Chapter 154: The Road Ahead
【Special Mission: Achieve victory in a team match at the Tianzhushan Grand Arena. Completed. Received 1350 optional experience points, Stubborn Shoulderpads.】
When Guichu Qi of the Wang Wang Team was knocked out of the Arena by Half-Jin Baozi, Mo Tan quickly heard the expected system prompt, which meant he had achieved his second victory in the Tian Zhu Mountain Arena, following his previous win against Great Light Knight Kevin.
Although Mo Tan was eliminated not long after the opposing team lost a member, the pace of the match at that time was completely dominated by… well, by the Wang Wang Team.
Because the Priest Za Di Gang's mana had unknowingly run out, the Ranger Wu Hua Rou Rong, who was entangled by Ya Ya and Lu Jiang, was quickly reduced to critical health. During this process, although the Mage Mama was dealing crazy damage, the latter's skill cooldowns and mana reserves were not at full capacity due to her earlier 'duel' with Mo Tan. Additionally, Ji Xiaoge joined the gank after Jia Deka arrived, so Wu Hua Rou Rong still couldn't escape the fate of being the third one eliminated.
The Wang Wang Team once again gained a numerical advantage in kills. Although it was four against three on the surface, the opponent's Priest was basically useless. His role was essentially equivalent to Mr. Zang Kejia's line: Some people are alive, but they are already dead.
So, strictly speaking, it was four against two…
However, Ya Ya and Lu Jiang's conditions were not too optimistic at the time. The former was almost entirely suppressed in close-quarters combat with Guichu Qi, while the latter, despite having 99% physical damage reduction in her Original Slime form and slightly increased resistance, still lost most of her health due to her poor base attributes and the enemy Mage's relentless damage.
Ji Xiaoge was only hit once throughout the match, but that single basic attack caused her to lose almost a third of her health.
Only a certain 'Mage' who should have been killed by the enemy Thief was in relatively good condition.
Therefore, during the subsequent elimination of the Mage Mama, Priest Za Di Gang, and Warrior Guichu Qi from the Wang Wang Team, Ya Ya was also forcibly teleported out of the Arena due to losing combat capability. In the end, only Ji Xiaoge, Lu Jiang, and the MVP (Most Valuable Player) Jia Deka 'survived'.
Of course, many people might think Mo Tan was the one who opened up the situation and established the advantage, and that Jia Deka's performance in this battle was merely decent. However…
Noob Arena Preparation Room 16
“Believe me, you made a huge contribution to this match!” Mo Tan patted Jia Deka’s shoulder and said seriously, “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have won so easily.”
The Old Mage sheepishly shrunk further into his chair.
Ji Xiaoge chuckled, “After all, no one would expect a junior Mage to kill a Thief of the same level in a one-on-one fight.”
“Exactly.” Lu Jiang nodded in strong agreement, “Mr. Jia Deka is truly amazing.”
Ya Ya stretched out luxuriously on all fours, wagging her tail happily, “Wang Dejia is very Woof Woof, everyone is very Woof Woof, still Woof Woof?”
Ji Xiaoge nodded, “Woof Woof!”
Mo Tan gave her a speechless look.
“Hehe.” The latter scratched her hair with a grin, “I still want to try playing. Although it’s not as interesting as cooking, it feels pretty fun~”
Mo Tan / Ya Ya / Jia Deka: “…”
Lu Jiang also quietly chimed in, “If you don’t mind me holding you back… I also want to keep playing. I just leveled up directly.”
He hadn't expected these two girls… bah, he hadn't expected Ji Xiaoge and Lu Jiang to both be quite enthusiastic. This somewhat surprised Mo Tan, but it was a good thing.
Ji Xiaoge's flying ability and her endless (battlefield) cooking offered a great advantage in combat, while Lu Jiang, though her skills were relatively simple, her Original Slime form was sufficient to deal with most physical attacks, performing admirably whether for crowd control or as a temporary meat shield.
“No problem.” Mo Tan glanced at the system time, then nodded readily, “Then let’s continue.”
…
Game Time AM00:15
【Your spiritual connection has been detected, personal information is being synchronized… 】
【Connection complete, character information is being read】
【Welcome back, chaotic neutral Tan Mo, Innocent World is about to load, good night to you】
…
Black Tower City, outside the North Gate
Mo Tan, refreshed on a tree, lazily surveyed his surroundings, then lightly jumped to the ground and blew a loud whistle at a somewhat familiar-looking figure in the distance.
