Chapter 68: The Bard
At such a time, perhaps only this kind of mocking, naked, sarcastic, and even sexually harassing reply could make Shuang Ye feel better.
That girl didn't need anyone's comfort or understanding; insincere concern was meaningless. Of course, even if it were meaningful, Mo Tan wouldn't have done that at this moment. He simply mocked and ridiculed his 'opponent' as before, but this was actually enough…
Perhaps all Shuang Ye needed now was for someone to convey to her the message, 'You are not alone.'
As for whether that person was a friend, companion, or sworn enemy, it didn't really matter.
As long as that one person was there…
Even if he was only engaging in low-level sexual harassment, it didn't matter.
However, Shuang Ye had already left the game and was soundly asleep in her own private space, so she naturally couldn't reply to Mo Tan. Of course, the latter was quite indifferent and even found it rather convenient.
“It’s fine if she’s not here~” Mo Tan exhaled softly. “After all, I don’t have much patience for coaxing children. When she comes online again, she should be a bit calmer, right…?”
He threw the orange-haired girl with round glasses out of his mind with an over-the-shoulder throw, and his expression gradually became serious.
If the dead cannot be resurrected, then mourning and sorrow are meaningless…
If the outcome cannot be reversed, then regret and vexation are also worthless…
Mo Tan didn't want to be sentimental about what had already happened. At this moment, what concerned him most were the present and future threats…
Uncontrollable, unknown, and unplanned everything was a threat!
And threats often affect fun, which he could not tolerate. Although at this time Mo Tan could even use death to add a bit of color to those so-called plans and stages… he didn’t like this feeling of being out of control…
Especially the feeling of not being able to control himself!
The clear memory was about to end: parting with Shuang Ye, then Ned's corpse appearing before his eyes, Bannai chasing after him…
【Wait, something seems to have been missed.】
Mo Tan's footsteps paused slightly, and then he remembered that his mindset seemed to have changed once before Bannai caught up, which was why he ultimately didn't continue in the predetermined direction but turned back, wanting to distract Bannai, who might catch up at any moment, for Shuang Ye.
If he remembered correctly, his behavior pattern at that time was somewhat inconsistent with ‘Black Vatican’, and instead, it was more like…
“So that’s it.” A sharp glint flashed in Mo Tan’s eyes as he murmured, “So it’s not just the ‘me’ now, but also that somewhat annoying state?”
Although it was a question, there was no trace of doubt in his tone.
【Then next is that assassin; after some low-level provocation, he seemed to have said something…】
It was starting to get a bit difficult, like an untrained person sticking their head into water and forcing their eyes open, a dizzying sense of revulsion suddenly struck him. Despite being prepared, Mo Tan still felt a suffocating sensation.
What became clear first was Ned; his eyes were not yet closed, his body was still bleeding…
Then there was Bannai’s face, overflowing with malice and sickness…
【This is not the point!】
Mo Tan, who had been standing still at some point, slowly closed his eyes, trying his best to part the mist.
…
After a long while, he smiled wryly and shook his head slightly, a rare sense of powerlessness welling up in his heart.
“No matter what, I just can’t remember.” Mo Tan whistled a descending note, wiped away the cold sweat that had seeped from his forehead at some point, feeling a bit useless.
【I must have done something. Although I can’t remember, it’s not the previous kind of memory blank, but an instinctive rejection, which is explainable in psychology…】
He quickened his pace slightly, and his previously stagnant thoughts gradually became more agile.
