Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

Evans carefully handed the parchment to Snow, who took it and examined it closely.

The others also curiously gathered around to observe, eager to know what was on the parchment scroll.

There were no other customers in the tavern at this time, and the tavern was now eerily quiet.

The atmosphere in the tavern became tense, and everyone held their breath, waiting for Snow's reaction.

Snow's brow furrowed deeper, a barely perceptible worry flashing in his eyes. He took a deep breath and slowly said, "Pierce Dagon... I haven't heard that name in a long time."

Upon hearing the name, Chet's face instantly turned grim. His claws gripped the edge of the table involuntarily, his knuckles turning white from the force. Witt noticed Chet's unusual behavior and gently patted his shoulder in comfort.

Witt scratched his head, looking confused. "Pierce Dagon? Who's that? I have absolutely no recollection of him."

“He arrived before you, so you don’t know him. That house is really awful!” Chet’s voice clearly carried a hint of anger.

Chet took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. His voice trembled slightly: "Pierce Dagon is an antelope, draped in a long black robe, and, well, with a chain of eye-shaped threads around his neck. But he's not as friendly as the other orcs we know. He's a fanatical believer, convinced he's been summoned by some 'creator' to cleanse this place of so-called 'evil.'"

"He has always been proud of his clan and the Creator, and honestly, he's really good at it. If he were to go into pyramid schemes or something, he would be very successful!"

Evand's eyes widened in surprise: "Purge evil spirits? Does he see us as evil beings?"

Chet nodded with a wry smile. "No, it's probably related to the fog in the forest. However, it's also possible that in his eyes, we are 'evil spirits' that need to be eliminated. That guy is like a fanatical superstitious believer; it's chilling."

Snow nodded and continued, "That guy is like a lunatic, always saying things that don't make any sense. He's really annoying. He doesn't listen to a word I say."

“One night, the guy suddenly jumped out of bed and shouted, ‘I feel the call of the Great Creator! He told me how to dispel the fog!’ Then he rushed out of the room, and before Chet could even react, he was grabbed and thrown aside, and then he took an axe and left.”

Hakan looked at Chet and teased, "Oh, you have an axe?"

"That's right, boohoo! But I've never seen it again since, my poor little axe!"

"But after that, he disappeared. Perhaps he was captured by a monster, or perhaps he left the mist." Snow shook his head in the end, indicating that he was not sure either.

Snow placed the parchment on the bar and said gravely, "It seems Pierce Dagon is searching for some kind of heraldic fragment. He seems to believe that collecting these fragments will provide a way out of here."

Hakan suddenly remembered something and turned to Evand: "Wait, didn't you mention finding a badge? Could it be the herald fragment he was talking about?"

Evans quickly pulled the shimmering badge from his pocket. All eyes were fixed on the small object, as if it held the key to unlocking all mysteries.

Snow examined the emblem closely, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "That's right, this should be one of the emblem fragments Pierce Dagon is searching for. It seems he's collected some, and just a few more are needed to complete his plan."

Witt worried, "If he really finds a way to leave, won't he pose a threat to us?"

Snow shook his head: "What worries me more is what he means by 'destroying this place once and for all.' If he really has the ability to do so, then we'll all be in danger."

A chill ran down his spine, and he instinctively moved closer to Hakan: "What should we do?"

Snow pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over everyone present: "Looks like we're in for a lot of work. We need to find the other emblem fragments."

Evan patted his chest confidently and said, "No problem! We'll definitely find the remaining fragments. Hakan, how about you come with me to explore?"

"Heh, brat, don't try to drag others into everything. I'm not interested in this. You can find it by yourself."

Snow shook his head. "You should handle these things yourself. We still need to manage the tavern, so only you can traverse this fog and search for these badges."

Witt and Chet nodded in agreement.

Seeing their expressions, Evan said somewhat dejectedly, "Oh... alright then, I'll try my best."

Seeing that Evand looked a little disappointed, Chet looked at the puppy with his two big black eyes and said seriously, "Hehe, but if you find enough medals, you can come to me, and I might be able to help you."

As night fell, the fog outside the Mist Tavern grew even thicker. Evan stood by the window, gazing at the mysterious and dangerous mist, his heart filled with trepidation about the unknown and worry for his family. He knew the days to come would be challenging, but he also firmly believed that with everyone by his side, they would overcome all difficulties and protect this little tavern he cherished.

