I am Cordova, an ordinary player in Innocent World…
At least, at first, I thought I was pretty ordinary.
That is, until I entered the game for the first time and took that damn first step.
I was caught in a brawl between NPCs, and then… well, there was no ‘then,’ I just died.
This was merely the beginning of the nightmare…
After the realistic simulation of pain, I emerged from the darkness and reappeared among that pile of cursed doors. It was useless, though, because only the chaotic neutral door would open for me.
I was randomly assigned a new race and re-entered the game in a daze…
Sand Goblin. Yes, I became a Sand Goblin, an ugly, weak, and unremarkable race. Honestly, if the system hadn't made me the king of my tribe at the very beginning, I probably would have deleted the character.
However, everything I experienced afterward made me realize that I really should have deleted the character back then!
The tutorial quest had me lead my tribe to cooperate with a shady character for a so-called 'very safe' and 'surefire' robbery, and the rewards were exceptionally generous, so I believed it.
Then…
Sorry, there was no ‘then.’ I only remember that as soon as I led my tribesmen out of the small forest, I saw a Lizardmen riding a lizard charging at the front.
“Eat my Big Idali Blunderbuss!”
That sentence, and the sound of a ‘bang,’ marked the end of my second game experience.
What the hell was that!?
My heart was in shock, but I didn't turn back from my path. After all, I didn't like the Sand Goblin race, so starting over from the beginning was acceptable.
So I began my third journey, not aiming for Prosperity Star or the sea, but just to survive…
Fortunately, I was randomly assigned as a human this time. Great, I like humans.
One more thing: I discovered that I had an extra talent when creating this character, but it's a bit embarrassing to explain for now…
The people around me were friendly and gentle, and the tutorial quest was just a simple task like working at the blacksmith's. At the time, I naively thought I was finally on the right track, but I never imagined…
Just half an hour later, the nightmare descended. The cause seemed to be a riot at a noble's banquet, and then people started constantly appearing on my street, fleeing from the central city, while further away, there was nothing but wails of despair.
I hid in an oak barrel in front of a nearby tavern, trembling for about an hour, until my stamina was completely depleted, but the tragedy outside still hadn't ended.
After some more time passed, I heard a chilling voice nearby.
“You hide well…”
Then…
As everyone knows, I was once again sent back to that pile of cursed doors and pushed open the chaotic neutral door.
Honestly, even I don't know why I didn't just flip out and smash the gaming pod my dad gave me as a birthday present!
But this time, I survived… Heaven knows why I'm saying that, but anyway, this day passed uneventfully. I completed the tutorial quest, joined an Autonomous Army, and successfully survived until the end of this day's in-game time.
That afternoon, in the spirit of serving the public, I even posted an article on the forum about interpreting Innocent World's death penalty, and it received a very enthusiastic response!
I have to say, even though this game tortured me for half the night, I still felt a deep love for it.
However, good times don't last…
Two days later, having gained some initial strength, I went on a patrol mission with my teammates in the game. As our captain put it, we were just going for a half-circle stroll outside the city. But when we reached a point slightly to the south, we encountered enemies!
More than twenty fully armed Orc soldiers!
Under our desperate resistance, the enemy also paid a heavy price. It took them almost an hour to wipe us out. Well, time is life; we consumed a lot of their life.
That's how I comforted myself when a muscular brute ruthlessly sent me flying…
Then reinforcements arrived, but by then, I had at least seventeen or eighteen layers of bleeding debuffs on me, so I clearly couldn't be saved. A priest whose face I couldn't clearly see cast some sort of healing spell on me, but its only effect was to make me suffer for a while longer.
“Trash game, terrible experience!”
I left one last sentence, then quit the game the moment I died.
I can't take it anymore!!
For the entire next day, I didn't log into the game again…
But people are cheap. After some thought, I decided to give this trash game one last chance!
One last time!!
Ignoring the two new, deceptive talents, I began my fifth life in Innocent World, and then, while doing the tutorial quest, I encountered a madman. That madman caused a lot of trouble, and in the end, I died again…
I despaired. I'm quitting, can't I just stop playing!?
