Chapter 7: The carriage, horse, and mail are all slow

Finally, Masso, who had withdrawn his attention from the mural, walked into the chapel. He knelt on the mat designated for the worshippers and, with reverence, took out the wooden box in front of the statue of the Storm Lord, which glimmered with specks of white light, and after placing it on the ground, he retrieved the pair of gauntlets.

The third mural depicts two battle-worn round shields and two medieval-style one-handed dwarven axes, along with a long-barreled musket—this is the equipment of the two dwarven shieldbearers and the musketeer Vasily from the Dragon and Beauty team. The dwarves, who belonged to a dwarven warband, fought alongside a unit of the Order of the Most Virtuous Paladins in the final battle to protect the legendary Prince Sop, a Most Virtuous Paladin, as he purified the Holy Cathedral of Ashubi. All of them perished in battle. Before the fight, the dwarves were all blessed with holy water, and the vast majority of them were ultimately returned to the Sacred Shieldbearers' Cemetery at Dragonclaw Fortress for burial. However, Meng Jinglei, An Zai, and Vasily were interred according to their wishes alongside their comrades in the graveyard of the Holy Cathedral of Ashubi, located in the realm of Ronal Dan.

Maso also knew that they had a somewhat adversarial yet friendly relationship with the Dragon and Beauty Adventure Group, but he was unaware of the details—Maso felt that apart from those directly involved, no one could know this sealed history

I have called upon the name of the Lord of Storms, and it is she who has aided me in vanquishing my foes. Maso took out his spatial bag—this pouch contained 3,200 Ashubian gold coins and 4,000 Canarian Iris gold coins. Today, I have come to render what I owe.

Of course, this is merely a pleasant way of speaking; in reality, this is already a form of dividing the spoils—because it is indeed worthwhile. Masso donated this sum of money, which means that the deity he believes in has acknowledged his act of slaughter. Therefore, regarding the unfortunate incident of mistakenly killing that member of the guerrilla cavalry, this Lord of Storms will surely speak in his favor. Moreover, donating to the deity one believes in is quite a common practice in this game—after all, in the real world, there is a saying that "money can make the devil push a mill."

The sixth mural depicts four world tree staffs arranged in parallel—these are the relics of the four prairie elf mages from the Dragon and Beauty team: the female mages Aina Sahalin, Dika Longerxi, and Wei Longerxi, along with the male mage Bazuka Sahalin. The four mages survived the great war and reached the end of their lives over the next three hundred years. Ultimately, they all chose to forgo the transformation into prairie elf liches. According to their last wishes, they were all buried in the cemetery of the Holy Cathedral of Ashubi, located in Longnal Dan.

The fifth mural features a noose and two short swords—these are the relics of the first leader of the Dragon and Beauty team, who fell in battle during a fire reconnaissance of the enemy's defensive area. To thwart the pursuit of the enemy, the fearless gnome leader ignited all the explosives on his person, destroying the only makeshift bridge that could be used for a rapid chase and taking a group of enemy players down with him. Ronald Dane has a tomb for this brave warrior located in the cemetery of the Sacred Cathedral of Ashubi.

The seventh mural depicts a Song-style Tang knife, a Druid staff, a Druid wooden hammer, a gem-encrusted staff, and a Druid world tree crown—these represent the iconic equipment of the Song knife master Lu Baoyue, the Druid Lu Xingcheng, the Druid treasure hunter Indiana Jones, the mage Lena, and her brother the Druid Dream. These five individuals survived until after the war, with Lu Baoyue being the first to pass away. Her partner, Lu Xingcheng, renounced his legendary status, and the two were buried together with their teammates. As for Jones, the legendary treasure hunter, he is still alive but has gone missing. In her quest to find the soul of Ronar, the mage Lena ultimately chose to transform into a benevolent lich, and as a legend, she is now untraceable. Regarding her brother Dream—this wild Druid is still alive, teaching Druid novices at the altar in the Druid woods outside of Ashubi.

Bowing respectfully, Masuo walked silently into the corridor

In the twelfth mural, there is again a young spirit of the grasslands, holding a tarot card—Reimu Hakurei. She survived the post-war period and inherited the legacy of the time priestess, Futo Kazama. Now, this master of red and white is wandering between the cities of the Eastern Continent, using her only divine avatar—some say she is following in the footsteps of her beloved: Ronald Dane.

The tenth mural depicts a prairie spirit girl—Priestess Yujun. After the war, the Lady of the Watchers relinquished her divinity, and an unnamed individual remade her physical form. She then inherited the divine status of the Lady of the Watchers, overseeing love and vigilance, and has been in search of the noble soul of Ronald Dan, who has not reported to the Lord of the Stalwart Knights.

