Chapter 10: Twin Moons and the Blackfang

At first glance, it seemed like a cryptic and meaningless message—possibly some kind of code.

But why would Mog hand her a letter like this?

If the sender wanted her help, why speak in riddles?

Unless… they were certain she would understand.

In other words, this had something to do with the Dark Dawn.

But the truth was, Li Wen didn’t know much about them.

She hadn’t even joined the strategy team during the Candlelight Crusade.

With that thought, Li Wen turned her attention back to the gold coin.

It was a currency she had never seen before, significantly heavier than the gold pounds issued by the Kingdom of Arthur.

One side bore a prominent crown, while the other showed two crescent moons separated by a single line.

Li Wen frowned in thought.

The letter mentioned “twin moons,” and here they were again, etched into the coin.

What could that mean?

In the world of World Tree: Origins, there was only one moon.

“Twin moons” was more likely a symbolic term.

Much like how ancient alchemists used the sun to symbolize gold and the moon to represent silver.

Some in the Darkblood lineage worshiped the moon, believing it to be the noblest aspect of night.

The path of darkness was one of the most widespread among the Darkblood, and even the odd sect of Dark Dawn—who believed light and dark to share the same source—had traces of this influence.

Given that, the Moonworshippers and Dark Dawn likely shared a connection.

Or rather, they should have.

After all, the moon was often seen as the shadow of the sun.

In the Moonworshippers’ faith or secret societies, the twin moons symbol held a sacred meaning.

It marked the divine date of Return of the Moon, a day when both lunar deities were honored—the white moon Urena of the mortal world, and the black moon Naleka of the shadow realm.

Li Wen vaguely remembered that this Return of the Moon wasn’t a specific calendar date, but part of a unique lunar system.

She had once asked an astronomically inclined native about it, who explained how the dates were calculated.

According to that method, there were thirty-four Return Days each year in the game world, and one of them happened to be today.

More precisely, tonight at 11:11 PM.

So the time was set.

And if she interpreted the “the time has come” from the letter as referring to this event, then “Blackfang” might indicate a location.

It could be a landmark—something obvious or well-known, perhaps even familiar to the locals of Ark Town.

After all, this was Li Wen’s first visit here.

But speculation only went so far.

Li Wen stood up and opened the door.

The best way to confirm a theory was through action.

She just needed to ask a local.

***

Ark Town’s Candlelight Church was genuinely small.

Li Wen had barely walked a few steps before spotting the young nun.

“What are you doing?”

The girl looked up at the sound of Li Wen’s voice, her face clouded with visible confusion when she recognized her.

“Ah, Miss Mephet.”

“It’s Mephist,” Li Wen corrected calmly.

The nun flushed in embarrassment at her mistake and quickly tried to change the subject.

“My name is Luna, one of only two nuns at this church. I think I forgot to introduce myself earlier—so sorry!”

“I see.”

Li Wen nodded indifferently, showing little interest.

“What are you doing right now?”

“Farming,” the girl said cheerfully, pointing to a vegetable patch with dirt-covered fingers.

“Look, I planted potatoes here, and over there is—”

“I’m not interested in any of that,” Li Wen interrupted before she could go on.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t done farm work before—her very first job after crossing over was helping someone tend their fields.

“Do you know what ‘Blackfang’ is?”

The question seemed to come out of nowhere.

Luna blinked, stunned for a few seconds, before responding, “Uh, it sounds like an animal’s name, maybe? But I don’t know much about animals…”

“An animal?”

“Yes! There are lots of creatures in the forest outside. They often attack nearby villages and towns. Traveling merchants sometimes buy furs and teeth from those beasts.”

“Some aimless drifters even hunt them for profit, sell the parts to merchants, and call themselves mercenaries. They even name themselves after the beasts…”

Mercenaries, huh?

Li Wen’s thoughts began to shift.

“You sure know a lot. Doesn’t sound very nun-like.”

“Oh, not really… I used to work in the countryside, so I heard a lot of things. And Pastor Mog would tell us stories, too.”

Luna blushed slightly, shy but earnest.

“Pastor Mog is really such a good person—he taught us how to farm and so many other things… Eh? Miss Mephist?”

Li Wen had already turned and was striding toward the church’s entrance.

By now, the sun had vanished completely, leaving only a sliver of crimson on the horizon.

Deep indigo and black had taken over the sky.

Still, a few hopeful players wandered near the church, loitering and chatting.

Some even approached her, thinking to strike up a conversation.

Not that it was surprising—after all, player names didn’t appear in the game, so identifying someone as a native or a player relied solely on behavior and speech.

If a player immersed themselves deeply in the game world, it became nearly impossible to tell the difference.

Especially someone like Li Wen, who had experienced a real-world crossover.

But Li Wen wasn’t going to waste time on them. These players weren’t trying.

They just drifted around, hoping for miracles.

They had no money, let themselves starve to death from HP loss, and were frankly useless.

She quickly slipped away from them and vanished into the stream of traders moving through the streets.

Luna’s explanation had sparked a new idea.

Blackfang might be a codename for a group or person—likely not someone law-abiding.

Uncle Regan had once told her that if she ever needed to find someone shady, the best place to go was the Hopvine Tavern in the West District.

That’s where the drunkards and outlaws tended to gather.

But she couldn’t just walk in like this—she’d need gear.

She had nothing on her right now, and if anyone picked a fight, she wouldn’t be able to get away.

She needed a weapon first.

Preferably something she could buy outright.

Ark Town was well-known for its blacksmiths and smelting industry, thanks to the abundance of ore in the Black Dragon Territory.

Many villages and towns survived off mining.

The only problem now… was money.

This was a fresh game start for Li Wen—her pockets were completely empty.

Even the entrance tax had been covered by the Regan couple.

Still, she wasn’t worried.

She didn’t have money—but other people did.

As she slipped out from the crowd of merchants, a few shiny silver coins glinted between her fingers.

With the “Dexterous Hands” trait and her class perk “Professional Pickpocket,” Li Wen was among the top thieves in the mortal world—plucking what she needed from others’ pockets as easily as breathing.

Like money, for instance.