Having made up my mind, I posted something while visiting a friend—a declaration of quitting, of course—and planned to smash the gaming pod, which had been specially air-shipped, as soon as I returned to the hotel that night.
But…
In just half a day, I received countless messages of support and encouragement, especially a reply about 'great responsibilities falling upon those destined for them,' which brought tears to my eyes.
Alright, one last time! I swear, this time is absolutely the last time!
Anxious, I trembled as I climbed into the gaming pod again that night…
I didn't expect my luck to turn around!
Amidst the system message, 【You have completed a hidden condition: successfully died non-voluntarily five times in a short period, triggering a special plot】, I glanced at my character panel…
So incredibly strong! At that moment, I felt invincible!
But… wait… why can't I move!?
Why is this goblin in front of me, shaking its head and sighing 'failed again,' walking towards me with a chainsaw? What does it want to do!?
…
Anka Market, Innocent World, noon
Mo Tan logged in, and his expression was quite grim…
The reason was simple: he had immediately disconnected the moment he tried to log in at the server's opening time, and his memory from that moment until now was a complete blank. This caused him indescribable worry; a certain suspicion he'd had not long ago was getting closer and closer to the truth…
“But for now, I should hurry back…” he muttered, only hoping that Jia Deka and Ya Ya had already sorted out the previous mess, or at least that it wasn't too unsightly, otherwise, there would be big trouble when the employer returned!
However, he first went to the market, intending to get some repair materials and ingredients he had planned to buy yesterday (the money was given by Jia Deka).
Although the two insisted that Mo Tan go back and rest yesterday, leaving them to clean up the mess at the farm, the former was still worried. Finally, he agreed with them that he would bring some materials back as early as possible today and try to get everything in order before the farm owner returned.
And because of that previous accident, time was already very tight!
As Mo Tan was halfway through buying things, he ran into someone he absolutely did not want to see at that moment…
“Yo! Young man!” The Old Orc, who was picking things at a stall, greeted Mo Tan with a smile: “I came back early~ I was just about to buy some Solace to bring back to you guys! Hmm… What are those things you’re carrying?”
Mo Tan: “…Nothing, nothing.”
He could only desperately pray that those two were at least somewhat reliable, and that they could show a little progress by the time he and the employer, who currently knew nothing, returned!
Facts prove that dreams are always beautiful, but reality is often harsh…
When he saw his main house almost reduced to a pile of ashes and the barren farmland, the Old Orc let out a 'ga' and passed out.
“I was wrong!” Jia Deka knelt on the ground weakly: “It exploded twice again last night while I was repairing… one time it even startled Ya Ya…”
Mo Tan stared blankly at the ruins that had been a farm yesterday, his whole body turning pale.
…
An hour later, Anka Market Adventurers' Guild branch
“Is there anything else you’d like to explain?” Miss Chris looked kindly at the three men, who were shrinking their necks like quails, and asked softly: “If so, speak up, don’t hold it in.”
Mo Tan: “No…”
Jia Deka: “No…”
Ya Ya: “Woof…”
“No, huh?” Chris pursed her lips and nodded, glancing at the Old Orc’s increasingly distant, sorrowful figure, then clicked her tongue at the three: “All losses combined are probably around 100 gold coins plus three dog lives~”
Mo Tan and Jia Deka didn't react much, but Ya Ya, standing in the middle, froze, looking left and right, then furrowed her little brows and counted on her fingers: “Woof?”
Her meaning was roughly, 'Where did three come from?'
“Um, let me pay for the money.” Jia Deka said with an awkward smile: “This matter is actually all because of…”
“Shut up!!” Chris roared, and not only did Jia Deka shut up, but all the other adventurers in the first-floor hall also fell silent. Everyone looked over, hushed and trembling, their gazes at Mo Tan and the others as if they were looking at three already cold corpses.
Miss Chris softly exhaled, forcing out a faint smile: “As for the money, you don’t need to compensate for it.”
