The setting sun gradually sank into the valley, and the town filled with wafting smoke was swallowed by the night, leaving only sporadic lights on the street where the adventurer guild was located.

Bustling all day, the old farmer headed home from the fields, while those adventurers, worn out from fatigue, left the maze in twos and threes.

Ever since the division in Thunder City increased the commission weight for Silver Pine Town, the number of local adventurers surged like frogs by a pond after a rainstorm.

Carrying a hoe, old Abel was listlessly killing time, calculating the hour his neighbors would start their dinner.

It wasn't that he wanted to scrounge a meal, but the incident of losing his shoes the day before had made him the laughingstock, leading to people giggling upon seeing him, and he just couldn't face looking his neighbors in the eye.

At that moment, he suddenly caught sight of Captain Hephael standing on the street corner, beckoning to him.

Out of curiosity, old Abel approached.

Before he could ask what was the matter, Hephael beat him to it with a face full of mystery.

"Want a drink?"

The alcohol worm in old Abel's belly was instantly tantalized, and without a second word, he nodded.

"Want to, of course, I want to... but I don't have any money in my pocket, don't you get any ideas."

"Hey, what kind of person do you take me for?"

Hephael chuckled and stuffed a stone necklace into his hand, then passed on the trick that the captain had taught him to this seemingly honest but actually not-so-honest fellow.

"I don't have any money either, but those out-of-towners do... I'll teach you how to swindle food and drinks."

Meanwhile, across the street on another road, the tavern that had been shuttered all day had just begun to open for business.

The moment the solid oak door was pushed open, the wind chime hanging at the entrance began to tinkle incessantly.

Adventurers, who had been busy in the maze and the wilderness all day, now needed alcohol and the fiery passion of the girls to numb their tightly wound nerves.

And "Silver Pine Path," located right across from the adventurer's guild, happened to have both.

The man with the greatsword loudly boasted about his battle with the Lizardman in the maze today, turning a chaotic skirmish into a fight as grand as wrestling with a dragon.

The matronly waitress coped with the adventurers' harassment while nimbly weaving through the crowded tables and chairs, placing the frothy wooden beer mugs on the tables.

Occasionally, one or two young waitresses, embarrassed by the tasteless jokes, would turn red, drawing raucous laughter and whistles from the rowdy group of bulky adventurers.

Just then, the wind chime at the door tinkled again, and in walked an old farmer whose presence did not fit in with the ambience of the place.

Not everyone here was from out of town.

There were also the local hunters who occasionally doubled as adventurers.

Livink, who lived on the street to the north, recognized him right away and the adventurer beside him teased,

"That guy there is old Abel who lost his shoes... that guy who claims he ran into a Witch Demon."

"Ha ha ha, him?"

"Sure looks like a picture of misfortune, ha ha!"

Several adventurers laughed out loud, drawing many eyes to old Abel.

Intending to quietly make his way to the bar, Abel's face reddened as he glared at the annoying hunter and retorted.

"You all remember that I lost my shoes, but you don't remember what terrifying thing I ran into!"

"A Witch Demon, is it?" Levink whistled and said teasingly, "Well then, old Abel, why not tell us what the legendary Witch Demon really looks like... I've been hunting in Silver Pine Town for 20 years and have never seen that creature!"

"That's because you lack experience!"

Abel's face and neck turned red as he shot back and strode angrily to the bar to sit down.

Ignoring the jeers of the crowd, he looked around as if searching for something and then seemed to relax as if he had found it. He then took a stone crucifix pendant from his chest, rubbing it in his hand while praying.

Levink raised an eyebrow in a puzzled expression.

He'd known this guy for so many years but had never seen him pray with such devotion before.

This piqued his curiosity.

However, just as he was about to ask about it, a militiaman seated at the bar beat him to it, asking with interest first.

"What's that pendant? Looks... kind of special?"

Special?

Levink paused, scratching the back of his head.

It was just a crucifix, and stone at that, not looking particularly special at all.

But after hearing the militiaman's comment, old Abel lifted his chin in pride, saying boastfully,

"This thing is amazing! Didn't I run into an Undead the other day? I couldn't sleep that night at all, so I went to see Priest Matt. After hearing about my troubles, he gave this amulet to me... and guess what? I wore it around my neck to sleep, and I slept soundly until dawn the next day, without a single Undead whispering in my ear all night!"

Regardless of how much truth was in his words, coming from old Abel, they did sound convincing, especially since everyone knew he really had encountered a formidable Undead recently.

The crowd murmured in amazement and speculation.

"So this is an amulet?" The militiaman at the bar stroked his chin, his tone hinting at provocation, "Doesn't seem all that impressive."

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