Funeral

The Adventurers Guild does not deal in tasks for finding lost cats or dogs.

This is a place where you risk your life for wealth; even the lowest-level task offers a reward of over 10 Gold Thaler.

That is enough to cover the living expenses of an average family for three years.

Soren did not accept any tasks. After proving his identity and receiving his Adventurers Guild badge, he headed straight to the City Hall. He needed to secure Freeman status identification for himself and Vivian, which would cost around fifteen Gold Thaler. Once that was done, he would officially hold the status of an Amber City citizen, transitioning from the impoverished class to the citizen class. This granted him relatively free rights, allowing him to travel through most kingdoms in the southern regions—provided he wasn't worried about the dangers of the wilderness.

However, he still couldn't touch any tasks yet!

In the War of Gods, there is no such thing as "farming mobs." The number of monsters in the wild is roughly proportional to the human population. If you clear out a pack of Gnolls in one area, you won't see any sign of them there for a long time, not until Gnolls from other regions migrate in. Monsters don't just stand in a line waiting for you to pick them off, either. They set traps, launch ambushes, coordinate sieges, establish camps, and flee when the situation turns against them.

There was once a saying in the taverns:

"A rookie who hasn't stepped into a Kobold trap, been swarmed by a group of Goblins, or suffered a midnight ambush by Gnolls has not had a complete adventuring career!"

Behind that sentence lies a bloody price.

Countless rookies, excited after just reaching the second tier, would head out to adventure only to lose their lives to these low-level monsters.

Can you imagine a group of monsters that doesn't play by the rules, attacking anyone they see alone and running away the moment they see a crowd?

They know how to utilize the environment, they even craft weapons, set crude traps in the forest, scout, ambush, beg for mercy, and play dirty!

If you are unlucky, even among Kobolds with a challenge rating of only 1, you might encounter a talented Draconic Sorcerer.

Even with only five class levels, they could still blast you into smithereens!

In the complex and ever-changing events of the wilderness, even the usually arrogant Mage class wouldn't dare claim they could handle every unexpected situation.

As long as you have money, many problems become simple.

Soren had no trouble at all obtaining his Freeman identification. As long as he had no criminal record on file, the City Hall staff could process everything within fifteen minutes and stamp it with the City Lord's arcane seal. They didn't care if Soren had once been a thief; all they cared about were the shining Gold Thaler. Even if he had a criminal record at the security office, it could be easily wiped away!

So-called Freeman status is essentially just buying an identity with money.

If you have even more money, you can even purchase the title of Honorary Citizen through donations, much like some kind of representative.

Many leaders of criminal gangs are prominent figures in the city; even if they lack noble titles, they at least carry the title of Honorary Citizen.

With the status of an adventurer, things became much easier!

Soren could now purchase military-grade weapons directly from the Blacksmith Shop. The price of such equipment is several times higher than ordinary weapons, and the quality is generally a cut above as well.

The public sale of weapons is legal!

Ordinary people simply could not afford these weapons, nor would they be willing to purchase such expensive equipment.

A Military Scimitar was worth 15 Gold Thaler.

Crafted using Folded Refined Steel techniques, it possessed no extraordinary enchantments, weighed about 6 pounds, and was infused with a certain amount of Dark Steel.

This was the price for a standard weapon.

A suit of military Chain Mail, crafted with interlocking ring techniques and weighing about 15 pounds—also without any extraordinary enchantments—was valued at 80 Gold Thaler, equivalent to the entire life savings of an average citizen.

The price of a standard building in the outer district of Amber City was currently around 30 to 50 Gold Thaler!

As for higher-grade plate armor and Full Plate Armor, those were things many warriors had struggled for a long time to obtain, and they were often more expensive than many pieces of extraordinary equipment.

A set of Full Plate Armor was worth 1,500 to 2,000 Gold Thaler!

Currently, only the noble class (minor lords) could possibly afford to equip it; even many high-level adventurers could not afford it.

Such a suit of plate armor could be traded for a small farm of about 150 mu.

After Soren finished his business, half a day had already passed. He still had nearly 100 Gold Thaler left in his pocket. This was a significant fortune; if they were living an ordinary life, it would be enough for him and Vivian to live on for over a decade. However, Soren already had his own plans, so he had to prepare some daily necessities and wilderness supplies.

Yes.

He intended to leave this place.

According to his memories, the unrest triggered by the serial Skinning incidents would go far beyond this; the entire southern region would gradually be engulfed in the flames of war.

The safest place right now was the Elven Kingdom.

At least that would be the case until the Ancient Red Dragon appeared. The Time of Troubles was simply impossible to stop!

If he did not want to be wiped out like an ant, the best way was to leave the chaotic region and accumulate strength in a relatively safe place.

