Heart of Canaan

Introduction

Chapter 1 Half an Apple

Hanging the character at the Bartow Inn in Everdark Town, Xiao Fen quickly logged out of the game. The game was indeed exciting, but after all, the body is the capital of revolution. Calculating that he hadn't had a decent meal in days, today just happened to be the day he completed that cursed job quest, so he was in a good mood. While his game character was resting at the inn to recover stamina, he decided to go out and buy some ingredients to make a nice meal for himself, treating himself a bit, and then have a good sleep to ensure he was in top shape for maximum efficiency.
As soon as he logged out, before he could even organize his thoughts, the communicator outside the health pod started buzzing loudly. He frowned and took a closer look at the number on the communicator; it was the landlord uncle's. He quickly answered the call.
Xiao... Xiao Fen? The landlord uncle's chubby face instantly appeared on the screen. Xiao Fen smiled slightly, thinking that the uncle had gained some weight again recently, but he still looked as cheerful as ever.
The landlord's surname was Liu, nicknamed Uncle, and he was a pretty nice guy, taking good care of him and his troublesome friend. However, his only flaw was that he could be a bit long-winded.
Uncle, it's me. What's up? Xiao Fen never turned on the video connection on his side of the communicator, and the uncle had nagged him about it several times, saying it was very impolite... but later, seeing that he was 'stubbornly unrepentant,' the matter was dropped.
Xiao Fen, do you remember what I told you about the new roommate last time?
Uncle... Xiao Fen rubbed his forehead helplessly. This is the third time this week... I can almost recite what you've said. Next, are you going to say: 'Make sure to clean your room to give the new roommate a good impression'?
Hehe! The uncle's face turned slightly red for once, but he immediately exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, Ah, today's young people really... don't know how to respect their elders. The world is going downhill, and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be!
... Xiao Fen was speechless.
Alright, let's get to the point... Have you been playing a game called 'Something Something South' recently? The uncle's expression became serious as he asked.
Jia-Nan! Xiao Fen shook his head helplessly, having to correct him word by word. Is this what you call getting to the point?
Well... sort of. Are you playing it too? What's your name? What class? Where are you from? The uncle paused for a moment before throwing out a barrage of questions.
Huh? Xiao Fen was confused. In his impression, the uncle didn't seem to be very into games. Although there were plenty of middle-aged and even elderly people in online games nowadays, the uncle had never shown any interest in that area, right? Could this game be that attractive?
Xiao Fen? Are you still there? Answer my questions!
I'm... here! Although Xiao Fen usually didn't like to reveal his gaming situation to outsiders, the uncle had taken care of him for years, even helping him out in the beginning, so he couldn't bear to refuse or deceive this chubby uncle.
...In the game, I'm called Palen, a mage, and I was born in Everdark Town, which is located at the Star Lake near the mouth of the Glass River in the Quiet Bay!
Ah... ah, wait a moment, let me jot that down...
After a brief pause, Xiao Fen curiously asked, Uncle, are you playing this game too?
Ah! Me? No, I mean, yes, I am playing, so I just wanted to ask... Alright, that's it. Xiao Fen, take care of yourself. Goodbye, bye... slap! The uncle unusually hung up the call first, leaving Xiao Fen stunned again; today was indeed full of oddities.
Looking at the now dark communicator screen, Xiao Fen shrugged in confusion and left his room.
...
The night breeze gently swept through the small woods, slightly bending the soft branches and creating a rustling sound in the darkness. The hills along the coast of the Quiet Bay in the night appeared particularly mysterious, with the winding Glass River slowly flowing into the western Quiet Sea along its unchanged path for a thousand years, just as it was a thousand years ago, and just as it would be a thousand years later.
The sky was filled with stars belonging to various deities, while the clear Star Lake in the south mirrored these constellations perfectly on its broad surface, the shimmering reflections under the starlight radiating the most dazzling brilliance, which is also the origin of the Star Lake's name.
Unlike the towns in the north, Everdark Town in the south did not enforce a curfew at night, and many players still crowded the dock area of the town to watch the wonders of Star Lake. Although some players had been in the game for nearly a month, according to the game's time, it meant they had spent almost half a year (1:10 time ratio), transitioning from the gentle spring to the scorching summer, the only constant being the lake's mystery and beauty. Especially for some new players entering the game, the night by Star Lake was the scenery they adored the most.
Watching the tranquil night scene from the noisy dock area might spoil the view a bit, but no one had the thought of enjoying the night scenery in the wild. The nights outside the Shak Tai Men continent represented horror and death. It was remembered that when the game first opened, many couples went out to enjoy the night scenery, only to find several cold corpses the next day. The game's death penalty was extremely severe; at the start of the game, each new character was assigned five Tears of Angel stones, which were non-tradable, non-droppable, non-stealable, and non-discardable. One Tears of Angel stone allowed a dead character to resurrect at the nearest temple without loss. If a player used up all their Tears of Angel stones and died again, their character would effectively disappear from this world, and to continue playing, they would have to start over. Of course, starting over would still grant them another five Tears of Angel stones.
However, according to official information, Tears of Angel stones and similar items could be obtained through various means in the game, but it was obvious that they were definitely rare items.
Those traveling in the wild at night were either fools or brave souls, and clearly, there weren't many of either—there was a saying in the game.
