Chapter 23: Funeral
The Adventurers’ Guild has no quests for finding stray cats or dogs. This is a place where one risks their life for wealth, and even the lowest-level tasks yield more than 10 Gind in rewards, enough for a common family to cover their living expenses for three years. Soren did not accept any tasks; after verifying his identity and obtaining the Adventurers’ Guild badge, he went directly to the City Hall. He needed to apply for a citizen ID for himself and Vivian, which would cost around 15 Gind, allowing him to officially transition from the impoverished class to the citizen class, granting him relatively free rights to operate within most kingdoms in the southern region, provided he was not overly concerned about dangers in the wild. However, he still could not touch any tasks! In the “War of the Gods,” there is no concept of farming monsters; the number of wild monsters is roughly proportional to the human population. If you clear an area of werewolves, they will not reappear for a long time until others migrate from different regions. Monsters do not line up to eat fruit together; they set traps, ambush, surround, and escape when situations are unfavorable. There was a saying in taverns: “A newbie who has never fallen into a goblin trap, been besieged by a group of goblins, or ambushed by werewolves at midnight has an incomplete adventure career!” The costs behind that saying are bloody! Many newbies rush out to adventure right after advancing to the second tier, only to lose their lives to these low-level monsters. Can you imagine a group of monsters that don’t follow any logic, attacking the isolated and retreating when faced with many people? They understand how to use the environment and can even create poisons, set up simple traps in the forest, scout, ambush, plead for mercy, and trick you! If you are unlucky, even a Level 1 goblin may be a talented dragon-bl**d sorcerer. Although they might have only five profession levels, they can still reduce you to dust! In the unpredictable emergencies of the wilderness, even the usually arrogant spellcasters would not dare to believe they could handle all unexpected situations. ………… As long as you have money, many problems become easier. Soren faced no trouble getting his citizen ID; as long as he had no recorded criminal records, the City Hall staff could process everything in a quarter of an hour and stamp it with the lord’s secret seal. They did not care whether Soren had once been a thief; they only cared about shiny Gind. Even if he had a record at the security office, it could be easily wiped away! So-called “free citizens” are essentially a purchase of identity. If you are wealthier, you can even buy the title of “honorary citizen” through donations, just like some representatives. Many gang leaders are prominent figures in the city; even without noble titles, they often bear an “honorary citizen” title. With the identity of an adventurer, things became much simpler! Soren could directly purchase military-standard weapons from the blacksmith shop. The prices of these weapons are several times that of ordinary weapons, and the quality is significantly higher. The public sale of weapons is legal! Because ordinary people cannot afford them and would not be willing to buy such expensive gear. A military curved blade costs 15 Gind. It is made using a folding refined steel process, has no extraordinary enchantments, weighs about 6 pounds, and contains a certain amount of black steel. This is the price of standard weapons. A military-standard chainmail is made using ring-lock techniques, weighs about 15 pounds, and is also without any extraordinary enchantments, costing 80 Gind, equivalent to an ordinary citizen’s entire fortune. The price of a standard building in the outer area of Amber City is around 30-50 Gind! As for more advanced plate armor and full plate armor, that is something many warriors have fought for a long time to obtain, costing more than many extraordinary pieces of equipment. A full set of plate armor costs 1500-2000 Gind! Currently, only the noble class could afford such armor; even many high-level adventurers cannot. Such plate armor could buy a small farm of about 150 acres. After finishing his affairs, Soren had spent half a day; he still had nearly 100 Gind left in his pocket, which was quite a sum of wealth—enough for ordinary living expenses for him and Vivian for over a decade. However, Soren already had plans in mind, so he had to prepare some daily supplies and outdoor gear. Yes, he planned to leave here. According to his memory, the panic caused by the serial skinning incident was far from over; the entire southern region would gradually descend into chaos. The safest place now is the Elf Kingdom. At least, it was before the emergence of the Ancient Red Dragon; the Saint’s Cataclysm could not be stopped! If he did not want to be crushed like an ant, the best course of action was to leave the tumultuous region and accumulate strength in a relatively safe place. Once, around three million players directly intervened in the turbulent era of the Saint’s Cataclysm. At that time, the most powerful players already had 18 profession levels, merely a step away from legend—yet they were still easily wiped out by those saints! The number of deaths was unquantifiable. Tens of millions of professionists were wiped out like slaughtered chickens, a situation that could not be changed by human power. Leaving is the wisest choice. Soren still remembered how powerless he felt when confronting a demigod; it was not a battle on the same level! Only upon entering the Legendary Domain could one truly possess the power to challenge divinity. Entering the Elf Kingdom from the Dreaming Forest, then detouring to the Snow Kingdom, avoiding the most chaotic first three years, and waiting for the first batch of deities to fall. At that time, broken divine essences would be obtained by many mortals, who, despite holding divine essences, lacked sufficient power. They would be the easiest targets to hunt! This was the greatest opportunity in a time of turmoil; Soren had missed it once before but could now begin to plan in advance.
