You have been disconnected, please choose whether to reconnect.
When Mo Tan, who had abruptly shifted to the 'lawful good' personality, heard this, he exited the game without hesitation.
“Damn it, why now?!”
He climbed out of the game pod, his face filled with worry, then quickly splashed water on his face to clear his mind from the slight daze after the personality shift.
Just finished clearing out those Skeleton Soldiers, and I disconnected before I could even ask anything…
Back in the living room, Mo Tan threw himself onto the sofa, trying to regulate his breathing and stabilize his mental state as quickly as possible.
“Little Wen Qiu is still over there, if the danger isn’t over, those two players without attribute counters will have a hard time protecting her. I have to go back quickly…” He muttered to himself, gently rubbing his temples.
Perhaps it wasn’t a big deal for an adult like him, but Mo Tan absolutely refused to let a naive girl be ‘killed’ by those eerie-looking Skeletons!
It might leave her with psychological trauma!
Mo Tan was a little anxious…
Most people are more or less afraid of darkness, corpses, skeletons, and similar things, even though they never have any destructive power.
We fear darkness because our eyes, which we mostly use to receive external information, are restricted. In this situation, the human instinct called a sense of crisis will gradually amplify, and the fear of the unknown will lead to overthinking, uncontrollable thoughts, and then self-inflicted fear…
In fact, darkness is merely a state of ‘no light’; its only physical destructive power is that it might make you trip or bump into things when you can’t see clearly. Other than that, nothing.
As for corpses or skeletons, their main destructive power is still only on a mental level, also due to a sense of crisis. Many creatures will feel timid when they see the remains of their own kind, especially in specific environments. We will subconsciously put ourselves in that situation, then wildly imagine things, and finally be scared to death…
In fact, real-life Skeletons are even less threatening than darkness. With only their full skeletons remaining, they don't cry or fuss, don't make noise or shout. When necessary, they can even be used as tools, and when especially necessary, they can even supplement your calcium. They're not scary at all, are they?!
But the problem is…
Mo Tan, who can make the above judgments from an objective perspective, might not be afraid, but the naive and lovely Wen Qiu, who has little experience in the world, might not be so calm. Even if that girl is brave enough, she might not be so calm when she sees those lively Skeletons in the game. Even if she sees those lively Skeletons and is even attacked by them, she is very calm…
He was still a bit worried!
Ten minutes later
Your mental connection has been detected, synchronizing character information…
Connection complete, reading character information.
Welcome back, Absolute Neutral Black Vatican, loading into Innocent World. Good night.
…
Misha County, Hodier Avenue
“Little Wen Qiu!” Mo Tan anxiously turned and called out immediately after coming online.
“Little Wen Qiu is here!” The girl standing a few meters in front of him stretched out her small hand, shouting energetically.
“Eh?” Mo Tan was clearly a bit dumbfounded.
“Brother Black Vatican, did your roommate pull you out of the game pod again?” The girl blinked her clear, bright black eyes, skipping over to Mo Tan and smiling, “You two have such a good relationship!”
Mo Tan gave a dry laugh: “Ha, hahaha… yeah, our relationship is pretty good. Speaking of which, where are those two from earlier?”
“Those two big brothers from earlier?” Wen Qiu gently tapped her rosy lips with her index finger, tilting her head: “They said they were afraid of monsters or something, and they ran away very quickly after Brother Black Vatican disappeared!”
Mo Tan summoned noob again with a wolf whistle, then picked up Wen Qiu’s petite body and placed her on noob’s back, frowning slightly: “They didn’t plan to take you with them?”
“They did say so!” The girl shook her head vigorously, smiling: “But I wanted to wait for Brother Black Vatican to come back, so I didn’t go with them~”
Mo Tan swung onto the wolf, lovingly ruffling Wen Qiu’s hair: “That’s good then. It seems those two are good people.”
“Yes, yes, they are all good people…”
…
At the same time
Black Tower City, Thieves' Guild, Shadow Hall
Second-tier receptionist ‘Gold Tooth’ Tatami was idly curled up in her chair, filing her nails. She was a middle-aged female Dwarf dressed provocatively, and a veteran at the Black Tower City Thieves' Guild. Although her strength wasn't impressive, her extensive connections and ability to play both sides meant she lived quite comfortably.
