That's right, that's what adventure is like!

"The origin of the lunar ring?"

In the Echo Antique Shop, old Ero stared at the moon ring whose rust had mostly faded, then looked at the portrait Roland had given him, and finally shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I acquired this moon ring from another antique dealer, and he didn't tell me about its history."

Roland was somewhat disappointed after hearing what old Ero had said.

This was the first time he had seen the appearance of the previous owner of the item during the extraction process, and he thought he could get some clues in advance.

According to the system's description, this thing should be some kind of token, and combined with the needs of redemption stories, it must be hiding a long-forgotten history.

If he can uncover it, he will have a way to incorporate it into his own story, making it more complete and engaging, and generating more buzz when it is shared.

Who doesn't enjoy stories that reveal past events and make up for the regrets of those who came before?

But since old Ero had said that, he had no choice but to give up. After all, he had enough gold coins now and many options for extracting items, so he didn't necessarily have to complete the next story of the Moon Ring.

Or rather, he's not in a hurry to finish the story.

After putting the two items into his bag, Roland took out the metal fragment that Yogurt had brought and placed it on the counter: "Please take a look, what does the pattern on this mean?"

That was his real purpose in coming here.

He studied it all night yesterday but still couldn't figure out the meaning of the three patterns and the symbols next to them, so he had to ask the knowledgeable old Ero for help.

As it turns out, this was correct.

As an antique shop owner, Old Ero has seen, heard of, and handled countless things, and has a deep understanding of history and culture. He quickly noticed some clues.

"This is... Dragon language?"

A look of surprise flashed in his eyes. Old Ero adjusted his glasses, looked down for a while, and finally confirmed his guess.

"It is indeed dragon language, but it has lost its original magic after being imprinted through special means."

He looked up at Roland and asked, "Where did you get this? It's quite rare... I'm willing to pay 1000 gold coins for it."

1000 gold coins.

The number made Roland gasp, but then, considering its value, he felt it was normal, even a bit low.

Dragon language, according to legend, is the origin of all languages ​​in the world. Only true dragons can fully master it, and it contains extraordinary magic. Simply chanting it has miraculous effects.

For countless years, countless mages, sorcerers, and historians have studied this language, hoping to break through racial barriers and learn the dragon language magic that only dragons can master.

However, very few dragon-language characters remain in the world, and even those that exist are mostly imbued with magic, making it impossible for ordinary people to approach them, let alone touch them.

Now, this metal fragment is inscribed with dragon language, yet it has no magical protection. If the news gets out, it will undoubtedly cause a frenzy of pursuit and scrambling among many people.

But Roland wouldn't give up the opportunity to join that organization. Not to mention, he had seen dragon eggs with his own eyes, and those things were far more valuable than this.

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you the source at the moment, nor can I sell them. I just want to know the meaning of these patterns and the dragon language."

This answer did not surprise old Elro. He sighed slowly, put his gold-chain glasses back on, and examined the metal fragments carefully under the light.

"These patterns," he said, his finger slowly moving over the distorted designs, "are probably some kind of location markers. I've seen them in a royal library; they roughly mean 'north,' 'swamp,' or 'mud pit.'"

He looked up at Roland.

"If I'm not mistaken, it refers to the Trembling Swamp, and somewhere very deep inside."

Roland frowned. He was familiar with the name Trembling Swamp. It was a place often visited by adventurers from Broken Rock Town. It was about a three-day journey away, shrouded in poisonous fog, with various monsters roaming within, and many dangerous areas.

"And what about these symbols?" he asked, pointing to several seemingly simple patterns on the side.

"I don't know. I only have a very superficial understanding of dragon language, and the meaning of dragon language is completely different in different contexts. It could be a guide or a warning."

Old Ero pushed the metal fragment back in front of Roland: "I think you should find someone who truly understands dragon language to decipher it."

Roland was slightly taken aback: "You mean... a dragon?"

"A dragon will do, of course," old Ero chuckled, teasingly adding, "provided you can make it listen to you obediently."

"What I mean is, you can find some creatures with dragon blood, such as kobolds, dragon beasts, or even the half-dragon girl next to you."

Aleta?

Roland raised an eyebrow: "You've heard her story?"

