The Strange Adventures of Hearn the Believer

Page 153

What a joke! To give you a simple example, by the time he's saved up enough money to buy that Ragnarok Online weapon through chatting, this world will have already experienced Ragnarok more than ten times over, okay?

The day lilies are cold!

However, Ms. Amy was unusually strict in controlling the process of acquiring tokens, which was completely opposite to her seemingly naive and easily fooled appearance.

Such statements as, "This is the only area where you absolutely cannot be cunning, Hern," etc.

In short, all his attempts to sneak in and gain access to the chips were completely blocked.

For example, discussing things like eternity in a world where time is frozen was rejected by Elme on the grounds that the power of the Time Realm is not allowed.

"This won't work, that won't work, and you want me to temporarily cripple my martial arts skills? You have to give me some real help, Teacher Amy."

After all her attempts ended in failure, the believer was starting to feel a little resigned, so she said something rather helpless and angry.

"Of course! We have special souvenirs prepared for new adventurers like Hearn who are just starting out. The quality isn't very high, but they're very practical. They're a special offer available only at this moment, and there's only one of each. Once they're sold out, they're gone."

Oh?

Upon hearing this, the believer held his breath and watched as Teacher Aimee flipped the interface, removing all the gray "You Don't Deserve It" items. In the end, only an old-fashioned envelope with sealing wax remained. The envelope was of average thickness and did not seem like it could hold anything other than a letter. However, the cover had a pale blue moon mark that made him feel a sense of familiarity, which was a plus.

Moving the view down slightly, you can see the price of the product boldly displayed as "[36.25]".

"..."

"Oh!"

With Hearn's silence and Ms. Elmer's quiet exclamation, the price of the item changed to [36.25 + 0.75]...

"call--"

The believer took a deep breath and calmed herself down again.

He understands. Everything has to go through a process, even something as strange as this that was clearly predetermined from the beginning.

Thank you for the gift, Cangyue.

With such longing in her heart, the believer could only utter this one sentence.

……

Awakening from meditation, I returned to reality, the white noise of the burning campfire still echoing in my ears, the moon high in the sky.

Soft, even breathing sounds came from several tents. The symphony of wits and struggles with mosquitoes had long since ceased, and a verdant barrier had reopened. It seemed that the druids had finally found a peaceful way to live in harmony with nature.

The believer stood up in front of the campfire, shook off her slightly wrinkled clothes, and moved to an open area outside the camp.

In the darkness, a cold glint flashed, followed by the pure, mercury-like moonlight pouring down.

The believer quietly examined the ancient sword in her hand, and seeing the silvery blade bathed in the same ancient moonlight, she felt a tranquility she had never experienced before.

how to say……

For some reason, I have a feeling of home...

It's strange, but I also miss it...

A moment later, he withdrew his gaze and put his "new companion" into a separate subspace, where he could move freely.

He then moved back to the camp and waited for dawn.

The night is long, and only my shadow keeps me company.

Beneath the pale moon, a corner of the realm shed its gray veil and was illuminated.

Its name is simple and unadorned, it is called—

[The Real World]

……

Chapter 226 Will the Bionic Little Red Riding Hood Dream of the Electronic Big Bad Wolf? (Part 3)

When Eirin returned from scouting, Shinjo was playing with the "toy" she had just acquired the night before.

My feelings are rather complicated.

On the one hand, I feel a little regretful, but on the other hand, I feel at ease.

The sword called "True World" has been thoroughly tested by him, and its inner workings are now completely clear.

In conclusion, it's just an empty shell.

It's not that it's all show and no substance, but rather that its core is truly empty. Some of the essential elements that should have filled its interior as the foundation of its existence are no longer there. What remains is a perfectly crafted container.

In the hands of a novice with a weak foundation, it's no different from a useless tool; but in his hands, it becomes a handy weapon that he can design at will.

Coupled with that innate, unspoken affinity, the believer nowadays grows to love the sword more and more the more she handles it.

As for peace of mind...

To be honest, this empty sword is essentially a gift from Arcueid... well, that name is just too stupid. If he were to call it that in real life, he'd probably pack his bags and flee the planet overnight... cough, in essence, this sword was practically a free gift from Arcueid...

If it were truly a divine weapon with its core intact, he would feel uneasy holding it in his hands.

There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world; every bit of luck that you think you're getting actually comes with a hidden price tag.

He felt at ease if the sword had flaws; otherwise, he would become suspicious.

Even so, something still felt off; a sense of déjà vu lingered within me, a feeling that came from hazy memories of the past…

It was precisely when Yonglin returned from scouting that, upon seeing the white fox spirit, the believer suddenly had a flash of inspiration and then communicated with the Cangyue Realm Dao through the channel.

"Hey... Arcueid, you wouldn't be thinking of keeping me as a sugar daddy, would you?"

“Great! Name your price, Hern… cough, I mean, no, Hern.”

"Ok?"

The believer drew out the word with suspicion.

"~..."

A whistle of unknown meaning came from beneath the pale moon.

“Miss Salome, Lord Gross, Hearn, Alan, there is a village ahead, and a ranch of moderate size.”

Yonglin slipped through the bushes and broke free to inform the rest of the team.

How far away are they from us?

Salome, as the team leader, then asked a question in return.

"At our pace, it would only take a little over twenty minutes."

"So close..."

Alan said in a low voice, then turned his gaze to Mr. Hearn at the back of the line.

Not only him, but the others in the team did the same thing.

Feeling the pressure coming towards her with the gaze, the woman shrugged and replied calmly.

