Chapter 87: Chapter87-Risk

Facing the lizardmen's disdainful gaze, old Mac's face turned red with anger.

He slammed his hand on the table and stood up, shouting, "Fischer! Stop slandering me! They were killed by the Shadows of the Past, not by me! You ignorant fools will be punished by the Shadows of the Past one day!"

"Haha, I look forward to that day. Then everyone will see that Shadows of the Past is just a figment of your imagination."

The lizardman named Fischer snorted but didn't dare to confront old Mac any further.

Instead, he got up and left.

It wasn't hard to understand why—old Mac was level 45, while the highest level among the lizardmen was only 30.

They were no match for him.

If old Mac decided to fight, they would be on the losing end.

"In any case, newcomer, if you want to live longer in Talcavano, don't believe people like him. It'll only get you killed."

"Thanks for the warning."

After watching Fischer and his group leave, John took a deep breath and turned to old Mac.

"Do you think I'm lying too?"

"Half and half. Without seeing it for myself, I can't just take your word for it."

"I knew it. You fools will never understand!"

"So, do you want to show me in person, or would you rather stay here and wallow in self-pity?"

Hearing this, old Mac's head shot up, and there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes as he looked at John.

"You, you believe me?"

"I believe my own judgment. If I determine that Shadows of the Past is just a load of nonsense, I'll leave."

"That's enough. That's all I need! Adventurer, what's your name?"

"John. Just John."

"Mac Sanders. Call me Mac. John, if you're willing to trust me, I'll prove to you that Shadows of the Past is real!"

"What's your plan?"

John half-closed his eyes and downed the Slime Ale.

The thick liquid and spicy taste nearly made him gag, but he managed to keep it down.

"No problem at all! We're partners, after all. We have to stick together no matter what!"

Helena didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately accepted the quest invite. Lily, though silent, also clicked to accept. Only Qing seemed a bit hesitant.

Noticing his expression, John asked, "Qing, what's on your mind?"

"It's not exactly a concern, but... I'm a bit afraid of ghosts. This quest probably involves ghosts, right?"

"It's hard to say, but it likely does. No worries, it's just a side quest. No one is forcing you."

"Qing, you turned into a ghost yourself, and you're still afraid of them?"

"My brother used to scare me a lot when I was a kid, so it left a lasting impression. Honestly, sometimes I scare myself when I look in the mirror, worrying that I didn't really revive and that I'm just a ghost..."

Qing scratched his head sheepishly, making John and the others chuckle.

"No worries, you can stay behind. Keep an eye out for any announcements from the city hall or any sightings of the city lord, that dragon knight. The dungeon's activation might be tied to him."

"Got it, leave that to me. You all be careful. I'll be waiting for your good news."

"Alright then, we'll set off early tomorrow. Rest well tonight! Oh, Elaria, stay for a moment. I have something for you, something you might find useful."

At these words, Elaria blinked, looking a bit bashful.

As Helena and the others left, John gently closed the door and turned to Elaria.

"Since arriving in Talcavano, can you still use your abilities?"

"It's quite difficult. The harsh environment here weakens my powers significantly."

Elaria sighed softly, clearly frustrated by the situation.

"So, I'm planning to try something. I'm not sure if it will work, so don't get your hopes up too high."

"A try? What kind of try?"

"Because you mentioned feeling different from us, I've been thinking these past few days if there's a way to turn you into a player, giving you a player interface. I don't have any concrete leads yet, so I wanted to ask for your opinion. Would you be willing to try? This is a crucial question because I don't know what risks you might face.

It might succeed, but there's also a chance it could fail, and I might not even be able to protect your existence. So... Elaria, do you want to try?"

For the past few days, John had been relentlessly questioning Seraphina.

Since Seraphina had boasted that alchemy could create miracles, John hoped that turning Elaria into a player wouldn't be impossible.

Unfortunately, this time, Seraphina's research seemed to hit a snag.

Reviving the dead essentially involved creating a new body, but the soul remained unchanged.

However, converting an NPC from the game world into a player presented far more complex challenges.