Having climbed to the position of a second-tier receptionist in this place, she was very satisfied with herself. One had to know that the Thieves' Guild here in Black Tower City not only offered good benefits but also had plenty of lucrative opportunities. When occasionally dispatched for official business, she also had enough face, so Tatami cherished her position very much.
“But these past few days have been so boring…”
She mumbled softly, tossing the dagger adorned with inferior gems onto the round table in front of her, and sighed, resting her chin on her hand. Her dazzling large gold tooth shimmered near the corner of her mouth, looking particularly cool.
An Orc Thief who had just completed a mission walked up to her, saying with a teasing smile, “Sister Jin, listen to your brother’s advice, let’s sell that tooth of yours. That thing at least ruins half of your Stealth ability.”
“Mind your own business.” Tatami pouted, rolling her eyes at the Orc in front of her: “Get lost, I don’t have time for you.”
The Orc Thief chuckled: “Thank goodness, Sister Jin, I really can’t stand your ‘hospitality’…”
“You’re in the way.”
A cold voice sounded behind him.
The Orc Thief spun around abruptly: “Who?!”
Then he was gently pushed aside. The other party didn’t even look at him, simply walking slowly to Tatami, tossing a note onto the table in front of her, and saying in a deep voice, “Somewhat interested.”
Tatami looked up and scrutinized the young, handsome, cold, and seemingly difficult-to-deal-with human male in front of her. She picked up the note and glanced at it: “This is…”
“Explain it.” The other party said softly, his slightly narrowed eyes not even looking directly at her.
Before Tatami could speak, the Orc Thief who had been pushed aside earlier angrily said, “You rude little…”
“Shut up!” Tatami glared at him, then cleared her throat and seriously asked the young man in front of her, “Who are you? What’s your level?”
She instinctively felt that the other party was not simple.
“Cordova, Mid-Tier Thief.” The other party was sparing with his words.
The Orc pouted: “Hmph, I thought he was someone amazing, turns out he’s just a Mid-…”
“You shut up, Scarface!” Tatami slammed the table, roaring at the Orc: “This is none of your business right now!”
The latter pouted and left dejectedly.
This young man is not simple!
Looking at Mr. Cordova in front of her, Tatami immediately judged in her heart that she was quite accurate in judging people. Although she only glanced at him a few times, this guy in front of her was definitely not an ordinary Mid-Tier Thief!
Although the equipment on him wasn't eye-catching, it was all expensive, good quality stuff. That look, as if he despised everyone, was also worth scrutinizing. Even if his strength was indeed only Mid-Tier, having such an aura indicated that this young man either had an impressive background or powerful trump cards. And those slightly narrowed eyes, as if two sharp knives were hidden within them, sent shivers down Tatami's spine, who was also a Mid-Tier Thief. In short…
This kind of person must absolutely not be offended!
Damn you, Scarface, you owe me one!
“I won’t ask too many questions.” Tatami let out a soft sigh, then looked up at the young man in front of her and smiled: “Are you looking for more information?”
The other party nodded gently.
“Alright, let’s go inside to talk.”
…
Five minutes later
Shadow Hall, Small Reception Room
“It’s like this.” Tatami placed a piece of paper in front of the other party and whispered: “Something belonging to our Black Tower Thieves' Guild has been stolen. The other party is very likely still in the city. That thing is this…”
The young man glanced at the paper in front of him, which had a small box drawn on it, and nodded: “Continue.”
“Inside it is a piece of information that is very important to our Guild.” Tatami shrugged: “I’m not entirely sure about the specifics, but one thing is certain: besides our Black Tower Guild, even if others get that box, they can’t open it. So the other party’s goal is very likely…”
Cordova interrupted impatiently: “The main point.”
“Alright.” Tatami showed no sign of anger, instead, she said with a beaming smile: “In short, as long as any clue related to this box is found, and we confirm it’s valid, the Guild will reward five hundred thousand gold coins, five hundred thousand clean gold coins.”
The other party shook his head: “Not interested.”
“Of course, I already guessed.” Tatami smiled: “You’re probably interested in that ‘spot on a certain ruin exploration team,’ right?”