“Who!” The High-Rank Goblin Thief nicknamed Zhen Ji turned his head vigilantly, but his legs immediately went soft when he saw Mo Tan: “Uh… Se… Mr. Zelda.”
At this moment, Mo Tan was still wearing his previous black robe. The face presented by the Hundred Aspects mask was cold and gloomy, coupled with the expert aura he deliberately cultivated, which made Zhen Ji, who had come alone, extremely nervous.
This Goblin brother couldn't help but be nervous…
The other party was the 'strong one' recognized by Vice Guild Leader Muse, and he had personally witnessed the almost miraculous Stealth level (disappearing in the Liuli Pavilion under nearly impossible circumstances) (which meant he saw nothing). Coupled with his speculation after calming down (scaring himself), he felt it was a miracle that he hadn't died on the spot that day!
Yet, Vice Guild Leader Muse had assigned him the final negotiation task!
Zhen Ji's heart almost broke when he heard the news.
Of course, he didn't try to protest or shirk, otherwise, the outcome would probably be infinitely worse than tonight's solo meeting…
“Hm.” Mo Tan nodded absently, glancing at Zhen Ji, “Who are you again?”
“Thieves' Guild Black Tower City branch, High-Rank Thief Zhen Ji.” The latter replied in a low voice, “My true name is…”
Mo Tan shook his head somewhat impatiently, “Forget it, not interested. What did that second-rate call you here for?”
Zhen Ji hesitated, then carefully took out a light gold slip of paper, shimmering with several magical patterns, from his pocket: “Vice Guild Leader Muse asked me to complete the transaction with you.”
“How much is inside?” Mo Tan asked indifferently.
“Six hundred and fifty thousand Gold Coins, most of which are clean money.” Zhen Ji’s hand, holding the Merchant Guild voucher, trembled slightly. He had never seen so much money in his life.
Mo Tan, however, frowned slightly: “Six hundred and fifty thousand?”
“And a great favor from our Black Tower City Thieves' Guild.” Zhen Ji nodded, then smiled bitterly, “Vice Guild Leader Muse asked me to tell you that this is all our sincerity, and five hundred thousand Gold Coins of this money he gathered from his own savings. There really isn’t any more…”
“Is that so.” Mo Tan nodded, then suddenly looked at the other party with a smile, “What if I just robbed you?”
Zhen Ji swallowed hard, “Vice Guild Leader Muse said you wouldn’t be that kind of person, and there’s only one key. Mr. Zelda, a mere box would be useless to you…”
“If that’s all there is,” Mo Tan’s eyes narrowed slightly, “then what you just said might be your last words.”
“The rest is just…” Zhen Ji hesitated, then whispered, “You will be placed on the A-rank blacklist, incurring the hostility of all Thieves' Guilds. At the same time, we will issue a bounty for Link Zelda, and the reward will be the key to that sealed box.”
Mo Tan smiled, and a simple small box suddenly appeared in his hand.
“Catch.”
“Ah!”
Zhen Ji was startled, but still instinctively caught the 【Old Storage Box】.
“Alright, I’ve given you the item, now scram.” Mo Tan calmly walked over to Zhen Ji, casually took the golden voucher, and walked away without looking back, “Tell Muse for me, pleasant transaction.”
The Goblin Thief stared blankly at the item in his hand. After a long moment of daze, he suddenly came to his senses and quickly ran towards the Thieves' Guild, his eyes filled with the relief of having survived a great calamity.
Game Time AM04:30
【Your spiritual connection has been detected, personal information is being synchronized… 】
【Connection complete, character information is being read】
【Welcome back, chaotic neutral Tan Mo, Innocent World is about to load, good night to you】
…
Somewhere in the Black Tower City suburbs
Mo Tan took out the slip of paper he had casually put into his inventory earlier and examined it carefully.
【Gold Coin Merchant Guild Universal Voucher (Contains 650,000 Gold Coins)】
Category: Consumable
Quality: Legend
Usage: Can be used to withdraw a cumulative total of 650,000 Gold Coins at any ‘Gold Coin Merchant Guild’ in the Innocent Continent, without any procedures or identity verification.
