Four pairs of eyes simultaneously turned sharply towards Mo Tan, three of them immediately beaming with smiles, while only one tall, humanoid creature gave a weak, dry chuckle and nodded.
Jia Deka, Ya Ya, Huo Yan Yang, and Cordova, whose forehead seemed to be covered by dark clouds.
The first two seemed quite excited to see Mo Tan appear; the experienced, explosion-wielding Jia Deka was fine, merely moving the 'ice-packed' staff slightly to a corner, while Ya Ya directly pounced on him, hanging onto Mo Tan and sticking out her small tongue, ready to lick his face…
“Calm down!” Mo Tan broke out in a sweat, immediately pressing Ya Ya’s head and holding the Half-Orc girl, who was still trying to lunge forward, in front of him, then nodded to Jia Deka, who at least had no communication barrier: “You guys are here?”
Jia Deka stroked his beard and smiled: “We’re here, the journey was quite smooth.”
Mo Tan gestured with his chin towards outside the tent: “And then it blew up when you got here?”
The Old Mage looked away, a little embarrassed: “I forgot to freeze my staff when wrestling with a few Orc brothers.”
“Wang Dejia! So strong!” Ya Ya was almost completely hanging on Mo Tan’s shoulder, giggling and pointing at Jia Deka happily: “Won!”
Heaven knows if she meant Jia Deka won the arm wrestling because of his strength, or if he won by blowing up those unlucky Orcs into medium-rare.
“Damn it!” Huo Yan Yang suddenly gritted his teeth, looking at Mo Tan, his previously cheerful expression suddenly tightening: “So envious!”
And Cordova, who had been… well, always looking troubled, also nodded in agreement: “So envious.”
Mo Tan naturally knew what these two were referring to, after all, Ya Ya, who was currently clinging to his shoulder, indeed looked like a vibrant and adorable girl from every angle~
Shoulder-length gray short hair, a face that appeared aloof when quiet but became particularly charming and cute when speaking, large, clear, and innocent emerald green eyes, small fangs, adorable beast ears, and a graceful figure beneath a tight leather outfit…
But Mo Tan always felt that this girl was more like a worrisome little pet than a charming young lady~
It wasn't that he was particularly dense or had any issues with his orientation; it was just that Ya Ya had left too deep an impression on him before.
However, Huo Yan Yang and Cordova clearly didn't view the beast-eared girl as a pet, so after witnessing Ya Ya being so affectionate with Mo Tan, their eyes began to turn red!
It should be known that in Innocent World, players are absolutely forbidden from initiating any intimate gestures with NPCs (with stricter requirements for the opposite sex), but this does not mean that such relatively ambiguous situations won't occur. If the NPC is more proactive and the player doesn't resist, then actions like Ya Ya’s current behavior are still within the allowed scope…
“We’re all human!” Huo Yan Yang pouted at Mo Tan: “Why did I appear in a pile of Orcs right away?! Why are you so lucky?!”
Cordova, however, was more open-minded, comforting him from the side: “Alright, alright, at least you’ve survived tenaciously until now, haven’t you…”
Knowing that the two were just teasing, Mo Tan merely shrugged and smiled, then, after briefly comforting Ya Ya (patting her head and scratching her ears), he walked into the tent and sat down, greeting his two player friends: “What are you guys doing?”
“Dividing the spoils~” Huo Yan Yang said with a chuckle, then put an arm around Cordova’s shoulder and smiled at Mo Tan: “I’ve… explored for so long and never had this much fun!”
Since Jia Deka and Ya Ya were both NPCs, Wan Yang felt it was better to be careful with his words…
“Cordova! Super strong!” Ya Ya happily squatted beside Mo Tan, her tail wagging rapidly behind her, pointing at the pile of messy equipment in front of them and giggling: “Spoils!”
Jia Deka, while picking through the pile, leaned over and explained to Mo Tan: “Mr. Cordova took us around the ruined city today. He alone eliminated at least a three-digit number of bandits and monsters. These are all the spoils everyone collected.”
“Is this even human?!”
Mo Tan was instantly startled, then turned his gaze to Cordova.
The latter met his gaze with a pained expression, white smoke rising from the back of his neck as if he had an air humidifier installed.
Well, it truly wasn't.
“But this quantity is just too…” Mo Tan looked at the almost completely changed outfits of the other three, still a bit dazed: “Do those monsters all have a hoarding addiction or something?”
Huo Yan Yang immediately leaned next to Mo Tan and whispered: “My mentor’s ‘trial’ is a phased long-term quest. A large portion of these items are quest rewards. Some things I kept for myself are useless, so I snuck them into those ‘spoils’ when Ya Ya and the others weren’t paying attention.”
