Chapter 8: The Legend of the 'Black Sun'_1

Just as Double Leaf had said earlier, Motan logged in around nine in the evening and found that it was noon in the game. He spawned in a lane not far from where he had been disconnected, a mere two-minute walk from the camp.

Motan quickly made his way back to the base. The guard on duty was still the same bald Dwarf Soldier from the previous night. They didn't even ask for his military badge before letting him pass.

"Hey there, Hei Fan!" Members of the Fenrir squad were gathered, apparently deep in conversation. Upon seeing Motan, Ned quickly waved and called out, "Over here~"

Double Leaf was there too, apparently she logged in a bit earlier and was now blankly sitting in a corner.

Motan went over and greeted everyone before flashing a smile at Ned, "Reporting for duty. What's everyone discussing?"

"Uh, currently the topic of discussion is, between ogre girls and goblin girls, which one is more beautiful." Ned patted Motan's shoulder with a wry smile, "Crab and Sarah have different opinions on this."

Motan stiffly turned his head to look at the two of them...

"You lizard people will never understand the sexiness of those sharp teeth!" roared Crab, the dark-skinned Beastman warrior, his saliva flying.

"Indeed, I'm so glad I can't understand your worldview." scoffed the Lizardman Martial Monk, crossing his arms, "But can't you appreciate the charm of their petite size and large ears?"

Motan: "..."

We didn't partake in this low-level debate~" Genna came over leading Double Leaf by the hand. She shot a disdainful glance at the two engaged in the debate before turning to Motan with a mischievous smile. "But maybe you can give us your opinion~"

Without a moment's hesitation, Motan replied, "I think elf and human girls are more beautiful. Yeah, that's it."

"Hoh~ a crowd-pleaser!" Genna gave him a flirtatious look.

Double Leaf merely yawned languidly, "Don't expect me to be too impressed."

After a while, when the bizarre debate finally ended (Sarah knocked Crab down), Ned outlined the squad's discipline in detail for Motan. Everyone began to chat about unrelated topics.

After some casual conversation with the group as a roaming Priest, Motan learned some foundational knowledge about the world. Throughout this process, Double Leaf, a fellow player, didn't speak much. However, she secretly sent a friend request followed by a message expressing her admiration for his eloquence.

"You're really good at sweet talking~ You'd make an excellent underground party member," Double Leaf messaged. Motan took that as a compliment.

According to Ned, the autonomous army they were in was essentially of the Marshall Family's private force recognized by law.

Baft, the lord of the Marshal Territory, was the current head of the prestigious family. He was also one of the nine dukes of the Violet Empire in the southeast region of the Innocent Land, ruling over the family's capital, Mercury City, and over thirty other cities. The autonomous army is the bottom and most mixed part of his military force. The command had fewer numbers but more power than the Mercury Guard, Baft's Sword Knights, and the Ice Curtain Mage Squad. The autonomous army members were basically militia, but they were responsible for maintaining the basic peace within the territory and acting as cannon fodder in large scale battles.

"In short, we needed a job~" Ned shrugged, "At least the pay is stable here, and the risks are much lower than being a mercenary or adventurer."

Motan simply nodded. He didn't mind staying in this 'cannon fodder camp.' On the contrary, he thought that starting from a lower position and gradually progressing was a good thing in the early stages of the game. After all, the game's official website provided little intel, getting more answers from the random NPC in the field instead.

So, it is all good as long as you go with the flow.

"Alright, chat time is over." The Lizardman Martial Monk, Sara, glanced at the antique pocket watch on his neck and headed towards the camp's exit. "We have duty outside the city tomorrow, let's call it a day earlier."

Genna watched him leave and shook her head helplessly, "He's always been like that. I'm going back to my room to read~"

With that, she skillfully climbed up a towering, unknown tree nearby and soon disappeared amidst its lush, yellow leaves.

"She built a treehouse up there, said she couldn't stand the stench in our male dorms." Ned shrugged at Motan and added, "You can leave now. Meet here at seven in the morning for a routine patrol outside the city."

Motan laughed, "Understood, captain~"

Ned and Crab soon left too. The only ones left in the warm, open space next to the camp were Motan and Double Leaf.

"Come sit over here." The orange-haired female Mage beckoned lazily.