Chapter 67: Red Thread


    ?


    ''I am such a fool.'' Adam thought to himself while walking under the blue sky.


    He and Alice were walking beside a river that flowed gently through Navy Town. The water was so clear that he could see the rocks on the bottom and a few fish swimming around them.


    It was the Navy River that spanned throughout the Navy Town. It was a famous ce for many locals and tourists to visit for its tranquility and scenic beauty. It was also a famous dating spot for young couples looking for a romantic getaway.


    It wasn''t a big town, and most of the townspeople knew each other. The poption was only around three thousand. Despite its small size, the town had a strong sense ofmunity and support for one another.


    Alice happily walked alongside Adam, enjoying the breeze on her hair and the scenic beauty of the nearby river. They weren''t alone as townsfolk, with smiles on their faces, passed by, some crossing a small bridge to go to the other side.


    "I didn''t know you knew martial arts." Alice turned to him with a smile on her face. "Are you hiding something from me?"


    Adam was shaken off his thoughts and chuckled.


    "I know a little bit."


    "You defeated the Teen Karate Champion!" Alice put her hands behind her and hopped yfully. "That''s not a small achievement!"


    "I am older than him, which yed a role." Adam said. "If he was the same age, I would''ve tasted dirt; that''s the truth."


    "Mmh..." Alice suspiciously narrowed her eyes. "Is that so~"


    Adam shrugged his shoulders.


    ''If he was better at shrugging off the Influence, I would''ve lost. I lost control, like a goddamn fool. I had used Image Training many times before and hadn''t lost control like this before.


    ''It seems like it isn''t only my physique that has changed since my regression. My mental state as well. I can''t allow that to happen anymore.


    ''When I meet Cmity and my old friends, I can''t afford to lose myposure. It could cause my death!''


    "You should participate in some of those martial arts tournaments." Alice said with a smile. "Eh, not really interested, honestly." Adam said. "I''ll return to Mortal Online tomorrow. I''ll need to start making money."


    "Oh, how long will you be gone again?" Alice asked, her mood slightly dipping down.


    "I don''t know, but it won''t be as long asst time." Adam replied.


    "Mm, ok." Alice nodded and forced a smile, trying to hide her disappointment.


    ''Tomorrow, I''ll travel to my next destination...'' Adam thought to himself. ''Which will it be- Dawnwatch, Ebonreach, Driftwood, New Karma, or... Imperium City?''


    -


    The night fell over Navy Town, creating a beautiful scene of star lights reflecting off the river. In the Kindforth residence, the lights had all been turned off, and most of the residents had already gone to sleep. However, in one room, there was a small lighting from a bedsidemp on the desk.


    Aputer screen illuminated the face of a young man browsing the Inte.


    Adam moved his hands to the keyboard, typed something quickly, and then pressed enter. A ssified website popped up, asking for his card.


    He then brought out his VR card. It had his name, age, and current location. It was the only way to enter this ssified website.


    He then inserted the card into theputer and saw the website open up.


    [Clearance Level: Mercenaryman]


    This website was Mortal Online''s forums- a highly ssified website at the depths of the Dark Web. Only mercenaries were allowed to go there; otherwise, it was impossible.


    ''With Mercenaryman clearance level, there''s not much I can find, but I''ll need to find one thing...''


    He grabbed the mouse and used his middle finger to scroll down the page.


    After some time, he found what he was looking for.


    [Red Thread]


    Adam double-clicked on the post and began reading it slowly and carefully.


    The post was talking about a ce called Red Thread. It was a ce located in a city called Ivycrest. It was a two-hour trip away from Navy Town.


    Red Thread was basically an underground world of criminals and illicit activities. It was also where mercenaries from Mortal Online gathered and hired Otherworld Killers, and it was a ce where one also purchased and sold Mortal Online items with real currency.


    ''This was a ce where Cmity most likely hired someone to kill me.'' Adam thought to himself.


    However, he didn''t gather information about Red Thread because he wanted to find his killer —it was nigh impossible as it was thirteen years before he was originally killed.


    He wanted to visit Red Thread to purchase some stuff he needed in Mortal Online. Those were items that weren''t easy to find.


    It was a ce that was quite intimidating for neers. However, Adam frequently visited that ce in his previous life.


    He wasn''t too afraid to go there, but he needed to be extremely careful as his name-Adam Palestar-was going to be famous.


    ''Right, has any news outlet reported that yet.'' Adam clicked away from the forums and went to the first news website that popped up in his mind.


    Immediately, the first article had a bold font.


    [THE NEW S-RANKED FOUND IN MORTAL ONLINE!]


    ''They were quick.'' Adam frowned.


    It wasmon for all news outlets to share information about the ongoing events of Mortal Online with the outside world, as most outsiders were unable to enter the game as most of


    them died during the tutorial.


    Still, there was great interest in ongoings inside the game.


    This article had gone viral and was shared by millions of people worldwide. Many people were talking in thement section, wondering and specting about this new S-ranked recruit. Adam read through the article and sighed in relief after he was done reading-it didn''t mention his name or how he looked.


    However, it was only a matter of time before his name reached the ears of some reporters. It was also only a matter of time before his ce of residence was discovered and his privacy


    was invaded.


    This was the life of a popr mercenary.


    Most of the top mercenaries were basically celebrities; some had starred in high-budget


    movies, and others had their own reality TV shows.


    Adam closed the website and turned off theputer.


    He then rubbed his eyes and leaned against the chair, feeling mentally drained.


    ''Right... I haven''t had time to properly think about my current life...''


    ''My regression...


    ''Am I in heaven or hell? Maybe somewhere between.


    ''Maybe everyone who dies returns to the past, creating trillions of different timelines in a


    never-ending cycle of existence.


    ''Or maybe only people with great regrets, like me.


    ''I don''t know, but I also don''t n on caring. I''ll do everything I can with my second chance.''


    Adam stood up from the chair and took off his shirt, revealing hisnky physique, which was mostly flesh and bones. His muscles were nowhere to be seen.


    ''This won''t do.''


    Adam dropped down on the ground and started doing push-ups, his body moving up and


    down in a fluid motion.


    "Argh..." He was already starting to feel the burn in his arms.


    ''I''ll need to prepare myself.'' Adam thought while sweating heavily and grunting in pain. ''I am


    not foolish enough to think that someone wouldn''t try to kill me in the real world.


    ''Whoever will try will be in for a world of pain.''