Prologue: February 14th
Spring, 2050 AD
It had been exactly one year, two months, and fourteen days since the release of [Innocent Realm].
This mental virtual game, not particularly novel but having stormed the market with a fierce momentum, had already garnered over ten million followers. Countless nights had been spent weaving legends and stories across the continent named 'Innocent.'
The reason it was always night was that the game still adhered to the bizarre concept of 'only supporting login via sleep mode,' leaving countless hardcore players grumbling while miraculously maintaining their physical health...
February 14th, 1:00 AM.
[Connection complete, loading character information]
[Welcome back, Lawful Good Mo. About to load into Innocent Realm. Good night.]
...
Southwest of the Innocent Continent — Pamira Port
Mo Tan appeared on a bench. Under the system's interference, no one would notice his slightly abrupt appearance for three seconds — one of the few differences between players and NPCs in this game.
"Speaking of which, today is Valentine's Day..." He shrugged his shoulders slightly, then let out a soft sigh: "Though finding someone to spend it with isn't impossible, if I lose control, the trouble would be huge. Better to just kill some time here. Hmm, I'll check out the Deep Shadow Maze again today..."
Let's insert a brief aside: Mo Tan's remark about 'losing control' wasn't implying he might commit some lewd act against a member of the opposite sex that would land him at least a decade in prison. It was due to other circumstances. As for what exactly... don't worry, even if you didn't read the introduction too carefully, it'll be explained later~
"Hey, what's our knight doing zoning out here?" A crisp, pleasant voice sounded behind Mo Tan, interrupting his thoughts.
Mo Tan quickly turned around, but saw nothing...
"Hey! Are you implying I stopped growing over a decade ago?!" The petite gnome girl with a delicate face and faint freckles jumped indignantly on the spot, complaining: "Couldn't you at least tilt your head down a bit when you turn around?!"
Mo Tan offered the girl an apologetic smile and shrugged: "Sorry, Milu, but you have to understand — if it hadn't been you greeting me, but that big guy Moore, just lowering my gaze a little might have caused permanent psychological trauma."
"Heh~" The gnome girl named Milu let out a dangerous hum, elemental energy flickering at her fingertips as she sneered: "So you're saying my voice is about the same as that sloppy, muscle-brained, slow-witted, directionally challenged troll?!"
Facing this gnome sorceress, who shared the Lawful Good alignment but had an exceptionally fiery personality, Mo Tan immediately raised his hands in surrender and spent two minutes self-reflecting on his inappropriate remark...
"I saw you organizing your equipment earlier. Where are you planning to go?" Milu, who had already calmed down, sat beside Mo Tan, slurping a suspicious-looking reagent as she tilted her head and asked.
Mo Tan casually pulled out a piece of parchment with a half-scrawled map on it and said, "I plan to go to the Deep Shadow Maze again."
"By Goddess Ilana! Mo, it was already a miracle that you came back alive last time!" Milu exclaimed. "You've only rested for a few days, and you want to go back to that godforsaken place!"
Mo Tan had already put the map away by then, and after confirming that the healing potions, magic scrolls, miracle badge, and the heavy flail at his waist were all in their proper places, he nodded and said, "Yes, I have to go."
"Is it... for Little Dick?" Milu asked softly, her voice tinged with a hint of self-loathing, a trace of admiration, and more unspoken words.
Mo Tan nodded.
Little Dick was an ordinary dwarf boy in Pamira Port, and his family were ordinary blacksmiths. Mo Tan's relationship with the three of them was merely that he had commissioned Old Dick to repair his armor. Yet, during this time, he had repeatedly risked danger to venture dozens of miles into the Deep Shadow Maze to cure the ailing Little Dick, all to find the Withered Leaf Flower, said to grow deep in the maze and capable of curing blood-rot disease.
Even other players or NPCs of the Lawful Good alignment rarely did such things, after all, being good-natured and being a pushover were quite different.
At least Milu couldn't do it.
But Mo Tan—or rather, Mo, the quarter of Mo Tan on the Innocent Continent—would do it, not only without hesitation but also without expecting anything in return.
Mo was a good person in every sense of the word. He was gentlemanly, polite, kind, just, brave, and compassionate. Everyone who knew him would give such a description, without any discount.
"Take this." Milu was silent for a moment, then suddenly handed him a small, exquisite wand. Swinging her legs that couldn't reach the ground, she said, "I can't risk my life for someone I don't know, but at least I can give something good to someone who's too kind for their own good."
Mo Tan took it and glanced down.
[Milu's Protective Wand (3/3)]
Quality: Fine
Requirement: Lawful Good alignment
Weight: 5 kg
Use: Creates a flame barrier for ten minutes / Summons a low-defense totem (attributes depend on the environment) / Fires a mixed-element pulse.
[Note: A wand crafted by the young gnome sorceress Milu Xi. Contains multiple elemental attributes, effective in various situations. Costly.]
