《Four Split Personalities》 Chapter 1 - 1 Prelude February Fourteenth_1 ?1: Prelude: February Fourteenth_1 1: Prelude: February Fourteenth_1 AD 2050, Spring A full year, two months, and fourteen days have passed since the release of [Realm of Innocence]. This VR game may not stand out for its novelty, but it has ferociously shattered the market and amassed a fanbase of millions. It has penned countless tales and legends in the land of ¡®Innocence¡¯ over numerous nighttime quests. The game is hosted at night because of its quirky feature of only being playable during sleep mode. This has caused significant disgruntlement among hardcore players, yet miraculously ensured their physical health¡­ February 14th, one AM. [Connection established, loading character information] [Welcome back, virtuous Mor. You are about to enter the Realm of Innocence. Goodnight.] ¡­ The southwest of the Innocence Continent¡ªPamira Harbor Motan appears on a bench. Thanks to system interference, no one will detect his abrupt arrival for three seconds. This is one of the few differences between players and NPCs in the game. ¡°So it¡¯s Valentine¡¯s Day¡­¡± He moved his shoulders a little, and then sighed slightly. ¡°I could hang out with someone, but if I can¡¯t resist the temptation, that would be trouble. I think it¡¯s better to spend my time here. Hmm, today I will explore the Shadow Maze again¡­¡± Just to clarify, when Motan mentioned ¡®if I can¡¯t resist,¡¯ he didn¡¯t mean that he might do something inappropriate to someone of the opposite sex; it was due to other circumstances. Don¡¯t worry; no matter how much you missed the introductions, these circumstances will soon be explained. ¡°Hey, why is our esteemed knight daydreaming here?¡± A crisp pleasant voice behind Motan interrupted his thoughts. Motan quickly turned his head around and saw nothing¡­ ¡°Hey! Are you implying I¡¯ve stopped growing for over a decade?¡± A slightly freckled dwarf girl jumped on the spot and complained, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you lower the angle of your head when you turn around?¡± Motan apologized to the girl with a smile, shrugging and saying, ¡°Sorry, Mulu, but if Moore had greeted me instead of you just then, I would¡¯ve suffered permanent psychological trauma by not lowering my vision a tiny bit.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Mulu, the dwarf girl, hummed ominously, her fingertips flickering with threatening arcane energy. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying I sound like that slovenly, muscle-brained, slow-reacting, directionally challenged cyclops Moore!?¡± Faced with this typically embittered yet lawful-good Dwarf Female Warlock, Motan surrendered immediately, apologizing for his previous careless comments. ¡°I saw you organizing your gear earlier. Where are you heading to?¡± A placated Mulu sat down next to Motan, sipping on her suspicious-colored reagent while asking textually. Motan casually took out a piece of parchment. On it was a hastily sketched half-map. ¡°I plan to go to the Shadow Maze again.¡± ¡°For God¡¯s sake, Mor! It¡¯s a miracle you came back alive last time!¡± Mulu exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯ve only been back for a few days, and you¡¯re already heading back to that damn place!¡± At this point, Motan had already put the map away and checked that his Healing Potion, Magic Scrolls, Miracle Badge, and the heavy flail were all in their designated places. He nodded, ¡°Yes, I have to go.¡± ¡°For¡­ little Dick?¡± Mulu asked softly, her voice a mix of emotion, self-loathing, admiration, and reticence. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Motan nodded. Little Dick was an ordinary dwarf boy living in Pamira Harbor. His family were average blacksmiths, and Motan¡¯s relationship with them was simple; they had once repaired his armor. Recently, however, he had repeatedly risked his life delving dozens of miles into the Shadow Maze in an attempt to find a dried leaf flower that reportedly cures blood rot disease. Even other players and NPCs, who also belonged to the league of Lawful Good, wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. After all, there¡¯s a vast difference between being good and being a pushover. At least, Mulu wouldn¡¯t. However, Motan, or Mor in the Realm of Innocence, did. And he did it not just willingly, but without expecting any reward. Mor was a good person in every sense of the word. He was chivalrous, polite, benevolent, fair, brave, and compassionate. Everyone who knew him would give the same assessment, without a shade of doubt. ¡°Take this.¡± Mulu, silent for a moment, suddenly handed him a beautiful, small staff and shook her short legs hanging in mid-air. ¡°I can¡¯t risk my life for a stranger, but I can give something nice to someone who is unbelievably kind.¡± Motan took it and glanced down. [Mulu¡¯s Protection Staff (3/3)] Quality: Excellent Requirement: Lawful Good Faction Chapter 2 - 2 Prelude February Fourteenth_2 ?2: Prelude: February Fourteenth_2 2: Prelude: February Fourteenth_2 Weight: 1.5kg Usage: Create a Fire Barrier for ten minutes / Summon a Totem with relatively low defensive power (attributes depend on the environment) / Launch a mixed element pulse. [Note: Magic rod created by the young gnome magician, Miss Milu Qian. It contains various element properties, can effectively deal with various situations, but is expensive.] As soon as Motan saw the last four words in the note, he raised his head intending to decline, but found that the gnome girl had left without him noticing. He thus stashed this favor in his heart, storing the high-quality consumable in his bag before standing up to leave¡­ He had to seize the time, for he didn¡¯t know when his night would come to an end. ¡­ [You have urgently disconnected. Please select whether you want to reconnect.] ¡°Yes.¡± [Reconnection started¡­] [Connection completed, reading character information] [Welcome back, neutral Tan Mo. You are about to enter the realm of innocence, let¡¯s make a performance to your heart¡¯s content!] ¡­ East of the innocent continent ¨C City of Freedom ¡°Hehe~¡± Motan¡¯s mouth, hidden under his hood, twitched up slightly. Suddenly, he melded into his shadow at his feet. After a moment, he, who had originally been sitting in a bustling tavern, appeared at the side of the street, with two more coin purses in his hand. No one recognized him as his current appearance was entirely different from the gloomy hooded man in the tavern, shrouded in a gray cloak. Now, Motan had on a pair of exquisite, delicate gold-framed glasses, wore a white robe adorned with rose-colored frills, had a huge book in his left hand, a silver harp in his right, seeming every bit a Bard. Of course, the Bard was indeed one of his many identities¡­ Pulling a silver coin casually out from his pocket and tossing it to the half-Dragon fruit seller near him, Motan exaggeratedly bent over and bit into an apple from the vendor¡¯s stall. Afterward, he plucked the strings of his harp, strumming a melodious and soothing tune, and began singing lushly with emotion: ¡°Black king stands~in thorny halls, gazing~at his Scepter!¡± ¡°White elephant¡¯s warcry breaching all borders, roaring~in battleground!¡± ¡°Queen meditates, cup of poison rose clashes~deadly trap~hidden!¡± ¡°Knight¡¯s mad rush, sword sweeps aside all in his path~Battleflag~soaring!¡± ¡°Next second, what will you think next?¡± ¡°At that moment, who will hurt for me?¡± ¡°Who plays their piece, exchanging his paradise?¡± ¡°Be a puppet, lingering by her side!¡± ¡°On the chariot, black flag dances~ takes flight~ thunderous boom!¡± ¡°Under the white steed, female Knight~ suffers injuries~hums softly!¡± ¡°Memories whispering in ears~ resound!¡± ¡°Black soldier draws blade~slashes up!¡± ¡°Remember that small workshop~ on the table¡± ¡°We of the grey, without~ faith¡± ¡°You, leaning on it with your sword~ hum softly¡± ¡°I watch~infatuated and silent.¡± ¡°Now you and I, wear different coats~Stand in the~battlefield!¡± ¡°But can¡¯t forget, the distant and remote view of the past~ you are~in my heart!¡± ¡°Battered chariot succumbs, collapses on the open field~ Ways of my heart~ mad!¡± ¡°Hooves sound, as remembered in that gaze~ We~are lost!¡± With that, Motan carelessly strummed his harp on the street and danced to the rhythm of the melody. His body swayed with the tune and even the sound of him biting into the apple during the pauses of the lyrics sounded like accompaniment. Almost everyone¡¯s gaze was drawn to him, and Motan, whose expressions shifted between sorrow, recklessness, gloom, and extravagance, enjoyed the attention. Doing what he wanted, feeling joyful at the moment, what¡¯s wrong with casually picking a couple of wallets and suddenly bursting into song? Even if such acts brought no benefit, what mattered was the joy it brought him~ Anyone could see that the dissolute-looking bard was completely different from the righteous Knight temporarily stationed at Pamira Harbor. Although in many respects, they were indeed two different people¡­ Even Motan could not deny that they were actually the same person. But it didn¡¯t matter, no one could link them together. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even if anyone heard of both, they wouldn¡¯t imagine them to be the same person~ Because all players knew that they could only create one character in the innocent continent. As for the NPC¡¯s, they wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to recognize two individuals who, despite their striking resemblance, are entirely different in character and standpoint, as a single person. Indeed, ¡®their¡¯ social circles in the game were entirely different. ¡°In Knight¡¯s dirge, pear blossom across her face~ Whispering~ humming~¡± After closing his eyes and singing the last part, the area at his foot was filled with silver coins and copper coins. Motan bowed to the crowd that had unknowingly gathered around him. Before the crowd could fully disperse, Motan had already turned into a small alley with a spring in his step, and was soon surrounded by several masked individuals, as expected. ¡°Oh~ Long time no see, Muse.¡± As he put his harp in his bag, Motan, with his eyes crinkled, greeted the tall-eared one whose face was completely wrapped in leather armor: ¡°Do you need something?¡± The elf called Muse scoffed, ¡°Tan Mo, you¡¯re really hard to find¡­¡± Motan shrugged, ¡°You know Exotic People like us often disappear into thin air for a while. It¡¯s quite normal that you can¡¯t find us, isn¡¯t it?¡± Muse drew the twin blades strapped onto her waist in response, her body slightly coiled up, ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ve got a minute to prepare your last words.¡± Chapter 3 - 3 Prelude February Fourteenth_3 ?3: Prelude: February Fourteenth_3 3: Prelude: February Fourteenth_3 The other encirclers also drew their weapons¡­ The Orc Shaman took a step back, slamming the heavy Wooden Totem from his back onto the ground. Two human Rangers quickly scanned the surroundings. Once they made sure there were no ambushes or traps, they effortlessly climbed onto the low roofs on either side, blending seamlessly into the environment. Lastly, two burly dwarf warriors carrying large shields slowly advanced towards Motan. ¡°Ah~¡± Motan rubbed his temple in frustration: ¡°Why so hostile? This is the City of Freedom, a place teeming with eyes. Wouldn¡¯t it be inappropriate to shed blood here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it¡­¡± Muse gently cut open the scroll wrapped around the hilt of his weapon with his fingernail. A strange elemental fluctuation spread, and darkness suddenly fell over the alley. His voice, filled with fury, exploded in Motan¡¯s ear, ¡°Do you know how much trouble you¡¯ve gotten into?¡± ¡°Which one do you mean?¡± Not turning his head, Motan lightly raised his hand and effortlessly caught the sharp blade that lunged at him from behind like a venomous snake. He chuckled, ¡°The mass poisoning event at Cag Town?¡± [Cunning Intuition] Passive Cunning Ability Requirements: Level 13 Cunning, 60 Agility, 30 Intelligence Effects: When visibility is extremely low/blinded/eyes closed, can sense the lifeform with the strongest killing intent within a certain range. Note: Only the prey that always manages to escape is considered a worthy battle. ¡°Or do you mean¡­¡± Motan suddenly disappeared from the spot. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind one of the human Rangers, who had just pulled his bowstring halfway. Before the others could capture his motion, they watched as a head soared into the sky, followed by the sound of blood splattering and mocking laughter echoing from all around. ¡°That I accidentally killed your quirky employer last time?¡± [Blade Fan Cloak] Active Cunning Ability Prerequisites: Level 15 Cunning, 80 Agility Cost/Limits: 200 Sharpness Points Effect: Teleports the user to a designated location within 20 meters. Cooldown Time: Five Minutes. Note: Although it¡¯s called Blade Fan Cloak, it doesn¡¯t require you to actually have a blade, a fan or a cloak. So please do not take it too literally. ¡°Stop him!¡± Muse roared, throwing two bloody shadows from his dagger. His elven night vision allowed him to locate Motan¡¯s position in an instant, reacting as fast as he could. A howl reached their ears. It was from the Orc Shaman who had enchanted him with the power of the earth! ¡°Or did I¡­steal your Shadow Fang Dagger from the Black Tower Thief Guild?¡± Motan transparently manifested behind the fallen Orc, holding a sleek black dagger. With a sly smile, he waved the dagger at Muse. [Shadow Fang] Weapon Type: Dagger Quality: Unique Epic Attack Power: Extremely Powerful Properties: Cunning level +2, Curse +1, Agility +20 Special Traits: Bleeding, Ripping, Breathless, Additional Skill: Shadow Wolf Fang Equip Requirements: Level 15 Cunning, Dual-Blade Mastery Level 15, 95 Agility, Faithless Note: A dagger passed down from the God-extinguishing Cult of the initial age, represents the fang in the Five Beast Bodies of God Slaying. Only the faithless and God-disparagers can use it. [Shadow Wolf Fang] Equip Skill (Active) Cost/Limit: 30% of maximum health Effect: Instantly teleport behind the target (within range of sight), inflicting maximum theoretical damage (guaranteed critical hit, benefits from backstab). Cooldown Time: One Hour. Note: A, B, C¡­ Why is it ABC!? ¡°This is impossible!¡± The sight of the dagger in Motan¡¯s hand made Muse shriek in disbelief, ¡°No one can wield the Shadow Fang!¡± At that moment, the magic scroll he had activated also reached its time limit¡­ Thud! The moment the darkness cleared, Muse saw a face close to his, streaked with wisps of sinister blood. His heart had been pierced. ¡°Thieves of the Thief Guild are usually either followers of the Night Queen Dilia, or the God of Lies Izanal. Of course you wouldn¡¯t be able to use it~¡± Motan whispered into Muse¡¯s ear, ¡°By the way, when I said ¡®it¡¯s inappropriate to shed blood,¡¯ I never meant my blood¡­¡± Muse was slowly losing consciousness. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His dilated grey pupils stared at Motan as he shakily asked, ¡°Why¡­ would¡­you¡­¡± ¡°Ah~~¡± Motan scratched his head, ¡°Yeah, why would I do all those things? Probably because I just enjoy doing whatever I want while I¡¯m chasing after the answers~¡± Muse didn¡¯t respond. The second-in-command of the Black Tower Thief Guild had stopped breathing. ¡­ ¡°You have been forcibly disconnected. Do you wish to reconnect?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Reconnecting¡­¡± Bang! The door to Motan¡¯s game cabin was forcefully opened from the outside, revealing a strand of black hair. ¡°Come out!¡± the owner of the black hair calmly said, ¡°Join me in dealing with some trouble¡­¡± Prologue: End Chapter 4 - 4 1 The Absolutely Neutral Hei Fan_1 ?4: Chapter 1: The Absolutely Neutral Hei Fan_1 4: Chapter 1: The Absolutely Neutral Hei Fan_1 December 31, 2048 Motan dragged his weary body home to watch several men move a huge rectangular cardboard box into his living room, where they busily worked for half an hour. During this process, he just sat quietly on his not-so-spacious sofa, watching the employees of ¡®Innocence¡¯, the company whose flag they carried, diligently at work. Their task was to assemble the company¡¯s first psycho-simulative product ¨C a special game cabin for ¡®World of Innocence¡¯. Upon completion of the assembly, Motan politely send off the sweating workers, then turned around and takes a seat on the expensive, spacious, and hard-earned device. He absentmindedly tapped on the shiny black shell of the cabin, then wore an unreadable grin. Clearly, Motan was not a normal man. In fact, he was far from normal¡­ Multiple Personality disorder was a rare condition in any era, with no effective treatment. Its legendary symptoms have been used as gimmicks and selling points in countless films, novels and other works of art. They tend to sell well as long as they aren¡¯t too shoddy. By now you must understand that 21-year-old Motan is such a multiple personality patient. The reason why he can still prepare to play the latest virtual network game on the market at home, rather than whispering to mirrors in a mental hospital, is mainly due to two factors. First: The diagnosis was his own judgement, made when he was thirteen through extensive research and self-reflection. Second: He was very clever. Despite having such a unique and difficult to control disease, Motan was able to conceal it well enough that no one noticed anything strange about him. The extent of his intelligence can be inferred from the previous point. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. On an additional note, the information that Motan studied was not basic knowledge that you can easily search for on a smartphone, but was exclusive data held by major medical institutions both domestic and abroad. For a more comprehensive understanding of various cases, he had even breached the police database multiple times. And yet, he has never been arrested. Well, it¡¯s a long story¡­ Rather than introducing him at length here, I prefer to explore his situation slowly in the following story. So let¡¯s get back to the story¡­ [Do you want to try living differently? Here you can have the most authentic self!] Motan repeated the game cabin cover¡¯s slogan and chuckled cynically: ¡°Why did I, an impecunious and skeptical patient with mental illness, actually end up buying you?¡± As he rose from his seat, he stretched a bit, mumbling to himself: ¡°Let¡¯s begin the experiment. If what the officials said wasn¡¯t exaggerated, we¡¯ll find out as soon as we start¡­¡± With that, he opened the game cabin but didn¡¯t immediately crawl inside. Instead, he closed his eyes and began to breathe deeply. After a while, Motan¡¯s demeanor transformed into gentleness and tranquility, a stark contrast from his previous rebellious aura. It was a drastic change that would make anyone realise¡­ this guy had split. Indeed, Motan¡¯s personality had indeed changed, but this personality was a bit special. It could be considered a desperate attempt at self-therapy after giving up on professional treatment. It became his dominant personality that he would use for most occasions. He then laid down inside the game cabin and set the sleep and wake times. He changed the AI voice to a gentle and soothing female tone, and closed his eyes. ¡­ [Your mental connection has been detected, synchronizing personal information¡­] [World of Innocence is open to you, character creation process will begin shortly¡­] After a brief period of light sleep, Motan found himself standing on a platform adorned with numerous patterns, surrounded by void. Countless colorful, resplendent patterns flashed in the void. Within a short observation period, he found many familiar constellations, plants, human silhouettes, as well as unprecedented geometric diagrams, phantom beasts, and so on¡­ ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s very realistic,¡± he murmured, evaluating the space and his physical feelings, ¡°It said ¡®the character creation process will begin shortly¡¯, not ¡®please create character¡¯, so it¡¯s really as I expected¡­¡± As he finished speaking, nine differently colored spots suddenly emerged from the void. Accompanied by a resonating howl, they grew larger. By the time Motan reacted, towering monumental doors had materialized around him. ¡°Er?¡± Motan, who had not heard any system prompts, paused. As he looked around, he mused: ¡°Am I supposed to choose one to go through myself? If that¡¯s the case, how is this any different from choosing actively?¡± The reason he asked this was because he saw four vastly evident characters etched on each door, each emitting unique auras of their own¡­ Chapter 5 - 5 1 The Absolutely Neutral Hei Fan_2 ?5: Chapter 1: The Absolutely Neutral Hei Fan_2 5: Chapter 1: The Absolutely Neutral Hei Fan_2 Without any hesitation, he strode toward the nearest door, a sinisterly dark-red entrance shrouded in ebony mist, surrounded by skulls and pools of blood, looking as cool as a gateway to Hell. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s create a character with these thirty thousand bucks and then log off and return it.¡± As Mo Tan muttered to himself and extended his hand, he found that his seemingly effortless push led to a deafening rumble, and then¡­ the door crumbled¡­ It felt like a cornered creature choosing to self-destruct in the face of humiliation! ¡°Hey, hey, hey!¡± Mo Tan eyed the carnage against his feet and twitched uncontrollably, ¡°Isn¡¯t this too much¡­how badly do you not want me to enter? Couldn¡¯t you just lock yourself up instead of blowing up!? How much could a door possibly hate me!¡± Despite his words, a grin sneaked onto his face. Rather than irritation or disappointment, the spectacle kindled excitement. He would have been disappointed had he managed to open a door labeled ¡®Evil Chaos¡¯. Moving onwards, he approached another door, half-black and half-white. As he reached out to push¡­ Boom!! ¡°Hey¡­¡± Mo Tan rolled his eyes at the door, now collapsed on the floor in front of him. He was at a loss for words, as the door had suddenly attempted to topple onto him. This was a door marked ¡®Neutral Chaos¡¯, its vibe highly unstable. ¡°Such a characterful alignment~¡± Having received the answer he sought, Mo Tan sauntered up to a golden door decorated with white patterns and asked, ¡°I bet you won¡¯t open for me, will you?¡± The door labeled ¡®Lawful Good¡¯ subtly moved itself back, discreetly yet politely rebuffing Mo Tan¡¯s ugl¡­uhh, proposition. ¡°Alright, I admit this over-personalized DND (Dungeons and Dragons) ruleset has caught my attention.¡± Mo Tan shifted a few steps to the left, placed his hand on the pure white door, pushed it gently, and as expected, walked right in. As his figure vanished, the door representing ¡®Absolute Neutrality¡¯ closed behind him with a deafening boom. ¡­ [Your chosen alignment is Absolute Neutrality. This status is irreversible. Calculate your initial talents, race, abilities.] In the darkness, Mo Tan heard the system¡¯s voice again. As expected, the official site of the game ¡®Realm of Innocence¡¯ did mention this information that a player¡¯s initial alignment stays with their character forever, but its exact role is left to the players¡¯ further exploration¡­ The fact that the system determines the race and talent, not disclosed by the official site, did come as a surprise to Mo Tan. [Calculation is completed. Your initial character data is as follows:] Race: Human Gender: Male S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Level: None Alignment: Neutral Absolute Talent: Affinity (slightly increases all creatures with vague personalities favorability towards you) Basic attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 5, Wisdom 7, Constitution 5 *Hyperlinks* Strength: Increases physical attack power, carrying capacity, specific skill damage. Dexterity: Increases movement speed, maximum evasion, theoretical hit rate, specific skill damage. Wisdom: Increases magic damage, magic power limit, magic resistance. Constitution: Increases maximum health, stamina limit, physical resistance. [Note: This is only the tip of the iceberg!] ¡°Alright~ so that note basically negates all the above.¡± Mo Tan, unsure of his location, used his consciousness to close the hyperlink, and continued reading. Civilization Attributes: Articulation 5, Charm 2, Knowledge 8, Leadership 0 ¡°High Knowledge should be because I understand DND rules well, Charm and Leadership¡­alright I admit I lack the charisma.¡± Even though not clicking the hyperlink, that didn¡¯t stop Mo Tan from making a sarcastic comment. Combat Attributes: None [Please name your character.] Mo Tan considered briefly and decided on ¡®Hei Fan.¡¯ He knew that most of the time his main personality wasn¡¯t ¡®MoTan¡¯ at all. So, borrowing a bit from both parts of his real name, he paired ¡®ordinary¡¯ with a bit of polish to carve out this subtly self-deprecating name. [Character¡¯s Name: Hei Fan. Please confirm.] The two characters ¡®Hei Fan¡¯ appeared at the top of the character¡¯s file. Since the system was in sync with the player¡¯s thoughts, there was no need to worry about homophones. But it still needed one last confirmation. ¡°No need.¡± [Do you want to adjust your look?] The moment Mo Tan heard these words, he saw himself floating in mid-air, still dressed in the rough cloth. ¡°No need.¡± [Character creation completed, Hei Fan, the Absolute Neutral, welcome to The Realm of Innocence] ¡­ The darkness faded, and Mo Tan opened his eyes the moment he regained control of his body. He found himself lying on a somewhat spacious bed. [Triggering Guided Quest ¡ª] A translucent window suddenly popped up in his line of sight, and Mo Tan quickly read the short text on the taskboard: Leave the Greenery Inn and join Marshal¡¯s Autonomy Army. Simple, clear, and concise tasks. Mo Tan got down from the bed to find himself dressed just as he was when the system had confirmed if he wanted to adjust his appearance. Following the tutorial, he saw his queued instructions from earlier in the day and consciously opened the equipment panel. Chapter 6 - 6 1 The Absolutely Neutral Hei Fan_3 ?6: Chapter 1: The Absolutely Neutral Hei Fan_3 6: Chapter 1: The Absolutely Neutral Hei Fan_3 The character inventory in the World of Innocence has fourteen slots in total, which are for the head, shoulders, cloak, top, pants, shoes, wrist guards, gloves, main hand weapon, off-hand weapon, rings (two), amulet, and a special equipment slot. Apart from the last one, there isn¡¯t much of a difference compared to most mainstream games. Currently, Motan only has equipment in the top, pants, and shoes slots. Without going into specific details, if it has to be summed up in one sentence ¨C it¡¯s a flax suit with a combined defensive power of 3. Regarding the character panel and skill panel, he gave them a glance. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The former remains as it was initially, and the latter still doesn¡¯t have anything at the moment. Next, Motan did not immediately leave the room. Based on his experience, there should be something valuable in places like this¡­ Finally, after rummaging under the bed, exploring the wardrobe, and furiously flipping the carpet ¨C three rounds of disappointment later, Motan discovered something behind a potted plant in a corner of the room. [A set of Basic Potions] Weight: 0.5kg Contents: One bottle of Basic Healing Potion, Mana Potion, and Antidote Potion each. Note: Why was it hidden here? ¡°I¡¯d like to know too¡­ why here?¡­¡± gasping for breath, Motan placed the pack of potions into his bag and left the room. The brief search had used up 30% of his stamina. As he opened the door, he saw a humanoid creature with a lizard head carrying an oak barrel rushing past him. As it passed, it turned its head and flashed him what was presumably a smile, ¡°How did you sleep, guest?¡± ¡°Er, not bad~¡± Motan waved and responded, finding the humanoid NPC quite relatable. He then went downstairs to the tavern lobby. It seemed to be the afternoon, but apart from a blond elf girl dozing off behind the counter, the first floor was mostly empty. Motan thought for a bit and decided to greet her first. However, before he could approach her, the elf girl¡¯s ears suddenly twitched, and she lifted her head to lazily say, ¡°You¡¯re up at just the right time. The recruitment office hasn¡¯t closed yet. Go left after you exit the door and just keep walking. Good luck.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Motan was slightly taken aback. After all, she had preemptively answered before he got the chance to ask. ¡°Huh what?¡± The elf girl flicked her ears and wiped her eyes with a slender finger, ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention last night that you intend to try your luck at the local militia this afternoon?¡± Motan seemed to understand then, gave a small nod, and said thanks, ¡°Thank you, I was just about to set off.¡± ¡°No need for formalities~¡± The young proprietress of the Green Inn waved nonchalantly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to hurry; the recruitment will go on for three days. Even if you don¡¯t make it on the first day, it¡¯s okay. You can always stay here another night. Of course, it will cost extra~¡± Motan thanked her again and then walked out the tavern door. The air outside was fresh and cool. The fragrance of soil revitalized his spirit. ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to worry about losing health due to air quality here.¡± Motan sighed, as if the polluted air he had been breathing for the past twenty years in the real world had shortened his lifespan. He then stepped into the soft golden twilight cast by the setting sun. End of Chapter One: Chapter 7 - 7 2 Fenrir Squad_1 ?7: Chapter 2: Fenrir Squad_1 7: Chapter 2: Fenrir Squad_1 Not far away, there seemed to be bursts of noise. If Motan remembered correctly, that direction should be the recruitment office the innkeeper had told him about. Upon this thought, Motan immediately sprung into a run towards that direction. Who knows how long he would have to wait for daylight after the recruitment office closed. Plus, he had no more money to stay another night in the inn, so it was better to be early than late. This small-scale city, known as Stacked Rock City, wasn¡¯t large. Although the sunset was painting the horizon, there were numerous people bustling about, both ordinary citizens and those clad in the various styles of warriors and spellcasters. The recruitment office was not far from the inn. It was an enclosed field with soldiers of different races maintaining order, and quite a few onlookers were gathered around. As Motan squeezed in, he saw a tall Green Skin Orc ¡®snap¡¯ a log as thick as a thigh with bare hands. ¡°Passed. Someone, take him behind to receive his army badge.¡± The lazy Lizardman officer behind a long wooden table waved his hand at a dwarf soldier, then turned to the crowd with a yawn. ¡°Next?¡± Motan waited a moment, seeing no one else stepping forward, he walked into the field and smiled at the seemingly sleeping Lizardman officer. ¡°I want to enlist.¡± ¡°A human?¡± The Lizardman officer squinted his slim blue eyes. ¡°And without a weapon. A spellcaster?¡± Motan nodded decisively. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Approved. Would you mind demonstrating?¡± the officer responded without hesitation. [Guide Mission Completed, choose reward profession: Ranger/Magician/Priest] [Guide Mission Completed 100%, no additional reward] [You have obtained a new skill] Only after a series of system prompts did Motan¡¯s restless heart finally settle down. He had almost feared the officer would ask for a demonstration spell or conduct a more detailed inquiry first. Luckily, everything was under control. In the DND worldview, spells were always powerful and dangerous. Regardless if it was different elemental forces or the mysterious divine arts, they tolerated no lapses. Otherwise, rebound or magic out of control were lighter consequences. Even exploding on the spot was possible. Since the Lizardman captain asked, Motan managed to wriggle out of the request. He felt he had a seventy percent chance of being understood by others even if he said he couldn¡¯t demonstrate on the spot. But it seemed the mission was quite simple. Upon the captain¡¯s utterance of ¡°Approved¡±, Motan immediately completed the task, and received rewards including two professions suitable for spellcasters. Therefore¡­ ¡°Of course, no problem~¡± After quickly selecting options on the invisible panel, Motan held out his hands. A faint golden light shone from his hands, illuminating the increasingly dim ground before sunset. [Condensation Technique] S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Holy Light School Active Skill Requirements: Holy Light School Level 1, Wisdom 5 Cost: 1 faith point/second Effect: Illuminates the area within a 5-meter radius around you, reducing the stealth level of enemy units in the range by -1, with no cooldown Note: ¡°Let there be light¡± on behalf of your God. Two seconds later, Motan stopped the Condensation Technique. He received a rough iron army badge and sixty copper coins. ¡°You¡¯re assigned to Fenrir Squad, recruit.¡± The Lizardman Officer Gart commanded Motan casually. ¡°Report to the barracks by noon tomorrow. You may go to the church during your free time, but don¡¯t preach in the squad unless you want to get beaten.¡± Motan didn¡¯t object, of course. After asking about the location of the barracks, he left. With his departure, recruitment for the day officially ended. Officer Gart waited for the records to be packed away before leaving to drink with his soldiers. Five minutes later, at the Dawn Church of Stacked Rock City ¡°Welcome, child, what can I do for you?¡± The aged priest leaned slightly against Motan, looking at him kindly. Motan returned the smile and looked up at the Statue of the Goddess of Dawn at the center of the church. He whispered, ¡°I have received the grace of Holy Light on my journey. I wish to join the church, in the name of the Goddess of Dawn, Paxi.¡± Even though he had had no clue who the Goddess of Dawn was just a few minutes ago¡­ The Church of the Dawn, which worshipped Paxi, was one of the most deeply-rooted forces on the continent of Sin. Even the smallest of the Marshal¡¯s territories, Stacked Rock City, had a church. Hence, choosing the Priest, a controller of the Holy Light, as his basic profession, Motan headed over here to express his wish to join the church as soon as he heard the news. ¡°The grace of Holy Light? Oh, my god¡­¡± The priest was surprised to see the faint gold Holy Light on Motan¡¯s fingertips, murmuring in awe. ¡°Of course, of course. Go pray before the statue. As long as the goddess accepts you, you can undergo the ceremony. Don¡¯t look at me like that¡ªyou are certainly going to be accepted~¡± Noticing Motan¡¯s awkward expression, the priest chuckled and patted his shoulder. ¡°You, who have deciphered the mystery of Holy Light all by yourself, are God¡¯s cherished. He will certainly bestow his grace upon you.¡± Chapter 8 - 8 2 Fenrir Squad_2 ?8: Chapter 2: Fenrir Squad_2 8: Chapter 2: Fenrir Squad_2 [I hope so¡­] Motan knelt on the soft cushion in front of the statue of the goddess, feeling somewhat uneasy. This unease was not from himself, but arose from other worries¡­ However, nothing unexpected happened. The instant he closed his eyes, a gentle and ethereal voice resonated in his mind¡­ ¡°My grace will be with you, child. Are you willing to become my representative in the mortal world, disseminating my glory and defending my dignity?¡± [Do you agree to become a believer of the Goddess of Dawn, Pake Xi?] [Reminder: There will be a high cost for apostasy] ¡°Yes.¡± Motan answered easily. His current personality didn¡¯t mind becoming a believer of anyone. From all aspects, he was someone who would go with the flow, albeit without any ambition or persistence, nor did he have as much personality as his other personalities. Nevertheless, it was due to these traits that he could easily fit into society, just like any ordinary twenty-year-old. Choosing the Priest as his base class was also because he preferred to be in a safe environment where he could interact with others rather than striving to become a hero or a legend by himself. This preference not only improved his survival ability but also made him always in demand, whether among NPCs or players, as a healer~ From this point, it could be seen that Black Fan, who was one of Motan¡¯s multiple personalities, acted more like someone playing a game. [Congratulations on becoming a believer of the Goddess of Dawn, Pake Xi. Your faith value has been fully unlocked] The system message came as soon as Motan¡¯s voice fell. [Your priest class has been upgraded to level 2, current experience 90/150] [Unlocked Items Pictorial Book, Character Pictorial Book, Story Pictorial Book] [¡®Church of the Dawn¡¯ has been added to the Pictorial Book] Motan didn¡¯t get up immediately, but instead slightly opened his eyes to check his updated status. [Hei Fan] Faction: Absolute Neutral Class: Priest Lvl 2, current experience 90/150 Belief: Goddess of Dawn, Pakexi Health: 170/170 Magic Power: 190/190 Endurance: 140/140 Belief Value: 100/100 (Pakexi) Basic Attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 5, Wisdom 9, Constitution 7 Civil Attributes: Eloquence 5, Charm 2, Knowledge 8, Leadership 1 Combat Attributes: Holy Light Knowledge Lvl 1 Skills: Condensation Technique, Holy Healing Technique, Fortitude Prayer, Solidifying Light Arrow It must be mentioned that as a seasoned¡­ veteran player with rich gaming experience, Motan was somewhat dumbfounded when he first saw the ¡®Holy Healing Technique¡¯ skill. After all, he was just at level two~ But when he opened it up to take a look¡­ [Holy Healing Technique] Main Active Skill of the Holy Light School Proficiency Level Required: Holy Light Knowledge Level 1 Delimitation: 20 magic power Effect: Restores a small amount of health to the target, cooldown time one minute. Note: What do you think this is? ¡®Holy Healing Technique?¡¯ Stop dreaming!] Three letters popped up in his mind, but it was not appropriate to say it at the moment¡­ However, after reviewing his attributes, Motan was still quite content and nodded his head. He got up, gave a slight bow to the cheerful priest beside him, and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, child.¡± The priest handed him a thick scripture, ¡°This is your scripture, don¡¯t forget the teachings of the goddess no matter where you go.¡± Motan took it and, as expected, this book was really an item. [Scripture] Weapon Category: Off-hand Quality: Common Attack Power: nil Attribute: Wisdom +1 Equipping Requirement: none [Note: Firstly, it would be strange if this thing had attack power; secondly, it¡¯s just a book. What kind of equipping requirement were you expecting? Can you read?] After reading this spite-filled note, Motan rolled his eyes. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After thanking the priest again, he prepared to leave but¡­ ¡°Wait, lad.¡± The priest stopped Motan who was looking slightly puzzled, and extended his hand with a smile, ¡°The standard religious text costs 1 silver coin a piece, just give me the cost price, 20 copper coins.¡± ¡­ When Motan stepped out of the church with an extra book, a new belief, one level higher, and 20 fewer copper coins, it was already dark. He didn¡¯t know whether to lament about being charged for the scripture or the astonishing 400% profit margin. He pondered for a while and just felt weary in both mind and body. Since Innocence World didn¡¯t have any main quests, Motan planned to go to the barracks to check in first and then just go with the flow and enjoy the game. He really enjoyed the game but he didn¡¯t have any specific objectives, at least not for now. In a matter of minutes, Motan had arrived at the Stacked Rock City autonomous army barracks. After unconsciously taking a glance at his surroundings, he stepped forward and greeted the gatekeeper. ¡°New recruit?¡± A dwarf soldier clad in plate armor enquired with suspicion, ¡°Got your dog tag?¡± Motan nodded, took out the tag that the lizardman captain had given him from his small bag, and handed it to the soldier. The dwarf soldier who seemed to be suffering from premature hair loss took the dog tag, nodded, and then threw it back to Motan, ¡°Black Fan with the number 9527, eh? Go straight inside, turn left at the second door. That¡¯s where Fenrir team is stationed.¡± Motan, who had not paid much attention to the tag earlier, pursed his lips in disappointment. After briefly expressing his gratitude, he proceeded towards the main entrance. Once he was inside, he heard the voice of the dwarf soldier from behind, ¡°You¡¯re a priest, right? I heard that Fenrir team is short of a priest. I like to make friends with healers. My name is Hephis Desak, from the Beaver team.¡± Chapter 9 - 9 2 Fenrir Squad_3 ?9: Chapter 2: Fenrir Squad_3 9: Chapter 2: Fenrir Squad_3 ¡°Puff!¡± Motan almost spat out a mouthful of old blood. He turned back towards Hei Fan with a twisted smile. Then, quickly lowering his head, he headed for his destination uttering, ¡°The Mediterranean. Is Hei Fan¡¯s last name really Thick, as in ¡®dense¡¯? Jeez¡­ that¡¯s even harsher than 9527¡­¡± About five minutes later, he reached the base camp of Fenrir¡¯s squad, which consisted of a somewhat decrepit tile house. The interior was pitch black, but there were a few people standing at the entrance. ¡°Hey, you there!¡± A middle-aged man holding a shield and chatting with a few others waved to Motan, ¡°You seem new here.¡± With that, he showed the man his military tag number 9527 and said, ¡°I am Hei Fan, the newest addition. I¡¯ve been assigned to the Fenrir¡¯s squad. Nice to meet you, senior.¡± The reason for his introduction was that Motan noticed the man wearing a chainmail adorned with a giant white wolf. The men standing beside him bore the same marking on their armors, it would have been unwise not to notice it¡­ ¡°Ah! So, you¡¯re the priest Gatt has found for us?¡± The man, after taking a good look at Motan, extended his hand in friendly manner and laughed, ¡°Alright. I am Ned, the captain of the Fenrir¡¯s squad, and a shield warrior. Guys, go on introduce yourselves too. We¡¯ve finally got a healer!¡± The last sentence was directed at his keep around. ¡°Krab, warrior.¡± A tall, muscular orc with black skin, standing beside Ned winked at Motan, ¡°Have you ever seen blood, bean sprout.¡± Motan shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m fairly good at dealing with blood. But if you want me to have a closer look, I can do that when you get hurt.¡± His mildly provocative reply wasn¡¯t accidental. As Motan knew, it¡¯s impossible for a gentleman who backs down before a challenge to gain the respect of an orc. As expected, Krab didn¡¯t get angry. Instead, he burst into hearty laughter, reached over Ned and patted Motan¡¯s shoulder hard, saying ¡°You¡¯ve got guts, kid!¡± ¡°Heh heh, served you right, big guy~¡± The elf maiden sitting cross-legged on the ground stuck her tongue out at Krab, then turned to Motan and showed him a friendly smile, ¡°I¡¯m Yinna, Yinna Morning Dew, a trainee ranger. I look forward to your care~¡± Motan returned her smile, ¡°Same here.¡± ¡°Saracha.¡± The blue-skinned lizardman leaning against the door of the tile house in boxing gloves spoke with a cold tone, ¡°Martial monk.¡± Motan nodded, and then turned his attention to the last person who had been watching him from the start. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯m Double Leaf.¡± The orange-haired girl wearing black-rim glasses smiled, ¡°Mage, Otaku.¡± No doubt, she was also a player. Ned looked at Double Leaf curiously, then smiled and shrugged at Motan, ¡°She¡¯s also new. She¡¯s a little odd, but anyway, welcome to Fenrir¡¯s squad, Hei Fan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honored.¡± Motan bows comically to everyone. ¡°We haven¡¯t had any tasks to do during the recruitment period in the last two days. Just report here every noon. If you own a property in the city like Double Leaf, you don¡¯t have to live in the barracks.¡± Ned shrugged, ¡°After all, this place isn¡¯t the best of environments.¡± No player could possibly afford to own a ¡®property¡¯ in this small city on the first day, and yet, Motan still replied, ¡°Great! Uhm, is the report over for now?¡± ¡°Of course~¡± Double Leaf, the named lady, gave a playful smile to Motan before lazily stretching her arms, ¡°I¡¯m going home now. Since you also own a place in the city, how about accompanying me back home?¡± Motan turned to Ned and blinked, ¡°May I go with her?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Before Ned could answer, Yinna interjected with a smile, ¡°Just don¡¯t forget tomorrow¡¯s assembly. We¡¯re thinking of taking a rest too.¡± After saying a quick goodbye to everyone, Motan left the barracks with Double Leaf. ¡­ ¡°You¡¯ve also just joined the autonomous army today, right?¡± Walking along the broad avenue of Stacked Rock City, Motan was the first to break the silence, glancing at the girl beside him with a slight smile, ¡°You seem to know a lot.¡± A small smile appeared on the corner of Double Leaf¡¯s mouth, ¡°I thought your first question would be about how I managed to get a property on the first day.¡± Motan shrugged, ¡°Anyways, I found logging off in the barracks too inconvenient.¡± Thus, the conversation between two intelligent people is often quite straightforward. ¡°I arrived a bit earlier than you.¡± Double Leaf yawned, ¡°Just heard a bit more about how things work. And yes, I considered exploring some information or background but unfortunately, I¡¯m not very good at socializing.¡± Motan nodded, ¡°Maybe I can give it a try tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Double Leaf, rubbing her eyes sleepily said, ¡°I have to log off first. I¡¯ve got something to do today. By the way, you can log in tomorrow around 9 p.m. in real time to make it to the gathering. See you then.¡± Without waiting for any reaction from Motan, she turned into a beam of white light and vanished where she stood. ¡°That¡¯s one common logout effect.¡± Sighed Motan, ¡°But how does she know¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, an abnormality abruptly appeared. [Emergency disconnection has occurred. Will you choose to reconnect?] ¡°?¡± [Emergency disconnection has occurred. Will you choose to reconnect?] ¡°Yes~¡± [Reconnection has started¡­] [Connection completed, reading character information] [The realm of innocence is open for you, the character creation process is about to begin¡­] ¡°Oh~?¡± Chapter 2: The End Chapter 10 - 10 3 Tan Mo in Chaos_1 ?10: Chapter 3: Tan Mo in Chaos_1 10: Chapter 3: Tan Mo in Chaos_1 Most incidents of personality fragmentation happen without warning. However, after years of intentional training by Motan, he has managed to buy himself about five minutes of buffer time. These five minutes are not to be underestimated. They have been crucial in protecting him from being sent off to a mental institution many times. During this period, he will temporarily have two personas at once. The emerging one will immediately suppress any conspicuous traits and emotions of its opposite, facilitating a smooth transition¡­ After all, each personality is still Motan himself, sharing the same memories, identity, and wisdom. Although their traits differ, they are not entirely different individuals forcefully stuffed into the same shell. Strictly speaking, there are four kinds. The first persona, formed in Motan¡¯s later years, is relatively moderate and gentle. He has the same interests as his peers, is attentive, and has a few good friends. He was also the absolutely neutral Hei Fan in the [Realm of Innocence] before. The second persona has a mindset that drifts through countless channels. Unlike the former, everything he does is aimless. If you have to say what he wants, it¡¯s the unclear and indescribable joy and satisfaction he talks about. Born in another era, this figure would either be a prodigal or a terrifying terrorist or revolutionary. The third persona is hard to describe. ¡°Sainted Mother¡± wouldn¡¯t fit, considering Motan is male, but ¡°Sainted Father¡± might infringe on his rights. At any rate, this identity is a moral model in every sense. No need to mention his righteous indignation¡ªif Motan could always maintain this persona, considering his intelligence, he could get a green card and run for Chief Justice in the sinister capitalist countries. Or he could become a holy knight who punishes evil. However, it must be emphasized that being upright doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s na?ve. The justice backed by wisdom not only prevents him from being exploited but also exposes all kinds of filthy things in hidden corners. As for the last one¡­ No one wants to recall it. It was the persona that Motan sealed off from the start. It might indeed exist, but it¡¯s the least necessary to exist. On this point, there is absolute consensus among all Motan¡¯s personas. Getting back to the story¡­ Motan had experience playing mental simulation games before, but due to the intense fluctuations in his mentality during his personality transitions¡ªeven though he had a five-minute buffer time¡ªhe would still be forcibly disconnected afterwards. But this time, both the beginning and end were beyond his expectations. The disconnection did occur, but it was an instant disconnection without buffering. He did re-log in, but was then prompted by the system to re-create his character¡­ ¡°Hahaha! This is simply too interesting!¡± Standing on the stone stage for the second time and looking around at the surrounding emptiness, Motan was taken aback and then started laughing out loud: ¡°Though this game hasn¡¯t helped me find my ¡®true self¡¯, it¡¯s surprisingly fun!!¡± As if experiencing d¨¦j¨¤ vu, nine doors descended from the sky. This time Motan hesitated not at all, and directly walked to the door he¡¯d tried before, which was inscribed with the words [Neutral Chaos]. He chuckled and said, ¡°Open.¡± Boom! Boom! Boom!! As if it had been waiting for a long time, the door trembled open. The rapidly opening door seemed to be welcoming him inside. ¡°Or should I say the real ¡®me¡¯¡­¡± Motan murmured, laughing softly: ¡°Can it be explained directly with the four characters of [Neutral Chaos]?¡± He flexed his neck, and seemingly impatient, he walked into the door. The voice of the system still echoed through the darkness¡­ [Your camp is Neutral Chaos¡ªthis position is irreversible, beginning calculation of your starting talents, species, abilities] ¡°Complete individualism, evading authority, despising restrictions, challenging tradition¡­¡± Motan whispered his understanding of the definition of [Neutral Chaos] according to the DND rules: ¡°Is this the ¡®real chaos¡¯?¡± [Calculations complete. Your initial character information is:] Race: Half-elf Gender: Male Camp: Neutral Chaos Talents: Chaos (extreme emotions will give you extra damage and success rate), Trickery (Trickery school rank +3), Persuasion (makes others more likely to believe you) Core attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 8, Wisdom 9, Constitution 4 Civil attributes: Eloquence 8, Charm 8, Knowledge 8, Leadership 5 Combat attributes: Trickery school 3rd level ¡°Tsk tsk, although we¡¯re the same, the gap is actually quite significant.¡± Motan didn¡¯t seem to intend to console himself at all. For some reason, he was very happy. [Please name your character] ¡°Tan Mo, no need to confirm again, it¡¯s fine if it¡¯s wrong~¡± Motan casually responded with a joyful laugh. He just wanted to check the intelligence of the system, really he didn¡¯t care about the name. [Would you like to adjust your appearance?] A slender man with mostly human characteristics, only his hair and eyes were emerald green appeared before Motan. Naturally, he looked exactly like him. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You really didn¡¯t confirm the name again, smart~¡± Motan praised, and then said: ¡°You don¡¯t need to change much, just dye my hair back to black.¡± Chapter 11 - 11 3 Tan Mo in Chaos_2 ?11: Chapter 3: Tan Mo in Chaos_2 11: Chapter 3: Tan Mo in Chaos_2 The model of the semi-elf in front of him had its slender green hair immediately turn jet black. This time, Motan was satisfied. [Character creation complete, Tan Mo of neutral chaos, welcome to the Land of Innocence.] Control of his body was restored, familiar like d¨¦j¨¤ vu, but this time both the surrounding environment and Motan¡¯s own mentality were completely different. Opening his eyes, he found himself on a common small town street. The people passing by were not too many, mostly tillers with hoes on their shoulders or hunters in simple gear. There was a wide variety of races, dwarfs, halflings, trolls, lizardmen, etc. that Motan recognized or did not recognize, yet they all seemed to be in harmony. ¡°Tsk, tsk, compared to the reality where different skin colors can be a reason for an attack, this is truly a simple and naive world~¡± Motan mumbled to himself as he ambled slowly around, ¡°Although it seems troubles will arrive soon¡­¡± The reason he said this was because he saw the guidance task assigned by the system. [¡ªStop the Bone Plague outbreak caused by the Undead Mage Medi in Maple Town] No matter how you look at it, it doesn¡¯t seem like a normal beginner¡¯s guide task¡­ But Motan didn¡¯t care, on the contrary, he was quite happy~ ¡°Hey! Buddy!¡± He suddenly greeted a human male who was picking up some kind of red vegetable. He smiled and asked, ¡°Can I take up a bit of your time?¡± The other person looked at Motan with some confusion, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°A travelling bard, from a place far away.¡± Motan naturally spun some nonsense. His tone suddenly became a bit somber, ¡°Of course, before I started roaming, I too had a settled place to call home, a warm place called home¡­until¡­oh, Ali, why did it have to be you¡­¡± He sighed quietly and stopped talking, then apologized to the clearly bewildered middle-aged man with a bitter smile: ¡°Sorry, I always tend to remember those things¡­¡± ¡°No, buddy, I should be the one apologizing.¡± The other person sighed with an expression of ¡®this uncle also has a past¡¯, ¡°So, what can I do for you?¡± Motan said quietly, ¡°I heard that we have a mage in Maple Town. If possible, I¡¯d like to chat with him. As a bard, there are times when inspiration runs dry, and children will eventually get tired of hearing stories about dragons and knights, so¡­¡± ¡°A mage?¡± The middle-aged man frowned and hesitated, ¡°In our Maple Town?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I heard.¡± Motan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. Perhaps because his acting skills were so rich and his performances so exquisite, or perhaps because of his high initial charm of 8 points, this human uncle who was originally in a hurry to buy vegetables and go home was quite concerned. He stroked his chin, mumbling thoughtfully, ¡°I really don¡¯t remember there being a mage in town¡­¡± ¡°Oh yes!¡± Motan slapped his forehead, ¡°I remember, his name is¡­Medi?¡± ¡°Mr. Medi?¡± The man gasped, ¡°He lives on the outskirts of the town, a gentle old man who occasionally comes here to buy necessities¡­he¡­he¡¯s a mage?¡± Motan blinked, ¡°Where does he live?¡± ¡°The two-story wooden house to the east of the town. He¡­Huh? Where did he go?¡± The uncle had just handed two copper coins to the shopkeeper, but when he turned his head, the young man with a story had disappeared. ¡­ Medi. Leven was using a quill pen to sketch something on a crumpled piece of parchment. He appeared focused and serious. Two minutes later, the old man sighed deeply, stretched out, and turned to smile, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡± Motan, who had been leaning against the door for a while, shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t been here long, and besides, watching you work on this futile task is not boring.¡± ¡°Futile task?¡± Medi chuckled, ¡°Do you think I was copying notes? Young man.¡± Motan walked into the room without any guard, and after standing in front of Medi, he lifted a finger and wagged it, ¡°Because you haven¡¯t heard of the deductive method, so I won¡¯t bother to explain too much. In short, I concluded from some of your characteristics and the arrangement of your room that your wife probably died of illness a few years ago. I also walked around near the decorative tombstone in your backyard and found out that there¡¯s nothing underneath it. In addition,¡­¡± ¡°In addition to what?¡± Medi¡¯s eyes gradually cooled, casually stroking his ring. ¡°In addition, I felt a breath of death before I even stepped into the room.¡± Motan sat down in Medi¡¯s chair, propped up his leg, and said, ¡°This proves that you are preparing an unthinkable resurrection ritual.¡± He lied about this one. With Motan¡¯s current strength, he couldn¡¯t even feel a fart. The so-called ¡®breath of death¡¯ was completely imagined from the guidance task. But Medi didn¡¯t know¡­ S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ever since he became a Necromancer three months after his beloved wife died seven years ago, it was the first time anyone had openly revealed his identity! [Medi. Leven] Race: Human (NPC) Gender: Male Level: Bone Controller Level 9, Priest Level 11 Faction: Neutral Chaos Attributes: Strength 10, Dexterity 3, Wisdom 41, Constitution 15 Combat Attributes: Necromancy Level 7, Holy Light School Level 15, Arcane School Level 10 Chapter 12 - 12 3 Tan Mo in Chaos_3 ?12: Chapter 3: Tan Mo in Chaos_3 12: Chapter 3: Tan Mo in Chaos_3 Skills: Blood Flesh Perception, Bone-splitting, Bone Spear, Bone Shield, Pain Curse, Undead Summoning, Insight Technique, Strong Arcane Glow, Purification Spell (unusable), Glare Spell (unusable), Wisdom Blessing (unusable). The reason behind changing to a god¡¯s perspective to showcase Med¡¯s attributes lies in a few aims. Firstly, provided that Med is willing, he can entirely obliterate Motan in minutes. Secondly, with his measly level 7 knowledge of the undead, resurrecting someone who had been dead for several years is thoroughly delusional. Lastly, what I want to say is that, under certain circumstances, data is not the only standard dictating outcomes¡­ ¡°Give me a reason not to kill you, young man.¡± Med¡¯s gaze fixed on Motan¡¯s green eyes, whispering as the ring on his left middle finger flickered slightly. The barrier that has been set around the cabin for years has been activated, eliminating any chance of Motan¡¯s escape. However, it wasn¡¯t as if the latter had ever envisioned escape. Instead, he suddenly burst into hearty laughter! ¡°Ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha~!¡± Motan, his face initially calm and composed, suddenly exaggeratedly covered his cheeks. His other hand quivered as he pointed towards Med, laughing so hard he couldn¡¯t catch his breath. ¡°Hah, you¡­you actually¡­hahaha¡­asked the most stupid question. I¡¯m really disappointed, Med, you¡¯ve truly let me down!¡± Med watched him coldly whilst his skeletal right hand grasped the air. A bone spear of pale white color materialized instantaneously, targeting Motan¡¯s heart, he asked in a solemn tone, ¡°What do you think I should have asked?