A faint trace of confusion rose in Sylvia’s blue eyes. “Where is your mentor?”
“If you agree, you’ll be my trainer,” Wu Yao replied, blinking at her.
Sylvia realized that the witch in front of her didn't seem to understand her meaning, so she had to explain more clearly.
“I mean the Mentor who guides you newborn witches.”
Wu Yao was even more bewildered, wondering if she had somehow skipped a part of the storyline. “What?”
Sylvia raised her hand. A faint, almost invisible silver halo rippled out from her fingertips, causing a translucent silver brand to emerge from Wu Yao’s forehead.
Its shape was hard to make out clearly, but a curved outline could be vaguely discerned, resembling a crescent moon, yet also looking like some kind of simplified branch.
She let out a sigh of relief, but then fell back into confusion. “You clearly have a Moonlight Brand on you. How could you not know your own Mentor?”
“What is a Moonlight Brand?”
This was the first time Wu Yao had met someone who knew so much about witches, so she bombarded her with questions. “Does every witch have a Mentor? Is the Moonlight Brand left behind by a Mentor? How do I find out who my Mentor is?”
Sylvia stopped her from speaking, nursing a growing headache.
Witches valued heritage even more than elves did, and they never neglected newborn witches. However, over the past century, their heritage had withered away, making newborn witches with proper lineages a rare minority.
But since she had a Moonlight Brand, she ought to have a Mentor. This was a unique protection ritual that witches bestowed upon their chosen young ones; it couldn't possibly appear out of nowhere.
“When did you become a newborn witch?” After pondering, Sylvia felt she had to start by investigating Wu Yao herself.
Wu Yao had no concept of time in the game. To her, days were measured by quest progress and experience bars; information like the exact date had never been within her scope of concern.
This was her first time enabling the system's time display in the settings. A line of translucent small text floated in the middle of the menu.
Today was Day 20 of the Golden Ear Month.
She recalled a feature she had long forgotten, opening her Log and flipping back to the exact moment she had opened her eyes in this world.
“Day 9 of the Golden Ear Month,” she read the date from the Log, then tilted her head to calculate. “Anyway, it’s been about eleven days.”
“You’re saying you only awakened eleven days ago?”
Sylvia’s expression grew even more solemn.
By the Moon Goddess, she had lived for over eight hundred years, yet this was the first time she had ever seen a newborn witch of only eleven days capable of using such devastatingly powerful magic.
“Well, that was the day I logged into the game anyway.”
Wu Yao flipped through the system Log. This feature, which had been completely empty when she first opened it, now contained quite a bit of content.
She tapped on the entries labeled 【Daily Report】 in the Log. These entries were generated right at midnight every day, but she had never bothered to open them before.
Who would look through their Log for no reason? The system would pop up notifications for important alerts anyway.
She casually opened one.
【Territory Management Daily Report • Day 19 of the Golden Ear Month】
【Territory Level: Lv.1】
【Territory Shield: 100/100】
【Territory Prosperity: 60】
【Territory Buildings: Cabin × 1, Farmland × 10】
【Resource Changes】
【Output: None】
【Consumption: None】
【Warehouse Balance: Moon-Silver Wood × 821, Stone × 10, Iron Block × 20, Glass × 20, Rotten Flesh × 273...】
【Residents: 0】
【Visitors: 0】
【Event Log: During the day of Day 19 of the Golden Ear Month, the Territory Shield was attacked by corrupted creatures. The attack lasted for 7 minutes, and the Territory Shield fell to 78. During the night of Day 19 of the Golden Ear Month, the Territory Shield recovered.】
【Notes】
【1. The territory lacks diverse facilities. If you wish to recruit Residents, please construct the territory in advance.】
【2. Unknown pollution has been detected in the Farmland. It is recommended to purify it as soon as possible.】
【3. The territory lacks defensive structures. It is recommended to build walls, watchtowers, and other facilities to deal with monster attacks or hostile force invasions.】
【4. Storing Rotten Flesh for too long may cause rot to spread. Please handle it as soon as possible.】
Wu Yao quickly took the food out of her Inventory to inspect it. After confirming everything was normal, she put it back. Fortunately, the smell didn't transfer between the slots in her Inventory.
In addition to the Territory Management Daily Report, there was also a Reputation Settlement Report.
Wu Yao remembered that her reputation values fluctuated slightly every day, sometimes rising and sometimes falling. She had no idea how the game calculated it, so she had never paid much attention to it.
So there was actually a dedicated report for it.
【Reputation Settlement Report • Day 19 of the Golden Ear Month】
【Current Reputation Summary】
【Mage Association: Hostile (-400)】
【Demon Hunting Association: Cold (-80)】
【Holy Empire of Atoranca: Cold (-120)】
【Path of the Silver Moon: Revered (600)】
【Goblin Chamber of Commerce: Friendly (100)】
【Detailed Settlement Records Below】
【Mage Association Reputation Events】
【Killed Corey, a registered apprentice of the Mage Association. Reputation -20】
【Killed Mid-Tier Mage Giles. Reputation -100】
【Killed Mid-Tier Mage Modi. Reputation -80】
【Severely injured Official Mage Evan. Reputation -100】
【Mage Association Headquarters issued a kill order. Reputation -200】
What kind of Mage Association was this? They were so hot-tempered and narrow-minded. She hadn't even done much, yet they were already Hostile.
Wu Yao shook her head. On the other hand, she found it quite unbelievable that she had 600 reputation with the Path of the Silver Moon, an organization she had never even interacted with.
She scanned the recorded reputation events at a glance, stopping at the very last line.
【Path of the Silver Moon member Sylvia believes you are a good person. Reputation +50】
Huh?
Wu Yao vaguely recalled Tiechui and Tongque saying that the Path of the Silver Moon was an organization of witches. How did an elf manage to get mixed up in it?
Since she couldn't figure it out, she decided to ask directly. Wu Yao nudged Sylvia, who had frozen in place for some reason, and asked curiously, “How were you able to join the Path of the Silver Moon?”
Sylvia snapped out of it. Looking at Wu Yao's nonchalant expression, she felt a bit strange.
“Did you say something just now?”
She felt as though she had heard Wu Yao speak, but when she tried to recall it carefully, she couldn't remember what she had said.
“Yes, I did. I asked how you were able to join the Path of the Silver Moon.” Wu Yao suspected this elf was hard of hearing.
Sylvia wanted to press further, but after a brief moment of daze, she only remembered to answer the question. “Elves and witches have been partners since ancient times. Since witches were betrayed by humankind, how could we simply stand by and watch?”
Wu Yao stared into Sylvia’s clear, pure blue eyes, her mind racing with various thoughts.
This was an elf who had lived for over eight hundred years; she was bound to have many unique qualities.
Judging by those hands alone—slender yet strong, with calluses on her fingertips—they were clearly the hands of someone who gripped a bow or a sword.
Appraisal had only revealed a portion of her skills. There had to be even more extraordinary things about this elf.
“Since elves and witches have been partners since ancient times—”
Wu Yao approached her with a grin, drawing out her words.
She was so close to Sylvia that she could clearly see the shadows cast by her eyelashes. “It shouldn't be too much to ask for a favor between partners, right?”
Rate on N.U.