When Mo Tan saw the last four words in the note, he immediately looked up to decline, only to find that the gnome girl had already left. So, he had no choice but to keep the favor in mind, stowed the fine-quality consumable into his backpack, and stood up to leave...
He had to hurry, because he didn't know when this night of his would end.
...
[You have been forcibly disconnected. Please choose whether to reconnect.]
"Yes."
[Reconnecting...]
[Connection Complete, Loading Character Information]
[Welcome back, Chaotic Neutral Tan Mo. About to enter the Innocent Realm. Go ahead and raise hell as you please!]
...
Eastern Innocent Continent — Free City
"Heh~" The corner of Mo Tan's mouth, hidden beneath his hood, curled slightly. The next moment, his entire figure suddenly melted into the shadow at his feet. After a brief pause, the man who had been sitting in a noisy tavern appeared on the street corner, now holding two coin purses in his hands.
No one could recognize him. His current appearance was completely different from the gloomy hooded figure shrouded in a gray cloak back in the tavern. Now, Mo Tan wore a pair of delicate, refined gold-rimmed glasses, a snow-white robe adorned with rose-colored lace, held a massive book in his left hand, and cradled a silver lyre in his right. He looked every bit the part of a bard—and indeed, being a bard was one of his identities, after all...
Casually flicking a silver coin toward the Half-Dragon fruit vendor beside him, Mo Tan leaned over dramatically and plucked an apple from the stall with his mouth. Then, with a backhanded strum of his lyre, he sent a gentle, soothing melody rippling through the air. Filled with emotion, he sang out loudly:
"The Black King, standing in the hall of thorns~ gazing~ at the scepter!"
"The White Elephant, bellowing and looking around the battlefield~ roaring~ on the sands!"
"The Queen in thought, poison roses and teacups collide~ murderous intent~ hidden!"
"The Knight's frenzy, sword in hand with no defense~ war banners~ flying high!"
"The next second, what will you think?"
"In that moment, who is getting hurt for me?"
"Who makes a move, trading for his piece of heaven?"
"Like a puppet, lingering by her side!"
"On the chariot, the black flag~ dances and flies~ with a roar!"
"Beneath the white horse, the female knight~ is wounded~ softly singing!"
"Whispers of longing echo~ in my ears!"
"The black soldier draws his sword~ and strikes back!"
"Remember in that small workshop~ on the table"
"Gray as we were, we had~ no faith yet"
"You leaned on your sword against it~ softly singing"
"I, naive and silent, was lost in my~ watchful longing"
"Now you and I, wearing different coats of paint~ stand~ on the battlefield!"
"Yet we cannot forget, the distant gaze of yesterday~ you are~ in my heart!"
"The chariot is crippled, helplessly collapsing on the plains~ my heart~ is mad!"
"The sound of hooves, like that look in my memory~ we are both~ lost!"
Mo Tan strummed his lyre wantonly, dancing through the streets, his body swaying with the melody. Even the sound he made while biting into the apple during the gaps between lyrics seemed like a form of accompaniment. Almost everyone's eyes were drawn to him, and Mo Tan, whose expression shifted from sorrow to wild abandon, from gloom to flamboyance, reveled in the gazes around him.
Do whatever he wanted. As long as he was happy, what did it matter if he casually lifted two wallets or suddenly burst into song? Even if this kind of behavior brought him no benefit at all, so what? As long as he was happy~
Anyone could see that this seemingly unrestrained bard and the upright knight currently staying in Pamira Port were completely different people, even though in many senses, they truly were two individuals...
But even Mo Tan himself couldn't deny that they were actually the same person.
However, it didn't matter. No one could connect them. Even if someone had heard of both of them, they could never imagine them as one~
Because all players knew that each person could only create one character on the Innocent Continent.
As for the NPCs, they wouldn't be foolish enough to mistake two people who, despite looking somewhat similar, had completely different personalities and stances as the same person.
In fact, "their" social circles in the game were also entirely different.
"The knight's sorrow, a face streaked with tears~ Whispering~ Singing softly~"
Closing his eyes, Mo Tan finished the last verse, and as a pile of silver and copper coins gathered at his feet, he bowed to the onlookers who had unknowingly gathered around him.
Before the crowd had fully dispersed, Mo Tan had already turned into a small alley with light, brisk steps, and as expected, he was soon surrounded by several masked figures.
"Hmm~ Long time no see, Muse." Stowing his harp into his spatial bag, Mo Tan smiled and greeted the elf whose entire face was hidden beneath a leather mask at the front: "Looking for me?"
The elf called Muse sneered coldly: "Tan Mo, you really aren't easy to find..."
Mo Tan shrugged and spread his hands: "You know we otherworlders often vanish into thin air for a while. It's only natural that I'm hard to find, isn't it?"
