Chương 2: Treasure Chest Monster

Shane has two things to do now.

First thing: He had to pay the hotel room fee.

The second thing: He has to kill a dragon.

Given his tendency to procrastinate, he always likes to put off doing troublesome things until the last minute.

Therefore, he decided to kill the dragon first.

Kidding.

How could he possibly kill a dragon?

However, the room rates are such a hassle. Aren't there any "adventurer-friendly inns"? The kind with free drinks and catgirl waitresses?

Hey.

Pushing open the wooden door to the room, the noise from downstairs immediately followed.

Xia En went down the stairs.

The aroma of honey-roasted meat and potato soup wafted through the air, inexplicably whetting one's appetite.

"Hey, adventurer kid, you've finally made it."

The hotel owner leaned against the bar, raised her hand to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, and looked at Xia En with tender affection.

His eyes were full of admiration.

She had never known before that there could be such a handsome young man in the world.

Look at her black velvet-like hair, her deep eyes, her straight features, and her ivory-like, delicate, and fair skin.

Apart from being a little thin, she is practically perfect.

However, it's okay, her cooking skills are quite good, and she will soon be able to grow strong.

"Some hot milk and bread, please?"

"Thank you, madam. You are truly the kindest lady I have ever met."

Xia En accepted the plate and smiled in acknowledgment.

Hearing this praise, the proprietress laughed heartily, her large breasts swaying back and forth, attracting frequent glances from the surrounding customers.

Sensing the envious glances behind her, Xia En gulped down her warm milk, grabbed a loaf of bread, and walked out of the hotel, quickly heading out onto the street.

It wasn't that he was afraid of causing trouble; the main problem was that the hotel owner was a two-meter-tall butcher, and he didn't want to ruin the couple's relationship.

The sun was shining brightly as we walked along the path.

The wagons of the caravan creaked and groaned on the sandstone road, women slung baskets over their arms as they picked through food on wooden shelves, and the clanging of hammers echoed from the blacksmith's shop.

What hit me was a lifestyle completely different from my previous life.

Xia En strolled slowly through the town, eating his bread as he walked toward the center.

Soon, a bronze statue appeared before his eyes.

It was the Simmel Squad that defeated the Demon King.

The triumphant warrior wielding a sword, the good-natured dwarf wearing a steel helmet, the tall monk with a beaming smile, and... the twin-tailed elf girl, Frilian, who seems completely oblivious to the situation.

The statue was surrounded by flowers, and several children were chasing and playing, pretending to be heroes and demons.

He stepped past the children and stood before the statue.

He adapted quickly from a corporate slave to an adventurer. Perhaps men are inherently averse to being restrained; he had long been tired of the stagnant work and life, and this feeling of wandering in another world captivated him.

Swords and magic, adventure and glory—what man wouldn't love that?

However, constantly living in fear of becoming cannon fodder is really bad for one's health.

So, in addition to trying to become stronger, he decided to find a powerful backer to rely on as a safety net.

It's not shameful. Men should eat softer foods; it's better for their digestive health.

Unfortunately, having only watched the anime, he didn't know the details of the story in detail. He only vaguely remembered that the original plot was blank for 20 years after the hero's death, and that [Frilian] was probably traveling in some remote corner at that time, making her impossible to find.

"Judging by the time, in a year, Frilian will appear in the holy city of [Shutral] to visit Haita, and then..."

Xia En calculated the distance.

Continue north, cross the Neck Mountains, and enter the territory of the Central Kingdoms. From there, you can travel directly to the Holy City along the Golden Trade Route.

"Well then," he said, his gaze passing over the statue and landing on the fields outside the city gate, "let's earn some travel expenses first."

……

Ghost Bunker This is a low-level maze located on the north side of the town.

Seventy years ago, during the era of defeating the Demon King, it had already been successfully conquered by adventurers.

There are no monsters inside.

Aside from novice adventurers who might want to experience the dungeon's atmosphere, it's rarely visited; it's more of a place to scavenge for loot.

Moreover, the hotel owner said that there is a kind of "glowing mushroom" growing in the bunker, which is a good ingredient for making cocktails. Drinking this cocktail will make you see goddesses, so it is very popular.

If we can collect some, the accommodation and travel expenses will be covered.

Having made up his mind, Xia En took out his wallet from his waist.

Ding-dong.

Two copper coins landed in his palm.

Buying dried meat is definitely not enough, but buying a few pieces of dark bread should be enough.

A few minutes later, when Shane came out of the bakery, he had a small backpack on his back.

He not only bought enough hard bread to last two days, but the kind and beautiful proprietress also insisted on giving him a small handful of dried gooseberries.

Hey.

This face is still incredibly popular.

……

The entrance to the Ghost Bunker is located at the foot of a hill. It's a wide, two-person-high opening, dark and sinister even in the midday sun.

Xia En took a deep breath and stepped inside.

It was very quiet inside the cave.

The only sounds were the occasional chirping of crickets and the smell of damp earth.

Xia En carefully walked along the stone wall, feeling his way. After his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he gradually saw the situation inside the cave.

This is a natural mine shaft.

Scattered on the rock face are some unidentified minerals, as well as some pits and stones left behind after being carved out by humans. It is estimated that the local chamber of commerce once sent people to investigate, but naturally they returned empty-handed.

Continuing on, the cave begins to extend downwards.

After walking for about half an hour, some glowing minerals began to appear sporadically on the stone walls on both sides. They were pale blue and very pretty. Xia En tried to pry them off, but couldn't get them off at all.

"It's a pity, such a beautiful stone, the ladies would probably love it."

He then arrived at a place that could be called a "room".

There was some litter scattered on the ground.

Broken arrows, a rusted axe, and some other odds and ends.

Xia En squatted down and examined them one by one.

Grayed-out entries.

Grayed-out entries.

White entries.

……

After some selection and refactoring, he obtained a new entry that was somewhat useful.

【Softer (Green Excellent)】: It can soften anything a little, but only a little.

Shane casually enchanted a piece of black bread with it.

I squeezed it, and hmm, it really did become a little softer.

"Ah—how scary—" Sudden.

A long, deep scream came from deep within the cave.

Caught off guard, Xia En was startled.

He quickly drew the sword from his waist, raised it in front of him with both hands, and carefully searched for the source of the sound.

Damn it!

Didn't they say there were no more monsters in this maze?

Can't the people in the Adventurers' Guild be a little more reliable?!

"How scary—it's so dark—" The long, drawn-out voice came again, sounding muffled, as if there was something between them, but it was definitely a girl's voice.

For a moment, Xia En wanted to run away.

But his courage as an adventurer, and a strange thrill deep inside, kept him standing still.

For the past three years, he had been scavenging for trash behind other adventure teams, and had hardly encountered any serious danger.

He was a little scared and a little excited.

"Phew, it's normal to be nervous the first time."

"Relax and take it slow."

Shaun gave himself a few words of encouragement, gripped his sword tightly, and walked deeper into the narrow cave.

After walking a short distance, the cave suddenly opened up, and the scene that came into view made him pause in surprise.

"A mimic monster?!"