Teest moved to the edge of the steps, fishing out a long sword from the stagnant water.
Its hilt was roughly wrapped in a gray cloth strip stained with old blood. Apart from that, there were no decorations or inscriptions on the sword. The blade was grayish, covered in scratches, and small notches were visible on its edge, looking very much like a cheap weapon no one wanted in the marketplace.
But Nol could recognize it.
[Betrayer: It's automatically bound upon pickup. The owner will change their profession to the special profession: "Fallen Knight". The weapon can switch between two custom forms, and its attributes grow with the owner's level.
※ First clear special reward. Only usable by knights; not tradable.]
"Attributes growth" sounded impressive, but it was merely to ensure that players didn't abandon this signature weapon as they level up. Assuming the top-tier weapon for each level range was scored at 100 points, the "Betrayer" was probably rated around 90. It was certainly exceptional, but there was a gap compared to the truly top-tier items.
Its real advantage was the ability to "switch between two forms". The element of surprise when changing weapons during a battle could be easily imagined.
From its appearance to its characteristics, it was full of deception and disguise. This was the origin of the name "Betrayer".
"I didn't mean to hide it from you. I just wanted to clean it up first," Teest explained, seeing Nol's prolonged silence.
He didn't need to explain. Nol nodded, showing he didn't mind. As long as the "special team" effect was active, they couldn't harm each other.
"It can switch between two forms." Teest swung the sword and added, "I like how it looks. The more harmless a weapon appears, the better."
"What do you want as the second form besides a long sword?" Nol asked.
A long sword was a balanced choice; the second form would ideally be a "greatsword" or a "spear." The former was all about overpowering with weight, while the latter could confuse the enemy's perception of "combat distance".
"I've chosen," Teest said as the long sword vanished like a phantom. He raised his hand to show his partner the other form of the "Betrayer"—
A plain-looking small hunting knife; the blade was only as long as a palm.
Nol's lips twitched.
Such a small knife could hardly be considered a weapon. It was too short and only suitable for skinning, cutting meat, chopping twigs, or slicing vines. Using it for the "Betrayer's" attributes seemed like a cruel waste.
He didn't quite get Teest's gaming style. The guy was always scheming in battles but seemed even more relaxed than casual gamers at other times.
"My hunting knife always goes dull after skinning a few times." Teest caressed the "Betrayer" fondly, even trying it on his waist.
"Look, it suits me so well," he said with a smile.
Nol didn't have the time to respond. He was busy sorting through the loot. After regaining his physical form, his senses were much sharper. It was damp and cold here, and he was extremely fatigued, only having a moldy curtain covering him. The lower part of the curtain was soaked and felt heavy.
Fortunately, the rest of the loot wasn't hard to find. They were on the storage shelves near the throne.
He discovered a pot full of gold coins in a delicate ceramic jar, enough for them to spend lavishly for several years. Beside the jar was a box containing a few ancient pieces of jewelry. The blood-red gems shimmered against the gold, untouched by the passage of time.
Teest grabbed the "Betrayer" and quickly turned a darker-colored curtain into a bag—this pitiable person abandoned by "God" apparently couldn't deposit the money into the system. Weighing the heavy gold, Teest's expression was somewhere between happy and troubled.
Nol didn't stop his search. As a high-level hidden dungeon, the rewards couldn't be just money.
Sure enough, opening the armor closest to the throne, he found a notebook.
The notebook, roughly the size of a B5, was about five centimeters thick. Its pages were thick and yellowed with age, with a cover decorated with hard black scales. The corners of the notebook were wrapped in a dull silver metal, while the spine was embedded with a milky-white gem.
The environment was damp, causing the pages to warp slightly, exuding the unique bitter scent of old books.
[Lich Valdorlock's Research Notes: An ancient dragon-skin notebook, a precious legacy of the Dark Age. Lich Valdorlock claimed it and used a secret script to record his lifelong knowledge. This item is only to be turned in to the Temple of Life, where the contributor's intelligence attribute will permanently increase by 10%.
※First clear special reward. Only for holy professions.]
"Why is a lich's thing restricted to a holy profession?" Teest was a bit dissatisfied. They, being a Lich and a Fallen Knight, seemed to be the antithesis of holiness.
Maybe they should sell it.
As Teest pondered, he saw Nol place the notebook on the throne and conjure a fireball.
"…Why?!"
"Shh," Nol said. "Just watch."
