Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

Upon waking, Cheng Yu felt his headache had lessened considerably. He began to look around. The room's decor astonished him; it was clearly the modern style of his previous life—simple, bright, and brimming with technology. Various high-tech gadgets were placed in every corner, emitting a soft glow. How could this be? Wasn't he in that primitive, orcish game world? How could there be such modern decor and high-tech gadgets there?

Doubt and confusion filled Cheng Yu's heart; he felt a sense of disorientation, as if he were in a dream. Just then, the door was gently pushed open, and a beautiful woman walked in. She carried a bowl of steaming chicken soup, a gentle smile on her face; she must have come to nourish Cheng Yu's body.

The woman walked to the bedside, placed the chicken soup on the bedside table, then picked up a small spoon, scooped up a spoonful of chicken soup, and brought it to Cheng Yu's lips. "Here, drink some chicken soup to nourish your body."

Cheng Yu looked at the woman, then at himself, and realized he had reverted to human form. He looked down at his body—his hands and feet were human. He abruptly raised his head, his gaze fixed on the woman, filled with wariness and confusion. He didn't recognize the woman, nor could he comprehend what was happening before his eyes.

"Who are you?" Cheng Yu asked warily, his voice trembling slightly.

The woman smiled slightly and said softly, "I am Yun, your... companion."

"Partner?" Cheng Yu was even more confused. He had no recollection of ever having a partner. Moreover, he didn't know this woman who claimed to be his partner at all.

Cheng Yu's mind raced, trying to piece together the situation. Had Bo Wen pulled some trick again? But he didn't recognize the woman in front of him. What was going on?

He abruptly pushed away the chicken soup in the woman's hand and jumped out of bed. Ignoring the fact that he wasn't fully dressed, he stumbled into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. His face was reflected in the mirror; it was indeed human.

Cheng Yu reached out with trembling hands to touch his face, muttering to himself, "What on earth is going on?" His heart was filled with fear and unease; he didn't know where he was or what would happen next.

Yun put down the chicken soup in her hand and quickly followed Cheng Yu into the bathroom, hugging him from behind. "Cheng Yu, what's wrong?" Her voice was trembling with tears, filled with grievance and worry. "Believe me, I will always be with you, whether you remember me or not."

Cheng Yu felt a surge of inexplicable irritation. The stranger's intimate gesture made him very uncomfortable, especially since he already had someone he liked. He gently removed Yun's hands from his body, turned around, grabbed her shoulders with both hands, lowered his head, and said sincerely and apologetically, "I'm sorry, beautiful lady, I really don't know you. I believe you must have mistaken me for someone else."

After saying that, Cheng Yu left the bathroom and returned to his bedroom. He began rummaging through drawers and cabinets, trying to find clues and figure out what had happened to him. Yun stood at the bathroom door, watching Cheng Yu's retreating figure, silently sobbing. She seemed to have suffered a great blow, but she didn't stop Cheng Yu's actions, simply bearing it all silently.

Cheng Yu's search didn't last long; he quickly found his past life's phone in the bedside table drawer. It was a black smartphone with a familiar lock screen pattern. Cheng Yu picked up the phone, entered the password, and the screen lit up, displaying the familiar home screen.

He quickly browsed the apps on his phone and finally found the familiar game icon—the icon for "Spear Tavern," composed of several yellow letters. Without hesitation, he clicked the icon, and the game began loading.

As the game loaded, Cheng Yu's heart pounded faster and faster. He had a vague premonition that this game might unravel the mysteries in his heart and help him understand what had happened to him.

After the game finished loading, strangely enough, an extra login page appeared.

An unfamiliar login screen appeared on the phone screen. Cheng Yu tried entering his usual username and password and clicked the login button, and thankfully, he logged in successfully.

The game screen flashed, and Cheng Yu found himself in a familiar scene. It was an old tavern, and in the dim light, several orcs were sitting around a table, talking animatedly. Behind the bar, a burly werewolf orc was wiping glasses.

Cheng Yu looked around, confirming that he had indeed physically returned to the game world. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He knew he had to figure everything out as soon as possible and find a way back to his original world. This was definitely not the game world he knew, because how could he possibly log into the game and enter this world?

