Doable!

Ned, the strongest of them all, was currently being besieged by four Orc warriors at once. A faint blue mist swirled around the longsword he wielded with all his strength, carrying wisps of chill. It was only by relying on this frost-enchanted weapon that he could restrain the enemies who might otherwise break through to Mo Tan and Shuangye. But Ned himself, increasingly exhausted, had already begun to suffer injuries.

During one interception, he was even struck in the back by two warhammers at once. If he had not managed to turn around and block the blows in time, that single impact might have left him severely wounded.

All Mo Tan could do was cast Fortitude Prayer on him once every five minutes, occasionally weaving in a few Lawful Good? Shields and healing spells that were better than nothing.

He truly could not do more. Although things appeared perilous, Ned was already in the best condition of everyone present besides himself and Shuangye...

Salazar's left arm was broken. A dozen seconds earlier, he had charged forward and driven his elbow hard into the enemy behind his teammate, helping Crab escape his predicament of being attacked from both sides. But the Orc warrior who had been fighting him seized the opening and slammed a fist into his side, crippling one of his arms.

After that, Mo Tan had kept a Lawful Good? Shield on him almost constantly, but he had no way to provide Salazar with high-intensity healing.

That was because Yinna and Crab were in far worse shape. During the melee, a deep, bone-revealing gash had been cut across the latter's temple. Blood gushed out constantly, making his vision extremely blurry, while the great axe in his hands had begun to chip after clashing dozens of times with a fellow Orc who was only slightly weaker than him...

Moreover, because he disliked wearing that tight standard soft armor, his bare body was now covered in wounds. Even though his physique far surpassed that of the previous player with an atrocious gaming experience, Mo Tan knew that if this continued, it was only a matter of time before Crab followed in Salazar's footsteps!

Most of the Holy Touch, whose healing effect was not particularly impressive, had been used on Crab. Although he could still barely maintain Crab's combat ability with the support of Fortitude Prayer, that was only true for now!

Mo Tan's mana and faith were limited, after all!

Yinna's injuries were considerably lighter. The elven ranger's evasiveness and speed far surpassed those of every enemy present. But she was not an Orc like Crab, with his powerful physique, nor a monk like Salazar, who had spent years tempering both body and mind. Many attacks that the latter two could withstand after taking a brief rest would cost Yinna dearly if she suffered even one of them.

Simply put, she had low health and low defense!

Mo Tan had originally been able to maintain a Holy Word Shield (Lawful Good) on her as much as possible, but ever since Salazar had lost an arm, he had been unable to keep up with everything...

To be honest, the reason Mo Tan had been able to maintain such a tight support rhythm for the past dozen minutes was not merely that he had used his skills at the most crucial moments. More importantly, it was thanks to the new talent he had obtained not long ago.

Devotion: Your devotion to the deity is worthy of recognition. The passive recovery speed of your faith permanently increases by 30%. When you are in combat and remain stationary for thirty consecutive seconds, you will enter the "Devotion" state. The passive recovery speed of your mana and faith increases by 50%. This state will be removed once you move, and activating it again requires you to meet the requirements for "Devotion" anew.

This talent was very likely a gift from the gods. After all, Mo Tan did not feel that he possessed the potential to become a fanatic, nor had he accomplished anything for the religion. In theory, there was no way he should have obtained such a talent so quickly—one that clearly seemed like something that would only become useful in the later stages of the game.

The lower the talent's level, the less practical it is... Mo Tan had complained inwardly after gaining an advantage and still grumbling about it.

But if not for Devotion supporting him now, he would have exhausted his mana and faith long ago.

And yet...

He could not do it.

Like a machine, Mo Tan raised his hands for who knew how many times and cast the Holy Word Shield that had just finished cooling down onto Salazar, who had just taken a heavy blow and was beginning to lose his balance.

Or perhaps I can do it, but "I" can't...

Ned was forcing his way into a charge, trying to rescue Yinna, whose path of retreat had been sealed by an Orc shield warrior. He succeeded, but an enemy following closely behind slammed headfirst into his back.

If I had appeared here as one of my other personalities, perhaps I wouldn't have fallen into this predicament...

