Volume 1 Chapter 15: Leisure Time

As the sky darkened, pale yellow lights flickered throughout Moonlight Town. Their glow cast a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere over the settlement. Elves disliked energy-based technology; these lights were actually glow insects drawn to coconut-scented plants.

The elves had planted these shrubs beside the roads and used them as decorative potted plants inside their wooden houses. This attracted the glow insects, creating a unique form of lighting. At bedtime, moving the potted plants outside the window plunged the room into immediate darkness.

Qin Lun lay quietly on his wooden bed, turning over the information Mafa Moliya had shared earlier in the evening.

On their way to see the inner structure of Moonlight Town — Academy Eiflit Bogg — Qin Lun had noticed many individuals from other Sapient Races. They walked with steady steps, carried sharp gazes, and bore various weapons. He’d originally assumed they were Apostles. But Mafa told him these were merely followers of senior Formal Apostles, similar to the little Goblin, Didi.

Senior Formal Apostles rarely lingered near the academy. Those with free time either sought entertainment in the middle district of Moonlight Town or rested in their rooms.

Since Apostles entered and left Other Worlds from roughly the same locations, and often emerged badly injured after missions, they feared ambushes. Just before departing for an Other World, they typically left the city, finding a secluded spot to make the transition.

Apostles were solitary figures. Even the Floating City, a place many felt a connection to, was treated only as a temporary stopover.

The Academy Eiflit Bogg Mafa mentioned was not only one of the Elven Race’s greatest Apostle academies, but renowned across all Shattered Starry Sky. This fame, however, applied only to the native races of Shattered Starry Sky, not the Apostles themselves!

The reason was simple, yet odd. The academy only taught knowledge for Probationary Apostles. It helped reduce casualties during their initial Otherworld Missions. For Formal Apostles, it held no value.

Many Sapient Races across Shattered Starry Sky had witnessed Apostles display devastating power. Yet they couldn’t fathom how humanoid beings could attain godlike or demonic combat prowess in mere years or decades.

Correspondingly, throughout history, no Apostle had ever taught native inhabitants of Shattered Starry Sky their martial skills or abilities. At most, they offered verbal pointers on a native’s own fighting techniques.

Apostles’ experiences in Other Worlds were treated as deep secrets. Not even the Floating City, often seen as a second home to them, could pry. Any attempt always resulted in the Apostle relocating to another Floating City. No compromises existed.

Much of the knowledge taught at Academy Eiflit Bogg stemmed from older Elven Great Sages. It was conjecture based on clues from Apostles’ actions, gear, and equipment. Only the elves’ extraordinarily long lifespans allowed such fragmentary knowledge to accumulate and pass down.

These guesses covered many areas: intelligence on Other Worlds, insights into Apostle combat techniques, details about Otherworld Missions, and more. However, lacking Apostles’ confirmation, the knowledge remained speculative. It offered helpful hints for the first few Otherworld Missions facing Probationary Apostles. For senior Formal Apostles, its usefulness was minimal.

…

Deep darkness appeared beneath Qin Lun. He felt utterly weak, sinking slowly. Then, a blurred dark figure appeared above him, extending a hand downward.

“Brother…”

“Thud! Thud! Thud!” Distant drum-like sounds seemed to echo. Instantly, the darkness and the figure vanished.

“Ah…” Qin Lun awoke with a shout, chest heaving rapidly. He sat bolt upright on the bed, covering his face with his hand, feeling it slick with cold sweat.

“Had that dream again… Joey, did you see her clearly?” Muttering, Qin Lun clambered out of bed. He pulled back the curtain at the head of his bed. Bright sunlight made him squint. Birdsong and floral scents floating in through the window gradually dispelled the gloom clinging to his heart.

“Thud! Thud! Thud!” The drumming noise from his dream sounded again, sharp and clear. Frowning slightly, Qin Lun realized it was actually knocking at his front door.

“Master, I’ll open it!” The knocking had also woken the young Goblin Didi, sleeping in the attic. After a day adjusting, the little fellow had settled into his role transition from Lu-Lu Tribe youth to Apostle servant.

“It’s you two?” After a quick wash, Qin Lun went downstairs to find Lin Feng and Little Lian visiting.

“Yup!” Little Lian responded with an unladylike yawn. Her large eyes were sleep-fogged and rimmed by faint dark circles after enduring a forced trip from Lin Feng. The events of recent days had crushed her worldview – shockwaves powerful enough to unsettle even her normally carefree attitude, resulting in rare insomnia.

“Well… Boss Qin Lun,” Lin Feng quickly plastered on a smile under Qin Lun’s querying gaze. “Little Lian and I wanted to go look around the town’s Exchange. Would you join us?”

