Some of these collectibles were obtained by completing quests, some were found in treasure chests hidden in secluded locations, some were purchased from NPCs, and some had to be stolen from forbidden areas...
So, how many of these collections are there in total?
In terms of achievements, there are more than a thousand.
Zhou Liye was horrified: "My God, the map is already so big, there are so many NPCs, and so many hidden side quests... There are even more than a thousand collectibles? How much would I have to grind to get all the platinum trophies in this game?"
A full platinum trophy means obtaining all achievements, which is roughly equivalent to playing through all the content of the game.
Anyway, Zhou Liye has no plans to get all the platinum trophies yet; he's taken his precious annual leave to play the game.
What he wants to do most right now is to explore ancient ruins, then clear out the side quests related to wizards, and see how each NPC ends up.
The ancient ruins can practically be considered a second main storyline, but it relies entirely on the phantom of the NPC Odin for guidance, making it two levels more difficult than the main quest.
By exploring each ruin, players can witness stories from ancient times.
Odin lived approximately three hundred years ago.
He encountered two wizards named Aristarchus and Heraclitus, who were the first to propose the heliocentric theory.
However, the research and observation conditions in that era were still very rudimentary, and the wizards were unable to keep sufficient records, so this theory never developed further.
Odin sealed away the two wizards' academic records and hid them in one of the ancient ruins.
When Zhou Liye first visited the ancient ruins, he took some time to adjust to the increased difficulty.
After failing several times, he finally managed to take down the guard, then climbed up the ancient ruins and finally found the treasure room.
He was so shocked that he couldn't speak!
Behind those layers of security, the treasure room wasn't filled with gold and silver jewels, but rather rows of anti-corrosion bookshelves, inside which were neatly arranged documents wrapped in thick kraft paper.
It's not just about astronomy, but also mathematics, mechanics, engineering, and even art, including Leonardo da Vinci's paintings...
The ancestors of the bluebells left behind the most precious treasures.
But that romantic and glorious era is more than three hundred years in the past.
Dust to dust, ashes to ashes.
Zhou Liye could only see Odin's phantom walking alone on a long, lonely road.
“He’s different from us…” Zhou Liye murmured. “We all know that the heliocentric theory will eventually be widely recognized and promoted, but he didn’t know. He didn’t know if the heliocentric theory would be proven, nor did he know whether everything he did was meaningful or worthwhile…”
But Odin dedicated his entire life to this cause.
At that time, the bluebell was still in its infancy, and the wizards did not hold any gatherings. They were all living in constant fear, secretly conducting their research.
The assassin predecessors fought with all their might, solely to preserve the data so that future generations, countless years from now, could fight for even the faintest hope.
They knew they would never see that hope, that future.
If the era of the main storyline of "The Way of the Assassin" is the darkness before dawn, then our ancestors more than three hundred years ago were pioneers groping their way through the long night.
After exploring the two ancient tombs, Zhou Liye looked at Odin's back and suddenly felt that he was particularly tall and imposing.
But that untouchable phantom slowly disappeared into the dusty corridor, leaving Zhou Liye feeling lost and dejected.
“I think after the sequel, a prequel would be great!” Zhou Liye suddenly said.
The live stream chat exploded immediately:
[Yes, yes, I want to see more of Odin's past! Not just the phantoms!]
[Ahhh, I'm so heartbroken, I want to travel back in time and give that lonely Demon King a loving hug (づ)づ]
[Can't you invent a time machine for bluebells?! I want to save Galileo, I want to save Bruno, I want to save everyone, and of course, I want to hug the Great Demon King too!]
If a time machine existed, I'd want to assassinate that pope...
Ding ding ding.
The alarm clock suddenly went off; it was time to end the live stream.
Zhou Liye then realized that his annual leave was already over.
Five whole days! He played Assassin's Creed almost non-stop. At first, maybe it was because he thought the controls were smooth, the combat was fun, and the parkour was cool...
But as the game progressed, he became completely engrossed in the storyline.
There was no time to pause the game! Every second, he was thinking about what would happen next; everything was so fast-paced, and he was filled with the motivation and urgency to save people and complete the mission.
Most importantly, there is also a sense of historical mission.
Similar to: Galileo is still waiting for me to bring him a telescope so that he can continue his research on the heliocentric theory. How can I log off to eat now?!
...This feeling is truly irresistible.
Finally, the tense main quest was completed.
Zhou Liye ended the live stream, went back to the bathroom to wash her face, and then was stunned.
It's swollen!
My eyes are swollen!
Her eyes were swollen from crying, and they were as red and round as walnuts.