Online Game: Starting with an SSS-Level Plundering Talent - Chapter 74

Chapter 74: The Seven-Tailed Fox Demon and the Flower Fairy

An SSS-level hidden quest!

John was surprised—this was the highest-level hidden quest he had encountered, and the dangers that came with it were likely immense.

He looked at the Ice Phoenix, hesitant to accept the quest immediately, and asked, “If I don’t complete this quest, will there be any penalties?”

He wasn’t fully confident in his ability to succeed, and his primary goal was just to obtain the Pink Peach Blossoms. It didn’t seem worth the risk of saving the Flower Fairy if it meant putting his life on the line.

The Ice Phoenix, sensing John’s thoughts, sighed reluctantly and said, “I will remove the penalty for failing the quest.”

Quest penalties were designed to force adventurers to complete tasks.

But this particular adventurer seemed immune to such pressure. If John refused to take on the quest, there wasn’t much the Ice Phoenix could do about it.

More importantly, John seemed to have a close relationship with Lord Black Turtle, and the Ice Phoenix didn’t dare to offend Black Turtle.

Hearing that there would be no penalty, John decisively accepted the quest.

[You have accepted the SSS-level hidden quest: Rescue the Flower Fairy; Quest Rewards: Random Divine Weapon, Assist Avis in Ascending; Penalty for Failure: None]

John quickly skimmed through the quest description. The quest wasn’t mandatory—he could pursue it if it seemed safe, but he wouldn’t hesitate to abandon it if it became too dangerous.

“Adventurer, the Flower Fairy is very important to our beast clan. If Lord Black Turtle knew about this, he would surely urge you to complete this quest. Please, I entrust this to you,” the Ice Phoenix said, speaking to John with newfound respect.

John nodded slightly. “I’ll do my best. How do I enter the Fox Clan’s domain?”

“Follow me,” the Ice Phoenix said, leading the way deeper into the Beast Clan’s Secret Area.

John signaled Avis to follow the Ice Phoenix.

The Beast Clan’s Secret Area was vast, at least twice the size of Death Land.

Before long, the Ice Phoenix stopped at a mist-shrouded area, where the silhouettes of peach trees could be faintly seen within.

“This is the Fox Clan’s domain,” the Ice Phoenix explained as he glanced at John. “The Pink Peach Blossoms only bloom deep within their territory, and the Flower Fairy is likely being held there as well.”

John nodded in acknowledgment. The thick mist obscured his vision, making it difficult to discern what lay beyond.

This was another independent space, similar to the Gates Empire’s treasure trove—a Secret Area within a Secret Area.

“How do I enter?” John asked.

He could sense the weakened points in the space but found them stable enough that he couldn’t break through with his current strength.

“I’ll assist you,” the Ice Phoenix replied. He flew into the air, gathering a formidable amount of ice energy around him. In a flash, he transformed into a phantom and shot toward the mist.

Boom!

With a loud crash, the surrounding temperature plummeted, and even the mist was frozen in place.

The space trembled, and an unstable spatial rift appeared.

“Adventurer, this spatial passage will only remain open for three days. That means you must return within that time, or I won’t be able to locate you,” the Ice Phoenix warned John.

The Ice Phoenix lacked the ability to control spatial forces; it had merely forced open the rift with brute strength, which could only hold for three days.

Once the passage closed, it could be reopened, but the location would be uncertain, and the Ice Phoenix certainly wouldn’t dare to venture into the Fox Clan’s territory to search for John.

“Avis, you stay here,” John ordered as he saw Avis preparing to follow him.

Avis, being a beast, could be detected by the fox demons. If he entered with John, they would be immediately noticed.

“No, master, it’s too dangerous here. I can’t let you go alone,” Avis protested, worried for John’s safety. After all, even seventh-tier beasts had perished in the Fox Clan’s territory—his master wouldn’t stand a chance alone.

“Don’t worry, I won’t die. Besides, I need you to do something for me,” John reassured him, pulling him aside to whisper instructions.

Avis glanced at the Ice Phoenix occasionally as he nodded. “I understand, master. Please be careful.”

John didn’t say anything more. He cast Iron Armor on himself and then took out a concealment talisman before stepping toward the spatial passage.

“A concealment talisman? This guy has such a rare item,” the Ice Phoenix murmured, surprised as it sensed John’s presence vanish.

The concealment talisman, a rare item that only high-level talisman masters could craft, could conceal a person’s aura and movements, making them undetectable by beasts below the seventh tier.

“If only this adventurer were an Assassin,” the Ice Phoenix mused quietly. A concealment talisman combined with an Assassin’s stealth skills would make him nearly unstoppable in the Fox Clan’s territory.

Avis glanced at the Ice Phoenix but said nothing.

His master’s second profession was the powerful Phantom Assassin, which naturally came with stealth abilities.

…

Fox Clan’s Territory.

The appearance of the spatial rift alerted the surrounding fox demons.

A dozen or so four-tailed fox demons hid in the shadows, closely watching the rift.

These fox demons were all seductive females, each with four fluffy tails swaying behind them.

This is a mark of their status and power.

One tail indicated the first tier of power.

So these fox demons were all at the fourth tier.

John couldn’t help but compare them to the succubus of the beast clan.

Though these fox demons were also alluring, their charm differed greatly from that of a succubus.

The succubus had a bewitching allure.

While these fox demons exuded an entirely different aura—one that felt overtly lewd.