¡± He didn¡¯t immediately kill Motan because his [Blood Flesh Perception] and [Insight Technique], silently unleashed right when the latter entered the room, didn¡¯t offer any abnormal feedbacks. It meant the man in front of him was either confident or a complete madcap. Caution held back Med from just killing him. Instead, he continued to test the waters. ¡°You should have asked me if I possess any truly effective methods to resurrect your wife besides those mediocre useless tricks¡­¡± Motan shook his head with the look of one who chastises steel for not becoming iron. ¡°Or perhaps you could be a bit smarter, pleading directly for me to resurrect her.¡± His demeanor was relaxed and natural, his voice ripple-less, his heartbeat normal, his muscles relaxed, his laughter composed, and his gaze focused. The feedback from [Insight] and [Perception] to Med was likewise. The man in front of him wasn¡¯t lying; all he was doing was stating facts, a fact that gradually sank his heart¡­ ¡°Please don¡¯t make such a face~¡± Motan shook his head, saying, ¡°The bond between soul and flesh is incredibly complex and doesn¡¯t allow for the slightest carelessness. Knowledge and resources required for resurrection far surpass your meager imaginations, Med.¡± The old man¡¯s demeanor finally lost its composure. His face twisted into a sneer, he roared through gritted teeth, ¡°Are you saying I will certainly fail? Mana can never return?!¡± I must say, Motan¡¯s combination of all sorts of jumbled up knowledge, ambiguous suggestion, and his award-winning acting skills, Med was already a little nervous¡­ S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°That¡¯s something you have to ask her first.¡± Motan, confident about what the old man could not do, spoke with great agitation: ¡°Only then can you create a highly compatible carrier that won¡¯t result in your lover¡¯s soul shattering.¡± At this, Med¡¯s eyes dimmed. He caressed the ring on his hand, tremblingly speaking, ¡°I cannot do it. Although I can feel her, I simply cannot communicate with Mana¡¯s residual soul. Even when I have become a necromancer, I still can¡¯t do it¡­.¡± ¡°See, that¡¯s where your stupidity lies.¡± Motan sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve talked this far, yet you don¡¯t understand why I¡¯m here?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Med abruptly raised his head: ¡°You¡¯re going to help me?¡± ¡°Drink this.¡± Motan casually tossed a bottle. When it was instinctively caught by Med, he continued,¡±This will allow you to communicate with the soul temporarily. You¡¯ll have five minutes. After that, I will assist you in completing the resurrection ritual.¡± Med watched the test tube full of clear liquid that he was holding, turning his narrowed eyes towards Mo. ¡°What makes you think I should trust you?¡± ¡°You have no other choice.¡± The latter smiled self-confidently, ¡°Or, you can try to attack me, and meet your wife as you desire in a few seconds. Of course, I¡¯m not certain whether your soul will still exist then.¡± Med was silent. Rather than ascribing all this as a prank from a madman, he would rather believe that all the truthful words were from the unfathomable young man in front of him¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not a philanthropist.¡± Motan¡¯s expression gradually turned cold, ¡°More work awaits you once our desirable outcomes are achieved. Therefore, don¡¯t waste time¡­¡± ¡°If my wife is resurrected, I¡¯m willing to be at your disposal until the end of my life.¡± Med slightly nodded his head, uncorked the stopper, and gulped down the liquid from the flask. Motan laughed, a very joyful laugh. [Holy Water] One-time consumable. Effect: Increase your mana recovery speed for ten minutes. [Note: The faithful can transform ordinary water into Holy Water through prayer.] ¡­ Chapter Three: End Chapter 13 - 13 4 Lawful Good Mor_1 ?13: Chapter 4: Lawful Good Mor_1 13: Chapter 4: Lawful Good Mor_1 What would be the consequence if an undead mage drank holy water? Boom! ¡°Ah!!!!¡± Meddy suddenly screamed loudly. But because of the barrier activated earlier, his sound obviously couldn¡¯t leave the cabin. Pale flames ignited within his body, burning his flesh and soul. In other words, his health was rapidly declining. At this point, Motan¡¯s plan was already 90% complete. Previously, when he left the street, he didn¡¯t rush here immediately. Instead, he found a small shop and bought a flask using the money in the grocer¡¯s wallet. Then he filled it with plain water and began praying earnestly, successfully creating a simple version of [Holy Water]. Then he managed to glean a lot of information about Meddy from the town¡¯s folk under various pretexts before he set off. One hour later, the former priest, now an undead mage ¨C Meddy Leven, was in his own cabin, burning, and it seemed like he was soon going to be at death¡¯s door. But¡­ ¡°You despicable¡­ vile¡­ bastard! Maggot! Trash!¡± Meddy croaked, struggling step by step towards Motan, ¡°Pay the price! You think you can kill me just by tricking me into drinking some holy water? You should know that I am¡­¡± ¡°A former priest, right? S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I gathered from others that you preached to some children every Sunday.¡± Motan¡¯s voice sounded devilish in Meddy¡¯s ears, and he chuckled softly, ¡°Your knowledge of Holy Light is much stronger than your study of undead magic. This is why you have not been ¡®purified¡¯ for so many years, and also the reason why you¡¯re confident that you won¡¯t be destroyed by holy water, but¡­¡± Thud! Meddy fell to his knees, spitting out streaks of black blood from his mouth. ¡°Who told you this is just holy water?¡± [Fake Holy Water] One-time consumable Effect: Unknown [Note: made from a hypocritical prayer from an unbeliever] Meddy attempted to dissolve the effect of holy water with the power of his faith and in doing so, took a second hit, one that was spiritual. If consuming holy water would cause significant damage to a creature with an undead-friendly constitution, then this bottle of fake holy water has both the effect of the former while also causing any powers granted by a deity to backlash. Of course, it¡¯s useless to high-level beings such as the head of a priesthood (at least level 35 of the Holy Light School) or a zealous believer, but Meddy clearly did not come under that category. Hence, moments later, he was on his last breath¡­ ¡°Mana¡­¡± The fallen old man reached out his arm, mumbling in a feeble voice as if trying to grasp something. The agony on his face from earlier had turned into relief at this final moment. He smiled. ¡°She has been waiting for you for a long time.¡± Motan crouched in front of Meddy. His voice was unprecedentedly gentle,¡±You can rest now, Mr. Meddy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve waited¡­ waited too long for this moment¡­¡± The moment Meddy Leven stopped breathing, he turned into a heap of black ash. The next second, the system¡¯s voice echoed in Motan¡¯s mind: [You¡¯ve unlocked the job: Fraud, level 2, experience 77/150] [You¡¯ve obtained a new skill] [You¡¯ve obtained the talent: Unbeliever] [Guided tasks completed; you may choose a reward job: Thief/Warrior/Mage, and gain 60 experience points.] [Task completion 300%, reward: one equipment, optional 150 experience points.] [Unlocked Itemography, Characterography, Storyography] [Holy water, Fake Holy Water, Meddy Leven, ¡®The Love of Meddy¡¯ have been added to itemography] [You¡¯ve gained a unique mission, unique tasks unlocked] ¡°Well, that was beneficial¡­¡± Motan mumbled distractedly, and then picked up a ring from the pile of ashes on the ground. As expected, it was an item of pretty decent quality. [Meddy¡¯s Wedding Ring] Type: Ring ¨C Set Quality: Fine ¨C Unique Attributes: Intelligence +5, Constitution +5, Strength -1, Undead Knowledge +1 Traits: Additional Skill: Meddy¡¯s Perseverance Equipment Requirements: None Set Effect: [Meddy¡¯s Wedding Ring]/[Mana¡¯s Wedding Ring] ¨C Increase Constitution by 10% [Note: The pair of rings exchanged at the wedding of Meddy Leven and Mana Aine. Mana Aine¡¯s soul once resided in it, and it has never been removed.] Literally, this ring of fine quality is an excellent piece of equipment for the early stages of the game. It¡¯s something to show off for sure, also being part of a set. Given Motan¡¯s wisdom, it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to guess where the other item was. Without a doubt, the counterpart [Mana¡¯s Wedding Ring] would definitely be beneath the tombstone in the backyard that didn¡¯t have anyone buried below it. But¡­ Motan didn¡¯t put it on his finger. Instead, he found a jar in the cabin to store the ashes left by Meddy, then brought both the ashes and the ring to the backyard. After digging up another ring, he reburied the pair along with the jar. This move was something that most people couldn¡¯t understand, just as they felt puzzled about how Motan could kill the infatuated undead mage without any remorse. But he didn¡¯t care, or rather, this personality known as Tan Mo didn¡¯t care. He simply wanted to do it, and so he did. As for losing two good pieces of equipment, whether the deceased NPC could ¡®rest in peace¡¯ or not, those things didn¡¯t bother him. We can see from here that there are no words that can describe him better than [Neutral Chaos]. Chapter 14 - 14 4 Lawful Good Mor_2 ?14: Chapter 4: Lawful Good Mor_2 14: Chapter 4: Lawful Good Mor_2 Afterwards, Motan returned to Medy¡¯s hut, sat down on the chair, and started to inspect his new occupation. [Profession: Fraud] Experience: 77/150 Category: School of Deception Attribute Bonus: Intelligence 5, Agility 2 Weapon Condition: None Exclusive Skills:[Confusion],[Bewitchment] Introduction: The most perfect lie is one that can deceive even oneself in the moment it is spoken. [Note: When you can no longer trust yourself, please immediately get a psychological assessment.] ¡°Ha~ It¡¯s undoubtedly a support profession.¡± Motan laughed, and then muttered to himself, ¡°If I were to become an actor, I would probably have quite a promising future¡­¡± After that, he planned to have a look at his new talents and skills, and check what those illustrated reference books were all about, but unexpectedly¡­ A sudden wave of self-reproach struck him, and then¡­ [Your connection has been forcibly terminated. Please choose whether or not to reconnect.] ¡°Yes.¡± [Reconnecting¡­] [Connection complete, loading role data] [The Innocence Realm is open for you, the role creation process is about to begin¡­] ¡­ The same prompts, the same stone platform, the same nine doors, but a different¡­ Motan. He did not immediately choose ¡®that¡¯ door that suited him, but squatted down on the spot in a troubled manner, groaning. ¡°What the hell!¡± Motan drooped his shoulders, his face grim, ¡°Must I spend a large part of my life in frustration and regret? What the hell did I just do!!¡± It turned out that he was regretting his actions towards Medy while being Tan Mo¡­ In the eyes of Motan at this time, before the so-called ¡®Bone Plague¡¯ mentioned by the system, Medy probably hadn¡¯t harmed any innocents, and his story was quite pitiable. Though he embraced the so-called ¡®evil magic¡¯ resolutely in order to resurrect his wife, he certainly was not a bad person. But such a person was carelessly killed by him. Even though the final action comforted current Motan somewhat, it still didn¡¯t sit well with him. Because he felt that if it were him, there must be a better way to solve the problem¡­ The mission was to prevent the plague from breaking out, not to kill Medy ¡¤ Leven. There are many ways to achieve this goal. The simplest is to find an excuse to trick Medy out of his home, then sneak in and destroy his spell model. The second is to find evidence that Medy is a necromancer, and then find the passing mercenary group ¡®Fierce Hyena¡¯ in the town¡¯s tavern to expel him, which Motan had learned when he was wandering around the town. But at this moment, Motan was inclined to candidly tell Medy that resurrection was guaranteed to fail, and then try to find other solutions with him. After all, he did not have much understanding of the Innocence Realm, perhaps there really was a way to resurrect Medy¡¯s wife¡­ Unfortunately, neutral Tan Mo chose the simplest and most brutal method, which also allowed Medy to reunite with his wife, only in a different form. Motan let out another sigh, glanced at the already open golden door, and stepped inside. Remembering everything the same way but always unsatisfied with ¡®his¡¯ way of handling things, this morally upright Motan had quite an opinion on his ¡®neutral¡¯ self¡­ The door of[Orderly Good] slowly closed, hiding his figure. The process of character creation is not repeated here, let¡¯s directly look at the role information this time¡­ [The calculation is complete, your initial character information is:] Race: Half-Dragon (Thunder Dragon lineage) Gender: Male Camp: Lawful Good Talent: Spirit of Dedication (Increase HP by 5% when fighting alongside friendly targets, increased critical hit rate by 5% when attacked), Iron Spirit (Receives additional defense bonuses when HP is below 30%, the specific value depends on the amount of stamina lost) Basic Attributes: Strength 7, Agility 5, Intelligence 9, Constitution 7 Civilization Attributes: Articulacy 5, Charm 5, Knowledge 8, Leadership 8 Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fighting Attributes: None ¡°Well, I¡¯m not really that great¡­¡± Motan scratched his head, looking a bit sheepish. [Please name your character?] ¡°Mor, no need to confirm again.¡± Motan replied, he now thought a one-character nickname wasn¡¯t bad either. [Do you want to adjust your appearance?] The appearance of a half-dragon is not much different from a human¡¯s, except there are some fine purple scales around the neck and wrists, the body is slightly more robust, and¡­ there are tails¡­ Motan frowned slightly: ¡°Can we negotiate to get rid of the tail though?¡± [Some racial characteristics cannot be eliminated and can only be adjusted within a certain range] The system mechanically replied, and the half-a-meter long tail behind the half-dragon in front of Motan shrank by four fifths. ¡°Uh, it looks like a swollen butt, better restore it¡­¡± After thinking for a while, Motan decided not to make changes after all, as the Innocence Realm was a bit overbearing. From the legion to race, there was nothing he could decide¡­ [Character creation is complete, Mor of Lawful Good, welcome to Innocence Realm] The third time¡­ Upon opening his eyes, Motan found himself on a creature that¡­ looked like a land dragon. And he wasn¡¯t the only one on it. Chapter 15 - 15 4 Lawful Good Mor_3 ?15: Chapter 4: Lawful Good Mor_3 15: Chapter 4: Lawful Good Mor_3 Surveying his surroundings, Motan discovered a five-meter long sub-dragon creature with seven or eight people riding on it. Behind them were several horse-drawn carriages and people seated on a variety of beasts, mainly horses, all of whom appeared to have a certain level of combat capabilities. [Quest Triggered: Protect The Forest Spirit Trade Convoy] ¡°Hey, kid.¡± A large hand suddenly patted Motan¡¯s shoulder twice. He turned his head to see a red-faced, bearded dwarf looking at him cheerfully. Motan nodded in confusion: ¡°Hello, how can I¡­¡± ¡°Mage, Mage¡¤Rolling Iron ~¡± The dwarf made a comical face: ¡°We had to take off in a hurry earlier so didn¡¯t get to introduce myself properly. I¡¯m the captain of the Savage Ground Dragon Mercenary Group, and the guard captain of these¡­ um¡­ green-skinned shorties on this trip.¡± Motan nodded slightly, not presuming to speak too soon, as the other party had not yet revealed his own ¡®current¡¯ identity¡­ ¡°You folks are pretty lucky ~¡± Mage winked towards Motan and the area behind him: ¡°Since we¡¯re both headed to Kusi City, you get to hitch a ride with us~¡± Us?! S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Motan immediately had a hunch in his mind. As soon as he turned his head, he saw a handsome young man winking at him. The man was dressed similarly to him in hemp cloth, empty-handed and lacked scales and a tail. From any angle, he seemed to be a player just like Motan. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Rolling Iron.¡± Motan gave the young man a knowing look. Then Motan turned to Rolling Iron and extended his hand: ¡°I¡¯m Mor.¡± ¡°Gale Sean!¡± Replied the jovial human youth as he raised his hand. A dwarf warrior clad in chainmail hugged Motan fiercely, causing his life points to drop a bit. The dwarf then slap hands with Gale Sean: ¡°Just call me Mage. By the way, kid¡­¡± He looked towards Gale Sean: ¡°What on earth are you staring at?¡± ¡°Uh¡­.¡± The young man stuttered a bit, but Motan had already guessed that the young man had received the same quest as him. His previous actions were probably meant to keep an eye out for unknown enemies. Just then, a man riding a plateau pony came next to the land dragon and laughed: ¡°Mage! You dare to drink during the mission because you¡¯re the captain, don¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°Beat me in a fight, and I¡¯ll share my drink~ ¡± Mage rolled his eyes, brandishing an axe nearly as tall as himself at the pony rider. ¡°Scram, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll cut my dick off with that!¡± The pony rider spat on the ground and shrugged: ¡°But this route shouldn¡¯t present any dangers~¡± Everyone knows that at this time, this phrase means trouble. It¡¯s just like when a character in a horror movie exclaims at the end ¡®There are no ghosts here after all~¡¯ And then, they bite the dust¡­ ¡°Watch out!¡± Motan suddenly kicked the pony rider and sent him flying. His innate strength of seven plus his half-dragon bloodline were enough to kick a seasoned¡­ ten¡­ well, a seasoned mercenary. ¡°What the¡­ ¡± Mage¡¯s eyes widened, he wanted to grab Motan¡¯s collar when an arrow whistled through the air and stabbed into the ground, narrowly missing the little horse¡¯s back. Seeing this, Mage shouted a warning: ¡°Stay vigilant!¡± He disembarked from the dragon, landed smoothly on the ground, and gave an approving thumbs up. ¡°Hmm, I owe you one, buddy.¡± The pony rider got up from the ground and nodded to Motan: ¡°Thanks.¡± Motan gave him a smile. He wasn¡¯t particularly alert, just that when the pony rider was delivering that ominous line, he subconsciously surveyed his surroundings. He found the place was an ideal ambush spot, hence, he looked up and saw a glint in the sky that in retrospect was probably an arrowhead. As for why a modern person would be so experienced¡­ that blame falls on ¡®Tan Mo¡¯, who shares his memories and experiences in the game. ¡°It¡¯s the Sand Goblins!¡± Shouted a kneeling elf ranger atop the sub-dragon. ¡°The numbers, they¡¯re vast! They¡¯re very many!¡± ¡°¡®Many¡¯ means how many exactly?!¡± Mage shouted back dissatisfied. ¡°Second-in-command, bring me my Idari Firearm!¡± A lizardman riding a giant lizard whizzed by him and shouted without looking back: ¡°You old drunk, get it yourself! I¡¯m going to check the front!¡± ¡°You two, can you handle a sword?¡± Asked a scar-faced elf ranger. Motan and Gale Sean nodded at the same time. Whether driven by the need to complete the quest or personal principle, both of them knew they couldn¡¯t stand idle at this moment. ¡°The weapons are under the board, try to stay back and protect yourselves during the battle!¡± The elf spoke rapidly while drawing three Black Feather Arrows from his quiver and firing. The enemy¡¯s first wave of assault had arrived! The path at this point was a smooth slope, offering bad visibility. To the right was a small cliff ¨C the origin of the first arrow. On the left, observed Motan, was a rare plain marsh¡­ Just as Motan and Gale Sean had picked up their weapons, a large number of dark figures emerged into their line of sight. At the same time, several clumps of black mud carrying murky water splashed towards them from the left! ¡°Mudfish People!¡± A thin barrier opened up around the convoy. A figure appeared wearing a scarlet robe and wielding a Red Gold Magic Wand. She ran from the back, crying, ¡°Mudfish People? How can they be here!¡± Chapter Four: The End Chapter 16 - 16 5 Chaos and Evil_1 ?16: Chapter 5: Chaos and Evil_1 16: Chapter 5: Chaos and Evil_1 [Adult Sand Goblin] Race: Sand Goblin Alignment: Lawful Evil Level: Warrior Level 3 Talent: None Basic Attributes: Strength 2, Agility 2, Intelligence 2, Constitution 2 Combat Attributes: Club Mastery Level 1 Skill: Heavy Strike ¡­ The above describes the attributes of one of the sand goblins. Yes, indeed they are quite basic¡­ and the mud fishmen are slightly better in four-dimensional aspects, but only slightly. Obviously, even Motan, who has not yet obtained a combat profession, can easily single out any of them, even two or three at a time, it¡¯s not a problem. Gale Sean¡¯s initial attributes are not much different, the situation is roughly the same. As for the members of the Savage Ground Dragon Mercenary Group, they can easily knock down several of these dirty, dry creatures, but that does not mean the caravan is no longer in danger. In fact, the battle is still tough, surprisingly tough. When the quantity accumulates to a certain level, it can often overwhelm the quality, unless it is an absolutely crushing combat power, otherwise even if it¡¯s a heroic profession, it can¡¯t withstand the siege tactics. Even Mage, the strongest among them, can only knock down four or five monsters in one strike. Even if he uses large-consumption skills, he can only kill dozens of sand goblins or mud fishmen at most. But the number of enemies¡­is too many¡­ Treantfolk are not a race without combat power. In fact, in the jungle they are even more threatening than elves. These slender branch-like creatures can blend into any tree over ten years old and resonate with it, making the jungle extremely aggressive. They even have many unique forest spells¡­but they can¡¯t find many trees in this godforsaken place! If that were the case, they wouldn¡¯t have to hire any mercenary group. It might be possible for the more aggressive ones to rob a mercenary group. So the real combat power only has the twenty-three members of the Savage Ground Dragon Mercenary Group, and that Land Dragon. The enemy is an unscientific dozens of times more! If this isn¡¯t the biggest problem, then the archer who almost killed the dwarf directly at the beginning is really giving everyone a headache. From the start of the battle to now, the other side has already caused the Savage Ground Dragon Mercenary Group to lose three people with their archery skills without showing up, creating a great psychological burden for the caravan team and forcibly forcing everyone to distribute some attention to guarding themselves. And the adverse effects of this deterrence are gradually expanding. Motan stood beside the red-robed woman who was maintaining the defensive barrier, protecting the spellcaster. He was wielding two ordinary iron swords in his hands, pushing back two sand goblins, and he almost stumbled. Even now, he still has not adapted to the situation of suddenly having a tail behind him. Although he has the gaming experience of two roles, the memory and experience of each personality are shared unfortunately, neither Hei Fan nor Tan Mo have ever had a proper fight. The former just reported to the camp and then dropped out of the line¡­ Although the latter completed the introductory mission and also defeated a powerful undead mage above his level, he calculated its death by wisdom and acting skills and had no combat experience. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Motan has already suffered quite a bit of damage, only having sixty percent health remaining. This is still the result of other members of the mercenary group frequently taking care of him, otherwise the situation would be even worse. At this moment, the entire small road has been completely ¡®surrounded¡¯ by sand goblins and mud fishmen, and what¡¯s desperate is that these guys seem to be endless, with no end in sight. A surge of flames swept past Motan and engulfed more than twenty sand goblins¡­ [Flame Dragon Breath] Fire Magic Active Skill Requirement: Fire Magic Level 10, Intelligence 55 Consumption/Limit: 160 Magic Power Effect: Creates a conical flame in front of you, causing medium fire damage to all targets and confusing them for 1 to 3 seconds due to the sudden heat, and causing burning effect, cooldown time 10 minutes. Note: A long time ago, the Red Dragon clan once sued the creator of this spell, the legendary Gnome Mage TonTon Showme, for copyright issues and extorted a huge fine from him. Three days later, the Red Dragon Peak was turned into an active volcano by a certain gnome mage who did not want to reveal his name. The Red Dragon clan suffered heavy casualties.] Those sand goblins with extremely low magic resistance suddenly turned into balls of moving fireballs under this flame, and a large number of mud fishmen with low fire resistance nearby also pushed each other and became confused. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough, run!¡± The female mage, who had run out of the last bit of magic power, smiled at Motan and Gale Sean, who was guarding her rear: ¡°I¡¯ve cleared a path, it¡¯s the last chance!¡± As she pointed to the temporarily vacant and scorched road, the system prompt rang in the ears of the two players at the same time. [Guiding Task Completed] The two looked at each other and both got the answer from each other¡¯s eyes. Then they quickly opened their own character and skill panels respectively. Motan rushed out sideways, the iron sword in his hand sideways in front of him, crashing into several sand goblins crowded on the fire scarred path! [Charging Heavy Strike] Weapon System Active Skill Requirement: Single-Handed Weapon Specialty Level 1, Strength 5 Chapter 17 - 17 5 Chaos and Evil_2 ?17: Chapter 5: Chaos and Evil_2 17: Chapter 5: Chaos and Evil_2 Consumption/Limitation: 20 physical strength value, possession of melee weapons Effect: Dash 1-10 meters, inflict minor physical damage on enemies along the path, and knock them back, cooldown period 3 minutes. [Note: To the greenhorns just starting training, we always tell them: be bold! That¡¯s all you need to do! ¡ª¡ª A drill instructor from the Dark Souls training camp who died in his first battle] ¡°I think the guys in this training camp are supposed to be the Suicide Squad¡­¡± Motan rolled his eyes and moaned while slashing his longsword through a sand goblin, muttering, ¡°They¡¯ve gotten an unlucky name.¡± From this point, you all must have guessed that Motan chose a warrior as his career reward when completing the system task, immediately obtaining several basic skills, as well as bonus attributes, which led to the above scene happening. On the other side, Gale Sean was performing the same action, but he chose to be a Mage. A breeze blew by, and a profound melody radiated from Sean¡¯s mouth, making Motan and all warriors from the Savage Ground Dragon Mercenary Group feel suddenly lightened with quicker moves. [The Song of the Wind] Wind Element School active skill Requirement: Wind Element Knowledge Level 1, Intelligence 5 Consumption/Limitation: 8 magic power, five tones complete, standard Mandarin Level 7 Effect: Increase ally units within a 60-meter radius¡¯ agility by 5, movement speed by 3%, and evasion rate by 2% for ten minutes. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Cooldown period 15 minutes. [Note: Strong wind rises, the clouds fly high. Overseas might returns to where it belongs. Where are the heroes to guard the four fronts? PS: Letting an intern specialized in classical Chinese participate in the skill design team is absolutely a bad idea!] ¡°You two!¡± McGee, who had been fighting at the forefront, was surprised as he looked at the two men: ¡°You¡¯re not ordinary travelers!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to explain!¡± Said Motan anxiously. Well, he didn¡¯t exactly tell the dwarf warrior to get on the cart but instead said seriously, ¡°Let¡¯s break through the left side and open this path!¡± He was of course referring to the path previously blasted open by the Flame Dragon¡¯s breath. The intense aura of fire element made those sand goblins and mud fishmen slightly terrified subconsciously. ¡°Okay!¡± McGee knew it wasn¡¯t the time to talk, and Motan¡¯s plan was pretty solid, so he immediately made a decision, ordering everyone to start widening the escape route. On top of the hill¡­ ¡°It seems it¡¯s not this team.¡± Said a man, wrapped in blue plate armor and holding a heavy crossbow, to himself: ¡°We can let those cannon fodder retreat¡­ Huh!?¡± Thud! He suddenly spewed out a mouthful of old blood. At the same time, those numerous sand goblins and mud fishmen fell to the ground as if being heavily struck, their states of life and death unknown¡­ ¡­ [You have urgently disconnected, please choose whether to reconnect.] ¡°¡­¡± [You have urgently disconnected, please choose whether to reconnect.] ¡°¡­Yes¡­¡± [Reconnecting¡­] [Connection completed, reading character information] [The Realm of Innocence opens for you, character creation process beginning soon¡­] Standing on the stone slab, Motan regained consciousness, looking around a bit confused¡­ ¡°Is it me¡­?¡± He unnaturally raised his hand in front of his eyes, murmuring: ¡°What is going on¡­¡± A thunderous sound came, as the nine massive gates already stood around him, awaiting Motan¡¯s choice. ¡°Choice?¡± Motan¡¯s eyes seemed to have regained clarity, he asked softly: ¡°Is it necessary?¡± Of course, this place wouldn¡¯t answer him. ¡°Is it necessary?¡± He raised his head, spread out his hands, and a wicked grin formed at the corners of his mouth, repeating, ¡°Is it necessary?!¡± Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom!!! Of the eight gates, they instantly exploded. Afterwards, even the remnants turned into a part of the void, leaving only the red gate still trembling that kept emitting black halos¡­ wide open¡­ ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± Motan walked to it, and, as if to soothe it, patted this [Chaos Evil] doorframe, then he laughed: ¡°Relax a little~¡± After he walked in, the remaining crimson gate on the stone platform was still trembling slightly, as if it had encountered something terrifying¡­ ¡­ [Calculation completed, your initial character data is:] Race: Original Sin Gender: Male Faction: Chaos Evil Talents: Madness (True lunatics can ignore all pain, and even see it as fun. You don¡¯t have a sense of pain and each time you get hit, it will proportionally restore your physical strength value) Ruthless (You have no mercy at all, making all your attacks impossible to dodge) Cruel (Inherently cruel people will not have any sense of guilt; none of your actions will give you a guilt value) Dark Blood (It surges in you, constantly whispering annoyingly, but the upside is that any psychic attacks, illusions and hallucinations are ineffective against you since your psyche has been tempered to be as tough as steel.) Simply Powerful (Some kinds of strengths do not need any reasons; your basic attributes are always considered as 300% of the normal value, and the recovery speed of life value, magic power, stamina, sharpness, etc. is increased by 300%) Original Sin (The original sin you represent can also corrupt others, allowing you to command the target to follow your orders, cool down time 24 hours, unable to use on the same target permanently again.) Chapter 18 - 18 5 Chaos and Evil_3 ?18: Chapter 5: Chaos and Evil_3 18: Chapter 5: Chaos and Evil_3 Transcendental Boundaries (1. You need 70% fewer experience points to upgrade all your professions; all attribute points gained during professional upgrades are doubled, and some attribute points forcibly lowered during the upgrade of certain professions are no requirement; 2. ???) Demon King (1. The cooldown time of all your skills is reduced by 70%; 2. ???) Unfortunate (You shouldn¡¯t exist, don¡¯t give anyone or the world any chance!) Independent Entity (Selfish you won¡¯t share your memories and deeds) Basic Attributes: Strength 20, Agility 20, Wisdom 35, Constitution 20 Civilization Attributes: Eloquence 15, Charm 60, Knowledge 10, Leadership 60 Combat Attributes: None ¡°Original Sin and Unfortunate ones, huh¡­¡± Motan murmured, ¡°I understand a lot~ and ¡®that one¡¯ is quite worthy of attention.¡± [Please name your character] ¡°Mo.¡± Motan casually said. [Character Name: Mo, please confirm¡­] ¡°Hmm?¡± [Would you like to adjust your appearance?] Motan looks at his utterly identical image in front of him and shakes his head slightly. [Character creation complete, chaotic and evil Mo, welcome to the Land of Innocence] ¡­ Upon opening his eyes, Motan found himself standing in a luxurious hall. A band in a corner was playing a lively tune while surrounding gentlemen, all dressed in elegant and expensive attire, held wine glasses and were engaged in conversation. An air of ¡®high society¡¯ was clearly present. It was, evidently, the scene of a noble party. [Triggered Guide Mission] Motan opened the mission panel, glanced at it briefly, then emotionlessly said to the air, ¡°Never mind, I think you know what is best for me.¡± [¡­..zzz¡­zzz¡­.] Amidst the noise, Motan noticed an unnatural pause around him, but things quickly returned to normal. His taskbar had quietly changed. [Unique Mission: You know what you want to do] ¡°Hehe~ I knew it.¡± He laughed, laughing like a child¡­ A young man, dressed as a waiter, walked up to him with a tray, politely asking, ¡°May I take your order, sir?¡± ¡°Of course, I need a lot, very much¡­¡± Motan replied with a polite, fitting smile. His eyes shone with an unnatural black gleam: ¡°So to start with, could you die for me in the most ostentatious way you can think of?¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡­ In the sanctified year 9571, in the Land of Innocence, a terrible disaster struck the Sahvan Empire at the extreme south of the mainland. According to investigations, it all originated from the climax of a noble party. A servant who tore open his chest and crazily spun around on a chandelier scared everyone. In the following three hours, Banther City, the site of the incident, turned into a land of death, with rivers of blood and corpses everywhere, and not a single survivor. The few surviving scenario fragments were the limits that the Sahvan God of Law could reproduce using the top-level spell ¡ª the Star Mirror. However, even this corner of hell gave the witnesses at the time great psychological shadows. Starting from that day, this rich city, dubbed the ¡®Pearl of Sahvan¡¯ and known for its production of rainbow pearls, became a part of history. Its land also turned into a cursed place due to the countless souls it held. The perpetrator was at large, vanished without a trace. Yet, a year later, when this person was finally recognized by the world, people discovered that the terror he brought was far beyond imaginable¡­ ¡ª[The Beowulf Epic ¡¤ The Beginning of the Sin King Volume 3] ¡­ [You have exited the game, the mental connection has been disconnected, good morning.] Upon being roused by the game cabin, Motan was somewhat bewildered. ¡°I remember that I should be breaking out with the Lin squad ¡­ why did I suddenly wake up?¡± he muttered to himself. He then glanced at the mobile phone next to the game cabin, and was immediately taken aback. ¡°How can it be! Seven o¡¯clock!? The time doesn¡¯t match!¡± Chapter Five: The End Chapter 19 - 19 6 The Mysterious Gathering_1 ?19: Chapter 6: The Mysterious Gathering_1 19: Chapter 6: The Mysterious Gathering_1 The ratio of time in a virtual simulation to real world time stands at 2:1. Not only is this the case for [Realm of Innocence], but for a majority of similar products as well. Human thought and consciousness can¡¯t truly be expressed in reality, but if converted into a set of data, they can theoretically be ¡°fast-forwarded,¡± improving cognitive efficiency to the fullest extent. However, this milestone discovery encompasses a vast scope. To avoid going off on a tangent and never finding our way back, let¡¯s return to the main story. Not long after doing simple calculations, Motan came to the conclusion that something was amiss with the time ratio between reality and the game. According to normal logic, it should have been around five in the morning, but his phone was displaying seven¡­ ¡°Did I lose some time, or is there something wrong with my device?¡± Motan pondered. He was currently under the influence of his most normal personality, thus his thought process was relatively conventional. But after a brief moment of deep contemplation, the still baffled Motan decided to whip up something to eat first. He hadn¡¯t eaten since the previous afternoon and was starting to feel quite peckish. He didn¡¯t forget about this matter, he just set aside this question temporarily. When he had time, he would ponder it again. Although there were very few things in existence that Motan couldn¡¯t comprehend, if there was something he couldn¡¯t explain instantly, he wouldn¡¯t stress over it. After all, intense thinking was a troublesome matter, and lots of questions remained unsolvable even after finding an answer. So why bother? Motan¡¯s home wasn¡¯t large. It took less than ten seconds to walk from the living room to the kitchen. He whipped up a simple bowl of noodles for breakfast. Including the water boiling and carrying the bowl to the computer took less than five minutes. Cooking skills were essential for any bachelor. Although Motan¡¯s life wasn¡¯t exactly dull, he still had decent cooking skills that fell within the standard domestic scope. Despite not being able to prepare a meal that cost over two hundred yuan, he mastered the art of budget meals. One of his few friends had even remarked, ¡®I tasted happiness in your poor man¡¯s noodles and white rice porridge! Could you please go mainstream?¡¯ While booting up his computer, Motan slurped his noodles and browsed the [Realm of Innocence] forum. Despite the low-key marketing, this new game had garnered a solid fanbase on the first day of launch. Even gamers like Motan, who initially vowed to return the game after the 24-hour trial period, were enamored with its charm. Compared to mainstream games where the freedom was extreme and a small amount of pay-to-win or grinding could let you stomp on NPCs, [Realm of Innocence] offered players no face at all. Apart from some character modification and naming, aspects like faction, race, birth place, and talent weren¡¯t decided by the player. The NPCs in the game were anthropomorphized to a great extent and were extremely strong. If your attitude was a little off, they would not only ignore you, but in some cases, beat you up or even draw their weapons. Humans have always been like this, yearning for freedom while being shackled by countless rules. But once ¡®freedom¡¯ truly arrives, they start longing for restraints and limitations. [Realm of Innocence] is a world full of rules, yet it gives you a different kind of ¡®freedom¡¯. In this game, instead of feeling like a player, you would feel like you were part of the world itself. While browsing the forum, Motan casually made comments while eating his noodles, exclaiming, ¡®So human nature is indeed despicable~~¡¯, ¡®There¡¯s no [Realm of Innocence] during the day, die and I¡¯ll see!¡¯, ¡®Damn! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The death penalty is so harsh!¡¯ and so on¡­ Yes, the death penalty in the game is incredibly severe. It¡¯s not as simple as running back to your corpse, dropping a coin, or waiting for a few seconds to revive on the spot. About the penalization of deaths, an aspect not announced by the game developers beforehand, countless players personally experienced it last night. If their words were to be summerized, one sentence suffices¡ªThe game experience is appalling! When you die, apart from certain innate skills and soul bound items, all professional ranks, properties, and the like are all reset. Then you respawn randomly in a part of [Realm of Innocence] unacquainted to you, and start again. ¡°Isn¡¯t this akin to deleting the account and starting over!¡± commented Motan, surprised. Although he had expected that the game ¡®death¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be simple, this was a bit too¡­ intense¡­ However, this is the only way for players to value their lives more, additionally unveiling their true selves. After all, if death to some players simply meant walking back to their corpse, it wouldn¡¯t affect their decision to pose as a martyr, sacrificing themselves, acting fearlessly over their popularity value within the game. Chapter 20 - 20 6 The Unclear Meaning Gathering_2 ?20: Chapter 6: The Unclear Meaning Gathering_2 20: Chapter 6: The Unclear Meaning Gathering_2 Then, at eight o¡¯clock in the morning, the official statement was officially released, stating the following: [Realm of Innocence] is a complete world, therefore, it doesn¡¯t have a dungeon system. [Realm of Innocence] attempts to make everything as realistic as possible, thus, it doesn¡¯t possess a team formation system. The indigenous life in [Realm of Innocence] is quite intelligent, so please respect the Non-Player Characters (NPCs). [Realm of Innocence] is, after all, still a game, therefore, it features private player space. [Realm of Innocence] values economic development a lot, hence it promotes a trading system. [Realm of Innocence] encourages players to push the storyline forward, thus, it doesn¡¯t have expansion packs. The main system of [Realm of Innocence] is quite powerful, and therefore¡­ the programmers state they are not responsible for any additional issues. The official forum almost exploded in an instant, stirring up a multitude of discussions. However, Motan didn¡¯t keep tracking it, for two reasons: First, he finished his meal; second, he switched his¡­ let¡¯s say, he underwent a personality change¡­ Now this ¡°Chaotic Neutral¡± version of him didn¡¯t fancy wasting time reading other people¡¯s meaningless discussions. He¡¯d rather take advantage of Christmas to hang around in places like churches, and ideally, chat with a believer, maybe even get on their nerves a little ~ Of course, he wouldn¡¯t really do so. Because Motan feared that if he uncontrollably underwent another personality switch and was accidentally convinced into joining a belief, that would be problematic. Although being an atheist, he was also a kind person. Zealous believers could even go so far as to hold a knife against their own throat to make you join their belief¡­ Reluctantly washing the dishes, Motan checked his mental state. Once he confirmed that he wouldn¡¯t abruptly change his disposition, (don¡¯t ask me how he did that) He picked up his phone, casually replied a message, all the while counting down softly, ¡°Five, four, three, two¡­ ¡± Buzz~~ The vibrating phone still in his hand displayed a caller ID: ¡°Boyfriend A¡± As a matter of fact, such names basically filled the contact list on Motan¡¯s mobile. For instance: ¡°Boyfriend A¡±, ¡°Boyfriend B¡±, ¡°Boyfriend C¡±, ¡°Henchman A¡±, ¡°Henchman B¡±, ¡°Undercover A¡±, ¡°Classmate X¡±, ¡°Bald Teach¡±, ¡°Menopause Teach A¡±, ¡°Fly¡±, the meanings remained a mystery¡­ While his more serious personalities had the impulse to rename these contacts, after a horrendous experience where his phone was stolen, he admitted that such tactics were useful. At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t need to spend a half a month chasing down hundreds of thousands of bucks for some idiot who was swindled, all while concurrently conducting counter-extortion. ¡°Hello there, Boyfriend A~~¡± Motan answered the phone cheerfully. ¡°If you call me that again, I¡¯m going to take you to Africa for poverty alleviation when you¡¯re being a model youth!¡± Replied the man on the other end, quite annoyed. Shrugging, Motan said, ¡°No objections here. But after we get back, I might just post your photos and personal information on various gay dating sites across the globe, bilingual of course.¡± ¡°Brother Tan, I admit my mistake! S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. You can call me Gay A if you¡¯d like!¡± The voice on the phone instantly pleaded, as he knew that Motan¡­ at least the current Motan, was capable of such a deed, and would carry it out swiftly! Motan whistled, ¡°Alright, little comrade Yi, what¡¯s up?¡± [Yidong] Race: Human Gender: Male Alli¡­ Oops, wrong script~ Yidong is a close friend Motan met at the orphanage, one of the unfortunate few in the world who knows about Motan¡¯s personality split. However, unlike him, Yidong¡¯s no orphan. For a superstitious reason (in Motan¡¯s eyes), he was left at the orphanage when he was one by his parents, only to be picked up five years later. They said all of his bad Karma was cleared¡­ Mental case! That¡¯s Motan¡¯s opinion of Yidong¡¯s family. Among his words, there¡¯s also an intention to stand up for his friend. But Yidong doesn¡¯t care much. He thought meeting an oddball like Motan at the orphanage was sort of a reward. Now, why the orphanage would accept a kid whose parents and great-grandparents were alive and well, you ask? It¡¯s rather simple: his family was affluent~ As the old saying goes, those who spend money can even move the devil! Fun fact, Yidong and Motan happened to be high school and university classmates~ ¡°There¡¯s a meaninglessly obscure social gathering tonight, come with me!¡± Yidong cut straight to the chase. Confused, Motan asked, ¡°Don¡¯t we have class tonight?¡± ¡°One of my aunts is on the school board.¡± Yidong casually replied, ¡°Just give her a heads up.¡± Huh, rich people are really different, look at these connections~¡± Motan sneered sarcastically, ¡°Us commoners are quite scared!¡± Immediately, the young man on the other end got agitated, ¡°Hey! You, a sunnuvagun who only showed up for exams since the first day of the semester but always aced them, have no right to criticize me!¡± ¡°No, I have every right to, after all, this intelligence is mine.¡± Motan responded, ¡°Everything should be based on true talents and skills. If you warmed your way into the principal¡¯s heart through your own efforts and she let you off the hook, I wouldn¡¯t look down on you.¡± ¡°Bro! You are my real bro!¡± Yidong exclaimed, frustrated, ¡°Our principal is almost eighty! Please, give the old lady some respect! Besides, I don¡¯t settle for anything!!¡± Chapter 21 - 21 6 The Inexplicable Gathering_3 ?21: Chapter 6: The Inexplicable Gathering_3 21: Chapter 6: The Inexplicable Gathering_3 He took two deep breaths and redirected the topic: ¡°I¡¯ll drive over to pick you up this afternoon, okay?¡± ¡°Not okay.¡± Motan answered lazily: ¡°I don¡¯t want to go with you.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Yidong asked: ¡°You have something else to do?¡± ¡°Firstly, I want to play a game that can only be played at night.¡± Motan said: ¡°Secondly, as you have said it is an ¡®obscure¡¯ get-together, which usually means it¡¯s going to be troublesome. Even though I don¡¯t mind trouble now, that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t mind it then. You understand?¡± Yidong paused for a moment, then said: ¡°I get the latter part, considering your current mental state. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, about that game you mentioned, which can only be played at night¡­uh¡­bro, do you remember the proverb about the masts being turned into ashes¡­¡± ¡°If you dare to continue, I¡¯ll find a few people to ¡®mast¡¯ you tomorrow.¡± Motan threatened: ¡°I¡¯m just playing a game that only supports sleep mode.¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s rare, tell me more about it later!¡± Yidong laughed and then sped up his speech: ¡°I promise to get you home before midnight. Just consider it as me owing you one. The party is mostly strangers and I¡¯m quite afraid of awkwardness. Having you there would at least give me someone to talk to. Let¡¯s talk more when we meet this afternoon. Bye then!¡± Doodoo Doodoo¡­ ¡°This guy is getting more and more outrageous¡­¡± Motan shook his head as he listened to the disconnected tone on his phone: ¡°He used to be such a simple and innocent kid~ Sigh, never mind.¡± Since Yidong had said ¡®I owe you one¡¯, Motan decided to stop refusing. Moreover, he was not the idle type. Having a small social circle doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s a recluse or introverted. He was not particularly resistant to attending a merrymaking event with a certain wealthy second-generation and it sounded like there would be a good meal. However, since he decided to go, he needed to prepare. ¡°I think it¡¯s better to go as I am now¡­¡± Motan murmured to his reflection in the mirror as he washed his face: ¡°¡®An obscure get-together¡¯ should be interesting.¡± Then, he deliberately introduced another personality of his, put on new clothes, and ran to the community for Christmas charity work. ¡­ In the afternoon, when Yidong drove his SSC-13¡ªreferred to as ¡®Original Sin¡¯ by Motan¡ªover, Motan had returned to his ¡®neutral in chaos¡¯ character mode, boringly lounging on the sofa. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not going to change your clothes?¡± Looking at Motan¡¯s cheap suit that cost less than a hundred in total, Yidong asked: ¡°I remember you have suits, right? It might be awkward if you dress like this, after all, we¡¯re meeting those people for the first time and we have no idea what they are like.¡± Motan pointed toward his closet: ¡°Hasn¡¯t been worn for a long time, it¡¯s musty.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Yidong tentatively asked: ¡°Should I get you¡­¡± ¡°If you plan on buying me a branded outfit that¡¯s worth my several years of living expenses.¡± Mortan lazily glanced at Yidong: ¡°You might as well buy me a house first, get me a flashy car like yours and introduce me to a princess of the UAE, the kind whose father is in the late stages of cancer.¡± Of course, Yidong knew what Motan meant. Honestly, other than finding a princess with a late-stage cancer patient father, he could handle the rest. However, Yidong was certain that if he took these steps, Motan would undoubtedly publish all his information and photos on all worldwide gay matchmaking websites, and he would continuously update the contact information. ¡°Forget about what I just said~¡± Yidong sighed: ¡°If you don¡¯t need to get ready, let¡¯s head off now.¡± ¡­ An hour later, the two arrived at a top-tier hotel in the city and headed towards a private room marked [666]. ¡­ Chapter Six: End Chapter 22 - 22 7 First Encounter _1 ?22: Chapter 7: First Encounter _1 22: Chapter 7: First Encounter _1 On their way here, Yi Dong briefed Mo Tan about the situation of the gathering. It was a small gathering with only five or six participants, all children of Yi Dong¡¯s parents¡¯ friends. The reason for the gathering was rather peculiar, seemingly because the older generation planned to have a small get-together on Christmas, and thought it¡¯d be inconvenient with their children. Therefore, some parent suggested to let their children have a gathering too, to get acquainted with each other, finally leading to this sudden gathering. Mo Tan had seen Yi Dong¡¯s parents several times. His close friend A¡¯s father was a guy who looked cool and handsome or more accurately a dashing uncle with a calm face, he hardly ever spoke or showed any expressions. On the other hand, Yi Dong¡¯s mother was an entirely different entity, time barely left any trace on her, making her look like an energetic twenty something year old girl. Apparently, she had studied in Japan when she was young and bombastic. Rather than being a mother she seemed more like a girl and also an enthusiastic cosplay enthusiast! So, Mo Tan was quite interested in the children of their parents¡¯ friends with such contrasting personalities. Yi Dong gently knocked on the door twice then opened it and walked in with Mo Tan. Both of them were good looking. Although Yi Dong did not have the aristocratic demeanor that most rich families usually have, he resembled his father, emanating a cool handsome vibe. When silent, he looked very chic, his tailored suit complemented his tall and well-proportioned body. His excellent upbringing gave him a good temperament. Since middle school, he had a significant number of admirers and absolutely qualified as a ¡®rich, tall, and handsome¡¯ one. Although Mo Tan was dressed in cheap clothes and was half a head shorter than Yi Dong, his innate quirky personality was also quite appealing. He possessed a paradoxically complex charm, added with a slightly wicked/righteous/friendly (as circumstances require) gaze. In terms of presence, he was not inferior to Yi Dong. If he hadn¡¯t deliberately limited his social circle, there would probably be girls being attracted towards him. Therefore, whenever they were together in school, other people often felt that their own existence was weakened much. But the two men and three women in this room¡­ also had the same quality and presence as the two, or even better¡­ ¡°Hey, hello, guys~¡± The young man sitting by the door waved at them and then looked around with some confusion, muttering, ¡°One, two, three, four, five¡­huh? I remember there were supposed to be six people.¡± Mo Tan shrugged and quirked his chin at Yi Dong, ¡°I¡¯m his sidekick~¡± ¡°Stop messing around~¡± Yi Dong shot him a glance, smiled slightly at everyone, ¡°This is my friend, is everyone okay with that?¡± He was prepared that if anyone said ¡®mind¡¯, he would immediately turn around and leave with Mo Tan. Since he showed up, he could report back anyway. However, even though those present were all pretty well-off, none of them were spoiled brats, no one objected. Another young man dressed flamboyantly looking like a performance artist immediately shook his head, ¡°Of course not, we¡¯re all around the same age, more people make the atmosphere more lively, before you two came in I was feeling stifled~¡± He tapped the table twice and gestured a grimace towards two people sitting on the inside. Yi Dong and Mo Tan then sat down. ¡°Ahem~¡± The short-haired girl in the middle wearing a duckbill cap cleared her throat, and cheerfully said, ¡°Okay, now that everyone¡¯s here, since we¡¯ve never met before, let¡¯s introduce ourselves~ My name is Ji Xiaoge, Ji as in season, Xiao as in know and Ge as in dove~¡± This was a girl overflowing with youthfulness and vitality. Her delicate and elegant features resembled a porcelain doll. Despite her hat, casual shirt and jeans made her look like a tomboy, and her face bare with no makeup, it still could not hide her enchanting grace that could make anyone feel friendly in an extremely short period. ¡°Ji Xiaodao.¡± the girl sitting next to her softly said, and that was it. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She was the previously indicated ¡°low-pressure¡± person by the young man who looked like an artist¡­ Ji Xiaodao looked similar to Ji Xiaoge, except she was not as attractively flashy as her sister, and her temperament was quite different. Her dull gray eyes seemed unaffected by anything, and she maintained an aloof expression throughout. Dressed in a black jacket, she was slightly thinner than Ji Xiaoge with waist-length straight hair. She appeared silent and reticent, which she indeed was. ¡°Hehe, my sister has been quiet since childhood~¡± Ji Xiaoge stuck out her tongue, ¡°Actually, she is a good kid~¡± Then the last girl stood up. She seemed a bit introverted. When standing, she accidentally knocked her hand and muttered with her mouth pursed, ¡°My name is Yu Chen, ah.. please guide me!¡± This girl was not short, at least about 1.7 meters tall, but it was not known why, even though her height and proportions were quite okay, she still looked diminutive. Wore a light yellow sweater and shorts, her long hair was tied into a clean and refreshing ponytail. Her small face for some reason was blushing red, looked extremely shy. After speaking, she quickly sat back down, lowered her head as far as she could, almost burying it in her chest. Chapter 23 - 23 7 First Encounter _2 ?23: Chapter 7: First Encounter _2 23: Chapter 7: First Encounter _2 The first guy to greet Motan scratched his head: ¡°I¡¯m Wanyang, when are we ordering? I¡¯m a bit hungry¡­¡± This guy was quite tall and well-built. Undoubtedly Asian, he had flaming red short hair that didn¡¯t seem dyed. His outfit was similar to Motan¡¯s ¨C simple casual wear. Though a bit goofy, he subtly exuded an underlying defiant and wild aura. ¡°Kanglan, 21 years old, single, an artist~¡± The guy who looked exactly like a performance artist said seriously: ¡°Also part-time palm reader.¡± Motan noticed that his gaze drifted towards Ji Xiaoge several times while he was talking¡­ Kanglan was a bit skinny, wearing a pair of seemingly heavy black-framed glasses. Handsome, ranking between Yidong and Motan in terms of looks, his hair was a mess. Despite appearing simple-minded and dressing like a performance artist, he somehow gave Motan an inscrutable feeling, which was quite rare. Then Yidong briefly introduced himself. Everyone didn¡¯t know where to start since they were all strangers, so they just mentioned their names. Finally, it was Motan¡¯s turn. ¡°Uh¡­¡± He hesitated, then stood up: ¡°My name is Motan, I¡¯m exceptionally good at ordering food, offering a great value for money.¡± ¡°Pfft~¡± Ji Xiaoge burst into laughter, hit the table several times before calming down: ¡°You¡¯re so funny!¡± [Hey hey hey! This girl¡¯s sense of humor is slightly on the lower side! If I handpicked a joke, wouldn¡¯t she roll off her chair?!] Motan muttered in his heart, although his intention was indeed to make a joke, he did not expect the girl to react so intensely. ¡°Brave hero!¡± Wanyang, who had been claiming hunger from the very beginning, immediately proffered the digital menu: ¡°Leave it all to you!¡± ¡°No problem~¡± Motan laughed, he wasn¡¯t just bragging. In fact, since his cooking skills were basically limited to dishes costing below 200 yuan, he liked to reward himself by exploring different restaurants. Over time, he had developed quite a high-end ordering skill. Besides, he had also made sure to read up on the hotel¡¯s details on his way over, so he had a good idea of what to order after a quick glance at the menu. Within ten minutes, a whole table of dishes was served. However, as everyone was unfamiliar with each other, the atmosphere was quite restrained, with little conversation. ¡°Ahem~¡± Yidong looked at Motan, cheekily said: ¡°Err¡­let¡¯s start a conversation, shall we?¡± Seeing everyone¡¯s focus shift to him, Motan immediately smiled: ¡°Okay, let¡¯s discuss the topic of ¡®Embarrassed Suit man¡¯, shall we?¡± ¡°Pfft~¡± ¡°Ahem¡­Hahaha¡­That¡¯s a bit harsh!¡± ¡°Pfft~ I can¡¯t hold it in anymore~ Hahaha~¡± As soon as Motan finished speaking, Yidong froze, while the others couldn¡¯t hold back their laughter. Even Yuchen, who hadn¡¯t spoken since his introduction, couldn¡¯t help but snigger. Ji Xiaoge and Wanyang were both red-faced from laughter. Kanglan tried to keep a straight face but failed miserably. Only Ji Xiaodao remained relatively calm, though the corners of his mouth were slightly curled¡­ Yidong was utterly embarrassed and felt very wronged! He had initially thought that his serious parents had invited him to a gathering full of young people with similar family backgrounds. These people usually put on a facade of seriousness, so Yidong dressed in a fitting suit, and even intended to make Motan wear one. Only to realize that he was the one who stood out in this gathering. As if the situation wasn¡¯t embarrassing enough, Motan¡¯s remark made the ¡®Embarrassed Suit Man¡¯ wish he could disappear into a crack in the ground. ¡°Yidong, it¡¯s absolutely right to bring your friend here!¡± Ji Xiaoge chuckled: ¡°Keep your chin up!