Task Begins

Punk found a small inn and settled in. However, his presence clearly affected the inn's business. When the other guests saw a Mage checking in, they all chose to leave one after another. The innkeeper's expression was one of forced smiles while attending to Punk. Faced with a stranger of such power, feeling the oppressive aura from a higher-level soul, ordinary people were almost instinctively fearful.

Punk paid no mind to the feelings of these common folk and calmly entered his room.

Looking at the peeling wallpaper and greasy bed, Punk's sharp hearing even picked up the squeaking of mice. He couldn't help but shrug. "Don't other transmigrators focus on saving or destroying the world? How can I be like them, having to economize?" Punk sighed. He wasn't spending lavishly because this mission for the Mage Guild offered no monetary reward, aside from a one-time qualification to purchase Apprentice Level knowledge. Punk remembered the old Mage telling him, "Knowledge is priceless. Where else can you find an organization like the Mage Guild that generously shares its knowledge?"

In reality, Punk knew the old Mage was right. Many Mage organizations, like the "Shattered Talisman Society," not only required various strict assessments for entry but also made acquiring knowledge just as difficult as "purchasing" it from the Mage Guild. Punk also understood why Professionals all hoped to find a mentor. It wasn't just for guidance; it was because acquiring cultivation knowledge on their own was too arduous and slow.

Punk felt that once his cultivation path was on the right track, he would also need to consider finding a mentor. After all, even with his Primordial Elf bloodline and exceptionally long lifespan, if he endlessly took on missions, not only would he be wasting his time, but it was also far too dangerous.

However, for now, facing an "economic crisis," Punk had to complete this "Forest of Undead" mission first...

Punk finally decided not to dwell on these trivial matters. He decided to go buy some food. After all, he was setting off for the mission tomorrow, which would inevitably involve days of roughing it. He had to take this opportunity to eat well. Besides, he was actually quite looking forward to the local cuisine of this world.

"Deep down, I'm also a foodie!"

Punk exclaimed as he walked out of the inn.

Illuminated by the colorful lanterns, the streets of Konola City were quite bright. Punk noticed that the nightlife in the cities of this world was actually quite vibrant.

In a small plaza, a handsome bard was recounting a war that had happened in a distant kingdom, with many young people and children gathered around, listening intently. There were also chefs grilling unknown meat skewers on large grills, with billowing steam swirling around. Of course, there were also noble carriages speeding by, completely disregarding the overturned stalls and scattered goods.

Punk found a shop selling grilled meat. The shop owner, a burly man, generously offered Punk a skewer to "try." Punk didn't stand on ceremony. After discreetly casting "Minor Detect Poison," he accepted the greasy skewer of grilled meat. The meat was coated in a richly fragrant sauce, and its golden-brown, crispy exterior was enough to make one's mouth water.

Punk took a large bite of the grilled meat. The juicy chunks rolled on his tongue, and the smooth texture left him very satisfied. In the end, Punk bought a paper bag full of grilled meat. Even wrapped in thick paper, the aroma emanating from the meat made the small canine creatures nearby drool. Punk decided not to think about missions today and to enjoy the delicious food first.

Punk finished the grilled meat in one evening, but he had no idea when his mission would be completed. Although Punk knew some Divination spells that could help him find the "Forest of Undead," he felt that the help he could get from his Apprentice Level spells was very limited. After all, the "Forest of Undead" was a magically empowered target, and it might even have been deliberately shielded.

"I hope I get lucky, otherwise I'll have to prepare to wander all over the Little Barrens." Standing before the city gate, Punk sighed in his heart. He saw the larger sun, "Chikasa," peeking over the horizon. He rechecked his only magical items – his mage robe and staff – then grabbed a large bag of dry rations he had just bought from the innkeeper. With that, he set off towards the wilderness.

The time spent searching always passed quickly. Unknowingly, both the large and small suns had set, and three moons of different colors had appeared in the night sky (Faerun has three moons: the Ink-Blue Moon – Gaal, the Whirlwind Moon – Tor, and the Semi-Mechanical Moon – Dolush's Eye). Punk was now far from Konola City. He stood beneath a crooked, withered tree, frowning as he felt the result of his... how many times was it now? The moonlight cast his figure in a mysterious and eerie glow.

Previously, Punk's Divination spells for "roads, directions, and the Forest of Undead" had always yielded jumbled information like "direction deviation," "something is moving," or "the southern fruit trees are not bearing fruit." However, this time... he had received slightly different information – "Someone can be utilized in the direction of Tor's return."

Punk stroked his chin and pondered, "Tor's return should refer to its rising (Faerun's moons and suns revolve around the Faerun plane). And what does 'someone can be utilized' mean? Does it mean that person is related to the Forest of Undead? Or does it mean they can help me?" In the end, Punk decided to follow the Divination's hint and try. After all, he hadn't felt any danger from the Divination information. If he just wandered around aimlessly on his own, who knew how long he would be wandering the Egma Little Barrens!

Punk cast "Night Vision" on himself and looked up at the moons. Due to the overcast weather, all three moons, except for the mysterious Dolush's Eye, were obscured by thick clouds. Only faint glimmers of light peeked through the night sky.

"It looks like it's going to rain..." Punk adjusted the hood of his mage robe, letting the shadow conceal most of his face, and then headed north – in the direction where Tor was rising.

On the dark and silent wilderness, the dew from the abundant grass of the Greenleaf Season dampened his leather boots. After walking for two hours, Punk suddenly saw a glimmer of light in the distance. In the dim and blurry night sky, even with Night Vision, this glimmer of light was exceptionally conspicuous.

Punk recharged the Minor Mage Armor on his body and then approached the light.

He saw a young girl wearing glasses sitting on the grass. A campfire burned quietly on the ground. The girl was wearing a pure white robe, with a golden badge carved with a newborn sun on the chest. A book titled "Teachings of Dawn" lay neatly on her lap. The girl seemed not to have noticed Punk's arrival. She had her hands clasped piously, murmuring prayers like "Thank you, eternal dawn," and "I pray for the salvation of light."

Bathed in the flickering light of the campfire, the girl's beautiful face looked both sacred and gentle, both cute and kind, and at the same time... utterly disgusting! At least, that's how Punk felt.

This was a devout priest – a follower of Lord of Dawn, Lousanda.