In the Temple district. On his way to the Temple of Dawn to pick up Vivian, Soren was also getting acquainted with the weapon he had just acquired. He needed to familiarize himself with the weapon’s length, weight, and feel to ensure he could exert his full strength in battle. Although he had a specialization in wielding military weapons, every weapon’s weight and feel differed, and even standardized military equipment had slight differences. These details are vital because the struggle is a matter of life and d*ath in an instant! A row of data floated before him:
“Item Type: Military Curved Blade
Item Level:
Item Description: A weapon made from folded refined steel, superior in both resilience and strength to ordinary weapons. Only blacksmiths with forging skills above 150 points can create such equipment.
Equipment Requirements: Over 10 points in Strength.
Equipment Effects: Black Steel Characteristics, +1 Sharpness.”
Strictly speaking, this curved blade does have some enchantments because it has a ‘Black Steel Characteristic’, indicating it has a strength bonus. During battle, the weapon is not prone to damage and can withstand significant cleaving attacks. As for the +1 Sharpness, this is a property of refined items, making it relatively easy to penetrate some leather armors.
When Soren arrived at the Temple of Dawn, he found the atmosphere inside unusually solemn! Priest Fei’er was conducting a funeral for a Temple Guard. Five heavily armored warriors stood around with solemn expressions, their swords resting on the ground, and their tattered capes bore dried bl**d. When the priest recited the final prayer, they knelt, armored knees clanging against the ground, gazing forward as they solemnly intoned: “To move forward courageously, unafraid of strong enemies.” “To protect the weak, uphold justice.” “To treat others with humility, to be honest and loyal.” “To love what I hold dear, unwavering in loyalty.” “To be brave and upright, standing firm unto d*ath.” “In the name of the divine, I pledge my resolve.” The powerful oaths reverberated within the temple, and Priest Fei’er gently closed the deceased’s eyes. This was a knight of the Lord of Dawn. His hands held the sword at his chest, fully clad in neat armor; although the bl**d had been cleaned off, there were still many remnants of battle scars left on it. The coffin was very simple, with no flowers or decorations; the only items accompanying him were his armor and weapons. Armor and weapons are a warrior’s second life; these pieces of equipment, which accompanied him in battle, would be buried with him. “May his soul quickly enter the realm of the Lord of Dawn!” Priest Fei’er raised his hand to sprinkle holy water, and with the priest’s prayers, a holy light shone within the temple, signifying that the Lord of Dawn had acknowledged that a heroic believer had fallen in battle, and his messenger would guide the warrior’s soul into the realm of the divine. There, his soul would be reborn, and the purer the soul, the more powerful the abilities one could gain in the divine realm. “The Holy Light descends?” “It seems his faith was strong in life; after rebirth in the divine kingdom, he will be more than just a Prayer Weaver.” Soren glanced around and quickly spotted Vivian’s small figure; she stood quietly behind a young priestess, silently watching this simple yet solemn funeral. The nature of the warrior profession determines that they are always fighting on the front lines! They are the group most likely to d*e in battle! Therefore, regardless of whether they are powerful enough, for those warriors loyal to their mission and who defend their comrades with their bodies, you should always hold a shred of respect. Soren slightly bowed his head in salute! This was a brave warrior, and his tattered armor represented the honor of a warrior! …………
