Chapter Four: The First Professional Skill—True Word Mastery: Flow

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10 a.m.

Lin Bo awoke from meditation, lying comfortably on his bed, a profound tranquility settling in his heart. Checking his pocket watch, only three hours had passed, yet he felt as if he had slept a full eight hours, ready to face the day with boundless energy.

[Skill check successful, [Black Serpent Meditation Technique] basic proficiency +1]
[Health status coefficient ×1.4 (Excellent)]
[Final calculation result: [Black Serpent Meditation Technique] proficiency +1.4]

According to the comprehensive network’s player data, Lin Bo’s health status had risen from good to excellent.
Health status: Excellent (crude environment ↓, insufficient nutrition ↓, vigorous body and mind ↑↑)

A thorough meditation not only drastically shortened his required sleep but also bestowed upon him a health boost lasting the entire day.

Those 18 disaster coins were money well spent.

Since dungeon challenge attempts reset at midnight last night, the first thing Lin Bo did after waking was to check the player chat channel to see what everyone was talking about.

[Player “Beacon Traveler” returned to the current channel]
[Current channel online: 24]

Although this was a chat channel for a low-level dungeon, it wasn’t just novices. Many veteran players, even after years of inactivity, would occasionally log in for a quick look.

These old-timers were usually bored and quite enthusiastic. If you asked them to guide you through maps, at least half would agree, and some even gifted their stockpiled low-level gear and materials to newcomers, genuinely saintly souls.

Of course, there were also players with ill intentions setting traps, so caution was necessary.

[Barrier]: Continuing group runs today, Inferno difficulty, two slots for casual players.
[Confused Rabbit]: Me, me! Big shot, look at me!
[Such Good Weather]: Barrier, didn’t a newbie join last time? Seems like a total rookie. How about helping him out?
[Barrier]: No problem. @Beacon Traveler, friend, want to join?
[Beacon Traveler]: Thanks, but I’m used to going solo.
[Such Good Weather]: Pretty cautious, but you can trust Barrier—he’s a sworn paladin, a White Knight who won’t harm you.
Others chimed in urging him, but Lin Bo politely declined the kind offer.

He was quite happy to help others through maps but felt awkward being carried by a powerhouse. He couldn’t comfortably accept something unearned, disliked owing favors, and was wary of interacting with strangers when his strength was still low—it felt unsafe.

[Nightingale]: Good, brother, you’ve got some backbone.
[Picking up Trash Makes Me Happy]: You’ll succeed at everything you do. When you become a big shot, bring us along.

A bunch of jokers bubbled in the chat.

The group knew how to flatter—so much praise that Lin Bo nearly lost composure. He quickly switched to private chat and bought some ancient shipwreck coins from the merchant, Anjielun.

These non-magical items with antique properties were relatively cheap; three disaster coins could buy over a dozen, but in the real world, they were priceless.

[Anjielun]: Well now, getting some cash? Don’t worry, I know this game. Buy shipwreck coins and get a waterlogged wooden box free. Put your gold inside, and even experts will think it’s a genuine antique.
[Beacon Traveler]: Professional.
[Anjielun]: (laughing until tears)

The lighthouse administrator, dressed in a mechanic’s coat, returned to the old street pawnshop.

“Well, another returning customer at the old street pawnshop. Night Watcher, what’re you buying this time?” The middle-aged, chubby shopkeeper behind the anti-theft counter smiled in a way that felt unsettling.

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That was his professional expression—after all, he dealt in gray-market goods, and a sunny smile would seem unprofessional to newcomers.

“I found something interesting on the beach.” Lin Bo laid an aged gold coin on the counter.

The greasy-faced owner leaned in, eyes flicking between the coin and Lin Bo’s face, then casually remarked, “Just this?”

“Not just this. Depends on what price you offer.” The Night Watcher relaxed his stance.

“Hmm... this coin is old, but the condition’s mediocre; the patterns are all worn off. I’ll pay seventy percent of the normal gold price. Pawn or outright sale?”

“You’re good at business.” Lin Bo complimented him. “Outright sale, and you pay me the full gold price.”

He pulled the waterlogged wooden box from his canvas bag and tossed it on the counter.

The owner stared at the box—though corroded by seawater, it was still ornately antique—and slammed it on the counter. He seemed struck, gasping as if punched in the gut.

“Easy! I’m saying this is... uh, quite a fine box. Treat it roughly like that, and the felled timber would weep.”

With this box, the owner knew he was about to get rich. The coins were definitely from some lost shipwreck treasure. Taking them to the empire’s political center—Hongdu—would have university history professors, antique dealers, and nobles scrambling to buy them.

Its value as an antique far exceeded the precious metal content.