"Yes, do you... know my mother?" The gods of the system have quite a good memory, but for a god to remember the name of a mortal is not an easy task, so Maso curiously responded with a question.

The young ladies were still asleep, Masuo neatly kicked aside the blanket for Min'en, then draped his own fur robe over himself and slipped out of the room

The ninth mural depicts another simply dressed prairie spirit girl—Priestess Yin. This was the closest companion of Ronald Dan, who fell in battle on the city walls. Having used her last life stone, she shielded Ronald Dan from a fatal spear. She is an extraordinary comrade, as the kitten believes.

The heavy rain continued to fall as the kitten, draped in a rainproof oilcloth, hurried to the temple district in the west of the city. He pushed open the door of the temple dedicated to his faith, the Lord of Storms, Pain Beisdes.

When the game time struck midnight, Masso, who had completed training, went online

The thirteenth mural depicts a pair of catgirl maidens—Saivantis and her sister Sawantis. This pair of catgirl Ofa executives survived the post-war period and successfully ascended to divinity. Today, their divine avatars wander alongside Enlai.

These murals bear witness to the era of planar invasions and serve as the battleground for the first generation of players. Countless young individuals at that time chose to fight for their respective factions. Payne Ne Beisides and her teammates chose to fight for the living and for goodness. The murals also document the growth of Payne Ne Beisides— the defense of Dragonclaw Fortress, the Seren Fortress in the Green Forest Basin... She and her teammates ignited the flame of hope in the Floating City and endured fierce battles in Provence and Poitou. Payne Ne Beisides and her teammates chose to fight for the living and for goodness, and the murals also record the growth of Payne Ne Beisides— the defense of Dragonclaw Fortress, the Seren Fortress in the Green Forest Basin... She and her teammates ignited the flame of hope in the Floating City and endured fierce battles in Provence and Poitou... They reclaimed Fontainebleau Town, recaptured Hatuunst Fortress, and ultimately seized back the city of Ashubiku from the clutches of the evil undead army. This campaign lasted a full two years, claiming the lives of over seven million player characters from both sides, like a flesh-and-blood mill.

This artifact is the legacy of her teammate, the Paladin of the Holy Crusade, Ronar Dan. This legendary Paladin sustained severe injuries in the final battle, and in his dying moments, he forsook the glorious path to divinity offered by the Prairie Elves. Ultimately, he succumbed to his wounds at dawn during the restoration of Ashubi. However, there are those who cite the legend of a mysterious Paladin from across the continent, claiming that this Paladin did not meet his true death. His holy and noble soul continues to protect all the good and innocent in the prime material plane.

The corridors on both sides are filled with murals—Maso had seen them long ago; every corridor leading to the chapel in any temple of Payne Beisdes features identical murals

"I am truly grateful to you, my Lord." Masuo, of course, wore a face full of gratitude—gratitude that was not feigned. The unfortunate soul mistakenly killed by Masuo was a member of the guerrilla knight order, a deep-sea fish infiltrating the thief guild. Although the guerrilla knight order is merely a mortal organization, it has strong ties with the higher deities of the good factions, such as the Lord of the Steadfast, the Nameless One, and the White Bishop. The organization is filled with legends, and demigods walk among them—especially that one, Sapan, the Son of Steel, a legendary figure who, like Ronald Dane, refused to ascend to godhood, and was once a teammate of the Storm Lord, Payne Baisides, during their mortal days. Although the guerrilla knight order is merely a mortal organization, it has strong ties with the higher deities of the good factions, such as the Lord of the Steadfast, the Nameless One, and the White Bishop. The organization is filled with legends, and demigods walk among them—especially that one, Sapan, the Son of Steel, a legendary figure who, like Ronald Dane, refused to ascend to godhood, and was once a teammate of the Storm Lord, Payne Baisides, during their mortal days

"Alright, forget about those unpleasant things. Next, my child, let us discuss the equipment of Lowanta and Dan. " The deity smiled, "You did well, child, you indeed called upon my name, but I was merely watching you rather than assisting you, so these things are all rightfully yours"

In the year 2250, the game entered another freeze period, and the mainframe began to calculate the trajectory of this world for the next century. It reopened as scheduled in 2255, with the third reopening setting the game timeline in the year ST1672. During this era, the Eastern Continent, unified by players during the second reopening, was heading towards division due to differences in faith and faction orientation. The 20-year open period advanced the game timeline to ST1712, and ultimately, the nations of the divided Eastern Continent welcomed peace. This era saw the Eastern Continent, unified by players during the second reopening, moving towards division for reasons of faith and faction orientation. The 20-year open period advanced the game timeline to ST1712, and ultimately, the nations of the divided Eastern Continent welcomed peace

"This is not for me to say, child. You should seek the answer from our divine being yourself." The old shaman nodded, stepping aside to reveal the corridor behind him, as the previously closed door began to open. "The chapel is open for you, child. You have the courage to come here, so you should also have the courage to seek your own answers."

