Origin Paradise!

"What a joke!" the cross-shaped boy said angrily. "It's impossible for a newborn to have a mortality rate as high as 80%. You're trying to trick your own kind into killing others. Be careful, or the executioner will kill you, the rule-breaker."

The silent young man had a stern expression.

The two sisters, one black and one white, exchanged a glance; they were the least willing to obey this order.

Legion picked at his ear, tilted his head and asked in confusion, "What are you mumbling about? If you don't want to, you'll all die. What does it have to do with me?"

At the same time, the Origin subtitles appeared before Jiang He's eyes. Compared to the previous notification sounds, the sense of stealth was a bit more obvious this time.

[Main Quest ①: Released]

[Quest Name: Join the Eye of Ash]

[Task Reward: 4000 Game Coins]

[Task Time Limit: None]

[Task Penalty: None]

[Task suggestion: Voluntary]

[Mission Notes: The Eye of Ash is a secret force directly under the Council Chairman. You are currently in the selection ceremony. To ensure secrecy, the Eye of Ash has never openly recruited, instead acquiring new members monthly through kidnapping, enticement, and fraud.]

"Does this look like a legitimate organization?" Jiang He was speechless.

boom!

The silent youth erupted from his silence, leaping from the upper bunk and slamming his fist into the crystal barrier, revealing the physique of an ordinary creature from the Silver Age. Dust billowed up in the room.

The crystallization barrier swayed, but remained unharmed.

The officer yawned, looking bored, and said, "Don't waste your energy. Even if you've learned a few moves, so what? This fence is made of solidified abomination crystals. Unless you're a sin sorcerer, hitting it will reduce the force by 70 or 80%. You might as well use it on them."

The silent youth remained silent.

The boy with the cross-shaped hairpin revealed a fierce look in his eyes.

The black and white sisters stood up together.

Regarding the Ash World, there are some hints in the opening narrative of the End. Due to the gray rain, humanity suffered a mass extinction, with more than 99% dying. The new humans who adapted to the environment had improved physical fitness. They did not have the Silver Will and Energy, but evolved Silver Bodies, with an average value of around 21 points.

The Ash Era was both a destruction and an opportunity for the world, essentially ushering in the Silver Age, and thus earned it the reputation of a special second-tier world.

"There's nothing I can do, so please don't blame me." The cross-shaped youth rolled up his sleeves, revealing a perfectly broken sword embedded in half of his left arm, a weapon of exceptional killing power among his current level.

Even the officers couldn't help but be impressed.

Tick!

A drop of water fell.

The boy with the cross raised his hand, the silent youth stepped forward, and the black and white sisters each picked up a staff.

But the next moment, a faint yet intensely pungent smell of blood rose into the room.

The real beast got up from the bed.

A dark red wave swept around, the room trembled violently, countless cracks appeared on the crystal fence, three beds collapsed with a crash, the pool shattered, and water gushed out from the faucet.

thump!

The boy with the cross and the silent youth fainted.

The relatively weaker Black and White Sisters collapsed to the ground, their spirits shattered by the overwhelming power of the overlord. Blood mixed with a gelatinous substance flowed from their eyes.

The officer was horrified. The dark red tsunami was just a hair's breadth away from breaching the fence, but its suffocating majesty was already overwhelming. He didn't know when a monster had been imprisoned in his own cell.

Click!

Jiang He casually crushed the heads of the silent youth and the cross-shaped boy. The incomplete, perfect-grade broken sword was only fit to be a snack for him. He stepped forward and smashed the already crumbling fence, then stuffed the sword tip into his teeth and crushed it.

"How do I join?"

The officer forced a smile: "Look at what you're saying, I'm here to serve you, come with me."

The officer turned and led the way; all he wanted now was to get as far away from this guy as possible.

[Hint: You have received 4000 game coins]

Harvest and investment go straight to the kick.

[Hint: Perfect Straight Kick LV3→LV16]

[Game Coins: 100]

Jiang He stepped out of the room and was greeted by a dark and secluded corridor. In the rooms on both sides, some of the "prisoners" were still asleep, while others had already woken up.

"Get up quickly, look!"

"Damn, did they lock up the Ashes Duchess too?"

"Wash your eyes, this guy doesn't look like a woman at all."

"The title of Ashes Duchess is enough to let others have it."

The prisoners were buzzing with discussion. The Ash Duchess was the top student at Ash Academy, whose strength was at a significant disadvantage. She had made a contract with a Gold-level Betrayal Abyss Demon, and the compatibility rate had exceeded 80%, making her a once-in-a-century talent. However, her extremely beautiful appearance was even more famous.