Mo Tan stiffly refreshed Ned's Fortitude Prayer, whose duration was about to end. Just as he was about to heal Crab, he realized that his mana was almost depleted as well.

His companion had already thrown aside his nearly ruined axe and was now fighting barehanded against two Orc warriors attempting to circle around and attack Salazar. Several more wounds had appeared on his body without Mo Tan noticing.

I can smile in the face of any desperate situation or difficulty, make effective use of everything to achieve my goals, rely on no one, and calmly savor that madness...

Shuangye stopped casting. She no longer had even a sliver of mana left, and could not produce so much as an ordinary fireball...

I can become the most trustworthy support for my companions, accompanying everyone as we create miracles with our own hands through persistence and conviction...

Yinna's face was pale. Although Ned had created a brief opening for her just now, she had already expended too much stamina. The current situation was so desperate that they could barely see any chance of turning it around.

But I can't... Even though I possess the same knowledge, experience, memories, and information, even though I am still "me," the one standing here is the most mediocre of them all...

Mo Tan's hands clenched weakly, and his face was ashen.

Humans would always suddenly feel a trace of self-loathing at some point. Geniuses, great men, villains, madmen, and mediocre people were all the same in that regard.

Regret and frustration, doubt and self-reflection—these were the privileges of intelligent beings.

Hating the self who betrayed his friends.

Hating the self who was cold and heartless.

Hating the self who had failed to fulfill his filial duties.

Hating the self who stopped at nothing to achieve his goals.

Hating the self who lacked courage.

Hating the self who never changed.

Hating the self who was indecisive.

Hating the self who clung to conventions.

When we looked back, if we could return to those countless moments we wished never to remember, how desperately we would want to slap our past selves across the face.

At that farewell dinner, when the atmosphere had originally been so pleasant, if we had managed to summon the courage to confess, would the result have been different?

If, amid our busy work, we had been able to spare even half a day to return home and visit our family, perhaps we would not be carrying so much regret now?

When a friend ran into trouble, if we had stepped forward despite the suffering and embarrassment it might bring for a time, perhaps we would not be so lonely now?

Of course, the world was not that sweet...

Even if we had summoned the courage to confess, we might have been humiliated in front of everyone.

Even if we had risked getting fired to hurry home, we might still have missed that final second.

Even if we had stood up for a friend and risked everything for them, they might still sell us out one day in the future.

But the mere possibility of a better outcome was enough to make us regret, loathe, and even hate the selves we had been at certain moments.

But Mo Tan was different... Or rather, a large part of him was different...

In his Chaotic Neutral state, he liked to treat everything as a kind of amusement. He would never take responsibility for his actions, and that naturally included emotions such as "self-loathing" and "regret." Even the threat of imminent death would be regarded by him as a game with a strong spirit of adventure~

In his Lawful Good state, he would never do anything that violated his principles. He always knew what he should do and what he wanted to do, took responsibility for his words and actions at all times, and felt proud of his good deeds. Naturally, he would never hate himself.

But the Mo Tan at this moment was different...

He was no different from most of us, and so he hated this self who could "do nothing."

Even though he was only a level-two priest and had already given everything he had in this encounter, Mo Tan was still deeply dissatisfied with himself...

If it were the "me" from another state, I would definitely do better!

That was what he thought. It was precisely because he understood himself too well that he was overcome by such emotions. If it had been one of us ordinary people, we would basically have thought, Ah~ I've already done my best~

It was like a student capable of scoring a hundred points becoming more frustrated than a poor student when faced with a question he could not solve. The principle was the same.

This maddening feeling did not arise because Mo Tan and the members of Fenrir Squad were particularly close or treated one another like brothers. In truth, he could still clearly distinguish between the game and reality. As for Shuangye, there was even less to say—if she died, she would merely be beaten back into her original form and start over.

He was simply dissatisfied with himself...

Comparison was the source of harm. Sometimes, that saying was not merely a joke. Mo Tan had been hurt by his "own" self.

Because he was, in essence, no different from the "majority of us."

We needed recognition. Even when we were angry with ourselves, what we truly needed was usually just a little self-comfort...