He walked to the bar and greeted the werewolf bartender: "Snow, long time no see."

The werewolf tavern owner looked up at Cheng Yu, a surprised expression on his face. "Evind? You're back?" Hearing Snow call out "Evind," Cheng Yu froze. He then remembered that the protagonist's name in this game was Evind. Clearly, the NPCs in the game only saw him as Evind. But this almost realistic scene and feeling was truly unexpected. However, he entered the game to find clues, not to play. He had to constantly remind himself of this.

Cheng Yu briefly greeted the other familiar orcs in the tavern and headed straight for the second floor—Evand's room. Now, he was Evand, so he naturally had the key to this room. The room was simply furnished: a bed, a wardrobe, a table, a chair, and nothing else. Cheng Yu carefully searched the room but found no useful clues.

With a hint of disappointment, Cheng Yu went downstairs. He immediately saw Hakan sitting at a corner table. His tall, muscular figure, his familiar profile, and the amber-colored ale in his hand all stirred a strange pang of sorrow in Cheng Yu. He remembered his promise to Hakan to always be by his side. But now, he had broken his promise. Although he knew that the Hakan in the game didn't recognize the real him and would only see him as Evand, Cheng Yu's heart was still filled with guilt.

Cheng Yu walked to the bar, asked Snow for a bottle of rum, and then went straight to Hakan's table, placing the bottle in front of him. "Please have a drink," Cheng Yu said in a low voice, with a hint of apology in his tone.

Hakan looked up at Cheng Yu, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. "Why did you suddenly decide to treat me to drinks?" He took the rum, sniffed it lightly, and then took a big gulp. "Good wine!" he exclaimed.

Cheng Yu sat down opposite Hakan, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "I...I may have to leave for a while."

Hakan put down his glass, looked at Cheng Yu, and asked, "Leave? Where are you going?"

Cheng Yu shook his head and said, "I don't know either. I have some things to take care of."

"Is it something important?" Hakan asked, seemingly unconcerned.

Cheng Yu nodded without saying anything.

“Alright then,” Hakan said, taking a big gulp of liquor. “Go ahead. We’ll wait for you here.”

Cheng Yu looked at Hakan gratefully and said, "Thank you, Hakan."

"Do we need to say thank you between us?" Hakan said with a smile, then raised his glass. "Come on, cheers!"

"Cheers!" Cheng Yu raised his glass and clinked it with Hakan's.

The two drank in silence, neither speaking. The tavern was filled with noise, but between Cheng Yu and Hakan, it was as if all sound was cut off, leaving only the sound of their breathing.

Cheng Yu knew he had to find a way back to his original world as soon as possible. He didn't want Hakan to wait too long, nor did he want Yun to continue to mistakenly believe he was her partner. He had many things to do; he had to return to his own world.

Cheng Yu wasn't a heavy drinker, and after a few sips, he got up to say goodbye to Hakan. This farewell was unusually heavy, leaving Hakan puzzled. "What's wrong with Evand today? He's acting strangely..." He scratched his head in confusion, then picked up his glass and downed the rest of the ale in one gulp.

Cheng Yu glanced one last time at the tavern behind him, his eyes filled with reluctance, before finally turning and leaving resolutely. He ran through the dense grove of trees towards the Minotaur tribe. Although everything around him felt incredibly real—the fragrance of flowers and trees, the aroma of earth, even the cool breeze on his face—Cheng Yu knew in his heart that this was just a game. His consciousness told him that he only needed to silently say "exit" to leave this game world. However, at this moment, he couldn't convince himself that this was just a virtual world.

Soon, Cheng Yu arrived at the Minotaur tribe. Ignoring the guards' attempts to stop him, he rushed into the tribe and found Chief Tarn. He briefly explained his purpose and then hurriedly left. Tarn watched Cheng Yu's departing figure, completely bewildered. He couldn't understand why his usually gentle and refined friend was behaving so strangely today. Even if Evand didn't seem to be like this, surely he wouldn't act like this?

Cheng Yu climbed up the steep mountainside, sharp rocks tearing his clothes and leaving bloody marks on his arms. But he didn't care, because in his mind, these were just virtual injuries in the game, and wouldn't cause him any real harm. He soon arrived at the temple atop the mountain in the Minotaur tribe's mountaintop.