Jiang He strolled casually down the corridor, occasionally glancing to activate his Judgment Demon Eye to kill those who were courting death with foul language. He was somewhat interested in Abyss Ghosts, provided they were suitable for him.

Chapter 395 The Old Priest, the Death Sorcerer

End of the aisle.

A spiral staircase came into view.

As Jiang He stepped onto the stairs, a sharp, cracking sound came from beneath her feet, and a large number of white fragments flew out.

He glanced down and saw that all the steps were made of human teeth. Given that this world had entered the Silver Age, some of the teeth were just as sharp as the tips of low-level blades.

Ascending the stairs, the walls on both sides are inlaid with trident-like candlesticks, with white candles made of unknown oils burning quietly. A series of exquisitely crafted oil paintings are hung, each a corner of a sonnet as a personal collection.

At the top of the world, the fourth person awaits his answer.

Time whispers, echoing through the void.

The sharpest sword will turn its spearhead around.

The blade of fate severs the vows of the past.

An endless thirst, ever-present.

The Ash Emperor will ultimately destroy the name of the Empire.

As the candlelight dimmed, the officer stopped in front of a crystallized wall. He knocked rhythmically a few times, and the wall burst open, letting in light from outside. Unfortunately, it wasn't much different from the prison.

“Your Excellency Amber, the Governor is just ahead.” The officer bowed slightly and made way for him.

Jiang He looked around and saw a relatively dilapidated church. Large chunks of plaster had peeled off the walls, exposing the rough bricks underneath. The once magnificent stained glass windows were now just broken fragments, teetering on the verge of collapse.

The wooden benches were leaning precariously, and the smell of decay permeated the air. The preaching platform in the center was covered in dust, and the dome, once adorned with murals, was now crisscrossed with cobwebs.

In front of the pulpit, an elderly man, dressed as a priest, seemed to be bowing his head and reciting scriptures. A sickle rested on the ground not far away, looking more like a decoration.

"Don't come any closer, no one's stopping you, just leave."

Jiang He took a few steps forward and turned her head to see the other person's appearance clearly.

"It turns out to be an acquaintance."

The old priest shook his head, turned to the other side, and said sincerely, "I don't know you. I've never seen you before."

Jiang He found a chair and sat down. He remembered the other person: one of the participants who had launched an ambush against him in the Ninth Fortress a while ago, an ordinary being from the Golden Age, a Death Servant, a sin sorcerer who coexisted with the Death Abyss Ghost, and a player from the Final Battlefield.

"Don't waste my time," Jiang He said impatiently. "If you choose to die here, why did you run away when we were surrounded and attacked?"

The old priest choked on his words, then sat down obediently beside the pulpit and let out a deep sigh.

"This is a long story, let me tell you in detail."

The old priest gave a passionate explanation of why he participated in the siege: it was simply because the twins and the tyrant were using cruel methods to threaten him.

Later, during the battle, a certain overlord guarded the Coordinate Fire. Because he was wary of the Oath of Victory Spear, which was empowered by the Martial Saint Strike, he remained hidden and did not go out to seize it.

Despite his best efforts, nothing worked. Just when he was about to be wiped out by the end, he had resigned himself to his fate. But unexpectedly, Origin extended an olive branch, asking him to become an undercover agent and use his status in the Ash World to help the Executor complete his mission.

“Sir, if you complete the main quest, I might be able to become the Origin Lord and travel to the present world.” The old priest said sincerely, “However, I think you can easily complete the quest even without my help.”

Jiang He pulled out the Dragon Spear of Everlasting Hatred, pointed it at the other person's nose, and said expressionlessly, "Then what makes you think you're alive?"

A genuine and palpable killing intent spread out.

The old priest raised his hands and chuckled, "It's Bone Bell Day today, just kidding."

The so-called Bone Bell Festival is a festival for the new humans to commemorate the first year of the Ash Calendar. Every household will hang the skull of their closest relatives at the door, and when the wind blows the bones to knock on the door, it means that the deceased relatives have quietly returned home.

Jiang He put away the Long-Hate Dragon Spear; he had already learned some basic information when he arrived.

As the overlord fell silent, the old priest felt a bit of pressure and immediately said, "Your Excellency is unaware that the Eye of Ash is a secret force directly under the Speaker of the Council, responsible for fighting in the shadows. They not only have to fight against the Knights of Atonement of the Holy Kingdom, but also monitor those sin sorcerers who may fall at any time. Their scope covers fifty states of the Empire."

"Each state's leader, known as the governor, has full leadership and oversees district commanders. However, the draft of the Eye of Ash's establishment was not passed by the Obsidian Council, which means that the organization's daily operations need to be self-sufficient."