Mo Tan suddenly understood.
At this moment, Huo Yan Yang’s previously somewhat crude chainmail had been replaced by a set of crimson half-plate armor, adorned with numerous characters Mo Tan didn't understand. It appeared to be Shaman-specific equipment, and he also had two small drum-like items at his waist, looking much more spirited than before, almost like a small BOSS at first glance.
Jia Deka’s robe had also been replaced, and Mo Tan noticed he had several rings faintly radiating magical fluctuations on his hand, and a silver band was clipped to his head. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to have any intention of changing his weapon.
Ya Ya also had a brand new set of light armor, with a pair of dog-head pauldrons on her slender shoulders, and her boots were replaced with a pair of pure black, heeled ones, her long, fair legs still exposed. When she wasn't speaking, she looked like an older sister figure.
Only Cordova… he looked the same as when Mo Tan first encountered him.
If there was any change, Mo Tan did notice that the glow around him seemed a bit dimmer than before.
“Don’t look at me, I’m just a lowly worker.” Cordova grumbled unhappily, clutching his huge, heavy, sharpened ‘staff’: “I can’t use any of these things.”
Huo Yan Yang, who had previously been particularly at odds with Cordova over his ‘support’ role, immediately smiled ingratiatingly: “Brother Cordova, how can a tough guy like you be a lowly worker? Seriously, from today on, you’re my big brother! Next time we meet, take me on another run, okay?”
“Get lost.” Cordova looked pained and let out a deep sigh: “Dozens of items! I didn’t even get a chance to try one on…”
Of course, he was just saying that. This fellow’s current attributes, even without any bonuses, were already enough to crush most players in the game. His 【Transcendence】 talent had long ago told him not to even think about getting a bicycle or anything, but after all, this was a game, and missing the monster-slaying, leveling up, and gear-dropping Link was always a shame.
Although Mo Tan didn't know the reason, it didn't stop him from offering Cordova a few words of 'my condolences' or similar…
If there truly was a God of Destiny in Innocent World, then this sister really looked down on Cordova too much.
“Mr. Cordova is a selfless good person.” Jia Deka, unaware of the truth, smiled.
“Mm, good dog!” Ya Ya also nodded vigorously, delivering another blow to the already pale man.
After the 'good person' card, the dog-girl's 'good dog' card dealt a critical hit!
“Good dog” card, that’s a bit too much!
“Brother Mo.” Huo Yan Yang patted Cordova’s shoulder, then turned to Mo Tan with a smile: “Take whatever you can use, it’s free anyway.”
Cordova also nodded in agreement: “Yes, take a lot, out of sight, out of mind.”
Mo Tan wasn't pretentious; he still hoped to become stronger, after all, if Black Vatican of Fenrir Squad had been strong enough back then, perhaps…
Unfortunately, this so-called game world doesn't have 'perhaps'. The regret medicine not found in reality probably doesn't exist in Innocent World either, and there aren't even any adult books here that exist in the real world…
So, to avoid similar tragedies from happening in front of him again, Mo Tan wanted to become stronger.
He glanced at the pile of ‘spoils’ in front of him, then casually picked up a rather heavy-looking one-handed sword, weighing it slightly…
And then guess what?
With a clang, the sword fell to the ground!
“Your conditions are not met, unable to use this equipment. To put it into your inventory, please complete the operation within five seconds.”
The cold, emotionless system prompt sounded in Mo Tan’s ear…
He leaned over to look, and his silhouette suddenly resembled that of someone sitting next to him.
【Elegant One-Handed Sword】
Weapon Type: One-Handed Sword - Set
Quality: Excellent
Attack Power: Weak
Attributes: Dexterity +1, Attack Speed +3%, Adds a small amount of Frost Damage
Equipment Requirements: Any Weapon Specialization Lv. 7, Strength 15, Warrior Profession
Set Effect: 【Elegant One-Handed Sword】 + 【Elegant Small Round Shield】 — Increases 10% damage
【Note: Let heresy like greatswords, katanas, and heavy crossbows all die! One-handed swords are justice! Take this, Daddy’s jumping slash! And then a shield… wait, where’s my shield?】
…
Very good, very powerful!
It must be said that Mo Tan’s eyesight was truly good; this one-handed sword was indeed a small top-tier item among this pile of equipment. Not only did it add dexterity and attack speed, but it could also trigger the most cost-effective frost damage in the early stages of the game, and it even had the potential to form a set. The equipment requirements weren’t high either…
Not high…
High…
High…
“I can’t use it!” Mo Tan raised his head with a bitter smile, making a despairing expression at Cordova and Huo Yan Yang.