※ Hyperlink ※
1 Gold Coin = 10 Silver Coins = 100 Copper Coins
【Note: What is this? A Legend quality check? What kind of heinous crime did you commit… By the way, young hero/heroine, are you interested in joining our company’s finance or public relations department? Salary is negotiable, contact number: 1XXXXXXXXXX】
“Hmm, quite a haul.” Mo Tan nodded nonchalantly, putting the huge sum back, his face devoid of any emotion.
This massive amount of money, which could sell for at least a million RMB on certain online platforms after some time, did not stir any excitement in him. This was because the current Mo Tan did not value such external things. Although he was not someone who viewed money as dirt, for him, fun was the most important thing…
For example, the process of simultaneously tricking both the Wanderer's Inn and the Thieves' Guild, then extorting a large sum of money from the latter.
He only enjoyed the process, not the outcome.
Thirty minutes later
Cole, dressed in a night suit, silently appeared before Mo Tan and bowed slightly, “Sir.”
“Were you followed?” Mo Tan, lying on the low slope, nodded lazily and slowly sat up to ask.
Cole shook his head, “Don’t worry, the Thieves' Guild’s High-Ranks are already in a closed meeting. It won’t end for a while, as long as I get back before dawn, it’ll be fine.”
“Oh?” Mo Tan chuckled foolishly, “So they don’t plan to renege on the reward for the clues you provided earlier?”
Cole smiled and handed a package to Mo Tan, “Yes, two hours ago, that fellow named Jin Ya found me and relayed this message from Muse. However, that will only happen after the intelligence in the box is successfully deciphered. I will be assigned to the first exploration team.”
“Very good.” A hint of pleasure curled Mo Tan’s lips, and then he tossed a heavy bag of Gold Coins to Cole, “There are probably less than two hundred Gold Coins left in here. Spend them wisely. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone to the south. Until then, just safely blend in with them, while ensuring your own safety.”
Cole hung the bag at his waist and nodded, “You can rest assured.”
“Maintain your current image.” Mo Tan took a scroll of map from the package Cole handed him, unfolding it and examining it carefully as he casually instructed, “Remember to gather as much intelligence as possible when the time comes. Ideally, find out what exactly they’re looking for, what its purpose is, and where it’s stored after they find it. But be careful, if you die… then I won’t need to resurrect that Elf girl either.”
Cole immediately said solemnly, “I understand, Sir.”
Mo Tan nodded with satisfaction. He knew that Cole’s loyalty to him had evolved into a fervent ‘worship’, which could potentially cause him to subconsciously prioritize his own safety lower during certain missions. Therefore, he subtly threatened the boy with the soul named Luo Na in the Soul-Guiding Bottle.
It felt like the effect was outstanding~
“Alright, you can go back now.” Mo Tan stretched, waving his hand at Cole, “It wouldn’t be fun if Muse and the others found out you’d been in contact with me.”
Cole bowed deeply to Mo Tan again, then blended into the fading night, quickly departing.
Mo Tan, meanwhile, took off his Hundred Aspects mask, then changed back into his pure white robe, pulled out the small harp from his inventory, and hummed a tune as he walked south.
He planned to go to Marshall Territory in the Violet Empire, because there might be…
“Hmm?” Just then, he noticed a new friend message.
‘Hey, BLACK, do you know Saramun?’
The sender was Shuang Ye.
“Is her brain waterlogged?” Mo Tan rolled his eyes, then replied with complete sincerity: ‘Is your brain waterlogged?’
‘Tsk tsk, an uncultured country bumpkin. This place is so much fun, and it’s huge and magnificent!’
The girl replied quickly.
‘The one who can say such a thing is the country bumpkin, right? They say people tend to get emotional at night. Are you lonely?’
Mo Tan replied lightly, but his footsteps slowly came to a halt.
‘Even if I were lonely, I wouldn’t seek you out!’
‘Do you have a pet?’
‘Scram!!!’
Then the two bickered for about ten more minutes, finally ending the conversation with mutual curses.
It seemed no different from before…
Even before playing Innocent World, when the two communicated using codes, their conversations were largely similar to now, at most only differing in that they weren't sure of each other's gender at the time.
However…
“They’re really impatient, huh? Heh, that’s good too…”
Mo Tan, however, sighed inexplicably, then showed a malicious smile.
“I’ll go play with you first~”
Chapter 151: End