The King, the highest authority NPC in powerful secular forces. What the gods wonāt grant players; the King can giveāterritories, armies, wealth, titles, and so on. From a practical sense, the King is more impressive than the gods.
And aside from being observed from afar by players during rare large celebrations, ordinary players almost never get to meet the King. Even high-end players like Da Fei, who could easily meet Dukes, Princes, and top-tier NPCs like the Silena Ancient Tree, have to complete difficult tasks to meet the King. From this perspective, seeing the King isnāt easier than meeting a god.
Speaking of which, Da Fei actually had a chance to meet the Emperor right at the beginning of the game when he picked up the Sailing Captainās relic. Indeed, the Emperor, the sovereign of Kings, truly the most powerful NPC. At that time, Da Fei weighed the pros and cons and decided to relinquish the opportunity. As for this time, Da Fei intends to seize the opportunity no matter what.
Therefore, the first thing Da Fei does is to return to the Flying ship in Cold Jade City to gather his family. If the King is pleased, he could well reward each Vice Hero with a position.
As for Vice Heroes, Da Fei encounters the dilemma with Elenaāshould he bring her along? The recent siege came swiftly and ended quickly, and Elena still had no chance to fight. Itās not a good solution to leave things unresolved like this. Perhaps he could take advantage of the opportunity to meet the King to "pardon" her special identification issue?
Thus, Da Fei first consults Elena by saying, "The King wants to see me, and I want to bring you along. Maybe we can resolve your Allianceās wanted status issue?"
Elena shakes her head and laughs: "Actually, it doesnāt matter to me. As a Mage, staying at home studying spells for hundreds of years without going out is no problem. The problem isāright now, if I go out, Iād be questioned by guards or even detained, possibly without ever seeing the King, which would cause you quite a bit of trouble."
Da Fei is instantly taken aback: "Well, what about using a wig?"
Elena shakes her head and smiles: "Going out isnāt the issue, but thereās still a two-and-a-half-day cooldown time. Given the importance of the Kingās summon, itās better not to worry about me, sir."
Da Fei shakes his head and sighs, knowing the wig was spoiled by Moon God Nightās use. Two and a half days mean waiting until about 3 AM. Heās been up nights with daylight naps, and in these circumstances, he might not last until then. Must he leave Elena behind again?
Suddenly, Da Feiās heart skips a beat; the Kingās summon surely isnāt just about doling out a reward. Once rewarded, thereāll definitely be tasksālikely for him to deal with the remaining three Ancient Tree Wall battlefields, which would mean back to the frontlines. He decides not to meet the King yet and wait until he can bring Elena along since thereās no time restriction on meeting.
Da Fei laughs: "No worries. Itās precisely because this is an important matter that I canāt leave you behind. Once the wigās ready, weāll go togetherāIām not in a rush to meet the King."
Elena laughs: "No wonder youāre the master, daring to stall even the King!"
Da Fei laughs heartily: "Iām giving him two days to cool off, lest he impulsively misjudge the situation."
Since heās not meeting the King, Da Fei sets off to tackle the Wine God issue, first seeking Silenaās opinion. Now that heās secured another battlefield, even the King seeks him out, so Silena canāt keep ignoring him. If he canāt get any answers there, heāll follow the advice of the Unicorn King and destroy the Wine Godās altar, upsetting the Japan Goddess.
Locating the garrison general Daelir in the city, before Da Fei could speak, Daelir smiles and says: "Welcome Warrior! Your glorious victory at the number three Ancient Tree Wall has greatly inspired Alliance morale, further crushing the enemyās spirit. With your leadership, I believe we will soon defeat the demons."
Ah, the burdens of a leader!
Da Fei shakes his head and sighs: "We canāt be too optimistic yet. The Demon Army wonāt readily relinquish their hard-won advantages over a few defeats. Our victories could incite them into a frenzied revenge."
Daelir nods solemnly: "Youāre right! You remember the five Demon God scout avatars you defeated upon arriving at this city? Thereās evidence suggesting the Demon Godās increasing harassment around Cold Jade Lake. Itās possibly inevitable weāve become their new battlefield."