Whether it was an illusion or not, a glimmer of light instantly flashed in the eyes of a certain person who had been in a slump!
“Can’t use it?!” The tragic hero’s tone actually held more joy than regret!
It seemed it wasn't an illusion…
Cordova and Huo Yan Yang naturally understood instantly. Mo Tan’s words just now were very clear: if he “couldn’t use it,” then it was obviously because he didn’t meet the equipment requirements.
“This…” Huo Yan Yang had naturally seen this weapon before. To be honest, if he weren't a War Priest, he might have taken it for himself. At this moment, he immediately mumbled in a low voice: “I remember the requirements shouldn’t be very high.”
Mo Tan could only continue to smile bitterly. He naturally knew that the requirements for this one-handed sword were actually quite reasonable, but he couldn't help that his own character's strength was truly a bit weak.
“Can’t use it?” Ya Ya tilted her head innocently, then pulled the 【Elegant One-Handed Sword】 in front of her, muttering in distress: “Hmm, a bit heavy!”
If that sentence meant ‘a bit heavy,’ Mo Tan just wanted to tell the girl, ‘You really don’t know yourself at all.’
This was the savage girl who, when enraged, could spin him and Jia Deka around like a windmill!
“Not handy?” Jia Deka was also a bit puzzled, as an NPC he couldn’t understand ‘equipment restrictions.’ But this one was at least better than Ya Ya. The Old Mage casually took the one-handed sword in front of him, waving it a few times as if it were a ball of cotton, creating a whistling sound in the tent, then nodded to Mo Tan: “It is a bit light, I feel like I can’t put enough force into it…”
Huo Yan Yang was immediately stunned: “You’re a Mage!?”
Jia Deka was very happy: “Yes, yes, young man, your eyesight is truly excellent!”
Student Wan Yang was instantly struck by lightning, burnt to a crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. What he said just now was clearly a question, wasn't it?! It was a question, right?! What kind of Mage can casually conjure a gust of Sword Wind?! Do you think I’m praising you?!!
“Try something else!” Cordova’s eyes gleamed as he urged Mo Tan to try on other items, but the latter always felt that his tone seemed to anticipate something not worth being happy about…
Mo Tan picked up a pair of long boots with a thick layer of scales; his agility wasn't enough to wear them.
A pair of metal pauldrons with barbs; his physique wasn't enough to wear them.
A tower shield with a large defensive range, which didn't look very heavy; his strength wasn't enough to carry it, so Jia Deka flicked it over (look at that word choice) to fan himself, as it was a bit stuffy in the tent…
A pair of ‘pants’ that looked like a dirty rag, which, according to Cordova, Huo Yan Yang had forcibly stripped off a small imp (…); these could be worn, but if Mo Tan actually put them on, he wouldn’t be able to show his face in public.
“I give up~” Mo Tan waved his hand with a bitter smile, shaking his head while thinking that he needed to level up as much as possible recently: “These probably can’t be used.”
Cordova, whose face was beaming with radiance, immediately let out a long sigh: “What a pity~”
“This guy is clearly overjoyed to have a fellow unfortunate soul as company!”
Huo Yan Yang gave the former a particularly disdainful look, then shrugged at Mo Tan: “Too bad I’m leaving tomorrow, and Brother Cordova is also going back to that mountain. You’ll just have to work hard on your own, then.”
Mo Tan, however, didn't feel particularly regretful. He was always the kind of person who preferred to rely on himself, so he just nodded and said: “It’s fine, I have something I plan to go to Dragon Soul Town for recently.”
The implication was ‘I’m going there to do quests and train hard’~
“Oh, that’s right!” Cordova smiled mysteriously: “Mo, you haven’t seen that yet, have you?”
Mo Tan blinked: “Which one?”
Huo Yan Yang spread his hands nearby: “Brother Cordova said he got something that witnesses an Epic, and he’s been showing it off all day, though I haven’t seen anything impressive about it.”
“What can you see?” Cordova snorted, then pulled a small crystal from his inventory and smiled: “Don’t let its unassuming appearance fool you. If I find the right person, this thing will immediately turn black or turn…”
A dazzling light suddenly burst forth from this crystal, its brilliance even piercing through the tent, momentarily illuminating the entire ruined city under a golden sky!
Cordova stared at Mo Tan, dumbfounded, subconsciously finishing the last word.
“Bright…”
Chapter 69: End