Under the night sky, Everdark Town had increased its security, with patrolling guards around the 20-foot wooden walls, their sharp eyes scanning any creatures within 100 yards of the walls, including a small figure just arriving at the east gate of Everdark Town—a halfling player.
The short halfling wore a gray-brown cloak that covered his entire body, but in the shadow beneath the cloak were a pair of incredibly lively eyes. He looked up at the sturdy wooden gate of Everdark Town, a playful expression in his eyes, and a thin smile appeared on his lips. He gently patted the sheathed short sword slung at his side and muttered, Everdark Town, huh? Seems like a nice place... but traveling at night is really damn creepy!
The night grew deeper...
...
When Xiao Fen logged back in, it was already three days later in game time. Looking out through the sturdy wooden window from the inn's bed, he was surprised to find that the weather today was unusually good. Perhaps it had rained yesterday, as the sky was clear, the sunlight was much softer, and the leaves outside were a vibrant green, rustling pleasantly in the gentle breeze, lifting his spirits.
A few steps down to the inn's ground floor, Xiao Fen confirmed his observation. Apart from a few young bards, there were hardly any peers in the inn; most were middle-aged uncles and elderly men leisurely enjoying this rare tranquility in wooden chairs.
It must have cooled down after the rain, and everyone is rushing to do quests and level up, he thought. Since modern people mostly lived in temperature-controlled cities, very few could stand the rising heat of summer in the game. If it were a few days ago, the inn would have been filled with players escaping the heat.
Since entering the game, Xiao Fen had mostly been staying at this inn, and the regular players there were quite familiar with him. As soon as he came downstairs, several players raised their glasses to him, and he smiled and nodded in response.
Hey! Little guy, the day before yesterday... oh no! The day before the day before yesterday, I heard from that little girl Meika that you were back. Worth celebrating! Bartow, the innkeeper, was an NPC but also a friend to all the regulars at the inn. There were rumors in town that Bartow was a highly skilled martial artist, but those who knew him would just laugh it off, as Xiao Fen could never believe that this middle-aged uncle with a beer belly could be a hero.
Celebrating what? Xiao Fen was slightly taken aback.
Hey, a brave one who can trek in the wild for three days straight! Your deeds have spread all along the shores of Star Lake! Hahaha! Uncle Bartow shouted in an exaggerated yet hearty tone, Let's cheer for our little guy! Cheers! He wiped his mouth with a big gulp of beer.
Cheers!
Cheers! A chorus of cheers erupted in the inn, or perhaps it was more of a raucous uproar, as NPC staff and players mingled together.
Chatty Meika! Xiao Fen's face turned slightly red. He knew that the girl next door must have spilled the beans about him. Meika was also an NPC, but she wasn't as famous among the town's players as the innkeeper and the rumor-spreading Bartow. Meika was a charming 16-year-old girl who sometimes played the role of a barmaid here. Only the regulars at Bartow's inn would be familiar with this girl with big eyes and a few light freckles on her face.
Have a drink! A little beer in the morning is good for your health! Bartow cheerfully pushed a glass of beer in front of Xiao Fen.
Although mages had to keep their minds clear at all times, Xiao Fen thought that having a little drink occasionally wasn't a bad thing. He smiled and nodded, teasingly saying, God knows I just ran back and forth for three days to save on ferry fees! A warrior? Give me a break!
Who cares! Come on! Cheers to health!
Cheers to health! Xiao Fen smiled softly in response, gently clinking his wooden cup against Bartow's.
To health! Bartow suddenly raised his voice and shouted heartily.
Cheers! The inn erupted into laughter again...
Stepping out of the inn, Xiao Fen squinted slightly to adjust to the suddenly bright light, deeply sighing at the game's level of realism.
Ahem, sir! A sudden greeting interrupted Xiao Fen's thoughts. He looked around, suddenly realizing he couldn't find the source of the voice.
In fact, I'm right in front of you! the voice said again. Xiao Fen then amusingly locked his gaze on the 'little guy' in front of him, who was less than half his height. To be honest, he still had trouble distinguishing between halflings and gnomes since he had just entered the game not long ago.
The 'little guy' had a pair of shiny eyes that kept darting around, as if he was always thinking of some clever ideas. He wore a cloak that was so large it almost dragged on the ground, and the hood of the cloak was pushed back, revealing a messy head of hair. Xiao Fen recognized that cloak; it was the mark of the Thieves' Guild, just like the wizard badge issued by the Mage Association. Thieves used their cloaks to identify each other. He also noticed the color of the other person's hair and irises—black.
Are you the Palen the mage? the little guy asked.
Uh? Xiao Fen smiled. How do you know?
The little guy pointed to the apprentice badge on Xiao Fen's chest and said softly, I have 10 points in my document interpretation skill. Although it's not very high, it's enough to notice something like this!
Xiao Fen was slightly taken aback. The wizard apprentice badge on his chest had been cast with a spell equivalent to an invisibility 'Mystic Mark,' which could be used to identify one's identity. The senior officials of the Mage Association had only told him that this mark could be interpreted with magic, but he had never heard of thieves having skills to interpret magical texts.
Interesting! Do you need something from me?
Yes, of course, very much so! The little guy grinned slyly, as if he had thought of something very amusing. My name is 'Half an Apple,' and I'm member number 00745331 of the Thieves' Guild. Uh, simply put, my profession is a thief!
In fact, I'm quite skeptical about your race.
I'm a halfling. Although many people think I look a lot like a gnome, I am indeed a halfling! The little guy smiled brightly, showing his white teeth.
Alright, I'm just about to go to the Mage Association to handle some business... turn in a quest. Let's talk while we walk, Xiao Fen suggested.
Very willing!