Da Fei claps his hand and hurriedly pulls out the Wine Godās Cup: "Exactly, which is why I worry! Iād still like to consult Lord Silena regarding this Wine God matter. Clearly, the Wine Godās presence and stance could impact our battle situation. Could you, Miss Garrison Officer, arrange another introduction for me?"
Daelir frowns: "Warrior, is this Wine God matter truly so important?"
Oh yes, her tone has softened! Da Fei vigorously nods: "Indeed! Heās a god after allāif heās a potential ally, Iāll try to secure his help; if a threat, Iāll seek means to neutralize him."
Daelir nods: "Alright, follow me, Warrior."
Oh yes! Success!
And thus, Da Fei arrives again at the Tree Top Garden to see Lord Silena in white attire and a white-bearded old manās appearance.
Silena shakes his head and smiles: "Warrior, Iāve learned from Daelir why youāve come. You make a valid point. Let me try to introduce the Wine God to you, but first, let me inspect your Wine Godās Cup!"
Indeed, the Ancient Tree God is well-prepared! Da Fei gleefully presents the cup: "Please have a look, sir."
While caressing the cup, Silena explains: "Wine God Dionysus is the son of King of Gods, Zeus, and among the twelve Olympian gods. Yet his childhood was tragic; from birth to adulthood, he suffered persecution from Heavenly Queen Hera, becoming deranged. His temperament worsened after the death of his beloved young man, growing even more erratic. Thus, his divine level has dual aspectsāa cherished god of harvest and wine loved by farmers, and a tyrannical frenzied god. He maintains a secret cult with obscure worship rituals; this cup is undoubtedly a sacrificial item from those rituals."
Da Fei winces: "Uh! Wait, his beloved young man?"
Silena sighs: "Referring to the young man Ambros. When Ambros appeared to the Wine God Dionysus during a parade, Dionysus was mesmerized by his radiant beauty and expressed affection, which Ambros eagerly reciprocated. But their happiness was short-lived, as Ambros died in a hunting adventure under a bullās horn. Dionysus was devastated, and to express sympathy, the gods transformed Ambrosās body into a vine producing the finest wines, which became his greatest treasure."
Da Feiās jaw dropsāthis is romance, not bromance? But hang on, a vine? A vine? Isnāt this precisely Tamilia the God-level Vine Forest Masterās expertise?
Sensing a wicked idea, Da Fei eagerly inquires: "Could you elaborate on this vine, sir?"
Silena shakes his head: "I know little, just that Ambros Vine is guarded by beings with goat heads and hoovesāa Pan Godābipedal creatures easily mistaken for demons, but these attendants possess eerie Power of the Wine God. In his domain, against Wine Godās Power, even the mightiest foes struggle to resist. In the Wine God Domain, his attendants are nearly invincible and hostile to intruders. I have no effective method for countering his domain; if you venture into his domain, the only protection I can offer is a Space Barrier."
Silena pulls out a tree branch radiating gold and green light: "This is all I can provide! There isnāt much Divine Power, so use wisely."
āSystem Prompt: You receive Silenaās gifted Divine Artifact: Silena Branch!
āSilena Branch: Consumable Divine Artifact. Use to transport players and their team to the current spaceās Otherworld. (Only usable in the Wine God Domain)
Oh yes! Another Invisibility Branch has been gifted! Is this a nudge to pilfer vines? This tripās not a waste! Da Fei joyfully exclaims: "Thank you, sir! Iāve seen the Wine God Domain and prepared special forces."
Silena nods: "Then all the better. The wine cup is a key to accessing the Wine God Space, though Iām unaware of the usage. Typically, youād try filling it with various wines. The Unicorn King is especially informed on this and esteems you greatly, so you may seek him! I have no further introductionsāgood luck, Warrior."
Back full circle to familiar faces! Da Fei chuckles in surprise: "Thank you for the guidance, sir!"
(Sorry, exhausted writerās block; only one update today) (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, youāre welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets or monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)