Early in the morning, Lin Mo was awakened by a soft knock on the door.
To be honest, he hadn't slept very well. Compared to his previous life, the inn's bed was as hard as a steel plate, even with the bedding laid out, and the blanket was far from soft. Most importantly, he was in a strange new place, so Lin Mo didn't dare to sleep too deeply. He maintained a certain level of alertness throughout the night.
That was why the faint sound from outside the door was enough to wake him.
He put on his jacket and opened the door to find the same young woman from last night standing there.
Their eyes met for a moment before she quickly looked away, handing him the tray she was holding. "Your breakfast. Please enjoy."
"Alright, thank you."
Lin Mo eyed the young woman's slightly flushed cheeks with interest as he took the tray from her and set it on the table.
"There's no strict checkout time for the room, so you can stay a while longer. However, someone will come to clean this afternoon. Please make sure you have all your belongings before then to avoid leaving anything behind."
After saying this, the young woman gave a slight bow, then hastily turned and left.
His eyes subconsciously swept over her graceful figure as she departed. He then rubbed his forehead. 'I guess I'm really getting pent up.'
The breakfast wasn't as lavish as dinner, but it was still decent: a bowl of oatmeal porridge, a fried egg, a few slices of sausage, and some white bread.
As Lin Mo enjoyed his breakfast, he pulled the scroll, still warm from his body, from inside his clothes.
He had only ever heard about things like Skill Scrolls when people were bragging. This was the first time he'd ever seen one, and he wasn't quite sure how to use it.
He was in too much of a hurry in the forest yesterday to get a good look, and he was too tired after he got back. Now, he could finally study it properly.
Lin Mo's eyes swept past the warning phrase at the top of the scroll and continued reading downwards.
As he read on, his head started to ache...
There were no obscure words or phrases on the scroll; he understood each word on its own. But when put together, they formed an incomprehensible script.
Forcing himself to read through the entire scroll, Lin Mo was suddenly struck by the illusion that he was back in a high school math class.
Ultimately, he had never studied at a Mage Academy. He had no foundation, not even any Magic Power. Trying to learn the Magic on this scroll in one go was never going to be realistic.
After staring at the scroll for a little longer, Lin Mo finally sighed in resignation. He put the scroll away, giving up for now.
After finishing breakfast and gathering all his belongings, Lin Mo left the inn.
On his way downstairs, he saw the young waitress again. Since it was morning and breakfast service was over, she didn't have much work to do. She was chatting with a few companions, and whatever the topic was, it made her double over with laughter.
The innkeeper was dressed the same as before, sitting behind the counter with her head down, always busy with something.
Lin Mo paused for a moment, then waved in the young woman's direction as a farewell.
"Um... Please come again."
The young woman noticed his gesture, pursed her lips, and gave him a shy smile.
Next time?
'Now that I know this isn't just a simple inn, coming back next time would mean something completely different.'
Lin Mo shook his head, pushing the thought aside for now.
The weather was perfect today. As he stepped out of the inn, the brilliant sunlight made him squint.
The town in the morning had a different charm than it did in the evening; it seemed much more alive.
The less-than-clean streets were filled with people coming and going. It was about seven in the morning, which was still early for Lin Mo, but for the residents of this world, the workday had already begun.
That said, many of the people wandering about had no work at all. They couldn't just wait at home to starve, so their only choice was to come out and try their luck, hoping some wealthy master needed a hired hand.
Occasionally, he would also see a few young men in fine clothes, exuding an air of nobility that was completely out of place among the poor. They held their heads high, like rulers surveying their domain. Some carried birdcages, while others held a leash. At the other end of that leash might be the furry head of a golden retriever, or it might be the slender neck of a girl in ragged clothes.
As he walked, Lin Mo observed the local customs and the general feel of this world.
So far, this world seemed more or less like the Fantasy Worlds he had imagined. Of course, his understanding was still only skin-deep, limited to this one small town.
More unknowns and details were still waiting for him to discover.
And it would all begin with becoming an Adventurer.
There was no need to ask for directions. Other adventurers in various types of Armor, carrying all sorts of weapons, effectively led the way. Lin Mo followed them and soon arrived before a building that seemed magnificent in contrast to the surrounding single-story houses.
It was a full six stories tall, with an exquisitely decorated facade painted in a variety of colors, all of which proclaimed the wealth and power of this place.
A sign hung by the entrance, with large, conspicuous words neatly written upon it—Adventurer's Association.
And in the bottom right corner of the plaque, there was a much smaller inscription: Doria Kingdom, Roland Town Branch.
The Adventurer's Association is a massive organization that spans nearly the entire Continent. In every Kingdom, including the Teaching Country, the Association's presence is indispensable.
Any place with an Association branch will attract a great influx of Adventurers, becoming a relatively prosperous town as a result.
Normally, a small place like Roland Town wouldn't have its own Association branch. However, its proximity to the Loran Forest is a special case. For both the Association and Adventurers, setting up a base in this small town offers significant convenience.
The branch established here was, naturally, of the lowest grade.
Even so, in this poor and backward town, it was already a rather eye-catching landmark.
This was all information he had previously gathered from Larry.
Lin Mo paused at the Association's entrance for a moment, watching the Adventurers come and go. As he finally took a step inside, a subtle feeling stirred within him.
From now on, he would truly embrace his new life.
Stepping into the Association, he was greeted by an incredibly spacious hall, several times larger than the inn from last night. The hall was filled with tables and chairs where Adventurers of all different stripes sat together, eating breakfast and swapping tall tales.
Lin Mo scanned the room, seeing many distinctive figures.
For instance, there was an exceptionally burly Warrior with an axe. He had a rugged face, a large nose, a pair of sharp, bull-like horns on his head, and what looked like a tail behind him.
He also saw a middle-aged man who was only about four-foot-three. He had a long, thick beard, held a large warhammer, and had such a wide build that he looked like a square from a distance.
'Half-Beastmen, Dwarves... A Fantasy World really wouldn't be complete without these non-human intelligent races. Though, I don't seem to see any Elves.'
Judging from the atmosphere, the various races seemed to get along harmoniously, or at least there were no obvious conflicts.
Lin Mo's gaze continued toward the center of the hall.
In the middle of the hall were five counters, with a young woman seated behind each one. They were the Guild's receptionists, mainly responsible for helping Adventurers register and submit quests.
And, of course, that also included processing Adventurer registrations...