Mounts

Even the status panel notification could only give such a vague hint, which was enough to show that this holy crest was indeed unusual.

He pondered for a moment, and without refusing further, gently took the holy crest.

“Thank you,” he said softly, tucking the holy crest into his shirt, before pulling a gold coin from his pocket and holding it out to the old nun.

But the old nun shook her head, gently pushing his hand back. “There is no need. This is my gift to you.”

“This holy crest is a precious memory to you,” Bai Xuan said earnestly. “I cannot take it for nothing.”

“But it is not worth so much.”

The old nun's gaze fell upon the gold coin, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness.

Bai Xuan was slightly taken aback. He put the gold coin back and replaced it with a handful of silver coins.

At a glance, there were about fifty of them. He handed them over again. “Then this should be enough.”

The old nun wanted to refuse again, but Bai Xuan gave her no chance. He gently pressed the silver coins into her hand, turned, and walked away.

“Wait—” the old nun quickly called out.

Bai Xuan did not turn back, merely waving his hand gently as his figure gradually vanished into the distance.

Standing at the doorway, the old nun looked down at the silver coins in her hand, then toward the direction where Bai Xuan had disappeared, letting out a soft sigh.

She slowly retreated into the house and closed the door.

Coming out of the old nun's small cabin, Bai Xuan quickly reached the street.

He deliberately slowed his pace, his gaze seemingly sweeping around at random, but in reality, taking in all the movements on the street.

The old man selling buns at the street corner, the young man putting away stools, and the two idle men squatting by the foot of the wall smoking were all within his field of vision.

Whenever their gazes fell upon him, they would always pause for a split second before slowly drifting away, a far cry from their usual indifference.

Bai Xuan immediately realized that the atmosphere today was different from usual.

Before, these people's gazes were just casual glances as they passed by, never lingering.

But right now, every gaze harbored a faint trace of attention, as if they were observing him in secret.

He already had an idea of what was happening. Although the Information House hadn't sent anyone to tail him closely, there were still many eyes in the town.

They didn't need to shadow him step by step; as long as they kept track of his general direction, they would have completed their task.

However, this was not much of a trouble for him. As long as he did not make any unusual moves, these lookouts would not be able to spot anything out of the ordinary.

With that thought flashing through his mind, Bai Xuan turned down two streets and raised his hand to push open the wooden door of the Adventurer's Guild.

Jiwa was leaning over the counter organizing commission sheets. Hearing the noise, she raised her head, and her face immediately showed some surprise upon seeing him.

“Back so soon? Did that commission... go smoothly?” She put down the papers in her hand, her tone carrying a hint of probing.

“Canceled,” Bai Xuan said, keeping it brief as he gently placed the commission sheet back onto the counter.

Jiwa froze for a moment, instinctively assuming he either found the reward too low and couldn't find companions, or had run into some trouble along the way.

She opened her mouth, wanting to ask more, but seeing Bai Xuan's flat expression and reluctance to say much, she ultimately swallowed her words.

“Alright, then I'll register the cancellation for you.” Jiwa picked up the sheet and skillfully set to work.

Bai Xuan quietly waited for her to finish the procedure, then turned and walked toward the door.

Watching his receding back, Jiwa felt a strange wave of doubt rise in her heart.

She felt as though this person was somewhat different from yesterday, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what had changed.

Stepping out of the Adventurer's Guild, Bai Xuan stood at the entrance for a few seconds. Gazing into the distance, his expression gradually grew serious.

The matters in Blackcreek Town were temporarily resolved. Next, he had to head to Calais Town immediately.

The intelligence Carson had provided was highly time-sensitive. If he delayed too long, Zane's side would likely succeed. He had to deliver the news to the White family as quickly as possible.

Time was pressing; he had absolutely no time to slowly pick an escort commission. The simplest and most direct way was to rent a mount and rush over himself.

Bai Xuan pulled out the map given to him by the traveling merchant Colin from his shirt, gently unfolding it to check.

Calais Town lay to the southeast of Blackcreek Town. Along the way, he would have to cross a hilly area and then pass through a dense forest. Taking the main road would take about four to five days.

If he rode a fast horse and traveled in a hurry, he should be able to arrive within a day and a half.

Having made up his mind, he would restock his supplies first, then rent a horse.

Turning into a grocery shop at the edge of town, he bought enough dry rations to last a few days and two water skins.

He also picked up two torches and a small bag of insect repellent powder on the way. After all, he had to pass through a dense forest, so these things were indispensable.

Then he asked the shopkeeper where he could rent a mount in town.

After telling Bai Xuan, the shopkeeper kept sizing him up while calculating the bill, a hint of curiosity hidden in his eyes.