The three immediately shivered. This meant they were going to pay with their lives…
“It’s true that we couldn’t make change for what that Forest Sprite sucker gave us, so this time the branch will pay for you.” Chris said indifferently: “But your temporary team must accept a mission. The reward is quite good, but there’s no room for negotiation.”
Jia Deka sighed upon hearing this: “Just tell us where you plan to send us to die…”
“I don’t want you to die.” Chris shook her head: “You know the Anderhill Ruins Southwest of the market, right? Your mission is to go there and pick up a stone for me. The deadline is thirty days.”
Mo Tan was immediately stunned: “What stone?”
“I don’t care what stone you pick up.” Chris said faintly: “But you must only return to report on the last day of the mission. You can be late, but not even one day early!”
Jia Deka was also confused: “You mean?”
“What I mean is!” Chris suddenly stood up, bright lightning flashing in her hand, and pointed at the three’s noses, shouting: “I don’t want to see you during this time, so get as far away from me as possible! Don’t appear in front of me for a month, and disappear quickly! Now! Immediately! Right now!!!”
Then the three scrambled and fled from the Adventurers' Guild…
“Um…” Jia Deka shrugged at the two: “It’s a rare opportunity, shall we get going?”
Ya Ya lowered her head and grumbled, indicating she had no objections.
“You two go first.” Mo Tan, however, shook his head: “I promised a friend I’d wait for someone here. It’s not convenient for me to leave these two days, and besides…”
He paused: “I want to go back to that farm and help out again, if I’m not kicked out.”
Both were stunned. Ya Ya immediately clutched Mo Tan’s clothes, but after a while, she gently released her hand and whispered: “Woof, you’re bothering me… for us… apologize.”
Jia Deka also sighed and patted Mo Tan’s shoulder: “We’ll listen to you. We both owe you one.”
For some reason, this sentence, which usually carried significant weight among adventurers and mercenaries, sounded surprisingly unreliable to Mo Tan at that moment…
Finally, the three agreed on a meeting time and parted ways at Anka Market’s South gate. Jia Deka took Ya Ya and set off first towards the Anderhill Ruins, while Mo Tan walked towards the farm, which now had almost nothing left.
Half an hour later…
“Old man~” Mo Tan greeted the dazed Old Orc in front of him: “I’m here to help you. The compensation will be sent to you by the branch soon. I’d like to stay here temporarily and help you out.”
It took the Old Orc a long time to snap out of it with a jolt. He immediately recoiled several steps, waving his hands frantically: “You are my elder! Please, I beg you, show some mercy!”
With that, he let out another 'ga' and passed out again…
Mo Tan: “…”
After a long while, the Old Orc finally recovered, slowly sat up, and looked suspiciously at Mo Tan: “You… are you really sincere about helping?”
For some reason, he felt that what this young man said was true, and after calming down, he also remembered that the previous tragedy didn't seem to be caused by this young man; those two devil-like troublemakers didn't seem to be here.
“I promise!” Without another word, Mo Tan immediately picked up some materials stacked nearby (bought at noon) and walked to the ruins of the main house (…), skillfully getting to work.
The Orc Old Man watched his busy figure, a relieved smile curving at the corner of his mouth, feeling that this world might not be so full of malice after all.
Little did he know that a unlucky person, who had been tricked by the world countless times, was getting closer and closer to this place…
Time quietly slipped away like this…
The bright moon rose silently, replacing the sun with Prosperity Star beside it, illuminating every inch of Innocent World…
The farm was bathed in a layer of silver light. The Old Orc had fallen asleep leaning against a broken fence at some unknown point.
And not far away, the rudimentary form of the main house was gradually taking shape thanks to Mo Tan’s tireless efforts.
However, at this moment…
A faint, indistinct, and whistling scream, coming from far away and getting closer, reached Mo Tan’s ears…
He put down the wooden board and tools in his hand, and instinctively looked up.
He saw a figure descending—no, crashing—at an extremely terrifying speed…
The sound also grew louder and louder~
“DAMN YOU, FATHER!!!”
Chapter 47: End