“Of course,” old Ero laughed, his wrinkles smoothing out. “That bard has said twice that he has received divine favor, and now he’s practically going crazy with excitement.”

"Although he didn't mention your names, there aren't many people in the whole town who fit the characteristics of the characters in the story, let alone someone with such an interesting identity as a half-dragon."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Young man, I can see that your strength has improved considerably, and you are capable of bearing this honor, but you still need to be careful."

Roland understood perfectly. He bowed slightly, left 10 gold coins as a thank you for deciphering the pattern, and then turned and left the shop.

Old Ero watched his retreating figure with a touch of melancholy. He slowly put away the gold coins and murmured, "May the true God protect us, war is imminent, and sins will be burned away... How many stories lie within this?"

As if remembering something, a look of reminiscence appeared in his eyes. After a long while, he slowly sighed and sat back down in his wooden chair.

Roland, on the other hand, immediately headed to Ramona's shop after leaving Echo Antique Shop.

Since the story had already begun to spread, he anticipated that someone might recognize him, so he now covered himself completely in a black robe, even wrapping his javelin with strips of cloth.

This tactic, though simple, was quite effective. Although some adventurers glanced at him along the way, none of them connected him with the man who killed the black sheep.

Moreover...

"I witnessed the fire with my own eyes that day," a young man said, waving his arms excitedly to his companions. "Right in the square behind the town hall, golden flames burned all night long!"

His companion was skeptical: "Really? You looked closely?"

"With the madmen of the Burning Sins Cult around, who would dare approach?" The young man lowered his voice, but his tone carried barely suppressed excitement. "But I saw it with my own eyes. The person inside was shrouded in black smoke, and in the end, he was burned to ashes!"

An older adventurer nearby spoke up: "It's true. The one who was burned was Cassius Witt, the town's treasurer, who had been doing the job for over twenty years."

Someone's face turned cold: "Hmph, to cultivate blood cores right under the nose of the Church of the Sun, how could he even think of that?"

"You can't say that. This finance official has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. It's said that the teleportation array has already been activated. If it weren't for those fanatics forcibly blocking him with their bodies, he probably would have really gotten away."

A few people started talking, their voices drifting down the street. Roland walked by but didn't stop.

After walking a few more steps, we came across several guards sitting by the roadside, talking in hushed tones. One of them looked worried and sounded dejected.

"This is terrible. I shouldn't have sided with the CFO a while ago. I'm afraid I'll have to pay a hefty price later. I just hope I'm not assigned any hard jobs."

One of his companions comforted him, "Don't worry, the treasurer may be dead, but his position will soon be filled. If we join him now, we might be able to get some benefits."

"You know nothing!" another older man scoffed. "You think just anyone can sit in that position? They'll just send someone even more ruthless, and that could cause even more trouble. Besides, the treasurer is dead, but the person behind him hasn't shown up yet!"

"The one behind you?"

"Shh!" The older guard glared at him. "Someone's watching. We'll talk about this when we get back."

With that, he pulled the man up and hurriedly left towards the end of the street.

Roland stood there, watching their figures disappear into the distance, silently pondering a few thoughts, and finally sighed softly.

He turned around and pushed open the mahogany door.

Aleta is practicing swinging his blade.

The cold, sharp blade sliced ​​through the air, leaving a barely perceptible glint in its black edge. The bear goblin in the corner whimpered incessantly, fearing that she might accidentally drop the dagger and smash it into his own body.

Roland pushed open the door and came in, looking around before realizing that Ramona wasn't home.

On the other hand, Aletta was also wearing a large gray robe that concealed her figure and appearance, with her vertical pupils hidden under the hood, making her completely unrecognizable.

Clearly, the spread of the story has also brought her some inconvenience.

However, her disguise was too crude, and Roland saw through it at a glance: "The hood is still too risky. If you have a special item that can change your eye color, you might as well give it a try."

Hearing the voice, Aletta stopped what she was doing, breathing slightly heavily, her exhaled white mist floating in the air: "Have you heard about the treasurer?"

"I've heard about it, and today the town hall posted a notice on the bulletin board announcing eighteen crimes committed by the treasurer."