"My suggestion remains the same as before. Since we've already decided to abandon ship and are already at this point, there's no point in hesitating. The only thing worth reminding you is that Salome, it's about time you used the same trick on the Children of Earth. You know, with Grus, Eirin, and my current appearance, if we approach any of the Children of Earth's cities, we'll probably start fighting right at the city gates."

As she finished speaking, the believer pointed to her dragon horns and tail, and the same applied to Grus, who was a hybrid of Rosetta and a pure-blooded Rosetta, and Eirin.

"That's natural."

Salome smiled understandingly, then softly chanted the illusion spell she had cast for the more than ten thousand Sons of Earth when she landed in Silver City.

……

As the sun passed its midday high, the group emerged from the grove and appeared on the outskirts of the town.

Needless to say, the appearance of the believer was different. Saint Gross transformed from a black panther into a bronze-colored iron man, while Eirin removed her fox ears and tail and became a graceful young man with flowing silver hair.

Seeing this scene, Mr. Hearn felt his fist harden even more.

calm down……

If things get really bad, I can always find another chance to beat him up. Right now, it's more important to get down to business.

To divert her attention, the believer once again looked up. This time, the towering white walls were no longer far away; the city of Sares, protected by the giant walls, was right before her eyes.

The town that Yonglin discovered was not an independent town at all, but rather a settlement built around a ranch on the outskirts of Sares.

There are many similar settlements, scattered outside the giant wall, on the outskirts of the city of Sares. At a glance, there are no ruins to be seen, only people coming and going, living in peace and contentment.

Following the riverside path downstream, amidst the sound of the mill's waterwheel turning, the group finally stepped back into the realm of civilization, weary from their journey.

Salome's spell was indeed necessary; upon entering the town, the streets were filled with children of earth.

Or rather, humanity.

There wasn't even a trace of a single dark species.

As a group of outsiders, they did receive varying degrees of attention during their short time in the town, but this attention quickly dissipated over time.

They all look like very busy people.

Fortunately, Salome has a good understanding of herself. While her illusion magic can enhance the appearance of the dark creatures in the team, it also makes her look less attractive. Now she is just an ordinary person in the team, far less eye-catching than the two handsome young men, Eirin and Alan.

In this situation, all three members of the group hesitated and paced back and forth, except for the two seasoned mercenaries, the believer and Grus, who were very skilled at handling things.

Mercenaries, who risk their lives in the line of duty, naturally head to the tavern the first place they visit upon their safe return. Taverns are often jointly operated with inns, such as Cloud in Silver City.

Therefore, the two veteran soldiers, smelling the alcohol, led the three new recruits in the group towards the tavern. Such facilities are usually located in well-connected areas, taking advantage of the terrain and people, so as to welcome guests from all directions.

Walking along the cobblestone streets of the town, the group quickly found the tavern at a three-way intersection and was pleased to discover that it also ran an inn.

Before stepping into the tavern called "Ys", the woman glanced at the side of the street and saw a building with the same sign that looked like some kind of welfare facility.

His ears are very sharp; he can hear the sounds of children playing and laughing, following the wind.

Perhaps it was past lunchtime, but there was no one in the tavern hall. Grous slapped the table twice in a deliberately rude manner and shouted in a rough voice, which prompted a young man to rush out from the kitchen.

Calling him a youth is a stretch; in the believer's eyes, the young man looked more like a teenager who was just a step away from adulthood.

Red hair, brown eyes, freckles, hooked nose, slender build, pale skin that is almost bloodless, but a striking red nose. He has the potential to work in a circus, but his conversation and business skills as a tavern owner are quite adept.

The young man was only slightly taken aback by the imposing, bronze-skinned man standing over two meters tall outside the counter when he first appeared, before he put on a business-like, enthusiastic smile and opened the door to do business.

Gross casually ordered some fresh water, cheese, and black bread from the menu and was about to call it a day when Mr. Hearn quickly added several large portions of roast beef and some raspberry jam... all of which were cold-climate foods that were easy to store and convenient for replenishing nutrition. Yonglin and Alan stood aside and opened their mouths, but were finally shut down by Gross's stern gaze.

"Don't worry, with me here, no one will die from eating this."

While waiting for their meal at a table in the corner of the hall, the nun, knowing Grous's concerns, smiled and calmed the situation before turning her gaze to the big cat.

"Are you going or am I going?"

“I don’t care, but you’re better at this than I am.”

Black Panther calmly admitted the truth: they were referring to chatting with the bartender to extract information.

"I reject."

"Roar?"

"I'm not interested in that red-nosed guy. But if it's a beauty like Miss Jiang Xue..."

"Hearn, you motherfucker..."

"Just kidding. You're always swearing. Are you really a priest?"

The believer chuckled and slid out of her seat, then slowly walked toward the front desk.

The daily routine at the Cloud Inn was playing out again, and Salome and Eirin, who knew the truth, just covered their mouths and chuckled.

The front desk was empty, perhaps because the tavern was short-staffed. The red-haired guy was doing multiple jobs, and from across the threshold, the woman could feel the intense heat emanating from the kitchen.

KnockKnock...

The believer casually rang the small copper bell on the counter.

"Please wait!"

A flustered voice came from the second floor, the voice even more immature than that of the red-haired guy from before.

The believer sat at the front desk for a short while, and then saw a pair of young girls with green hair... or rather, girls around 17 years old. In any case, a pair of twin sisters dressed in easy-to-wash and maintain aprons slipped down from the second floor to behind the counter.

For reasons both ancient and not so ancient, the believer was naturally patient with girls with green hair. In addition, the two teenage girls' fierce yet outgoing personalities were quite endearing. So, he quickly struck up a lively conversation with them.

……

About half an hour later, all the dishes were served, and the woman returned. The group sat down and enjoyed their meal.