Chapter 15

Akara stood up and refilled my cup with the same drink.

"Come, don't be shy. If you like it, have more. This old woman doesn't have much else to offer you."

I responded and didn't hesitate, as the taste of this drink was truly excellent.

"By the way, Lady Akara, I heard that this is the only shop that sells magical items. What can I buy here?"

"Hehe, young man, you're so eager to go out and train?" Akara said with a smile, her eyes squinting.

"This old woman mainly sells some minor healing potions and magic potions, as well as some antidotes and dissolving agents." She paused and continued,

"However, young man, if your level is not high, it's best not to rush into buying them. Go to the Blood Moor to train first. The monsters there are generally not very powerful, and with some caution, you won't need to use these items. I suggest you try to use as few of these aids as possible, so you can better hone your skills."

Seeing Akara's earnest persuasion, if I hadn't played Diablo and known that this was the only magic item shop in town, I would have suspected that Akara was a spy for another magic item shop, trying to discourage me from buying anything here.

"Of course, we have two very important items that even new classes can use." Akara changed the subject, slowly stood up, and walked to a shelf, taking out two books, one blue and one red.

"I believe you have heard of these." She handed the two books to me. Although I had a pretty good idea what they were, I couldn't help but examine them carefully.

Scroll of Identify: 3/20

Scroll of Town Portal (short for Teleport): 3/20

"The Scroll of Identify is used to identify the attributes of blue or higher-quality equipment. The Scroll of Town Portal is even more important. When you are surrounded by monsters or lost, it can save your life. However, be aware that using the Town Portal requires a 30-second preparation time, and you cannot be interrupted during this time."

Akara explained these crucial points to me, making me break out in a cold sweat—affected by my previous gaming experience, I thought I knew everything. If not for Akara's explanation, I might have died without knowing why.

"This Town Portal is the only spatial magic left to us by our ancestors. The old wizards of the Mage Guild continue to explore based on this single magic..." Akara sighed.

I listened quietly to Akara's teachings, silently memorizing all the knowledge. Akara truly was a wise and learned leader. The experience she imparted far exceeded what the half-baked paladin Larl could offer. She explained many details, including the combination of spells, the casting time, cooldowns, how to escape from unbeatable enemies, how to buy time to use the Town Portal, the general terrain of the wilderness, how to navigate in the wilderness, how to find a suitable place to set up a tent, and how to identify the abilities of monsters. I was so engrossed that I wished I could engrave all this in my heart.

After several hours, Akara finally stopped, picked up her cup, and took a sip of the refreshing water.

"Ah, the water has gone cold. I didn't realize I had been talking for so long. Cold refreshing water doesn't taste good. Young man, wait a moment, I'll heat it up."

As if just realizing how much time had passed, Akara gave a apologetic smile.

"I'm really sorry for making you listen to this old woman's rambling. It must have been boring, right?"

"Not at all, I have truly benefited greatly." I quickly stood up to express my gratitude. I was genuinely impressed by Akara's magnanimity. She had clearly recognized me as a new class on the street and called me over to share her experience, without any hint of pride or expectation of gratitude. Her teaching, which she called rambling, was actually invaluable.

Perhaps it was because of her meticulous and patient guidance that most new classes survived their early days. No wonder almost all new classes respected her so much; she was like a legendary, ultimate version of a mentor.

I bowed deeply to Akara: "I am truly grateful for your teachings. If I can survive on the battlefield in the future, it will surely be thanks to you."

"That's enough, that's enough." Akara waved her hand kindly.

"I can't bear such a grand gesture. I just saw you looking idle on the street, and this old woman felt lonely, so I dragged you here to chat. It's just a mutual exchange, young man. You don't need to make me sound so great. This old woman can't take such praise."

As she spoke, Akara poured me another cup of hot refreshing water. Strangely, the refreshing water seemed to have a cooling effect only when hot; when cold, it tasted bland. This world was truly full of wonders.