¡± All of them were college students, so her address was quite formal, yet friendly. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wanyang also laughed: ¡°I need to remember this joke~ It will make a great blackmail tool in the future~¡± ¡°Count me in~¡± Kanglan also laughed. ¡°Seconded.¡± Even the usually cool Ji Xiaodao suddenly chimed in. Yidong was almost in tears: ¡°Please forget it, guys, this meal is on me. I¡¯ll host the next gathering too~¡± Then Motan calmly took out his phone, pressed a button, and then¡­ ¡°This meal is on me, and I¡¯ll host the next gathering too~¡± Yidong¡¯s voice echoed clearly from the phone. Motan looked around the room: ¡°Let¡¯s exchange contact information later, I¡¯ll send you the recording.¡± ¡°I should never have brought you here!¡± Yidong pointed at Motan, and bittered. The room roared with laughter, livening up the atmosphere instantly. So, Motan didn¡¯t intend to enlarge his social circle, but it didn¡¯t imply that his social skills were poor. In fact, as long as he was willing, he could easily liven up the atmosphere. Yidong became the sacrificial lamb this time, but it didn¡¯t matter. Those who were friends with Motan had long gotten used to his pranks. Everyone chatted while eating. The topics among young people usually revolve around school life, entertainment gossip, food, drink, and fun. Some might even like to subtly flaunt their wealth, but there was none of that among those present. The seven of them had a fun conversation, and there was no sense of an ¡®heir¡¯s tea party¡¯ atmosphere. Chapter 24 - 24 7 First Acquaintance_3 ?24: Chapter 7: First Acquaintance_3 24: Chapter 7: First Acquaintance_3 What made Yi Dong quite nervous, however, was that during the gathering, Motan suddenly underwent a personality shift. But, thanks to his ¡®five-minute buffer spell¡¯ and the vibrant atmosphere, no one else noticed anything unusual. Having gotten used to such occurrences, Motan, who was currently in his primary persona, continued chatting and eating, and everything appeared completely normal~ The only reason Yi Dong noticed was because they were extremely close friends. As they chatted, the conversation slowly drifted towards video games, and then¡­ ¡°Hey~ You guys know about that game [Realm of Innocence] that officially went on sale yesterday?¡± Wanyang wiped his mouth and suddenly asked everyone. Yi Dong shook his head: ¡°Don¡¯t know about it.¡± As it turned out, he was the only one who didn¡¯t know about it! ¡°You play that too? I spent all night in it yesterday!¡± Kanglan Te exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯m a big fan of DND rule-based games!¡± Yu Chen also raised his small hand: ¡°Same here, my classmates dragged me into playing it¡­¡± ¡°Me and Xiaodao played it too, but we just created a character and played a bit~~¡± Ji Xiaoge widened her eyes, ¡°What a coincidence!¡± Motan shrugged: ¡°Me too.¡± Yi Nan slumped his shoulders in dismay, and sighed deeply: ¡°So, am I the only awkward man in a suit who¡¯s not following the trend¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too late yet!¡± Wanyang laughed, ¡°I¡¯m in the [Chaotic Good] camp, got turned into an Orc by the system. My in-game name is Fire Yang, a War Priest.¡± Kanglan pushed up his thick-rimmed glasses, ¡°I¡¯m in the [Neutral Good] camp, my race is Treant, and my name in the game is Rune Zhoulan. I¡¯m a level 3 Jungle Ranger, level 1 Priest.¡± Just as expected from the hardcore gamer Kanglan, Motan reckoned he must be the strongest player among them, but unexpectedly¡­ ¡°I¡¯m with the [True Neutral]~¡± Yu Chen blinked her eyes beneath her long eyelashes, ¡°I¡¯m a human named Morning Forgotten Language, my class is¡­ um¡­ level 5 Priest¡± Everyone was stunned at this sudden revelation. Kanglan almost fell out of his chair, exclaiming, ¡°What level did you say??¡± ¡°Uhh!¡± Yu Chen was startled by his exaggerated reaction and sheepishly replied, ¡°Priest¡­ level 5¡­¡± ¡°How did you manage that?!¡± Wanyang also asked in an exaggerated tone, ¡°From last night to this morning, you couldn¡¯t have had more than twenty-three hours of game time. How did you manage to level a single class to level 5 in that time?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t play that long~¡± Yu Chen scratched her own smooth cheek lightly with her fingers and recalled, ¡°After completing the introduction quest, the Archbishop asked me to pray. I just blankly stared at a statue of a goddess for a while. I think I heard some kind of voice¡­ When I came back to my senses, I realized I was at level 5~ The Archbishop even said I was something called a Divine¡­ Divine¡­¡± ¡°Divine Chosen.¡± Motan and Kanglan simultaneously replied. ¡°Exactly right, Divine Chosen!¡± Yu Chen nodded vigorously, ¡°Her previous restraint was gone, and she now spoke much louder. ¡°Sounds impressive.¡± Ji Xiaoge commented with admiration, even though she didn¡¯t understand why, ¡°My sister and I only played for a while, we just finished the introductory mission and then logged off. I¡¯m with the [Chaotic Neutral] faction, and my race is half-beast ¨C my name is Night Song ~ I still haven¡¯t chosen a class~¡± ¡°I¡¯m from [Chaotic Evil].¡± Ji Xiaodao casually said, ¡°Dark Elf, I haven¡¯t chosen a class.¡± Motan was taken aback, ¡°Chaotic Evil?¡± ¡°Are there any problems?¡± Ji Xiaodao inquired. ¡°No problems.¡± Motan shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Wanyang chimed in, ¡°Seems like no player has chosen the Chaotic Evil alignment, at least that¡¯s what the forum says~¡± Ji Xiaodao snorted lightly and curled his lips in disdain, ¡°Curiosity killed the cat!¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Actually, I also think Xiaodao isn¡¯t suitable for Chaotic Evil. But she¡¯s unlike me.¡± Ji Xiaoge pointed at her lips, ¡°When she logged into the game, there was only one door. I heard that for others there are nine doors representing different factions, I had nine doors.¡± Motan suddenly felt a little headache coming on. ¡°Um, can I ask a question?¡± Yi Dong finally managed to intervene, asking the group, ¡°What time can you start playing the game? And is the equipment still available for purchase?¡± Motan glanced at him and laughed, ¡°At seven in the evening, and if there won¡¯t be any equipment left to buy, couldn¡¯t you get your hands on one?¡± ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s call it a day for now!¡± Yi Dong rubbed his hands together with a grin, ¡°Add friends in the game tonight, all right?¡± The group shared a knowing smile~ ¡°Alright then, hey by the way, what¡¯s your game name, Motan?¡± Wanyang stood up, stretched and asked, ¡°You¡¯re the only one who hasn¡¯t told us.¡± After hesitating for a bit, Motan finally said, ¡°[True Neutral], human, named Hei Fan, level 2 Priest.¡± ¡°Got it all! Well then, see you all later.¡± Ji Xiaoge cheerfully waved her hand towards the group. ¡°See you later~¡± ¡°Remember to add as friends.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget to record~¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Yi Dong dragged Motan into the elevator like a dog chasing a rabbit. ¡°Go buy the equipment with me first~!¡± ¡­ Two hours later. [Your mental connection has been detected, synchronizing personal information¡­] [Connection established, reading character information] [Welcome back, True Neutral Hei Fan. Preparing to load into the Realm of Innocence, Good Night] Chapter Seven: Conclusion Chapter 25 - 25 8 The Legend of the Black Sun_1 ?25: Chapter 8: The Legend of the ¡®Black Sun¡¯_1 25: Chapter 8: The Legend of the ¡®Black Sun¡¯_1 Just as Double Leaf had said earlier, Motan logged in around nine in the evening and found that it was noon in the game. He spawned in a lane not far from where he had been disconnected, a mere two-minute walk from the camp. Motan quickly made his way back to the base. The guard on duty was still the same bald Dwarf Soldier from the previous night. They didn¡¯t even ask for his military badge before letting him pass. ¡°Hey there, Hei Fan!¡± Members of the Fenrir squad were gathered, apparently deep in conversation. Upon seeing Motan, Ned quickly waved and called out, ¡°Over here~¡± Double Leaf was there too, apparently she logged in a bit earlier and was now blankly sitting in a corner. Motan went over and greeted everyone before flashing a smile at Ned, ¡°Reporting for duty. What¡¯s everyone discussing?¡± ¡°Uh, currently the topic of discussion is, between ogre girls and goblin girls, which one is more beautiful.¡± Ned patted Motan¡¯s shoulder with a wry smile, ¡°Crab and Sarah have different opinions on this.¡± Motan stiffly turned his head to look at the two of them¡­ ¡°You lizard people will never understand the sexiness of those sharp teeth!¡± roared Crab, the dark-skinned Beastman warrior, his saliva flying. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m so glad I can¡¯t understand your worldview.¡± scoffed the Lizardman Martial Monk, crossing his arms, ¡°But can¡¯t you appreciate the charm of their petite size and large ears?¡± Motan: ¡°¡­¡± We didn¡¯t partake in this low-level debate~¡± Genna came over leading Double Leaf by the hand. She shot a disdainful glance at the two engaged in the debate before turning to Motan with a mischievous smile. ¡°But maybe you can give us your opinion~¡± Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Motan replied, ¡°I think elf and human girls are more beautiful. Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Hoh~ a crowd-pleaser!¡± Genna gave him a flirtatious look. Double Leaf merely yawned languidly, ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to be too impressed.¡± After a while, when the bizarre debate finally ended (Sarah knocked Crab down), Ned outlined the squad¡¯s discipline in detail for Motan. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone began to chat about unrelated topics. After some casual conversation with the group as a roaming Priest, Motan learned some foundational knowledge about the world. Throughout this process, Double Leaf, a fellow player, didn¡¯t speak much. However, she secretly sent a friend request followed by a message expressing her admiration for his eloquence. ¡°You¡¯re really good at sweet talking~ You¡¯d make an excellent underground party member,¡± Double Leaf messaged. Motan took that as a compliment. According to Ned, the autonomous army they were in was essentially of the Marshall Family¡¯s private force recognized by law. Baft, the lord of the Marshal Territory, was the current head of the prestigious family. He was also one of the nine dukes of the Violet Empire in the southeast region of the Innocent Land, ruling over the family¡¯s capital, Mercury City, and over thirty other cities. The autonomous army is the bottom and most mixed part of his military force. The command had fewer numbers but more power than the Mercury Guard, Baft¡¯s Sword Knights, and the Ice Curtain Mage Squad. The autonomous army members were basically militia, but they were responsible for maintaining the basic peace within the territory and acting as cannon fodder in large scale battles. ¡°In short, we needed a job~¡± Ned shrugged, ¡°At least the pay is stable here, and the risks are much lower than being a mercenary or adventurer.¡± Motan simply nodded. He didn¡¯t mind staying in this ¡®cannon fodder camp.¡¯ On the contrary, he thought that starting from a lower position and gradually progressing was a good thing in the early stages of the game. After all, the game¡¯s official website provided little intel, getting more answers from the random NPC in the field instead. So, it is all good as long as you go with the flow. ¡°Alright, chat time is over.¡± The Lizardman Martial Monk, Sara, glanced at the antique pocket watch on his neck and headed towards the camp¡¯s exit. ¡°We have duty outside the city tomorrow, let¡¯s call it a day earlier.¡± Genna watched him leave and shook her head helplessly, ¡°He¡¯s always been like that. I¡¯m going back to my room to read~¡± With that, she skillfully climbed up a towering, unknown tree nearby and soon disappeared amidst its lush, yellow leaves. ¡°She built a treehouse up there, said she couldn¡¯t stand the stench in our male dorms.¡± Ned shrugged at Motan and added, ¡°You can leave now. Meet here at seven in the morning for a routine patrol outside the city.¡± Motan laughed, ¡°Understood, captain~¡± Ned and Crab soon left too. The only ones left in the warm, open space next to the camp were Motan and Double Leaf. ¡°Come sit over here.¡± The orange-haired female Mage beckoned lazily. Chapter 26 - 26 8 The Legend of the Black Sun_2 ?26: Chapter 8: The Legend of the ¡®Black Sun¡¯_2 26: Chapter 8: The Legend of the ¡®Black Sun¡¯_2 ¡°I¡¯d be pleased,¡± Motan readily agreed, feeling that his companion surely had a wealth of information to share with him. But he had no idea of the scale of revelation he was about to receive. ¡°This world operates on its own set of rules,¡± Double Leaf said, leaning in and speaking softly to Motan. ¡°The twelve hours we can log in each day (19:00 to 07:00) are twice as long in this world, making it, in effect, a twenty-four hour day. During the daylight hours when players can¡¯t log into the game, this world stops turning until the real world reaches 19:00 when the players can log in again.¡± This shocked Motan. He had never heard of anything like this before. Neither the official communications from the Realm of Innocence company or any forum posts had mentioned such a theory. Yet, if this theory were correct, then the value of this information was extraordinary, especially for interacting with NPCs. At least now Motan knew what time he should report to the camp the next day. ¡°How did you¡­?¡± Motan asked, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. But Double Leaf cut him off with a wave of her hand. ¡°It¡¯s simply paying back a favor. I also picked up some useful information when you were chatting with those guys. Consider it us returning the favor,¡± she said, chuckling, ¡°Besides, even if I didn¡¯t tell you, others would figure it out soon. As for how I found out first¡­¡± Double Leaf blinked, speaking in a teasing tone: ¡°Well, because I¡¯m a tech geek who dabbles in a bit of hacking here and there. Which is essentially why I play this game.¡± ¡°Planning to steal some data or break into the game company¡¯s system?¡± asked Motan, looking surprised. ¡°I heard the firewall on Realm of Innocence is so strong that even the legendary ¡®Black Sun¡¯ was defeated by it.¡± Black Sun is a living legend. Known as the ¡®King of Hackers¡¯, ¡®he¡¯ has infiltrated virtually every renowned private institution¡¯s servers worldwide. Vague estimates place the direct or indirect damages caused by ¡®him¡¯ into the stratosphere. And ¡®he¡¯ remains beyond the grasp of the law to his day. Some say that Black Sun is an organization, others say Black Sun is a duo, some say Black Sun is an extraterrestrial entity or a special agency of a foreign government or even a Korean¡­ In any case, the name Black Sun is revered as a kind of godfather figure in the hacker world. His operational patterns and hacking techniques remain a mystery; as does his choice of targets, which is evidently without pattern. Perhaps Black Sun would hack into hundreds of ATM machines simultaneously, causing them to spew out cash. Or, Black Sun might hack into a family business network, disseminating nude photos of an important figure at random. Or perhaps, Black Sun would infiltrate a famous actor¡¯s personal computer, pulling out private videos or photos and circulating them on different forums. Like an eccentric mischievous genius. Then suddenly, Double Leaf scratched her head and laughed, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I started playing this game~ I didn¡¯t expect to get this hooked.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Motan stared at her, his pupils dilating in shock, ¡°Did you just say you¡¯re Black Sun?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Double Leaf casually answered before looking up at the sun overhead, ¡°So hot¡­¡± ¡®Poof!¡¯ A small ice ball appeared on her upraised index finger, bringing with it a cooling sensation. Double Leaf nodded in satisfaction, ¡°Much better now.¡± ¡°You can use your skills like that?¡± Motan, watching the ice ball on her fingertip, asked curiously, ¡°Or is it because you¡¯re Black Sun that you can do all this?¡± His question lingered in the air as he stared at Double Leaf¡¯s bright brown eyes as if trying to see straight through her. ¡°Relax¡­¡± Double Leaf shook her head, ¡°When your intelligence attribute is twice the minimum requirement of a spell, you can customize it to a certain extent. But it also goes to show that the flexibility of the data model in [Realm of Innocence] is outright outrageous. I struggled with it for days and only got as far as creating a low-cost simulator. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I almost gave up.¡± Motan saw no trace of deceit in the girl¡¯s eyes. Instead, he saw a lingering sense of defeat and asked, ¡°If you really are Black Sun, why would you¡­¡± ¡°Why would I tell you?¡± Double Leaf interrupted, glancing at him and pouting, ¡°Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter! I couldn¡¯t even hack a single byte of this game¡¯s server. Plus, my in-game appearance has been changed so much that even my mom wouldn¡¯t recognize me. Do you think you can identify me, the Black Sun, from this character named Double Leaf? Even if you spread the word on the forums, no one will believe you. So, it doesn¡¯t matter ¡­ Ugh¡­ What a stupid game¡­ It thinks it¡¯s the CIA or something¡­ The CIA isn¡¯t like that¡­ Ugh! Just kill me now! I wish Realm of Innocence and I were dead~~~¡± The feeling of utter despair¡­ Seeing the girl with round glasses continuously voice her complaints made Motan laugh. And then,.. Chapter 27 - 27 8 The Legend of the Black Sun_3 ?27: Chapter 8: The Legend of the ¡®Black Sun¡¯_3 27: Chapter 8: The Legend of the ¡®Black Sun¡¯_3 [You have urgently disconnected. Please choose whether to reconnect.] ¡°No.¡± [Do you wish to activate wake-up procedure?] ¡°Yes~ I need that~¡± [Received, it is now January 2, 2049, 00:40. You will wake up in two minutes] ¡­ Two minutes later, Motan sat up from the game cabin, after briefly adjusting to the hazy feeling like just waking up, a smile of mischief formed at the corner of his mouth. He stood up and walked to his computer, turned it on, and swiftly halted the program just before the system started booting up. He then quickly switched it to a pure black interface, at the same time, he kicked the computer desk slightly sideways, pulled out a black network cable from a hidden compartment underneath, and plugged it into the computer. ¡°Hehe~ What a wonderful surprise~¡± Motan narrowed his eyes as he murmured, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to find your trace in that place after failing to locate you for so long. You have finally been a little careless, haven¡¯t you, Sun~?¡± Perhaps you¡¯ve already deduced something from this¡­ Correct, Black Sun is not an organization, nor are they Koreans, but a pairing of two individuals, almost unrestrained by ethics. And Motan is one half of this team, codename: Black. The true face of the other person has now also begun to emerge from the shadows¡­ ¡°Activate Hunting angel system,¡± Motan softly commanded the microphone in front of him: ¡°Based on the original foundation, exclude all males and change the subcategory conditions to East Asians, heights ranging from one hundred and fifty-five to one hundred and seventy-five centimeters; add glasses, age between eighteen to twenty-five, citizens of Country C, has not purchased any Innocence Company peripheral products, and if their mother is living, in the variable conditions¡­ Yes, there¡¯s one more, did not appear outdoors on the night of 31st December 2048 and tonight. Let¡¯s start.¡± After a flickering like a snowstorm, a progress bar suddenly appeared on the computer screen. A mechanical voice came from the headset that Motan had just put on: ¡°Searching, remaining time 99 hours+., hide search panel?¡± ¡°Of course~, ¡°Motan rolled his eyes, tossed the headset aside, and looked at the desktop of the computer that had swiftly switched back to the regular system, and smiled slightly: ¡°Imagine if I could definitely expose you, then play some pranks in the name of Black Sun after you get arrested. It will be immensely amusing, right? Haha~ Hahahaha~~~¡± His hearty laughter lasted for a while, thereafter he turned his gaze back to the game cabin and softly said, ¡°I¡¯ve suddenly thought of a great idea¡­¡± ¡­ Black and Sun, these two hackers, met during an accident. At that time, Motan was searching a French hospital¡¯s psychiatric records and accidentally found another set of data that also happened to be infiltrating the same place. It was as if two thieves had reached into a pocket at the same time. So for fun, Motan deliberately triggered the institution¡¯s firewall and alerted the authorities at a faster speed than the automatic alarm system, while simultaneously destroying a vast amount of valuable research data. Then, he disappeared into hiding. But the other party was not to be messed with either. When Motan deliberately triggered the firewall, the other thief immediately intercepted Motan¡¯s virtual IP and cloaked it onto himself, trying to switch places and let Motan get captured instead. The competition, eventful and thrilling, then started between the two hackers. Even though neither ended up being caught by the other or the police, the officers who handled this incident nearly went insane. They were redirecting troops and used up a huge amount of resources to deal with this ¡®extremely detrimental¡¯ event. They checked one household after another, warmed up one community after another but after hustling all night, they even almost arrested their top boss¡­ It was simply an exceptionally responsible yet tearful history! What¡¯s worth praising is, although they did not catch those responsible in the end, the playful Motan and the other hacker codenamed ¡®Sun¡¯ developed a hint of curiosity and a bit of recognition for each other while fooling the civil servants. A week later, they met in a bank¡¯s database and together performed the first act of enormous spectacle and practical value: they made every ATM of the crooked, globally branched private bank simultaneously spit out large amounts of cash, and kindly deleted their serial numbers¡­ An hour after the incident, an entity claiming to be ¡®Black Sun¡¯ took responsibility and leaked the nude photos of a broken-hearted banker on the same-sex social networking website, casually, they also exposed the five-star hotel with pinhole cameras installed in the rooms¡­ From then on, these two individuals linked by crime have never given up on their initial game with each other, which is to expose the other, then put all the accumulated foulness over the years squarely upon the other¡¯s head. ¡°This is simply the utmost pleasure~¡± Motan, getting back into the game cabin, cheerfully spoke to the air just before he closed his eyes: ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me~¡± [Your neural connection has been detected, synchronizing personal information¡­] S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Connection complete, reading character information] [Welcome back, the Master of Chaos and Neutrality, Tan Mo. You are about to enter the Realm of Innocence, good night] ¡­ Chapter Eight: The End Chapter 28 - 28 9 The Only Task_1 ?28: Chapter 9: The Only Task_1 28: Chapter 9: The Only Task_1 When Motan logged in, he found himself in Med Leven¡¯s house, everything around was exactly the same as before he was forcibly disconnected, except that it was now night. This was expected. After all, there was no fire or explosion here, and considering Med¡¯s less than twice a week appearances in town, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for anyone to notice his unusual disappearance. This just goes to show, if you don¡¯t want to get kidnapped without anyone realizing, it¡¯s better to have a few close friends around. In the worst-case scenario, try owing someone some money. Motan casually sat down against the wall. The first thing he did was bring up his character panel and continued to check the items that he didn¡¯t have time to review last time. Of course, he had already collected the rewards for the tutorial quest and successfully obtained the basic Thief profession along with corresponding 60 experience points. So ¡­ [Tan Mo] Faction: Chaotic Neutral Profession: Fraud level 2 (77/150); Thief level 1 (60/70) Faith: None Health Points: 170/170 Stamina Points: 140/140 Clarity Points: 310/310 Talents: Chaos, Cunning, Sophistry, Infidel (You can¡¯t choose a faith. Because you simply cannot revere any higher being. No preacher will waste time on you! None!) Basic Attributes: Strength 4, Agility 11, Wisdom 11, Constitution 7 Civilization Attributes: Eloquence 10, Charm 10, Knowledge 9, Leadership 4 Combat Attributes: Cunning School level 6 Skills: Confusion, Deceive, Stealth, Steal, Throat Cut Considering it would be too time-consuming to describe each skill in detail, a specific explanation will not be given in the text before the first use of each skill, for which your understanding is appreciated. The conversion ratio for Constitution is just as I thought,¡± Motan murmured to himself as he examined his character panel. ¡°Every level of the Thief profession adds one point to both Constitution and Agility, while the Fraud profession adds one point each to Agility, Constitution, and Wisdom. Both raise my Cunning School level¡­the latter even affects Civilization Attributes to some extent, hmm¡­¡± He pondered for a moment before using the bonus experience rewarded for completing the tutorial mission on the Thief profession, turning it into a level 2 Thief (140/150). He then stood up, stretched lazily, and began to rummage through Med¡¯s cabin. For a corpse, earthly possessions were entirely unnecessary. It¡¯s better to benefit his descendants or the common people, while things like wedding rings that held sentimental value or spiritual importance weren¡¯t counted as earthly possessions. So, with that in mind, Motan didn¡¯t feel any guilt about looting the house, nor did he regret burying those high-quality rings earlier¡­ sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Either it was pure luck, or Med was quite wealthy. The loot that Tan Mo swiped showed a world of difference compared to a few shoddy potions that had required much effort to acquire when he was Hei Fan. The consumable items included: Initial Life Potion*4, Intermediate Mana Potion*2, Gargoyle Regent*1, Random Teleportation Scroll*2, God¡¯s Grace Scroll*2, a Spirit Summoning Vase, two bags of finely ground bone ash, and an ancient book. As for the equipment, there was a ceremonial robe, a pair of cloth bracers, and a Blood Sacrifice Dagger. When he put on the first two items, Tan Mo¡¯s defensive power and his intelligence increased by 1 point. The last weapon had an average quality but suited the Thief profession perfectly. [Blood Sacrifice Dagger] Weapon Type: Single Hand Quality: Normal Attack: Weak Attribute: None Equipment Requirement: None [Note: If you¡¯re willing, we can teach you more than seventy ways of hurting yourself, and we promise¡­ What? Did you say you want to use it to hack someone? Alright then, just remember to close the door on your way out.] ¡°Honestly,¡± Motan sighed as he fastened the dagger to his waist, ¡°if someone could give me a complete compendium of all the game¡¯s equipment, I would probably spend a whole day quietly reading it to enhance my knowledge. Now, let¡¯s see what we have here¡­¡± He opened the only book he hadn¡¯t stashed in his bag and immediately found exactly what he had been hoping for. [Introductory Necromancy Knowledge] Use: Gives you the profession: Primary Necromancer [Note: You shouldn¡¯t hold high expectations for this book. Please, there¡¯s no way we could really include something like Channeling in here. Long live understanding, okay?] ¡°Alright. Long live understanding.¡± Motan laughed, casually putting the book into his bag. But he didn¡¯t immediately learn another profession, as we might expect. He had calculated immediately that at this early ¡®newbie¡¯ stage, learning the controversial profession of Necromancy would be more harmful than beneficial. Aside from the potential decrease in Constitution and Strength attributes, just the sensitives religious people alone were enough to tie him to the stake to have a half-day barbecue. He wasn¡¯t Med Leven, and his Infidel talent had already ruled out the possibility of him secretly learning Holy Light knowledge to conceal his other professions. So, he wouldn¡¯t learn it! At least not now! Leaving the cabin, Tan Mo stretched pleasantly in the cool evening breeze before putting on the hood of his ceremonial robe and walking away from Maple Sugar Town without even looking back. He was well aware that this peaceful rural town was not the right place for him to settle down, nor could it bring him the happiness he desired. Moreover¡­ Chapter 29 - 29 9 The Only Task_2 ?29: Chapter 9: The Only Task_2 29: Chapter 9: The Only Task_2 [Sole Mission¡ªHead to Pato City and destroy ¡®Hero¡¯ Dave. Rewards: ???] ¡°Even though I have no idea who this ¡®Hero¡¯ Dave might be~¡± Motan¡¯s silhouette flickered in and out of the darkness of the night. His eyes shimmered with a inexplicable mix of confusion and fanaticism, and the corner of his mouth pulled up into a sinister curve, ¡°I must admit, this kind of mission is quite to my taste~~¡± At this moment, as he strolled leisurely along a rural road, he suddenly heard a sharp scream. Even though it ceased abruptly in less than half a second, it was certainly no hallucination. The fear and helplessness conveyed in that scream left a deep impression on Motan. On his left hand side was a grove of trees. It wasn¡¯t particularly dense, but in the darkness of the night, it created an eerie feeling, as if it was a giant maw preparing to devour anyone who entered. The scream had come from that direction¡­ ¡­ The Warm Sun Team was in a terrible, awful, absolutely dreadful state~ On their way to complete the final exams, they had been ambushed unexpectedly. Two Redback beasts that should not exist here had suddenly emerged by the roadside as they returned and launched a frenzied attack. Even though these second-year students from the Pudding Knight Academy all had certain combat abilities, they had no chance of victory against these two monsters that resembled giant lizards with sharp claws and teeth, immense strength, and the ability to shoot toxic spikes from their backs. What¡¯s more, these two were fully grown Redback beasts closer to four meters long. Just now, the team¡¯s apprentice mage was caught off guard and a bone spike shot through his left leg. He staggered and fell to the ground. Although another student in plate armor desperately blocked the charging beast with his lance, another Redback beast still managed to pierce its thorny tongue through the delicate skull of the Elf Mage, putting an end to her suffering. ¡°No¡­ Rona!¡± The young thief circling around the team let out a painful roar. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He quickly moved to pull back the knight, confronting the equally exhausted and pale face of his comrade. ¡°Dave, you take everyone and run. Try to keep quiet as much as possible. I¡¯ll hold off these beasts!¡± After speaking, he pushed the team¡¯s strongest knight to the back and roared in defiance at the recently sated Redback beast, effectively forcing it to back down. He immediately appeared behind the second beast, drew out a dagger from his waist, and fastened its beefy tail firmly to the ground. With a defiant glare, he yelled to his teammates, ¡°Now¡¯s our chance, run!¡± Redback beasts have terrible vision, so most of the time, they are not as challenging to deal with. Despite their highly sensitive auditory and olfactory nerves, they can¡¯t compensate for their nearly permanent blindness. Cole, the thief from the Warm Sun Team was utilizing this fact, making himself the beast¡¯s primary target to buy time for his teammates to escape. In any case, he didn¡¯t want to live anymore¡­ Rona, the girl who always wore a bright smile on her face was gone. As an elf, she could have lived for hundreds of years. Her natural affinity with the wind element gave her unlimited potential and possibilities, yet she was killed so easily in this unnamed forest by the disgusting monster using a near-humiliating method. ¡°Unforgivable!¡± Cole leapt onto the head of a Redback beast, his eyes bloodshot as he screamed with trembling rage, ¡°Unforgivable!!¡± The knight who fell at the feet of the other two warriors clenched his fists tightly. Not until Cole bellowed out the word ¡®run¡¯ did he angrily slam the ground and gritted his teeth, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°But Cole¡­ Ahh!¡± The young girl dressed in a red and gold robe seemed uncertain, but was immediately hoisted over the shoulder of the burly two-handed swordsman. ¡°Ai! What do you think an apprentice priest without magic power can do by staying here?¡± He snarled, ¡°We should move quickly. There might still be a chance for Cole. Don¡¯t forget, he¡¯s a thief!¡± The swordsman then carried Priest Ai and followed Knight Dave deep into the woods. Despite his swift actions, his eyes under the mask were bloodshot¡­ No one understands Cole better than Rada, his childhood friend. He was well aware that despite his encouraging words, deep inside he knew Cole, fighting desperately with the Redback beasts, would never leave. It was because Rona was dead¡­ Rona was¡­ dead¡­ ¡°Rada!¡± Feeling the young girl continuously pounding on his back, tears silently streamed down Rada¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t stop, couldn¡¯t turn back, couldn¡¯t waver. He must find the one who had schemed against the Warm Sun Team. Otherwise, neither Rona nor Cole would rest in peace! ¡°Rada! Stop!¡± Ai shrieked. ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°Watch out!!¡± ¡°?¡± A brilliant light suddenly shone from¡­ the silver tip of a lance! ¡­ Indeed, as Rada had guessed, despite his injuries, Cole had no intention of retreating. Instead, he countered more fiercely. His iron dagger was already dented, but it still drew sharp arcs in the moonlight across one of the Redback beasts. His movements started to falter, and his face grew increasingly paler. Chapter 30 - 30 9 The Only Task_3 ?30: Chapter 9: The Only Task_3 30: Chapter 9: The Only Task_3 A sharp bone thrust was lodged deep between his ribs, causing a heart-wrenching pain each time he moved¡­ [But Rona is dead, so it doesn¡¯t matter. Shadow Step! Backhand spiral stab!] The poison had gradually spread throughout his body, his reactions were becoming slower and slower, and his hand was somewhat soft¡­ [My hand may be soft, but it¡¯s not as weak as my legs were the first time I saw her. What does this matter? Tear open its wound! Let it bleed! Roar! Pain!] He lost too much blood, dizzy and disoriented, he didn¡¯t dodge that recent swipe, it seemed like he had lost consciousness in his legs¡­ [Then let¡¯s do without it. Rona is dead, what does one leg matter? Let them pay the price! One last time to douse in poison, and one more cut! Even if only one cut¡­] His body was thrown aside, falling beside Rona¡¯s long-cooled body¡­ Trembling, Coel reached out to touch the beloved girl¡¯s face, half of which was left. The wide-open eyes carried a strand of confusion and fear that had not completely faded. And death, along with a sharp claw plummeting from the sky, was silently approaching! [It ends here¡­ It¡¯s a pity I couldn¡¯t confess to you earlier¡«] The anticipated pain did not come. The two Redback beasts that had been roaring continuously since the beginning, for some reason, had quieted down. Struggling, Coel raised his head to look. He discovered a figure, shrouded in a black cloak, standing with its back to him in front of the two Giant Beasts, whispering something to themselves. [Bewitchment] Cunning faction¡¯s active skill Requirement to master: Obtain Fraud job Consumption/Limitation: 1 Agility Point, Language function must be normal Effect: Bewitches a target, making them see you as a friendly unit. The success rate and duration depend on the target¡¯s mental state and the intelligence of both parties. Cooldown time 1 hour. [Note: Don¡¯t shoot! Friendly fire!] The Redback Beast, about to smash Coel¡¯s body with its claws, suddenly grumbled uncertainly. Its bright yellow eyes stared at Motan for a long time before it then stepped back and remained motionless. The other Redback Beast, not far away, started to spin around in confusion¡­ [Confusion] Cunning faction¡¯s active skill Requirement to master: Obtain Fraud job Consumption/Limitation: 60 Agility Points, Eye contact required Effect: Confuse a target, significantly impair their judgment and self-awareness. During an attack, they cannot distinguish between friend or foe. The duration and success rate depend on the target¡¯s mental state and intelligence (effect is doubled on those with difficulty making decisions). Cooldown time 1 hour. [Note: Behold my strange light! Ultrasonic wave! Bluff! Chatterbox! Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. You are a mess, you bastard!] Under these two Fraud¨¨r¡¯s exclusive skills, the long-awaited Motan, relying on his own strength, managed to restrict two Redback beasts at the same time. He created a magnificent aura for himself, crafting an image of mystery and power in Coel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t ask anything¡­ follow me,¡± Motan glanced at Coel and said, ¡°You have five seconds to make a decision.¡± Seeing that Coel was just staring blankly at the corpse in front of him, Motan pointed to Rona¡¯s lifeless body and added, ¡°Take her with you.¡± Then he turned and jauntily strode in a random direction. Coel¡¯s body violently shuddered, and after a brief moment of comprehension, he hurriedly picked up Rona¡¯s body and chased after Motan. ¡­ Chapter Nine: End Chapter 31 - 31 10 Summoning souls and the end_1 ?31: Chapter 10: Summoning souls and the end_1 31: Chapter 10: Summoning souls and the end_1 Two minutes later. ¡°Where the hell are you taking us!¡± Kole, who had been following Motan, finally couldn¡¯t help but call out. This young thief who had tangled with two Redback beasts for nearly five minutes was stretched to his limits, both mentally and physically. His many wounds were bursting open with toxins gradually paralyzing his senses and limbs. Motan stopped upon hearing this, nodded at him, and said quietly, ¡°It¡¯s almost here. You can rest for a bit, and then tell me¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that!¡± Cole collapsed uncontrollably to the ground the moment Motan finished speaking. Flanking him was the lifeless body that he had been carrying on his back. He weakly interrupted Motan, hugged the lifeless shell next to him, looked up and asked, ¡°Why did you save me? Why did you want Rona?¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Motan bent over and handed him a healing potion. The lower half of his face, barely revealed under the hood, smiled playfully. ¡°Rona, this beautiful name indeed belongs to a¡­¡± he toyed with a few strands of hair on the left half of Rona¡¯s face, unfazed by the sheer terror of what used to be a beautiful face now almost gone and mangled, nodded and continued, ¡°¡­ beautiful owner.¡± ¡°What are you doing!¡± Having regained a bit of strength, Cole yelled in anger: ¡°Don¡¯t insult her!¡± ¡°Insult?¡± Motan whispered, repeating the word before shaking his head at Cole. ¡°Only false praise is an insult, my friend. Genuine words are not. Can¡¯t you see how pure and beautiful her soul is?¡± Cole paused, looking down at the girl he had secretly loved for many years, ¡°Her¡­soul¡­?¡± To Cole¡¯s knowledge, the kind of people in this world who constantly spoke about souls fell into a few categories. First, were the priests and other religious worshipers, but the man in front of him didn¡¯t seem like a man of faith. Though there was no solid evidence, Cole felt strongly that this was true¡­ Of course, we all know that Motan¡¯s ¡°non-believer¡± talent would prevent any preacher from approaching him, naturally convincing others that this guy wasn¡¯t a man of faith. To the players, this simplicity made the character¡¯s information apparent as their ¡®aura,¡¯ ¡®feeling,¡¯ and talent, ensuring it wasn¡¯t abrupt. After excluding the possibility of being religious, he only seemed left with the options of being a lunatic or someone who spends lots of their time dealing with the dead. Although Motan seemed like a lunatic to Cole, he was leaning more towards the latter at the moment¡­ Necromancers, mediums, and various cultists all fell into this category. Their minds were filled with all kinds of taboo knowledge. They are considered a terrible threat by ordinary people, chaotic madmen, and embodiments of evil. However, many people secretly interact with them, providing them with countless support and assistance, all in the name of seeking ¡®eternity¡¯. If Cole had previously shared the same attitude towards these people as others, holding Rona, who had already lost her body warmth, he now felt a glimmer of hope deep inside his heart. ¡°Can you help me¡­¡± he suddenly grabbed the hem of Motan¡¯s robe, trembling as he said, ¡°Help me resurrect Rona! You just said it too! She has a beautiful soul! Beautiful souls shouldn¡¯t just disappear, right!?¡± Motan gave a satisfied smile. Although his understanding of this world is far worse than any of the natives, he¡¯s very good at persuading others to convince themselves with their knowledge and understanding, and ready to solidly step on any logical explanation. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± Instead of answering Cole¡¯s question, Motan took out a small grey jar from his bag and paradoxically asked the young thief. This jar was filled with numerous constantly changing characters, and with careful observation, countless faces with different expressions could be seen, but once your attention slightly slackened, you could no longer discern them again. [Soul Extraction Vial] Quality: Epic Usage: Capture Soul/Release Soul Special Restraint: Not of the ¡°Lawful¡± Camp Effect: Captures a soul from a life that has died within 13 hours and stores it inside, no storage time limit, the shorter the time of death, the more complete the soul, only one soul can exist inside the vessel. ¡ùIf a second soul is captured, the first soul will immediately disperse¡ù [Note: Only a master of soul scholarship can create it, this high-level soul-bound creation can be an essential material for many taboo items, and the soul inside it will not suffer any torment. Whether you are a skilled advanced alchemist, a necromancer who urgently needs a temporary soul box, or a rich person who can afford such a special ¡®urn¡¯, it is a great choice. PS: Even good people don¡¯t mind dealing with it, but those who follow the rules certainly don¡¯t think the same.] Chapter 32 - 32 10 Summoning Souls and The End_2 ?32: Chapter 10: Summoning Souls and The End_2 32: Chapter 10: Summoning Souls and The End_2 Cole shook his head honestly. Even the most cunning thief wouldn¡¯t choose to lie at this point, but his gaze was gradually becoming more eager. After all, such an obviously significant item could not possibly be something just anyone could casually produce. ¡°Of course you wouldn¡¯t know~¡± Motan shrugged his shoulders: ¡°To tell you plainly, this thing is called a Spirit Summoning Vase, its uses are varied, and it¡¯s simple to operate. One of its functions I find quite useful is¡­ for instance, to store a soul that hasn¡¯t had the chance to dissipate, allowing it to one day bask again under that annoying sunlight.¡± Cole was quivering from the surge of joy and excitement. Of course, there might have been a bit of pain from his wound involved as well, but that was not important. What mattered most to him now was¡­ ¡°I¡¯m just a humble thief apprentice, but if you can help me¡­¡± Cole knelt in front of Motan, his voice low: ¡°I can pay any price, even my own life!¡± [Such familiar words, yet somehow different¡­] Motan suddenly recalled Meddie¡¯s final words. The situation before him was so eerily similar, except this time he didn¡¯t have any tasks that would harm Cole. Moreover, if he used the Spirit Summoning Vase now, the soul of this girl named Rona would undoubtedly be preserved relatively intact, unlike the hopeless remnant of a soul that resided within Meddie¡¯s ring. So now, he didn¡¯t mind giving this lovelorn human lad a little help. ¡°Remember your words.¡± Motan¡¯s voice suddenly turned cold. He pointed the Spirit Summoning Vase at Rona¡¯s body, and said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m no philanthropist.¡± A hazy white light emerged from the corpse in Cole¡¯s arms, then rose about half a meter. It hovered once around Cole before being drawn into the vase in Motan¡¯s hand with a ¡®whoosh¡¯ sound. After emitting a ghostly murmuring sound, it disappeared. The system prompt sounded in Motan¡¯s ear: [A new soul has been drawn into the Spirit Summoning Vase. Its integrity is at 94%] It seemed to have been a success¡­ ¡°What did you do?¡± Cole also noticed the distinct change. The fleeting white light had stirred an inexplicable thrill in him, as if Rona had come back to life and was whispering something in his ear. But when he looked down, the lifeless corpse still lay quietly in his arms, showing no sign of life. Motan gestured to the Spirit Summoning Vase in his hand and put it into his backpack, saying leisurely, ¡°I preserved her soul for you, leaving a ray of possibility. Whether this possibility can become a reality depends on you¡­ Don¡¯t ask me too many questions, I¡¯m under no obligation to tell you everything, nor do I possess the noble patience to endure¡­¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Cole responded quickly, then rose and gave Motan the deepest respect he knew. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although it was somewhat awkward for a thief to place a dagger against his heart and bow ninety degrees, this awkward knight¡¯s salute nevertheless conveyed his feelings at the moment very well. Motan nodded approvingly, found a relatively flat spot nearby to sit, and beckoned Cole to stop standing stupidly there. He then asked, ¡°Now tell me, who are you, and why were you attacked in this place? You can elaborate a bit more.¡± ¡°My name is Cole Shuren, and I am a student at Pudding Knight Academy.¡± Cole immediately replied, then looked at the elf girl¡¯s corpse in his arms, and continued hoarsely, ¡°She was my classmate, Rona Moonlight, from the same year as me, a member of the Warm Sun Team like me, we¡­¡± Motan interrupted him with a sigh, ¡°Put her down first. The corpse in your arms now is nothing but an empty shell. If you wish, you can bury her here later.¡± Cole reluctantly laid Rona¡¯s body aside, forced himself to calm down and continued to tell Motan the ins and outs of this accident¡­ Through Cole¡¯s explanation, Motan finally learned what had happened, and from it, reaped an unexpected gain~ Every year, the Mist Month and Star Month were the examination periods for comprehensive testing at Pudding Knight Academy. These assessments encompassed written tests on corresponding subjects and team combat tests. And it was on their way back from completing a combat test that the Warm Sun Team was attacked. Two Redback beasts, which would never appear in such a place, had targeted the Warm Sun Team and didn¡¯t even leave them a chance to escape. The team tried every trick from noise distraction to leading the enemy away, but they were unable to shake off these two monsters and were driven from the wilderness to this forest¡­ Then, the Wind Mage apprentice, Rona, lost her life. The other three members, under Cole¡¯s cover, were fleeing as fast as possible towards the Pato City where the academy was located. As for what happened next, Motan, who had been observing from the darkness for a while, basically already knew. [Side Task Activated: Save the Warm Sun Team. Reward: 200 optional experience points] [Hidden Task Activated: Revive Rona Moonlight. Reward: ???] Chapter 33 - 33 10 Summoning Souls and the End_3 ?33: Chapter 10: Summoning Souls and the End_3 33: Chapter 10: Summoning Souls and the End_3 As expected, the system prompt rang in Motan¡¯s ears. Even though he had been browsing the forums for quite a while and wasn¡¯t aware of the hidden quest settings, he was very confident that his actions could trigger a side quest. In addition, he had an unexpected gain¡­ the composition of Cole¡¯s Warm Sun Team! Mage Rona¡¤Moonlight, Thief Ke Lun¡¤Shu Lun, Priest. Ai¡¤Fan Ye, Great Swordsman Lada¡¤Dona, and Knight Dave¡¤Sager. ¡°Dave¡­¡± Motan gently rubbed his temple, and then stood up and said to Cole, ¡°You go back to Pato City first, and stay at the cheapest inn you can find. Don¡¯t contact anyone.¡± Cole was stunned, ¡°Then you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come to find you,¡± replied Motan indifferently. He then activated his stealth mode, and with his impressive agility value, he swiftly dashed into the distance. He already had an inkling but still needed to verify it. ¡­ [Reloading begins¡­] [Connection complete, reading character information] [Motan the Chaotic Evil, welcome to the World of Innocence] The gray and defeated sky¡­ The deadly silent ruins¡­ An expanse of corpses and pools of blood¡­ S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Motan glanced back at the ¡®city¡¯ behind him, which was wailing painfully due to curses and suffering. He suppressed a harsh laugh, tightened the gray cloak around him and continued to walk on the small path, leaving behind a ghostly landscape. The repression he¡¯d been keeping for many years had been mostly released earlier. His equipment and experience had slightly accumulated in the joyful slaughter. Now, he needed to leave this place as soon as possible. As for the destination¡­ it didn¡¯t matter¡­ at least for now, he didn¡¯t have to worry about it¡­ But he still had a general goal. A drop of cold mud water landed on Motan¡¯s face. The sky, without any warning, began to cry¡­ It started to rain. A roar suddenly broke the silence beside the quiet mountain road. A weird-looking beast rushed from a distance, and it seemed to have no intention of going around Motan who was standing on the road; it crashed into him head-on. Then, a hand enveloped in black flames extended from under the cloak, and firmly pressed the beast, which looked three parts pig and seven parts bull, on its head. [Dark Flame] Active skill Requirement: Wisdom 40, Constitution 50, Occupation of ¡®Black Wizard¡¯ Consumption/Limitation: 30 Magic Power/sec, 30 Life/sec, [Chaos] faction Effect: Releases black magic flames from your body, inflicts extensive fire/dark element damage and adds ¡®Dark Flame¡¯ effect. The effect is halved for undead creatures and it does not trigger special effects, cooldown time: none [Note: This mixed magic was created by my grandfather, the famous theoretical black wizard Spoon¡¤Riddle, but no one including him could use it. For a wizard, it is a trap to have a spell that requires physical fitness higher than magic power! ¡ª¡ªRiddle the third, who burned his right hand] Accompanied by a howl, the creature became a pile of charred bones in a blink of an eye. Motan, as the caster, didn¡¯t even pause for half a second, he just silently retracted his hand into the cloak and continued walking forward. Then he was stopped¡­ A tall figure in simple leather armor, majority of the fair skin exposed, stood in his way. ¡°That¡¯s my prey.¡± The beautiful dark elf furrowed her brows slightly. Her long silver hair swayed in the wind behind her. After confirming the pile of bones behind Motan, she questioned him coldly, ¡°Did you kill it?¡± Motan didn¡¯t answer, he just slightly lifted his head to look at this pretentious straight silver hair girl, and he was startled. The cold and elegant face in front of him seemed familiar. If he didn¡¯t remember wrong¡­ This girl should be a player named Ji Xiaodao. She had recently dined with him. ¡­ Chapter 10: The End Chapter 34 - 34 11 Encounter Battle_1 ?34: Chapter 11: Encounter Battle_1 34: Chapter 11: Encounter Battle_1 Mo didn¡¯t answer the girl¡¯s question, nor did he kill her as expected, despite annihilating and destroying a city the first time he logged onto the game. Years of pent-up stress and anger had been released, leaving him much calmer now. There are two types of people who want to destroy the world. The first type hurls headlong into everything, roaring histrionically about the destruction they want to bring. The second type is diligent, down-to-earth, devoted to slowly toppling the world at their feet. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Most of the former are sent to mental institutions, and a few become various bosses, serving as stepping stones for protagonists to gain experience and boost their value. However, a very few manage to wreak havoc on the world simply because they are the protagonists, even if they blunder without thinking. Clearly, these cheats don¡¯t work for reference. Yes, I¡¯m talking about Kratos. Mo, at this point, definitely falls into the latter category. Even though he may have exceptional skills in this game, if he chose to follow Kratos¡¯s unscientific and unmagical ¡®Attack and Kill!¡¯ route, he would probably be done for within two days, and moreover¡­ [Misfortune: You should not exist. Don¡¯t give anyone else or this world any chance!] Even if the explanation for this skill is quite vague, Mo has a strong inkling that if he dies in this world, there is a 90% chance he won¡¯t be able to resurrect himself like other players. Instead, he may just disappear. Perhaps that¡¯s why he should not give anyone else or this world any chance¡­ ¡°I¡¯m talking to you!¡± The dark elf girl glared at Mo, who had been distracted since earlier, and asked again, ¡°Did you kill my prey?¡± Ji Xiaodao was not in a good mood, largely because of the faction she was assigned to. In any perspective, the reticent and indifferent girl would not qualify as ¡®chaotic evil¡¯. Moreover, her situation was far too absurd. Whilst others had access to nine different factional doors, Ji Xiaodao only had a half-opened black-red door in front of her. Even though she isn¡¯t a sociable person, this incident still annoyed her, making her rather curt with Mo, who seemed to be an unapproachable person. Mo shrugged noncommittally, pointed to the charred skeleton on the ground, and asked the girl, ¡°Was that your prey?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ji Xiaodao nodded. Her task was to [Kill a ¡®Marsh Pig¡¯], which was the creature that had gone up in flames after crashing into Mo a few minutes ago. Just as she spoke, she saw him toss her something. With the high initial agility of a dark elf, Ji Xiaodao nimbly leaped back, dodging this slow ¡®ambush¡¯. ¡°This is compensation.¡± Mo brushed past her and, after leaving her with these words, walked away without looking back. Ji Xiaodao was taken aback, she picked up the ¡®compensation¡¯ lodged in the ground, only to be startled again. [Dark Curse Rapier] Weapon Type: One-handed Quality: Superior Attack Power: Weak Attributes: +3 Dexterity, +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, an extremely low chance to trigger ¡®Blindness¡¯ for 2 seconds. Equip Requirement: 6 Dexterity [Note: This is a superior quality noble¡¯s rapier with exquisite and magnificent glyphs. Its appreciation value far surpasses its practical use.] This was undoubtedly a powerful weapon for the early stages of the game, it has low equip requirements and practical effects. Even though she hadn¡¯t played for long, Ji Xiaodao, known to browse the forum from boredom, was aware of this weapon¡¯s worth in the early game. However, she was not happy¡­ ¡°Hey!¡± She ran a few steps to catch up with him and handed the rapier back to Mo, saying casually, ¡°Here¡¯s your sword back. I just wanted to know if you killed that creature. I don¡¯t need any compensation.¡± Mo looked back at her and shook his head, ¡°Consider it a gift from me. My inventory is full, I need to clear up some space.¡± Inventory? Ji Xiaodao was slightly taken aback and asked, ¡°Are you a player?¡± Mo nodded and continued to walk. ¡°How are you so powerful?¡± Ji Xiaodao followed him, showing a slight curiosity towards Mo, his face hidden beneath his cloak. [Player: Silent Prayer (Chaotic Evil) wants to add you as a friend] A semi-transparent window appeared in the corner of Mo¡¯s vision. He stopped, looked coldly at the girl walking beside him and asked, ¡°What does this mean?¡± ¡°Curiosity.¡± Ji Xiaodao¡¯s response was curt and concise. Mo shook his head, casually rejected the friend request, glanced at her, ¡°Boring.¡± These two words were all too familiar to Ji Xiaodao, she¡¯d used them a few times every day. It was always how she responded to topics she found uninteresting. Whether it was her mentally younger sister or her classmates. But being on the receiving end of those words didn¡¯t feel good at all¡­ Chapter 35 - 35 11 Encounter Battle_2 ?35: Chapter 11: Encounter Battle_2 35: Chapter 11: Encounter Battle_2 ¡°Stop!¡± She cried out to Mo somewhat resentfully. This slightly brusque act was something she had never done since she had become sensible. But for some reason, she was very angry now! Realising that she might be somewhat unreasonable, she became even angrier¡­ Extremely, extremely angry! Extremely, extremely upset! And a little bit inexplicably aggrieved. ¡°Stay away from me.¡± Mo coldly said without looking back, ¡°Or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Without a doubt, he was serious. He didn¡¯t kill Ji Xiaodao before not because she has a good figure and beautiful looks, but he didn¡¯t want her to reveal his existence after being resurrected, which might interfere with some of Mo¡¯s plans. But if this girl is too annoying, he wouldn¡¯t mind killing her. Not to mention a game character, even in reality, if necessary, he is capable of doing it¡­ ¡°Then kill me!¡± Ji Xiaodao yelled at his figure, not feeling like herself at all. Mo sighed, stopped once again with a gradually consolidating dark red energy sparkling at his fingertips, preparing to stop talking and kill her, but unexpectedly¡­ The sound of horse hooves rang out, and more than a dozen knights in armor galloped towards them from not far away. The leader held a golden lance, yelling at the two from afar, ¡°Halt, who are you! Stop for inspection!¡± ¡°How annoying¡­¡± Mo sighed, waving to Ji Xiaodao, ¡°Stay away if you don¡¯t want to die.¡± Then he turned around to face the upcoming squad of knights. Mo didn¡¯t need to guess that this group should be the knights of the Shevan Empire. During the process of destroying Banther City, he had received plenty of information, and it was about time for someone to come looking for him. Everything was originally proceeding according to plan, but unfortunately, because of a certain girl¡¯s delay, an unexpected event¡­ ¡°Who are these people?¡± Ji Xiaodao disregarded his order and instead stood beside Mo, nodding her chin toward the oncoming squad of intimidating knights. ¡°Living people.¡± Mo didn¡¯t bother to send her away. He simply stared in the same direction with a small smile, ¡°But soon they¡¯ll all be dead.