When Mo Tan came online, he was still in Mei Di. Le Wen’s house, and everything around him was exactly as it was before he was forced offline, except that it was now night.
This was to be expected. After all, there was no fire or explosion here, and given Mei Di’s less than twice-weekly appearances in town, it wouldn’t be easy for others to discover his strange disappearance. This incident also tells us that if you don't want to be kidnapped without anyone even reporting it, it's best to make more close friends. Failing that, finding a way to owe someone money would also work.
Mo Tan leisurely leaned against the wall and sat down on the floor. The first thing he did was bring up his character panel to confirm the content he hadn't had time to check last time. Of course, before that, he had already claimed the reward for the introductory quest, successfully obtaining the basic Thief profession and 60 corresponding experience points.
So...
【Tan Mo】
Alignment: chaotic neutral
Profession: Deceiver Level 2 (77/150); Thief Level 1 (60/70)
Faith: None
Health: 170/170
Stamina: 140/140
Agility: 310/310
Talents: Chaos, Cunning, Sophistry, Incredulous (You cannot choose a faith because you have no reverence for any higher existence. No missionary will waste their time on you! None!)
Basic Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 11, Wisdom 11, Constitution 7
Civilized Attributes: Eloquence 10, Charisma 10, Knowledge 9, Leadership 4
Combat Attributes: Cunning School Level 6
Skills: Confusion, Bewitch, Stealth, Thievery, Throat Slice
Given that a detailed description of each skill would take up too much space, no separate explanations will be provided in the main text (perhaps) until Mo Tan uses his skills for the first time. We apologize for any inconvenience.
“The Constitution conversion ratio is indeed as I thought,” Mo Tan muttered to himself as he examined his attribute panel. “And Thief increases Constitution and Dexterity by 1 point each level, while Deceiver increases Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom by 1 point each level, and both will increase my Cunning School level… The latter will also influence Civilized Attributes to some extent, hmm…”
He pondered for a moment, then immediately added the experience reward from the over-completed introductory quest to his Thief profession, raising it to Level 2 (140/150). Then, he stretched lazily and stood up, beginning to scavenge Mei Di’s small wooden house.
For a dead person, external possessions are completely unnecessary; it's better to benefit their descendants or the common people. However, things with commemorative significance or spiritual attachment, like wedding rings, are not considered external possessions. Therefore, Mo Tan, holding this thought, could undertake the task of ransacking the house without any burden, nor would he regret burying those two excellent quality rings earlier…
It proved that either it was luck or Mei Di had a substantial family fortune. In any case, the spoils Tan Mo unearthed at this time were vastly different from the few broken potions he painstakingly found in the inn when he was Black Vatican.
The consumables included: Minor Health Potion * 4, Medium Mana Potion * 2, Gargoyle Reagent * 1, Random Teleport Scroll * 2, Divine Grace Scroll * 2, Soul-Guiding Bottle, two bags of finely ground bone ash, and an ancient book.
The equipment included: Ceremonial Robe, a pair of Cloth Wristguards, and a Blood Sacrifice Dagger.
After equipping the first two, Tan Mo gained a small amount of defense and 1 point of Intelligence. As for the last weapon, its quality was average, but it was perfectly suited for the Thief profession.
【Blood Sacrifice Dagger】
Weapon Type: One-Handed
Quality: Common
Attack: Weak
Attribute: None
Equipment Requirements: None
【Note: If you are willing, we can teach you over seventy ways to self-harm, and guarantee… What? You said you want to use it to hack people? Alright, please close the door from the outside.】
“Honestly~” Mo Tan tucked the dagger into his waist and sighed faintly, “If someone could give me a complete equipment catalog for this game, I might quietly read it all day to increase my reserves of 'thick black theory.' Now, let me anticipate…”
He opened the only ancient book that hadn't been put into his satchel, and immediately saw the content he had been looking forward to.
【Beginner Undead Knowledge】
Use: Grants you the profession: Beginner Necromancer
【Note: You shouldn’t have high expectations for the content of this book. Come on, we can’t really write about Undead Knowledge or anything like that in it, can we? Understanding is paramount, okay?】
“Alright~ Understanding is paramount.” Mo Tan smiled and casually put the book into his satchel, not eagerly adding an extra profession for himself as we might have imagined.
