There seemed to be a commotion not far away. If Mo Tan remembered correctly, that direction should be the recruitment office the innkeeper had told him about.
With that thought, Mo Tan immediately broke into a run. Who knew how long he would have to wait for dawn if the recruitment office closed for the day? Besides, he no longer had the money to stay another night at the inn, so he had better hurry~
This small city called Rockpile City was not particularly large, but plenty of pedestrians traveled along its main road. Although the sunset already colored the horizon, the city remained lively. Aside from ordinary residents, people dressed as combat professionals and spellcasters could be seen everywhere.
The recruitment office was not far from the Green Inn. It was an enclosed area, with seven or eight soldiers of different races maintaining order beside it. Quite a few spectators had stopped nearby to watch. When Mo Tan squeezed inside, he happened to see a tall, green-skinned Orc snap a log as thick as a thigh in half with a sharp crack.
"Pass. You there, take him to the back to collect his military tag." The Lizardfolk officer sitting behind a long wooden table lazily waved at a Gnome soldier beside him, then turned toward the crowd and yawned. "Anyone else?"
Mo Tan waited a while. Seeing no one step forward, he slowly entered the area and smiled at the Lizardfolk who looked ready to fall asleep. "I'd like to enlist."
"A human?" The Lizardfolk officer narrowed his long blue eyes. "And no weapon. A spellcaster?"
Mo Tan nodded readily. "Yes."
"Pass." The other party answered without hesitation. "Would you mind demonstrating?"
Guidance quest completed. Selectable reward class: Ranger / Warlock / Priest Guidance quest completion: 100%. No additional reward. You have obtained new skills and attribute points.
Only after a string of system notifications rang out did Mo Tan's slightly anxious mood settle. He had truly feared that the other party would first ask him to cast a spell or question him more closely before saying "pass."
Fortunately, everything was still under control.
Generally speaking, in a D&D-style world like this, spells were always powerful and dangerous. Neither elemental forces of various natures nor mysterious divine arts tolerated the slightest mistake. Suffering backlash or losing control of magic would count as getting off lightly; exploding on the spot was not impossible, either.
Since the Lizardfolk officer had asked, Mo Tan took the opportunity to go along with it. He was at least seventy percent certain that, even if he said he could not demonstrate on the spot, others would understand. As it turned out, this quest was quite simple. The moment Gart said "pass," Mo Tan completed it, and two of the rewards happened to belong to spellcaster classes.
Thus...
"Of course~" After quickly operating the unseen panel with his thoughts, Mo Tan stretched out both hands. Soft, pale golden light rose between his palms, illuminating the increasingly dim ground before sunset.
Gleaming Light Holy Light School active skill Requirement: Holy Light School Level 1, Wisdom 5 Cost: 1 Faith per second Effect: Illuminates the area within a five-meter radius around you. Enemy units within range suffer -1 to Stealth. No cooldown. Note: Tell your god, "Let there be light."
Two seconds later, Mo Tan stopped casting Gleaming Light. He then received a roughly crafted iron military tag and sixty copper coins.
"You've been assigned to the Fenrir Squad, recruit." The Lizardfolk officer Gart quietly instructed Mo Tan, "Report to the barracks before noon tomorrow. You may go to the church during your off hours, but preaching in the army is forbidden, unless you want to get beaten."
Mo Tan naturally had no objections. After asking where the barracks were, he said goodbye and left. The day's recruitment officially ended, and Squad Leader Gart took his men out for drinks after several soldiers had put away the registration forms and other materials.
Five minutes later, Rockpile City Dawn Church.
"Welcome, child. How may I help you?" The elderly priest bowed slightly to Mo Tan and looked at him kindly.
Mo Tan smiled at the old man. Looking up at the statue of the Dawn Goddess in the center of the church's first floor, he said softly, "I was wandering when I received the Holy Light's grace. In the name of Dawn Goddess Pokesi, I wish to join the church."
Although just a few minutes earlier, he had not even known what the Dawn Goddess was...
The Dawn Church, which worshiped Pokesi, was one of the most deeply rooted powers on the Continent of Innocence. Even Rockpile City, the smallest city in the Marshall Autonomous Territory, had a church. Thus, after learning this and choosing Priest, a wielder of the Holy Light, as his basic class, Mo Tan had immediately come here and expressed his desire to join.
"The Holy Light's grace? Oh, the goddess..." The priest stared in surprise at the pale golden Holy Light on Mo Tan's fingertips and let out a soft cry. "Of course, of course you can. Go pray by the statue. Once the goddess acknowledges you, you can undergo the initiation ceremony. Heh, don't look at me like that. You'll definitely be acknowledged~"
Apparently noticing Mo Tan's embarrassed expression, the priest patted him on the shoulder with a kindly smile. "You're a blessed person who comprehended the mysteries of the Holy Light on his own. Of course the goddess will show you her grace."
Hopefully...
Mo Tan knelt on the cushion before the goddess's statue, inevitably feeling uneasy. This unease did not come from himself, but from other concerns...