In the flames, the notebook remained unscathed, with only faint black smoke coming out. Once the flames died down, Nol flipped through it—the pages were clean, with not a single word left.
"The writings have been burned off." Nol closed the notebook with satisfaction.
The notebook, made of dragon scale, dragon tooth, and dragon-skin paper, had edges inlaid with incredibly expensive ancient silver. The real value was the notebook itself. To him, the Lich's lifelong knowledge was as worthless as the wrapper of a chocolate bar.
He decided to keep it, not wanting to give it to that so-called Temple of Life.
Teest silently looked at the notebook—
[Dragon Corpse Notebook: A blank dragon-skin notebook, a precious relic of the Dark Age, made by an unknown craftsman. It has many uses. Please try them out at your leisure. Remember, do not let dragons see it.]
"I need this notebook. All the money is yours." Nol held the notebook close. "Actually, that's not enough. I'll think of a way to compensate you further."
"I don't mind. What do you plan to do with it?" Teest asked out of curiosity.
"I haven't decided."
"..."
The two chatted sporadically as they headed for the exit—a bright white halo appeared in the center of the main hall, swaying gently like the shadow of the moon in a pool.
Before leaving, Teest paused, looking in the direction where the Lich had disappeared.
"What's wrong?"
"It worshiped its master crazily," Teest mused. "Yet it didn't even know its master's name. It's a bit sad, isn't it?"
"…Perhaps."
'It's not the Lich's fault,' Nol thought. For the sake of simplification, these underground palaces were all owned by "nameless kings in the era of turmoil".
From the beginning, he never gave the Lich's master a name. How could the Lich remember something that didn't exist?
...
The mountain road was as challenging as ever. By the time they reached Three Forks Road Village, it was already two days later.
The small mountain village lay quietly in the mountains, surrounded by a clear blue sky and lush green meadows. The weather was perfect, and the wind carried the scent of grass and sunshine, relaxing anyone nearby.
"Big brother*! You're finally back!" As soon as Teest stepped into the village, a bullet-like shadow rushed at him.
*[Da Ge] (大哥) Term used to address an older male or someone with higher status or seniority. Depending on context, it could also refer to a gang leader or the boss of a group.
It was a chubby cute teenager with round brown eyes and a mop-like head of hair.
He also wore a gold earring in his left ear, another Player.
"Good afternoon, Bly." Teest dodged the flying teenager, who almost landed face-first.
Bly stood firm, cursing under his breath. He quickly noticed Nol and his gaze immediately focused on his left ear.
"Why did you bring an NPC back? There are NPCs out in the wilderness?" he exclaimed in astonishment. "Damn, this guy is handsome. His quest must be rare."
"He's right here. Don't be so blunt," Teest said.
"They don't care," Bly responded with a cheeky smile. "They only care about their own quests."
Teest shrugged, deftly changing the subject. "Where's Barto?"
"He's on a quest at the blacksmith's. We have to find some way to make a living," Bly said. "Actually, we both thought about leaving… Seriously, you won't come with us?"
"You guys are close. It'd be awkward with a stranger around. Besides, I have other places to go," Teest replied, avoiding mentioning the curse on him.
"But you're an expert!" Bly whined. "If Barto didn't want to join the guild, I'd definitely choose to cling to you. Boss, at least add me as a friend."
Teest just laughed. "My friend list is full. I'll add you first when there's a chance… Let's not talk about this for now. I need to find some clothes for our friend here."
"We're leaving tomorrow. At least let's have a meal together," Bly said with a dejected look.
"Sure."
This Bly seemed like a "normal Player" in Nol's impression, making him somewhat touched. Another Player would arrive tomorrow, perhaps offering a chance for help.
"By the way, the Temple of Life has been searching for Players like us. They offer quite a good deal," Bly shouted from behind. "Let's discuss it in detail at tomorrow's meal!"
Nol immediately shelved the idea of seeking help.
The Temple of Life is searching for Players? What does that mean?
It wasn't until Teest handed him a set of clothes that Nol snapped back to reality. He found himself in a small log cabin. The walls were made of logs, with a few wooden stools stacked against them. The floor was covered with gray pebbles, and two wooden buckets full of clean water sat nearby, with a cloth next to them for convenience.
"Before changing, we should probably wipe ourselves down." Teest pointed at the buckets. "There's no hot water here, but I guess a 'Lich' won't catch a cold."