¡± At that moment, the leading human knight had already pulled his horse to a halt in front of them. He pulled out a large two-handed sword from behind his back, shouting, ¡°Don¡¯t make any sudden movements. Put down your weapons and submit for inspection.¡± Mo didn¡¯t have a weapon in his hand, but Ji Xiaodao still did. She swung the Dark Curse Rapier she had just taken up and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are they your enemies? Do you need help?¡± Mo didn¡¯t answer her. He just took two steps forward and then looked up at the robust middle-aged knight who was towering over him. ¡°Are you the advance party heading for Banther City?¡± Whoosh¡ª A gust of wind brushed past them, and a giant sword had been drawn to Mo¡¯s neck without him even noticing. The weapon¡¯s owner was watching closely, ¡°Who are you? What do you know? What happened to Banther City?¡± ¡°Hehe~¡± Mo paid no attention to the giant sword beside his neck that could behead him with the slightest movement. He lifted his head and gave a crazed grin: ¡°It¡¯s all been destroyed~~¡± Poof! A dark red glow appeared from beneath his cloak, slashing directly through the horse¡¯s neck beneath the knight, and went on attacking the rider on its back without losing any momentum. ¡°Ahh!!!¡± Although he managed to avoid the deadly attack at the last moment, the knight¡¯s sword-wielding forearm was blown to pieces. He fell awkwardly from his collapsing horse and let out a tearing scream. [Blood Flash] Active Skill Requirements: Wisdom 30, Agility 45, black wizard occupation, with hands. Cost/Limit: 5%¨C30% of Health Points, [Chaotic] alignment Effect: Fire a flash of light generated by converting blood power with your index finger, causing penetrating damage to the enemy in the direction the finger is pointing at. The intensity depends on the total amount of converted blood. It can also cause meat explosion effect, the damage depends on the strength of the opponent¡¯s physique. Cooldown time: three seconds. ¡ù Hidden effect ¡ù As the spell caster possesses the Talent of Dark Blood, damage bonus increased by 20%, consumption reduced by 50%, very low chance to trigger the ¡®Flesh to Ash¡¯ effect (burn the target¡¯s life value on the same percentage as the spell cost). [Remarks: a spell created by Stedligul, a heretic in the black wizard association, known as ¡®Blood Demon¡¯, uses part of his own blood as payment to pierce the enemy. It is a rarely used long-range combat method in the life of ¡®Blood Demon¡¯. Blood Flash is not often used, but used more to torment dying prey.] The Blood Flash that Mo unleashed by sacrificing 15% of his HP had instantly rendered the leading knight powerless. Due to the hidden effect of the Dark Blood talent, this skill had undoubtedly dealt full damage to the opponent and also triggered the ¡®Flesh Explosion¡¯ effect, blowing up the knight leader¡¯s half arm. As a member of the temporary advance party, the knight leader, who was acting as high-level cannon fodder, wasn¡¯t too powerful, but he wasn¡¯t weak either. Normally, even players with around level 20 in profession might not be able to defeat him easily. At the time frame of the second day of server opening, he was almost invincible compared to the players, but Mo, who had a very strong initial ability, could still effortlessly render him defenseless, even when not using his trump cards¡­ This shows how many powerful skills and equipment he had obtained during his previous city rampage. Ji Xiaodao was nearly dumbfounded. Although she had confidence that she could achieve this combat strength in time, it definitely wasn¡¯t now. Even for many big gamers or club leaders, achieving this was impossible! sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [This guy¡­ must have cheated¡­] Ji Xiaodao, who was usually calm under most circumstances, was utterly flustered. However, Mo had no time to worry about her composure. At this point, the subsequent dozen or so knights had arrived and quickly formed a triangular battle formation, rushing towards the mysterious man who had severely damaged their commander at their first encounter. With the best angle, the simplest formation, and the most powerful mass skills! Knight Charge! Despite being less than twenty people, the knights then demonstrated an overwhelming force akin to a mighty army, a testament to their excellent basic skills. But it was¡­ useless¡­ The space subtly distorted, shaking, when a figure less than a meter tall suddenly appeared in front of the knights, shrieked, and was instantly torn and tossed aside by numerous lances! Then the second one! The tiny figure, ablaze, was knocked down and squashed into a pile of flesh by a galloping battle horse even before it could make a sound. The third one! Punctured and flung behind¡­ The fourth one! Dead¡­ The fifth one¡­ The sixth one¡­ When the knights finally got within five meters of Mo, their previously torrential momentum had entirely disappeared. Despite maintaining speed and momentum through a series of hindrances, there was always a limit. After the ninth little creature was knocked away by the two knights at the forefront, they finally stopped¡­ The tenth tiny creature appeared in front of Mo, it had slender limbs, claws, thin scales covered its legs and it grinned maliciously at the knights! ¡°Oh? Is that it?¡± Mo shrugged, then raised a hand and pointed ahead: ¡°Alright, go scratch them!¡± [Summoning Skill: Lesser Demon] Active Skill Requirement: Intelligence Level 6, Job class ¡®Summoner¡¯/¡¯Magician¡¯ Exhaustion/Limitation: 25 Magic Power Effect: Summon two lesser demons from a lower plane who understand basic commands to fight for you. Cooldown period: 10 seconds. Note: You cannot expect them to understand anything too complex, these tiny wreakers of havoc do not have any more intelligence or fighting capability than a pair of adult huskies.] Under the influence of the skill [Demon King], the cooldown time for all of Mo¡¯s abilities was only thirty percent of the original duration. Using a frequency of two every three seconds, he used nine lesser demons to slow the knights¡¯ momentum in a short span of time. As per his command, the last one dashed forward, baring its teeth and claws¡­ And then¡­ [Summoning Skill: Explosion] Active Skill Requirement: Intelligence Level 10, Job class ¡®Summoner¡¯ Exhaustion/Limitation: One obediently commanded summoned creature Effect: Command the summoned creature to self-destruct, causing damage equivalent to three times the summoned creature¡¯s HP within a two-meter radius, cooldown time 20 minutes. Note: Ex~plo~sion!!] ¡­ Chapter Ten: End Chapter 36 - 36 12 Lonely Soul_1 ?36: Chapter 12: Lonely Soul_1 36: Chapter 12: Lonely Soul_1 By the time Ji Xiaodao regained her senses, everything had ended. More than a dozen knights and their warhorses lay fallen amidst the large pool of blood that bore an uncanny resemblance to a painting of Hell itself. In the center of this abstract masterpiece he¡¯d woven himself, stood Mo, his hood lowered to reveal a smile as he spread his arms towards the sky, as if to embrace something. The upper half of his face was hidden beneath a black mask that barely covered his eyes, and within those eyes was an unabated madness, and a tranquility as deep as the abyss. Contradictory yet harmonious¡­ For some odd reason, Ji Xiaodao found the sight of the man relishing his bloody surroundings oddly unsettling. For all her life, Ji Xiaodao, who was not close to anyone except her parents and sister since birth, suddenly felt an unidentifiable and painful sensation. In the soul of the man standing not far from her she saw nothing but loneliness and despair¡­ She wanted to turn around and leave, afraid that the silently screaming soul might swallow her whole at any moment. But she didn¡¯t move, because deep inside, Ji Xiaodao found herself unable to let go of that incredibly lonely figure¡­ God only knows why¡­ Either way, she didn¡¯t want to just abandon him there! [What am I thinking¡­ This is just a game after all, that man is just another player like me. Am I overthinking this¡­ Is this some sort of delayed teenage angst¡­?] She rubbed her forehead in frustration, annoyed by her sudden and abnormal thoughts. Meanwhile, Mo had returned with a survivor from among the defeated knights ¨C a short-haired, chestnut-haired youth. Despite not having sustained any injuries in the previous massacre, he looked as if he had lost his soul. His face was devoid of color, his sword-holding right hand trembled violently. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was clear that he was finding it hard to come to terms with the slaughter of his comrades. ¡°I have my own tasks to take care of now. I hope you will leave immediately,¡± Mo addressed the bewildered dark-elf girl in front of him, his voice calm. ¡°My patience is very short, extremely short.¡± Ji Xiaodao clenched her teeth, shaking her head in defiance. Despite having played numerous mentally stimulating games with her sister, she¡¯d never encountered such a horrifically vivid scene. It was something that could mentally break an average person, but Ji Xiaodao quickly overcame her psychological barriers and stared defiantly into Mo¡¯s eyes. ¡°What I do is none of your business!¡± However, after her declaration, Mo, who claimed to have very little patience, simply shrugged and oddly enough, didn¡¯t instantly kill her. He only said, ¡°Alright,¡± and ignored her further. ¡°Watch me,¡± Mo turned and commanded his reserved survivor. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to experience a ten-minute-long death process, you¡¯d best do as told.¡± The soldier whose mental defenses had been shattered raised his head and blankly stared into Mo¡¯s eyes. Those were indescribable eyes, within which seemed to swirl an intrinsic terror. Like a tangible¡­ sin. ¡°Watch her over here,¡± Mo pointed at Ji Xiaodao standing nearby. He spoke to the young soldier in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t let her disturb me. Of course, you don¡¯t need to stop her from leaving either. After I return, kill yourself.¡± [Original Sin] Innate Ability [Note: The original sin you represent can corrupt others, allowing you to make a target obey an order regardless of any conditions. Cooldown time is 24 hours and it can never be used on the same target again.] Despite its description stating ¡®an order¡¯, Mo discovered during his last login that this ability had many hidden effects. For example, when the target¡¯s mental state is extremely weak, it can make the target follow all his commands within a short time. It was incredibly useful. Ji Xiaodao saw the soldier stiffen momentarily, then he calmly nodded and obediently said, ¡°Alright.¡± He then came over with his sword, stood in her way and attentively watched her. Meanwhile, Mo dragged the knight captain, who had his right forearm blown off in the initial assault, into a small alleyway and disappeared from Ji Xiaodao¡¯s sight. Ji Xiaodao unconsciously wanted to follow them, but was stopped by the youth¡¯s longsword. ¡°You can¡¯t go there, Elf.¡± The chestnut-haired young man told her seriously, ¡°Either stay here or leave, but you cannot follow.¡± Ji Xiaodao glanced at the knight who was on the verge of collapse just moments ago. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked. ¡°Not really,¡± he chuckled lightly, ¡°My whole squad was wiped out, Banther City was reportedly destroyed, and it seems our captain isn¡¯t going to make it either. He always looked after me like an elder brother, but¡­¡± He gave Ji Xiaodao a calm look, ¡°You still can¡¯t go.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy,¡± Ji Xiaodao said, staring at his emotionless eyes, failing to comprehend his mental state. ¡°Crazy?¡± The soldier shook his head, ¡°No, I¡¯m not crazy. In fact, I¡¯ve never been this clear-headed before.¡± Chapter 37 - 37 12 Lonely Soul_2 ?37: Chapter 12: Lonely Soul_2 37: Chapter 12: Lonely Soul_2 ¡­ ¡°If possible, this knight, sir~¡±, Mo bent down and smiled at the knight who was almost out of breath, ¡°Please share the information you have with me.¡± The response was a mouthful of bloody saliva and a cold statement, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask others? Like how are the souls who died at your hands? Bastard!¡± ¡°I made a mistake.¡± Mo spread his hands out, ¡°My first stop was the banquet held by the City Lord. Unfortunately, most of the people who had valuable information were there. The City Lord, the minister of finance, the hereditary earl, the head of the merchant¡¯s association, beautiful women, there were too many ¡­ In short, when I realized I needed some information for reference~¡± His eyes sparkled with a chaotic glow and something else. He opened his mouth wide: ¡°They were all dead.¡± ¡°Pure evil¡­¡± The knight took a breath, ¡°Kill me, I won¡¯t tell you anything.¡± ¡°You will.¡± Mo¡¯s fingers traced numerous fine spells and he chuckled, ¡°Let me give you some good news, there is a very large Black Wizard¡¯s association in Banther City. Those clever people are said to have created a lot of trouble for the local peace. Now, that issue has been resolved. Oh yes, would you mind telling me your name?¡± ¡°Owen.¡± The middle-aged knight¡¯s face had already turned so pale it was almost transparent, he stared intently into Mo¡¯s eyes, ¡°I swear I¡¯ll curse you!¡± Mo merely whistled and nodded, ¡°I believe you will. But before that, we have lots of time to try out the goodies I¡¯ve found from the Black Wizard¡¯s association¡­¡± ¡­ [You¡¯ve exited the game, mental connection is disconnected, good morning] With a familiar dizziness, Mo covered his head and sat up from the game cabin, immediately looking at his phone. AM7:00 ¡°If the first time was an accident, then the second time is a problem or an accident.¡± He muttered to himself, then walked into the bathroom and quickly took a shower. He later cleaned some clothes wearing only his boxer shorts, quickly gobbled down two slices of bread and then hastily left the house. He was going out to feed the cats. The district where Mo lived was quite low-end, with poor surroundings, inconvenient transport, and older buildings. However, many stray animals liked to stay in the area, so he would feed the cats at the entrance of the district whenever he had the chance. If he saw any trash on the road like plastic bags, empty drinks bottles, cigarette butts, he would clean them up. We can see from this, that he, who had just got up, was in a state of ¡°lawful good¡± personality, considering that in the other two cases Mo would be reluctant to go out in the cold early in the morning, not to mention doing some charity work. This change in personality is hard to explain, as mentioned before, his personality split does not have a certain independence. All personalities are his own, he knows clearly what he has done at any time, and why he did it, it¡¯s just a difference in mood. Perhaps we all suffer from this symptom to some extent, let¡¯s take a simple example, maybe one day while on a bus you see an elderly person coming on board, influenced by your character, moral values and habits, you would naturally give up your seat to them, but by changing the circumstances, you might make different decisions in the same situation. You could even end up in a fight, and if you¡¯re not careful, might even lose a bit of money. Perhaps this example proves that our emotions and personalities are always subtly changing. These changes are not drastic but can sometimes lead to completely different outcomes. The same person, given a hundred times to take public transportation like a bus or a subway, might give up his seat to the elderly, the weak, the sick or pregnant women ninety, eighty, or seventy times. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, Mo is different ~ His personality has never undergone subtle changes like ordinary people, instead it completely splits into different modes. Using the classification of alignments in the game [Realm of Innocence] The ¡°lawful good¡± Mo will give up his seat a hundred percent of the time, no matter the situation. For ¡°Chaotic Neutral¡± Motan, it would depend on his mood, or the attractiveness of the other party, but it¡¯s not entirely random, his choice would be a certain one hundred percent under identical circumstances. ¡°True Neutral¡± Motan would invariably give up his seat influenced by a standard moral perspective in the eyes of ordinary people. Although he might have some complaints deep down, in reality, he would follow along with the majority. He¡¯d do what most people think is the right thing, and conversely, he wouldn¡¯t if it differs. Overall, at this moment, Motan is surrounded by a group of stray cats, happily patting and feeding them. Occasionally, he greets passing neighbors, helps an old man carry groceries, joins an old lady dancing¡­ He is the perfect model of a diligent youth. Then, near noon¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± He slapped his forehead, muttering to himself: ¡°I didn¡¯t log into Mor¡¯s character yesterday. I wonder how the caravan is doing. But I believe everyone in the caravan should be able to successfully break out¡­ I¡¯m not sure what the situation will be when I log in next time¡­¡± Suddenly, he felt bitter in his mouth, sighed and stood up: ¡°I still need to meet up as Hei Fan, and Tan Mo just started planning. It¡¯s a blessing to be able to create several characters with this sickness, but why do I feel so pitiful¡­ It¡¯s exhausting to play, and also¡­¡± The phone in his pocket vibrated. ¡°Just as I thought¡­¡± Looking at the name ¡®bestie A¡¯ displayed on the screen, Motan answered the call: ¡°Hey, Owen, what¡¯s up?¡± Hearing his friend laughing cheerily on the other end of the line: ¡°What¡¯s up? Are you being a good boy and feeding cats?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the goody-two-shoes, your whole family comprises of goody-two-shoes.¡± As he threw the empty cat food bag into the trash can, he answered: ¡°How could you guess what I¡¯m doing now? I¡¯ve always been curious about this.¡± Owen replied briskly: ¡°Simple, because only on such occasions would you call me by my name the moment you pick up the phone, instead of calling me ¡®bestie A¡¯ or some other nonsense. By the way, when I logged in yesterday, why couldn¡¯t I add you as my friend? Weren¡¯t you playing?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a long story.¡± There were no secrets Motan needed to keep from him. Climbing the stairs, he explained: ¡°It wasn¡¯t convenient to say yesterday, actually I encountered a bug¡­¡± He then told Owen about having been able to create three characters, even switching personalities once during the conversation. But the other person was used to it, and apart from the slight change in tone, there was nothing else unusual. ¡°So that¡¯s about it.¡± As he swiftly switched the computer system, he said, ¡°You should have also created a character, right? Let me guess, you¡¯re with the Chaotic Neutral alignment, aren¡¯t you?¡± Owen exclaimed: ¡°Holy cow, you really are psychic. How did you guess it right!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± As Motan typed quickly on his keyboard, he replied casually: ¡°You¡¯re just too easy to read and too gullible. It doesn¡¯t take much to guess.¡± Guffawing, Owen said dispiritedly: ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯re complete opposites. My in-game name is Rin Winter, I¡¯m taking the Ice Magic path, currently a Level 3 Mage, part of the Eternal Race, currently at Ice Mist Castle. I don¡¯t know the rest.¡± ¡°What on earth is the Eternal Race?¡± asked Motan, laughing. ¡°Zombies?¡± ¡°You could say that,¡± Owen replied with a bit of a grumpy tone. ¡°In theory, my character¡¯s soul is attached to its corpse, but luckily it doesn¡¯t look much different from when it was alive¡­ Let¡¯s skip this part, shall we meet in the game?¡± Motan rolled his eyes: ¡°I still don¡¯t know where my characters are exactly.¡± ¡°Player¡¯s private space,¡± answered Owen. ¡°Didn¡¯t the official announcement mention that before?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Motan narrowed his eyes slightly at the screen: ¡°I¡¯ll hang up now, I¡¯m kind of busy¡­ ¡± He put down his phone, leaned forward with his hands on the desk, face close to the monitor, and murmured: ¡°It seems like I may have underestimated you¡­ Double Leaf!¡± Chapter 12: End Chapter 38 - 38 13 Preying on Each Other _1 ?38: Chapter 13: Preying on Each Other _1 38: Chapter 13: Preying on Each Other _1 Looking at the progress bar in front of him, which remained stagnant, and the notation at the bottom that read ¡®Remaining Time 99 hours+¡¯, Motan¡¯s expression turned somewhat gloomy. Such an expression was rare under his current personality of ¡°chaotic neutral¡±, showing the severity of the situation¡­ The pure black laptop in front of him looked somewhat outdated. Even if he were to put it on the second-hand market, it likely wouldn¡¯t fetch more than 200 in price. The heavy, rough exterior and the fan that constantly buzzed seemed to announce to everyone just how dreadful the owner¡¯s financial situation was. But that wasn¡¯t the reality at all. Unlike the lightweight ultrabook models popular in the market, this machine was heavy because it was stuffed with various parts that Motan had magically modified. Although from the surface the operating system suggested that it would be outperformed by 99.99% of computers in any professional benchmark test, it was merely because during normal operating times, the performance of this laptop was suppressed to around 3%. Only when signed in with the system set up by Motan himself would its intimidating prowess be revealed. As he once bragged to an unnamed second-hand dealer, ¡°If I really push this thing, it could at least replace the national unified information link and perform high-intensity work for over twenty minutes!¡± Simply put, within twenty minutes, his seemingly fossil-like laptop could handle and compute all the basic information nationwide. From case file statistics at community hospitals to bi-hourly nationwide population census surveys, no problem at all~ Under most circumstances in the year 2049, such work was entirely the responsibility of a large brain matrix called the ¡®unified information link¡¯, a legitimate machine of the nation, whose underground main body area was as large as two football fields. Such a claim was almost too fantastical, even though Motan had said it could replace for roughly twenty minutes. Whether it was a brick-like 16-inch old laptop, or the acknowledged top performance Baltonian ¦Â category fever-level smart computer on the market, neither could even stand in for the ¡®Matrix¡¯ for a minute ¡ª smoking due to overload and exploding into flames was just a blink away. So, at the time, the second-hand dealer thought Motan was just talking nonsense. After exchanging the goods, he politely reciprocated a few words of small talk with him and then left, taking none of it seriously. But the truth was¡­ what Motan said was real¡­ And he even held back! This laptop, that he had magically modified countless times and adjusted every half-year, truly had such tremendous ability, and the fundamental reason was only so that it could keep up with the three pieces of software he had independently designed. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For regular hacking operations and disguising the host: the Necronomicon ¨C Book of the Dead System. To track and lock onto SUN: the Hunting Angel ¨C Angel Hunting System. And capable of being compatible with all non-mentally simulated type games: the High Energy ¨C High Energy System. All three systems above were written by Motan himself. The earliest system he completed was the gaming system, which he started to earn money from hacking during his junior high days out of interest. After all, with the progress of time, as the price of game consoles was getting lower and lower, software under these platforms got ridiculously expensive. This trend irritated Mor, who was still considered a tween at the time¡­ Perhaps sensing the topic straying further and further away, let¡¯s skip that part for now. The Necronomicon System was a representative work of Motan¡¯s new stage of computer proficiency. He had been completely diagnosed with multiple personality disorder, and he developed this software in the process of preparing to look up related materials, further distancing himself from social unrest. As for the Angel Hunting System, mentioned earlier, it was a program developed to weed out SUN, who was also in Black Sun. After many years of upgrades and improvements, it has now become a very comprehensive search and information gathering system. During the process of these three pieces of software being developed one after the other, Motan started to lag a bit on the hardware front. Then he went to learn¡­ He achieved. Then he began to try making it himself¡­ He succeeded, again. Then he began to modify¡­ In the end, he crafted a slightly overkill device. We shall stop here about Motan¡¯s computer problem. The reason we covered so much is mainly because at this moment, something quite unexpected happened to him! Unexpected enough to make Motan¡¯s face unusually grim¡­ ¡°Double Leaf¡­SUN¡­¡± His hands pounded the keyboard at a high speed. Simplistic white popup windows flickered and fluctuated non-stop. After a short, precise round of confirmation, Motan finally confirmed that he had been fooled. He sighed after a moment of silence, mumbling, ¡°So, it was me who first showed signs of a flaw¡­¡± The efficiency of the Angel Hunting System was extremely high, and the ethernet cable Motan hid in a dark niche had virtually no bandwidth constraints. Even if the area needed to be screened was extremely large, there was absolutely no chance there wouldn¡¯t be any progress after a full day and night. The empty box on the screen suggested that the progress had been zero since the start of the retrieval, an impossibility in theory! Chapter 39 - 39 13 Mutual Prey_2 ?39: Chapter 13: Mutual Prey_2 39: Chapter 13: Mutual Prey_2 It should be understood that yesterday¡¯s modifications by Motan had drastically narrowed down the search parameters. There wouldn¡¯t be significant progress in a short period, however, an impossibility had occurred. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Unless¡­ Unless, overnight, countless individuals who simultaneously matched these exact conditions appeared in the world: ¡®female, East Asian, aged eighteen to twenty-five, Chinese citizen, mother alive, never purchased Innocence Company peripheral products, not outdoors on the night of 31st December 2048.¡¯ This, of course, was impossible! Therefore, the conclusion was quite simple¡­ ¡°Stop the search.¡± Motan smirked, a trace of mockery playing on his lips as he spoke softly into the microphone before him, ¡°Immediately switch to the Necronomicon System, initiate address spoofing, and start clearing traces.¡± A second later, the monitor¡¯s display had turned completely white, dotted with numerous red points that were rapidly disappearing. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re very smart. Pity though, just unfortunate¡­¡± Motan exhaled lightly, chuckling as he looked at the game cabin in the center of the living room, ¡°Seems like luck is on my side this time~¡± ¡­ Somewhere in China A sleep-talking voice echoed in the dark room. Several seconds later, a slender figure with disheveled hair struggled to sit up from the bed, casually putting on the deep red headset from the bedside, and shuffled slowly to the chair beside her bed. Taking a soda from the edge of her table, she popped the tab and drained it, smacking her lips contentedly, then let out a crisp and ethereal laugh. Even though the thick black curtains completely blocked out sunlight, confining the room in perpetual darkness, it didn¡¯t hinder her sight. Acquiring this near night-vision ability wasn¡¯t difficult as long as one could endure the confined and dark space for a long period; most people could do it. With a snap of her fingers, the monitors around her illuminated the room and her figure. She appeared to be a skinny teenage girl, around seventeen to eighteen years old, perhaps a couple of years older due to her thin frame. At this moment, the girl was wearing only a plain white tank top and underwear, her exposed skin was pale, a sort of unhealthy pallor. She had an innocent, pure doll-like face and messy, long black hair cascading down her back. Her name was Mu You, almost twenty years old, a ¡°hikikomori¡± without education, employment, or parents. ¡°A strange girl who never greets anyone, probably has autism.¡± That was the unanimous opinion from neighbors who only saw her once in a long while. Yet, in this society, nothing was really unusual. A strange girl wasn¡¯t gossip-worthy over tea or meals. No one knew of Mu You¡¯s several other identities¡­ The legend of the hacking world known as Black Sun, the human Mage called Double Leaf in [Realm of Innocence], the anonymous genius who earned top qualifications in psychological and computer fields and several related doctorate degrees from online exams. ¡°Ah~ Nothing beats a can of Dr.Pepper after waking up!¡± Mu You let out a pleasurable sigh akin to a middle-aged salaried worker who had just chugged a bottle of chilled beer after a hard day¡¯s work. She set the beverage known as ¡®the intellectual¡¯s drink¡¯ on the table, looked up at the numerous monitors slowly lighting up in her room and smirked, ¡°Let me see the results, NAVI~¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The pleasant electronic synthesized voice echoed from all around. ¡°Let me hear the stats on the access count of those fake profiles I arranged before within the last 24 hours~¡± Mu You said casually as she stretched her body, unconcerned about her revealing attire. After all, the only other one in her room was a high-intelligence AI named NAVI, who was also set to female. After a silence of approximately two to three seconds, the screen on the wall to Mu You¡¯s left suddenly turned emerald green. Rows of golden characters started scrolling rapidly. NAVI calmly reported, ¡°Type I Virtual Bait was accessed 27 times, Type II 15 times, Type III, IV and V each 9 times, Type VI Virtual Bait was accessed¡­ 3254259 times.¡± ¡°Hook, line, and sinker~¡± Mu You clapped her hands and squatted on the chair. She tapped on the keyboard-like yet unusually large elliptical device on her table. The reflection of countless screens showing rapidly refreshing data and IPs gleamed in her glasses. Chuckling, she murmured to herself, ¡°Let me see~ let me see~ You can¡¯t escape this time~ Oh, a virtual address and disguise again? NAVI, help me count these!¡± ¡­ ¡°NAVI?¡± ¡­ ¡°No way?!¡± Mu You exclaimed, hurriedly jumped off the chair, and dashed barefoot to the corner of the room. She lifted a thin crystal panel and took a peek inside, then screamed, ¡°Huh? It¡¯s crashed?!¡± The girl rolled her eyes, stuck her hand in to mess about a bit to restart the AI automatically, then marched back to her desk with wide eyes. She clenched her fists tightly and grumbled, ¡°I¡¯ll do it manually!¡± She pulled open the top drawers on both sides of the desk and split the oval-shaped keyboard in front of her into two halves with a click, placing them on the opened drawers on either side of her. Then she took a more ordinary external keyboard from behind and plugged it into the mainframe right in front of her, then set it in front of herself. Her hands danced rapidly and gently like playing a piano, playing a piece at the level of the ¡°Flight of the Bumblebee¡±¡­ The whole room lit up. It wasn¡¯t that the sunshine finally penetrated this enclosed space, but nearly a dozen monitors in the room were refreshing data streams at an insane speed¡­ ¡°You bastard!¡± Mu You yelled, maintaining operations at at least 600 AMP with her slender fingers, gritted her teeth and snapped, ¡°Your reaction speed is way too fast! You¡¯ve done over half of multi-point disguises and forced blocking out of more than three million visits, is your computer made by aliens? Even NAVI¡­ I¡¯m about to crash¡­!!!¡± However, the girl¡¯s eyes sparkled with an almost fanatic leer even as she spoke. Clearly just a somewhat malnourished little girl, Mu You was now exuding an unusually strong aura! Despite being a tad over five feet, she seemed¡­more like five foot three¡­ In short, she seemed formidable! This girl who initially encountered Hei Fan in [Realm of Innocence] no longer possessed the languid demeanor from back then. Her lips curled upwards, and her pale eyes filled with irrational pleasure, with her hands seemingly dancing into a blur around her! ¡°I will definitely win! After all, the one showing weaknesses¡­is you!¡± ¡­ Ten minutes later ¡°Huh?¡± Accompanying a wind chime-like notification sound, Mu You¡¯s hands stopped. From the beginning till now, she had almost instantaneously eliminated one-third of the targets with the aid of the logic system and her extremely keen intuition. However, the remaining ones became increasingly troublesome. Some traps that could mask the truth were so cunning that a cursory query could incur irreversible consequences, compelling her to slow down. [Maybe¡­ I won¡¯t catch him this time either¡­] Just as she started to feel slightly disheartened, she was suddenly startled by an abrupt ding. After the briefest of pauses, she pounced onto the bed and switched on a green notebook casually thrown on it, launching a phishing website¡¯s homepage. A heap of carefully curated chaos was present at the bottom, with a string of tiny numbers swiftly refreshing. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Mu You blinked, memorizing these numbers at high speed while muttering, ¡°Even if you realized I was looking into you, there¡¯s no need to contact in advance, right! What on earth are you trying to say¡­¡± She didn¡¯t return to continue the catch-the-mouse game which was likely futile but sat cross-legged on her bed, shut her eyes, and began to rapidly decode this string of information in her mind. Soon, an image of a newspaper silhouette fulfilling the criteria appeared in her mind. She had found the cipher¡­.. Chapter Thirteen: End Chapter 40 - 40 14 Game Theory_1 ?40: Chapter 14: Game Theory_1 40: Chapter 14: Game Theory_1 [I stumbled upon something interesting, so decided to get in touch a bit early.] [In a newly released virtual reality game, I found its system to be sturdy and impregnable, and even managed to burn out some interesting components in battling with it.] [So, I thought to invite you for a face-to-face. Of course, this is a risky move for me, if you manage to successfully hack into the central server¡­] [Then, I guess the game might most likely end in your victory.] [However, this probability is low, after all, if your skills were way above mine, you would have already managed to find me out, right?] [You have half a day to prepare, at seven thirty tonight, in a certain public space¡¯s zone thirteen, I will hang around for an hour, the code phrase is our joint operation from three months ago.] [Don¡¯t disappoint me, SUN.] [¡ª¡ªYour ¡®loyal¡¯ partner in crime.] ¡­ Mu You looked at the message that she had managed to decrypt in front of her. She was beyond stupefied, she felt like she was losing her mind! In order for the duo known as ¡®Black Sun¡¯ to avoid having their only means of communication being high-conflict confrontations, they picked a low-end phishing site as a message board. The agreement was to update each other periodically there, and all their discussions besides their direct attacks were conducted there. Of course, if there wasn¡¯t much to talk about, casual ¡®Nice weather today¡¯ type of messages were also okay. Up till now, countless large-scale hacking operations by Black Sun have been negotiated here, at this place that is as low-level as low-level can get. While leaving messages for each other, they¡¯d also try to stump each other. The messages were written in code. The cipher keys were usually recent articles, magazines, gossip, but sometimes there¡¯d also be the Bible, New Hanyu Dictionary, or famous novels, to increase the difficulty. However, this time, what Black left for Mu You to decrypt was simple: it was just a column from the evening paper two days ago. Apparently, he didn¡¯t want her to waste time on that. Because what the content itself gave her was already an extremely tight deadline¡­ ¡°Tonight at half-past seven¡­ some public space¡¯s thirteenth zone¡­ the newly released virtual reality game¡­¡± Mu You stared at the computer screen, pursed her lips gently, and muttered: ¡°What on earth are you up to this time! Are you trying to mess with my head or¡­¡± She glanced over at the tracker program that was half-completed, and murmured to herself: ¡°Or did I get it wrong from the start? Or maybe it¡¯s a trap or something, you bastard!¡± Mu You scrambled onto the floor, rolling around on the plush carpet, vigorously massaging her cute baby face. After messing around for a while, she got up with her hair all disheveled, hacked straight into the backend of the phishing site, used the pager to input her message. [It¡¯s a date, also, kindly avoid such lame hints like ¡®newly released game¡¯, it¡¯s too crude!!!] ¡°Phew~¡± After inputting the message, Mu You squatted back into her chair, immediately stopped the tracking program, and simultaneously played a few of her favorite animations on the surrounding screens while¡­ err, this is not needed. While watching the animations, she was also rapidly analyzing the entire situation in her mind. Her covert battle with Black had been ongoing for several years. Even though she wasn¡¯t sure if the other party had made progress, she had indeed made a lot of gains on her front, and had even identified some major suspects. Among them was Motan¡­ Despite how little information she had, she added him to her list of suspects. The reason being that she spotted some discrepancies in his information, his address, and other details weren¡¯t even logged on the net. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although these were just suspicions, Mu You memorized his face. Even if he wasn¡¯t Black, at least he was some kind of hacker and prying into the lives of fellow hackers was a hobby of hers¡­ Despite suspecting him, she did not dig deeper as her list of suspects was filled with thousands of names from all around the world, of different genders and races, hence she did not give it too much thought. Until¡­ She encountered Motan in the [Realm of Innocence]. Seeing the priest who appeared to not have altered his appearance in any way, Double Leaf decided to make a move at first sight. First, she logged out immediately and set up numerous ¡®bait¡¯, then during their second meeting, she subtly hinted that she was Black Sun, and commanded the AI to keep tabs on the web situation continually. The result delighted her. The false information created by the temporary sixth module was visited over three million times within a day. Overjoyed, she had just planned to carry out further verification when¡­ Black¡¯s message abruptly showed up. Plus, he also invited her to meet him in a public space in the [Realm of Innocence]. He seemed completely unaware that she had been playing this game for a while now, acting as though he was the only one trying to break Innocence Corp¡¯s firewall. What the hell is going on?!?! Even though her reply indicated the scarcity of technical content in his hint, Mu You was painfully aware that finding this game was an easy task. The real challenge lied in procuring a set of equipment within an afternoon in time for her to log in to the [Realm of Innocence] at seven-thirty. She definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to make the gear herself in such a short period of time. Chapter 41 - 41 14 Game Theory_2 ?41: Chapter 14: Game Theory_2 41: Chapter 14: Game Theory_2 Two days after the game was rolled out, a wave of enthusiasm had already swept across the globe. Securing a game cabin without a reservation was nearly impossible. In the city where Mu You resided, online reservation slots were all booked up for the next two days, and it was the same situation in most other cities. You could say the conditions Black set were quite severe. But¡­ The young girl turned her head to look at the, ¡®game cabin¡¯, an apparatus in the corner of her room made out of an old bathtub, equipped with a lot of peripheral devices and cables. She was at a loss for words. She had actually spent an entire day compiling heaps of data just to create this, two days ago. She had even told the priest named ¡®Hei Fan¡¯ about it already. But Black seemed to be completely clueless¡­ it was as if he thought he was making things more difficult for her¡­ ¡°Things are getting more and more chaotic~¡± Mu You adjusted her glasses and propped her shapely long legs (by proportion) on the table, pouting: ¡°Oh well, he¡¯ll find out once he sees it~ I just need to be at the public space at seven-thirty p.m¡­.Huh?!¡± She suddenly covered her mouth and exclaimed: ¡°Hold on! If it¡¯s at seven-thirty pm¡­¡± ¡­ Motan, at the moment, was comfortably sipping an instant coffee in front of his computer. Just a few minutes ago, the barrage of targeted attacks and searches from SUN had finally ended. Despite the considerable momentum at the beginning, Motan wasn¡¯t surprised at all. After receiving the response, he confirmed that the girl named Double Leaf in the game was indeed SUN. As he predicted, she was probably thrown into a mild state of chaos at this moment. All that¡¯s left now was to put on a ¡®good show¡¯. ¡°A stupid hint, huh¡­¡± Motan blinked at the message on the screen, ¡°without it, you would have probably uncovered even more.¡± He drained the last drops of his coffee, switched off the computer, and sat back down on the sofa, closing his eyes with a hint of amusement. There was still a lot of time. Some details needed finetuning, and it had to be the kind that could be handled effortlessly even when he was in his alter ego form. ¡­ Seven-thirty p.m¡­ [Spiritual connection detected, synchronizing personal information¡­] [Connection complete, loading character information¡­] [Welcome back, Black Hei Fan, the absolute neutral. You are about to enter the realm of innocence. Goodnight] Motan appeared in a quiet corner of the camp. This wasn¡¯t where he had logged out, it was a deserted military campsite. It wasn¡¯t far from Fenrir¡¯s squad¡¯s location. ¡°So logging in places you at a location that¡¯s nearest to you, and away from where any NPCs could see¡­¡± Motan quietly repeated what he¡¯d read in an online forum, nodding to himself, ¡°This is rather convenient.¡± At this moment in the game world, dawn was just breaking. Most of those without assignments in the autonomous camp were resting, hence it looked unusually quiet. However, it was almost time for Fenrir¡¯s squad to assemble. After quickly figuring out the direction, Motan briskly walked towards his station. He soon spotted Ned and the others checking their weapons and equipment by their barrack. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± Silverna had sharp eyes. Storing several Feather Arrows back into her quiver, she greeted Motan loudly, ¡°Hurry up, we¡¯re about to leave.¡± Ned gave her a look, ¡°Keep it down, there are still people resting. And we¡¯re out for patrol! Not a picnic!¡± ¡°Hmph! The lazy bums who are still sleeping at this hour have no right to complain about the noise!¡± Silverna stuck out her tongue, rebutting, ¡°Besides, regular patrols are no different from a picnic, haven¡¯t things been quite peaceful recently?¡± ¡°That would be wonderful if true. There¡¯s more than one person who wants to live comfortably here.¡± Ned shrugged and turned to Motan, ¡°Need some weapons?¡± Motan laughed mockingly and picked up the holy book that originally cost 20 copper coins, shaking it, ¡°I¡¯m good with this. We wouldn¡¯t expect a priest like me to spearhead the charge, would we?¡± Crab, who was sharpening his axe, looked up and handed him a mallet from the shelf behind him, grinning, ¡°Take it, soldier. It¡¯s free. If you don¡¯t like it, sell it for cash and buy me a drink.¡± ¡°That¡¯s against the rules¡­¡± Ned commented half-heartedly, before lowering his voice to tell Motan who had picked up the mallet, ¡°Unless you¡¯re buying me a drink, too. The weapon shop in the southern part of the city buys these types of things¡­ you know about it, right¡­¡± Motan measured the weight of the mallet in his hand and chuckled, ¡°I know, I know. Speaking of which, hasn¡¯t Double Leaf arrived yet?¡± In everyone¡¯s eyes, he was a property owner in Stacked Rock City, it would be strange if he didn¡¯t know even a smithy existed in the south of the city¡­ The problem right now was ¨C why hadn¡¯t Double Leaf arrived yet?!? [She wouldn¡¯t stand everyone up in order to meet me in the public space, right!? That would be problematic¡­] ¡°She¡¯s not here yet.¡± Ned shrugged, ¡°She doesn¡¯t stay in the camp like you. For a girl that¡¯s a mage, it¡¯s not easy to turn up this early.¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 42 - 42 14 Game Theory_3 ?42: Chapter 14: Game Theory_3 42: Chapter 14: Game Theory_3 Just then, a languid voice suddenly rang out from behind the two, ¡°I just had a slightly lengthy breakfast, don¡¯t look down on girls, okay~~¡± Double Leaf rubbed her eyes and sauntered over, frowning disapprovingly at Nade, ¡°And I don¡¯t think I¡¯m late, am I~ Captain?¡± ¡°No, you still have a few minutes left.¡± Nade laughed awkwardly, ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking behind your back.¡± Double Leaf tilted her head cutely in a noncommittal way then tugged at the corner of Motan¡¯s clothes whispering, ¡°Come here for a second¡­¡± And she dragged him away. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Motan curiously looked at the girl in front of him, whose expression suggested suspicion, and said, ¡°And why do you look like you only just woke up?¡± Double Leaf stared at him for a while before casually waving it off, ¡°Something about work, let¡¯s not talk about that right now. Can you do me a favour?¡± ¡°A favour?¡± Motan blinked, ¡°If it¡¯s something I can manage, then sure.¡± Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Double Leaf said cheerfully, ¡°I have some real-life work to handle in a while. You¡¯re good with words, can you talk to Nade about covering my shift?¡± Motan scratched his head, ¡°Cover your shift?¡± ¡°Yesterday, I asked the captain about the specifics of the patrol mission.¡± Double Leaf spoke quickly, ¡°Technically, you and the captain should be heading south together to inspect the mines in the wilderness, Sara and Crab, those guys with distorted aesthetics, should go west to check if the two tribes there are behaving, and Yina and I are supposed to recharge the Magic Crystal Lamps along the northern main road.¡± Motan nodded, asking, ¡°And then?¡±¡± ¡°The priest has magic power too, right? So even if I¡¯m not there, you should still be able to help with the recharging, thus¡­¡± Double Leaf looked at Motan expectantly, ¡°Can you ask for a day off on my behalf, and then go in my place?¡± [Smart!] Motan internally praised her, his face, however, gave nothing away, and after mulling it over for a while, he finally nodded, ¡°I guess there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±¡± ¡°Hehe~¡± Double Leaf chuckled somewhat feebly, ¡°Oh, why did you suddenly log off yesterday without even saying goodbye?¡± Immediately, Motan showed an awkwardly embarrassed expression, and uncomfortably turned his head away. ¡°What happened, tell me~¡± Double Leaf of course wasn¡¯t going to let him off, and asked him right away, ¡°It can¡¯t be that something to do with the Black Tai¡­¡± ¡°Actually.¡± Motan laughed in embarrassment, ¡°I had¡­a stomachache¡­¡± ¡°.¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡±¡± ¡°Nothing, I just feel like an idiot.¡±¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡±¡± Then Motan went with the socially inept Double Leaf to ask Nade for time off, and the excuse given was simply, ¡®unexpected matters at home¡¯. Nade was a rather personable guy, so he didn¡¯t hesitate and just agreed, given that a small-scale patrol duty wasn¡¯t anything significant, there was really no need to be nit-picky about it. ¡°Alright then,¡± he nodded, ¡°You can go with Yina to help along the north road. Actually, our team originally didn¡¯t have such a task. But now that we have Spellcasters, Jett asked us to help with recharging along the way. So, it¡¯s like that. I can go to the mine alone.¡± Double Leaf beamed sweetly, ¡°Thanks Captain~¡± She then raced out of the camp, and Motan soon saw Double Leaf¡¯s off-line message. A few minutes later, Fenrir¡¯s team was divided into groups and departed. Almost as soon as they stepped out from Stacked Rock City¡¯s northern gate, Motan turned to Yina, who had been humming a little tune¡­ ¡°Um, Yina¡­ can you use magic?¡± Chapter Fourteen: End Chapter 43 - 43 15 The Great Pressure on Hei Fan_1 ?43: Chapter 15: The Great Pressure on Hei Fan_1 43: Chapter 15: The Great Pressure on Hei Fan_1 The white ranger elf, who stood half a head taller than Motan, turned to him puzzled: ¡°Magic power?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Yes, magic power.¡± Motan nodded awkwardly with a sheepish smile. To be honest, his psychological quality at this moment was more or less average, and his ability to lie was only slightly better than when he was in the state of [Lawful Good]. Though he knew that his last-minute plan should theoretically be flawless, he was still somewhat unsure deep down. But compared to his other personalities, being ordinary and moderate did not mean that his abilities were as well. It was worthwhile to note that the knowledge and number of crisis situations that Motan had experienced were countless, so handling this small scene should still be manageable. Sure enough, Yenna did not doubt him at all, she casually replied: ¡°Yes, all of us elves have more or less magical power within us. Even if we don¡¯t do anything, it will accumulate as we age. However, I primarily train as a ranger and have never done any magic refining or meditation, so I can¡¯t compare to you.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± She glanced at Motan dangerously: ¡°I¡¯m still young, in human terms I would be about seventeen, so you¡¯d better watch your words~~¡± Motan gave a dry laugh and nodded hastily in agreement. Then, he mentally calculated the time and tentatively asked: ¡°So, can you charge the Magic Crystal Lamp?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Yenna immediately looked at him doubtfully:¡±Want to shirk work?¡± As they spoke, they had traveled some distance from Stacked Rock City. However, because this was the main road leading to Granite City in the north, there were still many people passing by. Every two hundred meters or so along the road, there was a Magic Crystal Lamp placed on a short pillar. They did not operate during the day, but provided light and warmth for travelers after nightfall, and also served to drive away low-level wild beasts. It can be said that it is the ubiquitous lighting equipment in the Innocent Continent. At this moment, the two were right next to the first Magic Crystal Lamp. ¡°I¡¯m not being lazy~¡± Motan gently touched the crystal sheet that was closely attached to the stone base and showed Yenna an embarrassed expression. Then, without activating any skills, he tried to sense the magic power in his own body and immediately broke out in a sweat. As mentioned before, the game [Realm of Innocence] is quite unfriendly to players. It won¡¯t automatically give you a dialog box that asks ¡®whether to inject magic power¡¯ with YES and NO options when you stand near the task target, then complete the task progress when you choose. So don¡¯t even think about it! If a task or other situation requires you to inject magic power? OK, you have to figure out how to inject it, don¡¯t dream about something like ¡®one-click completion¡¯. As for something even more absurd like automatic pathfinding or hang-up monster-fighting¡­even browser games won¡¯t degrade themselves like that anymore¡­ This world is just too real. But in fact, this isn¡¯t the most ridiculous part. Players in the beginner stage don¡¯t know it yet, but not just the regular operations, even some higher-level skills require a certain level of skill to initiate. Right now, everyone just has to think to activate the low threshold, low consumption, idiot-proof skills and does not need any player skills. But as the occupational level gets higher, this situation will completely change¡­ By the way, Motan has long been able to skillfully use various high-level skills, especially those related to black magic¡­but he himself just doesn¡¯t have the relevant memories. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yenna asked curiously. ¡°Are you treating this thing like your dream lover? You¡¯re touching it so attentively¡­¡± Motan shrugged helplessly, saying: ¡°I¡¯ve never done this before. Honestly, it¡¯s way harder than praying and singing hymns¡­¡± Then he closed his eyes, tried hard to concentrate his mind, and sensed the ¡®magic power¡¯ that did not exist in reality. This was undoubtedly a bit difficult, as if we could never imagine what it felt like to have an extra tail or a pair of wings. But it must be said, human adaptability is very~very~very astonishing¡­ Soon, Motan, who was so anxious that his face was red and his neck was thick, felt two indescribable existences in his body, focusing on his limbs and brain, respectively. If he concentrated on the former, he would find that the power was faintly resonating with the surroundings, being changeable and extremely unstable; while the latter gave him a sense of peace and warmth. [First Triggering of Magical Power achieved, Intelligence +1, Faith Value Limit +5] The soft system prompt sounded in Motan¡¯s ear, and right after, the scale on the Basic Magic Power Crystal in his hand began to light up. When Motan¡¯s magic power was depleted at a rate of 5 points per second, after using up 20 points, the energy in the crystal was already completely saturated. ¡°You did great~¡± Yenna patted his shoulder and laughed: ¡°You¡¯re outstanding for someone who can only pray and sing hymns. However, you don¡¯t have to fill it up, seven percent of magic power and full magic power actually don¡¯t make much difference in duration, the latter is just brighter.¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 44 - 44 15 The Great Pressure on Hei Fan_2 ?44: Chapter 15: The Great Pressure on Hei Fan_2 44: Chapter 15: The Great Pressure on Hei Fan_2 Mo Tan nodded, then didn¡¯t immediately go to the second Magic Crystal Lamp two hundred metres away with Yina. Instead, he looked somewhat flatteringly at the novice ranger in front of him and said with his head down, ¡°Remember what we were just talking about?¡± ¡°You mean about slacking off?¡± Yina raised an eyebrow. ¡°Not exactly.¡± Mo Tan sighed: ¡°I¡¯ve run into some trouble. If you could keep it a secret¡­¡± While saying this, he glanced sidelong at Yina, repeating to himself, ¡®If you are a woman¡­if you are a normal woman¡­¡¯ ¡°Of course!¡± Yina¡¯s eyes lit up, she quickly said: ¡°I am very happy to share secrets with others, and keep them to myself!¡± As it turned out, she did indeed possess the qualities of a normal woman. It seemed that even elven females, even if they were just NPCs, were not immune to the allure of gossip. ¡°I need to prepare something in about forty minutes,¡± Mo Tan said in a low voice, ¡°I might have to go away for a while then. If you could help recharge the rest and tell everyone I wasn¡¯t slacking off when you return¡­ especially Double Leaf, don¡¯t tell her¡­¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Leaning against a stone stool with great interest, the sparkle in Yina¡¯s eyes could kill a truckload of cats. She chuckled, ¡°This is not a big deal, but what¡¯s your reason? And why do you especially want to hide it from Double Leaf~?¡± Mo Tan didn¡¯t say anything but gave Yina a ¡®you-know-what-I-mean¡¯ look. Yina immediately nodded, ¡°I see~ I see!¡± [What did you get from my look just now? I don¡¯t freaking understand! What a powerful ability to interpret¡­] Mo Tan faked a smile and roared in his heart. But his real intention was to let the other party deviate and complete who-knows-what self-interpretation, that would be fine. ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble you, Yina.¡± Mo Tan scratched his hair and gave a silly smile. ¡°If I don¡¯t meet up with you when everyone is gathering, just say I went to preach to the priest, I promised them earlier, so it¡¯s hard to decline.¡± Yina blinked her eyes: ¡°You¡¯re so well prepared? It seems you¡¯re pretty sure about it?¡± [What the hell! What the hell am I sure about!!] Mo Tan twitched the corners of his mouth and nodded, giving a dry laugh, ¡°Yes¡­ Yes¡­¡± ¡°So have you set a date yet? Anything you need help with!¡± Yina seemed to have completely forgotten about the mission. [What date?!] Mo Tan despaired inwardly but sighed outwardly and said: ¡°Let me continue working on these Magic Crystal Lamps first. I¡¯ll try to leave less for you.¡± ¡°You can go now~¡± Yina generously waved her hand, ¡°Important matters come first!¡± [What important matters! Surely standard patrolling for public safety aren¡¯t trivial matters in your eyes! Sister, your stance is quite dangerous!] Mo Tan listlessly waved his hand: ¡°It¡¯s okay, there¡¯s still time¡­Let¡¯s continue¡­¡± Yina shrugged noncommittally: ¡°Whatever makes you happy.¡± For the next half an hour, they continued doing the task assigned by the Autonomous Army to the Fenrir Squad. Thanks to Mo Tan¡¯s efforts, they had completed about 70% of the work. If it weren¡¯t for his low Magic Power limit, they could have done more¡­ Then, around seven twenty-five in objective time, a chat box suddenly popped up in the corner of Mo Tan¡¯s field of view. Sender: Double Leaf Message: ¡°Hey! Still busy?¡± Mo Tan quickly replied: ¡°Yeah, it took so long just to finish a bit more than half. Don¡¯t you have work? How are you still online?¡± ¡°If I log into the game during break times, I can rest twice as much! Well, that¡¯s about it, I¡¯ll go offline first, go for it!¡± Double Leaf replied even faster, and immediately went offline after finishing her sentence. Even though there was no ¡®online¡¯, ¡®offline¡¯, ¡®invisible¡¯, ¡®visible to XX only¡¯ notifications in the friend list of Innocent World players, Mo Tan could guess that Double Leaf had truly logged out of the game. Then¡­ ¡°What are you daydreaming about?¡± Yina, noticing that Mo Tan was standing still, gently patted his shoulder. ¡°Tired out?¡± Mo Tan quickly nodded, then pretended to look at the sun and sighed, ¡°Ah! I should go now¡­¡± There¡¯s no such thing as a watch in this world. Naturally, Yina¡¯s sense of time isn¡¯t as accurate as Mo Tan¡¯s, who splits his focus to count his own pulses. She could only guess roughly how much time had passed, so she said immediately: ¡°Okay! Then you go ahead! I¡¯ll help cover for you in the team~¡± Five minutes later [Your connection has been intentionally severed. Would you like to reconnect?] ¡°No need.¡± [Would you like to initiate the awakening program?] ¡°As soon as possible.¡± [Received. The current time is 19:30 on January 1st, 2049. You will wake up in one minute.] When Mo Tan opened his eyes, his mobile phone showed exactly 7:30 PM. ¡°The time is almost as predicted¡­¡± He got up and poured a cup of water for himself, then complained with incredible misery, ¡°Ah~ whether it¡¯s hacking part-time or dealing with hackers, both feel very dangerous ah, and super troublesome!