However, nothing unexpected happened. Almost the instant he closed his eyes, a gentle, ethereal voice sounded in his mind.
"My grace shall be with you, child. Are you willing to become my agent in the mortal realm, spread my glory, and defend my dignity?"
Do you agree to become a follower of Dawn Goddess Pokesi? Reminder: Betraying your faith will incur a tremendous price.
"Yes."
Mo Tan answered readily. His current personality did not mind becoming anyone's follower. From every angle, he was someone who went with the flow. Although he lacked ambition and obsession, and was not as distinctive as his other personalities, that was precisely why he could easily blend into society like any ordinary twenty-year-old.
He had chosen Priest as his basic class because, compared with striving alone to become a hero or legend, he preferred spending time with others while keeping himself in a relatively safe environment. This would improve his ability to survive, and whether among NPCs or players, healers were always highly valued~
From this, it could be seen that Black Fan, one of Mo Tan's multiple personalities, was more like someone playing a game.
Congratulations. You have become a follower of Dawn Goddess Pokesi. Faith has been fully unlocked.
The instant Mo Tan finished speaking, the system notification arrived.
Your Priest class has advanced to Level 2. Current experience: 90/150. You have obtained new attribute points. Item Codex, Character Codex, and Story Codex unlocked. "Dawn Church" has been added to the Codex.
Mo Tan did not immediately stand. Instead, he slightly opened his eyes to check his updated information.
Black Fan HP: 170/170 MP: 190/190 Stamina: 140/140 Faith: 100/100 (Pokesi) Class: Priest Level 2. Current experience: 90/150 Faith: Dawn Goddess Pokesi Alignment: Absolute Neutral Basic attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 5, Wisdom 9, Constitution 7, Unassigned: 2 Combat attribute: Holy Light Knowledge Level 1 Skills: Gleaming Light, Holy Touch, Fortitude Prayer, Gleaming Bolt
This was where it was necessary to mention that, as a veteran player with considerable gaming experience, Mo Tan had still been rather confused when he first saw the Holy Touch skill. After all, he was only Level 2 at the moment~
But when he opened it...
Holy Touch Holy Light School active skill Requirement: Holy Light Knowledge Level 1 Cost/Limit: 20 MP Effect: Restores a small amount of HP to the target. Cooldown: one minute. Note: What did you think this was? That "Holy Touch"? Keep dreaming!
Three letters surfaced in his mind, but clearly, this was not the time to say them...
After inspecting his attributes, Mo Tan nodded in satisfaction. He assigned both unallocated points to Intelligence, then stood and bowed slightly to the smiling priest guarding him. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it, child." The priest handed him a thick tome. "This is your scripture. Wherever you go, never forget the goddess's teachings."
Mo Tan reached out and accepted it. As expected, the book was an item of equipment.
Scripture Weapon type: Off-hand Quality: Common Attack: None Attribute: Intelligence +1 Equipment requirement: None Note: First, why would this thing have attack power? Second, it's just a book. What equipment requirement could you possibly expect it to have? Can you read?
After reading the malicious note, Mo Tan rolled his eyes. He thanked the priest again and prepared to leave, but unexpectedly...
"Wait, kiddo." The priest called out to the puzzled Mo Tan, smiling as he extended a hand. "A general-edition scripture costs one silver coin. Just give me the cost price—twenty copper."
After gaining a book, gaining a faith, leveling up, and losing twenty copper coins, Mo Tan left the church with a dark expression. It was already night. He truly did not know whether to complain about having to pay for the scripture or about its profit margin reaching four hundred percent. After holding it in for a long while, he only felt mentally and physically exhausted.
The Continent of Innocence had no main quest, so Mo Tan planned to report to the barracks ahead of time and then simply go with the flow. Although he rather enjoyed this game, he had no clear objective—at least, not yet.
Within a few minutes, Mo Tan reached the entrance to Rockpile City's autonomous army barracks. After instinctively surveying the surroundings, he walked over and greeted the young gatekeeper.
"A recruit?" A Gnome warrior in plate armor suspiciously looked Mo Tan over. "Got your dog tag?"
Mo Tan nodded, took the military tag the Lizardfolk officer had given him from the small pouch at his waist—his pack—and handed it over.
The Gnome warrior, who was inexplicably losing his hair despite his young age, took the tag and nodded. He then tossed it back to Mo Tan. "Number 9527, Black Fan, right? Go inside and take the second entrance on the left. That's the Fenrir Squad's station."
Mo Tan, who had not examined the tag closely before, twitched at the corner of his mouth in despair. After briefly thanking him, he entered through the main gate. Then he heard the Gnome warrior call from behind, "You're a Priest, right? I heard the Fenrir Squad was short a Priest. I like making friends with healers. My name's Heifis Desac, from the Beaver Squad."
"Pfft!" Mo Tan nearly spat up a mouthful of blood. He turned around and forced an extremely distorted smile at Heifis, then covered his face and hurried toward his destination, muttering as he walked, "A hair product from the Gnome lands called Heifis? And his surname is Desac—'thick,' meaning lush hair? Tsk, tsk... That's far more ruthless than 9527..."