In the eleventh mural, there is a young storm warrior (the hidden advancement of the guerrilla knight). This young man, hailing from the guerrilla knights, is named Sapan, the Son of Steel. He survived the war and became a legendary guerrilla knight, favored immensely by both the God of Warriors and the God of Barbarians. He is a close friend of Ronald Dane, and in the final battle, he took the living banner from Ronald and planted it on the top platform of the Ashubi Palace. This legendary figure still teaches newcomers in the Ashubi guerrilla knight order how to become storm warriors who fight for the innocent. Only the most fearless and the bravest players, who consistently uphold the good alignment, can attain this hidden advancement.

The eighth mural depicts a pair of prairie elf maidens adorned with gem-encrusted golden crowns—Priestess Orange Moon and May. In the final battle, May sacrificed herself to save her sister's life. Orange Moon survived the war and, as the legendary nameless priestess, attained divinity and became a demigod. Of noble status, she now trains novices in the prairie elf department of the Sacred Cathedral of Ashubi, and she has never given up on searching for her sister's soul, which has not reported to the nameless one.

The fourth mural depicts two short-barreled firearms and a sacred book of prayers—these are the relics of the Paladin Qiancheng and the Dragonblood Sorcerer Salis. Qiancheng fell in battle while attempting to seize the Sacred Cathedral of Ashubi, and the Dragonblood Sorcerer Salis exhausted his life in a bid to reclaim the body of his beloved from the divine skeletal lich. They were buried in the cemetery of the Sacred Cathedral of Ashubi, located in Lonnar Dan.

Indeed, nowadays the Lord of Storms speaks on behalf of Masuo, and Masuo no longer needs to worry about this individual who might one day come wielding a long sword to trouble him, a mere kitten—when one is out in the world, safety comes first

Maso stopped in front of the final mural, gazing at the hammer and sword depicted in the painting, smiling and sighing—most players are unaware of what the sword and hammer in this mural represent. Some say it symbolizes the young branches of the World Tree of Ronal Dain and the will of the Obsessive, while others claim it represents the weapons used by the Storm Lord Pain Ne Baisides in the later stages of the game.

The nameless one decided to forgive their transgressions, yet Silence and Qinghai still chose to transcend themselves. Thus, they were ultimately purified by the nameless one’s own hands. In accordance with their wishes, they were buried in the nameless graveyard located in the ruins of Bern.

"Yes, my child, I have been watching your battles. That was a flawless series of kills. Your astonishing talent with the crossbow reminds me of an old friend of mine." The Lord of Storms paused at this point, "My child, your surname is Dain... Tidrella Su Dain is your mother, is it not?"

In the second mural, there is only a roll of bandages and a broken sword from the Yang Kingdom—these are the relics of the drunken monk Qingye and his brother, the Yang Kingdom swordsman Qingye Lin, who perished in late September during the Ashubi campaign. During a raid by the evil faction on a battlefield medical station, a team of human players, including the brothers, voluntarily stayed behind to cover the retreat of the wounded. Subsequently, the fire reconnaissance team found only these two relics on the battlefield, and in the days that followed, it was confirmed that the remains of the two brave men had been turned into wraith warriors by the evil legion. In the final battle, they were purified by their teammate Ronar Dan, and they were buried in the cemetery of the Ashubi Cathedral, where Ronar Dan is located.

These murals depict the stories from the era of the planar wars, and at the end of the corridor, which connects to a garden, there are murals only on the left side. Masuo slowed his pace here, wanting to once again feel the culmination of these ancestors' adventures—first, a battered greatsword, the renowned Holy Avenger: Pale Justice, the first and only legendary weapon in the game that transforms into a divine artifact in the hands of the player. He wanted to once again feel the culmination of these ancestors' adventures—first, a battered greatsword, the renowned Holy Avenger: Pale Justice, the first and only legendary weapon in the game that transforms into a divine artifact in the hands of the player.

"My child, do not blame yourself for the incident of the accidental killing. I will have the elders and the leaders of the guerrilla knights explain it. Rest assured." Indeed, after receiving the money, the Lord of Storms immediately began to make plans for his followers

In the dark age of the dimensional war, a large number of catfolk came to the eastern part of the continent to participate in the battle through the Dragon Claw Fortress in the northern part of the Central Transverse Mountains. Perhaps this old man is a descendant of the first batch of shamans who supported the Eastern Continent back in those days

"However, I still seek your attention, my esteemed deity; your attention is the greatest assistance." As she spoke, Masuo reached out to open the wooden box, "I am willing to donate 1,600 Ashubi gold coins and 2,000 Canarian Iris gold coins, for your glory on earth, for the unobstructed passage of benevolent intentions, and also to alleviate some of my conscience's burdens."