¡± However, this kind of lament during such times from him cannot be taken seriously. In fact, no matter when he laments, it can¡¯t be taken seriously when it comes to ¡®Mo Tan¡¯. Chapter 45 - 45 15 The Great Pressure on Hei Fan_3 ?45: Chapter 15: The Great Pressure on Hei Fan_3 45: Chapter 15: The Great Pressure on Hei Fan_3 After all, he was sick¡­ Approximately two minutes after closing his eyes, Motan reopened them. The vibe he gave off was entirely different. He was still himself, but he was no longer the him from just moments before. ¡°I take back what I said~¡± With his eyes sparkling with excitement and delight, Motan murmured to himself with a chuckle, ¡°If this world didn¡¯t have a single bit of trouble, it would be dreadfully uninteresting.¡± Undeniably, he was not the least bit bothered about trouble finding him at that moment, even welcoming the chance to cause trouble for others~ Despite the considerable energy consumption involved in voluntarily switching personalities, Motan didn¡¯t rest and instead made his way to the game cabin and climbed inside. ¡­ [Spiritual link detected] [Preparing to enter the [Realm of Innocence] ¡ª Player Public Space] [Please choose the area you wish to log in to.] ¡°Number 13~¡± [Accessing public area Number 13. Welcome, Chaos-neutral Tan Mo.] ¡­ After experiencing a brief bout of dizziness, Motan found himself in a space that wasn¡¯t particularly spacious. And upon opening his eyes and making an initial judgment, it seemed he was in a jail cell. The shimmering iron door in front of him was the exit. ¡°The game¡¯s called [Realm of Innocence], yet the only public space where players can log in is this ¡®prisoner¡¯ or ¡®criminal¡¯ environment, haha~¡± Motan shook his head and chuckled, ¡°Such a glaring piece of irony¡­¡± Having said that, he reached out and pushed the half-closed iron door open. [You are about to enter a public area. Please choose whether to blur your appearance.] ¡°Definitely~¡± Motan whistled casually, giving a natural response to the system voice. The game world was different. The official introduction to the player¡¯s public space was quite detailed, and one could easily learn in advance about blurring their appearance just from reading the manual, without needing to consult any online forums. Why did I mention consulting online forums and not customer service? Simple, because [Realm of Innocence] did not have any customer service hotline! This was the bizarre behavior in the world of gaming¡­ No customer service hotline, no customer service email. Players had to figure everything out on their own, and once 24 hours passed, they could not even return the game! This was the attitude of the Innocence Company towards its players. Despite being a new company, they carried this ¡®your elder is always your elder¡¯ attitude, attracting many curious and admiring looks from players. Then the players cursed and complained¡­ After blurring his appearance with a mosaic effect, Motan finally left the ¡®cell¡¯ and entered Public Area Number 13. Fairly speaking, he wasn¡¯t walking in, but rather he was refreshed onto the site, because if the system installed a door, it would lead to a catastrophe when many players tried to enter at once. An unfortunate incident involving a dwarf player during peak hours could be inevitable¡­ So although the system behaves like your high and mighty elder, it can still be considerate most of the time~ Motan was now dressed in the gear he wore as Tan Mo, albeit all his skills had been locked, and his physique had returned to that of a normal person in reality. Equipment and attribute bonuses were meaningless here. After a quick look around, he almost instantly spotted a girl wearing a robe, with orange hair and round glasses. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hey~¡± He sneaked up on Double Leaf, whispering to a sturdy-looking Orc standing beside him, ¡°What¡¯s your opinion on moonshine?¡± ¡°?!?!¡± Chapter Fifteen: End Chapter 46 - 46 16 Game_1 ?46: Chapter 16: Game_1 46: Chapter 16: Game_1 WTF?? These were the three letters and two punctuation marks that the orc brother in front of Motan communicated with his rich facial expression. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that most people who play this game are mental, this orc would probably be thinking that the kid in front of him had just escaped from a mental institution. That blurred face, evasive expression, and secretive tone, he didn¡¯t seem like a sound-minded individual at all. Not to mention, he had no recollection of seeing him before?! Unfortunately, this guy standing in front of him was indeed an escapee, both from the hospital and police¡­ ¡°Alright, stop pretending~¡± Motan chuckled and nudged the orc player¡¯s arm with his elbow, whispering, ¡°I figured you out a while ago, you do look similar to the image in my mind, speaking of which, about the matter of adulterating clear water with Erguotou¡­¡± The handsome orc player with flaming long red hair (indeed handsome) didn¡¯t even wait for him to finish speaking. He simply strode away, muttering under his breath something that sounded vaguely discriminatory. ¡°Uh, wasn¡¯t it him?¡± Motan scratched his head, looked around for a moment, and then burst into laughter: ¡°Aha! It is you! I knew that guy¡¯s aura was way off from what I imagined, of course, I recognized the wrong guy!¡± He rushed towards an ogre player nearby while rambling excitedly. The guy was as tall as a tower and had a weird face, just more like stung by a swarm of bees, a stitched monster that could scare anyone away. Double Leaf, who had been squinting at Motan from a distance, couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. She rushed over and grabbed his collar, dragging him back to her, rolling her eyes, and said coldly: ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What you?¡± Motan glanced at her disdainfully, his hand waved impatiently: ¡°I was just about to meet my buddy here, can¡¯t you see that guy over there waiting for me?¡± He pointed his chin towards that stitched¡­ Uh, the ogre, and flamboyantly waved to him, yelling: ¡°Hey, fellow! I¡¯m over here! About the Erguotou in the clear water¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s me! Me! Me!¡± Double Leaf pulled Motan towards her, her eyes on fire, she yelled in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m the one who broke the story about the counterfeit liquor company! It¡¯s called Palatial Jade Liquor Ltd! They were selling erguotou diluted with water that costs less than 1.5 Yuan per glass at 1888 Yuan a cup! The glitch in the system was implanted by me! You stole the internal data! We leaked the information together! Plus, you blew up that anorexic CEO¡¯s monitor on your way out! You get it?!¡± This girl was almost at her breaking point, Double Leaf had just heard Motan mistake some random orc for herself. And just after he discovered his mistake, he instantly switched his attention to an even uglier creature! Who could stand that?! If it weren¡¯t for the rule that prohibited violence in public spaces, she would have already thrown a fireball at his face! ¡°Ah¡­¡± Hearing Double Leaf¡¯s words, Motan glanced at her helplessly, then glanced at the ogre brother wearing only a pair of briefs, pouting his lips: ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. Geez, what a letdown¡­¡± Double Leaf gritted her teeth and glared at him: ¡°What exactly were you expecting from me?!¡± ¡°At least~¡± Motan suddenly changed his quirky demeanor to a light-hearted one, continuing with a soft chuckle: ¡°You are much less composed than the little girl in front of me.¡± ¡°Who are you calling¡­¡± Double Leaf instinctively retorted, but froze when she caught his playful gaze. Although the rendering made Motan¡¯s face severely distorted in the eyes of others, Double Leaf could still feel his ironic smile and the other implication behind his words. Not cool-headed enough¡­ I¡¯m not cool-headed enough¡­ Where was I not cool-headed¡­ Wait up! Double Leaf suddenly looked up at the man who had been her working partner over the years but whom she had never met before. Her face suddenly turned bleak, ¡°You knew it was me all along, didn¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Instead of answering the girl¡¯s question, Motan retorted. ¡°I¡¯ve been observing the people in this area.¡± Double Leaf quickly recovered, gently pushing up her glasses with her index finger, muttering: ¡°At least within the past two minutes, you shouldn¡¯t have been among the group of people around me. But when I noticed, you had already approached the orc hunk, conversing with him loud enough for me to overhear.¡± Motan gave a dry laugh: ¡°Could you please refrain from using ¡®hit on¡¯, such a misleading term?¡± ¡°Both your timing of appearing and your proximity to me seem too coincidental.¡± Double Leaf ignored him and continued: ¡°Even if these two can be explained by coincidence, the targeted nature of your exaggerated actions is a little too blatant.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you credit for that.¡± Motan clapped his hands: ¡°Although your belated sharp observation doesn¡¯t really deserve credit, as a gentleman, I should be more forgiving towards a beautiful girl, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Chapter 47 - 47 16 Game_2 ?47: Chapter 16: Game_2 47: Chapter 16: Game_2 Double Leaf pursed her lips and fell into silence for a while, then raised her head to stare at the blurry face in front of her and asked, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Do you find it so unbelievable?¡± Mo Tan looked at her as if she were an idiot. Double Leaf was irritated again, but this time she calmed down quickly and said impassively, ¡°I do have a guess, but I¡¯d like to hear your answer before I make a judgement.¡± Mo Tan¡¯s gaze at her became increasingly weird, he skeptically asked, ¡°Are you really SUN?¡± Double Leaf chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t believe me. Why don¡¯t you expose a little information and give me a chance to prove myself?¡± ¡°Forget it,¡± Mo Tan spread his hands, ¡°I just happened to notice that a large amount of false information under certain conditions popped up on the web. I did a little investigation and found they were all meaningless stuff, so I left it at that, until¡­¡± He flicked his fingers, half of the life in the universe disappeared instantly¡­ sorry, wrong script¡­ He flicked his fingers, raised an eyebrow at Double Leaf, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect someone to follow the traces left by that false information. Moreover, the tracking methods and habits were very similar to someone I know. This undoubtedly proves that those false information is more or less related to you¡­¡± ¡°I see,¡± Double Leaf interrupted without waiting for him to finish. She drooped her head helplessly, ¡°Then earlier, you noticed that I was the only one in the area who fit the description of multiple false documentation, so you came over suspecting anything, and then¡­¡± ¡°You jumped out on your own,¡± Mo Tan laughed, ¡°Like a naive young girl who¡¯s been wrongly accused of puppy love by her teacher.¡± Double Leaf rolled her eyes, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you had such a terrible personality, Black.¡± ¡°Because for an adversary, we¡¯ve never met before, we often unconsciously glamorize them in our minds.¡± Mo Tan extended his right hand to Double Leaf, ¡°When the distance disappears, the idealized image we created also disappears. So, nice to meet you, Sun.¡± Double Leaf slapped Mo Tan¡¯s hand away casually and huffed, ¡°From what you said earlier, it seems that I am quite different from the Sun you had imagined.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not tear each other down,¡± Mo Tan shrugged, ¡°I have no intention of hitting your self-esteem anymore, mate¡­or should I now be calling you ¡®miss¡¯? Or something else?¡± Double Leaf grimaced, ¡°You can call me whatever you want. Now let¡¯s move on to the next topic. Have you also tried attacking Innocence Corp¡¯s systems?¡± ¡°Alright, Little Pudding.¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Double Leaf¡¯s originally cloudy expression immediately darkened. Mo Tan looked at her innocently, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say I could call you whatever I wanted?¡± ¡°Just keep calling me ¡®mate¡¯,¡± Double Leaf said coldly. ¡°So, you¡¯ve also faced setbacks at Innocence Corp like me?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not talk about it,¡± Mo Tan suddenly said with a very gloomy tone. The combination of his emerging anger and his complex character sent a shiver down Double Leaf¡¯s spine. From the girl¡¯s perspective, the answer was already very clear¡­ He must have hit the same wall as she did, and probably took a bigger hit. Because of the irrational ¡®pride¡¯ of men, this guy might feel even more defeated than she did¡­ [Humph, serves him right! Who asked you to tease me, missy, just now? I wonder if the all-powerful Mr. Black will feel even worse when he finds out I, a girl, am his rival, SUN.] Double Leaf thought this to herself maliciously. But after increasingly believing that the messy guy in front of her was not the same person as the smart priest named Hei Fan, under the misleading of Mo Tan, Double Leaf was straying further from the truth¡­ At this point, the situation was reversed. Of course, Mo Tan wasn¡¯t as angry as he appeared to be. His slightly agitated appearance now was more to conceal his urge to burst into laughter. The emotions and expressions he showed to Double Leaf were all pretend, all an act. The performance by Mo Tan had already begun from the message he left for Sun in the morning. This included his interactions with her under the guise of an [Absolutely Neutral] role, his constant provocations just now, and his current anger as if a proud genius had been hit in his own domain, all were fake. All this was to clear Double Leaf¡¯s suspicions about ¡®Hei Fan¡¯ and ¡®Mo Tan¡¯, and to let her drift away in her wrong judgement¡­ Now, only one last step was left. ¡°Anyway,¡± Motan abruptly changed the subject, ¡°I never thought you played this game. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It seems I was too presumptuous to give you a hard time about the Game Cabin.¡± Double Leaf didn¡¯t want to entice him too much. It wasn¡¯t because of the ¡®soft heart¡¯ that most girls have, but rather, she didn¡¯t want to waste precious time testing him by engaging in pointless mutual mockery. After all, who knew when this unpredictable guy would suddenly log off and disappear. So, she picked up his cue and responded, ¡°I felt the same~. I never thought you¡¯d find time to play games, instead of spending your time with tissues and adult videos like the rest of your tribe do.¡± Oops! It seemed she inadvertently mocked him anyway!!! Nevertheless, Motan didn¡¯t seem to mind this time. Instead, he chuckled and said, ¡°I think you have a very biased misconception about male hackers¡­¡± ¡°No, I just thought you were a homebound geek,¡± Double Leaf laughed. The atmosphere suddenly became much more friendly~~ ¡°Haha, I do occasionally go out to feed the stray cats and do some charity work~¡± ¡°Not bad~ I heard guys who take care of animals give a sense of security~¡± Of course, that was all just superficial. After all, these two were not easy to deal with. Although they seemed to get along quite well, they were the type who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to seize any chance to throw each other under the bus¡­ But Double Leaf was always planning to take a big dig at Motan. And the latter, only because he was in a state of ¡°Chaotic Neutral¡±, held this kind of thought, so he could not avoid suffering. Being found out first was a clear example. If it were not for the system bug caused by his multiple personality disorder, Motan, who inadvertently gave himself away, might have lost this game first. When his personality was ¡®Absolute Neutral¡¯, Motan, thinking of this, always felt somewhat scared¡­ But the him now¡­ Just purely felt pleasure and excitement~ As long as it made him feel good, he didn¡¯t mind whether he was digging near a grave or dancing on the blade¡­ It¡¯s all about having fun! As a pop-up window appeared in front of Double Leaf, all of her last-minute doubts were suddenly dispelled. [Player Tan Mo (Chaotic Neutral) requests to add you as a friend] ¡°I feel like a fool,¡± Double Leaf murmured to herself, but then accepted Motan¡¯s friend request without hesitation. After that, she glanced at another name in her friend list. Friend: Hei Fan (Absolute Neutral) Even if this guy might have some problems, and could potentially be a skilled hacker, it didn¡¯t matter anymore¡­ Double Leaf lifted her head and looked at the guy in front of her, a smile appearing on her cute doll-like face. [Because the biggest, most troublesome, and trickiest prey has already appeared~] She suddenly felt an explosion of motivation! ¡°Even though I have caught you off guard by adding you as a friend, don¡¯t gaze into space in shock.¡± Motan¡¯s somewhat cocky voice brought Double Leaf swiftly back from her thoughts. Looking at the somewhat petite redhead mage in front of him, he leaned in close to her ear and whispered¡­. ¡°I want to play a game with you.¡± Chapter 16: The End Chapter 48 - 48 17 Intricate Mystery_1 ?48: Chapter 17: Intricate Mystery_1 48: Chapter 17: Intricate Mystery_1 [You¡¯ve been urgently disconnected, please choose whether to reconnect.] ¡°Yes.¡± [Reconnection initiated¡­] [Connection established, character information loading] [Welcome back, righteous Mor, soon you will be loaded into the World of Innocence, good night.] When Motan finally got his bearings, he found out that he wasn¡¯t rudely spawn in any wild areas by the system, but quite comfortably lying on a clean and soft bed, surrounded by a faint scent. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he had accidentally entered some unmarried lady¡¯s boudoir. Although such clich¨¦d scenarios frequently appear in novels, animations, and countless movies and TV shows, polluting the intelligence of the audience, they certainly do not occur in the World of Innocence and Four-way Split (strike-through), rest assured everyone. ¡°Seems like this isn¡¯t the battlefield from before.¡± Motan sat up and surveyed the room, muttering to himself, ¡°Disconnected just like that, huh. Good thing no one noticed at the time, otherwise who knows what could¡¯ve happened¡­¡± Here¡¯s what happened. Not long ago, after Motan and Double Leaf agreed on something in public, he logged off before she could react, then with great effort, forcibly switched between personalities to log in as Hei Fan. After all, though he was 90% confident that Double Leaf wouldn¡¯t suspect him anymore, he didn¡¯t want to take any extra risks. If Double Leaf were to log in right after their interaction and find that Hei Fan isn¡¯t online, she may remain vigilant. So Motan planned to quickly re-login and return to the camp. If she were to receive a message from Double Leaf, he would respond instantly, which should put her at ease. In this game, players can¡¯t see if their friends are online. If they want to know if someone is playing, they have to either meet face-to-face or confirm over message. But Motan overthought this. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After receiving a friend request from Tan Mo, Double Leaf totally dismissed her previous doubts, thinking she was overthinking. She was focused on ¡®Black,¡¯ who she had just met and hasn¡¯t logged in since. Motan¡¯s theory ¡ª that he was distracted by a sudden influx of false information online and conducted some light investigation ¡ª had no logical flaws. Consequently, Double Leaf believed the cascade of events that followed had nothing to do with the priest she met in the game. At least for now, he had control. Of course, whatever Double Leaf thinks doesn¡¯t matter anymore¡­ Everyone knows that one wrong step will lead to a series of mistakes. After briefly checking the camp, Motan sent a message to Double Leaf. The main content was about how charging the Magic Crystal Lamp was boring, and shared some insights on Magic Power and Faith Perception. He greeted Ned and left the camp to check if the church had any skills he could learn after confirming she¡¯s not online. However, he fell ill on the road. So, he lost the connection¡­ After re-logging the game, the righteous Mor made a brilliant entrance~ That was roughly what happened. However, this is a good thing for Motan (for now) because he was quite concerned about what happened to the Elf Caravan and the Dragon mercenaries who were their escorts. But the first half of the sentence was superfluous, as no matter which personality logged in the game, the character matching the current character would undoubtedly be his favorite. See, psychopaths are so happy~~ ¡°Since I ended up here, it must be ¡®reasonable¡¯, so at least for now, I don¡¯t have to worry about danger.¡± Motan didn¡¯t immediately leave. Instead, he sat on the bed, resting his chin on his hand and pondering. After all, two days had passed. If those he fought side-by-side with had run into trouble, rushing a few minutes wouldn¡¯t help. If everyone was safe, there was no need to hurry. Even though he was righteous, kind, and responsible, the ¡®righteous¡¯ Mor wasn¡¯t the type who was honest and didn¡¯t like to think. Personality doesn¡¯t impact intelligence, so he didn¡¯t rush to act, even thinking that maybe the answer would suddenly appear soon¡­ Motan is now thinking about another matter. A matter that¡¯s essential from every perspective. I¡¯m too weak! ¡®I¡¯ here refers to the actual Motan, regardless of the character¡­ Forget about comparing him with NPCs, even among players, Motan was relatively weak. Not that he didn¡¯t play well or lacked talent. On the contrary, the characters representing each personality were full of potential, but¡­ They lacked time! Others played a single character from 7 pm to 7 am, totally 24 hours of game time (yep, the real world to game world time ratio is 1:2), while Motan had less than a third of that on average. It greatly affects his ability to undertake missions or level up. He didn¡¯t even need to give an example. Chapter 49 - 49 17 Intricate Mystery_2 ?49: Chapter 17: Intricate Mystery_2 49: Chapter 17: Intricate Mystery_2 The role of Mor, the dutifully good-hearted, hasn¡¯t logged in for an entire day, even after a dozen or so chapters¡­ Ahem, this is merely just the beginning. As the total game time of players increases, this disadvantage will quickly grow exponentially, eventually leading to a vicious cycle. Okay, the realm of innocence might be different from other games, the extreme uncertainty might lessen the consequences, but it will still have a major negative impact on Motan. Motan¡¯s split personality disorder isn¡¯t an active skill, but a passive effect, implying¡­ ¡°There¡¯s no solution.¡± Motan lets out a sigh, shaking his head and mutters: ¡°At least not for now.¡± At that moment, he wasn¡¯t lamenting about the unfair treatment, he was simply hoping to possess the power to help others. Like in a similar encounter, the gap in performances between a novice and a max-level hero is as wide as heaven and earth. Be the Death Knight, known for bestowing full buffs, reviving both allies and enemies, or the elderly wizard who can group teleport his team away when outmatched, aren¡¯t they both more reliable than an SCV that can only perform electric welding? No matter the worldview, any highly technical task of damage control or salvation requires substantial power as backing. Motan¡¯s ability is probably even weaker than an SCV, at least they have electric welding! However, despite his bug of multiple characters and the major drawbacks it possesses for Motan, it¡¯s not completely without its advantages, like for example¡­ Clang!! The sudden forceful opening of the door interrupted his thoughts, in rushed a red-faced burly dwarf, who without saying a word embraced Motan tightly. ¡°Um! Mag¡­ Magg!!¡± Motan could only feel the air being squeezed out of his chest. Struggling with a flushed face and a coarse voice, he said: ¡°Go easy! I¡¯m going to¡­die!¡± The man in front of him, a cheerful bearded dwarf warrior, was none other than Magg, the vice-captain of the Dragon Mercenary Corps. Or in other words, Rolling Iron. ¡°Haha~¡± Realizing that he was maybe a bit too excited, Magg quickly loosened his grip, while laughing: ¡°The greenies said you woke up but I didn¡¯t believe it, I didn¡¯t expect it to be true!¡± Motan was slightly confused, asking: ¡°Woke up? So that means I was¡­in a coma before?¡± ¡°Yes, you were in a coma for nearly two days.¡± Magg nodded, sat down next to Motan¡¯s bed, spreading his hands, ¡°We were all concerned for you, during this period members of the mercenary group have been keeping watch outside your room. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was the nature spirits who told us you were awake, tsk tsk, they wouldn¡¯t have set up a magic array in the room for voyeurism. I¡¯ll ask, I¡¯ve long wanted to see Hammer girl take a bath!¡± Well, judging from the name, she probably is a dwarf girl with impressive battle skills. In order to maintain his moral integrity, Motan decided not to ponder about Magg¡¯s remarks. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking, big-beard.¡± A sharp voice came from not far away. Motan and Magg turned their heads, only to see the potted plant near the head of the bed began to move. The plant-like creature stretched out its limb, hooked it on the edge of the pot trying to pull itself out. After a while, it managed to get its ¡®waist¡¯ and below out of the soil. Motan thought this little guy should be the so-called nature spirit, although its image was completely different from ¡®greenie¡¯ as told by Magg. At best it looked like walking chives¡­ ¡°Please keep your astonishment to yourself, I already have a boyfriend.¡± The chive¡­no, nature spirit shook its leaves, then in a hazy green light, morphed into a petite woman that looked like a headteacher (what kind of appearance is this, anyway?), snorted at Magg: ¡°I was the first to know he woke up because I¡¯ve been watching him. That¡¯s all. Your chat is up to you.¡± Then, she walked away with her seductive snake-like waist¡­ She¡¯s so graceful, so elegant. ¡°Don¡¯t question your aesthetics.¡± Magg rolled his eyes, whispering to Motan: ¡°I swear, even among the nature spirits, that one is really ugly¡­¡± The latter blinked without expressing any opinion, just smiling: ¡°As long as everyone¡¯s alright, but to be honest, I am confused¡­¡± No doubt about that, saying nothing else, just Magg¡¯s line of ¡®in a coma for nearly two days¡¯ filled Motan¡¯s mind with questions. Because whether it¡¯s a player logging in or offline, it should be a modest flash of white light, snap, and the character appears~ or disappears~ Motan had never heard of such a thing as one¡¯s avatar remaining in the game even after logging out¡­ Although the developers had never explicitly explained the intricacies of logging in and out, merely vaguely stating ¡®under reasonably appropriate circumstances¡¯, the idea of an avatar remaining unconscious in the game for nearly two days after logging out seemed overly fantastical! Not getting to the bottom of this would surely give Motan chills! Think about it, one¡¯s character in the game could be considered an extension of a player, right? A sort of alter ego, and yet, after logging out, your otherin a world filled with Orcs, Ogres, Lizardmen, Magic, Alchemy ¨C a mystical, chaotic world. That would surely leave anyone in cold sweats! ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you!¡± Morge patted Mo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Otherwise, we would never have made it here without any casualties. The Terrestrial Dragon owes you,¡± ¡°Thanks to me?¡± Motan ran his hand through his hair, confused. ¡°All I did was yell about breaking through, even if I hadn¡¯t said it, professionals like you would have made the same choice, right?¡± He didn¡¯t believe the mercenaries and forest sprites were all idiots, ignoring the glaring flaming path, which was their only way out. At most, he had just reacted a bit quicker¡­ ¡°Have you forgotten what happened after?¡± Morge stared at Motan for a while and mumbled, ¡°Could it be a side effect? After all, no one really knows what you did¡­¡± Motan asked curiously, ¡°What did I do?¡± Morge gave him a wry smile and retrieved a small wine pouch from somewhere on his person, took a grand swig, and reminisced, ¡°What did you do? Just as we had barely gathered and prepared to break through, you suddenly screamed. Then all the countless Sand Gnomes and Mud Fish suddenly dropped to the ground¡­some spat out blood, some gasped for breath, some fainted, but none stood up. A while later, you also fell. We then brought you here.¡± It took Motan about five seconds to process Morge¡¯s words before he shrugged, signaling that his friend hadn¡¯t yet made his point clear, ¡°Could you be a little more specific?¡± The normally slow Dwarf warrior agreed and then animatedly chatted with him for over half an hour¡­ In the end, this was what Motan understood: Following his cry, everyone began to prepare for the break through, during which time he had already been logged out. However, rather than disappearing in a flash of light as was customary, his avatar in the game became non-responsive. The ambushers who were already restructuring their assault seemed to be planning a second round of fierce attack. Then suddenly, ¡®he¡¯ bellowed into the sky. A second later, a multitude of Sand Gnomes and Mud Fish around him fell like dominoes ¡ª the elusive archers included, who didn¡¯t fire even a single arrow. The imminent danger had somehow been peculiarly diffused¡­ However, he who should have been the benefactor, also fell and fell into unconsciousness. The mercenary group was completely baffled by this phenomenon. Finally, an ancient forest sprite who looked like he had been alive for quite some time, came forward. He squinted at Motan for a while before deriving a vague conclusion ¡ª that this kid probably activated some forbidden power, paying a heavy price to instantly finish off a large group of enemies. Then he passed out, presumably due to exhaustion, depletion, some price, backlash, or some other reason only known to the gods. ¡­ All this was stretched out into a half an hour discussion by Morge! Motan, who was initially confused, found himself even more baffled after the conversation¡­ Chapter Seventeen: End Chapter 50 - 50 18 Adventurer_1 ?50: Chapter 18: Adventurer_1 50: Chapter 18: Adventurer_1 Anyway, now, whether it¡¯s the forest spirit or members of the Fourth Squad of the Ground Dragon Mercenary Group, they all treated Motan as the hero who saved everyone that day, even though the so-called ¡®hero¡¯ himself knows less about the incident than any of the parties involved¡­ But only the NPCs would think so, Gale Sean, who was also a witness that day, might not necessarily agree, after all, he is a legitimate player. On the first day of the server opening, it¡¯s unrealistic for him to defeat hundreds of monsters in a non-P2W game. Unfortunately, Motan has no way to ask him for confirmation. It¡¯s not that the others left the caravan a while ago, but simply that Sean might not be online¡­ ¡®Mage¡¯ stated that he hasn¡¯t seen that ¡®now-you-see-him-now-you-don¡¯t¡¯ kid since last night. ¡°Alright, I think I¡¯ve got a rough idea.¡± After setting aside his suspicion of using the ultimate move, Motan yawned and asked Mage: ¡°Where are we now?¡± ¡°Anka Market.¡± The dwarf looked at Motan slightly puzzled: ¡°The forest spirit caravan will stop here for a few days, then continue to Sky Pillar Mountain in the west, is there a problem?¡± Of course there is a problem, Motan¡¯s head is filled with questions now, but it¡¯s hard for him to ask them all. He had to go along with Mage¡¯s statement and asked: ¡°When do we set off?¡± ¡°We?¡± Mage paused for a moment, then pointed to Motan¡¯s head with some concern: ¡°Weren¡¯t your previous destination the Anka Market? And that kid named Sean too¡­¡± Got it, Motan understood that the system initially assigned him to come to this place, hitching a ride as a traveler. So the previous question would naturally confuse Mage, who is probably suspecting right now that Motan is suffering from a condition known as ¡®stupidity¡¯¡­ ¡°I seem to have forgotten a lot of things when I woke up.¡± Mo smiled shyly: ¡°Even though my body is fine, many things in my memory are vague.¡± Mage smirked: ¡°Sounds like those stage plays that are popular among human nobles. I saw one once, very interesting~¡± ¡°Stage play?¡± Motan was stunned and subconsciously asked: ¡°What are they about? Are they interesting?¡± ¡°Very interesting!¡± The dwarf described with enthusiasm: ¡°Now the most popular ones are about love, like a lady of a noble family and a poor kid, a rich businessman¡¯s son and a beggar girl, they fall in love, then problems always arise. Such as him being hit by a dragon by accident and losing his memory, or her being diagnosed with an incurable disease that even the Pope can¡¯t solve, or the rich one suddenly going bankrupt after being robbed by a big thief, or they found out they are not their parents¡¯ real children, all very funny!¡± At this point, Motan was already breaking out in a cold sweat¡­ ¡°There¡¯s more!¡± Mage spoke with excitement: ¡°Although when I accompanied Iron Hammer to watch one, it only had memory loss, incurable diseases, and illegitimate children and the likes, but I heard that a few years ago there was a popular drama about a noble young man in love with a bunch of girls, only to find out that they were all his half-sisters¡­¡± Motan decided not to let this dwarf with such diverse interests to continue his story and quickly interrupted: ¡°I get it, I get it! I just came from a small place and want to see the world, to gain some knowledge. That¡¯s also why I plan to come to Anka. Mage, why don¡¯t you give me a briefing on the local customs¡­¡± [You don¡¯t have to give me the briefing, but at least don¡¯t drown me with these cringe-worthy cultures while I¡¯m trying to play a game!] This was his inner wailing¡­ ¡°From a small place¡­¡± Mage suddenly looked at the tail behind Motan and asked, ¡°You¡¯re not a reptile from the half-beastmen tribe, right?¡± Motan shook his head honestly and replied: ¡°I should be a half-dragon.¡± Upon hearing this, Mage was silent for a while, then sighed, patted Motan¡¯s shoulder and mumbled: ¡°No wonder¡­¡± But he didn¡¯t continue, so as not to bring up some of Motan¡¯s sad memories. Instead, he took out a slightly tattered notebook from his bosom and handed it over. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­¡± Motan took the black leather journal, which reeked of alcohol. As he glanced down, he was suddenly overjoyed and looked up at Mage eagerly: ¡°Can I borrow this?¡± ¡°Mage¡¯s Adventure Notes¡± Quality: Common, Unique Use: Read [Note: Dwarf warrior Mage. Rolling Iron¡¯s journal, records vast knowledge of adventurers and a simple map of the northwest of the continent. It also includes a few recipes of herbs, edible parts of common monsters and basic outdoor survival knowledge. Lastly, for the sake of the player¡¯s mental and physical health, we strongly advise against turning to pages 77-82. Any consequences will be borne by the player himself.] Even if some strange things were mixed in, Motan still recognized the value of this adventure journal for a novice like him, which is irreplaceable¡ªthe wisdom! At the beginning of the game, when the officials didn¡¯t provide any reliable information, the players were struggling to get started because no one knew which of their words would offend someone¡¯s taboo, or would be regarded as heresy. Especially in the game Innocent World, where the NPCs are all very smart, many careless players have paid the price for various inappropriate behaviors. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 51 - 51 18 Adventurer_2 ?51: Chapter 18: Adventurer_2 51: Chapter 18: Adventurer_2 Even in the real world, members of the same race can beat each other senseless over various taboos, beliefs, and customs. Those who share the same skin color and speak the same language can even unblinkingly burn or kill others as ¡®heretics¡¯. Not to mention, in this vast, bizarre game world filled with a myriad of diverse races. Although many basic principles are not necessarily recorded in Mage¡¯s notes, for Motan, this was already invaluable. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Here you go.¡± The dwarf laughed at Motan, who was first startled then lost for words: ¡°Don¡¯t rush to refuse, I¡¯ve memorized almost everything inside. I can rewrite it at any time. Since you said you want to travel and broaden your horizons, this handbook should help you somewhat. Consider it as a thank you for what you¡¯ve done.¡± Upon hearing this, Motan no longer feigned humility. He carefully took ¡°Mage¡¯s Adventure Notes¡± and solemnly said to Mage: ¡°I will keep it safe, my friend.¡± ¡°By the way!¡± Mage¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, he asked Motan: ¡°Do you want to become a mercenary?¡± ¡­ After ten minutes, Motan stood in front of the headquarters of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in Anka market, dressed in high-quality white iron chain armor and a black steel longsword enchanted with entry-level spells at his waist, smiling brilliantly. He didn¡¯t forget how the old priest on the shore of Lake Daming forced him to buy a ¡®cost price¡¯ textbook for 20 copper coins. He didn¡¯t forget the endless disappointment when playing games that involved opening boxes or unpacking. He didn¡¯t forget how the first card always managed to oppose him in card games. He didn¡¯t forget the countless rights to loot he lost due to sudden disconnects caused by his changing mood. Anyway, whenever he played a game related to luck, even if he gambled online out of disdain for superstition, Motan was always the one who fell into the deepest pit, bearing the title of the most unlucky. And now¡­ ¡°Finally!¡± Motan clenched his fists, teary-eyed, and exclaimed: ¡°My luck has finally turned around!!¡± Mor, being ¡°lawfully good¡±, played for less than three hours in total, but got the kind of luck that seemed as if his head was always under the skirt of the goddess of luck. Not only did he win the very valuable adventure notes for a newbie, but Mage, upon learning that he wanted to become a mercenary, thrust a full set of high-quality gear at him. If it weren¡¯t for his current level and abilities being somewhat low, he might have gotten even more¡­ And that¡¯s not all! Mage also gave him two moves of his favorite battle skills, commonly referred to as ¡°skills¡± by players. [Charge] Active Weapon Skill Requirements: any Weapon Specialization level 1, Strength 7 Cost/Limitation: 50 Stamina Points, Possess a melee weapon Effect: Rush towards a specific point within 8-20 meters from the user, upon reaching the target location, deliver a definite critical hit to the nearest enemy unit. During the charge, all damage received is increased by 20%, but the user is not affected by any slow, immobilize, or stun effects. Cooldown time of 5 minutes. Note: Although it¡¯s cool to charge with sparks and lightning, only reckless running on the battlefield is a man¡¯s romance. Whether attacking or escaping, always move with the mindset that ¡°there¡¯s a goblin high-explosive rocket chasing me!¡± With this skill, combined with the ¡®Charging Heavy Strike¡¯ that Motan learned after choosing the warrior profession, his instantaneous mobility can even surpass that of a ranger or thief of the same level¡­ That is if there really are level 1 rangers or thieves interested in racing him. In short, Motan can now proudly say: ¡°I¡¯m very fast~!¡± Then there was the second¡­ [Voldemort] Passive Skill Requirement: None Cost/Limit: None Effect: When standing still (this condition does not need to be met when in high-density shelters), if you maintain your height below 1.5 meters for 10 seconds, you will become less noticeable until your height exceeds this limit. Your next attack will cause 20% more damage. Cool-down time is 1 minute. [Note: Hey, isn¡¯t it cool standing up there? The little deaf-blind one at the front, take my big Avada Kedavra!] This is one of Mage¡¯s favorite tricks. Although it¡¯s not easy for Motan, it¡¯s still a highly practical passive skill. In Mage¡¯s words, if you find it tiresome to keep bending over, you can lie down, kneel, or even prone, just be careful not to do this in a crowded place, as being stepped on is quite painful¡­ In any case, since the person in charge on the elf side was temporarily not around, and Motan¡¯s physical condition seemed okay, Mage cheerfully let him head out. The first thing Motan did was to register as an adventurer. ¡­ Anka marketplace is situated in the northwest of the mainland. Despite being called a marketplace, it¡¯s large enough to fit two Stacked Rock Cities. Due to its unique geographical location, it is a major transportation hub. The Anka marketplace is bustling every day with a large number of merchants, mercenaries, adventurers, and people from various walks of life. In this era when barter is still prevalent, this lawless area has gradually developed into the commercial hub of the northwest. Over time, it has formed into a large-scale, influential ¡®marketplace¡¯. The two major business groups on the Innocent Continent, numerous sects, and ubiquitous Mage Guild, Adventurer¡¯s Guild, Mercenary Association, etc., also have large branch offices here. The latter two have the largest scale, and the presence of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and the Mercenary Association Anka branch can almost be called one of the landmark buildings here. This made it easy for Motan to find his first stop ¨C Anka Branch of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. This structure built of grey-green rocks, covering roughly one square kilometer, was situated in the north region of Anka marketplace. This hexagonal building, resembling a Roman Colosseum, doesn¡¯t have the luxury of a palace, the majesty of a castle, or the solemnity of a church. Yet it holds a bohemian and unrestrained temperament. Albeit unusual to describe a building¡¯s ¡®temperament,¡¯ it didn¡¯t feel out of place. Next to the ever-open door of the guild, known as the Pioneer¡¯s Gate, stood two massive statues. One was a stooped gnome mage with a long beard, and the other a humanoid creature, carrying a spear, broadsword, hunting bow, and heavy shield on its back, with a torch and map in each hand. Motan, stepping up to the Pioneer¡¯s Gate, looked up¡­ The Gnome Mage was holding a giant book in his hands, with a lifelike feather pen standing upright on it, as if magically writing by itself. His other hand leaned on a silver cane, with amplified engravings emitting a rainbow-like glow, illuminating his cheeks that seemed to have been weathered by the passage of time. A line of small words was inscribed on the base of the statue: ¡°To the great pioneer, Gary, who sleeps in the pursuit of endless unknown. President An Quan salutes you. The light of hope you lit will be passed on to our generations, and the writing of the Book of Returning Home will not cease until everything in this world has been explored.¡± ¡°I salute you¡­¡± Motan bowed slightly towards the statue with lowered eyes as if lost in thought, and then walked towards the statue beside the door. This statue, looking like a weapon master, had no facial features, and its figure seemed completely exhausted. Several details that could accentuate gender or racial attributes were skilfully hidden under the equipment, many parts stained with dark red ¡®blood,¡¯ yet it still seemed stubbornly wanting to take another step¡­ ¡°Respect yourselves.¡± Only these simple seven words, but they felt worth a thousand words. This wasn¡¯t a statue but a mirror¡­ A mirror where every adventurer could see themselves. Chapter 18: End Chapter 52 - 52 19 Dont Judge a Book by Its Cover_1 ?52: Chapter 19: Don¡¯t Judge a Book by Its Cover_1 52: Chapter 19: Don¡¯t Judge a Book by Its Cover_1 ¡°What did you see?¡± Without warning, a middle-aged man of refined appearance clad in a dark blue robe appeared next to Motan, curiously tilting his head as he asked the question. ¡°I saw an epic.¡± Motan glanced at the statue of Gary, the founder of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, then turned back to look at the statue of the Nameless Adventurer, a figure with no discernable facial features or identifying marks of any profession or race. ¡°And also a mirror~¡± Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The man smiled warmly at him, ¡°Well said, that¡¯s how I feel whenever I come here too¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a feeling.¡± Motan gave the man a faint smile and shook his head, ¡°An epic and a mirror, that¡¯s what I saw, but if you ask how I felt¡­¡± He raised his head to gaze at the Pioneers¡¯ Gate, a structure so vast it could easily admit even a ginormous adult dragon, and murmured, ¡°Freedom and rebellion, nothing more.¡± The man paused momentarily, giving Motan a thoughtful look. However, he chose not to respond, simply patted Motan¡¯s shoulder and turned away. Curious, Motan looked back, only to find the stranger had vanished as though he had never been there at all. A pang of regret came over him. Had he crafted his response with a little more forethought rather than simply uttering what was in his mind, perhaps he would have been offered some hidden mission from the handsome man, such as a night visit to the Temple of Hill at the outskirts of Anka market¡­ Followed by a reward of a book on Sword Control Technique, a full set of Heaven Master Symbols, and an immortal sister with the bloodline of the goddess Nuwa~ ¡°Idiot.¡± Motan rolled his eyes at himself, inwardly cursing before striding towards the Adventurer Guild¡¯s Pioneer¡¯s Gate. He needed to rush his registration as his connection was unpredictable and he couldn¡¯t afford to waste time daydreaming. As one of the largest Adventurer¡¯s Guild branches on the Northwest Continent, the Anka branch was filled with adventurers of different races, genders, ages, worldviews, and sexual orientation. The sight was so overwhelming, it made Motan feel like he had accidentally entered a subway station during rush hour¡­ Not that the crowd was so packed he¡¯d be carried off his feet, but the sheer number of adventurers was larger than all the beings he had seen in the game combined. A lean thief, shrouded entirely in black leather with a dagger hanging at his waist and not a single air hole in his mask, was leaning against a wall as if asleep, projecting an aura of deadly menace. A petite white elf huntress with pointy ears and a longbow on her back was quietly conversing with her companions. Motan noticed an almost indiscernible halo ripple around her every now and then, suggesting perhaps beneath her agile exterior, she was also a steadfast female priest. An elderly human mage strolled calmly through the crowd, with every formidable adventurer making way as he passed. His simple, unremarkable wand emitted sparks while his deep well of magic was unfathomable. There was also a silent half-orc girl standing in front of a shop window, her gray wolf ears and sharp fangs visible. Despite her quiet demeanor, it was evident she had just completed a dangerous and difficult task and was waiting for a higher-level officer to arrive¡­ And so many others were there, their formidable presence clear with just one glance! [As expected from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, indeed¡­] Immediately upon his arrival, Motan gathered quite a bit of information with just a quick scan. He was both awed and respectful. Yet just after formulating this thought, a loud wail sounded across the hall. ¡°Argh! Who stepped on my foot!¡± The lean thief, who earlier projected an ¡®intense icy chill,¡¯ jumped three feet high, peering around warily before asking in confusion, ¡°Eh? Why is it dark?¡± A kind hearted passerby patted his arm and pointed out, ¡°Your mask has fallen¡­¡± ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± He quickly readjusted his mask and mumbled, ¡°Actually it¡¯s supposed to be flipped down. I just forgot to cut out the holes earlier. No wonder I felt so suffocated when I accidentally dozed off¡­ ¡± Motan: ¡°¡­..¡± Then, not far away, the elegant elf huntress who was suspected to be a ¡®steadfast female priest,¡¯ complained to her companion with a crestfallen face, ¡°But it¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean beautiful?¡± The lizardman summoner next to her turned green with anger, stamping his feet while scolding her, ¡°What¡¯s a ranger apprentice like you doing buying halo sparkle powder when you have plenty of free time? If you were skilled in tree climbing, I could let it slide. But no, you¡¯re an elf who can¡¯t even climb trees and intermittently emit light, are you looking for a quick death!?¡± The ranger apprentice shrunk back, her face flushed as she quietly retorted, ¡°All girls like to sparkle, and the one I bought was almost expired from the Goblin¡¯s second-hand market, so it shouldn¡¯t sparkle that much¡­¡± Chapter 53 - 53 19 Dont Judge a Book by Its Cover_2 ?53: Chapter 19: Don¡¯t Judge a Book by Its Cover_2 53: Chapter 19: Don¡¯t Judge a Book by Its Cover_2 ¡°Goblin market?! Those bastards sell things stuffed with gunpowder!¡± The lizardman, looking as though he was about to change colors, pointed at Motan and shouted at the increasingly panicked young elf. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious! Haven¡¯t you noticed that random bystander who looks utterly clueless has been staring at you for a while?!¡± Motan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Then the crowd around him started to stir, with faint shouts of ¡®run¡¯ and ¡®oh crap¡¯, and, Motan stiffly turned around to face the ¡®inscrutable¡¯ old mage, who was cheerily waving his hands and feet as he approached, still calling out: ¡°Why are you all avoiding me?! This wand of mine is a family heirloom, despite being old it won¡¯t just explode randomly!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± A dwarf priest, who was so terrified that he couldn¡¯t squeeze past others, waved and screamed in terror: ¡°You old fool who¡¯s about to meet his maker yet still managed to stay a beginner mage! Stay away from me!¡± Immediately a sizable number of people around him echoed loudly¡­ ¡°That¡¯s right! Stay away from us!¡± ¡°This old guy¡¯s antique wand that blows up everything except himself has exploded four times just last month!¡± ¡°Four times? I remember it was three¡­¡± ¡°You were still recovering from your injury during the last explosion~¡± ¡°Ah, wait a minute, I¡¯m a bit dizzy. How did I get hurt then?¡± ¡°He blew you up!¡± ¡°Damn!¡± Anyway, everyone except for Motan who was still in shock, had quickly run far away, and then¡­ The unusually talented ¡®beginner mage¡¯ in his eighties, suddenly had a twinkle in his eye and rushed towards Motan, jogging while cheerfully saying, ¡°Young man, do you want to team up? My fireball is really powerful!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Watching the old mage¡¯s antique wand intermittently sparking in mid-air, Motan couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill rise within him and he quickly held-up his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t come closer¡­¡± BANG!!! A minute later, Motan picked himself off the ground, looking a mess, he sighed as he checked his HP, which was now barely at 5%. Everything happened so suddenly. The moment the mage¡¯s wand started billowing black smoke, Motan didn¡¯t hesitate to snatch it. He then hurled the wand into the air with a speed that could rival a soldier tossing a live grenade under his feet, and even pushed the mage onto the ground¡­ Following this, he lost 90% of his HP from the explosion and got burned by the fire, causing an additional 5% HP damage. So, it¡¯s said for a reason that good guys often have short lives¡­ ¡°Bloody hell, that hurts¡­¡± Motan, dazed, stands up and staggers to the wall, where he collapses. He ignores the stunned old mage and the surrounding crowd¡¯s gaze and applause, feeling like his life was over. Then he hears a ¡®woof~¡¯ next to him. Woof?!? Motan turns around and feels all the color drain from his face. The classy half-orc girl, who he had noticed earlier, finally spoke up, but she had only one syllable to offer, a ¡®woof¡¯¡­ ¡°Um~¡± The human girl behind the counter held her head in her hand, then spread her palms at the seemingly dog-like half-orc girl: ¡°How bad is your Universal Language?¡± ¡°Woof o(¨i©n¨i)o¡­¡± ¡°Well, how about this? For mission inquiries, bark once. For complaints and such, bark 1473 times.¡± ¡°Woof?!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s about a mission, huh? S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Accepting or completing? Bark once for accepting, twice for completing.¡± ¡°Woof(*^¨Œ^*).¡± ¡°Give me the manual, let me have a look¡­ You can take the lowest E-level missions at present.¡± The receptionist girl handed the bone-printed manual back to her: ¡°Go look at the task board, write down the number and come back to register.¡± ¡°Woof¡­¡± The half-orc girl reaches out her hand. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll give you a pen. Remember to return it to me later.¡± ¡°Woof~~(?¦Ø?)¡± The half-beast girl took the pen and ran off. Suppressing a strong urge to vomit blood, Motan, who had slightly recovered his stamina, struggled up from the ground and went to the counter where the charismatic salesgirl was. He waved at her through the window, ¡°Excuse me~¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± She played absentmindedly with her fingernails and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Motan replied with a polite smile, ¡°I would like to register as an adventurer, do I need to¡­¡± Bam! A form was slapped right in front of Motan. The salesgirl glanced at him, ¡°Fill this out and hand it to me, and I will give you the handbook.¡± ¡°Is it so simple?¡± Motan was surprised. Although by now, he felt that he should have become accustomed to any ridiculous thing happening, Mag had mentioned about the registration for adventurers which was not difficult, but a simple assessment would still be required. Could it be that the information was outdated? ¡°Technically, we should conduct a slight test because we do have some rules here,¡± the girl flashed a smile at Motan then pointed to the scorch marks on his body, ¡°But seeing that you have survived under Jadka¡¯s self-destruct magic wand without getting injured or dying, your strength should qualified. After all, judging by the strength of the magic fluctuation, if you were a weakling, you would¡¯ve been burnt to ashes right here by now¡­¡± Could it be that they also practice cremation in the Innocent Continent? Motan chuckled and nodded, borrowing a pen from her to fill out the not-so-complicated form. He quickly filled in his basic information such as name, gender, age, and under the strength column, he wrote ¡®Junior Warrior¡¯. ¡°Mol?¡± The girl mumbled while processing Motan¡¯s rank on the crystal panel next to her, ¡°This name is pretty unique, it isn¡¯t a fake name, right? Maybe your real name was something like Silly Cow¡­ Hmm, doesn¡¯t matter anyway, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild will only recognize this name from now on, here you go.¡± With that, she handed Motan a thin black handbook. ¡°Thank you~¡± Motan thanked her politely and took the handbook, then heard the system prompt sound in his ear. [You have unlocked the identity system] [You have obtained the identity: Junior Adventurer] [Junior Adventurer] Identity (Not Unique) Usage: Take or register for E-level tasks at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild [Note: Noob] ¡­ [You have obtained bonded item: Adventurer¡¯s Handbook] [Adventurer¡¯s Handbook] Bonded, Unique Usage: Prove your identity [Note: Although reissuance doesn¡¯t require any process, it¡¯s very expensive¡­very expensive¡­very expensive¡­] ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± The girl smiled at him, ¡°You¡¯re now a junior adventurer. You can only take on the lowest level tasks, which are troublesome and frustrating. But it¡¯s safe at least. Once you complete certain tasks, you can level up and take on higher-level tasks. But it¡¯s better to wait until you¡¯ve improved your strength before doing so, the annual death rate of our Anka branch is high enough, so for our bonus, please be sure to stay safe¡­¡± Motan was touched at first but was left full of complaints when she finished speaking. After thanking her again, he quickly walked towards the task board not far from the center of the hall, wanting to see how frustrating these E-level tasks could be. ¡­ ¡°This is against the rules, President.¡± After watching Motan leave, the girl softly muttered as though talking to herself, ¡°If anything happens, you¡¯ll be responsible¡­¡± With a wave of hazy fluctuation, the gentle man, who Motan had met before at the branch¡¯s entrance, appeared behind the girl, shrugged, ¡°When did you ever take responsibility when things went wrong? Don¡¯t worry, that young man is quite interesting¡­¡± Martin Slone, the president of Anka Adventurer¡¯s branch, known as the Great Sage of Starlight, murmured with a soft laugh, ¡°I saw redemption in his eyes¡­¡± Chapter Nineteen: The End Chapter 54 - 54 20 The Forest is Very Big_1 ?54: Chapter 20: The Forest is Very Big_1 54: Chapter 20: The Forest is Very Big_1 Throughout his life, Motan has spent nearly two-thirds of his time dealing with various troubles. Half of this time was spent creating them, for himself, his friends, local hooligans, school bullies, hackers going by the code name SUN, but whose real name is Mu You and are nicknames Double Leaf, decent folk, classmates and teachers, beat cops, community committees, and city management¡­ but that last one seems a bit over his head¡­ Regardless, the phrase ¡°creating trouble¡± has always followed him around. Most recently, he was given merit for sweating out forty words for an author (scratch that whole sentence). What I¡¯m trying to say is, this behavior doesn¡¯t really burden him. Whether in terms of life quality or moral condemnation, none of the obstacles he put in others¡¯ paths ever affected Motan, not even a little bit. However, the issue is this: for that two-thirds of his life spent dealing with troubles, half was spent with a fondness for resolving them. We could also phrase this differently¡ªhow about ¡°finding joy in helping others¡±? During this half of his life, whenever someone faced difficulties or crises, as long as they weren¡¯t strictly evil or brought it on themselves, he was always willing to lend a hand, asking for nothing in return. That is, unless those so-called ¡®rewards¡¯ could make the person in question feel a little better about themselves. Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t be kind enough to give money to those lazy, highly skilled, and face-rich fake beggars, but he would be willing to help a boy who made a living by ¡®recycling¡¯ pick up empty bottles and waste paper for half a day, for fear of hurting the humble and fragile self-esteem in others¡¯ eyes. In fact, Motan, who has never been satisfied with the vague notions of morality and law, never felt that he represented ¡®justice,¡¯ at least in the literal sense. Yet he always followed his own principles, helping anyone he deemed deserving, a position that may seem narrow, but often proved more objective than generalized ideas of fairness. ¡°Have you seen ¡®The Study in Scarlet¡¯? If it were a real story, I would do everything I could to help Hou Bo. The law may not forgive a murderer, but I would. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If the truth meant a good person would be judged and punished for sending two villains to hell, I would rather help him bury the truth forever.¡± These were words spoken by Motan in a state of ¡®Lawful Good¡¯ to Winter during a casual chat many years ago. ¡°It¡¯s a fair trial, but the problem lies in the fact that law does not offer forgiveness.¡± Winter shrugged. ¡°The detective¡¯s job is to reveal the truth. But I never thought you would say something like this. I thought I knew you well.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know myself as well as you do.¡± Motan just gave a light smile and answered, ¡°I never fancied myself a judge or representative of justice. I just want a clear conscience.¡± Winter paused for a long time before finally rolling his eyes and saying, ¡°You know what, being friends with you is really exhausting. Just three hours ago, I watched as you replaced dozens of first year high school reference books in the library with illustrated erotic novels, all for a so-called ¡®kick¡¯¡­..¡± ¡°I regret it now; that kind of literature pollutes the minds of young boys and girls too much.¡± Motan replied with a helpless, bitter smile, ¡°Do you mind helping me switch them back?¡± ¡°Fuck off!¡± ¡­ In summary, although I took a more than one thousand one hundred word detour, I only really wanted to communicate one thing: the current Motan will not be dissatisfied with the frankly pitiful E-class missions before him. After all, for him, even something as trivial as helping an old lady find her lost cat from two days ago has purpose¡­ He adheres to his own perception of justice, trying as best as he can to stand with the weak, the good, or those who suffer injustice. All he does is for his own sense of justice, judging those who should be punished yet drink happily on the suffering of the innocent. That¡¯s enough. So what if the ones he helps are AI? What if the ones he judges are just data? What does it matter if all of this is meaningless? It doesn¡¯t matter. Really, it doesn¡¯t matter. Standing in front of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild¡¯s mission board in the hall, Motan had spent about ten minutes looking at the hundreds of E-class missions on the Magic Crystal Screen, contemplating the rich experiences that awaited him. If he doesn¡¯t get kicked offline¡­ Do not think having a ¡®quickly query task data¡¯ function on the Magic Crystal Screen in a world filled with fantasy elements is inconsistent. After all, although it is not very scientific, it is certainly very magic. Those who are in worlds filled with swords, fighting spirit, or spiritual energy, who can destroy stars in a fit of anger, and can fly at ten times the speed of light in a minute, yet have to turn over half a day¡¯s worth of ancient books just to look up information, are truly bullshit. They¡¯re neither scientific nor magical, and not even a bit cultivational¡­ Anyway, digression over¡­ Chapter 55 - 55 20 The Forest is Very Big_2 ?55: Chapter 20: The Forest is Very Big_2 55: Chapter 20: The Forest is Very Big_2 After looking at the tasks, Motan didn¡¯t rush to accept one to increase his Adventurer¡¯s level. Instead, he decided to head back, say hello to Meg, and ask when the leader of the caravan, also the employer of the Sand Dragon Mercenary Group, would be free to see him. He wanted to try and manage his time as best as possible so even if he were forcibly logged out, it wouldn¡¯t be too abrupt. After all, causing unnecessary trouble for others due to his own actions was something that he wanted to avoid as much as possible. However, as he turned to leave, he saw Meg standing off in the distance. Next to him were three other members of the mercenary group: Small Beard from that day, the human female mage who was good with Dragon Breath, and the Lizardman Second Leader who had the legendary Idari Fire Gun. ¡°Hey~ Mor! We¡¯re over here!¡± Almost at the same time, Meg saw Motan turning around and waved enthusiastically at him, ¡°Come over here!¡± There was really no need for him to call out so dramatically. Although the combination of the four of them was very common in the Adventurer¡¯s sub-branch, their unique aura (mainly looking more reliable than others) made them stand out. Consider this, in a place filled with senior mages whose wands may explode, thieves who forget to make holes in their masks, rangers trying to make themselves more dazzling by purchasing flash powder, dog women who only bark¡­. etc. Even someone like Meg, who has a heavy drinker¡¯s temperament and an affection for dramatic plots, can be considered decent enough¡­ ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re finally awake,¡± said the female mage who had cleared the way for them with a Dragon Breath spell last time. She smiled at the approaching Motan and asked, ¡°How do you feel?¡± Motan blinked, indicating his surroundings: ¡°Are you referring to physically or this place? I was decent to begin with, but because of this place, I can only feel fortunate to be alive¡­¡± He then briefly described for Meg and the others about the recent ¡®magic wand exploded on the spot¡¯ incident, which left them dumbfounded. ¡°Huh¡­.¡± Meg glanced at him then shrugged, ¡°Well, I suppose I should have warned you to be careful. The first floor of every Adventurer¡¯s Guild is quite chaotic, filled with low-level adventurers making all sorts of racket. I just didn¡¯t think you¡¯d run into something like that. In any case, as long as you¡¯re alive, it¡¯s all good!¡± The female mage, Kasha, standing nearby murmured: ¡°I¡¯ve heard about that guy. His name is Jadka. His ancestors were knights, but he decided to become a mage. He got an antique wand from somewhere and claims it to be a family heirloom. But thinking about it¡­¡± She scratched her cheek thoughtfully, frowning: ¡°I heard he was quite powerful in his youth, capable of knocking down a dozen advanced wild beasts in one minute. Turns out he¡¯s still a novice mage after all these years!¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± The Small Beard raised his hand to interject: ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but I have never heard of a novice mage who could take down so many powerful beasts in a minute!¡± Kasha rolled her eyes: ¡°He did it by smashing them with the wand. Didn¡¯t Mor just experience it? The thing explodes, you know¡­¡± ¡°And he¡¯s not affected by it?!¡± Motan finally couldn¡¯t help asking: ¡°Or is it that the wand doesn¡¯t explode on its owner?¡± If that were true, he would feel terribly wronged for rushing to save the old man only to be nearly blown up. ¡°Not exactly.¡± Kasha shook her head: ¡°The wand allegedly explodes on everyone.¡± Hearing this, Motan felt a bit more balanced, but then¡­ ¡°But he can actually handle it.¡± Kasha continued: ¡°It¡¯s probably due to his bloodline. Although he and I are both humans with relatively mediocre talents in all aspects, I¡¯ve heard Jadka¡¯s physical strength is at least at the level of an advanced warrior. Moreover, despite his poor casting ability, he has a small innate affinity with fire elements. While that doesn¡¯t help much with his mage career, it does give him certain resistance to fire elements, so¡­ alas¡­ if he had followed the path of a knight or a warrior, he would probably be a great adventurer by now.¡± Halfway through her words, Motan has already turned utterly pale¡­ Turns out the bearded old man who swung his wand like a siege hammer, the puppet Pinocchio with maxed-out sniper specialization, the White Bone Spirit that seemed like a Lich but was actually a Succubus, and the Minotaur Machine Gunner¡­ these weren¡¯t just for show, they were actually real?! Motan felt as if the sound of his beliefs shattering were echoing in his ears¡­ ¡°Holy Smokes!¡± Mage stared in shock for a while then muttered, ¡°This world is so dangerous.¡± But Motan has already adjusted his mood quickly. He casually changed the subject, ¡°Speaking of Mage, it¡¯s actually perfect timing. I was just about to go back and ask you when the eldern that the Elf wants me to meet would be available¡­¡± ¡°Who knows,¡± Mage shook his large head like a rattle drum, ¡°Probably in the next day or two, why?¡± ¡°No biggie,¡± Motan pointed to the magic crystal screen behind him, ¡°I plan to do some tasks first. I might be a bit busy later on, so I wanted to give you a heads up in case you can¡¯t find me.¡± The¡­ second Battalion¡­ Captain finally found an opportunity to interject. He smiled and said in a broken Common language typical of Lizardmen, ¡°That¡¯s fine, we¡¯re going to stay in the city for a few days anyway. It¡¯s nice that you can find something to do to kill time. There is no rush with the trade convoy¨CElves are always slow~¡± ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll go ahead,¡± Mage burped, waved his hand, ¡°E-rank tasks are not at all difficult. Stay at the same place for a few days. If something comes up, just find me or any of the three others.¡± Motan readily agreed. After Mage and his group headed over to the mercenary guild not far away, Motan turned around and returned to his previous window, only to find out the person inside had changed. ¡°Hello, can I help you with anything?¡± A polite half-elf bowed slightly towards Motan. His manner and professionalism were worlds away from the young lady before. However, Motan wasn¡¯t bothered. It¡¯s perfectly normal to have shift changes in such places. Reminds him of that time when he spotted a loophole in the bankset¡­ Maybe not mention that, he tends to avoid recalling such matters. After all, whether it¡¯s a good deed or a bad one, he was the one who did it, and thinking too hard about it tends to depress him. ¡°I would like to take on some tasks.¡± Motan showed the half-elf his newly acquired adventurer¡¯s handbook, and quickly recited a series of numbers, ¡°IDs are 10308, 53267, and 44759.¡± The receptionist was startled for a moment, then picked up the magical panel by his side, and asked with some embarrassment, ¡°Can you please repeat that?¡± So, Motan repeated the numbers more slowly. He realised he was taking things for granted earlier. For a person who hadn¡¯t received specialized training in instantaneous memory and temporary imprinting, it was extremely difficult to instantly project what they had heard into their brain and quickly memorize it. Unless you had specific practice, for an NPC in the game with an intelligence below 40, it was nearly impossible. ¡°Um, help Gulov¡¯s house clean their yard in the South District, collect soil samples on the outskirts of Dunmen¡¯s market for alchemist¡­ Lastly¡­ Uh¡­find out what Miss Hotburst likes or is interested in.¡± The half-elf receptionist confirmed with Motan after a brief check, ¡°All tasks have a two-day deadline, you planning to take it all at once, correct?¡± Motan affirmed. He had already weighed his options beforehand. These three tasks were the most suitable for him at the moment. Neither had strict time limits (like overseeing a stall), nor were there situations where he could accidentally get into a stressful situation and switch personalities (like watching over a rascal while their parents are out). Plus, the rewards for the tasks were quite decent. After ten minutes, having finished registering for tasks, Motan walked out of the Pioneers¡¯ Gate, preparing for his first task. However, before he could match the map he had memorized with the scenery before his eyes, he felt a slight tug on his sleeve. He turned around¡­ Ah, looks familiar. ¡°Woof~~~¡± Chapter Twenty: The End sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 56 - 56 21 Ya Ya_1 ?56: Chapter 21: Ya Ya_1 56: Chapter 21: Ya Ya_1 ¡°Woof?!¡± Motan instinctively repeated, then gave the canine girl in front of him a puzzled look and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± The girl¡¯s charming eyes curved into crescents; she nodded happily and said, ¡°Woof!¡± This girl is impossible to communicate with! Motan certainly can¡¯t decipher her intentions by having her ¡°woof¡± back and forth like the previous lady, although it does feel quite cute¡­ ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Motan asked cautiously, gently removing the girl¡¯s hand from his arm. ¡°Try to express your intention. I¡¯ll see if I can understand¡­ It would be better if you could say something that I can understand.¡± Her nails are a bit sharp¡­ ¡°Woof~,¡± The girl shook her pair of fluffy gray animal ears happily, then reached out her little hand to Motan with her palm facing up, ¡°Uhm¡­ Woof! Road¡­ not woof¡­ know.¡± Motan looked down to see a string of numbers on the girl¡¯s palm ¡ª 17502. Considering her stuttering words, he vaguely understood her intention. The E-level mission with the number 17502 should be to help the lady named Molly in the south district of the market clean up her garden. Although Motan memorized all the numerous E-level missions of the guild with his photographic memory, he definitely did not want to forget them as quickly as the average person¡­ In general, the duration of our routine photographic memory should be comparable to the length of time spent transcribing English during morning school. ¡°You don¡¯t know the way?¡± Motan asked the girl who was still holding out her hand. He nodded for her to withdraw her hand and asked with a smile, ¡°How do you know that I do?¡± The dog girl tilted her head, licked the back of her paw covered in soft fur and said vaguely, ¡°Long time, woof map¡­ you woof!¡± If Motan didn¡¯t interpret it wrong, she probably meant ¡®You read the map for a long time¡¯¡­ Suddenly, he felt so tired. As far as Motan knows, the common language should have already been universally adopted across the continent. Despite the different languages of various races, from his hearsay as Hei Fan, from Captain Nade, and even from Mage¡ªwho chatted with him casually¡ª¡¯common language¡¯ has somehow become the lingua franca across the Innocence Continent. But there are always exceptions¡­ The dog girl in front of him looks quite normal indeed with her beautiful and slightly cold face, her shoulder-length silver-gray hair is neat and refreshing, and she¡¯s wearing a set of brown soft leather armor. You¡¯d think from a glance that she¡¯s quite seasoned. No wonder Motan would have that wild misunderstanding before¡­ But as soon as this girl opened her mouth, uh~ Not only does she not speak clearly, but even her ¡®woofs¡¯ have a hint of dialect. Facepalm¡­ ¡°So you just wanted me to guide you?¡± Motan laughed at her, ¡°Just because I was looking at a map?¡± The dog girl with apparent language barrier gesticulated excitedly for a while before finally blurting out, ¡°Feel¡­ feel¡­woof you~ person~ good woof!¡± ¡°Alright then, it¡¯s always better to be a good person.¡± Motan shrugged, turned around and led the way, ¡°Follow me. Will it be okay if I take you to the north district where your mission is?¡± The girl happily hopped along behind him, nodding vigorously, ¡°Woof! Back, can, smell woof!¡± Her ears were pinned back at some point, and her tail wagged furiously~ Motan sighed silently, buried his head down, and led the way¡­ Whether it¡¯s the adventurer¡¯s guild or the Mage Notebook, both have maps of Anka Market. Just now, Motan has already overlapped the memorized details with his surrounding environment. He¡¯s having an easy time guiding the way now. Motan has always been sensitive to maps, not because of higher intelligence, but mainly due to his pitiful sense of direction¡­ so pitiful¡­ No matter when or where, or which persona he is in, Motan is perpetually lost. Whether it was at the orphanage in his earlier years, in his current home vicinity, or at the elementary school he attended, he got lost incessantly. Until junior high, when Motan just couldn¡¯t take it anymore and started to purposely train his map reading abilities. Once he made some progress, he started constructing bird-eye-view images in his mind, and tried to locate himself in those images. Now, though his sense of direction is still zero, Motan who successfully learned the entire world map has basically eliminated getting lost. As far as Motan was concerned, who maintains a bird-eye view of his surroundings, all he needed to know was up, down, left, right. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Who cares about not finding north¡­ By using the map from the ¡°Mage Notebook¡±, he found the Adventure Guild, and updated the details of the past few years with the guild¡¯s latest map. Now, he is very familiar with nearby environment. Leading the way to the lost dog¡­ or I mean, dog girl doesn¡¯t sound hard at all~ Chapter 57 - 57 21 Ya Ya_2 ?57: Chapter 21: Ya Ya_2 57: Chapter 21: Ya Ya_2 ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Asked Motan out of curiosity as he eyed the dazzling array of shops and stalls along the road, turning to the young canine girl behind him, ¡°Or, how should I address you?¡± The girl had been wagging her tail joyfully throughout the journey. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Upon hearing his question, she pondered for a bit, then instead of her usual bark, she uttered lowly, ¡°Ya¡­Ya¡­¡± ¡°Ya?¡± Motan confirmed, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± The girl shook her head vigorously, her ears folding back, ¡°Ya~ Ya~¡± Scratching his head, Motan asked, ¡°Ya Ya?¡± ¡°Woof!¡± The canine girl named Ya Ya nodded enthusiastically. Motan: ¡°¡­..¡± Feeling mentally drained¡­ If viewed from high above, Anka Market looked like a massive diamond, cobbled from four smaller ones, and situated towards the lower end of the northwest continent. As per its unique geographic layout, all four corners of this diamond, the north, south, east, and west, hosted numerous shops and stalls of all kinds. The array of goods on offer ranged from Goblin Rocket Belts to fake jewels used by dragons to console their children, from compact elemental pile drivers used by Orc shaman for erecting totems to peppermint leaves preferred by Cat Folk Beastmen. You name it, they had it~ However, the largest commercial areas were still the west and east end. The former was a large market place ¨C if you had enough money, you could find anything you wanted there, while the latter housed a landmark building of Anka Market, the Golden Sour Plum Auction House, which doubled as the administrative district of the market. The north, where Motan was previously, was a multidisciplinary area, primarily populated with adventurer guilds, Mercenary Associations, magic guilds, Thief Guilds, and a plethora of inns, eateries, and other service industries. The smallest area, the south end, was a residential district. Many locals of the Anka Market, well-to-do researchers, scholars, and merchants who seldom ventured out of their homes, all resided there. Motan himself had a task in the southern area, reportedly, weeding a couple¡¯s yard. The location was not far from where Ya Ya needed to go. ¡°Um¡­ ¡± Motan helplessly eyed Ya Ya, who had been staring through a display window for two minutes. He patted her shoulder and said, ¡°You seemed to be in a hurry, right? So, let¡¯s finish our main tasks first and then you can come back to check out these dog chews. Sounds good?¡± The canine girl instinctively turned to him and bared her teeth. Then, her face turning red, she hung her head and nodded, her cheeks reddening. In an apparent attempt to please him, she rubbed her face against the back of Motan¡¯s hand and let out a pleased ¡®woof¡¯. ¡­.. Fifteen minutes later Motan stopped in front of a slanting wooden house and, turning back, nodded at Ya Ya. Indicating the house in front of him, he said, ¡°This is Miss Molly¡¯s home. Your task is to clean her garden, right? We¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°Woof! Thank~ you, woof!¡± Ya Ya excitedly clapped her hands. Her tail practically blurred with the speed it was wagging, and she happily ran two circles around Motan before nuzzling his face. After that, she bolted towards the front door and started knocking. Motan paused for a moment, then shook his head with a smile, and walked towards another street nearby. The couple named Gulov, whom he was supposed to help with weeding, lived nearby and were no more than two hundred meters away from his current location. ¡­ ¡°Hmm¡­ Aromatherapy Avenue 11, this should be the place.¡± Motan looked at the huge courtyard in front of him, which was at least half an acre in size, and rolled his eyes. With a strong sense of discontentment towards the rich, he pushed open the low garden gate and muttered, ¡°I wonder how many weeds there are inside. Probably more than I expected¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but under a sort of sixth sense, he looked up, and then¡­ ¡°Holy crap!!!!!!¡± Five seconds later. The door of the two-story house in the yard was forced open from the inside, and an old, skinny man hobbled out leaning on a cane. As he walked, he hollered, ¡°Who¡¯s swearing at my doorstep! I¡¯ll see¡­ Hm? No one?¡± ¡­ [You¡¯ve urgently disconnected. Please select whether to reconnect.] ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s reconnect¡­¡± [Reconnecting¡­] [Connection complete, loading character data.] [Welcome to the land of Innocence, Tan Mo of the Chaotic Neutral alignment, have a good night.] ¡­ ¡°Haha, interesting~~¡± Motan appeared and immediately chuckled with a shake of his head, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a ¡®weed¡¯ that¡¯s sturdier than a person and equipped with a double row of sharp teeth. I guess they must have been fed some real top-notch fertilizer¡­ But speaking of which¡­¡± He glanced at the small mound of earth by his feet, which clearly hadn¡¯t been there for long, and gave a soft snort: ¡°Soft-hearted¡­ but since my quest completion was signaled, it means that the little priest named Ai is now safe.¡± Indeed, he received a system prompt the moment he logged in: [Side quest ¡®Rescue the Warm Sun Team¡¯ completed. You currently have 200 Experience Points to distribute.] Dead people don¡¯t need rescuing. When he arrived here that night, the Warm Sun Team¡¯s great swordsman, Dona, was already lifeless. The female priest Ai Vanja lay next to a pool of blood, her stomach gashed wide open. And the strongest member of their team, Dav Sagel, was nowhere to be found. Considering the only mission Motan had received prior ¨C [Smite the ¡®hero¡¯ DAVE in Pato City], things were quite clear. Motan used all of his remaining three initial life potions and one God¡¯s Grace Scroll ¨C all scavenged from Med¡¯s house ¨C to save the nearly-dead apprentice female priest. After understanding the situation, he quickly fooled the poor girl who had just experienced betrayal and the death of her companions, urging her to hide herself in Pato City as soon as possible. He then prepared to leave in search of the two Redback beasts. True enough, he¡¯d inexplicably logged out during this process. Supposedly, there was still plenty of time left, but when he emerged from the game cabin, he found it was already seven in the morning¡­ ¡°Something¡¯s fishy.¡± Motan slouched carelessly next to the makeshift mound that served as Dona¡¯s grave. He leaned against it and stroked his chin, murmuring, ¡°This has happened twice since I started this game, each time I lose about two hours of real world time. Sleeping in the game cabin seems far-fetched, and there¡¯s always a ¡®you have exited the game¡¯ notification each time I wake up. Could it be a bug because I have multiple characters¡­ But if so, then what¡¯s causing this bug¡­ hmm?¡± He didn¡¯t continue pondering, but noticed the notification corner flickering at the edge of his field of vision. ¡°Hehe~¡± Motan chuckled deviously, ¡°You must really miss me¡­ Really want to win this ¡®game¡¯, huh?¡± His character only has one friend, so the source of the message, outside system alerts, was clear as day. ¡°Are you there? Are you there?¡± ¡°Are you there? Are you there?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not offline, are you?¡± ¡°Hey! Are you online but ignoring me?!¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t been doing anything lately, and being a shut-in, what else would you be doing late at night besides gaming? Why the hell?!¡± ¡°Say something!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so bored~¡± ¡°What level are you now? I did a few quests today, I¡¯m already level 5.¡± ¡°Hello hello hello hello hello!!!!!!¡± All of these are the historic messages sent by Double Leaf, yes, the last message just came in. Leaning against the grave and stretching lazily, Motan summarized Double Leaf¡¯s incessant harangue casually, ¡°Crazy.¡± Though he¡¯s probably the last person who should be calling someone else that. ¡°Dusk leans against the wild grave~¡± Leaning against a grave and smiling, Motan composed a casual limerick, ¡°The laments of the woman are like smoke.¡± ¡°Do not measure the ordinary passage of time~¡± While saying so, he slyly sent it to Double Leaf, ¡°Only remember a person¡¯s madness.¡± A few seconds later, Double Leaf¡¯s reply was received, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Motan rolled his eyes and replied considerately, ¡°I¡¯m comfortably leaning against a fresh grave and contemplating something. I don¡¯t have time to bother with you, it¡¯s none of your business what I do at night, I¡¯m actually quite curious about how freaking out you are right now¡­¡± Having said that, he ignored the flurry of messages sent by Double Leaf in a split second. He didn¡¯t block her nor reply; he merely shakily stood up, turned and patted down the mound, then swiftly left, blending into the lingering sunlight of the setting sun¡­ Chapter Twenty-one: The End Chapter 58 - 58 22 Pato City_1 ?58: Chapter 22: Pato City_1 58: Chapter 22: Pato City_1 Nights in Pato City always seemed to arrive later than any other surrounding regions, due to the abundance of vivacious young folk. This demographic tended to be energetic, impossible to convince to return home or back to their dorms after sunset. It would indeed be too cruel to insist that they ration their excess vitality for the following morning. Not even the most stringent parents or tutors could be so unreasonable. Moreover, people always enjoyed seeing those young men or women stroll cheerfully in groups on the main streets, chattering about the knowledge they gained, the beauties or hunks they bumped into, the strict teachers they encountered. Some may head into the United Holy Church to pray for their families and crushes or sneakily enjoy a glass of barley wine in the pubs that always turned a blind eye to them. All these were indeed thanks to the Pudding Knight Academy, a local pride established seventy years ago by the high-ranking Holy Knight Valentin, a native of Pato City. The academy was the reason why Pato City, once an insignificant town in the rustic countryside, thrived with such vitality. Families from far and wide wished to send their children to study here and alter their predetermined destinies ¡ª well, I meant to change their preestablished lives. Just a side note, local residents of Pato City could enter the Knight Academy directly at the age of 16. So, owning a property within the school district at any time is always¡­ Okay, I take that back. In a nutshell, Pato City was a peaceful and lively town, at least under normal circumstances. But beneath this tranquility, currents of unease were subtly stirring. At least some intuitive individuals had detected an unusual vibe. The Warm Sun Team, second-year students of the Pudding Knight Academy, were nearly wiped out in an ambush on their way back from the final assessment. The only survivor was their leader, Light Knight Dave, who was critically injured when he returned to the city. It was miraculous that he was saved before his last breath. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The news spread like wildfire¡­ The Warm Sun Team was assaulted by two Redback beasts, creatures that shouldn¡¯t have been found around Pato City. Although these beasts couldn¡¯t threaten Pato City with the Pudding Academy¡¯s presence, it made people somewhat apprehensive. How did they get here? Why did they appear here? Why did they attack those innocent students? Will they attack us next? Fear always sprouts from the unknown. For instance, a fearless man might be able to face most venomous insects and beasts, even eat their remains after beheading them for their rich protein. Yet, when facing zombies or vampires, entities far less lethal, the same man might run for his life, leaving behind his bravado. We humans are our own worst fearmongers. However, in most cases, reality isn¡¯t as horrifying as we make it out to be (it¡¯s just cruel). This time, though, things aren¡¯t that simple¡­ A certain unsolicited guest in town is bound to complicate matters further. ¡°Sigh~ Such a dull place.¡± Motan was standing in a desolate alley, looking at the bustling street not far from him. He heaved a sigh but soon a smirk crept up his face, whispering, ¡°But I¡¯ll liven things up as much as possible. Don¡¯t thank me too much¡­¡± Having changed of his dreary ceremonial robe for his original linen suit, he was doing his best to disappear in the crowd. After quickly stepping out of the alley and randomly seeking directions from a local who looked particularly innocent, he sauntered to a tailor¡¯s shop two streets away. Although it was a little late for customers, he bought (with the money from Medina) a white waistcoat and a pair of long boots. Their quality was modest but good enough to blend into the townsfolk. Then he inquired about the cheapest accommodation in Pato City. Having ensured that he knew the location unmistakably (because he had a poor sense of direction), he quickly left. A little later, Motan arrived at the ¡®Rye¡¯ inn at the southernmost part of the city and pushed the door open boldly. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± A middle-aged man in a rocking chair beside the door, sporting an unkempt hairdo, glanced at him, stood up with impatience, and asked, ¡°Are you here for food or a room? There¡¯s no other entertainment available.¡± Before Motan could answer, a man completely cloaked in a hooded cape hurried down from the second floor, quickly gestured at the seemingly innkeeper and blurted, ¡°This is my friend, I mentioned about him before.¡± Chapter 59 - 59 22 Pato City_2 ?59: Chapter 22: Pato City_2 59: Chapter 22: Pato City_2 ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± The boss shrugged, then laid back down. ¡°Don¡¯t stand in the doorway if there¡¯s nothing else, you¡¯re disrupting my business.¡± ¡°You have business here?¡± Cole, the apprentice thief, having slightly lifted his hood, sneered at him. Then, he turned to Motan and apologised with an embarrassed smile: ¡°Let¡¯s talk upstairs.¡± Motan, unable to refuse, nodded and followed Cole upstairs of this shabby inn, entering a room at the end of the hallway. ¡°Let me confirm first, besides the boss just now¡­¡± After entering the room, Motan casually leaned against the wall. He gently asked the dutiful but anxious Cole: ¡°Does anyone else know that Shu Lun is back in Pato City?¡± The young apprentice thief looked somewhat terrified as he lowered his head: ¡°No one else knows, sir. I am really sorry, I should have followed your instructions and not let anyone else know, but¡­¡± ¡°But the ¡®cheapest inn¡¯ where I asked you to stay, the owner happens to be someone you know.¡± Motan chuckled and shook his head, ¡°You stayed put because you were worried I wouldn¡¯t be able to find you, right? It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s my oversight, I won¡¯t blame you.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Cole nodded and then asked with concern in his eyes: ¡°How about Rona¡­?¡± ¡°The spirit of that elf girl is still intact.¡± Motan cut him off: ¡°I¡¯m not unreasonable. What you need now is to remain calm. Only by staying calm can we avoid making mistakes. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Cole realized that he was indeed too emotional. He didn¡¯t respond right away. Instead, he clenched his fists. After a while, he looked into Motan¡¯s eyes and said: ¡°I¡¯m okay, sir.¡± This made Motan even more fond of him. After all, it¡¯s extremely difficult for someone to truly calm down in this situation, and even harder to do so in such a short period of time. In Cole¡¯s eyes right now, Motan could no longer see the previous anxiety, longing, torment, and trace of fear. Or rather, they had been hidden in a deeper place, a corner that wouldn¡¯t affect his rationality and judgment¡­ ¡°You¡¯re excellent.¡± Motan nodded slightly: ¡°Next, I will tell you two things. During this time, I hope you can keep calm and remain rational. Can you do that?¡± Without any hesitation, Cole answered: ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Call me mister, don¡¯t be so formal~ I don¡¯t like overly formal people.¡± Motan laughed. He knew that he wasn¡¯t the kind of man who could shake the world with a bare fist. The only reason this young thief was blindly trusting him was because he was holding onto Rona¡¯s spirit, using a bit of misdirection. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t want Cole to treat him too rigidly; Otherwise, it would inevitably create a subtle barrier between the two. Although it might be advantageous in the short term, this barrier would gradually magnify over time¡­ At this point, Motan, who was putting himself in the position of a chess player, could not accept the potential danger of not understanding the ¡®pawns¡¯ in the future. Cole wasn¡¯t surprised, he simply nodded and said: ¡°Alright, mister.¡± ¡°First of all, you should have heard by now. Only Dave from your team made it back alive.¡± Motan said to Cole: ¡°You know what that means, right?¡± Cole nodded gravely. The answer was obvious: apart from himself and Dave, the other two had lost their lives just like Rona. ¡°In reality, only the male trainee with the heavy sword, I believe his name was Dona Rada, was killed. And the one who killed him¡­¡± Motan squinted his eyes and said gravely: ¡°His name was Dave Sagel.¡± What!? Despite being prepared to receive bad news, Cole had never imagined that their teammate hadn¡¯t been killed by the fangs and claws of Redback beasts, but by another teammate. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± Cole shook his head vacantly, trying to say something, but was coldly interrupted by the man in front of him. ¡°That is the truth.¡± Motan shrugged and spread out his hands: ¡°By the time I arrived, Dave had already left. Your classmate named Rada was pierced through the chest with a spear and died on the spot. The priestess was seriously injured. I saved her and found out about the whole process of the incident. She¡¯s hiding somewhere in Pato City, just like you. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can sneakily find her and confirm this.¡± Cole, with a pale face, stood for a long time. Finally, he slowly shook his head: ¡°No, I believe you. Please, continue¡­¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Motan walked over to Cole and whispered into his ear: ¡°Everything you¡¯ve been through was orchestrated by Dave. Whether it¡¯s those abnormal Redback beasts or the barely surviving Warm Sun Team, they were all part of his plan. Clearly, you and your teammates have become victims of his plot¡­ So, now, if you don¡¯t mind, can you tell me how you feel?¡± Cole was silent, but his clenched teeth were stained with traces of blood¡­ ¡°Your response, Cole.¡± Motan asked, with a calm smile on his face. ¡°Kill him!¡± Cole shuddered as he shouted, his face beginning to twist with rage. ¡°If this is all true, I want to tear him apart myself!¡± Motan clapped his hands, ¡°That¡¯s good~ Especially the precondition that ¡®everything is true¡¯, don¡¯t look at me like that, Cole, vigilance and suspicion are good qualities. After all, compared to Dave, who¡¯s known you for longer, I am a stranger and thus harder to trust¡­¡± Cole seemed as though he wanted to say something, but ultimately he lowered his head and remained silent. The ¡®sir¡¯ had not been wrong in what he said. Perhaps Cole was even more suspicious of him, deep down. After all, compared to Dave, the mysterious man before him seemed much more like a conspirator. He didn¡¯t want to believe that Dave had betrayed him and the other three companions that he had spent over a year with. If it was true, it would only make the death of the deceased even sadder. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But Cole likewise didn¡¯t want to believe that Motan was lying to him, because then Rona¡¯s already slim chances of revival would completely drop to zero! So¡­ ¡°Go find out the truth.¡± Motan laughed at Cole who had just begun to speak, ¡°There¡¯s a Priestess girl named Ai. Vanja. She should be in a place called ¡®Linju¡¯ right now, I¡¯m not sure about the details, but you can go find her later.¡± Cole paused for a moment, then finally showed a bitter and reluctant smile to Motan, ¡°Thank you for saving her.¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± Motan shrugged nonchalantly, then patted him on the shoulder, ¡°But now you have to tell me something¡­¡± ¡­ Seven o¡¯clock sharp in the morning. In a very spacious and warm-toned bedroom, two game cabins, lined up side by side, opened almost simultaneously. ¡°Good morning~ Xiaodao!¡± Ji Xiaoge was dressed in a cute goose-yellow pajama set. She greeted her twin sister getting up next to her and reached out to playfully tousle her sister¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you play a game so seriously.¡± Ji Xiaodao was a bit dazed and didn¡¯t react to her sister¡¯s antics. She just absent-mindedly replied, ¡°Mm¡­ Good morning, sister.¡± Noticing that her sister didn¡¯t push her away as usual, Ji Xiaoge paused, then pouted. Suddenly, she playfully tackled her sister onto the soft carpet, cheekily squeezing Ji Xiaodao¡¯s soft cheeks, ¡°So cute! So cute! My sister, you¡¯ve charmed me! Let me give you a kiss¡­Err¡­¡± ¡°What a waste of time!¡± Ji Xiaodao reddened and held her sister¡¯s face, ignoring her sister¡¯s flailing attempts to hug her. She bit her lip gently and said in a low voice, ¡°Well¡­ sister¡­ I might not be able to join you for a while.¡± ¡°Huh?! We¡¯re together right now, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°I mean in the game, you dummy!¡± ¡°Oh, why is that?¡± ¡°Nothing much¡­¡± ¡°Is there a boy?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°.¡­..¡± ¡°Where are you going, sister?¡± ¡°To find dad. When we were little, he said that anyone who tries to steal his daughters will get chopped by him.¡± ¡°Hey!!!!!!¡± Chapter Twenty-Two: The End Chapter 60 - 60 23 Not a Lion but a Kun_1 ?60: Chapter 23: Not a Lion, but a Kun_1 60: Chapter 23: Not a Lion, but a Kun_1 Time always flies when we least realize it¡­ Especially the perception of time in virtual novels. [Realm of Innocence], Pato City, early morning. Having spent almost the entire night awake, Kole left the dark wheat inn early and came to a small tavern called ¡®Forest Dwelling¡¯ in the city. This was the location that the gentleman had suggested to him. This place was quite famous in Pato City, not only because ¡®Forest Dwelling¡¯ was open 24 hours, but more because of its unique nature, which made it an alternative among all the taverns. It didn¡¯t serve high-alcohol spirits. The elegant, refreshing drinks they provided were more appropriately called ¡®Dew,¡¯ rather than alcohol. They might have contained a dash of alcohol, but even the unsophisticated farmers wouldn¡¯t spend three copper coins here for tasteless, non-diuretic, non-warming beverages that neither made them drunk nor flushed their faces. There were no sexy, sultry waitresses ¨C only a flower elf landlady, who was a server, bartender, and receptionist all in one. Though she was not unattractive, her unremarkable figure and less-than-impressive magical skills were enough to keep many at a safe distance. The most important point was that, despite ¡®Forest Dwelling¡¯ operating 24 hours a day, after sunset, no drinks were served, loud noise was not tolerated, no one was allowed to sit at the bar, and anyone wanting to stay the night could only do so in one of the small rooms on the second floor, and of course, it cost money. So, while it was indeed famous, the popularity of the place was quite low, attracting almost no visitors on ordinary days. But Kole was quite familiar with this place because Rona¡­ used to love having a drink and some light refreshments here, often well into the afternoon. Both Kole and Lada, as Rona¡¯s pursuers, as well as her close friend Ai, often came to visit her. Sometimes they, too, would sit and rest a while if they had spare time. And now¡­ Rona was dead¡­ sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lada was also dead¡­ Ai, who narrowly escaped death, could very likely be hiding here¡­ As Kole, who had also barely escaped with his life, stood in front of ¡®Forest Dwelling¡¯, he felt as though he had stepped into a bygone era. Despite the surrealness, he steadied his mind, parted the everlasting petals that served as a door curtain, and stepped inside. He turned to the flower-elf landlady cleaning the tables in the lobby and greeted her softly, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m looking for¡­¡± ¡°Second floor, first room.¡± The white rose lady, whose appearance was no more than twenty, pointed in the direction of the stairs and absently said: ¡°Take something to eat with you.¡± As soon as she finished her sentence, a plate of sweets on the bar floated leisurely over to Kole. ¡°Thank you.¡± Gratefully bowing slightly to the flower elf who had already turned away, Kole took the plate in his hands and hurried up the stairs. That gentleman had not deceived him; it seemed Ai was indeed here, and there were so many things he wanted to ask her! As soon as Kole opened the door, he saw a petite figure in front of him, trembling as she took a few steps back. Then, after staring at him in shock for a moment, she barely managed to let out a painful sob before rushing towards him and collapsing into his arms, crying uncontrollably. ¡°Kole!¡± Ai, in pain, clutched at his front, crystal tears sliding down her cheeks. Her frail shoulders were still shivering, as if she hadn¡¯t yet awoken from a nightmare. She sobbed, ¡°Lada¡­he¡­he¡¯s dead. He died¡­right before my eyes. He had a chance to escape¡­but I couldn¡¯t save him! I couldn¡¯t save him, Kole!!¡± Feeling the trembling body of the girl in his arms, racked with fear and guilt, Kole, who was also enduring inner torment, still had to remain calm. Gently patting Ai¡¯s back, he guided her to a chair, then turned and closed the door. He turned back and asked softly, ¡°Tell me everything you know, Ai. Please.¡± ¡°It was Dave¡­¡± Ai looked up. Her bloodshot eyes, which hadn¡¯t closed all night, were full of terror. She trembled, ¡°He attacked Lada¡­then released his lance, drew his longsword, and rushed towards me¡­it hurt¡­it hurt so much¡­¡± It took the terrified Ai a good ten minutes to recount all the events. Essentially, during their escape, Dave ¡ª who had been tailing them ¡ª suddenly attacked Lada, who was carrying Ai. The blow was so powerful it could have pierced them both. In that instant, Lada managed to throw Ai, upon his shoulder, out of the way. Lada himself, however, died on the spot, his heart pierced by the attack. Then Dave attacked Ai with a hidden black longsword. Standing no chance against a knight, Ai, her magic power completely drained, was soon stabbed in the abdomen and was critically injured. But just as Dave prepared to deal the final blow, he suddenly froze. After a moment he muttered something under his breath and then quickly left, leaving the near-death Ai behind¡­ After a while, that gentleman appeared. He first helped Ai with some basic wound dressing, then fed her a very effective magic potion. After a few slaps to force the disoriented girl to calm down, he questioned her about what had just happened. Chapter 61 - 61 23 Not a Lion but a Kun_2 ?61: Chapter 23: Not a Lion, but a Kun_2 61: Chapter 23: Not a Lion, but a Kun_2 He then gave Little Ai some money (thanks again to the generous Meddy), and instructed her to sneak back to Patuo City as quickly as possible to find a secluded place to recuperate and wait for the news. After Little Ai stated her intention to go to Forrest Tavern, the man hastily left. ¡°So, you¡¯ve been secretly living in the city and haven¡¯t left the Forrest Tavern ever since?¡± Cole asked softly, ¡°You were scared, weren¡¯t you¡­¡± Little Ai nodded firmly, then shook her head and stammered, ¡°Before I left there, I took some time to bury Lada, the teachings say¡­ only with burial can the dead rest well¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± Cole sighed, then shook his head, ¡°Not really. Even if we did that, Lada wouldn¡¯t be at peace. I knew his bad temper too well, so we have got to¡­¡± He cast a glance at Little Ai, who was still trembling, tilted his head to the side, and didn¡¯t continue. ¡°Revenge¡­¡± Little Ai interjected, staring at Cole¡¯s profile, and said in her voice hoarse from crying, ¡°We must take revenge for them, right?¡± After saying that, the girl slowly collapsed. If it wasn¡¯t for Cole¡¯s quick reflexes in catching her, she would have fallen to the floor. ¡°Eat something and then rest.¡± Cole put the weakened Little Ai on the bed, brought a plate full of snacks in front of her and said softly, ¡°We will take revenge, definitely! That gentleman¡­ He will help us¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± Little Ai, pale-faced, didn¡¯t look at the food on the plate. She just smiled with gratitude, ¡°If that¡¯s true, I swear by the name of the Sacred Union, I¡¯d be willing to pay any price to follow that man ¡­¡± ¡°Little Ai?!¡± Cole widened his eyes. ¡°After all, I have nothing to lose. My parents, who raised me, are both dead.¡± Ai Vanja, who had just lost her loved ones half a year ago, picked up a snack and said softly with her gaze downcast,¡± The life which is the only thing I have left and a few of you companions, were saved by that ¡®gentleman¡¯ you mentioned. If he could help us take our revenge ¡­ ¡± ¡°No need to say more. I understand now. Get some rest.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, In Patuo City, at the ¡®Copper¡¯ general store ¡°What will you buy?¡± The bald dwarf who was picking his nose in front of the shelves greeted his first customer of the day with not much enthusiasm. Motan looked around casually and replied, ¡°A lamp.¡± ¡°What kind of lamp?¡± The dwarf raised an eyebrow: ¡°Wall-mounted? Portable? Or something to express love to a little girl?¡± Motan shrugged at him, ¡°The kind that can¡¯t be seen.¡± The dwarf got up reluctantly, walked to the counter that was about as tall as him, turned his head and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Dark under the lamp.¡± Motan smiled. ¡°Come in.¡± The other party gestured, slightly moved aside. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Revealing a well-hidden passage. Motan exaggeratedly bowed, then followed the passage leading underground. The bald dwarf shopkeeper looked left and right at the entrance, closed the door, then turned back and went underground. This is a small outpost of the Patuo City Thieves Guild, used only by internal personnel to exchange information; the general storekeeper is the person in charge here. At the end of the hallway is a large space, surrounded by tall wooden shelves, neatly filled with a lot of scrolls, crystal records, letters, and some iron boxes that seem highly confidential. ¡°What do you have? What do you want?¡± The dwarf arrived and directly got down to business. ¡°Priest Meddy from the former Sacred Union. Information on Leven,¡± Motan also didn¡¯t waste any words, turning around and said, ¡°By the way, he became a necromancer seven years ago.¡± The dwarf didn¡¯t show any unusual expression, just nodded, ¡°I think there will indeed be some people interested in this.¡± If the information is true, at least some related parties of the Sacred Union or many other necromancers would be interested. ¡°I share your sentiment.¡± Motan echoed, then turned serious. ¡°I need detailed information about a man named Dave Sagel, who¡¯s in his second year at Pudding Knight Academy. I also need some basic thief gear, along with a handbook on practical shadow techniques, the kind they have at Pudding Academy. I know you have it here.¡± The other party immediately shook his head vigorously. ¡°Impossible, that¡¯s too unfair. Not many people are interested in a priest who disappeared seven years ago, even if he was researching forbidden knowledge.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Motan smirked: ¡°Then there is nothing to discuss. Goodbye.¡± As he spoke, he made to leave. ¡°Wait!¡± As expected, the other party called him to stop after a brief silence. ¡°You can¡¯t take the information with you, and I don¡¯t have a training handbook from Pudding Academy.¡± Motan sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t need to take the information with me and the manual doesn¡¯t matter. Just write down all the skills an apprentice-level thief should know and give me a high-quality set of poison.¡± This was the intelligence officer of the Patuo City Thieves Guild, a high-level thief named B¨¤o d¨¦. Upon hearing this, he was immediately flustered. ¡°What kind of ridiculous demand is that?¡± ¡°As far as I know, Mr. Leven has made some initial progress in his research on undead magic during these seven years.¡± Motan replied calmly, ¡°And he has made considerable achievements in the field of soul studies, focusing on the knowledge of resurrecting the dead.¡± B¨¤o d¨¦ shivered, his eyes wide as he asked, ¡°Did he succeed?¡± ¡°No, he failed, and he might not succeed even if he tried for another ten years.¡± Motan chuckled maliciously, ¡°After all, he¡¯s just a useless old man.¡± B¨¤o d¨¦ was almost out of breath, gritting his teeth: ¡°Then why are you babbling all these useless points! The information you¡¯re offering has no value!¡± ¡°Oh, how can you say that~¡± Motan whistled: ¡°Do you sure you want me to add my final remark? Has the intelligence of the Thieves Guild become as simple as this¡­.uh¡­I¡¯m sorry, is it as stupid as this?¡± B¨¤o d¨¦ stopped responding. He had initially thought that this seemingly (and factually) frail young man had accidentally learned some information and wanted to sell it for a good price. But he hadn¡¯t expected this guy to have such a big appetite. After haggling a bit with him, it turned out¡­ ¡­he was way more than just a lion opening its mouth wide, it¡¯s a goddamn kraken! [Should I try to scare him?] Just as B¨¤o d¨¦ was thinking of this, he noticed that the young man¡¯s expression had suddenly become playful. ¡°Sir,¡± Motan extended his right hand towards B¨¤o d¨¦, speaking softly, ¡°We both know that as someone so ¡®new¡¯ here I must have asked other people for directions. There¡¯s at least one person, if not more, who knows that I am here. So there¡¯s no point in uttering those usual threats we all know are nonsense, right?¡± Truly, had B¨¤o d¨¦ been two or three decades younger, he might still have failed to deal with this kid¡­ So he extended his hand and shook hands with Motan reluctantly, grimacing as he said, ¡°Deal.¡± He then turned and started rummaging through the shelves. Damn it, why are these shelves so high¡­.. ¡­ Two hours later Motan sat next to a low table in the secret room of the sundries shop (a space reserved when the building was constructed). Looking at a stack of thin documents, a dark bag filled with potion bottles, and a few handwritten pages, he was very pleased. Truthfully, if B¨¤o d¨¦ ever had a chance to meet the vendors in the market near Motan¡¯s home, he would find that they had quite a lot in common. For instance ¨C ¡®I met a greedy man today!¡¯ ¡®Heh, just get used to it. There¡¯s a big spender here who often makes extravagant deals. If he takes something at cost, consider yourself blessed.¡¯ ¡®Cost?! Did you see the dumb fatty next door? He got tongue-tied and gave away two pounds of premium pork¡­¡¯ ¡°@#£¤%*&¡­¡± Chapter 23: The End Chapter 62 - 62 24 Bad Taste_1 ?62: Chapter 24: Bad Taste_1 62: Chapter 24: Bad Taste_1 Dave Sagel was born in an unknown small town near Pato City. His parents were ordinary merchants, living moderately. He himself was never discovered to have any extraordinary talent or ability. Following a normal trajectory, Dave probably would not have achieved much in his lifetime, let alone getting a chance to enroll in Pudding Knight Academy, a renowned (not so far) prestigious (compared to the village level counterparts) institution. All of this did not come easily¡­ Thirteen years ago, a plague descended on the small town of less than three hundred families without warning. In less than two days, almost everyone died in a very strict ceremonial order. The bodies never rotted, and there were eerily strange smiles on their faces, as if experiencing extreme pleasure in pain. Although the Holy Church Union had dispatched people as quickly as possible, it was all in vain. It is said that when the main priest leading the team arrived, there were still dozens of people alive in the town, but they exploded and died on the spot the moment he entered the town limits. Out of two hundred and ninety-six people in the town, only a seven-year-old boy survived. That boy was Dave. Sagel¡­ He was found in a haystack and followed the advance team back to the Holy Church Union headquarters, located in the City of Light downstream of the Golden River in the northeast of the continent. After much moving around, he was eventually sent to the Holy Church Union branch in Pato City. ¡°Take care of this child, even though he is not outstanding,¡± the regional bishop personally instructed the High Priest of Pato City. ¡°As the sole survivor, he bears the hopes and dreams of the two hundred and ninety-five deceased.¡± Thus, Dave grew up year by year in the joint church and was baptized at the age of fourteen, naturally becoming a believer. He believed in the God of Justice and Courage, Black Helm. ¡°The Holy Church Union¡­¡± Motan repeated quietly to himself, recalling information he had learned from the Mage Notebook, ¡°It is an organization formed by the union of believers and factions of many gods, such as the Dawn Goddess Pakec, the God of Justice and Law Black Helm, the Harvest Goddess Serila, the Sun God Tisu, the God of Creation Eren. They are one of the most influential entities in the northeast of the continent. I wonder how these so-called ¡®gods¡¯ will view this deformed and bloated alliance?¡± Despite Motan¡¯s seemingly casual words, he has been aware of an extraordinarily inconsistent detail ¨C in his regard, this inconsistency is glaring. ¡°A believer in the God of Justice and Courage?¡± He rolled his eyes, ¡°If that boy, who can easily kill his companions, can believe in him, then no matter from which perspective, I can be considered a man of upstanding moral values.¡± Apparently, Motan is aware that his current value system is slightly skewed¡­ But he wasn¡¯t joking. Although Tan Mo has been labeled a ¡®non-believer¡¯ by the system and cannot believe in any gods, the utterly neutral Hei Fan has long been a believer of the Dawn Goddess Pakec, and was tricked out of 20 copper coins. Motan clearly remembered those two system prompts: [Do you agree to become a believer of the Dawn Goddess Pakec?] [Reminder: Betraying your faith will incur a heavy price] No matter what the so-called ¡®price¡¯ is, one thing is certain ¨C it won¡¯t be good! Although nobody has told him what the so-called ¡®betrayal of faith¡¯ looks like, this does not prevent Motan from guessing. The first is direct, which is the easiest to explain. For example, someone suddenly goes insane, swears at their own gods, smashes churches, steps on statues, hacks at priests, plays with saintesses ¨C this is definitely a taboo among taboos. The price to pay should be huge, such as being directly struck by lightning. Of course, if you are a gunner, you could potentially be struck by lightning in all situations, after all, weapons are long, sharp, and conductive. It¡¯s not because of luck or any superstition¡­ or¡­ maybe¡­ Then there¡¯s the indirect, Motan also feels there would be such a situation. Two factions or denominations in a good relationship might have some internal circulation between them, leading to a kind of peaceful breakup. The risk of this situation happening is very low, but it isn¡¯t zero. If the relationship between the two gods (unrelated to believers) was genuinely good, then you probably won¡¯t have to pay any price. Of course, this assumption isn¡¯t applicable to Dave, it is based on Motan¡¯s third very probable speculation. Indirect yet blatant betrayal! sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The game [Realm of Innocence] has a very extreme stance regarding player alignments; this should also apply to the NPCs within, including the gods. From the information, the God of Justice and Courage, Black Helm, appears to be a leader of lawful neutral or lawful good. Dave¡¯s actions aren¡¯t aligned with the beliefs of a follower, and so the question is¡­ Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m not planning to chat about excavators now. Would any god allow their believers¡¯ values to conflict with their own? Absolutely not! No matter how tolerant or honest the God of Justice and Courage, Black Helm is, Dave¡¯s actions have absolutely violated many of the rules in their teachings! Chapter 63 - 63 24 Bad Taste_2 ?63: Chapter 24: Bad Taste_2 63: Chapter 24: Bad Taste_2 ¡°Well, this is interesting~¡± A wicked smirk flaunted on the corners of Motan¡¯s mouth. Subconsciously tapping lightly on the short table in front of him, he mused, ¡°I thought it¡¯d be enough to collect some physical evidence along with the eyewitness account, but it¡¯s not that straightforward¡­¡± As if driven by an incredible motivation, he quickly read through all the data of Dave. Sagel with an unusually serious demeanor over the next ten minutes. Afterward, he began to contemplate in silence. After a while, he opened his eyes. He withdrew his slightly terrifying grin and casually pushed aside the material in front of him and began to inspect the small black leather pouch by his side. [Intermediate Poison Package] Quality: Excellent Weight: 1.3kg Contains: Paralysis poison*1, Wound poison*1, Slow Poison*1, Silence Poison*1, Purified Fly Poison*1, Varicolored Gecko Necrotic Poison*1 [Note: You¡¯ll need a cleaver, not these toys, for must-have home travel and killing. They¡¯re only used for tricky tasks! ¡­ What! How much!? Okay, I dare to poison the Chicken God at the village entrance for you!] ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Motan shook his head, trying hard to forget what happened when he played an old game at Creekwood Town. He then clicked on the hyperlink of the poison package, looked it over, and nodded in satisfaction. Four types of status reducing poison, and two bottles of intense harmful toxic substances. It seemed that the dim-witted bald guy didn¡¯t play any tricks on this. We here need to take a breather on behalf of B¨¤o d¨¦. If he had genuinely tried to give Motan some defective goods under the thought that the latter wouldn¡¯t notice, the person who could see the attributes of items would undoubtedly use this as an excuse to extort him inhumanely again. Humming a tune, Motan packed up the poison package and started to tally up his spoils ¨C the hand-copied papers that B¨¤o d¨¦ had just finished writing. They recorded some tricks that an Apprentice Thief could master. In the wuxia world, these would be low-level martial arts secrets; in the game world, they would be skill books that wouldn¡¯t get consumed. There were two skills that Motan was particularly fond of~ [Backhand Rotary Stab] Active skill of the Cunning School Prerequisite: Cunning School Level 3, Agility 10 Cost/Limit: 60 sharpness points, dual-wielding close-range weapons Effect: Block a physical attack from the front once, reducing the damage done to you by 50%. Rapidly execute a turn of no less than 90¡ã and stab, gaining theoretically double the inertial impact, and causing an extra 20% damage. Cooldown: 1 minute [Note: Swing your arm in a full circle and stab! White blade in, red blade out! The red blade goes in again, and comes out again!] This skill had a good cost-to-benefit ratio, combining both block and counter-attack traits. Plus, the short cooldown time made it pretty useful for the relatively weaker Cunning class. And then there was¡­ [Kidney Blow] Active skill of the Cunning School Prerequisites: Cunning School Level 5, Agility 7 Cost/Limit: 10 sharpness points, sharp gaze, a certain degree of dynamic vision, ruthless execution Effect: Use your elbow or knee to land a heavy strike on the kidney of the target (only humanoid creatures), 100% interrupt a spell casting. If your strength exceeds one-third of the target¡¯s constitution, there¡¯s an excellent chance of causing dizziness for 1-5 seconds, with a certain probability of inflicting irreversible damage to NPCs and generating a lot of hatred. Cooldown: 10 minutes. [Note: Hmm¡­ kidneys¡­ I love kidneys¡­] This skill could be said to be the most appealing one to Motan (Chaotic Neutral) so far. Even though it had seemingly easy to meet requirements ¨C sharp gaze and a certain degree of dynamic vision ¨C but were difficult to execute and also a long cooldown time of ten minutes, he still particularly enjoyed this skill. After all, the skill ¡°Kidney Blow¡± not only consumes low and has a huge payback, but also especially sinister! The other three skills are ¡°Throat Cut¡±, ¡°Escape¡±, and ¡°Quick Stab¡±. Motan had automatically learned the first one when he acquired his thief profession, and the other two will be described when they were used for the first time. After all, the space here is limited. Having finished all these, Motan didn¡¯t stay any longer. He immediately left after returning the data to the gloomy-faced B¨¤o d¨¦. After all, online time is precious and he still has a lot to do. It¡¯s worth mentioning that the reason why Dave¡¯s personal data could be found here is because his own deeds are special. Whether as the only survivor in a village of nearly three hundred people, or as the only surviving member of the Warm Sun Team who returned to Pato City, all have certain intelligence value, so Thief Guild could provide the data that Motan just looked over. As for others who don¡¯t have intelligence value, you can¡¯t find them here¡­ After all, ¡°Realm of Innocence¡± is a game, but the logic and rationality in it are impeccable. If you want to check the information of Old Wang next door, unless he used to have a nickname like ¡®Illusion Killer¡¯ in the arena of life, otherwise, there would definitely be no relevant information¡­ ¡­ Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After a while, Motan appeared at the gate of the United Church in the central city of Pato City. After looking around for a long time, he swung his leg forward to step in. ¡°Please wait a moment!¡± Two junior church warriors in light armor immediately stopped him. One of them looked vigilantly at Motan¡¯s innocent and even a bit graceful face at the moment, asking: ¡°What are you here for?¡± Motan blinked, took a step forward, pointed at his own nose in surprise, and said: ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The other nodded, his hand already reaching for the hilt of the sword on his waist, asking in a low voice: ¡°Who are you?¡± Motan scratched his head with a bitter smile: ¡°I¡¯m just here to pay a visit.¡± ¡°To pay a visit?!¡± The church warrior¡¯s eyes were bulging like copper bells: ¡°Which god¡¯s believer are you?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I pay a visit if I¡¯m not a believer?¡± Motan looked flustered, hastily backing up two steps: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. No one told me there was such a rule¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not¡­¡± Another one who looked a bit older shook his head, looking somewhat embarrassed: ¡± It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t pay a visit if you¡¯re not a believer.¡± A hint of mockery flashed in Motan¡¯s eyes, but his face looked quite puzzled: ¡°Oh? Why did you just stop me with such a frightening expression? It scared me and made me think I was going to be arrested.¡± He asked knowingly because their sudden vigilance was naturally due to Motan¡¯s ¡®Non-believer¡¯ talent. To put it bluntly, in the eyes of these devout believers, this kind of guy who is completely resistant to beliefs does not look like a good thing! God knows if this guy is carrying a bunch of Forbidden Curse Scrolls and planning to tear them apart inside, launching a terror attack or something! But¡­ You can¡¯t just refuse a person at the door because ¡®you have a bad vibe, I think you are going to make trouble¡¯, can you? ¡°Anyone can come to pay a visit.¡± The momentum of the church warrior who spoke first was instantly gone. He stuttered: ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t want me to come in?¡± Motan¡¯s face turned gloomy instantly. He sneered: ¡°You¡¯re keeping me out of the door for no reason at all, not because of any rules, but simply because of your personal feelings or thoughts. Moreover, you even¡­ reached for your weapon?¡± The young man¡¯s hand immediately bounced off the hilt of his sword as if electrocuted. His face turned red and he couldn¡¯t utter a word. ¡°Sir!¡± The other more mature one quickly tried to smooth things over: ¡°We didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t mean what?!¡± Motan¡¯s gaze was like a poisonous snake¡¯s, filled with a hair-raising violence: ¡°Didn¡¯t mean it? Not as I thought? Weren¡¯t you one of the ones who were ready to stop me just now?¡± This man also immediately became speechless¡­ Motan paused a little, suddenly spreading his arms and looking around the statues of gods. Then he turned and shouted at the two men: ¡°Which god do you believe in? Who gave you the right to refuse potential believers at the door? Even getting ready to draw your swords at him !!¡± Thud!! The two church warriors fell to their knees at the same time¡­ Chapter 24: The End Chapter 64 - 64 25 Missing Puzzle Piece_1 ?64: Chapter 25: Missing Puzzle Piece_1 64: Chapter 25: Missing Puzzle Piece_1 Of course, they were not kneeling to Motan. As holy warriors eligible to guard the doors of the chapel, even if the City Lord of Pato City came personally, they would have to be courteous to both guests. They were kneeling to the gods they themselves believed in¡­ As a coalition leaning towards law and order, none of the sects that have joined the Holy Alliance would have any of the rules that Motan just mentioned. It¡¯s not even worth mentioning that ordinary people can pray in the chapel. Even the so-called ¡®evil gods¡¯ in the eyes of most people would not refuse any potential believer. So their behavior just now might seem a little bit over the top, but if they really think about it, they have technically violated the doctrine. Of course, as to which doctrine they have violated, whether they have violated one or two, Motan doesn¡¯t care, nor is he interested. He was just using this small incident to prove something. That is, the influence that the talent of an atheist can have on others. After all, the description of this talent is too vague¡­ [Atheist: You cannot choose faith, because you will not have any reverence for any higher existence. No preacher will waste time on you! None!] Since this talent was forcibly placed on Motan by the system, it hasn¡¯t shown any actual effects so far. From the description, he probably guessed that he would not be actively sought after by religious people for proselytizing¡­but he wasn¡¯t sure about the specific situation. This talent may not have a big impact on him right now, but it is enough to become a hidden danger, and it may cause a series of unexpected changes at any time and place. At this point, Motan, who enjoys and is happy to see changes, really dislikes any unexpected situations. Rational people are not scary because their thinking patterns are too easy to infer¡­ Smart people are not scary because as long as you put your heart into it, you can find the thoughts behind their every move¡­ Madmen are even less scary, anyway, they are already mad~ But a person who is both rational and smart, and whose thinking pattern is unpredictable, is a little scary. [Devout believers will have a slight dislike and caution towards me, but they will not actively harbor strong hostility towards me until I make any radical moves. However, they probably won¡¯t believe any of my words.] Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Motan squinted slightly, looking down at the two guards who were praying in a low voice for the forgiveness of the gods, while thinking¡­ [Experience, wisdom, and rationality may all correct their actions. The older guy just now obviously thought more than the other dolt, but he didn¡¯t completely block the influence brought by the talent.] ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I may have said too much.¡± Motan walked to the two men, knelt half-way in front of them, and said with slight regret in his voice: ¡°Due to some troubles at home, I wanted to pray in our city¡¯s chapel. I didn¡¯t mean to make things difficult for you two. Probably because my mother is seriously ill, I¡¯ve been restless, falling into an extreme emotional state¡­¡± [If I show goodwill proactively when they are emotionally vulnerable and show enough goodwill¡­] ¡°No, it was me who offended earlier.¡± The young holy warrior lowered his head in shame and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize your¡­¡± ¡°Luo!¡± The older warrior interrupted him in a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t get it wrong, what we violated was the doctrine¡­you should feel ashamed for first and foremost violating the will and admonition of the gods!¡± [It works, but the effect is minimal for those with firm beliefs. This may be related to my charisma and eloquence, but it can¡¯t be verified right now. What can be confirmed is that, whether it¡¯s a positive influence or a negative influence, the stronger the believer you¡¯re facing, the less effective it is. But the subconscious doubt is more troubling¡­hehe¡­interesting, let¡¯s end it here for now¡­] ¡°Then may I ask the two of you, may I enter now?¡± Motan stood up and asked politely, ¡°I want to pray for blessings for my family.¡± The older of the two had finished praying by this time and seemed to have received some sort of response. He let out a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Please, but remember to abide by the rules here.¡± ¡°About that¡­¡± Motan immediately showed an awkward country bumpkin expression. He awkwardly adjusted his clothing and hairstyle, and muttered in a low voice, ¡°The rules and all¡­I might not be particularly¡­¡± This somewhat ¡®crude¡¯ awkward remedy was too easy to see through. The warrior sighed helplessly, turned to the younger man and said, ¡°Luo, take him inside to pray, I¡¯ll watch here first.¡± ¡°Yes, senior.¡± The holy warrior named Luo immediately responded, then nodded to Motan, ¡°Please follow me.¡± There aren¡¯t actually many taboos in the chapel of the Holy Alliance. After all, this is not an independent sect devoted to a single god, but a relatively loose alliance. Unless someone openly blasphemes, there are basically not many rules that can be violated. However, for some reason, the holy warrior felt uneasy. He kept feeling that this guy, who looked clean and tidy, was somehow unreliable. To blaspheme a god or something¡­what if he could do it?! Chapter 65 - 65 25 Missing Puzzle Piece_2 ?65: Chapter 25: Missing Puzzle Piece_2 65: Chapter 25: Missing Puzzle Piece_2 So it¡¯s better to have him watched over. And this is exactly what Motan wants to see~ ¡°My apologies for earlier, sir knight.¡± As soon as Motan stepped into the chapel, he smiled at the young man named Luo beside him, ¡°I meant no disrespect, please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± Luo immediately waved his hand, ¡°I was wrong earlier, and I have no eligibility to be honored as a knight within the Holy Church¡­¡± While they were talking, they came to the central part of the chapel. Although the place looked modest, it was much larger in both scale and area than the City Lord¡¯s mansion not far away. The surrounding walls were filled with exquisite relief sculptures, which also sporadically incorporated a lot of scriptures and doctrines of many gods. Every few steps apart, there was a Miracle Picture that generally depicted stories of various gods equivalent such as bringing relief during famine, alleviating atrocities, relieving droughts, controlling floods, protecting from mudslides¡­ ¡°Is it difficult to become a knight?¡± Motan suppressed his urge to roll his eyes at the relief sculptures of the gods and asked Luo with surprise, ¡°We have had several knights in our town and they don¡¯t seem to possess your elegance.¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone loves to hear words of praise. If someone dislikes hearing them, it¡¯s probably because the other party¡¯s words contain spiky insults or because the flattery was too clumsy. Everyone understands this principle. And Motan¡¯s face full of sincere praise undoubtedly made the young man a little pleased. Luo usually seldom gets praised with his qualifications. Despite shaking his head gently, the corners of his mouth could not help but curl up, ¡°It¡¯s difficult to gain the title of Knight within the holy church¡¯s union. It¡¯s my dream to become a ¡®Holy Knight,¡¯ but it¡¯s impossible within the next few years ¡­ ¡± While they were talking, they arrived at the center of the chapel, and they saw a giant statue of gods right in front of them. The halo filtering through the skylight gave it a layer of sainthood, making it look solemn and sacred. It was said that every statue of gods in the holy church union is personally blessed by serious authorities of each sect, all possess various divine qualities, though one doesn¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or false. ¡°Most people pray here.¡± Luo first bowed in the ritual of who knows which sect, then smiled at Motan, ¡°As for the way, it varies. The gods are merciful and they don¡¯t make strict demands, especially since you are not a believer ¡­¡± Motan gratefully nodded to him, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No problem, then I will ¡­ uh ¡­¡± Luo hesitated, seeming to be wondering about something, but finally said, ¡°I will wait for you a little further and then accompany you out.¡± He actually wanted to say that he was going first, but looking at the seemingly open-minded and good-talking half-elf in front of him, he felt a little uneasy for some reason, always wandering with some resistance in his heart. Here we must explain for ¡®Non-believer¡¯ this talent, this is not caused by talent. The key is that when Motan logs in as Tan Mo, there is always a dimension of inscrutable temperament on him. if one had to describe it, it would be¡­ Chaos, extreme chaos. How can such a natural gap with the orderly camp and the non-believer temperament that Motan has in the eyes of NPC make people trust him completely? In short, the temple warrior Luo left the center of the chapel and went to a slightly distant place, casual chit-chatting with people. Though it was morning and not many people had come to worship, many priests from the holy church union had arrived in the chapel to perform their daily prayers and duties such as upkeep and cleaning. As for Motan, he closed his eyes in pretense, pretending to pray for ¡®family members¡¯ he had made up heaven knows when, but actually, he was swiftly calculating in his mind all the known information he had gathered so far ¡­ Dave Sagel is a baptized believer and his faith is dedicated to Black Helm, the guardian of knights, warriors, and justices, God of justice and courage. But Dave betrayed and planned to kill his peers in the Knight¡¯s Academy for some plan, which is absolutely unacceptable to the god he believes in. Dave did not suffer divine punishment¡­ The end of the file once stated that he has appeared consistently as striving to become a holy knight. Though he has not yet met the requirements, his martial arts talent shown in recent years is far beyond that of his peer students. But he should be a youth with no extraordinary talent. Although the conditions to become a holy knight are not known yet, it should not be a secret; within a short time, I should be able to collect information about it. But even knowing all that¡­ ¡°Still feels like I¡¯m a couple of puzzle pieces short¡­¡± Motan mumbled quietly, rubbing his forehead, ¡°If I want to ruin Dave it would be simple, but since I¡¯ve noticed this big discrepancy, ignoring it would be boring. This unique task is quite deep indeed.¡± The reward for destroying the ¡®hero¡¯ Dave was three question marks. Motan didn¡¯t think the system was pretending to be profound, but rather the reward would vary according to how well he accomplished the task. Though he didn¡¯t really care about the task itself, given Motan¡¯s current personality he¡¯d naturally go for maximum fun, and usually, fun and difficulty correspond to each other. Whatever, the harder it is, the better. After all, it¡¯s more interesting if it¡¯s challenging~ ¡°I just knew that guy wasn¡¯t any good!¡± Just when Motan was about to end this pretentious prayer, a deliberately low grumble reached his ears. This wasn¡¯t due to any extraordinary talent or special training on Motan¡¯s part, nor thanks to the relatively sharp hearing of half-elves, but rather because that mammoth half-orc priestess¡¯s ¡®grumble¡¯ was rather loud. Almost all eyes in the chapel were drawn toward her. ¡°Carved tooth!¡± The young warrior standing next to the mammoth priestess almost cried, his face flushed, yelling quietly: ¡°Lower your voice! Lower your voice!!¡± ¡°My voice is low enough!¡± The priestess seemed oblivious, even pointing her nose towards the center of the chapel where Motan was: ¡°Doesn¡¯t he look like a Heretical Church Believer full of crooked ways?¡± Heretical Church Believer?! Crooked Ways?! Something seemed to flash through Motan¡¯s mind¡­ Two minutes later, at the chapel¡¯s main entrance ¡°I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± The young warrior blushed and quietly said to Motan: ¡°That young priestess is a new trainee, she doesn¡¯t think before she speaks.¡± Motan blinked: ¡°That ¡®small¡¯ priestess is almost taller than both of us combined.¡± The young warrior shrugged at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t mind.¡± A slight smile crossed Motan¡¯s face: ¡°I don¡¯t even know what a Heretical Church Believer is¡­¡± Young warrior¡¯s face turned solemn immediately: ¡°They are terrifying heretics. They are insanely evil, they appreciate all kinds of vile things, and even call them ¡®gods¡¯. Some heretics don¡¯t even have a faith object, they just act for their own crazy evil thoughts. Killing, blood sacrifices are commonplace to them. Under the influence of evil thoughts, these heretics can do anything. Even the most evil divine abode is a million times better than those false images they worship¡­uh, I don¡¯t want to talk about it any more, discussing them is even disrespectful to the gods.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Motan stopped just a second before he was about to leave the chapel, turned his head to ask the young warrior curiously: ¡°What are their benefits? Such as¡­ Skill initiated¡ª¡ª[Bewitchment] ¡°Can they control monsters? Or significantly enhance their talents and abilities in all aspects?¡± In the young warrior¡¯s ears, Motan¡¯s voice suddenly became very familiar, as if he was an old friend he had known for many years. Before his brain could respond, he instinctively answered: ¡°Well, the abilities of various heretics are strange. They can get various powers by paying various prices or holding cruel rituals, but those are evil ways¡­huh?!¡± The suddenly clear-eyed young warrior was stunned. And at this point, Motan had already walked away towards the outside of the chapel without looking back, saying without looking back: ¡°Thanks, mate~¡± Then he melted into the dense crowd outside the chapel¡­ Chapter Twenty-Five: The End Chapter 66 - 66 26 God Said_1 ?66: Chapter 26: God Said_1 66: Chapter 26: God Said_1 [You have voluntarily disconnected, please choose whether to reconnect.] ¡°Thank you, but not for now~¡± [Execute the wake-up program?] ¡°Please do~¡± [Received, now it¡¯s 22:15 on January 3, 2049, you will wake up in a minute.] It took Motan about two minutes to acclimate to the suddenly approaching night after leaving the game cabin. After all, when he logged off, it was still sunny inside the game. This experience was no longer strange in this era of prevalent spiritual simulation devices. However, each encounter could still bring him a wave of hazy illusion. Like being caught in the crevice between the spiritual and the real, it¡¯s peculiar and intoxicating. ¡°Such a pity that time is precious~¡± Motan managed to dispel that wonderful sense of dissonance in a very short time, expressing his regret: ¡°Moreover, starting two days ago, the time under the night sky has become even more precious to me ¡­ ¡± He made himself a cup of coffee, with only sugar and no milk. Instead of hastily drinking it right away, he set it down on the table beside him. Then, he made his way to the soft couch and directly fell back onto it. Closing his eyes to ponder~ [Who am I? Do I truly exist?] [I can control my actions, like gently lifting my finger ¡­] [But does this process truly exist in ¡®reality¡¯?] [Do my emotions spring from my ¡®true heart¡¯?] [What does ¡®true heart¡¯ mean? Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. How can a person prove their existence?] [Is life a scripted play, or a pure product of chance and inevitability with no set position?] [Do I really exist? Why am I me?] [¡­] This seemingly childish train of thought was not a bout of insanity from Motan, but a subconscious self-hypnosis process. His focused yet meaningless contemplation had only one purpose¡ªto actively execute a personality switch. So far, this method was the only one he could guarantee a high success rate and would not cause much harm to himself. Thoughts are fascinating, and so are humans. We often enter a wonderful ¡®detached¡¯ state under certain circumstances, as if observing ourselves from a god-like perspective that no one else can perceive. This is not an exaggeration. At least some people (like the one typing on the keyboard in front of the monitor at this moment) have had similar experiences. During a bout of insomnia, they started to question and deny their existence¡ªan odd attempt. In simple terms, find all kinds of evidence to prove your existence, such as wanting to move your finger, then ordering yourself to ¡®move the finger.¡¯ And then questioning it from another perspective¡ªactions, thoughts, dimensions, destiny, existence. At some point in this process, a confusing feeling will descend, as if there is a layer of water membrane separating you from the outside world, isolating thoughts and actions. Although you can still control your body, there will be temporary delays¡­ It is somewhat frightening, but also a fascinating state. I call it ¡®upper layer thinking¡¯. During subsequent intentional experiments, I successfully entered this state a few more times. Frankly, the experience was not pleasant¡ªit felt like I was isolating myself from everything around me, and I couldn¡¯t even confirm my existence. [Note: This is the author¡¯s personal experience and it is unknown if it is universal. Interested friends can try it a bit, but please don¡¯t take it seriously. Maybe just my sanity is not quite right, but yours may not be.] Now, let¡¯s get back to the story. After many years of experimentation, Motan found that this state he stumbled upon by chance, could greatly assist him in the ¡®switch.¡¯ Even though this process would consume a large amount of energy, it remained to be his best option so far. Among these, the process of switching the personality to [Absolute Neutral] was his most proficient one. After all, it was the most normal personality in daily life, and somewhat moderate in character (but not mediocre), at least not as extreme as the other two. It wasn¡¯t too troublesome to switch¡­ So, after a while, when Motan emerged from that slightly magical state, the confusion and perpetual laughter in his eyes had vanished, replaced with a gentle and slightly lazy temperament. ¡°Coffee¡­.¡± He walked to the coffee on the corner of the table, hesitated slightly, then pulled a small bag of instant sweet milk from the drawer and poured it in, sighing, ¡°It¡¯s more suitable with some milk.¡± Motan, who finished the coffee in one gulp, felt much more energized. After stretching lazily, he laid back in the game cabin, noted the current time, and logged into the game. ¡­. [Spiritual connection detected and your personal information is being synchronized¡­] [Connection complete, reading character information] [Welcome back, Hei Fan of Absolute Neutral, loading into the Realm of Innocence, wish you a good night] ¡°As expected, nobody noticed~¡± When Motan regained consciousness, he found himself sitting on a bench on the central road of Stacked Rock City. There were many pedestrians around at this time but no one noticed the sudden appearance of a person. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°What tricks did the system play on these NPCs¡¯ perceptions? Or is my existence just too insignificant?¡± Chapter 67 - 67 26 God Said _2 ?67: Chapter 26: God Said _2 67: Chapter 26: God Said _2 Actually, this was definitely because of the system¡¯s influence¡­ Mo Tan thought so only because he knew all too well just how audacious or upright he himself could be at times. However, if compared to others, Hei Fan with his ¡°Absolute Neutral¡± was quite normal. He leisurely rose to his feet, after a whole day, continuing in the direction of the church in the city (he was planning to go to church before he got disconnected yesterday), walking among a crowd of people with varied skin colors, careers, and even races, feeling very delighted and satisfied. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even though he had already experienced the bustling Anka market and the large and vigorous Pato City, Mo Tan, now in Stacked Rock City, wasn¡¯t dissatisfied with its relative quietness. He was always able to integrate easily into his surroundings, and could catch up to the rhythm like a local wherever he went. There was no special talent to it, just being truly go-with-the-flow¡­ If you took Mo Tan¡¯s attitude at this time and threw it into ¡°Transformation,¡± as soon as he arrives in a village, he might say, ¡°Delicious!¡± after his first meal. He¡¯s the neighbor who would give you a smile when you cross paths during a morning walk~ He¡¯s the regular person who, like you, can burst into laughter after hearing a funny joke~ He, like you, enjoys playing games, reading comics, novels, and dislikes eating vegetables~ He gets guilty feelings, experiences fear, shows sympathy, compassion, worry, and indecisiveness~ He¡¯s usually not too talkative, but when he¡¯s interested in a topic, he¡¯ll get excited and chat with you for half the day~ He would never put reflective stickers on his shoes or take upskirt photos with his mobile, but when he sees long, fair legs on the street, he also can¡¯t help but look twice~ This is what he¡¯s like, an ¡®ordinary person¡¯ found everywhere in this era of overpopulation. No more or no less ordinary. However, if you are smart enough, have two other traits that get you into trouble continuously, and are just ¡®ordinary¡¯ or ¡®absolutely neutral¡¯, then you¡¯re not destined to be mediocre. Even an energy-efficient lamp might lead to situations where you burn through energy quickly thanks to dealing with many tangled issues¡­ ¡°Why didn¡¯t you log in today?¡± ¡°You can only play for 12 hours a day!¡± ¡°That magic release technique you mentioned was really useful, hey!¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t use the gathering, at least show up at the garrison, huh~¡± ¡°Yinna looked at me weirdly, what did you tell her?¡± ¡­ Probably because she was bored, that energy-consuming female hacker started sending annoying messages to him because she couldn¡¯t get a reply from ¡®Tan Mo¡¯¡­ Mo Tan carefully replied to her once, with the general content being ¡®he often works at night, so his online time isn¡¯t very fixed. If she had the time, she can level up, so she can help them fly later.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t particularly meaningful. Subsequently, he left an email address for Double Leaf, one with average level of encryption. Given Sun¡¯s skill, a simple investigation would probably reveal his real identity, and then further connect ¡®Hei Fan¡¯ with ¡®Mo Tan.¡¯ That way, ¡®Black¡¯ and ¡®Tan Mo¡¯ would be even more secure~ As for matters such as the similarity between his real name and the name Tan Mo in the game, during this current era of a massive population, everything could almost be chalked up to coincidence. If Double Leaf became suspicious, the most it could do was further confuse her, but what would that matter? The result was, not long after he replied to Double Leaf¡¯s message and before he could reach the church, a message box popped up in the corner of his field of vision. [Player: Morning Forgotten Language (Absolute Neutral) wants to add you as a friend] Without having to recall, he remembered that this was that girl named Yu Chen from the party with Winter, who was very introverted and a bit shy. Well, it seemed that he did say to everyone that they would add each other as friends after, but ended up not adding anyone. Part of it was because ¡®Hei Fan¡¯ had a low online rate, and another part was that everyone was so excited in the initial stages of the game that they probably had too many things to handle. Even after being stood up by Mo Tan, Yidong barely bothered him at all¡­ The game Innocence certainly had a unique charm. ¡°Hi~¡± After choosing to confirm, Mo Tan casually sent a greeting through the game¡¯s friend mail system, receiving a reply almost immediately. ¡°Hehe, finally caught you online O(¡É_¡É)O~ What is Mo Tan up to? I¡¯ve managed to add everyone as friends on my list now!¡± Mo Tan sent a brief reply while he was walking. He explained that he had been a bit busy recently, not logging in often. He had just joined an autonomous army in a territory within the game. He also mentioned how he was duped into spending 20 copper coins on a religious book by a priest in town. ¡°¦²(¡Ñ¨Œ¡Ñ! No way, my Sister Superior told me that the religious books are free~ Mo Tan, did you get ripped off?¡± Yu Chen replied hastily to the message. Even though typing isn¡¯t necessary when using mental link to message within the game, her speed was still astonishing. Mo Tan was also slightly surprised by her evident cheerful and vibrant personality in her spoken words. This girl has quite the contrasting charm¡­ Although Mo Tan wasn¡¯t fond of socializing in real life (he¡¯s afraid of sudden plot twists leading to unexpected incidents), it was a different story in the game. After all, the worst-case scenario in the game was getting disconnected or having to switch accounts, not like it would scare anyone or cause any trouble. So, he didn¡¯t mind indulging in a little chatter: ¡°Your Sister Superior is clearly part of the despicable capitalist class. As a believer blessed by the Gods, I reckon you¡¯ll soon rise to a middle-level position within the church. As for the old guy I met, who is a priest in some small place, he¡¯s obviously at the bottom of the church hierarchy. And I¡­ I am the exploited class¡­ That¡¯s why I paid¡­¡± ¡°Your point is very compelling, my condolences ORZ~¡± Yu Chen instantly replied. Mo Tan had reached the church by that time and let out a fake laugh, replying to Yu Chen with an embarrassed-face emoji, before stepping into the church. He wouldn¡¯t incite any antipathy from the church staff at this point. After all, without the impact of their lack of faith in believers, they wouldn¡¯t be shunned immediately¡­ Moreover, his character, Hei Fan, is a pious follower of the Goddess of Dawn and a priest as well. The church of the Dawn Faction was like his own home. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so happy to see you, kiddo.¡± The old priest, who had previously brought him into the faith, spotted Mo Tan as soon as he entered the church and greeted him with a smile, ¡°Remember never to forget the grace of the goddess, no matter where you are.¡± Mo Tan nodded, ¡°I¡¯m here to pray. And there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss with you afterward.¡± The other party nodded readily. Mo Tan wondered if his willingness was related to the time he bought that religious book¡­ Then Mo Tan went to the statue of the goddess, closed his eyes with his hands together in devotion, hoping to get it over with quickly and then go and discuss skills with the priest. But unexpectedly¡­ [Do you want to pray to the Dawn Goddess, Pachxi?] ???. Was this an actual setting within the game? Well then, let¡¯s pray. There¡¯s no harm in trying, and who knows, there might be some benefits. Mo Tan immediately opted to confirm¡­ Then he felt like he was submerged in a warm, boundless sea. The omnipresent light was enveloping him, and in his dark vision (because his eyes were shut), a vague feminine silhouette appeared, gradually drawing closer to him. ¡°I will provide you with protection,¡± said the shadow softly, ¡°May you spread my gospel, and wherever your sight reaches, let it be filled with light and divine splendor.¡± I¡¯ll do my best¡­ Mo Tan thought to himself. This wasn¡¯t a lie, he was now a believer, spreading the gospel of the goddess was his duty. ¡°Devotion,¡± the shadow¡¯s voice echoed again, ¡°Shall be rewarded.¡± [Your intelligence +3, constitution +3, faith value limit +10, obtained talent: Devotion] This is amazing!! Overjoyed, Mo Tan listened closely as the shadow¡¯s voice echoed a third time¡­ ¡°Toughen your spirit and body, empower your faith and yourself¡­¡± And then what? ¡°And then, when you encounter that crazy woman Delia¡¯s believers, the stupid Xavier¡¯s followers, the deceiving Izanar¡¯s believers or any chaotic and evil heretics, you beat the tar out of them. Wipe them out!!!¡± ¡°???¡± Chapter Twenty-Six: The End Chapter 68 - 68 27 Dialogue with God _1 ?68: Chapter 27: Dialogue with ¡®God¡¯ _1 68: Chapter 27: Dialogue with ¡®God¡¯ _1 ?! Motan thought he must be hallucinating, otherwise, why would the previously serene and composed Goddess of Dawn suddenly have such a disconcerting demeanor¡­ Although weird things like this had been happening to him for over twenty years, surely his atypical split personality hadn¡¯t reached this extent, right?! Or could it be that he wasn¡¯t actually logged into the game, and he had added some high-purity alcohol to his coffee while he wasn¡¯t paying attention, and now he was just plain drunk? No, his thoughts were already getting mixed up¡­ ¡°Hey, react already!¡± Under normal circumstances, considering the character setup of the Goddess of Dawn, she shouldn¡¯t be known for her aloofness, coldness, arrogance, and yet, her compassion and boundless love for all living beings, right? ¡°Will you say something already?! Responding to prayers really takes it out of me!¡± But this goddess, her character seemed to contradict itself too. And why was she using words like ¡®smacking¡¯ and ¡®blasting¡¯? Was she trying to be trendy? ¡°What are you pondering over there? I can¡¯t hear you if you don¡¯t answer properly!¡± There were indeed some unconventional character setups. For example, characters like the God of light or the Goddess of Dawn were not saints, their religious factions preached benevolence, but they committed all sorts of atrocities. This kind of setting seems popular, but she didn¡¯t seem to fit that either¡­ ¡°It seems like you¡¯re thinking something quite disrespectful.¡± Hey! The current situation reminded him of a girl back in middle school who led a bunch of ruffians and ruled the whole school. Of course, the latter was more well-built, she was already close to 200 pounds at a very young age¡­ ¡°Are! You! Listening! To! Me?!¡± Finally, the ¡®Goddess of Dawn¡¯ projection couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She, radiating a soft, pale golden light, took a quick step, and aimed a massive slap right at him! Motan only felt a warm breeze rushing at him, he instinctively wanted to dodge to the side, but an overwhelming power held him in place. He was slapped so hard that he spun a few meters away before crashing down¡­ Even though the slap hurt quite a bit, it didn¡¯t make him bleed. Instead, it snapped him out of his ¡®intermittent mental breakdown¡¯ phase that he slipped into when he was feeling ¡®absolutely neutral¡¯. ¡°Um¡­ Miss Goddess¡­¡± Motan got up awkwardly from the ground and bowed to the now visibly upset figure in front of him: ¡°I apologize.¡± Seeing him react at last, Paccy, the Goddess of Dawn, finally stopped flexing her joints. She asked with a still slightly dreamy voice: ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t seem like a goddess?¡± ¡°I dare not.¡± Now that he was certain he wasn¡¯t just dreaming, Motan put on an appeasing smile and firmly denied it. This was a response from the ¡®True God¡¯ during prayer; even though she was just a ¡®god¡¯ set up in the game, if she became unhappy and punished him, the consequences could be severe! Moreover, this goddess did seem to have quite a temper¡­ In all honesty, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that there was no malicious intent or disrespect in Motan¡¯s thoughts before, even if the Goddess of Dawn didn¡¯t mind, in terms of game rules, he would have been labeled as ¡®blasphemous¡¯, which would have resulted in a penalty that could be costlier than starting his game character from scratch. ¡°You dare not?¡± The projection before him seemed to chuckle softly, she spread her hands towards him: ¡°In this world, you¡¯re my believer, and I¡¯m your God, but as a life form one dimension above me, even if you were to disrespect me, so what? What if your body that¡¯s praying in a church gets destroyed, how will that affect you?¡± !!! This statement was like a thunderclap in a clear sky for Motan. Perhaps not just for him, but any player who heard this statement would definitely be shocked. Just like if you were teleported into a cartoon world, and a character known for his sarcastic remarks came up to you, looked at you fiercely and complained, ¡°Are these viewers out of their minds?!!!! Why, every time there¡¯s a vote, my insightful, profound character is only ranked eighth! Glasses are not my main trait! Go back and watch it a hundred more times, you heartless people!¡± Similar to that kind of feeling¡­ If this was not a game setting, but the ¡®NPC¡¯ had some knowledge of something beyond the game, then this game, [Realm of Innocence], would be truly exceptional. This was treading on the forbidden line that even the most human-like AI could not cross¡­ Although Motan was taken aback, he quickly regained his composure, it was thanks to his mental strength (after all, he was insane), and carefully asked: ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Just as it sounds.¡± The Goddess of Dawn shook her head: ¡°You don¡¯t need to be nervous, I think it¡¯s good to clear things up, it could be helpful for our communication later on. However, I do hope that you maintain your faith ¨C or should I say, trust in me in this world, otherwise, even I cannot change the judgment of ¡®blasphemous¡¯.¡± Motan nodded, relaxing a little. Although he hated trouble at this moment, if something irritating did come up, he¡¯d be able to handle it pretty well (since he was used to it). S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 69 - 69 27 Dialogue with God _2 ?69: Chapter 27: Dialogue with ¡®God¡¯ _2 69: Chapter 27: Dialogue with ¡®God¡¯ _2 ¡°First thing I want to tell you is¡­¡± The other party elegantly settled into an elegant chair that had appeared who-knows-when, speaking in a relaxed tone, ¡°I am indeed a goddess, one of many in the pantheon. If strictly defined, you could consider me ¡®neutral¡¯ and ¡®benevolent,¡¯ but in reality, so-called ¡®gods¡¯ aren¡¯t as sacred as mortals understand. We also have emotions and real names. The Goddess of Dawn is Paxi?Veena, not ¡®The Goddess of Dawn is The Goddess of Dawn¡¯. Get it?¡± Motan rubbed his freshly slapped cheek, somewhat in agreement, ¡°It might have seemed a bit vague before, but now I can definitely relate.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hold a grudge~¡± The Goddess of Dawn¡¯s mouth, hidden behind the light, curved into a slight smile, ¡°As long as I don¡¯t want to hurt you, there¡¯ll be no consequences if I kick you and make you roll all over the place, like getting hurt.¡± Of course, Motan didn¡¯t take that slap to heart. After all, he didn¡¯t have psychological diseases like straight men who can¡¯t handle it. Compared to these irrelevant matters, he was more concerned about other issues¡­ ¡°You seem troubled.¡± The goddess sounded as if she could see through his heart, ¡°Spit it out¡­ Hmm, go ahead!¡± Motan put his hand on his forehead. For now, he wasn¡¯t worried about anything else, his previous tension was completely gone. So he raised the question that had been intriguing him: ¡°In reality, I just wanted to know why you have found me. There should be a lot of beings ¡®like me¡¯ among your believers, even excluding the original believers of this world. I wonder, my goddess, did you say the previous words to all of them equally, or did this conversation only happen with me? If so¡­ I am quite curious as to why?¡± A person of similar temperament might not ask the goddess such a question, but aside from his temperament, Motan was considerably calm at the moment, so he paid close attention. After all, if heavens burdens a man with a mission, what follows is never pleasant¡­ He sincerely hoped that he was not an exception! ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡± The goddess nodded satisfactorily, then remained silent for a while before answering, ¡°I don¡¯t know about the others, but so far, I have only had this kind of conversation with you. As for the reason¡­¡± Motan could feel her eyes locked directly onto him, as if trying to see right through him. ¡°I can feel that you truly believe in me. Although it is not a kind of fanatic devotion, you still positioned yourself as a believer, looking up at me from a mortal perspective.¡± The Goddess gently articulated, ¡°But I felt an almost non-existent contempt from you. I can¡¯t help but feel that no matter what, you would not bow to any deity. That displays a characteristic that makes me want to resent you even though it¡¯s hard to detect, I could still faintly sense it¡­¡± Motan was taken aback. Almost immediately, he thought of his atheist talent when he was ¡®Tan Mo¡¯, but it wasn¡¯t cogent. Maybe it wasn¡¯t very obvious in reality, but in the [Realm of Innocence] game, he, who was logged in as Hei Fan, should not possess the aura associated with another personality, even if it¡¯s the same person! Unless¡­ This ¡®goddess¡¯ in front of him, leaving aside dimensions, indeed possessed power close to that of a deity. ¡°I was curious, so I wanted to have a little chat with you.¡± The goddess went on without caring about the change in Motan¡¯s expression, ¡°After all, once we become gods, it¡¯s boring, tedious, and we have to maintain our dignity all the time.¡± ¡°After becoming a god, then¡­¡± Motan muttered under his breath, but before he could finish his sentence ¡®So you were not a god before¡¯, she immediately interrupted him. ¡°I can say certain things that you can¡¯t. So, I speak, you listen.¡± The Goddess of Dawn shrugged her shoulders as if somewhat helpless, ¡°Let¡¯s continue our earlier conversation. Like I said, the Goddess of Dawn is Paxi?Veena, not ¡®The Goddess of Dawn is The Goddess of Dawn¡¯, which of course indicates that I was once¡­ a mortal in the conventional sense¡­¡± Not wanting to interrupt her now knowing she was speaking for his own good, Motan remained silent and listened attentively. ¡°Mortals are mortals because they do not have the power that will convince people to worship them, but if they did¡­¡± The goddess heaved a sigh, ¡°Then they can become ¡®gods¡¯.¡± This did not surprise Motan. After all, people today are advanced enough, and he himself has complained more than once while watching superhero-themed works. So, according to the script, this slightly violent lady before him was probably exalted to the position of ¡®goddess¡¯ after achieving a certain level of strength. Motan immediately thought this, like most people would. But he was wrong¡­ S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Whether it¡¯s Paxi?Veena, or Izzanar?Kashu, Diliania?Xilu, Serila?Maiti, Tisu?Light Wing, all of them were ¡®mortals¡¯ to begin with.¡± The goddess sounded a bit melancholic with an air of disillusionment, ¡°They could even be considered outcasts within their communities, a group of renegade Heterodox.¡± Chapter 70 - 70 27 Dialogue with God _3 ?70: Chapter 27: Dialogue with ¡®God¡¯ _3 70: Chapter 27: Dialogue with ¡®God¡¯ _3 Alien? Heterodox?! Motan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Yes, at least within our race it is.¡± The Goddess of Dawn laughed mockingly. ¡°Long, long ago, our tribe was exiled by a powerful force, and only a few people like myself were spared for some reason. Eventually, we became gods.¡± Right now, Motan really wants to know how powerful this goddess¡¯s former tribe was. Even the few ¡®heterodox¡¯ young men left behind became gods. ¡°Does that seem strange to you?¡± Pasco slightly shook her head: ¡°No it¡¯s not. Just imagine a race that is several times stronger than a dragon in all aspects. They naturally become a detached force. But what if there are only a few people left of this race?¡± Unquestionably¡­ When a race, the gap between whose strength and commoners, is as huge as a moat, has only a small number of survivors and common people can¡¯t surpass them no matter how hard they try to give everything until their shadows are out of sight¡­ They would become gods. ¡°I am very curious about what sort of force that was¡­¡± Motan rubbed his forehead: ¡°It is hard to imagine.¡± The virtual image of the divine dwelling rose from the chair, walked up to Motan and inquired at a low volume, ¡°Don¡¯t you really know? As beings of higher dimensions, you are supposed to be the most qualified to have dealings with it, right? With that irresistible, omnipotent existence.¡± Motan shuddered, didn¡¯t answer, but an answer had already formed in his mind¡­ The System. This existence that distributes factions, confers talent, assigns tasks, rewards equipment and experience to all players certainly lives up to the terms ¡®irresistible¡¯ and ¡®omnipotent¡¯! So from now on, is this book going to follow a conventional path? Players under the guidance and assistance of the surviving gods, fighting the system? Terrorist attacks? Bombing servers? This should be popular¡­ However, just when Motan was about to imagine a series of poignant and epic tales, the other side again interrupted his spiraling thoughts. ¡°That power is correct.¡± The goddess sighed. ¡°The prophesied destruction is unstoppable. My tribe, who once watched and observed everything from the highest point, couldn¡¯t stop it. These so-called gods of ours, with our contradictions and conflicts, couldn¡¯t stop it either. But maybe it can¡­ guide you¡­ guide us¡­¡± Motan was stunned, completely baffled. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m actually busy.¡± Pasco laughed softly, ¡°I just wanted to chat with someone from your dimension. Our time¡¯s almost up¡­¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Motan waved his hand. Even though he doesn¡¯t like trouble, this kind of story ending halfway is too annoying! The Goddess of Dawn, ignoring him, began to swing her arm, ¡°Of course, if you do happen to come across the followers of Dilia, Xavier, Izanar or any heretics, it would be best to provoke them! I will reward you!¡± ¡°Wait¡­!!¡± ¡°Bye~¡± Bang!! By the time Motan came to his senses, he found himself sitting down in front of the statue of the goddess, surrounded by the substantial light of the Holy Light. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡­ Chapter 27: The End Chapter 71 - 71 28 The Missing Squad_1 ?71: Chapter 28: The Missing Squad_1 71: Chapter 28: The Missing Squad_1 What a mess¡­ Motan sat on the ground bewildered for a moment, the new attributes and talents added to his character panel were clear evidence that everything he experienced was not a hallucination or a daydream. Yet, the Dawn Goddess seemed truly interested in merely having a chat with an ¡®exotic person¡¯. The conversation held no significance and was quite abrupt¡­ He decided to ponder it later when he had more time. Perhaps his alternate personalities would find these matters more interesting than he did. For now, it was best to let it go and live life freely, why bother? The elderly priest, who had been observing Motan, quickly approached him, expressing concern. ¡°Are you alright? If I saw correctly¡­were you blessed by the goddess?¡± Motan was momentarily baffled, yet he quickly recalled the substantial Holy Light that enveloped him when he regained consciousness. Judging from the priest¡¯s excited reaction, this was not an ordinary occurrence but a special blessing¡­ Well, it seems like the Dawn Goddess does favor him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that can be considered as a blessing,¡± Motan replied while contemplating inwardly. ¡°I think I heard the voice of the Goddess, which made me feel better, like I¡¯ve been rejuvenated.¡± Describing the feeling of his intelligence and constitution being increased by three points as a sense of being rejuvenated should be acceptable, right? As expected, the priest became excited. He quickly pulled Motan into the prayer room behind the church and asked, his mustache trembling, ¡°What did the Goddess say to you?¡± Was he so excited that he slipped into dialect¡­? For some reason, Motan was reminded of a dog that even barked with an accent~ Such a significant difference! ¡°Uh¡­what did the Goddess say to me?¡± Motan blushed mysteriously, and then scratched his head uncomfortably. ¡°It¡¯s a bit challenging to put into words.¡± Boom! The old priest didn¡¯t say a word, he simply knelt on a nearby cushion facing the statue that was always bathed in a misty Holy Light. He trembled as he performed a three-bow nine-kowtow ritual, muttering, ¡°Oh Goddess, forgive me!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking anything!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t hit me with Divine Punishment, Goddess!¡± ¡°My faith is pure!¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Motan was puzzled, then shock hit him: ¡°¡­!!!¡± He suddenly found the old man kind of cute. It took a while for the priest to recover. He stood up, pale-faced, glanced at the ceiling to confirm that there was no sign of divine retribution, then turned to Motan with a pained expression, ¡°Son, think before you speak¡­¡± [It¡¯s your fault for daydreaming strange things! You¡¯re blaming me!?] Although Motan had these thoughts, he didn¡¯t voice them. He merely nodded solemnly and shrugged, ¡°The Goddess thinks I¡¯m weak. With my current level of skill, I would embarrass her while travelling the land.¡± Here comes the main point! In certain sense, Motan was speaking the truth. The Dawn Goddess did indeed express her wish for him to strengthen his mind and body, which meant she wanted him to become stronger. And why was that necessary? Because Motan was not yet strong enough, which meant he was weak! So, there¡¯s nothing wrong with his words! Like most people, Motan occasionally has a dark sense of humor. He would try to figure out a way to gain some benefits for himself¡­ ¡°Too weak?¡± The old priest blinked a few times, looking troubled. ¡°As followers of the Goddess, isn¡¯t our main duty to be steadfast and devout, while lending a hand to those who suffer or are lost? As for power, it¡¯s something one usually comprehends gradually¡­ Umm¡­¡± Motan shrugged, ¡°I do not know what the Goddess thinks.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Hmm¡­¡± The old priest nodded a few times, ¡°The divine will is not something that we mortals can guess casually. Let me ponder on this.¡± He stood there thinking for a while, then walked over to a cabinet in the corner of the prayer room. He carefully took out a manuscript and handed it to Motan with great reverence. ¡°This was left by my godfather.¡± The old priest smiled, ¡°He was a powerful Regulation Priest in his youth. This manuscript records some of his insights into faith and divine arts. I don¡¯t have much talent in this area, so it¡¯s better that you keep it. This could also be the goddess¡¯s will¡­¡± Here it comes! This was the right direction: an old man with a white beard handing over a unique skill in an unforeseen coincidence. The seemingly ordinary martial plants hidden therein could potentially slaughter gods and demons, just like the powerful close-range skill triggered at max level, the Spirit Bomb. It was similar to the Dugu Nine Swords which broke all worldly martial arts. At this very moment, Motan¡¯s heart was pounding, his hands were trembling, he felt as though he had taken a dose of fertilizer! The old man with a white beard! A time-worn ancient manuscript! The old man¡¯s godfather who could be a hermit from the outside world! Chapter 72 - 72 28 The Missing Squad_2 ?72: Chapter 28: The Missing Squad_2 72: Chapter 28: The Missing Squad_2 All conditions are ready! He reached out, took it and looked down¡­ [Neva ? Fao Manuscripts] Special Item Use: Acquire skill: Commandment ? Shield; Activate/Complete the job quest ¨C Regulation Priest Quest conditions: [Carry out twenty critical treatments 0/20], [Devoted Prayers 0/20], [Apply Commandment ? Shield to an ally 0/30], [Priest level 2/15], [Holy Light knowledge level 1/7] Reward: Obtain the job [Regulation Priest] [Note: This manuscript was left behind by Neva ? Fao during his lifetime. Mr. Fao was an ordinary, kind-hearted person with little ambition and a low-level taste. He lived an unexceptional life without any outstanding achievements or faults¡­ so there¡¯s not much to be said about him.] What¡¯s the point of saying that much when there¡¯s nothing substantial to be said! Are you nuts!! Motan was roaring inwardly, seemingly, Mr. Fao¡¯s mundane life had dealt him a blow¡­ But if you dismiss his previous farfetched¡­ speculation, this item is actually not bad. After all, players can have multiple jobs in the game [Realm of Innocence], and it¡¯s obvious that it has its benefits if Motan, who started with the Priest job, can get another job from the same series but with a different direction. For the simplest example, if a player who mainly majors in the Warrior job gets the Mage job by sheer chance, then he will have a hard time learning many skills that require high intelligence, unless he painstakingly levels up his Mage level. But if he does that, his strength is likely to lag¡­ So in the initial to mid-phase of the game, having a variety of jobs doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you¡¯re more powerful. Not every bald guy calls himself Kratos, not every professional player is an umbrella (complete) specialist. What¡¯s more, some jobs don¡¯t increase attributes across the board after leveling up. Instead, they even deduct existing attribute points. After all, Mages with powerful magic generally aren¡¯t very strong, and Rangers who can disappear without a trace are often not strong men¡­ Of course, we¡¯re talking about the general cases¡­ just general cases¡­ There will always be some unreasonable people in this world, and there¡¯s no helping it ~ Er, we got sidetracked for quite a while. Let¡¯s get back to our previous topic. Although in view of Motan¡¯s current level and knowledge about Holy Light, it seems unrealistic to complete the job quest in a short time, but it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it¡¯s without any immediate benefit. At least, he could immediately learn a skill¡­ [Commandment?Shield] Holy Light School Active Skill Prerequisite: Holy Light Knowledge Level 1 Consumption/Restriction: 20 Faith Points Effect: Creates an absorption shield on the target that is not affected by any attribute, absorbs a small amount of damage, and reduces all damage received by the target by 5%. Duration: 30 seconds, cooldown time: 30 seconds. [Note: Go! Warrior, go and endure more damage for me! In the name of the Goddess, get out there and take a beating!] Compared to the two support skills that Motan has already mastered, this damage absorption shield with only 30 seconds of cooldown time is obviously cost-effective. ¡°Thank you so much. I will take good care of it.¡± After storing Fao¡¯s notes in his bag, Motan expressed his gratitude to the old priest. ¡°If there comes a day when I have fully understood it, I will return it to you.¡± The old priest stroked his white wool beard and smiled, ¡°The Goddess guides you to seek power, and it just so happens that I have a manuscript of the Divine Arts left by the archbishop during his lifetime. I think all this is arranged by destiny.¡± That¡¯s the nice thing about dealing with believers. No matter what happens, they can always explain everything with phrases like ¡®Guidance of the Goddess¡¯ or ¡®Destiny¡¯s Arrangement¡¯, never being too serious. (PS: Please do not get any ideas about throwing your boyfriend/girlfriend into the church to live for a while. The author has nothing to do with any extreme consequences caused by this behavior.) The two spent some more time talking about the wondrous Goddess and then Motan received a string of messages from Double Leaf. The gist of the messages was if he was online, he should return to the station at once as there seemed to be little trouble. It was still early, not yet the time for Motan to change accounts as planned, so he hastily said goodbye to the old priest, sent a reply to Double Leaf, and rushed back to the camp as soon as possible. Before even reaching the base, Motan noticed a rather tense atmosphere. The autonomous army soldiers, who were usually scarce, suddenly seemed more numerous, and everyone¡¯s faces were grim¡­ S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Walking briskly for a while, he quickly saw Fenrir¡¯s team members, all gathered around Ned, chattering animatedly about something. Double Leaf stood a bit further away and immediately waved at Motan as soon as she spotted him, then turned to say something to Ned. ¡°Finally, you¡¯re here,¡± Ned strode over and nodded at Motan: ¡°Emergency mission. The Spark team, which was on patrol today, has not returned to report yet. The higher-ups have ordered all teams to search at the fastest speed. We are responsible for the area southwest of Stacked Rock City. Get ready to move out.