Prelude: February Fourteenth_1

AD 2050, Spring

A full year, two months, and fourteen days have passed since the release of [Realm of Innocence].

This VR game may not stand out for its novelty, but it has ferociously shattered the market and amassed a fanbase of millions. It has penned countless tales and legends in the land of 'Innocence' over numerous nighttime quests.

The game is hosted at night because of its quirky feature of only being playable during sleep mode. This has caused significant disgruntlement among hardcore players, yet miraculously ensured their physical health…

February 14th, one AM.

[Connection established, loading character information]

[Welcome back, virtuous Mor. You are about to enter the Realm of Innocence. Goodnight.]

...

The southwest of the Innocence Continent—Pamira Harbor

Motan appears on a bench. Thanks to system interference, no one will detect his abrupt arrival for three seconds. This is one of the few differences between players and NPCs in the game.

"So it's Valentine's Day..." He moved his shoulders a little, and then sighed slightly. "I could hang out with someone, but if I can't resist the temptation, that would be trouble. I think it's better to spend my time here. Hmm, today I will explore the Shadow Maze again..."

Just to clarify, when Motan mentioned 'if I can't resist,' he didn't mean that he might do something inappropriate to someone of the opposite sex; it was due to other circumstances. Don't worry; no matter how much you missed the introductions, these circumstances will soon be explained.

"Hey, why is our esteemed knight daydreaming here?" A crisp pleasant voice behind Motan interrupted his thoughts.

Motan quickly turned his head around and saw nothing...

"Hey! Are you implying I've stopped growing for over a decade?" A slightly freckled dwarf girl jumped on the spot and complained, "Couldn't you lower the angle of your head when you turn around?"

Motan apologized to the girl with a smile, shrugging and saying, "Sorry, Mulu, but if Moore had greeted me instead of you just then, I would've suffered permanent psychological trauma by not lowering my vision a tiny bit."

"Huh!" Mulu, the dwarf girl, hummed ominously, her fingertips flickering with threatening arcane energy. "So, you're saying I sound like that slovenly, muscle-brained, slow-reacting, directionally challenged cyclops Moore!?"

Faced with this typically embittered yet lawful-good Dwarf Female Warlock, Motan surrendered immediately, apologizing for his previous careless comments.

"I saw you organizing your gear earlier. Where are you heading to?" A placated Mulu sat down next to Motan, sipping on her suspicious-colored reagent while asking textually.

Motan casually took out a piece of parchment. On it was a hastily sketched half-map. "I plan to go to the Shadow Maze again."

"For God's sake, Mor! It's a miracle you came back alive last time!" Mulu exclaimed. "You've only been back for a few days, and you're already heading back to that damn place!"

At this point, Motan had already put the map away and checked that his Healing Potion, Magic Scrolls, Miracle Badge, and the heavy flail were all in their designated places. He nodded, "Yes, I have to go."

"For... little Dick?" Mulu asked softly, her voice a mix of emotion, self-loathing, admiration, and reticence.

Motan nodded.

Little Dick was an ordinary dwarf boy living in Pamira Harbor. His family were average blacksmiths, and Motan's relationship with them was simple; they had once repaired his armor. Recently, however, he had repeatedly risked his life delving dozens of miles into the Shadow Maze in an attempt to find a dried leaf flower that reportedly cures blood rot disease.

Even other players and NPCs, who also belonged to the league of Lawful Good, wouldn't do such a thing. After all, there's a vast difference between being good and being a pushover.

At least, Mulu wouldn't.

However, Motan, or Mor in the Realm of Innocence, did. And he did it not just willingly, but without expecting any reward.

Mor was a good person in every sense of the word. He was chivalrous, polite, benevolent, fair, brave, and compassionate. Everyone who knew him would give the same assessment, without a shade of doubt.

"Take this." Mulu, silent for a moment, suddenly handed him a beautiful, small staff and shook her short legs hanging in mid-air. "I can't risk my life for a stranger, but I can give something nice to someone who is unbelievably kind."

Motan took it and glanced down.

[Mulu's Protection Staff (3/3)]

Quality: Excellent

Requirement: Lawful Good Faction