He had already done the calculations in his mind, and the conclusion was that at this initial 'newbie' stage, learning the controversial Necromancer profession clearly had more disadvantages than advantages. Not to mention the almost certain reduction in Constitution and Strength attributes and how much impact that would have on him, just the perceptually keen religious figures alone would be enough to tie him to a stake for a half-day BBQ. He wasn't Mei Di. Le Wen; the Incredulous talent had completely sealed off his possibility of secretly learning Holy Light lore to conceal other identities.
So, no learning!
At least not now!
Leaving the small house, Tan Mo comfortably stretched his body in the cool evening breeze, then pulled up the hood of the ceremonial robe and left Maple Sugar Town without looking back. He knew very well that this peaceful countryside was clearly not a suitable place for him to stay, nor could it bring him the happiness he craved. What’s more…
【Unique Quest — Proceed to Pato City, destroy ‘Hero’ Dave; Reward: ???】
“Although I don’t know who this ‘Hero’ Dave is~” Mo Tan’s figure flickered in and out of sight in the night, his eyes glinting with a strange Chaos and fanaticism, and a wicked smile playing on his lips: “But I have to say, this kind of quest really suits my taste~~”
Just then, as he walked along the country dirt road, he suddenly heard a scream. Although it lasted less than half a second before abruptly stopping, it was definitely not an illusion. The fear and helplessness contained in that sound left a deep impression on Mo Tan.
To his left was a not-so-dense forest, but in the extremely low visibility of the night, it still felt like a giant mouth ready to devour people. The previous sound had come from there…
…
The Warm Sun Squad’s situation at this moment was bad, very bad, absolutely terrible~
They were ambushed on their way to complete their final assessment. Two Red Ridge Beastss, which should not have appeared there, suddenly emerged from the roadside as the group returned and attacked them frantically. Although these students, second-year students of Pading Knight Academy, all possessed some combat ability, they had no chance of winning against two monsters that resembled lizards, with sharp teeth and claws, immense strength, and the ability to spray poisonous bone spurs from their backs.
Moreover, both were adult Red Ridge Beastss, nearly four meters long.
Just moments ago, the squad’s apprentice mage was caught off guard and had her left leg pierced by a bone spur, stumbling and falling to the ground. Although another student in plate armor desperately used a lance to block a giant beast pouncing from mid-air for his companion, the other Red Ridge Beasts instantly pierced the fragile skull of the elven mage with its long, barbed tongue, ending her suffering.
“No… Luo Na!” The young Thief, moving around the perimeter of the team, let out a pained growl. He then quickly moved behind the knight and pulled him back, staring at the equally pale and exhausted face before him as he said in a low voice, “Dave, you take everyone and run. Try not to make any noise. I’ll fight these two beasts!”
With that, he turned and kicked the strongest knight in the team behind him. He then let out a loud roar, and two gleaming scimitars, thrown in anger, forced the Red Ridge Beasts that had just completed a kill back half a step. Then, he instantly appeared behind the other one, drew a dagger from his waist, and firmly pinned its thick tail to the ground, his eyes wide with fury as he shouted to his companions nearby, “Now! Run!”
Red Ridge Beastss have extremely poor vision, so in most cases, they are not that difficult to deal with. Although their auditory nerves and sense of smell are very keen, they still cannot compensate for the weakness caused by their almost permanent blindness. Cole, the Thief of the Warm Sun Squad, was aware of this, which is why he kept shouting, intending to sacrifice himself to buy time for his teammates to escape.
Anyway, he didn’t want to live anymore…
Luo Na, the girl whose face was always filled with a cheerful smile, would never come back. As an elf, she originally had a lifespan of hundreds of years, and her innate affinity with wind elements could have given her endless future and possibilities. Yet, she died so easily, in this nameless forest, killed by that filthy monster in a nearly humiliating manner.
“Unforgivable!” Cole leaped onto the head of the Red Ridge Beasts in front of him, his eyes bloodshot as he trembled, “Unforgivable!!”
The knight, who had fallen at the feet of his other two companions, clenched his fists tightly. Only after Cole roared “Run!” did he forcefully punch the ground and grit his teeth, saying, “Go!”
“But Cole, he… Ah!!” The human girl in the crimson-gold robe, standing crookedly, was clearly hesitant, but she was hoisted onto the shoulder of the tall greatsword wielder behind her.
“Little Ai! What do you think a magic-depleted apprentice priest can do by staying here?” The man yelled sternly, “If we move faster, Cole might still have a chance. Don’t forget, he’s a Thief!”
