novelODS Chapter 6 Accepting the Quest
Chapter 6 Accepting the Quest
Chen Mo did not set off.
Just kidding, he only came to the Bard's Academy to try his luck today, but he didn't expect to actually trick the old man into joining him on this adventure.
It was worth it for always bringing Dugu Cheng along at the start of the game.
Emerging from the Bard Academy, Chen Mo's steps were much lighter than when he arrived.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the clouds, casting dappled patterns of light on the stone pavement of Dugu City. The sea breeze was still cold, but its touch on his face brought him a strange sense of clarity.
Benjamin walked beside him, his grey robe billowing in the wind like a tattered flag. The old man carried a massive spellbook in his left hand—a book so thick it could be used as a pillow, its cover a worn dark brown leather, its edges wrapped in copper, the gilded lettering on the spine blurred beyond recognition. His right hand was empty; he only occasionally opened the large book to draw spells when needed.
"Isn't this book heavy?" Chen Mo couldn't help but glance at it.
"Heavy," Benjamin said matter-of-factly, "but better than a staff. A staff without power is just a fire poker, but books are different—the knowledge inside a book can't be taken away."
He tucked the large book under his arm, a hint of pride in his voice: "This book has been with me for twenty years. It contains over a hundred spells, from fire tongue spells to summoning fire spirits, you name it. Some of these spells have been lost to the market, but they're still preserved in this book."
"Did you write this yourself?"
"Most of it is copied, and a small part is original." Benjamin patted the book cover. "Young man, let me tell you, a mage's strength is not measured by how pretty his staff is, but by how thick his spellbook is. Nine out of ten of those who flaunt their gold-inlaid staffs can't even cast a fireball properly."
Chen Mo couldn't help but laugh.
They walked down the main road of the commercial district, through the market, and turned into the alley leading to the Blinking Rat. The tavern sign swayed gently in the wind, and warm yellow light shone through the cracks in the door.
Pushing open the door, the tavern was much quieter in the morning than in the evening. Only three or five customers were drinking something in a corner, the fire in the fireplace was not burning very well, and the whole space seemed somewhat empty.
There was a man standing behind the bar.
He had a round face, thinning brown hair, and wore an apron stained with wine. His fingers were short and stubby, but his movements were dexterous as he skillfully wiped a wooden cup.
Copulus.
The owner of the Blinking Rat. In the game, he's an NPC with little presence—when players enter the tavern, he stands behind the bar, selling food and drinks, and serves no other purpose. But at this moment, this real-life version of Copruus is raising his eyes, scrutinizing Chen Mo and Benjamin with his small, shrewd eyes.
"Benjamin?" Coprus asked, a hint of surprise in his voice. "What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be at the academy writing your big book?"
Benjamin walked over with a grin and put the thick spellbook on the bar counter with a thud—it sounded heavy.
"Copulus, my old friend, it's been so long, your tavern is getting better and better."
Koprulus glanced at the book lying on his bar counter and his lips twitched. "I remember you owed me money for a bottle of mead last time you came here."
"That was a loan. Didn't I pay it back later?"
"I returned an empty cup."
"The glass is still a return glass," Benjamin winked. "Besides, your glass wasn't full to begin with, so I've finished it for you to save you space."
Koprulus stared at him blankly for three seconds, then sighed, his expression saying, "How did I end up having a friend like you?"
He looked at Chen Mo: "And who is this?"
"Chen Mo," Benjamin said for him, "my new friend. He's going to take on the mission at the wolf skull cave."
Koprulus's gaze lingered on Chen Mo for a moment, scrutinizing him from head to toe. There was no malice in his gaze, but it wasn't exactly friendly either; it was more like a merchant assessing the quality of goods.
"You?" he asked.
Chen Mo nodded.
Koprulus was silent for a few seconds, then pulled a piece of parchment from under the bar and unfolded it on the table. Several lines of writing were on it, the handwriting messy, but Chen Mo could barely make out a few words—wolf skull cave, investigation, four hundred gold coins.
"The mission documents," Copulus said. "They were originally supposed to be signed by Foco Firehu at the Blue Palace, but you can't get in. The matter isn't serious enough for Firehu to handle it personally yet, so it's been delegated to the tavern."
He handed Chen Mo a quill pen: "Sign it, and it's yours."
Chen Mo took the pen and signed his name at the bottom of the document. The tactile sensation of the pen tip gliding across the parchment was very realistic, and the ink spread very slowly, each stroke reminding him—this was not a game.
"Alright." Coprus put the document away. "The mission has a two-week timeframe. Come back alive to collect your pay. If you die..." He paused, glanced at Benjamin, "If you die, Benjamin, I'll just use your inheritance to pay for your drinks."
Benjamin scoffed, "Can't you say something nice?"
Koprulus shoved the document back under the bar. "Stop talking nonsense. Be careful, and come back alive."
The last few words were spoken very softly and in a very calm tone, but Chen Mo could hear the hidden meaning in them.
The two turned and walked out. Koprulus's voice came from behind them:
"Benjamin—don't die in there. You owe me that drink, and you have to pay it back yourself."
Benjamin waved without turning his head.
After leaving the tavern, Chen Mo did not head straight out of the city.
He needs equipment.
"Where do you live?" Benjamin asked.
"East of the city, near the city wall."
"That place..." Benjamin thought for a moment, "...there seems to be an empty house there, where a retired Imperial veteran used to live. It's been empty ever since he died. You bought it?"
"I guess so," Chen Mo replied vaguely.
You can't exactly say it was a free gift from a mod.
After passing through several alleys, the stone building sandwiched between the bakery and the warehouse came into view. Chen Mo took out his key and opened the door, and Benjamin followed him in, looking around.
"Not bad," he commented. "Better than you described. It's just a bit cold."
He walked to the fireplace, squatted down to look at the ashes inside, then opened his thick spellbook, turned to a certain page, ran his finger lightly across the page, and uttered a short syllable.
A spark leaped from his fingertip and landed in the charcoal ash, instantly igniting the dry firewood with a crackling sound, and warmth quickly spread throughout the room.
"A little trick," Benjamin said, closing the book. "But it works."
Chen Mo admired his magic for a moment, then rushed upstairs and began rummaging through drawers and cabinets.
In addition to clothes, there was also a wooden box in the bedroom wardrobe.
There are several items in the box.
A set of Imperial light armor, neatly folded. A combination of leather and chainmail, lighter than Chen Mo had imagined, but very sturdy to the touch. There were several scratches on the shoulder armor, and a repair mark near the heart on the breastplate—the original owner of this armor probably hadn't survived the battlefield.
A short bow. The wooden bow was worn smooth, and the bowstring, made of animal sinew, was somewhat loose but still usable. The matching quiver contained a dozen or so arrows with gray fletching.