Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

"Gaga~ Gaga gaga~"

"Croak, croak~ croak~"

In the dark swamp, the two sounds seemed especially eerie and sinister.

The air around seemed to freeze, carrying a damp, cold, and heavy atmosphere, as if even time itself had stopped in this swamp.

From time to time, the quacking of wild ducks could be heard from the reeds, but the sound no longer sounded cheerful; instead, it carried a hint of fear and unease.

As if driven by some invisible force, they frantically paddled in the water, the splashes of water seeming to carry a chill.

The croaking of the frogs added to the eerie atmosphere.

They no longer sounded like singing, but rather like trembling in fear, their voices carrying an indescribable despair. Each time a cold wind blew by, their cries grew even more mournful, as if they were telling some untold secret.

The swamp was shrouded in mist, giving it an eerie feel.

Evan walked on the damp swamp, glancing back every now and then, afraid that he might encounter danger there.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew by, and the fog churned, as if something hidden within was about to appear.

Evans was so frightened that he jumped up. He felt his body temperature drop to freezing point in that instant. He felt he needed something to hold tightly in order to alleviate his fear.

Not far away, a dead tree stood alone, its branches twisted, as if telling a terrifying story of the past.

Evand knew he had to be brave, but the environment in this swamp was too eerie. The fog in the swamp seemed to have a magical power, amplifying people's fears infinitely.

After walking for about five more minutes, Evand finally saw a familiar figure.

However, next to this familiar figure, there were two other figures, who seemed to be exchanging something.

Evans slowly moved closer, pricked up his ears, and began to eavesdrop.

“Claria, I don’t know what else I have to say. I’ve already sent my men to every place he might appear. All we can do now is wait…” Nexus’s face was filled with helplessness.

"Really? Besides the Minotaur tribe, why didn't you send anyone over there to look for him? He might have already died while we were still talking!" The orc who spoke was a female lizard orc standing next to Nexus.

The female lizardman was also leading a slightly younger male lizardman, who appeared to be her son.

“Claria, calm down. You shouldn’t say things like that in front of a child. I’ll talk to you about the rest separately…”

"Hmph! Do you think I wanted to do this? It's all because of your suicidal missions. What chieftain would do something like that?" The lizardman named Claria said this with obvious anger on his face.

His child looked at his mother with a bewildered expression. He didn't know why his mother was angry, but he felt that he should behave, so he remained silent.

At this point, Nexus had no choice but to assert his authority as chieftain. Nexus frowned, and the imposing aura he exuded silenced Claria.

Then, Claria took her child and disappeared into the swamp, seemingly heading home.

After Claria left, Nexus quickly noticed Evand eavesdropping behind him.

"Sorry, I didn't notice you just now."

"It's okay, what happened just now?"

"As you just saw, my situation is very complicated right now."

"Ugh... This looks a bit bad. You probably need my help..."

(Note: Due to changes in the previous plot, the storyline here has been altered. If you want to know the original plot, you can play the game yourself.)

“Indeed, I have something to do right now, if you’d like…” Nexus looked into Evand’s eyes and began to hesitate. He didn’t want to drag a cute wolf cub into this tribal conflict.

"Just tell me, what are you hesitating about? If you keep this up, I'm leaving."

Evand's words startled Nexus. Looking into Evand's curious and determined eyes, he felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He knew he couldn't involve Evand in this complicated tribal conflict, but the wolf cub before him possessed unexpected courage and determination.

Nexus felt he liked Evand even more; this was the first time he had ever liked a beast so much.

“Alright, I’ll tell you.” Nexus took a deep breath. He knew he had no choice but to tell Evand the truth. “I suspect that this child abduction is a deliberate attempt to sow discord between our two tribes, to create chaos and hatred. I sent a spy to the Minotaur tribe to investigate the truth behind this, but I’ve lost track of him.”

Upon hearing this, Evand frowned, understanding the gravity of the situation. If he could help Nexus find the spy, perhaps he could uncover the truth and pave the way for reconciliation between the two tribes.

