Online Game: Crazy Skeleton-Chapter 821 - 743: Opening the Mysterious Path

"My lord Messenger, you’re being too kind."

Su Ran realized that his continuous summoning of the Sea Messenger caused him considerable psychological stress.

It is said that anything can be negotiated, but it’s difficult to bargain with an NPC...

"Well, I just have another quest I need to consult about, it’s not that I’m purposely making things difficult for you."

Su Ran replied politely, fearing that he might inadvertently provoke this NPC again, because if he were to suffer a mental breakdown, who else could he turn to for quests?

"Sigh."

The Sea Messenger took a deep breath, his voice quivering as he said, "Young hero, this time I will wait until you’ve finished speaking before I leave. Just say what you want to say, and I will withhold nothing. I only ask that you spare me..."

Is he being this humble?

Su Ran felt a bit unused to this normally haughty Sea Messenger speaking with such a self-deprecating tone. It seemed his several successive summonings had indeed served as a lesson.

"It’s like this, some time ago I fished up a drifting bottle in the sea, which contained a task card labeled ’Mysterious Path.’

Su Ran paused, glancing at the Sea Messenger’s expression, and continued, "The hint provided by this Mysterious Path is to seek you out for information about this quest."

"Mysterious Path?"

The Sea Messenger was stunned, as if a long-forgotten memory had been stirred, his gaze shifting to the distant sea horizon, silent.

Su Ran tactfully did not interrupt the Sea Messenger’s reverie, just watching him as he stood there, putting on an act.

About three and a half minutes passed before the Sea Messenger finally looked away, giving Su Ran a complex stare, "Young hero, I do not know whether to say you are lucky or out of luck?"

"What do you mean?"

Su Ran’s heart skipped a beat, an uneasy feeling rising within him. He felt he might have fallen into a system trap, and he immediately became anxious.

"This is a quest to lift the curse on the Elf Forest. Once you accept it, you must break the curse covering the Elf Forest and open the pathway that connects it to the outside world. If the quest fails, you shall face the severe punishment of the Elf Queen!"

The Sea Messenger’s tone turned very serious, as he relayed all the key information from his memory, "The Elf Forest is situated on a land abandoned by the God Race, the whole land shrouded by an evil veil, so pervasive that even sunlight cannot penetrate it. The elves suffer in darkness year after year. Most notably, the Power of Curse, once contracted, is exceedingly difficult to dispel, so you must proceed with caution."

The Elf Forest?

OMG, I’ve finally got the information about the Elf Forest!

Excited by this news, Su Ran didn’t care about curses; knowing how to get to the Elf Forest was all that mattered!

"My lord Messenger, can you tell me how to find the Elf Forest?"

Su Ran looked intently at the Sea Messenger, eager to get the route to the Elf Forest so he could set off immediately!

Curses?

What’s there to fear? I’ve got connections in the Elf Forest!

That Fire Spirit named Ling Wei—sure, there was a bit of a fallout, but I’m the one who rescued her from the well’s seal. Although we had a slight misunderstanding, it was still a life-saving favor, so she won’t deny me some credit.

Plus, there’s that Elf Archer named Banana—I must get him on board for this caper!

"You want to find the Elf Forest? That’s easy! This Mysterious Path is the guide to the Elf Forest!"

The Sea Messenger looked solemnly at Su Ran and said gravely, "If you are indeed prepared to embark, then I will help you activate this Mysterious Path!"

What are we waiting for?

Hurry up and start it!!!

"Then, I’ll have to trouble the emissary for this."

Su Ran tried to keep his tone as steady as possible when speaking, fearful that the NPC would detect the excitement in his heart.

"Alas, you are truly obstinate!"

The Sea Emissary sighed, "Well, to each their own fate. Perhaps this trip will be a great opportunity for you or it may cast you into an abyss from which you cannot extricate yourself! Remember, the most terrifying thing about Elf Forest is its thousand curses! If you are afflicted with ten of these curses at the same time, you will surely die!"

Man, is it fun to scare people like this?

What’s there to fear from a thousand curses? With a guide by my side, this is nothing!

Su Ran resignedly tilted his head back, as if rolling his eyes.

"Ding! Congratulations to the player Skeleton for unlocking the Mysterious Path. The first destination coordinates are 4827:5728 on the Fisherman’s Island. Please be sure to arrive within ten days, or else the quest will fail and you will be subjected to the soul curse of the Elf Queen, with your level forcibly reset to zero!"

After the Sea Emissary opened the Mysterious Path, the system’s notification followed, but the punishment for failing the quest that Su Ran would face was truly startling.

Damn, the Elf Queen’s punishment is too harsh, failing just wipes your levels clean, without even the slightest leeway for buffering! Does this mean I’m already on a road of no return?!

Elf Forest was painted even more mysterious and unfathomable, making Su Ran feel a chill in his heart.

"Is there anything else you need to ask? If not, I shall take my leave."

This time, the Sea Emissary was cautious and patiently made sure there were no more questions before leaving, to avoid having to come back several times.

"No, that’s all, emissary. Safe travels."

"Are you sure that’s it?"

"Yes, yes..."

Su Ran was embarrassed; it seemed that he had left quite a psychological impact on the Sea Emissary!

"Swish!"

Only then did the Sea Emissary feel at ease and, without the desire to stay any longer, they left immediately through Instant Movement.

"Haha, I’ve finally found the route to Elf Forest!"

At this moment, Su Ran was bursting with excitement; he truly wanted to shout to the skies to vent the exhilaration inside him. He had so many quests to complete in Elf Forest, and he had to venture into this Cursed Land!

"There are ten days until the quest deadline, which is a lot of time. First, I’ll find the Great White Shark’s weapon, then I’ll search for the Elf Forest!"

Su Ran had made his decision; after all, his visit to Elf Forest wasn’t something that could be done in a day or two. It might take ten days or even half a month. With a powerful ally like the Great White Shark guarding his territory, he was entirely at ease!

"So next..."

Su Ran pondered for a moment and decided to first look for Banana. He had left him hanging for quite some time, and if the little guy got moody and refused to guide him, that would be a huge loss!

Being afflicted with ten curses would mean certain death!

Thinking this, Su Ran immediately spurred his dog on and soon arrived at the location of the fishing boat.

"Eh? Where is everybody?"

As Su Ran approached, he found the fishing boat completely deserted, without a trace of Banana.

He opened the friends interface and saw that Banana was still online. Su Ran sent a message and carefully observed his surroundings, muttering in surprise, "This kid is really good at hiding; even I can’t find him!"