Adventurers

Anyway, whether it was the Wood Sprites or the members of the Crouching Devil Mercenary Group's Fourth Squad, they all regarded Mo Tan as the hero who had saved everyone that day, even though this 'hero' himself didn't know as much about the event as any random person involved...

However, only these NPCs would think that way. Zephyr Saine, who was also a witness that day, might not. After all, he was a genuine player. Being able to go on a rampage and kill hundreds of monsters on the first day of the server launch was unrealistic in a non-pay-to-win game. Unfortunately, Mo Tan had no way to ask him for confirmation right now. It wasn't because he had parted ways with the caravan early on; it was probably just that he wasn't online...

Mag said that he hadn't seen that kid who was always 'appearing and disappearing' since last night!

"Alright, I kind of have an idea," Mo Tan casually brushed aside the matter of his suspected rampage, stretched lazily, and asked Mag, "Where are we right now?"

"Anka Market." The Dwarf gave Mo Tan a strange look. "The Sylph Caravan will rest here for a few days before continuing west to Sky Pillar Mountain. Is there a problem?"

Of course there was a problem. Mo Tan's mind was full of questions right now, but he couldn't ask them openly. He had to follow Mag's lead and continue, "When do we set off?"

"We?" Mag was stunned for a long time before pointing at Mo Tan's head with some concern. "Wasn't your destination Anka Market? And that kid named Saine too..."

Alright, Mo Tan understood now. It turned out that the system had initially arranged for him to come to this place as a traveler hitching a ride.

So, of course, that question would make Mag feel strange. He was probably already suspecting that he was suffering from a backlash called 'brain damage'...

"I seem to have forgotten a lot of things after waking up." Mo Tan smiled apologetically. "Although my body is fine, many of my memories are vague."

Mag grinned and teased, "Sounds like those stage plays that are very popular among human nobles. I saw one once, it was so interesting~"

"Stage plays?" Mo Tan was stunned for a moment and asked subconsciously, "What do they act out? Are they very interesting?"

"Super interesting!" The Dwarf gestured wildly. "I heard that the most popular ones now are romance dramas, like a noble girl and a poor boy, a wealthy young master and a beggar girl, anyway, they fall in love, and then something always happens, like accidentally being hit by a wild earth dragon and losing their memory, being diagnosed with an incurable disease that even the Pope can't solve, the rich family suddenly having their things stolen by a big thief and going bankrupt, or discovering that they're not biological children, anyway, they're all very funny!"

Mo Tan was already sweating when he heard this...

"That's not all!" Mag said excitedly. "Although the one I watched with Ironfist only had amnesia, incurable diseases, and illegitimate children, I heard that a few years ago there was a popular play about a noble young man who was in love with a bunch of girls, only to find out that they were all his half-siblings..."

Mo Tan didn't plan to let this Dwarf brother with broad interests continue, so he quickly nodded vigorously and interrupted, "I understand, I understand! I came from a small place and wanted to travel around to broaden my horizons. That's why I planned to come to Anka this time. Brother Mag, how about you tell me about the local customs..."

[It's okay if you don't tell me, but at least don't let me be overwhelmed by those melodramatic tropes even when I'm playing a game!]

This was his inner cry...

"Small place..." Mag suddenly looked at the tail behind Mo Tan and asked, "You shouldn't be a reptilian Beastman, are you?"

Mo Tan honestly shook his head and replied, "I should be considered a Half-Dragon."

Mag was silent for a while after hearing this, then sighed, patted Mo Tan on the shoulder, and muttered, "No wonder..."

But he didn't continue, seemingly not wanting to stir up some sad memories for Mo Tan. He just took out a somewhat tattered notebook from his arms and handed it over.

"This is..." Mo Tan reached out and took the black leather notebook full of the smell of alcohol. After looking down at it, he was overjoyed and looked at Mag hopefully. "Can I borrow it!"