After walking for about five minutes, he reached the Fenrir Squad's station. It was a somewhat dilapidated tile-roofed house. The inside looked pitch-black, though several people stood gathered outside the entrance.
"Hey, you over there!" A middle-aged man holding a shield and chatting with several others waved at Mo Tan. "You look unfamiliar."
Mo Tan once again displayed his military tag, now marked 9257, and said, "My name is Black Fan. I'm new and was assigned to the Fenrir Squad. Greetings, senior."
He said this because he had seen a white direwolf painted on the chest of the man's chainmail. The armor of the people beside him bore the same emblem. If he still could not figure out what was going on, he would have been an idiot...
"Oh! You're the Priest that fellow Gart found for us?" The man looked Mo Tan up and down, then extended his hand and laughed heartily. "All right, I'm Ned, captain of the Fenrir Squad and a shield warrior. You lot, introduce yourselves too. We've got a doctor now~"
His final sentence was shouted to the people beside him.
"Crab, warrior~" The tall, dark-skinned Orc standing beside Ned folded his arms and winked at Mo Tan. "Have you seen blood before, little sprout?"
Mo Tan shrugged. "I'm fairly good at dealing with blood. But if you want me to take a proper look at yours, I'll be happy to do so when you're injured."
His slightly provocative reply was not instinctive. Mo Tan knew perfectly well that a gentleman who kept yielding in the face of provocation could never earn the recognition of a normal Orc.
Sure enough, Crab did not get angry. Instead, he burst into laughter, stepped over Ned, and slapped Mo Tan hard on the shoulder. Grinning, he said, "You've got guts, kid!"
"Hehe, got put in your place, big guy~" An elven girl sitting cross-legged on the ground made a face at Crab, then turned and smiled amiably at Mo Tan. "My name's Yinna, Yinna Morningdew, apprentice Ranger~ Please take care of me from now on!"
Mo Tan smiled back. "Likewise."
"I'm Salazar." The blue-skinned Lizardfolk leaning beside the tile-roofed house wore leather gloves on both hands and spoke in a cold tone. "Monk."
Mo Tan nodded, then looked with interest at the final person. The other party had been staring at him from the beginning.
"My name is Shuangye." The orange-haired girl wearing black-rimmed round glasses smiled. "Mage, otaku specializing in anime and games."
Without a doubt, she was also a player.
Ned looked at Shuangye with some surprise, then shrugged at Mo Tan with a smile. "She's new too, and a little eccentric. Anyway, welcome to the Fenrir Squad, Black Fan."
"It's my honor." Mo Tan made a comical bow to everyone.
"There aren't any missions during these few days of recruitment. Just come here once around noon each day. If you own a house in the city like Shuangye, you don't have to stay in the barracks." Ned shrugged. "The conditions here aren't exactly good."
No player could possibly have a so-called "house" in this small city on the first day after the game opened, but Mo Tan still nodded. "That's wonderful. So, is my report complete now?"
"Of course~" Shuangye gave Mo Tan a playful smile, then lazily stretched. "I'm going home. Since you also have somewhere to stay in the city, would you like to walk me there?"
Mo Tan blinked at Ned. "Can I leave?"
"Go ahead." Before Ned could speak, Yinna cut in with a smile. "Don't forget to assemble tomorrow. We're going to rest too."
Thus, after briefly saying goodbye to everyone, Mo Tan left the barracks with Shuangye.
This slow-paced little city had no curfew, and the laxly disciplined autonomous army did not mind soldiers leaving the station when they had no missions.
"You must have joined the autonomous army today too, right?" Walking along Rockpile City's broad streets beneath the moonlight, Mo Tan started the conversation first. He turned and smiled at the girl beside him. "You seem to know quite a lot."
Shuangye's lips curved slightly. "I thought you would first ask me how I managed to get a house on the first day after launch."
Mo Tan shrugged. "I figured logging off in the barracks would be inconvenient."
That was why conversations between two clever people were often so simple.
"I arrived a little earlier than you." Shuangye gave a small yawn. "I just heard a few more rules. I also considered gathering some background information, but unfortunately, I'm not very good at socializing."
Mo Tan nodded. "Perhaps I can give it a try tomorrow."
"Sure." Shuangye rubbed her sleepy eyes. "I have to log off first. I have something to deal with today. By the way, can you make it to the gathering tomorrow at around 8:30 p.m. in real-world time? See you then~"
Without waiting for Mo Tan to react, she turned into a beam of white light and vanished on the spot.
"That really is the standard logout effect." Mo Tan sighed. "But how did she know..."
Before he could finish speaking, an unexpected change occurred.
You have been forcibly disconnected. Would you like to reconnect?
"?"
You have been forcibly disconnected. Would you like to reconnect?
"Yes~"
Reconnection beginning... Connection complete. Reading character information. The Continent of Innocence has opened its doors to you. Character creation is about to begin...
"What?!"
Chapter Two: End
Before you continue