【Combining the two previous situations, although I am not very willing to admit it, it is highly possible that I, as ‘Black Vatican’ at that time, was infinitely close to ‘that me’ in the end. Although this is not enough to constitute the conditions for killing Bannai, it is only due to the relative lack of conditions and information…】
A thin cloud obscured the hook-like crescent moon, Mo Tan’s body flickered in and out of the shadows, his eyes reflecting a cold light…
【This game is truly fascinating. It can be basically concluded that there was definitely another ‘me’ existing on this continent during the recent period of memory blanks, although no reliable clues have been found so far.】
He nimbly climbed a small tree, and after a few leaps, he leaned down to sniff the shallow grass by the roadside…
“A game company that doesn’t seem to be making money, AI with extremely high intelligence and human-like qualities, a complete world view that traces back to who knows how many years ago, a faction selection system that can even separate me, Cordova’s completely unconventional race, the Whisper Sect, the world’s collapse rate.” A fanatical arc curved at the corner of his mouth, Mo Tan laughed unrestrainedly in the night: “And my almost forgotten ‘fourth face’, memory blanks, a bug known to have only appeared on me, plus that elusive SUN…”
He tore off the Hundred Aspects mask from his face, looking up at the clear starry sky with his true face, spreading his arms as if to embrace the entire night, his eyes flashing with madness and uncontrollable excitement: “This is so damn fun!”
The clouds drifted away…
Mo Tan gazed at the distant, faintly visible lights, then put the Hundred Aspects mask back on his face, tidied his clothes, and also reined in his wild laughter.
Then, like a traveling noble Bard, he walked with unhurried steps and elegant demeanor~
“Now even I can’t be trusted, heh heh…” He took out a crude wooden lyre from his satchel, plucked it lightly, and was immediately amused by the abrupt and unpleasant notes.
…
Fifteen minutes later
Misha Town, only a few dozen miles from Kalan City, The Drunken Bear tavern.
A mustachioed Bard was loudly gesticulating and speaking. He was squatting on a low table closest to the bar, with a slightly worn top hat and half a bottle of the owner’s complimentary homemade ale in front of him.
This was a kind of unwritten rule: if a eloquent Bard was willing to tell a few stories in a tavern, then as long as he could attract customers or listeners, no owner would be stingy about serving him a drink to moisten his throat.
Dim lighting, the sun long set, tables that hadn't been properly wiped in years, waitresses occasionally letting out a shriek from being groped while carrying trays, the bearded owner behind the bar wiping glasses and humming a tune, loudly laughing customers, a high-pitched and charismatic Bard, and the audience gathered around, lingering for a long time but unwilling to throw money into his hat~
This scene, which no longer existed in reality, was one of the most common sights on the Innocent Continent…
“The giant dragon soared in the sky, its fangs dripping with blood, its wings stirring up hurricanes. It roared, wanting to save the lives of its kin~” The mustachioed man tilted his head back, took a swig of ale, and with a flushed face, loudly declared in his high tenor: “The savage beast rampaged through the ruined city, its skin as hard as steel, its roar shaking like thunder, yet it was steadily retreating amidst the loud battle hymns and shouts!”
A young man quietly pushed open the tavern door at this moment, but no one noticed him except for the owner, who, also with pricked ears, was listening to the story and merely raised an eyelid.
“Ancestors protect! The wise Elders looked up at the sky; his youth and physique had been taken by time, but power and glory remained deep in his soul. The totem pole vibrated with blood and thunder!” The Bard vigorously beat the small drum in his hand, shouting fluently in the common tongue: “When his people were in peril, he acted!”
A nearby Orc clapped his hands, his eyes shining: “Good!!”
But Mo Tan, who had circled around to this side at some point, had a hint of surprise on his face.
“But seeing the earth spirits and the power of the ancestors shine together, the rampant giant dragon above the ruined city crashed down under the might of the Elders!” The Bard attempted a Thomas flair spin on the spot, failed, and fell heavily to the ground, yet still craned his neck and shouted: “The hero finally defeated the giant dragon! Glory belongs to… which tribe was it? Uh, never mind, glory belongs to the tribe!!”
The surrounding listeners burst into laughter, but no one bothered to dwell on the slight flaw in the end of the story from this Bard, who seemed to have had quite a bit to drink. A few copper coins finally appeared in the hat~
Only one person’s expression was off!
From the beginning, Mo Tan had found the story this fellow was telling somewhat familiar. After listening to a few more lines, his expression immediately turned strange…
“Hey, you!” The Orc who had clapped earlier shouted at the mustachioed man: “That part you just told, can you explain it more clearly? I don’t quite understand!”