In the year 2230, the game entered a frozen period, and five years later, in 2235, it welcomed a brand new revision. All old players' characters were transformed into NPCs, marking the beginning of the second opening. This time, the opening lasted a full 15 years—during this period, the game timeline was set in the year ST1507, the 87th year after the conclusion of the dimensional war, and the timeline came to a halt in ST1537.

Payne Longrhi Ne Beisides, a female cat-person player from the Era of the Multiverse War—this game was first launched in the year 2220 AD, with a duration of 10 years. The timeline of the game begins from the years ST1217 to ST1220 (closed beta) before the multiverse invasion, while the open beta starts from the Era of the Multiverse War in ST1400, concluding at ST1420. The century-long Era of the Multiverse War was brought to an end in 1414 by the players and NPCs of the good faction.

It truly moves me, as a mere mortal, to be able to hear your words. You must have some understanding of the battles that have transpired before. Masho looked up at the ceiling—through the translucent glass, the flowing rainwater was visible, indicating that the sky today is destined to be ruled by the element of water for some time.

The conclusion that my mother often mentioned back then made the kitten feel somewhat awkward—what a monumental failure it must have been for a deity to remember a mortal's defeat.

I know her, Tidrella Su Dain, the great lady of the Stormy Sea, a mysterious female pirate with countless legendary experiences in the eyes of mortals... The Lord of Storms, Payne, is clearly reminiscing... Or rather, she is recalling, "Your mother had a good nature, but in the final days of her adventures, she took a wrong step. She and her companions were consumed by greed, and as a result, while obtaining the treasure, the pirate ship named 'Flying Henan' became an eternal prison for their souls. They have now turned into undead pirates, a truly lamentable ending.

Maso knew who this represented. These are the relics of two activated corpse priests—Silence, the Hand of Fear, and Qinghai, the Ink Mark, are the most renowned pair of activated corpse priests from the era of planar warfare in the Chronicles of Ayarok. They were the first pair of players to advance as activated corpses and the only pair to complete the redemption quest. They participated in the evil faction's Mogus Blood Night battle, the Puwatu battle, and the Harn Valley battle. They repelled fifteen assaults from the living on the walls of the Hatuns Fortress, carved a bloody path through the streets of Paronster, and were the only pair to complete the redemption quest. They participated in the evil faction's Mogus Blood Night battle, the Puwatu battle, and the Harn Valley battle. They repelled fifteen assaults from the living on the walls of the Hatuns Fortress, carved a bloody path through the streets of Paronster, and killed the Steel Heart's commander Tianxingjian and vice-commander Dwarf Reciter Kogen Vashu in a two-on-two duel in the square of Ayushubi. They bore their sins until, during the living's assault on the Sacred Cathedral of Ayushubi, they opened the back door of the cathedral for the living and, together with them, captured the Ayushubi Palace in the central area of the ancient city.

You have finally arrived A cheerful voice echoed in the empty chapel, characterized by the sweet and melodious tone unique to female catfolk

The great cat people are born shamans, hunters, and warriors; at the same time, they are also exceptionally skilled barbarians and earth dragon riders. Moreover, after their interactions with the prairie elves, some great cat people, due to their innate high perception, have become nameless priests, paladins, and holy warriors.

In the year 2275, after a 5-year freeze, the fourth opening arrived, marking the era of the Song people's restoration in the year ST1800. Under the leadership of their Emperor, the Song people, who had lived on the continent of Ayarok for five hundred years, began an epic campaign to reclaim the continent. It was in that year that Maso's mother entered the game and met his father. Of course, Maso could not be certain whether the two were in love; he only knew that two years later, in 2277, he was born inexplicably.

It was an era that witnessed the fall of countless legends, as well as the sanctification of numerous legends. In the two generations of players that followed, there were no figures or battles of such legendary status. It was not until the fourth generation of players participated in the campaign of the Song people to reclaim the continent that legendary battles emerged that could stand alongside it—the Year of the Suhang Defense Circle.

"Child, why have you come here in the early hours of the morning?" The one who received Maso was a shaman, an elderly man dressed in a grayish-blue leather robe, possessing a robust physique. He had a pair of cat ears and a long, thick tail; these were the Great Cat People—who in this game world reside on the western side of the Central Transverse Mountain Range. Together with the Little Cat People, they have established a vast tribal alliance.