"So," Aletta paused for a moment, then turned and looked up at Roland, "is this the end of it?"

"It can end, or it can not end," Roland said calmly. "It depends on how far you can grow."

Helping to kill the Black Sheep and using the Church of the Sun to deal with the treasurer is the limit of what he can do at the moment. Continuing to do so would be too risky for him.

Furthermore, he hoped that the follow-up to this matter could be completed by Aletta himself, so that it could be called a true redemption.

He could only be a catalyst, helping Aleta escape the darkness; the path she took afterward was up to her to choose.

After listening to Roland's words, Aletta remained silent for a long time before finally turning around and going into the house, where she took out a bag and placed it at her waist.

“I’m ready,” she said. “You promised me you’d take me on an adventure and help me find the right path to the extraordinary.”

Roland nodded.

He looked at Aleta, whose face was obscured by a grey robe and whose dark blue vertical pupils were hidden by a hood. Only when she occasionally looked up could one see the light flashing in her eyes.

It is neither darkness nor light, nor emptiness.

It is determination.

So he took out the metal fragment and handed it over: "Take a look at this and tell me what these characters mean."

Aletta took the fragment, her fingers tracing the fine lines slowly, as if touching the skin of a living creature.

"What is this?"

"Dragon language," Roland said calmly, "You have dragon blood in your veins, so you should be able to understand some of it... If not, I'll find you a more suitable adventure another day."

Aletta paused for a moment, then looked up, a complex expression flashing in her vertical pupils, before finally looking down again at the symbols.

She stared at it for a long time.

Roland didn't urge him on. Only the goblin in the corner squinted curiously, secretly peeking at the dragon language on the fragment, seemingly also curious.

Finally, after a long while, Aletta's fingers trembled slightly, and she made a slightly hoarse sound.

"...Sorry, I don't understand."

She lowered her head, staring at the few light blue scales on her hand, her voice growing softer and softer.

"My bloodline is very thin, those words... I can feel them calling to me, but it's like there's something between us... I'm sorry."

Roland didn't say anything, he just put the fragment back.

"No need to apologize, this is your talent, you're already better than most people."

A lazy voice came from behind him. Roland turned around and saw Ramona leaning against the door frame.

Even though his perception has now been raised to 8 points, he still couldn't figure out how she appeared.

Ramona stepped forward slowly, took the fragment from Roland's hand, examined it, narrowed her eyes slightly, and asked in a calm tone, "That organization's test?"

Roland nodded: "Can you understand it?"

"No," she shrugged, then pointed to herself, "but I know who can understand it, provided you bring Aletta with you when you go to the Trembling Swamp."

Why?

"Because there is a dragon vein sorcerer in the Trembling Swamp who really likes children with dragon blood and will give them a lot of help."

Both of them looked at her with some surprise.

They never expected Ramona to suddenly reveal such a secret.

Even more unexpectedly, Ramona continued, "That dragon vein sorcerer is my friend. Her experiment is stuck at a crucial point, and she needs someone to lend her a hand."

Turning her head, her gaze fell on Aleta, a smile playing on her lips: "Are you willing to take the risk to help her?"

"If the experiment succeeds, you will obtain a more concentrated dragon blood and become a true half-dragon; if it fails..."

She didn't continue, but just smiled meaningfully.

Roland looked at Aleta.

He could indeed take Aletta to the swamp, but she would have to go alone during the trial, and no one would be looking after her then, which was a problem.

However, Aletta did not hesitate at all, her voice crisp and clear: "I'm going!"

She was tired of relying on others, and although it sounded risky, she didn't want to wait for the next opportunity.

Ramona smiled with satisfaction, then took out a crumpled scroll and tossed it to Roland: "This is the map to my friend; she'll help you decipher dragon language."

"But remember, never mention Erwin's name in front of him; the two of them have a conflict."

Sure enough, in a small place like this, the high-level combatants all know each other.

Roland nodded, put the scroll away, and turned to Aletta: "We'll set off tonight. You go to the association to register first and take on a suitable mission. We'll complete it along the way."

Aletta gripped the dagger in her hand tightly, then asked, "And what about you?"

"Of course, we need to get the equipment and supplies," Roland said calmly. "That's the key step before the adventure."