Adhering to the principle that the customer is god, the Bard immediately cleared his throat, then smiled at god and said: “It’s just that there was a sub-dragon on the ground getting beaten by a few Orcs, but halfway through, an even fiercer one came from the sky. The oldest Orc saw that something was wrong, so he made a super awesome move, and with a ‘crackle’, he knocked that dragon down!”
“Good!” The Orc roared again; “As expected of our Orc Elders!”
Mo Tan: “……”
He pretty much understood completely now. He really did know the story this Bard was telling, and not only did he know it, but he had also basically witnessed the entire process from the perspective of a participant.
It was completely not like that!
If he remembered correctly, the one who was angrily confronting the sub-dragon at the time wasn't singing a battle song, but a song of heroes!
That dragon wasn't there to support its companions; it was just so tired it was panting and wanted to find a good place to rest!
That Orc Elder did indeed knock it down, but he was also the first one to shout ‘misunderstanding’ afterward.
All in all, the truthfulness of this story… was basically equivalent to nonsense!
But even so, Mo Tan still enthusiastically approached the Bard, who had just gotten up from the ground, and pulled a gold coin from his pocket, slipping it into the other’s hand.
It should be noted here that the currency on the Innocent Continent basically followed the pattern of gold coins, silver coins, and copper coins, with a ratio of 1:10:100. Although currencies varied by region, their weight and purchasing power were roughly similar. The mustachioed man in front of Mo Tan had just earned about twenty-something copper coins, so…
So his gaze towards Mo Tan immediately changed!
The light contained within it was as if…
He had seen a prime sucker! It was exactly like the look Mo Tan had seen when he, in the same personality state, was cornered in an alley by delinquents from the next class years ago…
It sent shivers down one's spine~
Of course, Mo Tan didn’t shiver; he just winked at the other party: “A word in private?”
“Alright!” The other party nodded very straightforwardly, but didn’t move an inch.
Then, under Mo Tan’s almost horrified gaze, he pulled out a small booklet from who knows where, smiled broadly, shoved it into Mo Tan’s hand, and whispered with a chuckle: “Brother, you’re an expert, I like this one too!”
!?
Mo Tan looked down…
【Tree Plum】
Quality: Trash
Use: Cannot be used
【Note: This thing can’t be opened, just do some good deeds! There are resource seeds everywhere, why are you so obsessed? You know, we’re an all-ages game, and if this kind of thing falls into the hands of minors, it’s hard for us to deal with. Just look at the cover and get your fill, okay, be good.】
Mo Tan looked at the thin booklet in his hand; on it was an elven girl with hardly any clothes, and she wasn't bad-looking.
He casually put it into his satchel, then glanced at the mustachioed man who was constantly winking at him, and smiled: “Anything else?”
“Uh…” The other party immediately froze, then stammered, rubbing his hands, “This is the only one I have on me right now that’s presentable. Of course, if you don’t mind, I have some other stuff: Ogre Loli photo album and Goblin Girl bathing pictures, interested?”
Ogre Loli and Goblin Girl, huh…
Mo Tan thought for a moment, then actually nodded to the other party: “Give them to me.”
Immediately, the mustachioed man’s gaze became even more horrified than Mo Tan’s had been earlier. He then pulled out two booklets that smelled of barbecue from under his robe and handed them over.
The latter took these two works of art, which seemed to have been used to pad ham or cured meat, and put them away, then smiled: “These three together shouldn’t be worth one gold coin, right?”
“Uh, this…” The mustachioed man’s face immediately turned bitter: “No, they’re not worth it, but I don’t have change right now. How about I perform two segments for you?”
Mo Tan shook his head slightly: “No need for that. Just come chat with me outside. I’m quite interested in that story of yours~”
“Hey! No problem!” The other party, hearing he didn’t need to make change, was so happy his teeth showed. He quickly stepped aside to let Mo Tan pass: “After you~”
A moment later, the two arrived at the small square in the center of the town, both smiling wider than the other.
The Bard laughed, thinking this young man with questionable aesthetics was truly a sucker.
And Mo Tan… discovered that he might have found a pair of eyes…
A pair of omnipresent eyes!
Chapter 65: End