A pure black icon, without any notes, without any explanation, just a negative status that would hide in the corner of his vision if he didn't pay attention…
【Original Sin Corrosion: 1%】
This made Mo Tan feel completely uncomfortable. Although Innocent World was just a game, logically, even if this thing reached 100%, at most it would just mean death, but he was still very uncomfortable.
It wasn't that he didn't believe he had Cordova's courage to face the pouring blood, nor did he lack his resolve to confront a bleak life. Mo Tan simply felt a threat, one that couldn't be explained in words, but he clearly knew its source…
“If nothing unexpected happens,” he sighed softly, rubbing his forehead with a bitter expression, “when this thing reaches one hundred percent, some very bad things should happen. Although the principle is completely unknown, I always feel it has something to do with 'that,' and also…”
He clicked on the new talent 【Reflection】 he had just acquired. After confirming that he couldn't even tell if it was active or passive, let alone successfully use it, he stared blankly at the line of notes for a long time, finally moving his gaze away with a somewhat complex expression…
After briefly surveying his surroundings, Mo Tan decided to take care of business first, so he opened his friends list and sent a message to Shuang Ye. He knew she must be online because, during the few hours he had been playing as Tan Mo, her message bombardment had been almost incessant.
While it had indeed successfully lifted her spirits, he felt it might have been a bit too successful…
He hadn't replied to Shuang Ye's messages until he disconnected. Now, a brief greeting from 'Black Vatican' shouldn't reveal anything, as even Shuang Ye would find it difficult to spot an issue under habitual thinking.
'I'm fine. I'm currently trying to gather information on the Autonomous Army's movements. They don't seem to have any plans to retreat yet.' Shuang Ye replied almost instantly. Mo Tan felt that she was probably still continuously harassing the 'Tan Mo' who had quietly gone offline.
After confirming his surroundings again, Mo Tan could still distinguish the general directions of Marshall Territory and Fire Claw Territory, but he couldn't pinpoint his exact location. He could only walk towards the latter, relying on his vague memories, while asking Shuang Ye: 'How are Captain and the others… doing?'
Mo Tan had to ask Shuang Ye for confirmation again, even though he had already confirmed the outcome twice…
The first time was in his somewhat blurry memories.
The second time was during his conversation with Shuang Ye as 'Tan Mo' earlier.
'Everyone died. I buried their bodies myself.'
The girl's reply was quick, the calmness in her words seemed a bit cold and heartless, but Mo Tan knew how sad and confused Shuang Ye had been earlier. He sighed deeply, and everything around him seemed to become real, not like the dream-like haze he felt when he first logged on.
'Hey, calm down.' Shuang Ye quickly sent him two more messages: 'I didn't see you when I went back. Can you explain what happened then? What about that assassin?'
Mo Tan hesitated slightly, then slowly replied: 'I don't know. That guy caught up to me, and then Captain Ned also chased over. He told me to go first and he would hold off the opponent. A few minutes later, I found myself suddenly out of combat and immediately logged off.'
Given that Shuang Ye had returned to the scene, that ambiguous explanation was undoubtedly the best choice.
【In any case, for now, try to stay as far away from Marshall Territory as possible. Since the Autonomous Army at the border hasn't retreated yet, it means Bannai's death is probably still unknown. I must find a safe place to plan for the long term.】
Mo Tan advanced while thinking. Having just switched characters, he wasn't very satisfied with his current somewhat clumsy movement rhythm. After all, 'Tan Mo,' who primarily specialized in the Thief profession, had much higher Agility than his current Priest. It was normal for him to not adapt immediately.
'Alright, no valuable information at all.' Shuang Ye seemed a bit disappointed. A few seconds later, she sent another long message: 'Now listen to me, no matter where you are now, immediately enter Fire Claw Territory. Be as careful as possible on the way. Since both of us are still alive, there's a high probability that the assassin is still lurking nearby. I'll log off in a bit and go to the place Captain mentioned to get information after dark. If everything goes smoothly, we'll meet in Fire Claw Territory tomorrow.'
Mo Tan clearly hadn't expected Shuang Ye to act so quickly and hurriedly replied: 'It's too dangerous now. I think it would be better for you to cross the border to this side as soon as possible. We can plan for the long term later.'