It looked like he was going on a long journey.

Bai Xuan didn't care about the shopkeeper's scrutiny. He paid, packed the items into his backpack one by one, and turned to walk toward the stables.

The stable was named Silvermane Stable, located right at the boundary between the Inner Wall and the Outer Wall.

Before long, he saw a wooden sign in the distance, with the three characters "Silvermane Stable" clearly written in the Common Tongue.

Standing at the entrance of Silvermane Stable, Bai Xuan couldn't help but feel a trace of curiosity.

Having been in this world for so long, he had never entered a place that bred mounts before.

With a touch of curiosity, he gently pushed open the door of Silvermane Stable.

The courtyard was very spacious, much larger than it appeared from the outside.

Just as Bai Xuan took two steps, a young man wearing a leather apron quickly came up to greet him, a warm smile plastered on his face.

“Are you here to rent a mount, customer? We have a full range of breeds here. Feel free to look around; there's bound to be one that suits your fancy!”

Bai Xuan nodded slightly and said straight to the point, “I have urgent business and need to travel. I need a mount that runs fast and isn't easily attacked by monsters.”

The young man's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood. “Understood, understood! Come with me, I'll recommend a few suitable ones for you!”

Saying so, he led Bai Xuan through a side door and into the backyard.

This yard was even larger than the front one, partitioned by wooden fences into individual enclosures, each housing a different kind of mount.

The most common animals in the enclosures were horses. There were ordinary domestic horses, tall and sturdy chargers, and small, agile ponies, with various coat colors and postures.

But in the adjacent enclosures, Bai Xuan saw something different, not ordinary horses.

Some had sharp horns and robust bodies; some were a size smaller than a horse but had exceptionally thick legs, looking like they excelled at running.

There were also some with long ears like rabbits but bodies taller than deer, looking highly unusual.

They were domesticated magical beast mounts.

Bai Xuan was slightly taken aback. He had always thought that in this tiny Blackcreek Town, only ordinary horses were available for rent.

But he hadn't expected that they could even domesticate magical beasts here and rent them out as mounts.

Before, he had only seen that mysterious old man's giant caiman mount, which still felt unfathomably powerful even with his current strength.

So he had assumed only powerful factions could breed and train magical beasts.

Seeing him standing in place without speaking, the young man assumed he was carefully choosing and warmly stepped forward to introduce them.

“Take your time. We can chat as we look. Different terrains require different mounts to be effective.”

With that, he led Bai Xuan to the first enclosure, pointing at the horses inside.

“This is our best breed here. They have great endurance and run fast, perfect for daily travel.”

“The downside is that these horses are easily spooked when they encounter relatively powerful magical beasts. What do you think?”

Bai Xuan did not speak, merely sweeping his calm gaze over the horses in the enclosure and shaking his head gently.

High endurance and fast speed were indeed good, but if they ran into danger, it might cause trouble instead, which didn't quite fit his needs.

Seeing this, the young man did not press him, leading him further to the second enclosure.

“This one is the Small Rock-Horned Goat. They excel at climbing mountains. If you need to traverse mountainous terrain, they'll give you a huge advantage.”

“They have a steady temperament and won't panic when encountering other magical beasts. The downside is that they aren't fast on flat ground.”

Bai Xuan glanced at the stocky goats with short horns on their heads in the enclosure. He still didn't speak, clearly not interested.

The young man's enthusiasm did not diminish in the slightest. He led him to the third enclosure and continued to introduce:

“This is the Swift-Hoofed Deer. They run incredibly fast, and even in a bumpy forest, they move as if they're on flat ground.”

“The downside is that they are too timid and easily spooked. If they run into a magical beast, they'll be the first to flee in terror, making them easy to lose control of. You'll need to consider this carefully.”

Looking at the deer in the enclosure whose ears twitched from time to time, appearing highly alert, Bai Xuan shook his head in his mind.

Such a cowardly mount was not even worth considering.

Seeing him reject them one after another, the young man was not discouraged. Instead, he smiled. “It seems you have quite high standards. Alright, since none of these catch your eye, let's go look at the heavy-duty options.”

With that, he led Bai Xuan deeper into the yard, stopping in front of a separate enclosure.

This enclosure was larger than the others.

Inside lay a grayish-black giant beast. It looked very much like a wolf, but its size was a full circle larger than an ordinary wolf.

A thick, dark mane bristled along its back, exuding a fierce aura even while it lay down.

“This is the Graymane Wolf, a Level 2 magical beast, and it has been completely domesticated.”

The young man lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of pride. “Its speed is faster than a horse, and not only is it unafraid when encountering magical beasts, but it can also intimidate low-level ones.”