[Mag's Adventure Journal]

Quality: Unique Common

Use: Reading

[Note: The notes of the Dwarf warrior Mag. Ironfist. It records a large amount of adventurer knowledge and a simple map of the northwest of the continent. It also records a small number of herbal formulas, edible parts of common monsters, and basic wilderness survival knowledge. Finally, for the physical and mental health of the player, we extremely! extremely! extremely! extremely! do not recommend the owner of this notebook to turn to pages 77-82, otherwise the player will bear all the consequences.]

Although some strange things seemed to have mixed in, Mo Tan could still realize the value of this adventure journal to a novice player like him. It was irreplaceable – common sense!

In the absence of any reliable information from the game's official sources, players in the early stages of the game could be said to be struggling, because no one knew which of their words would offend someone's taboo, and what behavior would be regarded as heresy. Especially in Innocent World, where the NPCs were very intelligent, many careless people had paid the price for various inappropriate behaviors.

Even in the real world, humans of the same race can fight each other over various taboos, beliefs, and customs. Those who clearly have the same skin color and speak the same language can even burn or kill others as 'heretics' without blinking an eye, let alone in this vast, strange, and multi-ethnic game otherworld.

Although many basic things might not be recorded by Mag in his notebook, it was already precious enough for Mo Tan.

"It's yours." The Dwarf smiled at Mo Tan, who was first startled and then hesitated. "Don't rush to refuse. I can memorize almost everything in it, and I can rewrite a new one in minutes. Since you said you want to travel around and gain some knowledge, this notebook should be able to help a little. Consider it a reward for what you did before."

After hearing this, Mo Tan stopped being pretentious, carefully put away this [Mag's Adventure Journal], and said solemnly to Mag, "I will definitely keep it safe, friend."

"Right!" Mag's eyes suddenly lit up and he said to Mo Tan, "Are you interested in being a mercenary?"

Ten minutes later, Mo Tan was already standing in front of the headquarters of the Anka Market Adventurers' Guild, wearing a white iron chainmail of excellent quality, with a black steel longsword with basic enchantments at his waist, smiling brightly.

He couldn't forget the old priest by the Great Ming Lake selling him the 'cost price' codex for 20 copper coins each.

He couldn't forget the endless white and green items every time he played games involving opening boxes or unpacking.

He couldn't forget the first card on the right that always liked to go against him in card games.

He couldn't forget the looting permissions he had missed countless times because he suddenly went offline due to a personality switch.

Anyway, as long as he played games related to luck, even if he stubbornly played poker with others, Mo Tan was always the deepest pit in that 'one pit after another', the most unlucky one!

But now...

"Finally!" Mo Tan clenched his fists lightly, his eyes filled with tears as he exclaimed, "My luck has finally turned around!!"

With the Lawful Good personality, Mo Tan had a total online time of less than three hours, but he had the good luck as if he had buried his entire head under the skirt of the Goddess of Luck. Not only did he get an adventure journal that was very valuable for novices, but he was even forcibly stuffed with a whole set of excellent quality equipment by Mag, who learned that he intended to become a mercenary. If his current job level and abilities weren't a bit low, he might have gotten even more...

And that wasn't all!

Mag also gave him two of his favorite combat techniques, commonly known as skills to players.

[Mad Dash]

Weapon-based Active Skill

Mastery Requirements: Any Weapon Specialization Level 1, Strength 7

Consumption/Restrictions: 50 Stamina, Melee Weapon Equipped

Effect: Charges headfirst toward a designated location 8-20 meters away, delivering a guaranteed critical hit to the nearest enemy upon arrival. All damage taken during the charge is increased by 20%, but the user is immune to any slowing, rooting, or stunning effects. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

[Note: A flashy charge with sparks and lightning is cool, but on the battlefield, a mad dash where you've forgotten who your own mother is, that's a man's romance. Whether attacking or running, be sure to move with the mindset of 'there's a goblin high-explosive rocket chasing my ass!']