As dawn broke, Evand rubbed his sleepy eyes and got out of bed. The conversation from the previous night still echoed in his mind; the discussions about Pierce Dagon and the mysterious emblem filled him with both excitement and trepidation. He knew he bore an important mission, but he had no idea where to begin.

Just as Evand was lost in thought, a light footstep approached. He looked up and saw Chet standing in the doorway with a beaming smile. The little hyena-man looked exceptionally energetic today, his tawny fur shimmering in the morning light.

“Good morning, Evand!” Chet greeted him warmly. “I hope I haven’t disturbed your sweet dreams.”

Evans shook his head and smiled. "Of course not, Chet. You seem to be in a good mood today."

Chet leaned closer mysteriously and lowered his voice, saying, "I have a little task for you. What do you think?"

Evand's ears perked up, his curiosity piqued: "What mission? I'd be happy to help."

Chet nodded in satisfaction and explained, "I need you to go into the forest and collect some slime. Not too much, just a small bottle will do. I plan to use it to make some little gadgets today."

Evans scratched his head, somewhat confused. "Slime slime? What's that for?"

Chet smiled mysteriously and winked. "It's a secret. But if you're interested, I can send you some finished products. How about it, interested?"

Although he didn't quite understand Chet's intentions, Evand nodded in agreement. After all, this was a good opportunity to explore the forest, and perhaps they could find more clues about the emblem.

After a quick pack, Evand slung his small bag over his shoulder and prepared to leave. Before he went, Chet handed him a small glass bottle and warned, "Be careful, those slimes may look dull, but sometimes they can suddenly attack and hurt you."

Evand nodded and carefully placed the glass bottle into his bag. He took a deep breath, pushed open the tavern door, and stepped into the forest shrouded in morning mist.

The woods were eerily quiet, broken only by the occasional bird call. Evans moved cautiously through the trees, vigilantly observing his surroundings. Suddenly, he spotted something green wriggling in the distance.

"Finally found it! It's a slime!" Evand muttered excitedly to himself. He crept closer, intending to collect the slime when the slime wasn't looking.

Just as he was about to succeed, the slime suddenly began to shake violently. Evand was startled and quickly took a few steps back. He saw the slime split into two smaller individuals, who stared at each other for a moment before lunging at Evand together.

"How come there are two now?! But I can easily handle this!" Evan said confidently. In the end, he picked up his short sword and kept slashing at the slime on the ground. To his surprise, this slime was different from the ones he had seen before. The more he slashed, the more slimes there were.

Realizing something was wrong, Evand prepared to run away, not wanting to experience the same scene he had encountered when he first met the giant slime.

After a chase, Evand finally shook off the two stubborn lumps of slime. He leaned against a large tree, panting, and patted his chest with lingering fear.

Just then, he noticed a strange mark on the tree trunk. Upon closer inspection, he discovered another green slime on it, which seemed to have noticed him as well and was lunging at him.

"Why are there slimes everywhere?! Damn it!"

Evand couldn't dodge in time and fell to the ground with the green slime, while a large number of slimes followed behind.

"Let me go, you wretched slimes!"

Evans, panting heavily, said helplessly, "Fine, fine, you win. Please, don't do this to me. I really need some of your slime. I hope you'll cooperate."

Unexpectedly, the slimes seemed to understand Evand's words. They all released themselves from Evand's restraints, then slowly approached, secreting some slime on their own. Evand happily took out a glass bottle and carefully collected some.

“Thank you, little ones,” Evand said sincerely. The slime seemed to understand, gently swaying its body before slowly disappearing into the bushes.

With this unexpected discovery, Evand set off back to the tavern. He was both anticipating Chet's reaction to the slime and filled with curiosity about his new clue. Unbeknownst to him, this seemingly simple task seemed to have opened a door to a greater secret.

Not long after Evand left, a rustling sound came from the bushes not far away. A tall figure emerged from the dense vegetation, revealing the outline of a werewolf. His fur was a strange yellow, and his eyes gleamed with intelligence. This uninvited guest was Cheng Yu, who was also holding a strangely shaped camera.

Cheng Yu looked around to make sure no one was there, then muttered to himself, "Another interesting story. This world is truly full of surprises." He glanced down at the camera in his hand; the screen displayed footage of Evand's interaction with the slime.

He carefully pressed a few buttons on the camera to save the footage he had just recorded. "This footage should come in handy," Cheng Yu muttered to himself. "I wonder what the audience will think of this little story?"