Teest also held a stack of clean clothes. He put them down and began to strip, wringing out the wet cloth.
His movements were natural and relaxed, showing no awkwardness. Now, Nol was certain, this guy must also be male in real life.
Teest's body was well-proportioned, befitting the "Knight" class. But he had no scars, unlike real warriors. However, his clothes usually hid his physique, making him look less like a combatant.
Nol averted his gaze, and the two sat on separate stools, back-to-back, cleaning themselves.
"That guy just now is Bly. He came here with Barto and Latus. They were roommates before, very close,"
Teest chatted as they washed themselves.
"Latus is the strongest and left with a large team some time ago. Bly and Barto stayed here, perhaps because they're too young and not mentally prepared yet,"
Nol: "..."
Sorry, Bly. This "NPC" not only understands you but knows the jokes you're making—Lettuce, butter, and bread, right? Just missing a slice of ham*.
*Clarity: The joke here is their names. Bly (布莱) (bread/rye), Barto (巴托) (butter), Latus (拉图斯) (lettuce). See author's notes.
But he didn't miss the point. "Mentally prepared?"
Teest wrung out the water from his long hair. "Yeah, everyone faced an unexpected situation—no one can contact the outside world or go home."
Hopefully, it wasn't the rumored "disappearing logout button". Nol held back his questions and silently dressed.
"Anyway, they all left this place, hoping to try their luck elsewhere," Teest commented. "You know, that outfit suits you."
Nol had discarded the curtain robe he had worn before. Now, he wore a dark gray linen tunic and trousers similar to Teest's, and though the boots on his feet were worn, they were clean and odorless.
The realism of this mundane life was so strong that Nol almost forgot he was a "monster".
Teest quickly changed into his clothes. His outfit was similar to before, except that the small hunting knife around his waist had quietly been replaced with the "Betrayer".
"Given the troubles, it would be better to be with others, right?" Nol adjusted the creases of his clothes. "Yet, you stayed till the end."
"There are downsides to having too many people around." Teest smiled without continuing the topic.
That night, the two stayed at the farmhouse.
The owner of the farmhouse was Mrs. Petty, a tall and sturdy shepherdess. She had bright red hair and a striking hawkish nose, with freckles all over her face, which was always taut. It was rumored her husband was away doing business, leaving her and their young son—who was still in swaddling clothes and couldn't speak yet.
Her house was quite spacious, with many chores to do. Teest helped Mrs. Petty chop wood, cook, milk, and slaughter sheep. In exchange, she provided him with a permanent place to stay.
Teest's room was an empty space covered with straw, which was dry and soft to lie on. Seeing Teest bring someone else, Mrs. Petty just nodded without saying much.
"She might look fierce, but she's actually nice," Teest said before sleeping. "In the morning, there's sheep's milk, eggs, and smoked meat. As long as I cook well, she never minds how much I use."
He was right. The next morning, their plates were piled with fried eggs and smoked meat, and a big pot of hot sheep's milk with sugar was placed on the table. Mrs. Petty took her portion and went back to her room, usually eating beside her baby.
The fried eggs were soft and white, with the yolk perfectly solidified. The smoked meat, sprinkled with spices, had slightly charred edges, giving off an aromatic scent. Nol poured himself a glass of sheep's milk, feeling overwhelmed.
For the past few days, he had been busy controlling his glowing eyes, and Teest's beef jerky was awfully hard, leaving no appetite. Anyway, a Lich wouldn't die if they didn't eat, so Nol didn't eat at all. After his previous life as a will-o'-wisp, he had almost forgotten the joy of eating.
Having a physical body was wonderful. He hadn't tasted such delicious food in a long time.
Unfortunately, this good mood didn't last long—
As Nol forked a piece of fried egg, chewed it slowly, and took a sip of the rich and sweet sheep's milk, a system notification popped up in front of him.
[Heretical Devour [Beginner] has been activated. Successfully acquired the following skills—]
[Crowing: Passive skill. The user can sense sunrise and scream in the early morning.]
[Milk Production: After using, the user will quickly produce 200 mL of milk.]
[Do you want to save the above skills? [Saved skills: 0/3]]
Nol stared at the notification blankly as his fork clattered onto the table.
The author has something to say:
Certain skills are better left unlearned. If these are learned, this novel can't be posted on JJ…
Nol: This can be added to the top 3 terrifying events since my transmigration.
————