While at the Lu-Lu Tribe camp, Lin Feng had chosen a magic bullet gun and a chopping knife. The old Goblin had even tossed in a soul power field gauge. But arriving at Moonlight Forest, Lin Feng found everything but the knife utterly useless.

The elves confiscated the magic bullet gun, only returning it outside the city. The soul power field gauge proved completely unnecessary. Moonlight Forest provided every Probationary Apostle with a soul field generator the size of a button. It was smaller, had greater range, clearer sound quality, and wasn’t some stiff robotic voice.

Naturally, many Probationary Apostles felt duped by the old chieftain. Yet there wasn’t much recourse. They could have chosen Lu-Lu Tribe ores or specialty goods instead. The few prisoners who picked ores or special items sold them for high prices at the Exchange.

“Shepherd” Hill was among the lucky ones. His chosen ores caught the eye of a Formal Apostle, earning him several grains of the Apostles’ common currency – Soul Power Crystals.

Luckily, though the Floating City confiscated their weapons and vehicles, it compensated them with Shattered Starry Sky currency. This allowed everyone to purchase other items at the Exchange.

Lin Feng sought Qin Lun out before going primarily from a deep sense of insecurity. He’d witnessed the leader of the elven guard, Mafa Moliya, treat Qin Lun noticeably better than other prisoners yesterday. Mafa’s attitude reflected the Floating City’s position. Bringing Qin Lun along might grant Lin Feng some advantage at the Exchange.

Qin Lun smiled faintly at Little Lian – she was clearly unaware she was being used as leverage. Still, he nodded. Mafa had mentioned yesterday that the Exchange offered truly spiritual weapons. Seeing what was available was worthwhile. However, these were mostly the lowest tier items: things like daggers, small knives, knuckle dusters. Their biggest advantage was being portable into Other Worlds. Their power level was basically no different from ordinary tools.

Usually only Probationary Apostles bought them. They were the only Apostle weapons purchasable with Dust Coins (Shattered Starry Sky’s standard currency). Formal Apostles considered them worthless junk; they’d rather grab a firearm freely in an Other World.

The Apostle Exchange in Moonlight Town was a two-story, fortress-like structure. Inside, several counters, resembling bank teller windows, stretched across the hall. Each was staffed by a young and beautiful Elven woman.

Lin Feng went straight to the counter and got a catalogue of items for sale. He and Little Lian flipped through it. Qin Lun, with Didi in tow, studied their surroundings. The little Goblin’s eyes darted everywhere. Well-rested, he now viewed everything in Moonlight Town with boundless curiosity.

In front of the transaction counters stood three rows of refined benches, crafted from logs. Their innovative shapes showed unique artistry, echoing the visual appeal typical of other Elven craftsmanship in Moonlight Forest.

“Hey! This thing…” Little Lian suddenly brightened, breaking into a thrilled smile.

Qin Lun glanced at the catalogue page she indicated. It displayed a greenish-yellow bird egg labeled ‘Feituo Egg’. The description explained that Feituos were two-legged land birds with vestigial wings. Their strong feet allowed swift sprints across varied terrains, resembling a mix between an Earth camel and an ostrich. Their only flaw was their small size – a Feituo could carry only a single rider.

An idea sparked in Qin Lun’s mind. He asked, showing a slight smile, “Were the Feituo eggs among your compensation from the Lu-Lu Tribe?”

“Yep! I have two!” Little Lian stuck out her nose a little proudly. “I’m going to raise them and sign a contract as bonded creatures so I can take them into Other Worlds!”

Qin Lun checked the price listed below the Feituo eggs and chuckled. “By the time that happens… I’d suggest selling the Feituo eggs to the Exchange. They’re offering five Soul Power Crystals. That’s actually useful for you right now.”

“Really?” Little Lian scrunched her face doubtfully, genuinely torn.

Beside her, Lin Feng clenched his jaw hard, consumed by jealousy. He knew Little Lian had likely picked the specialty Feituo eggs on Qin Lun’s advice. But that realization also brought a wave of helplessness. He didn’t dare get close to Qin Lun like that naive Little Lian did. Who knew when the Serial Killer would vanish and Joey Foster would surface again? If that happened, Qin Lun might just shove them under the bus.

“Noble guests! We’ve finally located you three!” An Elven guard hurried in from the Exchange entrance. “Academy Eiflit Bogg’s classes are about to commence. Please attend…”

“We’re heading there now!” Qin Lun’s gaze sharpened. Academy Eiflit’s curriculum taught essential survival knowledge for Probationary Apostles heading into Other Worlds. For them, this was the absolute priority at the moment.