Muse drew the twin blades from his waist, slightly crouching his body: "Anyway, you have one minute to prepare your last words."
The other encirclers also drew their weapons...
The orc shaman took two steps back and slammed the thick wooden totem on his back onto the ground with a clang.
Two human rangers quickly scanned the surroundings, and after ruling out the possibility of ambushes or traps, they nimbly climbed onto the low buildings on both sides, blending faintly into the environment.
Finally, two burly dwarf heavy-armor warriors advanced slowly toward Mo Tan, holding broad shields.
"Ah~" Mo Tan rubbed his forehead in slight exasperation: "Why so much hostility? Free City is a place with many eyes and ears. Drawing blood here isn't appropriate, is it?"
"Don't trouble yourself..." Muse lightly scratched the scroll wrapped around his blade's hilt with his nail. A strange surge of elemental energy spread, plunging the alley into darkness. His voice, filled with rage, exploded in Mo Tan's ears: "Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?"
"Which one are you referring to?" Mo Tan didn't turn his head, simply raising his hand to catch the venomous blade striking from behind like a snake, and chuckled: "The mass poisoning incident in Kage Town?"
【Sly Fox Intuition】
Guile-type Passive Skill
Mastery Requirements: School of Guile Level 13, Dexterity 60, Intelligence 30
Effect: When visibility is extremely low/blinded/eyes closed, allows perception of the life form with the strongest killing intent within a certain range.
【Note: A prey that can always escape is a qualified prey.】
"Or perhaps..."
Mo Tan vanished from his spot in an instant, simultaneously appearing behind a human ranger who had just drawn his bowstring to a half-moon. Before the others could even register his movement, they saw a head soaring into the air, followed by the sound of blood splattering and a soft laugh echoing from all directions.
"Was it that I accidentally killed your last employer, the one with the peculiar hobby?"
[Blade Fan Cloak]
Guile-type Active Skill
Requirements: School of Guile Level 15, Dexterity 80
Cost/Restriction: 200 Acuity
Effect: After use, perform a directional teleport within 20 meters. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
[Note: Although it's called Blade Fan Cloak, you don't actually need to have a blade, fan, or cloak on you. So please don't argue with a skill.]
"Stop him!" Muse roared, flinging two blood-red shadows from his dagger. The elf's night-vision talent allowed him to detect Mo Tan's position first and react at lightning speed.
A scream rang out—it came from the orc shaman who had just buffed himself with Earth Power!
"Or maybe~ it's because I casually took your Black Tower City Thieves' Guild's Shadow Fang dagger?"
Mo Tan's figure slowly emerged from behind the fallen orc, holding a long, pitch-black, lusterless dagger in a reverse grip. He grinned at Muse.
[Shadow Fang]
Weapon Type: Dagger
Quality: Unique Epic
Attack Power: Extremely Strong
Attributes: Guile Level +2, Curse +1, Dexterity +20
Traits: Bleeding, Tearing, Silent, Attached Skill: Shadow Wolf Fang
Requirements: School of Guile Level 15, Dual Blade Specialization Level 15, Dexterity 95, Unbeliever
[Note: A dagger passed down from the Primordial Era God-Annihilation Society, representing the fang among the Five Beast Bodies of God-Slaying. Only an Unbeliever or God-Despiser can wield it.]
[Shadow Wolf Fang]
Equipment Skill (Active)
Cost/Restriction: 30% of maximum HP
Effect: Instantly teleport behind the target (must be within line of sight), dealing theoretical maximum damage (guaranteed critical hit, backstab bonus). Cooldown: 1 hour.
"This is impossible!" When Muse saw the dagger in Mo Tan's hand, he screamed hysterically, "No one can wield Shadow Fang!"
And at that moment, the magic scroll he had activated exceeded its time limit...
Pfft!
The moment the darkness receded, Muse saw a smiling face inches away, smeared with a few eerie streaks of blood. At the same time, his heart was pierced through.
"Most members of the Thieves' Guild are either followers of the Night Goddess Delia or the God of Lies Izanal, so of course you can't use it~" Mo Tan whispered into Muse's ear. "By the way, when I said earlier that 'seeing blood isn't suitable,' I was never talking about my own blood..."
Muse was already losing consciousness, his gray pupils dilating as he stared at Mo Tan, trembling as he whispered, "You... why..."
"Ah..." Mo Tan scratched his head. "Yeah, why did I do those things? Probably just chasing answers while doing what I wanted along the way~"
Muse, however, showed no reaction. The second-in-command of the Black Tower City Thieves' Guild had already stopped breathing.
...
[You have been forcibly disconnected. Please choose whether to reconnect.]
"Yes."
[Reconnecting...]
Bang!!
Mo Tan's game pod was forcibly opened from the outside, and a strand of jet-black hair appeared before him.
"Get out!" the owner of the hair said calmly. "Come with me to deal with some trouble..."
Prologue: The End