'Foolish.' Shuang Ye replied with a somewhat familiar phrase, then explained with full confidence: 'Now is the safest time. If I rush back recklessly, I might be caught by that assassin. Your situation is much more dangerous than mine. If you can ensure your own safety, it's best if you log off first, and then log on early tomorrow to wait for my message.'
Although Mo Tan knew the situation better than Shuang Ye due to asymmetric information, he still had to admit that her idea was indeed sound. Dragging it out would only lead to more complications. If the Marshall Family, realizing something was amiss, sent elite troops to enforce a full-scale lockdown after a while, it would be troublesome.
“It’s the same person~” Mo Tan shook his head and said with a bitter smile, “But right now, I’m not as clear-headed as Shuang Ye. How useless I am.”
He wasn't genuinely hurt. After all, the current Mo Tan was, to some extent, the most open-minded and least serious of his personalities. At this moment, he was just making a few joking remarks.
But…
Mo Tan didn't seem to notice that feeling useless because he wasn't as clear-headed as Shuang Ye wasn't quite like his current style~
'You're right, I'll log off then. See you tomorrow morning.'
After replying to Shuang Ye, Mo Tan logged off without hesitation.
Although he knew Bannai's threat no longer existed, at this moment, there was nothing more he could do. It was enough to enter the Fire Claw Territory before meeting up with Shuang Ye. The negative status, which didn't even have a duration, and the new talent 【Reflection】 wouldn't yield anything from research anytime soon. If he didn't log off, would he just wander around and fight monsters?
Moreover, even if 'Black Vatican' logged off, it didn't mean Mo Tan had nothing else to do that night~
【I hope this active personality switch won't fail again. Accidental is always more welcome than sudden mutation…】.
…
Twenty minutes later, the ruined city of Ondhill.
It was noon now. The small temporary camp from yesterday was no longer there. Mo Tan, with a hint of fatigue in his brows, appeared behind some ruins not far away, reading the friend message Huo Yan Yang had sent him before leaving.
The general gist was: 'Bro, I'm heading off to do a quest. If you're really with Cordova, don't forget to cling to his leg tightly. That guy's my friend in real life, so it's fine to exploit him to death~'
Mo Tan closed the message panel with a wry smile, then walked out from behind a Dog-Headed Kobold statue that only had half a candle left on its head. Suddenly, his vision blurred, and a mysterious impact sent him directly sprawling onto the ground on his back…
Five seconds later, Jia Deka and Cordova, who had run over from a distance, pulled Ya Ya off Mo Tan. The girl had been squatting on his chest, wagging her tail, and trying to lick his face.
“Woof!” Ya Ya, while flailing her arms and making Jia Deka stumble, laughed, “Woofed from far away! Mo, came out with a woof!”
Mo Tan shrugged at Cordova, who was helping him up from the ground, and smiled, “Didn’t I arrive too late?”
“No~” The latter shook his head, “I was just chatting with Feimigeer. Then Ya Ya over there howled and rushed over here. Jia Deka said this girl has a very keen nose, so she probably sensed you coming.”
Jia Deka, who was using his immense strength to hold Ya Ya back from rushing forward again, chuckled, “We relied on Ya Ya a lot on the way here, so we didn’t have to keep eating dry rations and jerky~”
“You didn’t make this cute girl responsible for hunting, did you?” Cordova glanced at Ya Ya and whispered, “She doesn’t look like a hunting dog either, judging by her breed?”
Jia Deka quickly waved his hand, “No, no, no. I just let Ya Ya use her sense of smell to find some wild beasts or something, and then…”
“With a woof!!” Ya Ya cried out happily, “We can eat!”
Mo Tan and Cordova looked at each other, utterly bewildered…
“Ahem, I brought some magic potions that smell very appetizing.” Jia Deka awkwardly stroked his beard, “After Ya Ya locks onto a target, I just place my staff nearby, sprinkle some on it, and it won't take long…”
Ya Ya jumped up again, grinning and making a 'diffusion' gesture: “With a woof, we can eat!!”
Mo Tan glanced at the staff in Jia Deka's hand and nodded with a serious expression: “Explosive trap, no doubt.”
The elderly junior Mage whistled, pretending not to hear…
“Alright, alright.” Cordova still had some sense of purpose, or perhaps he was resistant to this topic since he couldn't eat in the game. He chuckled twice and then turned to Mo Tan, saying, “Let’s go find Feimigeer first. He’s been waiting over there for a while.”