“I’m willing to help you,” Evand said, his voice firm and strong, “but you need to tell me more about this spy, such as his scent.”

Nexus nodded, then shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but he covered himself with all sorts of nasty stuff while on his mission, so you probably won't find the scent you're looking for. But I can describe its characteristics, and he's the only beast near the Minotaur tribe, so it'll be easy to identify."

"If you see him, tell him that the phoenix drinks alone under the moonlight."

He knew that Evand was a trustworthy partner. He began to describe to Evand the physical characteristics and habits of spies, and even began to worry that Evand might encounter danger in the Bull Tribe because he was unfamiliar with the local customs. So he told Evand about the location and customs of the Bull Tribe.

Evans listened attentively, memorizing the information. He knew this mission would not be easy, but he believed in his ability and courage to complete it.

After Nexus told Evand everything, he patted Evand on the shoulder and said, "Evand, be careful and don't reveal your identity. If you encounter any danger, come back to me immediately."

Evand nodded, knowing he bore an important mission. He turned and walked in another direction across the swamp, his heart filled with determination and courage.

After traversing a dense jungle, Evand finally arrived near the territory of the Minotaur tribe. He cautiously observed his surroundings, fearing he might be discovered by the tribe's guards.

Evand stepped into the territory of the Minotaur tribe, proceeding with extreme caution with every step.

Using his keen senses, he avoided the patrolling warriors of the tribe, trying his best not to attract anyone's attention.

The air in the jungle made him feel both unfamiliar and nervous, but he knew he had to remain calm and vigilant.

Suddenly, a fierce roar shattered the tranquility of the jungle. Evans immediately hid behind a large tree, cautiously peeking out towards the direction of the sound.

One could see ferocious monsters attacking a young, powerful warrior. Although the warrior fought back fiercely, he was clearly at a disadvantage.

(Note: You can play the game. There were originally two slimes here, but I think in reality, how could Tarn possibly lose to two slimes? And how could there only be slimes as monsters in the forest?)

A strong sense of justice welled up within Evand; he could not tolerate such atrocities. He knew he had to stand up and help the young soldier.

He swiftly drew his sharp sword from his waist, his body tense, ready to charge at any moment. He took a deep breath, then burst from his hiding place, pouncing directly on the demon.

The monsters were startled by Evand's sudden appearance, but they quickly recovered, opened their mouths, revealed sharp fangs, and pounced on Evand.

Evand skillfully dodged the monster's attacks while simultaneously striking its weak points with his claws.

After a fierce battle, Evand finally defeated the monster.

He was panting heavily when he turned to look at the young, powerful warrior. The warrior was lying on the ground, severely wounded, but his eyes shone with unwavering determination.

Evand went over and helped the minotaur warrior up. He noticed that the minotaur warrior was wearing the same clothes as the chieftain's son that Nexus had mentioned earlier.

"Are you alright?" Evan asked with concern.

The tough warrior shook his head with difficulty and said, "I'm fine, thank you for saving me."

Evans breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You're welcome. I just did what I was supposed to do."

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps approached. Evan immediately looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of minotaur warriors rushing towards them.

"Quick! You hide first, I'll handle this!" The young, powerful man quickly pushed Evans aside, struggled to his feet, and then walked towards the group of powerful men.

Evans felt a chill run down his spine. He knew he couldn't reveal his identity, so he took the advice of the young genius and quickly found a place to hide.

The warriors watched the young man nervously, then quickly ran to his side and helped him up.

"Young Chief, look at your injuries! What exactly happened just now?"

The young, powerful man deliberately put on a fierce look and said to the powerful warriors in a rude tone, "You have the nerve to ask what just happened? There are monsters everywhere around here. If I didn't have some skills, I would probably be dead by now. There's nothing going on here now, you can continue your patrol!"

The powerful warriors were intimidated by the young man's imposing aura and stopped in their tracks. Looking at the young man's fierce eyes and the battle marks on his body, they felt a sense of unfamiliarity, which was followed by joy.

“Yes, we’ll go now,” said a powerful warrior, leading the others away.

