiliation everywhere you go."
Kalis tilted his head, a row of question marks seemingly popping up above his head.
What was going on? With that tone of sympathy, could it be that she was going to give him a Legendary weapon for self-defense?
"So what?" he asked tentatively.
Lilith shook her head gently: "Abyssal artifacts cannot be given to you. Otherwise, they will intensify the curse's power within you, attracting the Divine Pantheon's pursuit. However... you can take his legacy."
She raised her hand, pointing to Thalyn in the cell. "Although its quality isn't top-tier, it will be enough for you to protect yourself."
Before she finished speaking, a dark purple energy orb condensed in Lilith's palm, swirling with Abyssal runes and exuding a terrifying aura. In the next second, the energy orb shot out, piercing precisely into Thalyn's chest.
Boom!
-99,999,999
A dull explosion sounded. Thalyn's body remained intact, but his life force was drained instantly; his 2,595,000 HP dropped to zero on the spot. The madness in his eyes froze, and his body fell limp to the ground, utterly lifeless.
"Damn..." Kalis was completely stunned.
A Level 120 Mythic Abyssal Princess could actually one-shot a Level 130 Legendary Celestial Mage?
Was it the cell's confinement that had rendered Thalyn defenseless, or was Lilith's strength truly unfathomable?
Clatter～
The moment Thalyn fell, a brilliant glow erupted from the ground, scattering a large pile of items.
Even though he had been killed by an NPC, he dropped a massive amount of loot just like a player, only without any experience points.
"Hurry and pick them up. He has many things that will be useful to you." Lilith's voice carried a hint of imperceptible urgency.
"Uh, thank you." Kalis suppressed his shock, striding into the cell to collect the loot.
"Ding～ Congratulations! You have obtained the Legendary weapon [Celestial Staff] (Level 55)!"
"Ding～ Congratulations! You have obtained the Legendary accessory [Ring of Stellar Will] (Level 105)!"
"Ding～ Congratulations! You have obtained the Epic equipment [Stellar Robe] (Level 60)!"
"Ding～ Congratulations! You have obtained 3 Celestial Magic Scrolls, 20 High-Grade Mana Potions!"
"Ding～ Congratulations! You have obtained the class certification item [Tome of the Celestial Mage]!"
Two Legendary items, one Epic robe, several practical props, and a certification token for a hidden class, Kalis grew more excited as he collected them, a smile spreading across his lips.
"Celestial Mage... a hidden class!" He clenched the black tome in his hand, his heart pounding with excitement. "I never expected that such a stroke of luck would bring me such a great gift!"
The annoyance of being pestered by Lilith had long vanished. This hidden class inheritance was more than enough to offset all the awkwardness.
"Thank you both again. I really must leave now." Kalis put away the loot, pulling out a Return Scroll once more, his tone much more sincere.
"Wait!" Lilith suddenly stepped forward, taking a necklace from around her neck.
The pendant was a blooming purple-black rose, its petals glowing with faint Abyssal light. She placed the necklace gently in Kalis's palm, her fingertips brushing his skin inadvertently, cool to the touch.
"Kalis, I hate to see you go." Her voice was soft, filled with deep reluctance. "This is the [Abyssal Rose Necklace], a Mythic item, and also my token of love. Crush it in an emergency, and I will sense your location, crossing planes to help you."
[Abyssal Rose Necklace (Mythic Item)]
Effect: Upon use, summons Princess Lilith of the Abyss (lasts 10 minutes), 72-hour cooldown; when equipped, immune to Abyssal miasma below Intermediate grade. Untradeable, undiscardable, unlosable, permanently bound.
Kalis: "..."
He looked at the necklace in his palm, his expression complicated if he refused, he was afraid of angering Lilith; if he accepted, this "token of love" was truly too hot to handle.
Lilith seemed to read his thoughts, turning around so that her dark purple hair covered her face. "Go quickly. If you stay any longer, I might change my mind and keep you in the Abyss."
"... Take care." In the end, Kalis clenched the necklace tightly. After a low farewell, he crushed the Return Scroll. His figure gradually faded in the pale blue light, finally disappearing from the stone hall.
As for the quest to rescue the miners... facing two high-rank Abyssal powerhouses like Lilith and Zerakel, he stood no chance at the moment. He could only return later when his strength had improved—after all, advancing to the hidden class was his top priority right now.
...
At Silverpeak Hamlet's teleportation square, pale blue light converged, and Kalis's figure materialized out of thin air, still clutching the Abyssal Core Shard and the Abyssal Rose Necklace in his palm.
"Alert! Detecting strong Abyssal miasma! Immediately investigate the source!"
Several city guards clad in silver armor surrounded him instantly, their spears pointed directly at Kalis, their eyes sharp with vigilance—they were Silverpeak Hamlet's defenders. Although their levels weren't high, they were extremely sensitive to Abyssal energy.
Kalis's heart tightened. He quickly stored the two Abyssal items in his backpack. In an instant, the Abyssal miasma in the air disappeared without a trace.
The city guards frowned, staring at him with a hint of disgust. But finding no abnormalities, they could only wave him away impatiently. "Get lost! Don't linger in the teleportation square, interfering with official business!"
With that, they roughly pushed Kalis aside and turned to leave.
Kalis rubbed his shoulder where he had been pushed, feeling annoyed inwardly: "What's with the arrogance? Once I advance to Celestial Mage and learn high-tier magic, I'll make you look at me with newfound respect sooner or later!"
Silverpeak Hamlet was much busier than before. Nearly six hours after the server launch, more and more players had flocked to the town, replenishing potions or accepting side quests. The streets were bustling with noisy chatter.
After all, there were only 24 main cities in the entire Blue Star Zone, but the total number of players exceeded 1 billion. On average, each main city and its affiliated towns had to accommodate tens of millions of people; its crowdedness was unimaginable.
Kalis opened the level leaderboard and scanned it quickly:
1. Kalis (Apprentice Mage): Level 39
2. Thorne (Warrior): Level 31
3. Barnett (Knight): Level 29
4. Serelith (Mage): Level 28
...
He still held the top spot firmly, leading the second place by a full 8 levels.
The second-place player "Thorne" was progressing rapidly, already reaching Level 31—clearly a core player focused on by major guilds. Most players below were concentrated between Levels 25-28, in line with the normal leveling rhythm.
"In another day or two, there will be more and more players above Level 30. I can start preparing to list the Epic items dropped by Augustus on the auction house." Kalis thought to himself, then turned his attention back to his main task, advancing to the hidden class.
He took out the Tome of the Celestial Mage dropped by Thalyn and tried to use it directly. But a system notification popped up:
[Notice: Class certification items cannot be activated directly. Please go to the designated advancement mentor to receive Celestial inheritance guidance. You can advance to the class after completing the ritual.]
"Very well, as expected, I need a mentor." Kalis wasn't surprised—Tavren had already promised to introduce him to the reclusive freelance Mage. Now was the time to go to Silverpeak General Store to find Tavren.
He strode toward the general store in the town center, avoiding the crowded players along the way, his heart filled with anticipation: "Celestial Mage... I wonder what special skills this hidden class will have. Can it help me lift the Eternal Hatred Curse?"