"By the way, Lady Akara, here are the books." I handed the two books back to her.

"What? What are you returning?" Akara blinked her pale eyes at me, feigning surprise, making me feel a hint of conspiracy.

"Don't you know this old woman has a rule?"

What rule? I was taken aback. Why didn't the game have a sign for this? Blizzard was really not considerate.

"All items sold here are final, no returns."

"But, but I haven't bought them yet!"

"That's not my concern. Do you want to ruin this old woman's reputation, young man?" Akara said angrily, tapping her cane on the ground.

"Uh~ I'll keep them then." She was truly a skilled nun, with her eloquence and acting. What could I say? I would repay this respectable old lady in the future.

"By the way, Lady Akara, can you tell me more about the continent? My master and I used to live in a remote village, and he left early when I changed my class, so..."

Looking into Akara's clear, penetrating eyes, I mumbled. It was a strange feeling. Even though her eyes were blind, they seemed to have a greater presence, as if they could see through all lies. Could this be the power of the Great Eye?

I didn't know if Akara had noticed my lie, but the possibility was high. Even so, I had to continue the lie. My status as a穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which can be translated as "time traveler" or "穿越者" in English) was my biggest secret, and I absolutely couldn't tell anyone. Only this, absolutely not!

So, despite the possibility that Akara had already noticed, I continued my baseless lies, feeling helpless. For deceiving this old lady who had just imparted me with valuable experience, I could only sincerely apologize in my heart, hoping she could understand my predicament.

Akara listened quietly to my flawed explanation. After I finished, she said with a gentle, understanding voice.

"Is that so? That's quite an irresponsible teacher."

Seeing Akara's indifferent reaction, I felt even more ashamed, feeling no different from those heartless scammers who deceive old people.

Akara didn't seem to notice my regret. She seemed to have been drawn into another time and space by my questions. She opened the tent's canvas door and stood outside, her blind eyes exuding a faint aura of authority, even from behind me.

"Where should I start? To explain clearly, we might have to go back a very long time. I wonder if you have the patience to listen to this old woman's rambling."

I nodded vigorously, believing she could sense my movement even though she was facing away from me.

"About ten thousand years ago, the so-called War in Heaven, do you know about it?"

I nodded again. The war that left countless legends was something the big-mouthed Doug couldn't resist repeating on the road.

"The War in Heaven refers to a conflict that occurred ten thousand years ago when the heavens, which had always ruled over all things, split into two factions. Due to differing ideologies, these two factions fought each other. The losing side abandoned their glory as divine servants and fell to hell, renouncing their noble angelic status and calling themselves demons. They recruited forces in hell and launched a fierce attack on heaven, aiming to avenge their defeat. This conflict between heaven and hell, angels and demons, is known as the War in Heaven.

After the War in Heaven, God, the ruler of the entire world, seemed to have grown tired of the conflict. Since both the angels, who called themselves divine, and the demons, who called themselves evil, were his people, he didn't know which side to support. In the end, God's hand gently swept, separating heaven and hell, thus ending the War in Heaven.

At this time, the space separated by God gave birth to a new world, the Dark Continent."

Akara sighed and continued.

"God had lost interest in the angels and demons. They only engaged in intrigue and power struggles before him."

Hearing this, I drew a sharp breath. I realized that what Akara was telling me was not the widely known version in the Dark Continent. In the Dark Continent, angels, or gods, held a high status in people's hearts. They had once planned the sealing of the three prime evils, and now they guided countless new classes in their battle against the forces of hell. If Akara's words were to spread, even as the leader of the Rogue Encampment, she would likely face public skepticism.

I knew it wouldn't be that simple. There must be many hidden truths. I believed Akara's words were correct. After all, I had no good feelings towards those so-called angels and gods. Don't forget my status as a time traveler. If Akara had mentioned great immortals or primordial deities, I might have doubted, but as for those so-called gods and demons, I was too lazy to doubt them. My first thought was that these self-proclaimed gods and demons were the biggest scourge of the world.