Cheng Yu's gaze fell on the direction where Evand had disappeared, and he said thoughtfully, "This little guy has finally learned basic communication. It seems there will be many more interesting stories to come. He seems to be searching for something important. Perhaps I should pay closer attention to his movements."

Just then, faint footsteps sounded in the distance. Cheng Yu alertly pricked up his ears and quickly put away the camera. After looking around and confirming it was safe, he silently disappeared into the nearby bushes.

A moment later, a rabbit hopped across the path. Cheng Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but remained vigilant. He knew that in this world full of unknowns, any negligence could lead to deadly danger.

Cheng Yu waited quietly until he was sure there was no more movement around him. He gently parted the leaves and looked around again. After confirming that it was safe, he slowly stood up.

"Looks like it was a false alarm," Cheng Yu muttered to himself. "But in this world, it's always better to be safe than sorry. After all, I don't have my master with me right now, so I still have to be careful." He dusted himself off and straightened his clothes.

Cheng Yu glanced one last time in the direction Evand had left, a hint of curiosity and anticipation in his eyes. "I hope to see an even more exciting story next time," he murmured. "There are still so many secrets in this world waiting to be revealed."

After speaking, Cheng Yu turned and walked deeper into the forest. His figure was gradually shrouded in thick fog, eventually disappearing into the dense woods. The forest returned to its tranquility, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.

Evans pushed open the tavern door with anticipation, eager to show Chet his haul. His eyes sparkled with excitement, and he was still covered in forest dirt and leaves. The tavern was filled with the faint aroma of malt, and a few regulars were talking quietly in a corner.

"Chett! Chet!" Evand called out as he entered, his eyes searching the tavern for that familiar figure. Soon, he saw Chet standing behind the bar, wiping a glass.

Hearing Evand's call, Chet looked up, a curious expression on his face. "Oh? You're back so soon?" He put down his glass and looked at the panting Evand with interest.

Evans strode to the bar and excitedly pulled the small glass bottle filled with slime from his backpack. "Look! I did it!" he announced proudly, holding the bottle up to Chet.

Chet's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the nearly overflowing glass bottle. It was filled with a shimmering, green slime, far more than he had expected. "This...how is this possible?" Chet exclaimed in astonishment. "How did you collect so much so quickly?"

Evand grinned and began to recount his adventures in the forest with great enthusiasm. He described how he encountered the peculiar group of slimes and how they eventually offered him their slime. “You were right, Chet. Those slimes were quite something,” Evand said. “They seemed to understand me, and they were actually quite friendly.”

Chet listened intently to Evand's account, his expression gradually shifting from surprise to thoughtful contemplation. "Interesting," he murmured to himself, "It seems the creatures in this forest are far more complex than we imagined."

Just then, Snow came out of the kitchen and overheard Evand's story. "Slimes can understand human speech?" he frowned. "That's quite something. Evand, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Evand nodded firmly. "I'm pretty sure, Snow. They really understood my request, and even offered to help me."

Snow and Chet exchanged a meaningful glance. "It seems we know far too little about this mist," Snow mused. "Perhaps these slimes are somehow connected to those mysterious heraldic fragments."

Chet carefully took the glass bottle and examined the slime inside. "Anyway, this is quite a pleasant surprise," he said. "With so much slime, I can do many more interesting experiments. Thank you, Evand."

Evand puffed out his chest proudly, but then something else occurred to him. “By the way, Chet,” he asked eagerly, “can you tell me what you plan to do with this slime?”

Chet smiled mysteriously and winked. "Don't rush, lad. You'll see when I'm done. Trust me, it'll be a surprise."

Evand was somewhat disappointed, but nodded nonetheless. He knew Chet always liked to maintain a sense of mystery. Just then, Witt and Hakan entered the tavern, curiously observing the scene at the bar.

“Wow, what’s this?” Witt asked, pointing to the glass bottle in Chet’s hand. “It looks like some kind of magic potion.”

Hakan leaned closer for a look and wrinkled his nose. "It smells a little strange," he commented. "Chet, you're not up to some weird invention again, are you?"

Chet grinned smugly. "Hey, you just wait and see. This invention will absolutely amaze you." He carefully put the glass bottle away, then turned to Evand. "You did a great job today, lad. I'll give you a special reward later."

Evand's eyes lit up again. Although he was still very curious about what Chet was going to do, he stopped worrying about it when he thought about the reward he was about to receive.