A few minutes later, Mo Tan saw the gentle and talkative giant dragon again, only this time, the latter's expression towards him was completely different…
“Cordova said that the crystal reacted when it sensed you.” Feimigeer’s tone was somewhat solemn, tinged with a hint of disbelief. His deep blue eyes stared intently at Mo Tan, as if trying to see through him: “I cannot deny his words; that light might have been visible even to people hundreds of miles away…”
Mo Tan was a bit confused, as he couldn't quite believe that he would be connected to Cordova's Epic quest, which was highly valued by Tian Zhu Mountain: “Honestly, Feimigeer, I'm just as puzzled. Could it just be a coincidence, or perhaps something went wrong during the process…”
“Whether it’s a coincidence or a problem, I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us.” Feimigeer shrugged his wings, then chuckled softly: “Don’t worry, Tian Zhu Mountain won’t harm any innocent person, and I can see firm conviction and many rare noble qualities in your eyes. Whether as a vassal of Tian Zhu Mountain or a giant dragon, I have high hopes for you~”
Cordova rolled his eyes beside them: “How exactly do you see 'firm conviction' and 'noble qualities' in someone's eyes? Why can't I see it?”
“Woof… can’t woof it out…” Ya Ya seemed very sensitive to Feimigeer’s dragon might, which he had tried to restrain as much as possible. She shivered and hid behind Mo Tan, but her mouth wasn't idle.
Jia Deka, however, smiled slightly: “I think I can understand. After all, while time may take many things away, it will make our eyes clearer…”
“I can’t see it either.” Feimigeer rolled his eyes: “I just guessed. Anyway, Mo is a good person.”
Jia Deka instantly turned pale…
“Mmm!” Ya Ya nodded vigorously: “Mo is good woof!”
As the second player after Cordova to receive a 'good dog card,' Mo Tan also turned pale…
“Well then~” Feimigeer stood upright, his wings, shimmering with several green runes, suddenly spread open: “It’s time for us to depart!”
Just then, Jia Deka, who had just been greatly disheartened by his failed attempt to show off, suddenly shouted, “Wait a moment!”
“Damn it!” Feimigeer cursed in Dragonic under his breath, the runes on his wings instantly extinguished. He glared at Jia Deka, clearly annoyed: “Why didn’t you say so earlier! Activating and deactivating these runes consumes my stamina!”
The old man shrunk his neck, finally pulling Mo Tan aside and handing him a somewhat old, gold-bound book: “For you. I finally managed to dig it out last night~”
“This is?” Mo Tan also remembered Jia Deka’s earlier words. He took it with both hands and looked down.
【Diesel Knight Training Guide - Handwritten Edition】
Quality: Unique Epic, Soul-Bound
Use: Gain Profession: 【Thorn Knight】, Learn Skill: Thorn Charge, Learn Skill: Inspiring Aura, Learn Skill: Basic Horsemanship, Learn Skill: Knight Skill - Tiger Spear, Learn Skill: Knight Skill - Falcon Strike, Learn Skill: Knight Skill - Turtle Shrink, Learn Skill: Basic Knight Spirit.
※ Hyperlink ※
【Thorn Knight】 Use again after Level 25, Gain Profession: 【Justice Knight】
【Justice Knight】 Use again after Level 35, Gain Profession: 【Light Order Knight】
【Light Order Knight】 Use again after Level 40, Gain Profession: 【Conquest Knight】
【Conquest Knight】 Use again after Level 45, Gain Profession: 【Grand Lord】
【Grand Lord】 Use again after Level 50, Gain Profession: ???
【Note: The Diesel Family is one of the oldest knight families on the Innocent Continent, its origins traceable back seventeen thousand years. The family founder, Ivan Diesel, was one of the most powerful knights in history. This handwritten knight guide was personally compiled by his eldest son, Grand Lord Theodore Diesel, and has been passed down through generations within the family, cultivating countless powerful knights, until one day over ten thousand years later… a family misfortune, a child named Jia Deka was born.】
Looking at the kind-faced Old Mage in front of him, Mo Tan was sweating like a waterfall…
…
Chapter Seventy-Two: End