After the powerful warriors left, the young warrior finally breathed a sigh of relief. His body was swaying from his severe injuries, but he tried his best to remain calm and not want to show too much weakness in front of Evand.

Upon seeing this, Evand immediately emerged from his hiding place, strode over to the young man, helped him up, and asked with concern, "How are you? Do you need me to find some herbs to treat your injuries?"

The young, capable man shook his head, a wry smile on his face, and said, "Thank you, but no need. I know my injuries myself; they can be healed without any herbs."

"My name is Tarn, and I'm the young chieftain of the Minotaur tribe. I asked you to hide earlier because our tribe has recently become extremely sensitive and hostile towards outsiders. We'll attack almost anyone except our allies."

Upon hearing this, Evand was startled. He hadn't expected that this seemingly frail man was actually the young chieftain of the Minotaur tribe.

At the same time, he understood Tarn's concerns and worries. In this time of hostility and conflict, vigilance and caution were essential.

“My name is Evand, and I come from the Spear Tavern.” Evand introduced himself frankly. “I’m here to help my friend. He really doesn’t want to see the two tribes go to war, so he sent me on a mission.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Tarn's eyes upon hearing Evand's words. He hadn't expected this seemingly ordinary wolf cub to have such an important mission.

He gave Evand a deep look and said, "So that's why you came. But I must warn you, our tribe is now full of hostility and vigilance towards any outsiders, and it may be dangerous for you to stay here."

Evand nodded and said, “I know, but I can’t just give up like this. I must complete this mission and do my part for peace between the two tribes.”

Tarn was silent for a moment, then said, "If you insist on doing this, I can help you, because I am doing the same thing and I can assist you."

However, you must be careful and not reveal your identity. Furthermore, you need to understand our tribe's rules and customs to avoid causing unnecessary trouble.

Evan looked at Tarn gratefully and said, "Thank you, Tarn. I will be careful and respect your tribe's rules and customs."

The two smiled at each other, and the barriers and unfamiliarity in their hearts vanished in that instant.

“If it were before, I could definitely teach you to take you into the tribe, but not now. The guards at the gate are all my dad’s men. If I take you into the tribe, my dad will definitely not agree, so they won’t let you in.”

If you want to get into the Bull Tribe, perhaps you could bribe them with some food and drink. The guards at the gate will need two bottles of beer and five jerky pieces to open the gate.

After learning that he couldn't enter the Minotaur tribe through normal means, Evand decided to take Tarn's advice and try to bribe the guards at the gate with food and drink. He thanked Tarn and quickly returned to the Spear Tavern.

Throughout the journey, Evand was filled with anticipation and nervousness. He knew that the success or failure of this operation was directly related to whether he could fulfill his mission and bring peace to the two tribes. He had to proceed with extreme caution and could not afford to make any mistakes.

Back at the tavern, Evand immediately began preparing the necessary food and drinks. He selected two bottles of fine beer and five fragrant jerky pieces, which he had prepared specifically to bribe the guards.

After preparing everything, Evand set off again, heading towards the Minotaur tribe. His heart was pounding, but he tried to remain calm and not let his nervousness affect his actions.

Watching Evand leave in a hurry, Snow didn't say anything more and let him leave the tavern.

Meanwhile, Cheng Yu is currently discussing the events of today with Nexus.

"You're so heartless to entrust this task to him? Aren't you afraid he might encounter life-threatening danger?" Cheng Yu looked at Nexus, who was sitting on the other side of the table, with great seriousness.

Nexus was so under Cheng Yu's gaze that he couldn't lift his head. He realized his mistake; he could have kept quiet, but he still entrusted the task to Evand because of his own interests.

"Sorry……"

"What's the use of being sorry? If it were useful, the world wouldn't be in such chaos. But don't worry, I won't let anything happen to him, and he won't be in any danger either. But have you thought about how to make it up to him?" Cheng Yu's serious expression suddenly turned strange, and an ambiguous wicked smile appeared on his face.

Nexus felt a little embarrassed, thinking to himself, "Does he know what I'm doing...?"