As he passed by one of the fox demons, the strong scent of musk nearly caused him to reveal himself.

John held his breath and hastened his pace.

“Hmm, did you just feel something?” one of the fox demons asked, frowning as she scanned the area. It felt like a slight breeze had passed by.

“What?” her companion responded nonchalantly, her eyes still fixed on the spatial rift.

“Maybe it was just my imagination,” the first fox demon shrugged off her concern, sensing no other beastly presence.

…

By now, John had entered the Fox Clan’s territory, swiftly making his way through the peach groves.

There was no need for him to conceal himself deliberately; whenever the musky scent of a fox demon wafted over, he knew one was nearby and carefully avoided it.

The further he went, the stronger the fox demons became, with even six-tailed fox demons appearing.

Fortunately, they were all ordinary beasts and not bosses.

“Hmm, such a strong floral scent,” John muttered, frowning slightly. The air was thick with the fragrance of flowers, almost overpowering, masking the usual musk of the fox demons.

He began to feel a wave of dizziness, as if the fox demons wandering nearby held an inexplicable allure.

Enchantment!

John’s instincts kicked in, and he immediately bit down on his tongue, the sharp pain snapping him back to reality.

Enchantment was a natural skill of the fox demon clan, but he hadn’t expected the pink mist to have such a potent enchanting effect as well.

“This must be the heart of the fox demon territory,” John thought as he held his breath, trying to avoid inhaling too much of the mist. He carefully continued his stealthy advance deeper into the haze.

The pungent floral scent grew even stronger, and John knew he had to stay on high alert.

Suddenly, he heard a commotion deeper in the peach grove.

“Little girl, stop struggling in vain. Just give in and become my nourishment!” A raspy female voice echoed through the trees.

It was a seven-tailed fox demon, draped in a sheer pink veil that barely concealed her seductive figure. Her presence was dripping with enchantment.

But when John got a closer look at her face, he snapped back to full awareness.

Her face was covered in oozing sores, some of which had already begun to rot, emitting a foul stench.

Even more eerie was the massive peach tree before her, adorned with pink blossoms. Several thin branches dangled down, piercing into her body.

Buzz!

A flicker of rainbow-colored light caught John’s attention, drawing his gaze to a young girl beneath the peach tree.

She appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen, exuding a pure and untainted aura, like a freshly bloomed flower after the rain—refreshing, graceful, untouched by the world’s grime. Her eyes sparkled like starlight, soft and radiant.

The girl seemed completely out of place in the midst of this eerie scene.

The pink mist swirled around her, and the peach tree’s branches lashed out, attempting to strike her.

But each time, they were repelled by the fading rainbow light surrounding her. Despite this protection, the light was growing dimmer, and the girl’s face had turned pale, clearly struggling to maintain her defense.

John quickly pieced together who she was: the Flower Fairy, Jean.

“How strange,” he murmured, frowning again. There was something oddly familiar about Jean, as if he had met her before.

The Tree of Life!

The realization struck him. According to the Ice Phoenix, the Flower Fairy was born from a hundred flowers, sharing the same origins as the Tree of Life.

Since John had already formed a soul contract with the Tree of Life, connecting their lives, it made sense that Jean’s aura felt so familiar.

“I’ll pick the pink peach blossoms first. If the opportunity arises, I’ll try to save you too,” John decided, willing to take the risk after seeing Jean.

But first, he needed to secure the pink peach blossoms.

The massive peach tree before him, covered in pink flowers, had to be the source.

John held his breath and carefully avoided the surrounding fox demons and the powerful seven-tailed fox demon as he approached the peach tree.

The tree’s branches were adorned with blooming pink peach blossoms, within easy reach.

To his surprise, it was easier than he expected. He quickly picked a pink peach blossom and placed it into his Storage Ring.

Whoosh!

But suddenly, several branches whipped around, reaching out to ensnare him.

John was shocked; it seemed his presence had been discovered. It was too late to avoid the attack.

Slash!

The vine-like branches sliced through the air, shattering his Iron Armor and piercing his body.

[You have been instantly killed by the seventh-rank rare boss, Peach Blossom Tree Monster. The god-tier talent Undying and Immortal has been triggered, and life-sharing has been activated. Health is being restored…]

The notification flashed before his eyes.

John had been killed again. His Lifesaver talent had already been triggered once today, but fortunately, he still had his god-tier talent, Undying and Immortal.

His health was restored, but it quickly began to drain again.

The peach tree was devouring his life force!

Panic-stricken, John swiftly broke free from the entangling branches, leaping back to escape the tree’s attack range.

“Who’s there!” The loud commotion caught the attention of the seven-tailed fox demon. She let out an angry shout, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the area where John had just stood. The branches flailed, and a trace of blood lingered in the air.

“Such rich life energy…” she moaned in pleasure, as the sores on her face began to heal slightly.

John watched from a distance, his heart pounding. He realized something after he saw this situation.

The peach tree was also a demon beast and was symbiotically linked with the seven-tailed fox demon. She had captured the Flower Fairy to absorb her life force and heal her injuries.

Now that he understood the situation, John knew he couldn’t let her succeed.

“This isn’t a member of the beast clan. Search carefully and bring this one back to me!” The seven-tailed fox demon ordered excitedly, having sensed the immense life energy within John. Suddenly, the Flower Fairy in front of her seemed far less appealing.

Thankfully, John’s invisibility skill, combined with the concealment talisman, kept him hidden.

But in the next moment, something happened that made him break into a cold sweat.