Lin Bo watched the owner shed his pretentious act and reveal a sly, greedy grin—his abrupt change was amusing, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Alright, pay me, and throw in ten harpoons and twenty whale oil rounds.”

“Hey! That’s robbery! Harpoon gun propellant isn’t something you give away freely!”

“Cut the nonsense.” Lin Bo pressed his hand on the waterlogged box.

The owner shouted repeatedly, “Given, given! Five harpoons, ten whale oil bullets—deal struck! Old Street Pawnshop treats customers like the toes of the Holy Father—I’d kiss you on both cheeks if I could. Let that little box breathe, it’s suffocating.”

Lin Bo left carrying a stack of bills and fresh ammo. The pawnshop owner watched him go, lingering long after his figure disappeared around the corner.

“A new lighthouse administrator, a visitor from a foreign land… truly not ordinary…”

He hesitated but withdrew his prying glance, clutching the box of shipwreck coins, speculating about the historical era of the treasure, his sunny, healthy smile utterly unprofessional.

“Exquisitely crafted, sparkling bright—the craftsmanship of this box is rare even today. It must be from some lost ancient dynasty. This secret is something else...”

Soon after, the old street shop hung a closed sign. Someone saw the owner board a ferry bound for Hongdu.

Bang!

An ax swung with precision and power, severing the alloy neck of a guard robot. Its iron head rolled on the ground.

Lin Bo straightened, wiping sweat from his face.

Today’s map run and grind were done—another hopeful day.

[Dungeon completion conditions met, calculating rewards]
[You received: Comprehensive Network Disaster Coins *15, Universal Experience *100, Mechanical Guard Mask (Gray)]

Player Info:
Name: Lin Bo
Class: True Name Mage Lv1 (525/450)
[Level-up requirements met]

“Level up.”

Ding—

True Name Mage Lv2 (75/1350)

Class Traits:

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Word Spirit (True Name Mage): The magical language you speak produces miracles, allowing you to control the essence of all things by uttering their true names.

Self-Naming: The True Name Mage’s official path begins here: creating a true name for yourself to gain control over your own being.

At level 2, the True Name Mage gains the new class trait [Self-Naming].

A true name embodies all the manifestations and essence of a thing.

On the path of the True Name Mage, the master typically bestows a true name on the disciple, listening, sensing their existence, and perceiving the rune representing the student’s essential nature, which is then spoken aloud.

Nothing is more important to a mage than their true name, whether it be a mountain forged of gold or a throne surrounded by beauties—these are mere external dust.

A mage’s life is spent guarding their true name; only a few close kin ever learn the secret. If it is revealed, even a mortal speaking it can render many spells ineffective.

Legend holds that powerful demons and devils have true names—knowing them prevents their betrayal.

Though this legend is partly untrue, as mortals speaking a demon’s true name can only severely wound but not forcibly kill them.

However, for spellcasters, especially True Name Mages with word spirit powers, a creature whose true name is controlled becomes a plaything, with its life, honor, freedom, and dignity at the caster’s mercy.

Lin Bo had no master, but thanks to the level 2 class trait, he could now give himself a true name.

This would be the first magical word he mastered.

Back at the lighthouse, Lin Bo bathed leisurely.

Then he sat cross-legged at the bedside, using the Black Serpent Meditation Technique to immerse his mind in tranquility.

The world faded to pure darkness; even the visual nerve illusions vanished, silence enveloped his ears. The movements of his internal organs briefly became clear, then disappeared.

In this pure darkness and silence, a radiant rune emerged deep in his mind. It seemed to have been there all along—only now did Lin Bo gain the sight to perceive it.

This rune symbolized everything about Lin Bo, and without hesitation, he spoke its name aloud.

“(Unknown magical language, transliterated) Copper Moon.”

The true pronunciation varied, unknown to outsiders. [Copper Moon] would stand for Lin Bo’s true name, a secret he would keep for life.

The instant the magical word was spoken, the air in the lighthouse trembled sharply; the endless ocean waves stilled for a moment, as if the world paused to listen to the mage’s command.

At that moment, Lin Bo felt a surge of control coursing through him. He raised his hand—not by nerve or muscle, but by the will-driven power of the word spirit.

His body became a tool moved at will.

This formidable control held incredible potential.

With a thought, Lin Bo broke the bonds of gravity, floating effortlessly, swimming through the air like a fish, stepping lightly through the void, weaving through space.

Ding—

[Detected class action, skill check successful!]
[Activated class skill: True Word Flight - Flow]

True Word Flight - Flow: Lv1 (0/1000) Basic true word magic, allowing flight and traversal by uttering true words.

“The highest good is like water, flowing ten thousand miles.” — The Proverbs

With this first magical word came Lin Bo’s first class skill. The True Name Mage system had finally opened a new level to its seeker.

(The End of this Chapter)