And Mo Tan now could not even find a single reason to comfort himself.

But he was not alone...

"Hey! You're slowing down!" Ned staggered two steps forward, then suddenly turned around and smiled at him. "Getting a little tired?"

Mo Tan froze.

Salazar snorted. Before the Holy Word Shield around him faded, he charged straight into an Orc warrior's arms and used a surge of hidden force to knock the opponent four or five steps away. Then, in a rare display of a grin, he gave Mo Tan a distant thumbs-up. "Don't listen to the captain's nonsense. You're doing great! Especially after my arm was broken."

"Heh heh!" Crab snatched a heavy, crude iron hammer and swung it in a wide arc, smashing the Orc who was exhausted enough to nearly stick out his tongue down the slope. He laughed loudly. "With this kid around, I feel like I can fight at least twice as well as usual!"

Yinna happened to dodge between Mo Tan and Shuangye at that moment. She raised her hand and shot an arrow at the fellow trying to take advantage of the situation and pursue Ned, then turned and smiled sweetly at them both. "The captain never says anything nice. You're all doing great!"

Shuangye shrugged, pursed her lips toward Mo Tan, and muttered, "He's much more useful than I am. His mana seems endless no matter how much he uses."

Mo Tan was stunned for a long while, until Crab let out an exaggerated scream from nearby to indicate that it was time to give him a little more healing.

It seemed that even if he was not "special," he was still somewhat useful...

No! Perhaps he could be even more useful!

Mo Tan raised his hand and cast Holy Touch on Crab, then began to think.

Perhaps the current him could not devise some unfathomable master plan, nor could he single-handedly turn everything upside down~

Mo Tan surveyed the cramped and chaotic battlefield around him.

Nor did he possess enough courage and willpower to shoulder everything and stand at the forefront, leading everyone toward victory.

The figures and movements of every teammate around him were clearly reflected in his eyes. His all-out support over this brief period had given Mo Tan a preliminary understanding of everyone.

But...

Only a healer in a support position had the chance to grasp everyone's habits, movements, and abilities in battle within the shortest possible time. Only then could he provide healing or buffs in advance.

There were also things that only the current me could accomplish.

Mo Tan had always possessed: sufficient knowledge and wisdom, extremely fast reaction speed, and keen insight!

Only Hei Fan possessed: a support-oriented class, an approachable personality, and the ability to resonate with most ordinary people!

"Captain!"

Ned immediately turned around at the call.

Mo Tan suddenly shouted in a low voice, "A little to the left behind you! Pin down the one holding the shield!"

"What do you mean?" Ned instinctively glanced in that direction. After a brief hesitation, he still charged over and swung his sword, forcing the opponent to raise his shield and block.

Ned did not quite understand why he should pin down a shield bearer with little offensive ability at a time like this, but that did not stop him from trusting Mo Tan.

That trust had been fed to him one mouthful of healing at a time over the previous dozen minutes!

"Crab!" Mo Tan offered no explanation. Instead, he cast the Holy Word Shield that he would normally have placed on Ned onto Crab and shouted, "Take three steps back! Swing at the redhead!"

Crab did not hesitate. He stomped back three steps, then swung his hammer at an Orc soldier who had been unable to attack earlier because he lacked a good position.

The opponent had been waiting patiently, so he easily dodged the blow, but he instinctively turned his body aside.

"Salazar! Send him flying!" Mo Tan immediately ordered. "Use that move of yours that leaves you recovering for half a minute!"

Bang!!

The Lizardfolk monk struck the man who had just turned aside, sending him flying as he faced away from Salazar. He asked in confusion, "How do you know about my Crashing Palm?"

"Obviously, I've been watching the whole time!" Mo Tan replied casually. He extended his right hand, and a flash of golden light passed through it—not any sort of support spell,

but the lowest-level divine spell of Holy Light Lore, with pitiful attack power—Gleaming Bolt.

Although the skill's attack power was poor, it was bright!

"Yinna!" Mo Tan fired the bolt and immediately called out, "That direction! Salazar has opened up the angle for you! See those filthy backsides? How about a little spread shot?"

"Got it~~~"