The demon tide had long passed, and Yafeng Town seemed to have regained its old prosperity. But many faces were no longer the same ones as before.
If one asked the adventurers roaming the streets what proof there was of the town’s recovery, the answer wasn’t the rebuilt Adventurers’ Guild hall, nor the new sub-guildmaster arriving in two months.
The answer was right here, right now!
Because—
Tonight, beneath the March moonlight,
the Rotten Willow Tavern reopened!
Adventurers, arms slung around each other’s shoulders, cheered as they poured into the already-crowded tavern, rushing to the counter to order a cup of that all-too-familiar cheap swill.
If anyone wasn’t swept up by the festive atmosphere, it was probably the owner of the Golden Elm Tavern across the street.
He leaned idly in his doorway, arms crossed, watching with a sour face as the crowd flowed elsewhere.
Inside Rotten Willow, even the window sills were crammed with patrons tonight.Everything was just as before.
The squeaky wooden doors, the booze-stained grimy floorboards, and the air thick with sour alcohol stench.
If there was one change—
it was that the owner, once a filthy fat middle-aged man, was now a stunning beauty in uniform.
That brought a whole new kind of thrill for the crowd.
No one knew what the guild was thinking, sending such a delicate-looking woman to run a tavern crawling with rough adventurers.
No wonder they had to station a two-meter-tall tigerkin as her waiter…
Behind the bar stood Mary, dressed in a spotless white cleric’s robe, the high collar snug against her snow-white neck.
With a sweet smile, she passed a wooden mug to a leering customer, withdrawing her hand just before he could brush her fingers.
The customer, unwilling to give up, leaned in with his drink and said, “Boss lady, are you a priestess of the God of Light? That uniform suits you too well!”
“It’s just my personal taste in clothes,” Mary replied with a pleasant smile, as though oblivious to the suggestive tone.
The man wasn’t satisfied with words alone—his hairy, sweaty paw reached out for her.
But halfway there, a much larger, furrier hand seized his wrist.
“You… what are you doing?”
He tried to bluster, but the tigerkin didn’t waste words—he simply dragged him out, ignoring the man’s shrill wails. Before long, the fourteenth drunk of the night had been hurled into the street.
In one corner, Norris was gnawing away at grilled snake ribs.
He had arrived early enough to claim an overturned barrel as a table.
Lately, luck had favored him. The noble-looking man he’d met in the dungeon had actually kept his word, tracked him down, and handed him a gold coin.
Only later did Norris learn the man’s name—Aydin. A diamond-ranked adventurer.
For someone like Norris, scraps from such a man’s fingers were like heaven-sent treasure.
That gold coin, combined with the 1 gold and 20 silver he had scraped together mining, was enough to cover this year’s third debt payment. He even had some left to treat himself now and then—to something better than endless mushroom soup.
He was savoring that happiness when disaster struck.
A passing adventurer’s foot tipped his plate, sending half a serving of honeyed snake ribs tumbling onto the filthy floor.
The meat rolled through black bootprints as Norris swore he heard his stomach cry.
That had cost him thirty copper!
“Ugh, disgusting!”
The adventurer cursed as he brushed his trousers, grinding his boot into the steaming ribs.
“Eat shit somewhere else!”
The man, a silver-ranked adventurer, stomped off, as if sparing Norris a beating was already generous.
Norris didn’t argue, didn’t curse, didn’t even look up. He shrank back timidly, avoiding the eyes of those around him.
He was only Level 21, barely into bronze rank, alone and powerless.
Better a coward than a corpse beaten in some alley.
He regretted coming to Rotten Willow tonight…
Nearby, a few had noticed, but they only laughed, smoke curling from their mouths.
Adventurers respected only strength and courage. No one would defend a timid bronze.
Except…
“Stop right there!”
Fylin blocked the silver adventurer’s path, finger nearly poking his nose. “You knock over someone’s food and think you can just leave? No apology, no compensation?”
Behind her stood Feyin, who had failed to restrain her, and a resigned-looking Vera.
“Move aside!” the man snapped, shoving her hand away. He loomed over her by a head, hand raised to push her back.
Shiiing—
Even in the packed crowd, Vera’s curved blade pressed precisely against his palm. One step further and it would run him through.
Silver-ranked or not, strength wasn’t equal.
“Wh-what are you doing? This is a tavern!”
Overpowered and staring at cold steel, the man panicked.
This was the city, but taverns were never short on hot-headed fools with nothing to lose. He didn’t dare gamble.
“I’ll pay! I’ll pay, damn it! Just put the knife away!”
He backed off quickly, turning to burn the coward’s face into memory.
He wouldn’t touch Vera—but that weakling, the one who hadn’t even protested when his food was ruined, would make a perfect target later.
But when he looked—Norris was gone.
Only the trampled remains of snake meat remained on the floor.
A tall figure shoved through the crowd then, standing before the four troublemakers.
Feyin, sharp-nosed, caught a whiff of feline musk.
The tigerkin crossed his arms, jerked his head toward the door.
The meaning was clear: leave on your own, or be thrown out.
“Damn it!” the adventurer spat, slinking away.
“Cowardly trash!” Fylin shouted at his back, still fuming.
Vera only sighed. He hadn’t even tasted his order of signature Puji Pasta before they were kicked out…
“Let’s just find another place. I’m still hungry.”
The three soon found another tavern still open. But when they sat down, they noticed someone slurping glowing mushroom soup at the next table.
“You!”
Fylin immediately recognized the man she had tried to defend—only for him to flee first.
Norris, mouth glowing faintly from the soup, hunched his shoulders and darted his eyes around, though he didn’t even know what exactly he was afraid of.
Maybe it was just this girl’s overwhelming presence…