Chapter 1989 Novice Butcher <TOC> Chapter 1991 Reason for Adventure
Translator: SumTLMan
“By the way, there’s something I need to tell you.” After rambling for a while, Tree Spirit suddenly adopted a more serious tone.
“I’ve conveyed your hypothesis about the ancient gate to Rhine. Rhine agrees with your thoughts and plans to enter the central passage in the next two days to investigate whether the owner of the shoes we saw earlier is still there.” Tree Spirit paused: “If confirmed absent, I’ll contact you immediately, and you can see if the door is as you speculated.”
Angel nodded: “Okay.”
Tree Spirit continued, “You better prepare in advance, like you did when fixing the rune on the door, to avoid any last-minute issues. After all, the longer you stay in the true interior of the ruins behind that door, the more variables you’ll encounter.”
“I understand,” Angel responded earnestly.
“That’s good. You’ve reached the dark alley now, so I won’t disturb you further. And…” Tree Spirit suddenly sighed deeply, “Liana has come looking for me again with Fire Charm.”
Undoubtedly, Liana’s visit was again about persuading Tree Spirit to create internal space.
All Angel could offer was sympathy and a silent thought: Just hold on for a few more days. Once the matter of the Wilderness of Dreams is revealed, you’ll be relieved.
Dark Alley——
Unlike the perpetual brightness of the underground market, the dark alley was almost entirely composed of dim paths, breeding evil and chaos. Nearly every few steps, Angel could smell the stench of decay.
Even if the street looked smooth and clean, the fresh mud covering the old earth revealed how much blood and filth were hidden beneath.
The upper management of the underground market is well aware of the dark dealings in the alleyways, but no one has proposed cleaning them up.
This is because, although the alleyways are filled with evil and chaos, they harbor the most developed and freest information hubs. The reason is simple: they conceal and gather a multitude of spies and pawns sent by other wizard organizations. With these spies’ support, the majority of information from the Southern Region swarms in, converging within these alleys.
In the eyes of the upper management, allowing these spies and agents a place to band together and dance in unison is far better than having them scattered across the vast ocean. So, apart from the reason of information gathering, this is also one of the factors why they don’t clean up or even manage the alleyways.
Because the alleyways gather the most information, they are also the favorite destination for certain adventurers.
The place Angel is now headed to is a bar frequented by adventurers.
Angel stops in front of a wall covered in moss and stains, lightly taps on the bird pattern on the wall, and a small wooden door hidden behind an illusion appears.
The door has two flaps that can be opened both ways, and both flaps are inscribed with the character ‘Swan’. When closed, they read: ‘Night of Swan Lake’.
Night of Swan Lake is the name of this bar.
As Angel passes through the doorway, the cold, profound atmosphere outside is instantly washed away by a wave of heat carrying the rich scent of barley beer, accompanied by a bustling noise.
The bar is nearly packed with people. At most tables, patrons are already deep in their cups, hence the constant din.
Waitresses dressed as maids, carrying trays of fresh drinks, weave through the establishment, adding a touch of gentleness to this bar brimming with masculine energy.
The bar was bustling, everyone engrossed in their own conversations, hardly anyone noticing Angel’s entrance.
Angel, however, found comfort in his anonymity, traversing a long carpet imbued with exotic charm, weaving through the narrow tables. He approached the bar and, as he took a seat, caught the attention of the bartender, a man with short, curly gray hair.
Under a guise of indifference, the bartender assessed Angel while feigning a lazy smile. “What can I get for you, sir?”
“I’m here to find someone,” Angel replied, dismissing pleasantries.
“Who might you be looking for?” the bartender inquired with a smile, his squinted eyes gleaming with astuteness. “I hope it’s someone alive.”
“Why do you say that?” Angel raised an eyebrow.
“Well, it’s much easier and cheaper to find someone alive,” the bartender casually cleaned a glass, “But if it’s someone deceased… that’s tricky. There are too many dead in the alleys, buried who knows where. Unfortunately, most who come here are searching for the dead.”
Angel chuckled softly. “I’m looking for a living person. Show me where they are.”
The bartender paused, not fully grasping Angel’s intent, when suddenly a vast mental wave swept over the entire bar.
This mere mental wave didn’t disturb the blissfully inebriated patrons, but the bartender standing before Angel felt immense pressure, sweat beading on his forehead as if facing a towering mountain.
By then, it was clear to the bartender that this was no mere apprentice. Swallowing his dry throat, he acknowledged that while the bar had hosted many formal wizards, this red-haired, golden-eyed man was an enigma, unknown even to someone with his experience.
The unfamiliar formal wizard brought uncertainty. And the uncertain factors could very likely bring danger to the bar.
The bartender had already made up his mind, whatever the other party said, to first stabilize them.
However, what the bartender didn’t expect was that the other party quickly withdrew their perception and said, “The third room from the right on the second floor, I want to go in.”
The bartender instantly recalled information about each room on the second floor in his mind. He remembered that the guest in the third room from the right on the second floor seemed to be a little person? Literally, a small person.
“You…” The bartender was pondering what trickery might be behind this and whether it could trigger a chain reaction that might be detrimental to the bar.
Angel interrupted his train of thought directly: “Don’t worry, I have no interest in this bar.”
The bartender paused for a moment, then smiled awkwardly, “Sir, this way please. I’ll take you there now.”
Angel nodded indifferently and followed the bartender up to the second floor.
Of course, Angel could have barged in directly, but he had heard from Tree Spirit that the bar’s backer was “Leaf Blossom” Nian Yesevei.
Nian Yesevei was, after all, the object of Tree Spirit’s unrequited love, and Angel didn’t want to offend her, so he neither forced his way through nor snuck in.
The bartender led Angel to a room marked 215: “Sir, do you need me to open it for you?”
Angel shook his head: “No need.”
Angel gestured for the bartender to leave and then knocked on the door.
After a while, the door opened. However, there was no one behind it. Looking down, he saw a little person not even as tall as a bowl, looking up at him with a puzzled face.
“You’re the trial examiner for the Tiger Armored Adventure Group?”
Angel didn’t speak, but as Kudou assumed silence as consent, he eagerly opened the door, letting Angel enter the room.
“I’ve learned healing spells, magic message sending, and even the greasy trick. I also have some racial talents. I can act as a scout, but if I do, the price must be higher because the dangers faced by a scout are greater…” As Kudou led Angel into the room, he listed his abilities.
After Kudou finished detailing all his skills, he turned around puzzled, noticing that the ‘examiner’ behind him hadn’t uttered a word.
He then saw the red-haired man standing at the doorway, with ripples suddenly appearing behind him.
Subsequently, with the red-haired man as the center, the surrounding environment began to change slowly, as if a new layer of space was superimposing and covering the original one.
The once narrow and old room, in the blink of an eye, transformed into something entirely different.
Chapter 1989 Novice Butcher <TOC> Chapter 1991 Reason for Adventure