¡± Yinna, who had accompanied him, rolled her eyes and mumbled, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the people ¡®above¡¯ are thinking. It¡¯s just a routine patrol that¡¯s a bit late, they¡¯re making such a big fuss about it¡­¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Sara, the Lizardman martial monk, chimed in while slipping his hands into his gloves, ¡°Maybe, they just went out for a drink and to slack off a bit. What a complete waste of my time.¡± Krabu, on the other hand, seemed rather excited as he swung his heavy-looking axe and enthused, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be too bad if we run into some trouble, it¡¯d give us a chance to stretch a bit!¡± ¡°If you jinx it again¡­¡± Ned glared at him, seemingly quite serious, ¡°I¡¯ll ¡®stretch¡¯ you first.¡± Krabu immediately backed down. He¡¯d occasionally argue with Sara, but he never messed with Ned. He seemed to fear him. ¡°When Krabu and Sara first arrived, they picked a fight,¡± Yinna whispered in Motan¡¯s ear. ¡°The captain beat them both up, and since then they¡¯ve been well-behaved.¡± Motan realized what was going on, their respect seemed to be based on brute strength¡­ ¡°Alright, now that Hei Fan is here, let¡¯s not waste any more time,¡± Ned said gravely. ¡°I find the order from above a bit puzzling too. But since we¡¯re being paid by them and living on their land, when it¡¯s time to work, we work. Let¡¯s head out.¡± And so, their group embarked on their mission in an incredibly¡­scattered, casual manner. Motan noticed that at least three or four squads were heading in roughly the same direction as them, and even more squads were heading due west and south, all with a clear purpose in mind. ¡°Looks like this emergency situation is within the prediction of those ¡®above¡¯.¡± Double Leaf somehow ended up beside Motan and murmured, ¡°It¡¯s too obvious.¡± Motan shrugged and asked, ¡°What exactly is the situation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just what the captain just mentioned.¡± Double Leaf adjusted her glasses, spread her hands and said, ¡°I was notified while wandering around the Mage Guild, and then I immediately asked you to come. Fortunately, you were online.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been pretty busy lately¡­¡± The pair chatted sporadically as their squad left Stacked Rock City and began exploring the northwest. Geographically, this seemed to be the edge of the Marshal Territory. Being a non-official road with little trade, it was fairly deserted, with only a few pedestrians to be seen. Of course, it may have been called a search, but it was mostly just them walking and chatting. After all, no one really anticipated that the patrol squad could¡¯ve run into trouble. Even Ned seemed to adopt a mentality of wanting to finish the tour quickly and report back, and began to yawn. However, it¡¯s always at times like these when things tend to go wrong. For example¡­ ¡°Help!!¡± Bang!! Ned, quick as lightning, kicked Krabu several meters away, cursing, ¡°Your damn mouth should be sewn shut! Everyone on alert, prepare for rescue!!¡± Whoosh! A fist-sized fireball rose from Double Leaf¡¯s palm, followed by an elliptical halo appearing next to her. Looking back, Motan had just cast a fortitude prayer on Ned. The glow from his fingertips lit up the dull landscape under the setting sun. ¡°Everyone, be careful.¡± Chapter 28: End Chapter 73 - 73 29 Cant Do It_1 ?73: Chapter 29: Can¡¯t Do It_1 73: Chapter 29: Can¡¯t Do It_1 [Invincible Prayer] Active Skill of Holy Light School Mastery requirement: Level 1 Holy Light Knowledge Consumption/limitation: 15 Magic Power, 10 Faith Points, possess the ability to speak Effect: Pray for a specific target, enhancing its constitution by 3%, increasing stamina recovery speed by 5%, greatly relieving bloody injuries. The effect lasts for five minutes with a cooldown time of 120 seconds. Note: You may eventually die in battle, but please try your best to hang on for a few more minutes and confess your sins before your death to help me boost my performance. Motan¡¯s reaction could be described as the fastest next to Ned. He had acted almost before Ned had finished speaking, applying the ¡®Ruling Shield¡¯ on Double Leaf, whose constitution was the worst. He then immediately cast ¡®Invincible Prayer¡¯ on Ned, who was at the forefront. This Divine Arts buff skill was quite potent and the interval between this and the previous ¡®Holy Word¡¯ spell was not even one second. In the [Realm of Innocence], there was no concept of global cooldown on spellcasting. In theory, as long as players were quick enough, they could use a slew of skills not under the cooldown stage. However, this theory was impractical, because even the simplest no-brainer skill required corresponding actions, gestures, or chanting to be activated. Even some low-level warrior skills required raising the weapon-like movement. Shooting required drawing a bow, pulling the trigger; casting spells required chanting or gestures; if one casts a ¡®Whirlwind Slash, wouldn¡¯t it make sense for the person to spin around? Even though Motan¡¯s two skill activations just now might not seem much to some NPCs or seasoned high-end players (there aren¡¯t any at the moment),they were textbook examples of skill application for a rookie. While murmuring a blessing for Double Leaf, Motan¡¯s other hand was already aimed at Ned. Immediately after the ¡®Ruling Shield¡¯ came into effect, he turned around and made two ¡®Blessing¡¯ gestures towards him. (PS: The skill description says to lightly touch the pinky and thumb, curve the index finger slightly, extend the ring and middle fingers, and then make a gesture with the palm sloping down at a 45-degree angle.) Not that Motan was prodigiously gifted, a born gamer, but compared to players like Double Leaf, Motan had a very clear advantage. Experience! Although the character Hei Fan had only used one skill since the account was created, and it was a simple lighting skill, this did not mean Motan had no related experience. As Tan Mo, he once faced two Redback Beasts and subdued them instantly. As Mor, he gained a lot of combat experience under the attack of a large number of cannon fodder enemies. Although each character¡¯s own skills were somewhat limited, if they were added together¡­ ¡°Impressive!¡± Ned, who was drawing his sword, praised Motan without looking back, then beckoned behind him, ¡°Follow me!¡± Yinna, who seemed a bit listless at first, was the fastest to react. With the innate lightness and flexibility of an elf, she followed closely behind Ned after a few leaps. At the same time, she already had two feathered arrows on her bow, with her ears quivering slightly, she loudly reported, ¡°Behind a hill about 400 meters ahead, there is a battle going on. I can¡¯t tell how many are fighting!¡± ¡°That¡¯s unreliable!¡± The lizardman Martial Monk, Sara, stomped on the ground with her feet that were twice the size of a human¡¯s. In a second, she appeared seven or eight meters away. A few streaks of energy flowed on her two boxing gloves. As she hurriedly moved forward, she shouted back, ¡°Klabu, you take Hei Fan and the other one!¡± The dark-skinned orc Klabu, who seemed to be from an African tribe, had long since scrambled to his feet and muttered with a grimace, ¡°You didn¡¯t have to tell me.¡± Striding towards Motan and Double Leaf¡­ ¡°Hey! Wait a minute! Big guy, what are you going to do?¡± Coupled with Saracha¡¯s previous statement, Double Leaf suddenly had a bad hunch. Klabu simply chuckled, slid his ax into the sheath on his back, scooped up two people under his arms, and started to run at large strides, ¡°You two spellcasters are too slow. Someone needs to take care of you.¡± Double Leaf quickly dissipated the fireball in his hand, covering his nose with his sleeve cuff, and rolling his eyes all along. Although Klabu cared about hygiene and did not stink like a regular orc, she felt it was a bit gross if she didn¡¯t behave this way¡­ Motan, who was tucked under the other arm, was much more composed. Right now, he is watching his character panel, calculating his magic power and faith recovery speed, trying to improve his understanding of his character. As the only support character in the team, and since most of the few skills he had were mere flashlights, Motan felt a bit of pressure¡­ The distance of 400 meters passed in the blink of an eye. Even for an ordinary person to run this distance would take less than two minutes, let alone the likes of Ned. In less than half a minute, the crowd had crossed the low hill in front of them. The terrain here was desolate, not far away from the border of the Marshal¡¯s Territory, and it was almost uninhabited on normal days. But now¡­ Motan had just been put down on the ground by a dazed looking Klabu, only then had he seen a tall figure flying in mid-air before crashing down with a bang in front of everybody. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was a young man with a messed up stomach. He wore a simple leather armor, a flame insignia on his chest, and his chestnut hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat and blood. His lips were white from excessive blood loss, trembling constantly, and spewing blood from his mouth. Chapter 74 - 74 29 Cant Do It_2 ?74: Chapter 29: Can¡¯t Do It_2 74: Chapter 29: Can¡¯t Do It_2 ¡°Ah!¡± Double Leaf instinctively hid behind Crab, covering her own eyes. ¡°There are many well-trained beast soldiers!¡± As one of the only two women in the squad, Yenna had much better endurance than Double Leaf. Looking at the black silhouettes in the distance, she reported loudly, ¡°They are bearing the emblem of the Fire Claw Leader!¡± ¡°I know! Look at him first.¡± Nate¡¯s face turned pale. Kneeling down, he pressed against the abdomen of a young soldier but still couldn¡¯t stop the crimson blood from oozing out from his wounds. He looked up and shouted, ¡°Hei Fan, he needs to stop the bleeding!¡± Motan could only shake his head helplessly. The prayer of Resilience, which could alleviate the effects of blood loss, was still under cooldown. He had casted other prayers on Nate to reduce the cooldown, so that he could cover more people during potential upcoming battles. However, he hadn¡¯t expected things to turn out like this¡­ ¡°If I were like Tan Mo, would I make such a mistake?¡± Self-mockingly sighing, Motan stretched out his hands and a pale gold glow appeared around the critically injured soldier. The glow then gradually infiltrated into the hideous wounds on his body. Yes, that was the ¡®Holy Healing Technique¡¯ he learned at the beginning, the low-tier model¡­ A healing skill that restored a small amount of health to the target and with a cooldown time of only one minute~ Of course, Motan didn¡¯t forget to bring out the 20 copper coin valued book. Although it didn¡¯t have any combat ability (please do not think about using it as a hammer chain), this off-hand equipment added one point to intelligence which may be of some help. As it turned out, it really was ¡®somewhat¡¯ useful¡­ The young human warrior swallowed a mouthful of bloody foam, holding Nate¡¯s hands tightly as if he wanted to say something¡­ Nate leaned down, while Motan was focused on his Healing Prayer which was about to cool down, his hand not holding the book was already pointing at the Ember Squad member. There were 10 seconds left till the cooldown finishes! If the blood can be stopped, there¡¯s a chance he can be saved, even though the Beastman warriors have begun to slowly move in, but¡­ There were 4 seconds left till the cooldown finishes! It¡¯ll be ready soon! Just as Motan was about to make the first gesture, Nate had already stood up and let out a long sigh. ¡°He¡¯s gone¡­¡± [Skill use failed, target status: deceased] The voice and system notification came simultaneously. The Ember Squad soldier ultimately didn¡¯t make it till Motan¡¯s skill cooled down. The previous Holy Healing Technique could merely delay the grim reaper¡¯s footsteps and give him just enough time to say his last words¡­ ¡°They¡¯re coming!¡± Sara stood out at the front of the team, staring at the about twenty Beastmen, armored in half-body armor, at the bottom of the slope. She declared firmly, ¡°it seems they¡¯re not planning to let us return intact¡­¡± Nate stood up with a gloomy expression, his eyebrows deeply furrowed, ¡°Trash game, worst experience.¡± What!? Motan, who was a bit down, and Double Leaf, who was hiding behind Crab, both looked at Nate in shock. What did he just say¡­ What did he call trash? And what was worst? ¡°I¡¯ve witnessed death too many times.¡± Nate raised his sword, muttered, ¡°But this young man¡¯s last words are definitely the most bizarre¡­ alright, everyone get ready to fight! Otherwise, we¡¯re going to die here as well!¡± Motan and Double Leaf glanced at each other, both realising that the man who just passed away was not an NPC, but a player like themselves. After all, those ¡®last words¡¯ definitely didn¡¯t seem like something the inhabitants of Innocent World would say. For some reason, knowing that it wasn¡¯t just a bunch of data that ¡®died¡¯, but an actual player, Motan felt relieved. His previously heavy mood had surprisingly lightened. After all, no matter how severe the death penalty, players will not truly die¡­ ¡°Where are the rest of Ember Squad?¡± Crab drew his battle axe, walked over to Yenna and asked, ¡°Are they¡­ all gone?¡± Yenna forced a smile: ¡°There are several corpses in the distance. Counting the numbers, the soldier that just died was probably the last one from their squad¡­¡± Crack!! Suddenly, Sara lunged towards Silverna, raising her hand to slice sideways. She split a war spear that was flying towards them in two with a single strike, and barked, ¡°Enough of the talk. They¡¯re here!¡± Before her words could fully register, a regiment of neatly organized orcs began to roar and charge from a not-too-distant place across them, rapidly reducing the distance between both parties. Due to the time wasted trying to save their fellow soldier, they would unlikely escape from the orcs¡¯ attack range. Turning tail and fleeing would only result in being pierced to death by the countless thrown spears. If they choose to directly confront the orcs though¡­ The difference in numbers seemed slightly unfavorable! ¡°We can¡¯t run away now!¡± Ned, standing at the front of the group, shouted loudly, ¡°Form up in a double right-angle array and retreat! I¡¯ll be the arrowhead. Drag them towards Stacked Rock City!¡± Saying this, he swung his sword violently at the chest of an orc that had just rushed up the slope, forcing the orc to defend while he used the opportunity to leap back. However¡­ His short leap had somehow brought him right to the rear of the group. The members of Fenrir¡¯s squad hadn¡¯t shifted at all. ¡°What are you all gawking at?!¡± Ned¡¯s eyes flashed, ¡°Just do it!¡± ¡°But, Captain¡­¡± Crab was currently swinging his axe at an enemy who had just crossed the crest of the hill. After dealing a strike that forced his fellow orc to spew blood, he blinked and yelled in confusion, ¡°What does a double right-angle array mean? What does being an arrowhead mean?¡± Sara caught the shoulder of an attacking orc warrior with her trailing hand, quickly turned around and landed a back-spinning elbow strike. She swatted it off balance with a tail whip and finished off the creature with a knee strike, performing a dazzling quick offensive Martial Monk style. She shrugged towards Crab, ¡°The Captain is talking about the double right-angle array.¡± ¡°You understood that?¡± Within Silverna¡¯s elongated shadow, it seemed like for a second, three feather arrows shot out. Silverna reappeared, a dagger gripped in her teeth, as she asked Sara, her head tilted to one side. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± The latter shook her head nonchalantly, then pulled an absent-minded Double Leaf back to dodge an orc¡¯s heavy overhead strike. She nearly received a scratch herself, ¡°Pay attention! The enemy is well-trained!¡± At this point, Ned had already rushed back, sheltering Motan and Double Leaf, the spellcasters, while letting out a dry laugh, ¡°Sorry, I forgot we¡¯re just a motley crew.¡± At this point, twenty or so enemy forces had completely taken the upper slope. The two orc warriors who had been taken down earlier had also gotten up ¨C their injuries didn¡¯t seem to be serious¡­ ¡°Dogs of the Marshall family!¡± An elderly, grey-haired orc wielding a war hammer was charging directly at them, shouting furiously, ¡°You all must die!¡± A gold and a red trail whizzed out from behind Ned, halting the orc¡¯s charge! Fireball Technique, Solidifying Light Arrow. Motan and Double Leaf had released their spells almost simultaneously, but after halting the elderly orc, they found it was only a drop in the bucket. ¡°Kill!¡± With roaring cries, the curtain of battle was pulled apart. These far-from-disorganized orc warriors applied pressure uniformly from all around, using their weapons, bodies, and ferocious teeth to wildly attack Fenrir¡¯s Squad, who were faced with an absolute numerical disadvantage. They were savage and frenzied! Almost as soon as the fight had begun, the team were immersed in a brutal battle. Ned, Crab, and Sara were each battling with three or four enemies simultaneously. Silverna, whose agility and flexibility were stripped of their advantage on this small slope, was struggling to dodge the attacks, managing to shoot a few arrows back only when she had the chance. As for Double Leaf and Motan, who were being protected in the center of the formation¡­ The former looked pale. Despite her wand constantly waving, the low-level fireballs and Arcane Missiles she sent scattering out could barely penetrate the enemies¡¯ defenses. The spells, which had been meticulously calculated by their mistress for the best angle and rhythm, would have amazed even grand magicians with their stunning magical attacks. But against the enemy, they failed to make a dent. As for the latter¡­ The moment all her support and healing capabilities went on cooldown, Motan dropped her hands helplessly. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t do it¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t do anything¡­¡± Chapter 29: The End Chapter 75 - 75 30 Achievable!_1 ?75: Chapter 30: Achievable!_1 75: Chapter 30: Achievable!_1 As the strongest amongst them, Nade was currently besieged by four Beastman warriors. The longsword in his hand, dancing with all his strength, was shrouded in a light blue mist, radiating with a touch of cold. It was this ice-enchanted weapon that enabled him to hold off those enemies who might attack Motan and Double Leaf. Nade himself, however, was starting to sustain injuries as his power gradually drained. During one attempt to intercept an assault, he was simultaneously struck in the back by two battle hammers. If he hadn¡¯t been able to block the blow just in time, that single attack could have left him severely wounded. All Motan could do was bless him with a prayer of toughness every five minutes and occasionally throw in a few non-effectual Holy Word Shields and healing spells. He couldn¡¯t really do much more. Despite the dangerous situation, aside from himself and Double Leaf, Nade was in the best condition¡­ Sara had his left arm broken. He dashed forward to help Klareb out of an encirclement a dozen seconds ago, forcing an enemy off his teammate¡¯s back, but eventually was punched sideways by a Beastman warrior that was wrestling with him, which led to the direct crippling of his arm. After this, Motan hardly ever let Sara¡¯s Holy Word Shield lapse, but he wasn¡¯t capable of applying intensive treatment to Sara. The situation of Yina and Klareb was even worse. Klareb¡¯s brow had been sliced open in a battle that had left a bone-deep gash, his vision becoming blurred from the constant outpour of blood. Additionally, his enormous ax, having clashed dozens of times with foes of almost equal strength, was already showing signs of damage¡­ Furthermore, because he disliked the tight standard leather armor, his bare upper body was now riddled with injuries. Even though his physique was far superior to that of a past player with a terrible gaming experience, Motan knew that it was only a matter of time before Klareb would follow in the other player¡¯s footsteps if things continued this way! The barely effective Holy Healing Technique had been mostly applied to Klareb. Although they could barely maintain his combat effectiveness with the combination of a prayer of toughness now, it was only ¡®at this moment¡¯! Keep in mind that Motan¡¯s magic power and faith were limited! Yina¡¯s injuries were relatively minor. Afterall, an Elf Ranger had the ability to dodge and move faster than any enemy present. However, many attacks that could be slightly cushioned by the latter two would inflict heavy damage on Yina once hit. In simpler terms, she had low health and defense! Initially, Motan was able to maintain her Holy Word Shield, but since Sara had his arm broken, he had been struggling to keep up¡­ Honestly, the fact that Motan had been able to maintain a relatively compact support rhythm for more than a dozen minutes so far was largely thanks to a recent talent he had acquired. [Piety: Your devotion to the divine is affirmed; the passive recovery speed of faith increases by 30% permanently; when you are engaged in combat for 30 seconds without moving, you will enter a ¡®devoted¡¯ state, increasing the passive recovery speed of magic and faith by 50%. This state will be removed when you move again. Reaching ¡®devoted¡¯ state again requires you to fulfil the ¡®piety¡¯ requirements.] This talent might very well be a gift from the divine since Motan didn¡¯t feel that he had the knack of a religious fanatic. And without making any contribution to the church, it was highly unlikely for him to receive such a late-stage game-like talent so quickly. This talent is less useful at lower levels¡­ Motan had once complained about it. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, without support of [Piety] at this time, he would have exhausted his magic and faith long ago. But¡­ [Can¡¯t do it.] Motan mechanically raised his arms for who-knows-how-many times and applied the just-cooled Holy word shield on Sara, whose balance was thrown off after taking a heavy blow. [Or rather, I can do it, but ¡®I¡¯ can¡¯t do it¡­] Nade was desperately charging forward, trying to save Yina, whose evasion angle was blocked by a Beastman Shield Warrior. He succeeded, but was bumped into from behind by an enemy who followed closely after. [If ¡®I¡¯ in a different persona were here, perhaps I wouldn¡¯t be stuck in such a predicament¡­] Motan stiffly refreshed Nade¡¯s Prayer of Toughness which was about to expire. Just as he was about to heal Klareb, he realized that his magic power was almost drained. His companion had already thrown his nearly scrapped axe away and was now tangling barehanded with two Beastman warriors who attempted to flank Sara. There were more wounds on his body, the source of which was unclear. [¡®I¡¯ can smile in the face of any desperate situation and difficulties, efficiently utilize everything to achieve my goal, do not rely on anybody, and serenely enjoy that madness¡­] Double Leaf¡¯s spell casting ceased. She was completely out of magic power. Even the most basic fireball couldn¡¯t be produced now¡­ [¡®I¡¯ can become the most reliable backup for my companions. With persistence and faith, I accompany everyone in creating miracles¡­] Chapter 76 - 76 30 Achievable!_2 ?76: Chapter 30: Achievable!_2 76: Chapter 30: Achievable!_2 Silva¡¯s face was pale. Even though Ned had just managed to create a brief respite for her, her physical strength had been greatly depleted. The situation was so desperate, she could hardly see a glimmer of hope to turn the tide. [But ¡®I¡¯ can¡¯t¡­ Even though I have the same knowledge, experiences, and insights, even though it¡¯s still ¡®me¡¯, the one standing here is the most mediocre one¡­] Motan¡¯s hands were weakly clenched, his face ashen. Humans, at certain times, unexpectedly find themselves filled with self-loathing. Whether they are geniuses, great men, villains, madmen, or just ordinary people, they all have such moments. Regrets and annoyance, queries and introspection, are exclusive rights of intelligent creatures. Loathing the self who betrayed friends. Loathing the self who was cold and heartless. Loathing the self who failed to show filial piety. Loathing the self who went to any lengths for personal gains. Loathing the self who lacked courage. Loathing the self who never changed. Loathing the self who was half-hearted. Loathing the self who adhered rigidly to rules. Looking back, if we could return to the many moments we don¡¯t wish to recall, we would have wanted to give our past selves a proper slap. If we had mustered up the courage to confess our feelings during that otherwise pleasant farewell dinner, would the outcome have been different? If we could find even a half day amidst our busy work schedule to visit our family, would we still have so many regrets? S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If we had taken a stand for our friends when they were in difficulty, even if it proved troublesome or mortifying at the time, would we not be so lonely now? Of course, the world isn¡¯t always that sweet¡­ Even if you muster the courage to confess your feelings, you might end up being humiliated in public. Even if you risked being fired and returned home, you might still miss the last second. Even if you took a dagger for your friends, they might still betray you someday. But just a sliver of a promising possibility is enough to spur us into regret and loathing, or even hatred, of our past selves. Motan was different¡­ or at least, he was different in some significant ways¡­ In his ¡°neutral¡± state, he views everything as a form of entertainment and never ties himself down with self-loathing or regret. Even the imminent threat of death is seen as an adventurous game. In his ¡°lawful good¡± state, he never does anything that contradicts his principles. He always knows what he should and wants to do, is always responsible for his words and deeds, and takes pride in his virtuous deeds. There¡¯s no reason why he would loathe himself. But Motan was different this time¡­ He was not much different from most of us, hence he loathed the current ¡®unable to do anything¡¯ self. Even though he was just a Level 2 priest and had given his all in this encounter, Motan was still very dissatisfied with himself¡­ [If it isn¡¯t the current ¡®me¡¯, I would have done it better!] That¡¯s what he thought. He understands himself only too well, which has led to the current emotional outburst. After all, if you were in the shoes of any normal person, the idea of ¡°Ah, I did my best¡­¡± would be dominant. Much like a student capable of scoring 100%, who would feel more frustrated when unable to solve a question compared to less academically inclined peers ¨C it was the same logic. This infuriating feeling is not because Motan and the members of the Fenrir team were particularly close or bonded like siblings. He still had a clear distinction between games and reality. As for Double Leaf, even if he died, it would just mean starting from scratch. He was only dissatisfied with himself¡­ Without comparisons, there will be no harm ¨C sometimes this phrase is not entirely a joke. Motan was hurt by ¡®himself¡¯. Because he was not much different from ¡®most of us¡¯. We need acknowledgments and even when infuriated with ourselves, what we truly need is a bit of self-comfort¡­ But now, Motan couldn¡¯t find any reason to comfort himself. But he was not alone¡­ ¡°Hey! Your movements are slowing down!¡± Ned staggered, stumbling a few steps forward before suddenly turning to flash him a smile, ¡°Are you starting to feel a bit exhausted?¡± Motan was taken aback. Sara gave a light snort. She crashed into a beastman warrior before the Holy Word Shield around her could dissipate. At the same time, she sent a surge of dark strength to repel her foe back a few steps. Unexpectedly, she cracked a rare smile and gave Motan a thumbs up from afar. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the captain¡¯s nonsense. You¡¯re really doing great! Um, especially after my arm broke.¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Grabbing a heavy and rough iron hammer, Crab smacked a fatigued and nearly tongue-lolling orc down the slope with a hearty laugh. ¡°I think with this kid, I can at least fight twice as hard as usual!¡± At that moment, Yana moved swiftly to stand between Motan and Double Leaf. She fired an arrow at the guy planning to take advantage of Ned¡¯s stagger to attack him, then turned to flash them both an amused smile. ¡°The captain never sugarcoats his words. You both are impressive indeed!¡± Shrugging his shoulders, Double Leaf cast Motan a sidelong glance, mumbling, ¡°He¡¯s a lot more useful than I am. It¡¯s as if his mana never runs out.¡± Motan remained stunned, only snapping out of it when Crab let out a melodramatically agonized shriek, signaling him from a distance it was time to heal a bit. It seemed that even if he wasn¡¯t ¡®special,¡¯ he still held some usefulness¡­ [No! Maybe I can be even more useful!] Raising his hand to cast a Holy Healing Technique on Crab, Motan began to think. [Perhaps I¡¯m not capable of devising any grand schemes right now, and I can¡¯t single-handedly dominate the battlefield¡­] Motan surveyed the small and chaotic battlefield around him. [Nor do I have enough courage and determination to shoulder everything, leading everyone to victory from the front.] The image and movements of each teammate clearly registered in his sight. A short while of wholehearted support had given Motan a preliminary understanding of everyone. [But¡­] Only a healer in a supporting role has the chance to grasp everyone¡¯s habits, movements, and abilities in the shortest time in combat, and only then can they prepare in advance for treatments or buffs. [There are some things that only I, as I am now, can do.] Motan always had enough knowledge and wisdom, a fast reaction speed, and sharp insight! Only when he was Hei Fan did he possess: a support type profession, an approachable personality, and a resonance with most ordinary people! ¡°Captain!¡± At Motan¡¯s call, Ned immediately turned around. Motan suddenly commanded in a deep voice, ¡°Watch your left rear! Keep that shield-bearing guy under check!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Glancing in that direction, Ned hesitated for a moment before charging forward anyway, forcing the opponent to lift his shield to block with a swing of his sword. While he did not quite understand why he should suppress a shield bearer with little offensive ability at this moment, it did not hinder Ned¡¯s trust in Motan. This trust was slowly cultivated by Motan, one healing at a time throughout the past dozen or so minutes! ¡°Crab!¡± Immediately after, Motan bestowed a Holy Word Shield, which should have been assigned to Ned according to the previous rhythm, on Crab without offering any explanation. He loudly ordered, ¡°Take three steps backward! Smash the one with the red hair!¡± Without a second word, Crab retreated three steps and swung his hammer towards a beast soldier who hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to strike due to lack of good positioning. As the beast soldier had been waiting for the perfect chance, he dodged the attack easily, but this caused him to involuntarily shift his body to the side. ¡°Sara! Finish him off!¡± Motan immediately commanded, ¡°Use that move you have to recharge for half a minute after each use!¡± Wham! The Lizardman martial monk knocked back the creature who was just about to turn his back towards him with the palm of his hand. He pondered, ¡°How do you know about my ¡®Banging Palm¡¯?¡± ¡°Oh, please, I¡¯ve been watching you!¡± Motan retorted offhand. An outstretched hand and a flash of golden light signified a spell underway, but not any supplementary magic. Rather, it was the most basic divine art in the school of Holy Light, the poorly offensive ¨C Solidifying Light Arrow. But as much as this move was weak, it was bright! ¡°Yana!¡± Right after firing the Light Arrow, Motan instructed her immediately, ¡°This is the direction. Sara has already adjusted the angle for your attack. Do you see those dirty arses? Take them down with a scatter shot!¡± ¡°Roger that~~~¡± Chapter 30: The End Chapter 77 - 77 31 The Red Tinged with Black_1 ?77: Chapter 31: The Red Tinged with Black_1 77: Chapter 31: The Red Tinged with Black_1 Three powerful gusts of wind whizzed past Motan and reached their intended targets in a flash, at a speed that was hard to capture with the naked eye. These unfortunate targets were the bottoms of the three orc warriors who had just turned around to assist their comrade against Nade. The heart-wrenching screams gave evidence of how ruthlessly Yinnar acted, especially with no interference. This round of attack fully displayed her strength, speed and accuracy at the peak level since the start of the battle. ¡°Swift bow draws feather light, breaking the sky with its might.¡± Motan¡¯s mentality, which was on the verge of collapsing, was now completely recovered. He even joked, saying, ¡°Blood stains the daisies red.¡± Yinnar blinked at him in confusion, ¡°What did you say?¡± Double Leaf, standing nearby, couldn¡¯t help but laugh, then frowned, muttering, ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve heard this silly poem somewhere before¡­¡± Motan immediately remembered teasing her when he was Tan Mo, and stated with nervous laughter, ¡°I read this online once. Let¡¯s forget about that for now, Yinnar! Hold down those guys on the right! Precision isn¡¯t necessary!¡± As Crab and Sara had previously launched off the nearest enemy to the three of them under Motan¡¯s guidance, this had opened up a shooting angle for Yinnar and reduced any possible influences, at least for the next few seconds. The Elven ranger, who had been entangled by enemies, was now temporarily freed. ¡°Understood!¡± Yinnar, finally able to attack freely, took out six feather arrows from her quiver simultaneously and flashed a smile, ¡°How did you manage to do that?¡± A slight release of her slender fingers, and a small shower of arrows fell, stopping the Orc soldiers who had originally intended to flank Sara. Since when had the tempo¡­ changed? All because of the few words from their little priest! Just a few simple directions gave her ample time to breathe, created a one-on-one environment for Nade, who had been withstanding the brunt of the enemies¡¯ assault, and solved the crisis Sara and Crab faced when surrounded by enemies. Yinnar couldn¡¯t believe her eyes, yet, had to¡­ ¡°Captain!¡± Motan, without time to respond to her question, shouted from afar to Nade, ¡°Can you defeat your current opponent within ten seconds?¡± Nade was about to showcase a cross-shaped sword flower, followed by two heavy blows on the heavy bone shield in front of him. He tersely responded, ¡°Enough!¡± It was a joke. If he could hold his own against three or four enemies, he could definitely defeat this slow tortoise in ten seconds! Moreover, the Beastman warrior hidden behind the heavy shield had turned slightly pale. Sustained attacks from a weapon with a Frost Enchantment had made him sluggish. Nade¡¯s powerful strikes nearly caused the shield to fly out of his hand several times¡­ The shield warrior, originally in charge of aggressive progress and cover, was already becoming a slow warrior due to the frost, but he had no way to act. Under normal circumstances, the teammates most capable of supporting him were currently lying on the ground, each with an arrow in their buttocks crying uproariously. It looked extremely painful! ¡°Crab, try to hang on there for a while. Sara, come this way!¡± While speaking, Motan applied a Holy Word Shield to Crab. Since the beginning, he had been slowly down his spell-casting rhythm. On the one hand, it was because his teammates¡¯ frequency of injuries had decreased, and on the other hand, it was because he was intentionally conserving his magic power and faith value If they wanted to seize the best opportunity to break through the enemy¡¯s line, he couldn¡¯t afford to waste time¡­ Crab nodded vigorously. With a roar, his already oversized body swelled up a notch. Using the weapon he had snatched from an enemy, he slammed it to the ground, knocking down two enemies who were in front of and behind him. Sara then took the opportunity to sweep the legs of the Orc soldier who had been holding a spear in front of her, and immediately rushed towards Motan. ¡°Hey!¡± Double Lead suddenly turned to Motan and asked, ¡°What about me? What should I do?¡± ¡°Replenish mana.¡± Motan looked at her and said softly, ¡°Your magic power should now be at its lowest. You won¡¯t be of much help.¡± Double Leaf pouted discontentedly, ¡°So you can break the deadlock?¡± Despite her words, she had no objections to Motan¡¯s decision. Double Leaf was very intelligent. She wouldn¡¯t have been regarded as a legend in the hacker world along with Motan under the name ¡®Black Sun¡¯ if she wasn¡¯t. But high intelligence doesn¡¯t mean mastering everything. Even if she could create the artificial intelligence named ¡®NAVI¡¯ all by herself, it didn¡¯t mean she could be a perfect battle commander. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Not to mention perfection, it was already a significant effort for her, who had mild social phobia, to normally communicate with the team. Her previous dissatisfaction was not so much a complaint towards Motan; it was more of her wanting to get an affirmative answer from him. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Motan, noticing that Nade had successfully knocked down the slow¡­ shield warrior not far away, raised his hands unhurriedly and cast the Holy Healing Technique on Crab.. Chapter 78 - 78 31 The Red Tinged with Black_2 ?78: Chapter 31: The Red Tinged with Black_2 78: Chapter 31: The Red Tinged with Black_2 ¡°But I will do my best!¡± Sara has already caught up to the three others, standing on a space left intentionally by Motan. Together with Yina and Double Leaf, the four of them have managed to create a diamond-shaped formation. The Lizardman Martial Monk is at the very front, with Motan and Double Leaf on the sides, and Yina at the back, her bow drawn against a handful of encroaching enemies. Ned is positioned furthest away, but also has the least amount of enemies close to him. Krab is situated inside the diamond-shaped formation made by Ned and the others. The number of enemies and amount of attack he¡¯s taking are the highest, but with Motan¡¯s focused support in this short period, he manages to hold his own. ¡°Good,¡± Motan observes, focusing intently at a few enemies from the four o¡¯clock direction, approaching Krab¡¯s back, he muttered to himself: ¡°Just a little bit further¡­¡± Another resilient prayer buffed Krab, and in the meantime, his previously used Blood Rage once again reached its limit, with his bulkier than usual figure returning back to its original size. ¡°Captain, fall back to assist Krab!¡± Motan shouted, ¡°Yina, keep those behind us checked for a moment!¡± Ned, carrying his longsword upside down, vaulted to Krab¡¯s side. He spun mid-air before landing and struck down a Beastman warrior who was just about to swing his hammer. Thin lines of blood have been drawn on Yina¡¯s slender fingers from the bowstring, but her wickedly aimed arrows kept several enemies at bay, unable to progress. The next second¡­ ¡°Sara! Rush to the front! Knock out the closest idiot among the ones in front of us!¡± Clang! The Martial Monk¡¯s explosive power allowed Sara to deliver a punch to the target in less than a second. The Beastman warrior who was knocked up in the air crashed into two of its allies who were trying to flank Krab, making them collide into a chaotic mess. ¡°Double Leaf, move in parallel to me and use your instant-casting spells to block those guys getting up on the right!¡± ¡°OK!¡± Motan followed closely behind Sara. He watched as several fireballs brushed past his body and scattered, tracing blazing arcs in mid-air before curving to hit the enemies who just got up. Well, actually, they hit them right in the buttocks¡­ ¡°Yina, ignore the ones behind us!¡±Emitting a soft golden glow from between his fingers, he healed Yina using the Holy Healing Technique and shouted, ¡°Take care of the one on the right of Double Leaf. Don¡¯t let him get close.¡± Five seconds later, all members of the Fenrir squad had gathered, and the once dense, though somewhat uncoordinated, enemies¡¯ encirclement is being torn apart. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you mind if I cross your path a bit?¡± Motan said with a slight smile at Ned. Ned rolled his eyes, ¡°Hurry up; there¡¯s a chance we might be able to drag your ass back alive today!¡± ¡°No problem~¡± Under the setting sun, Motan spun around where he stood, a soft golden holy light emitting from his fingertips, his expression calm and comforting, his eyes brimming with laughter. ¡°I can do it as long as everyone¡¯s here!¡± The talent effect ¡®Devotion¡¯ was activated once more. [Of course, I can do it~] ¡°Krab! Fall back, you have less than a minute to rest!¡± [Even if all I am now is a mediocre, lazy, commonplace, uninspired, ordinary¡­] ¡°Captain, swap positions with Yina. Don¡¯t charge in, let them come to you!¡± [Human being!] ¡°Double Leaf, sweep the ground with your Fireball technique! Go easy on using the mana! Yes, yes, I know you¡¯re keeping track¡­¡± [But it doesn¡¯t matter¡­] ¡°Yina, open your angle of attack! Shoot anyone who comes within five meters of the captain, er¡­ stand on Krab¡¯s shoulder? Alright, if you insist¡­¡± [Being special, yet ordinary, is enough.] ¡°Sara! Cover Double Leaf¡¯s right side! What? Why am I not using directions? Because I can¡¯t find North!¡± [Isn¡¯t it great!] ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the creep trying to get behind us, I noticed him a while ago!¡± [I can do it!] ¡°Let him in, Captain and Sara will swap targets in a bit! Yes, it means switching to the one at the back!¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Even the most ordinary ¡®me¡¯ now, it¡¯s fine!] ¡°Double Leaf, take two steps back, leave a spot for Krab. Those guys are starting to get disoriented!¡± [Or maybe, some things¡­] ¡°Rush forward, cut them down!¡± [Only I can do it right!!] ¡­ [You have voluntarily disconnected, please select whether to reconnect.] ¡°Don¡¯t reconnect.¡± [Execute the wake-up program?] ¡°Yes.¡± [Received, it is now 1:30 AM on January 4, 2049, you will wake up in one minute.] Motan didn¡¯t leave the gaming cabin after waking up, but sighed contentedly, then quickly closed his eyes and didn¡¯t regain consciousness until ten minutes later. An expected headache hit him, causing him to frown uncomfortably¡­ ¡°This pain really doesn¡¯t make me happy at all~¡± He hummed lightly, but then showed a smile of pleasure. ¡°But seriously, I am impressive¡­¡± After a bit stretching, he reactivated the recently idling gaming cabin, laid down in a comfortable position, murmured ¡®the timing is just right¡¯, and entered a deep sleep state facilitated by the simulation system for logging into the game. ¡­ [Your mental connection has been detected, synchronizing personal information¡­] [Connection completed, reading role information] [Welcome back, neutral chaotic Tan Mo, about to enter the Realm of Innocence, good night to you.] The view before Motan remained pitch black as he regained consciousness, but he was unfazed, subtly adjusted his position and saw a glimmer of light. The light came through a small hole in front of him, originating from a long-lasting magic crystal lamp. This was a not-so-large reception room, and Motan was currently inside a wardrobe in the corner. Sweet Orange Walk 107, Dave. In the wardrobe at Sagel¡¯s house. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s not back yet,¡± Motan whispered to himself: ¡°I never thought my first time in a wardrobe would be in such a place and in a single man¡¯s closet. Life really is full of wonders and nonsense.¡± For the next five minutes, Motan stayed bored in the closet, occasionally peeping outside through the hole he had made before logging out, and then grumbling constructively. Until¡­ A creaking sound of the door opening reached Motan¡¯s ears¡­ The master of the house has returned. This was the first time Motan saw the ¡®live¡¯ Dave. He was wearing a plain long robe, his face was rather pale, and although he wasn¡¯t handsome, his thick eyebrows and big eyes left a good first impression. If you disregard the evil glint in his eyes when he¡¯s alone, just his honest appearance would earn Dave extra points in the knight assessment¡­ A square face and thick eyebrows with big eyes are always the characteristic of knights. To be a holy warrior requires more ¡ª at very least, they must have a background music¡­ Motan activated his stealth skill first thing after logging on, reducing his presence to the lowest. Coupled with his hiding in the corner wardrobe, Dave, of course, was unaware there was an uninvited guest in his home. A very¡­very¡­very troublesome, unexpected guest. So, after locking the door, Dave let loose. Specifically, he ripped off his top, and just when Motan was considering blinding himself due to some wrong assumptions¡­ He tore off the bloody bandages all over him. Yes, his upper body was almost entirely wrapped in these things, looking like a mummy when he first undressed¡­ From Motan¡¯s angle, it was clear that although the bandages were soaked with dark red bloodstains, Dave¡¯s body had no injuries at all. Not only that, but his body had a healthy glow¡­ A glow that was¡­red, with a hint of black¡­ Chapter Thirty-One: The End Chapter 79 - 79 32 Whisper Under the Shadow_1 ?79: Chapter 32: Whisper Under the Shadow_1 79: Chapter 32: Whisper Under the Shadow_1 Dave. Sagel was the only survivor of that previous accident, he barely escaped back to Pato City with grave injuries that had rendered his body a puzzle of wounds. Deep claw marks that exposed bone, a piercing wound at his shoulder blade could have ended Dave¡¯s life. The unique toxin of the Redback beasts had nearly sent him into the grasp of death¡­ Though miraculously, he was saved. According to the clergy of the Holy Union, Dave must have been favored by deities. The Divine Arts, which could only perform their roles to human limitations, somehow resonated with him, as though Gods had personally come to his aid. Severe wounds healed instantly under such divine power. And it surely was not a Divine Art that a mere high priest could conjure! This young man was pitied by the gods¡­ Soon, the news grew wings and spread throughout the city. That¡¯s what Cole told Motan, and the intelligence from the Thief Guild confirmed the same. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But from what Motan saw now, this so-called ¡®critically wounded but still praying for his lost companions in the cathedral every day, only leaving after sundown¡¯ Dave was perfectly healthy! [Heh, even such a sloppy idol fooled those religious cons, seems like this Holy Union is just a bunch of shortsighted fish¡­] Mo sighed inwardly, subtly changing his viewpoint to observe the room more comfortably. Indeed, the character of ¡°Tan Mo¡± managed to sneak into Dave¡¯s home before the last logout, and had made some preparations, such as creating a hole in the wardrobe. For this, he must thank Mr. B¨¤o d¨¦ for the high-quality, one-time lock-pick tool, which opened a lock, although a plain one, filled with Rare Red Demon Gold, in less than two minutes. By the way, the [Realm of Innocence] does have a lock-picking level, but not an actual ¡°lock-picking¡± skill. Logically, if players could work their way into locks just by muttering the skill name, that would be too absurd¡­ The lock-picking level depends on personal talent and aptitude. If a professional locksmith plays this game, their initial lock picking level would likely be around seven or eight. Conversely, if you level up locking-picking skills in [Realm of Innocence], you could become quite handy if you steal in the real world~ Just before Motan logged out, after dealing with the front door of Dave¡¯s house, he immediately received a system prompt. [Your lock-picking level has been unlocked, the current lock-picking level is 9, Trickery School level+3] We¡¯d better not look into this much, otherwise that¡¯s all we¡¯d talk about in this chapter~ Back to the subject¡­ Dave finally took off all his bandages. His bare upper body bore no sign of injuries, but Motan noticed a hint of black circulating under the skin in several places. ¡°Another torturous day,¡± Dave took a few deep breaths, looking at the pile of blood-stained bandages on the floor with a disgusted expression, he sneered, ¡°Boring, tedious, and nauseating!¡± Such a twisted and resentful face hardly connected him to the upright and kind-hearted Dave. Well, to Motan, this was hardly surprising. He rolled his eyes, even finding it a little dull¡­ Boom! A cloud of dark gray flame passed over, reducing the pile of bandages, that seemed to serve a similar function to theatrical costumes, into ashes. Besides the sound of the ¡®boom¡¯, which was almost as loud as a fart, there was no temperature or energy fluctuation that flame should have, it wasn¡¯t like Divine Arts nor did it resemble magic. Although Motan did not have our God¡¯s eye view at this moment, he instantly made a judgment. [Dark Arts¡­] He raised his eyebrow slightly, squinting as he stared at the ash-like substance on the ground, this confirmed his previous suspicion. [There are traces of corrosion, and though not obvious, there was indeed a hint of chill just now. Combining this with previous information and his current behavior, he is almost certainly a follower of the Heretical Church.] Motan particularly wanted to whistle but held back¡­ Dave, who seemed to have let off some steam, stood idly, laughing to himself. He was, of course, unaware that he wasn¡¯t alone in the room, there was another person hiding in the wardrobe. [If a lady claiming to be his girlfriend barges into this room now and pulls me out of this wardrobe, that must be God¡¯s idea of a joke~] For some reason, Motan thought of this, and then¡­ Knock knock knock! The sound of knocking sent a jolt through Motan, causing his mouth at the corner to twitch.¡± ¡°Who could this be?¡± Dave politely called through the door, simultaneously running his finger across his body, all at once, a dozen gruesome wounds appeared on his body, seeping fresh blood. But no sign of pain was visible on his face, only disgust and impatience, entirely contradicting his tone. ¡°For Ear-Whispering God¡¯s sake! Open the door, you dimwit!!¡± Chapter 80 - 80 32 Whispers in the Shadow_2 ?80: Chapter 32: Whispers in the Shadow_2 80: Chapter 32: Whispers in the Shadow_2 A chilling voice resonated suddenly in the room, causing both Dave and Motan to hesitate. However, the hesitation differed. After, Dave immediately, sweat beading on his forehead, put on his coat and darted to the door, while the person hiding in the wardrobe revealed a smile that could not be described with words¡­ It was a smile so authentic that it hardly contained any trace of emotion. In a short while, Dave returned from the doorway, a man shrouded in a large cloak following closely behind him. Determining the gender of the person was an easy task for Motan. He made this conclusion without even looking at the person¡¯s face. The man¡¯s walking pace, stride, and some subtle details were enough for him to deduce this. ¡°My lord!¡± Showing respect, Dave invited the man to sit in the chair by the table and slightly bowed, ¡°I wonder why you¡¯re seeing me in person¡­ instead of contacting me through the whispering book¡­¡± The visitor grunted coldly, raising his hand to cut off Dave¡¯s words, then a deep hoarse voice echoed around the room, ¡°Are you really unaware of how close you were to messing everything up? And you dare to ask why I came in person?!¡± Dave trembled all over, stuttering anxiously in reply, ¡°Servant¡­ this servant didn¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t know?¡± The distorted voice was filled with rage, ¡°So let me ask you! Why didn¡¯t you deal with Ai Vanja on the spot that day?! Why didn¡¯t you verify the death of Cole Shu Lun with your own eyes?! Why didn¡¯t you return to command the two Redback beasts to injure you to create a wound, but instead took the matters into your own hands to unnecessarily use Divine Power for deception?!¡± Dave paused for a moment then explained quietly, ¡°Faced alone with the two Redback beasts, Cole was bound to die. When he decided to hold them off, I knew he was preparing to sacrifice himself for that girl Rona¡­ After being attacked by me, Vanja could not have survived in that¡­¡± ¡°In that little woods?! ¡± The other party let out a suppressed rage, ¡°Then why did I only find a mound of soil burying Lada Dona and two blood stains, when I rushed there following your report?! Yet, I couldn¡¯t find the bodies of the small priest and the person who had ¡®sacrificed¡¯ himself!!¡± Dave¡¯s face turned ashy pale in an instant; his body swayed, almost collapsing to the ground. He truly never expected such a twist in that situation¡­ What Dave didn¡¯t know was that the cunning mastermind behind these unexpected events was hiding in his wardrobe, watching with great interest as he trembled in fear before the ¡®lord¡¯. ¡°Humph, calm down,¡± the man said darkly, ¡°You can count yourself lucky. We are at a crucial moment in the plan. Otherwise, I¡¯d have let you experience the pleasure of Mi Yin Soul Destruction with my own hands!¡± Upon hearing that the other party had no immediate plans to punish him, Dave was able to regain some composure. He then expressed horror and asked fearfully, ¡°Many thanks¡­my lord¡­ but if Vanja and Shu Lun are not dead, will I not¡­¡± ¡°Calm down, you useless thing!¡± The man sternly interrupted and then shook his head gently, ¡°Although Cole Shu Lun¡¯s body has not been found, it might have been eaten by those two beasts. After all, the body of the elf mage is also missing. Even if he were lucky enough to still be alive, he should not have known what you did¡­¡± [So he just makes assumptions like that, even though such a possibility exists. But his thoughts are not meticulous enough. Can such a person serve as an executive under the whispering god? A bit disappointing¡­] While Motan was hiding his presence with full effort, he thought mockingly. The ¡®lord¡¯ paused for a short moment before continuing, ¡°As for the small priest, she probably didn¡¯t die. She definitely saw your acts. But don¡¯t worry too much. After all, her injuries were quite severe. If she really returned to the city in these two days, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t know. When the time comes, I will control her, and discreetly get rid of her after everything settles down¡­¡± ¡°What are you actually¡­¡± Dave looked at him puzzled. He could understand the wording about Cole, but he was not able to comprehend the latter part. Seeming to see through his confusion, the other party chuckled, then raised his hand to pull down the hood of the cloak. Revealing¡­ A very ordinary face! ¡°Lord Lange!?¡± Dave gasped in surprise, ¡°How could it be you?¡± The middle-aged man sitting in front of him named ¡®Lange¡¯ chuckled, his round face full of kindness, he appeared to be a good old man no matter how one looked at him. [Oh, it seems that villains nowadays prefer to appear as people¡¯s person rather than taking the wild beast or feminine routes¡­] After immediately memorizing the man¡¯s face and distinctive characteristics, Motan silently commented in his mind. ¡°Do you understand now?¡± Lange asked Dave with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve already instructed my people. From today onwards, if Cole Shu Lun or Ai Vanja enters Pato City, they will be brought to me to receive ¡®careful attention¡¯.¡± [Well, that¡¯s good, it seems you did not anticipate the possibility of them entering the city that same night. Who told you that they would definitely return after your humble servant?] Motan rolled his eyes secretly¡­ ¡°The plan will proceed as usual,¡± Lange told the completely relaxed Dave, with a smile. ¡°But this time you must strictly adhere to the rules, no more mistakes can be allowed.¡± A slight chill from his seemingly mild eyes made Dave feel as if needles pierced his back, he rushed to nod, ¡°Rest assured, sir, this time I absolutely will not mess up again, tomorrow morning, I will have the Holy Church temporarily bestow me with the title of Holy Knight, I¡¯ll then head to the outskirts of the city to personally kill those two Redback Beasts, to avenge our ¡®comrades¡¯~¡± When he finished saying the last sentence, Dave¡¯s laughter was filled with glee¡­ Motan was grinning broadly too~ ¡°Excellent,¡± Lange nodded, a hearty smile on his face. ¡°After you come back, you can be fully qualified as a genuine ¡®Holy Church Knight¡¯. To commend your contributions and everything you have done for Pato City, I will suggest the Holy Church to grant you ¡ª the ¡®hero¡¯¡ª with the baptism of the Water of the Gods. Then, with the divine power of Our Lord¡¯s Whisper to confuse the truth, you¡¯ll possibly be directly regarded as a ¡®God¡¯s Chosen¡¯!¡± But after listening, Dave¡¯s face turned into a frightened, shocked expression. He exclaimed in fear, ¡°Go¡­ Gods¡¯ water!?¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Indeed,¡± Lange nodded. ¡°The highest level baptism that our Pato City can perform.¡± ¡°But sir!¡± Dave shook his head, his face pale. ¡± When I first converted, during the baptism, I almost got my soul burnt by the ordinary Holy Water. If this time it is the Gods¡¯ water ¡­..wouldn¡¯t I¡­¡± Lange shrugged, ¡°You¡¯ll be fine; I¡¯ll find an opportunity to get someone to swap out that thing the same day. You just need to cover up with the divine power of Our Lord, do you understand?¡± Dave once again breathed a long sigh of relief ¨C he had lost count of instances that night. He firmly nodded, ¡°There¡¯s no problem!¡± ¡°Um¡­By the way, you probably aren¡¯t aware of the new base of our church, right?¡± [Base~?] ¡°I do not know.¡± [I also want to know~] ¡°It is at¡­.¡± [Where is it?] Motan pricked his ears; he was highly curious about the cult¡¯s base~ But then¡­ [Your connection has been interrupted and terminated urgently, please select whether you want to reconnect.] ¡°¡­¡± [Reconnecting¡­] [Connection completed, Reading user information] [Welcome back, chaotic and evil Mo, now loading into the Realm of Innocence, Good Night] ¡­ Southwest of the Innocence Continent, in the Empire of Shavin Underneath the bright star-studded sky, set in the vast wilderness, lie a field of interconnected tents. At that moment, a figure emerged slowly from the most extravagant tent; a silver-embroidered big one ¨C wrapped in a black cloak, wearing a half mask. The hazy moonlight, concealed beneath a thin layer of cloud, struggled fiercely¡­ But, it still could not shine on his face. Chapter 32: The End