Then the young man, carrying the priest Little Ai, ran into the depths of the forest with Knight Dave. Although his actions were decisive, his eyes beneath his visor were bloodshot…
No one understood Cole better than La Da, his childhood friend. He knew very well that although he said there was a chance, he knew in his heart that the young man desperately fighting the Red Ridge Beastss behind them would never leave, because Luo Na was dead… Luo Na was dead… dead…
“La Da!”
Feeling the girl on his shoulder fiercely patting his back, tears silently streamed down La Da’s cheeks. He couldn't stop, couldn't look back, couldn't waver. He had to find a way to track down the person who had set up the Warm Sun Squad, otherwise, neither Luo Na nor Cole would be able to rest in peace!
“La Da! Stop quickly!” Little Ai shrieked anxiously.
“Shut up!”
“Watch out!!”
“?”
A bright light suddenly flared, originating from… the silver tip of a lance!
…
Cole was indeed as La Da had thought; even though he was covered in wounds, he had no intention of escaping. Instead, he counterattacked even more wildly. The iron dagger in his hand was already blunted, but it still cut sharp arcs in the moonlight, hacking, slicing, stabbing, and picking at one of the Red Ridge Beastss. However, his movements inevitably began to lose form, and his face grew paler.
A bone spur was deeply embedded in his ribs, causing excruciating pain with every movement…
【But Luo Na is dead, so it doesn’t matter. Shadow Step! Backhand Spin Stab!】
The poison was gradually spreading through his body, his reactions becoming slower and slower, his hands somewhat weak…
【My hands are not as weak as my legs were the first time I saw her. What is this? Tear its wound! Make it bleed! Roar! Pain!】
Excessive blood loss, dizziness. He didn’t dodge that last claw, and his leg seems to have lost all sensation…
【Then don’t bother with it. Luo Na is dead, what’s one leg? Make them pay! One last poison application, and then one more cut! Even if it’s just one cut.】
His body was thrown, landing beside Luo Na's already cold body…
Cole tremblingly reached out his finger, wanting to caress the beloved girl’s half-remaining face. Her wide eyes still held a hint of lingering Confusion and terror.
And Death had already arrived silently, accompanied by a claw descending from the sky!
【This is the end… It’s really a pity I couldn’t confess to you earlier~】
The imagined pain did not arrive. The two Red Ridge Beastss, which had been roaring continuously, had inexplicably quieted down. Cole struggled to look up and found a person completely shrouded in a black robe standing with their back to him, facing the two giant beasts, softly murmuring something.
【Bewitch】
Cunning School Active Skill
Mastery Requirement: Obtain the Deceiver profession
Consumption/Restriction: 1 Agility, normal speech function
Effect: Bewitch a target, causing them to view you as a friendly unit. Success rate and duration depend on the target’s mental state and the intelligence of both parties. Cooldown: 1 hour
【Note: Don’t shoot! Friendly fire!】
The Red Ridge Beasts, which was about to swing its claw and crush Cole’s body, suddenly grumbled in Confusion. Its two bright yellow eyes stared intently at Mo Tan for a long time, then it took two steps back and stopped moving.
Meanwhile, the other one, which had been poised to pounce nearby, began to spin in place, confused…
【Confusion】
Cunning School Active Skill
Mastery Requirement: Obtain the Deceiver profession
Consumption/Restriction: 60 Agility, eye contact
Effect: Confuses a target, causing them to largely lose their judgment and self-awareness. When attacking, they attack indiscriminately. Duration and success rate depend on the target’s mental state and intelligence (effect doubled for those with decision paralysis). Cooldown: 1 hour
【Note: Look at my Bizarre Beam! Supersonic! Swagger! Chatter! Are you confused yet, you bastard!】
With these two Deceiver-exclusive skills, Mo Tan, who had been observing for a long time, managed to simultaneously restrain two Red Ridge Beastss by himself, successfully establishing a very stylish aura for himself and creating a mysterious and powerful initial impression in Cole’s eyes.
“Don’t ask anything… follow me.” Mo Tan slightly turned his head and glanced at Cole. “You have five seconds to decide.”
Seeing that Cole was just staring blankly at the mangled corpse in front of him, Mo Tan pointed to Luo Na’s lifeless body and added, “Take her with you.”
Then, without looking back, he casually picked a direction and started walking.
Cole’s body trembled violently, then after a brief moment of reaction, he quickly hoisted Luo Na’s corpse onto his back and chased after him.
…
Chapter Nine: The End