According to Lewan's memories, this town was situated on the outskirts of the Land of Chaos. If they kept moving, the two of them would soon be able to leave the Land of Chaos. Afterward, all they had to do was cross the Endless Sea to reach human territory.
Moreover, once they boarded a ship to cross the sea, she would be able to see the World Tree piercing straight through the skies! Fangsheng recalled these memories, feeling a surge of curiosity about the World Tree from Wang Ming's writings.
Sensing the town ahead, Lewan was filled with excitement and urged Fangsheng to hurry inside.
Upon entering the town, there were no cliché guard inspections like those found in fantasy novels; instead, there were only hostile gazes from the people around them. These stares made Lewan somewhat uncomfortable, so she moved closer to Fangsheng and took the initiative to hold his hand.
At that moment, a tall figure blocked their path. Staring at Fangsheng, the man let out a sinister laugh: "Heh, kid, you can't enter the town without paying the toll!"
True to the Land of Chaos, someone was extorting travelers in broad daylight on the main road.
Fangsheng glanced at the man, sensing no warning signals from his body. Realizing the man posed no threat whatsoever, he shielded Lewan, pushed the man aside with his other hand, and continued walking forward.
The man was stunned after being shoved, seemingly astonished that this unassuming kid dared to refuse him. Then, turning around in a fit of rage and humiliation, he roared: "Kid! You..."
Before he could finish his words, a piercing whistle ripped through the air. The longsword in Fangsheng's hand cleared its scabbard, its tip pointing straight at the man's throat. If the man took even one step forward, the blade would pierce his windpipe.
With one hand shielding Lewan and the other holding the sword, Fangsheng said coldly: "Get lost!"
The man lifted his chin, cold sweat dripping from his forehead, and instinctively took a few steps back. Although the person before him looked like a young man in his early twenties, the aura he exuded was definitely not something someone of that age should possess!
Intimidated, the man immediately pleaded for mercy: "Big brother, it was my fault for offending you. I'm leaving right now!"
"Want to leave? Leave your life-buying money behind before you go!" Fangsheng barked. Hearing this, the surrounding onlookers caught sight of the embroidery on the robe worn by the woman shielded at his side, and the corners of their mouths twitched violently.
People from the Radiant Church?! Don't people from the Radiant Church all preach human kindness and virtue? How could they pull off something like this?
The panic in the man's eyes shifted in an instant. He pulled a cloth bag from his bosom and handed it toward Fangsheng, but just as he was about to pass it over, he violently hurled the bag at Fangsheng and tried to grab Lewan from Fangsheng's arms to use her as a hostage.
The man was fast, but Fangsheng was even faster. Lord Nameless's combat instincts had kept him on guard against the fellow all along. The moment the man made his move, Fangsheng tilted his head slightly to dodge the flying bag, and then thrust his longsword forward with blinding speed, piercing straight through the man's heart!
Everything happened in the flash of a spark. The onlookers only saw a cold gleam of light, and before the man could even let out a moan, he collapsed to the ground, a massive pool of blood gushing from his wound.
"Moss just died like that?"
"Such a fast sword!"
...
The sword-wielding knight used the dead man's corpse to wipe away the blood, then swept his sharp gaze over the surrounding crowd, as if sizing up his next prey.
Under the circumstances, anyone with eyes could tell that this pair was not to be trifled with. They withdrew their malicious gazes, and quite a few people quietly slipped away upon realizing there was nothing to be gained.
Seeing the onlookers subdued by his display of making an example of the chicken to scare the monkeys, Fangsheng was quite satisfied. He picked up the bag from the ground and left this place of trouble.
Yet there was one thing he couldn't figure out: why had the man, who had already caved and begged for mercy, suddenly lashed out with such suicidal fury? People in the Land of Chaos couldn't possibly be this stupid—why throw your life away when you couldn't beat your opponent?
The surrounding crowd gradually dispersed as well, leaving behind the still-warm corpse of the man.
Before long, a squad of armored soldiers arrived at the scene. They efficiently disposed of the corpse and washed away the bloodstains, not a single person making a sound throughout the entire process—an eerie, chilling silence.
Having left the trouble zone, Fangsheng and Lewan inquired about the location of the town's inn and headed straight for it.