"The good news is that we can kill with impunity, as long as we don't get caught. We have a lot of power. We only need to be responsible to the Speaker of the Council, and we don't need to pay attention to anyone else."

Jiang He couldn't help but ask, "What if you get caught?"

"Let him die," the old priest whispered.

The conversation ended, and Jiang He was speechless.

Seeing the other party's displeasure, the old priest quickly added, "However, we still have a stable supply of fresh blood. For various reasons, some outstanding students from Ash Academy often secretly serve as the lowest-ranking hunters, and a few can even be promoted to commanders."

The Eye of Ash is an elite secret force. Ordinary Silver rank members are not qualified to become official hunters; at the very least, they must demonstrate the qualities of an elite. This is why the cage battles have taken place.

The commander is usually a Silver-ranked peak-level player.

Not far away, the officer at the entrance to the underground cell of the church lowered his head in silence. He never expected that even the governor would be so humble in front of the monster.

The old priest turned his head and said, "Green, go get a uniform, and don't forget your sidearm and wrist knife."

The officer looked up abruptly and replied habitually, "Understood."

Officer Green turned and headed toward the secret chamber of the church. All members of the Eye of Ash had disguised identities in the local area. He was not only a Silver Elite-level commanding officer, but also held a nominal position in the Iron Legion stationed there.

With no one around, the old priest whispered, "The day after the Bone Bell Festival ends, the Crimson Theaters in each major city hold large-scale celebrations, which, in short, force civilians to engage in duels and fights."

"The End Society is an organization that advocates the extinction of humanity, believing that humanity will evolve through repeated extinctions until the problems of the Abyss Demons and Abominations are completely solved."

"The biggest obstacle to plotting the extinction of humanity is the Empire and the Theocracy, which are the very order itself. Therefore, the three parties are enemies of each other. It is foreseeable that these madmen will launch an attack on the Crimson Theater tomorrow. The theater is the most important facility in each major city."

Jiang He stroked his chin and said, "So our mission is to stop the End Society and protect the theater?"

The old priest shook his head: "No, that is the duty of the Iron Legion and the great nobles of Carmel. Our mission is to do our best to find and kill the cardinals of the Holy See who have infiltrated. This time, the Speaker of the Council has even sent Obsidian Special Envoy, who is expected to arrive tomorrow morning."

Subtitles appeared before Jiang He's eyes.

[Main Quest ②: Already Released]

[Mission Name: Hunt]

[Mission Objective: Hunt down Cardinal Deborah of the Theocracy (Ordinary Being of the Golden Age)]

[Task Time Limit: 3 calendar days]

[Quest Reward: Ultimate Skill Enhancement Scroll]

[Task Penalty: None]

[Note: Carmel was once the hometown of Adam Mister. A local Ash nobleman accidentally obtained half of a treasure map, rumored to contain the truth of the world. Because it was too hot to handle, the nobleman chose to give it as the prize for the Crimson winner, causing great turmoil in Carmel.]

The same subtitles appeared before the old priest's eyes, the difference being that there were no rewards; only when someone's main quest was completely completed could he officially defect successfully.

Jiang He pondered for a moment and asked, "The End Society, the Iron Legion, the Cardinal, the Obsidian Special Envoy—all these people have come to interfere, yet the Imperial Family remains indifferent?"

The old priest, with a strange expression, replied, "The imperial family has long been a mere shell of its former self. Three emperors in a row have been assassinated on the throne. When you came up here, you should have seen the prophetic poems on those oil paintings. They were all written by the most famous prophets since the beginning of the Ash Calendar."

"He made a pact with the future demon, so he is accurate to some extent. He often acts as a riddle teller, and the prophecy that the royal family will destroy the empire was a result that this prophet gave at the cost of his own life."

Jiang He pondered to himself that if there was a power transition between the parliament and the monarchy, then the existence of the prophet would be very intriguing. By self-destructing and becoming a political assassin, he could directly cripple the monarchy. This was not something that could be planned overnight.

"Reporting to the two officers, the supplies have been received."

Before long, the officer came over carrying a set of standard equipment: a black uniform, a silver-plated engraved revolver, twelve alchemical bullets, and a tactical short straight knife with blood grooves on the blade, all of which were of excellent quality.

Jiang He saw the shadow of an alchemy master in him. Compared to himself, who came from a self-taught background, the other party's technology was obviously more comprehensive and systematic. He used a production line method to mass-produce standardized equipment by manufacturing samples, training a large number of apprentices to handle various scattered links, and finally assembling the finished products.

The uniform is predominantly black with bullet-shaped yellow-brown stripes. It features a stand-up collar, two rows of brass buttons on the chest, a white belt, and gloves, resembling the uniforms of Prussian officers during World War I.