In the past.

About three million players had directly intervened and joined the turbulent era of the Time of Troubles.

The strongest among the players at the time had already reached 18 class levels, which could be said to be only half a step away from legendary status, yet they were still easily wiped out by those avatars of gods!

It was impossible to calculate how many people had died.

Tens of millions of professionals were wiped out like chickens and dogs being slaughtered; this was simply not something that could be changed by human effort.

Leaving.

It was the wisest choice.

Soren still remembered how powerless he had been when he faced a Godchild; that was simply not a battle on the same level!

Only after entering the legendary realm does one truly possess the power to challenge divinity.

Travel from the Dream Forest into the Elven Kingdom, then detour to the Kingdom of Ice and Snow. Avoid the three most chaotic years and wait for the first batch of gods to fall.

At that time, the shattered Divine Rank will be acquired by many mortals—mortals who possess the Divine Rank but lack the power to wield it.

They will be the easiest targets to hunt!

This is the greatest opportunity of the Time of Troubles. Soren did not grasp it in the past, but now, he can begin planning ahead.

Temple District.

While heading to the Temple of Dawn to bring Vivian back, Soren toyed with the weapon he had just acquired.

He needed to familiarize himself with the weapon's length, weight, and balance to ensure he could unleash his full potential when fighting with it. It was true that he possessed the Martial Weapon Proficiency feat, but every weapon had a different weight and feel; even standard-issue military equipment had slight variations.

These were all crucial details, for a life-and-death struggle is decided in a single instant!

A string of data appeared before his eyes:

Item Type: Military Scimitar
Item Grade: [Refined Weapon]
Item Description: A weapon crafted from folded steel. Both its toughness and strength far exceed ordinary weapons. Only blacksmiths with a forging skill above 150 points have a chance to craft such equipment.
Equipment Requirement: 10+ Strength.
Equipment Effect: Dark Steel trait, +1 Sharpness.

Strictly speaking, this scimitar was slightly enchanted, as it possessed the "Dark Steel trait," which meant it had a certain strength bonus. During combat, the weapon would not break easily and could withstand high-intensity hacking attacks. As for the +1 Sharpness, that was an attribute of a refined item, allowing it to pierce through leather armor with relative ease.

When Soren arrived at the Temple of Dawn, he found the atmosphere inside unusually heavy!

Cleric Phil was holding a funeral for a Temple Guard. Five heavily armored warriors stood solemnly in the surrounding area, their hands resting on the hilts of swords planted into the ground. Dried blood stained their mottled cloaks. As the cleric finished the final prayer, they knelt on one knee, their armor clanking. Gazing forward, they spoke solemnly: "Forge ahead, fearing no powerful foe."

"Protect the weak, uphold justice."

"Be humble to others, be honest and loyal."

"To my beloved, remain steadfast and true."

"Be brave and upright, never yield even in death."

"In the name of the god, I swear this vow."

The resonant, powerful oath echoed through the temple. Cleric Phil slowly closed the eyes of the deceased; this was a Temple Knight of the Lord of Dawn. His hands were clasped over the hilt of his sword against his chest, and he was dressed in full, neat armor. Although the bloodstains had been wiped clean, the armor still bore many tattered marks left by battle. The coffin was very simple, with neither flowers nor decorations; his only burial companions were the armor and weapon upon his body.

Armor and weapons are a warrior's second life; this equipment, which accompanied him through the battles of his life, would be buried alongside him.

"May his soul enter the kingdom of the Lord of Dawn soon!"

Cleric Phil raised his hand and sprinkled a layer of Holy Water. As the cleric prayed, a holy radiance emanated within the temple. This signified that the Lord of Dawn had acknowledged that a brave believer had fallen in battle, and that His messengers would guide the warrior's soul into the realm of the gods. There, his soul would be reborn; the purer the soul, the more powerful the strength it could attain within the divine kingdom.

"The descent of holy light?"

"It seems his faith in life was very firm. After being reborn in the divine kingdom, he will be more than just a Petitioner."

Soren glanced around and soon spotted Vivian's small figure. She stood behind the young cleric, silently watching this simple yet solemn funeral.

The professional nature of warriors dictates that they are always charging on the front lines!

They are the group most prone to dying in battle.

Therefore, regardless of whether they are powerful enough, one should always reserve a shred of respect for those warriors who are loyal to their mission and defend their comrades with their own bodies.

Soren bowed slightly in tribute!

This was a brave warrior, and his tattered, ruined armor represented the glory of a warrior!

(ps: I'm releasing two chapters at once so you can enjoy them more, but the click count for the book isn't very high. Everyone, please take a moment to click on it in the afternoon after you finish reading in the morning. I won't split the updates.)