“Its only downside is slightly poorer endurance, and the rent is a bit expensive. Also, it has a fierce temperament; ordinary people wouldn't dare ride it.”

Bai Xuan stood before the Graymane Wolf's enclosure, but his gaze did not land on the wolf.

Instead, it was involuntarily drawn toward an even more secluded, separate enclosure in the corner of the yard.

Inside the enclosure lay a massive bird of highly unusual appearance.

It was taller than an adult human, with two long, thin legs supporting its round body. Its neck was bent in a lazy curve, looking completely out of place among the surrounding horses, deer, and wolves that were either standing or moving.

It just lay there quietly in the corner, one leg stretched out long, its head resting on its wing as it slept soundly, as if everything around it had nothing to do with it.

Following his gaze, the young man froze for a moment.

The smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a somewhat complex expression. “Have you taken a liking to this bird?”

“That is a Chocobo—a long-legged breed.”

He stepped forward, pointing at the Chocobo as he introduced it. “Its greatest feature is its incredible endurance. It can travel for a whole day and night without stopping.”

“Even without eating or drinking, it can cover a long distance, making it exceptionally suitable for long-distance travel.”

Bai Xuan was slightly taken aback. Chocobo—he felt as if he had heard this name somewhere before.

Recalling carefully, he remembered it was the most common mount in a certain game from his past life.

He still remembered that the creature bobbed up and down when it ran, looking quite amusing. He hadn't expected to see one in this world.

Seeing him lost in thought, the young man continued to introduce, “Its speed on flat ground can't match a horse, but it can execute a short burst of speed. If a monster chases you, you can completely shake them off using this explosive power.”

“Moreover, its recovery rate is exceptionally strong. Even if it gets extremely exhausted, it can continue traveling after a brief rest, without wasting any time at all.”

Hearing this, Bai Xuan's heart stirred.

These features were truly excellent.

As for being a bit slower, that wasn't a big deal.

He habitually glanced at the sleeping Chocobo, and the status panel information immediately surfaced:

【Long-Legged Chocobo (Lv.2)】

【Status: Lazy, Cozy】

【Health: 140/140】

【Mana: 15/15】

【Potential: 2-Star (Squire)】

【Evaluation: Chocobos are the long-distance runners among low-level mounts. Their endurance far exceeds that of ordinary Chocobos, and though slightly slower, they can travel day and night.】

【Trait: Sprint Burst (Consumes a large amount of stamina to accelerate for a short period)】

The information on the status panel was written clearly, exactly as the young man had described.

It could travel long distances, burst with speed in short intervals, and recover quickly.

Even if not for a specific need, it would still be a highly useful mount for daily travel.

Furthermore, its Potential was decent, standing out among the crowd of Dust Crowns.

Bai Xuan withdrew his gaze, looked at the young man, and said in a firm tone, “I'll take this one.”

The young man's tone carried a bit of hesitation. “Are you sure you want to choose it? To be honest with you, this Chocobo... has quite a few downsides.”

“It has an exceptionally lazy temperament and is very difficult to train. It rarely listens to human commands and loves to slack off.”

“Additionally, its carrying capacity is low. It's fine if you're alone with some light luggage, but if you have too many things, it won't be able to bear the weight.”

Bai Xuan nodded without hesitation. “I'm sure.”

The carrying capacity was not an issue at all. He had a Space Ring; once he cleared the town gates, he could store all the supplies from his backpack inside it.

He could also adjust the Staff of Guidance in his hand to its lightest weight, so it wouldn't add any burden to the Chocobo at all.

As for the issues of training and slacking off...

He looked down at the Chocobo, which was still sleeping soundly in the enclosure, a thought flashing in his eyes.

“I'll give it a try.”

Just then, footsteps came from the entrance of Silvermane Stable. Another customer had entered.

The young man glanced back at the entrance and hurriedly said to Bai Xuan, “Then you can try communicating with it first. If it really doesn't work, we can switch to another one.”

“A new customer just arrived, so I'll go greet them first.” He pointed to the enclosure door, turned, and hurried toward the entrance.

Bai Xuan stepped forward, gently pushed open the wooden door of the enclosure, and slowly walked in.

The Chocobo still lay in place, motionless.

Hearing the footsteps, it slowly raised its head and tilted its neck to glance at Bai Xuan.

Its eyes were half-open and half-closed, exuding deep laziness, looking as if it had merely been disturbed from its sweet dreams.

It cast a glance at Bai Xuan, then buried its head back into its wings and went back to sleep.

Bai Xuan walked up to it, gently squatted down, and looked at the fluffy giant creature with a gentle gaze, a warm smile appearing on his face.

“Hey,” he greeted softly, his tone carrying a hint of gentleness.