The temple's corridors were dark and deep, the walls carved with ancient totems, and a mysterious atmosphere permeated the air. Cheng Yu walked through the corridors and came to a room filled with paintings. He knew that his master Long's secret space was hidden here.

Following his master's instructions, Cheng Yu lit the candles in the room. The flickering candlelight illuminated the room in an alternating light and shadow. He tried to open the entrance to the hidden space using the method his master had taught him, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not open the hidden door.

"What's going on? Did I remember wrong?" Cheng Yu began to feel anxious. He tried again and again, but to no avail. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and his breathing became rapid.

He began to suspect that Bowen had tampered with his dream, preventing him from entering the hidden space. Or perhaps, it was all a scheme set up by Bowen to prevent him from finding a way back to the real world.

"No! I can't give up!" Cheng Yu gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down. He knew he couldn't fall here; he had to find his master, figure everything out, and find a way back to the real world.

He examined each painting in the room carefully again, trying to find some clues. Suddenly, his gaze fell on a painting of a giant dragon. He had seen this painting many times before and had never noticed anything unusual. But this time, he felt that this painting seemed different.

He walked up to the painting and carefully observed the dragon depicted. The dragon's eyes seemed to come alive, staring directly at him. Cheng Yu reached out and gently stroked the dragon in the painting.

The instant his fingers touched the dragon's eyes, a powerful force sucked him in. Everything went black, and he lost consciousness.

The world before Cheng Yu's eyes suddenly shifted, and he found himself in an unfamiliar space. This was not the secluded dwelling of his master, Long, as he remembered, but a completely different scene. The air was thick with a musty smell, the dilapidated houses teetered on the brink of collapse, overgrown with weeds, a desolate wasteland. This was utterly different from the vibrant, bird-filled courtyard he remembered.

"What's going on? Is this... really Master's residence?" Cheng Yu was filled with doubt and unease. He clearly remembered that he and his master had lived here for nearly three months, but the scene before him now felt completely unfamiliar. He tried hard to search every corner of his memory, but he couldn't reconcile the scene before him with the image in his mind.

A sense of foreboding washed over Cheng Yu. Without thinking, he pushed open the gate of the courtyard house and rushed inside. He called out his master's name, his voice echoing in the empty courtyard, but no one answered. He began searching frantically, pushing open every door, hoping to find his master.

Finally, Cheng Yu found Long in the room where his master usually painted. However, his master's condition shocked him. Long sat quietly in the chair, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing weak, as if he might disappear at any moment. He exuded an extremely unstable aura, like a candle flame flickering in the wind, which could be extinguished at any time.

Cheng Yu couldn't believe his eyes. He rushed over to Long's side. "Master! What's wrong?" he asked anxiously, his voice trembling.

Long slowly opened his eyes, a kind smile appearing on his aged face, but the smile also carried an undisguised weariness. "Disciple, you've come..." His voice was weak, as if he had used up all his strength.

Cheng Yu looked at his weakened master, his heart filled with worry and self-blame. "Master, what... what happened to you? Why did you become like this?" he asked, choking back tears.

The dragon gently shook its head and said, "Disciple, don't worry. I'm just a little tired. I'll be fine after a rest."

“But… your life force…” Cheng Yu looked at his master with concern. He could clearly feel that his master’s life force was gradually fading away.

The dragon smiled and said, "Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural course of life. I have lived for too long and it is time for me to rest."

"No! Master, you can't leave me!" Cheng Yu held his master's hand tightly, tears streaming down his face.

Long gently stroked Cheng Yu's head and said, "Disciple, you have grown up and can face everything on your own. I believe that you will definitely find your own path."

"But... what should I do without you?" Cheng Yu said, crying.

Long looked at Cheng Yu, his eyes filled with loving kindness. "My disciple, you must remember, no matter what happens, you must live on strongly. Your master will always protect you, in your heart."

Cheng Yu hugged his master tightly, letting his tears soak his clothes. He knew his master's time was running out. How he wished it were all just a dream, and that when he woke up, his master would still be that kind and powerful being. But he knew this was not a dream; it was cruel reality.