With this skill, combined with the 'Crashing Strike' that Mo Tan learned after choosing the Warrior class, his instantaneous mobility could even surpass that of Rogues and Rangers of the same level...

Assuming there were any level 1 Rogues or Rangers bored enough to race him.

In short, Mo Tan can now proudly boast: "I am speed~!"

Then there's the second one...

Crouching Devil

Passive Skill

Mastery Requirement: None

Consumption/Restriction: None

Effect: While stationary (this condition is waived when in high-density cover), if you maintain an absolute height of less than 1.5 meters for 10 consecutive seconds, you will become harder to detect until you exceed that height, and your next attack will deal 20% increased damage. Cooldown: 1 minute.

[Note: Hey! Is it cool up there? You deaf and blind fool, eat my Ada's life-taking strike!]

This is a technique that Mag himself is very fond of. Although it's not so easy for Mo Tan, it's still a very practical passive skill. In Mag's words, if you find it tiring to keep bending over, you can lie down, kneel, or just lie down. Just try to avoid doing this in crowded places, because it hurts quite a bit when you get stepped on...

In any case, since the person in charge of the Sylph Caravan was temporarily unavailable, and Mo Tan seemed to be in good enough condition, Mag readily let him go out for a stroll.

Mo Tan's first order of business was to register as an adventurer.

Anka Market is located in the northwest of the continent. Despite being called a market, its area is large enough to fit two Rockpile Cities. Due to its unique geographical location at the crossroads of major trade routes, Anka Market sees a constant flow of merchants, mercenaries, adventurers, and various other individuals every day. In this era where bartering is still prevalent, this area, which is outside any governing authority, has gradually developed into the commercial hub of the northwest. Over time, it has become a large-scale 'market' with considerable influence.

The two major guilds of Innocent World, numerous religious orders, and the ubiquitous Mage's Guild, Adventurer's Guild, and Mercenary Association all have large branches here. The latter two are the largest in scale, and the Adventurer's Guild and Mercenary Association Anka branches, which have always complemented each other, can almost be called one of the landmarks here.

This made it easy for Mo Tan to find his first destination...

Adventurer's Guild - Anka Branch

This building, covering an area of nearly one square kilometer and constructed entirely of blue-gray rock, is located in the northern district of Anka Market. This hexagonal building, resembling an ancient Roman Colosseum in appearance, lacks the luxury of a palace, the grandeur of a castle, or the solemnity of a church, but it possesses a wild and uninhibited aura. Although using the word 'aura' to describe a building seems a bit strange, it doesn't feel out of place at all...

Beside the Guild's ever-open Pioneer's Gate stand two enormous statues, one of a hunched-over, long-bearded Gnome mage, and the other of a humanoid figure with a spear, broadsword, hunting bow, and heavy shield on its back, holding a torch and a map in each hand.

Mo Tan slowly walked to the Pioneer's Gate and looked up...

The Gnome mage was holding a huge book in his hands, with a lifelike quill pen standing upright on the page, seemingly writing something automatically. His other hand rested on a silver cane, and the magnified engravings glowed with a colorful light, illuminating the wrinkles on his face, which had been weathered by the winds of time.

The base was inscribed with a line of small characters: [In honor of the great pioneer, Gary. President An Al, who sleeps in the endless unknown journey of exploration, the light of hope you lit will be inherited by our generations. Before all the thorns in this world are opened up by us, the writing of the Book of Returnees will never stop.]

"Salute to you..." Mo Tan looked at the giant statue with its lowered eyes, seemingly lost in thought, and bowed slightly before walking to the other statue in front of the door.

This statue, which looked like a weapon master, had no face. Its figure looked exhausted, and many of the features that could highlight gender or even race were cleverly hidden under the equipment. Many parts were decorated with dark red 'bloodstains', but it still seemed stubbornly trying to take another step...

[Salute to yourselves.]

Below were only these seven short words, but they were worth more than a thousand.

This was not a statue, but a mirror...

A mirror in which every adventurer could see themselves.

Chapter 18: End