The young man nodded.
“In fact, that ruin is precisely related to the information inside that box.” Tatami shrugged, spreading her hands: “I don’t know anything more than that.”
“Alright.” Cordova nodded, then suddenly asked softly, “So, if I help you retrieve the item, what’s the reward?”
Tatami instantly shivered: “What did you say?!”
“Is there a problem?” The other party looked at her coldly, gently stroking the dagger at his waist, and murmured: “How will you know if you don’t try?”
To be honest, if the other party was truly just a Mid-Tier Thief, this idea would be quite overconfident…
Of course, Tatami naturally wouldn’t say these words out loud. She simply followed the instructions from above, and with a serious expression, replied: “If you can directly help the Guild retrieve that item, in addition to the exploration team spot we just mentioned, we will also give you…”
She swallowed: “Two hundred and fifty thousand gold coins, clean.”
“Is that all?” But the young man in front of her raised an eyebrow, his tone seemingly a little disappointed.
“Yes, yes…” Tatami said with a bitter smile: “That’s all. Of course, we can guarantee that we won’t ‘trouble you’ afterwards, and we won’t reveal your personal information, with the reputation of the Black Tower Thieves' Guild as a guarantee.”
The implication was, don't worry, we won't kill you after giving you the money.
Cordova nodded slightly, stood up, and said, “I understand. See you later.”
Tatami bowed respectfully.
Ten minutes later
Black Tower City Thieves' Guild, Third Underground Floor, a certain room
“That’s how it is, Lord Muse.” Tatami said softly, head bowed, to a person completely covered in leather armor in front of her: “I think that kid might have some background…”
Muse Anzhi, the Vice Guild Master of the Black Tower City Thieves' Guild, waved his hand: “Understood, you may leave.”
Tatami left.
“If he really brings the item back, then there’s nothing more to say.” Muse gently blew out the only oil lamp in the room, muttering to himself in the dead silence: “But if he fails… I might as well try to befriend that young fellow and see what his background is…”
…
Four hours later
Black Tower City, Liuli Pavilion Room 11
Mo Tan, who had just come online, walked out of the lounge and looked at Cole, who was slumped in the hall, with a chuckle, blinking: “Mission accomplished?”
The young man named Cole Shulen, who had previously gone by the alias Cordova, immediately straightened up and bowed to Mo Tan: “Mission accomplished, sir, exactly as you predicted.”
“How do you feel?” Mo Tan didn’t get straight to the point, but instead asked playfully, “Exciting or not?”
“Exciting!” Cole exhaled, smiling wryly: “Too exciting. I broke out in a cold sweat after I came back, and my whole body was stiff.”
Mo Tan let out a sharp whistle, throwing himself onto the sofa in front of Cole, and chuckled: “You’ll get used to it. They should have been bluffed by you, right?”
The stressed young Thief nodded: “Yes, I told them everything you instructed me to, and I basically know the specific details of that bounty now…”
Then he recounted his earlier conversation with Tatami to Mo Tan.
“Heh heh, they really do have a way to open this thing.” Mo Tan toyed with the small box in his hand, his inscrutable eyes filled with delight: “Two hundred and fifty thousand gold coins, tsk tsk, so it’s something this valuable. Very good, very good, truly excellent~~~”
Cole blinked: “So what’s your plan next?”
Mo Tan grinned: “You’ll go to the Thieves' Guild again tonight.”
“Oh, I understand!” Cole nodded, then smiled: “Sir, you’re really amazing, you easily earned two hundred and fifty thousand gold coins!”
“Idiot.” Mo Tan snorted softly, his smile instantly turning cold, and interrupted: “Do you actually think I intend for you to exchange this thing for the bounty?”
Cole was stunned: “Isn’t that the case?”
“Of course not.” Mo Tan shook his head, holding up two fingers: “There are two reasons…”
Cole: “?”
“First, as long as the people over there aren’t idiots, you won’t be coming back alive if you go over there~” Mo Tan winked at Cole, smiling: “You’ll be dead for sure.”
The latter was immediately dumbfounded: “Huh?”
“Second, I think two hundred and fifty thousand gold coins is a bit too little.”
“Huh?!”
Chapter 134: The End