Along the way, Lewan cautiously sensed her surroundings before asking in a whisper, "Brother Fang, weren't you scared just now?"
Fangsheng shook his head. Whether in his past life or the present, killing just now was his very first time, yet he had remained as calm as if he were crushing an ant!
The influence of Lord Nameless... Viewed this way, the role provided by this identity was indeed immensely useful.
A beginner's package for a Level 5 world was truly fantastic—not only did it enhance physical fitness, but it also came with a flawless, pre-arranged identity.
Those with better luck might even step directly into transcendence right off the bat. Thinking of this, Fangsheng glanced at Lewan; this girl was awfully lucky.
Still... never mind, he would ask her tonight. Watching Lewan, Fangsheng thought to himself.
"Brother Fang, are you alright?" A melodious voice rang out. Fangsheng snapped out of his thoughts to see Lewan looking at him with deep concern.
Sensing her worry, Fangsheng chuckled softly and said, "I'm fine, just drifted off for a second."
"Alright. But Brother Fang, if you have something on your mind, you have to tell me, okay? You can't bottle it up!" Sensing her words might sound ambiguous, Lewan hurriedly added, "I—I am your Witch! Helping Lord Nameless is my responsibility."
Fangsheng smiled faintly. She was certainly getting into character quickly.
At that moment, a blond cat-eared girl dressed in a plain robe that revealed her fair upper chest blocked their path.
Fangsheng looked the cat-eared girl up and down with a strange expression. If an outfit like this appeared in the real world, wouldn't all those cat-girl enthusiasts lose their minds?
Meeting their gazes, the cat-eared girl executed a proper bow and said modestly, "Excuse me, my master would like to meet the two of you."
Then, turning to Fangsheng, she added, "Lord Nameless, if you are interested in us, you may let my master know. My master will definitely present you with a slave."
Beastmen in this world were considered lower-class, half-breeds. Most races discriminated against these freaks who were neither fully human nor beast, which resulted in the majority of beastmen ending up as slaves and laborers.
Hearing this, Fangsheng's expression shifted entirely. Of course, it wasn't because of the cat-eared slave offer, but rather because of how she had addressed him.
"How did you see through my identity?" Fangsheng asked, voicing his doubt.
The cat-eared girl smiled faintly and pointed at Lewan standing beside Fangsheng. Taken aback by the sudden mention, Lewan blinked in bewilderment, pointed a finger at herself, and asked a cute question: "Me?"
The cat-eared girl nodded and explained to them, "This Witch's black robe already gives it away. In the Radiant Church, only the Witches of Lord Nameless wear robes like that."
So that was it. But seeing through it was fine anyway; after all, Lords Nameless weren't reviled and detested professions like Necromancers.
On the contrary, under the territory of the human Empire, Lords Nameless were quite well-received—after all, they were revered spirits who had sacrificed themselves during the Empire War.
The cat-eared girl asked again, "Lord Nameless, will you accept my master's invitation?"
Fangsheng and Lewan exchanged glances and ultimately decided to go meet the person the girl referred to as her master.
A smile blossomed on the cat-eared girl's face as she said gently, "That's wonderful! But the two of you don't need to worry, my master is a very kind person." Hearing this, a flash of distrust crossed Fangsheng and Lewan's minds. A kind person in the Land of Chaos? Pah! Not even a dog would believe that!
Fangsheng and Lewan followed the cat-girl toward her master's residence. Along the way, the cat-eared girl chattered on, introducing her master to them.
Of course, the two of them didn't believe a single word the cat-eared girl said; after all, what kind of friendly, polite saint could possibly survive in a place like this?
Finally, after enduring what felt like ten minutes of nearly proselytizing praise from the cat-eared girl, the two finally arrived at her master's dwelling.
It was a two-story mansion built entirely from bluestone bricks, giving it a minimalist and elegant appearance. However, what drew attention wasn't the architecture itself, but the intricate patterns carved by the master of the mansion across all those bluestone bricks.
Just as Fangsheng stared fixedly at the patterns, Lewan tugged at his sleeve. Sensing Fangsheng turn his head to look at her, Lewan whispered in Chinese: "Fangsheng, this is a magic array!"