Chapter 8: The Assassins' Tavern

  The Assassins' Tavern in the Seawall District of Storm City was located on Lighthouse Street, south of Albian Square.

  Lighthouse Street was a well-known nightlife distri Storm City, frequented mostly by sailors taking a break from their voyages.

  These sailors, having been at sea for months, would indulge themselves as soon as they hit the shore.

  They would spend their st Imperial Mark on gambling, women, and drink...

  Once penniless, they would return to their ships to await the voyage.

  To avoid the trouble that E's appearance might cause and to save time, Lucas stayed away from crowded pces, moving quickly across rooftops.

  After spending some time and effort, he finally located the highly cealed tavern.

  The tavern had no signs outside, only a tightly closed door hidden among some bushes.

  Lucas knocked on the door.

  A small window in the door opened, and a rge yellow eye appeared in the darkness behind it.

  "A stranger elf, this is not a pce you should be."

  Lucas spoke the passphrase, "I heard the call from the shadows. It told me the color of blood only be seen with closed eyes, and a dagger washed in wine cries the song of death."

  The person inside responded, "I don't know where you learhat passphrase, but this is still not a pce for you. Go back, do not let the darkness swallow you."

  "I have spoken the passphrase. By the rules, you should let me in. Evil Eye Tess..."

  Hearing his ess opehe door to the tavern.

  Evil Eye was an underground creature, resembling an octopus. His spherical head had a rge yellow eye that took up half of his face.

  "It was my mistake to question you. e in, elf... I wish you lu ing out alive. I see that your value is higher than most of the bounties on the list."

  Lucas walked past Tess.

  "Tess, you're as talkative as ever."

  Inside, a dim light illuminated a staircase leading downwards. At the bottom of the stairs, two mealking. Hearing the door open, they looked up to see the elf desding the stairs.

  As Lucas reached the bottom, one of the men blocked his way.

  "Stranger elf, are you here to pce a bounty? You directly entrust your task to us, no need for extra issions or deposits."

  At that moment, Tess called out from above, "Hey, don't break the rules here. If you want to do anything to the elf... wait until she leaves."

  The man had to step aside, letting Lucas pass.

  Around the er was an underground tavern. Due to the tavern's nature, all the patrons quietly drank and ate. Even their versations were in hushed tones, using various coded phrases.

  The arrival of a stunning elf naturally caught the attention of everyone iavern.

  All eyes turowards the elf, each calg... how much she might be worth.

  Lucas sed the tavern's patrons.

  paring them to the guide's descriptions of the Seawall District Assassins' Taverched a few individuals with the on heroes of the tavern.

  All were three-star heroes. Uheir gazes, Lucas approached the bar.

  The bartender, a lizardman, poured a drink and pced it in front of Lucas.

  "By tradition, first-time visitet a free drink. Beautiful elf dy, what I do for you?"

  Lucas picked up the gss, drank half of it, and pced it ba the bar.

  Drinking half indicated that he was here as an assassin to take on a task, while finishing the drink would mean he was a t looking to pce a bounty.

  "I want to see the bounty details for the Horned Demonkin Jumu of the Mad Axe Gang."

  The lizardman bartender g the half-empty gss of wihen back at the female elf standing before him.

  "I find it hard to associate such a beautiful elf with an assassin. You should be enjoying fine food and the service of servants in a noble's mansion. Any scar on your body would be a desecration of beauty..."

  At this moment, someone nearby chimed in, "And it would signifitly lower your price. Elf, instead of dying at the hands of the Mad Axe Gang for a bounty, you should sell yourself food price. I introduce you to some high-quality patrons."

  Lucas knew Erion's appearance would iably cause trouble, so he ighe person beside him and addressed the lizardman bartender, "Looking at the details won't cost you anything, will it?"

  "Of course not."

  The lizardmahe first rule of survival was ue with ers.

  He found the bounty details for the Horned Demonkin Jumu of the Mad Axe Gang from uhe ter.

  After pg the dots in front of Lucas, he said, "This is the information you see. If you want more details to increase your success rate, there's an intelligence sultation fee."

  Lucas had e to the Assassins' Tavern to firm if the boued, as there were some differences between this world and the "Epoch" game.

  Fortunately, the bounty for Horned Demonkin Jumu was still active.

  The reward was also 5000 gold notes.

  "I'll take this task."

  The lizardman bartender dutifully added, "Beautiful elf dy, I think it would be wise to buy some information about Jumu from us. For just one gold note, you increase your ces of earning 5000 gold notes."

  One gold note! What a rip-off.

  And the information he has is probably more prehehan what tavern has.

  "No need, I'll bring back Jumu's head soon. Have the money ready."

  Lucas fihe rest of the drink in one gulp and walked away from the bar.

  The lizardman bartender called out, "Elf dy, I need your name for the records."

  "E."

  As he reached the door of the tavern, Evil Eye Tess ope for him.

  "The e brothers should be outside... Poor elf. I told you, you shouldn't have e in."

  "Thanks for the warning, Tess."

  Lucas stepped out of the tavern, the heavy door closing behind him.

  The small window in the door opened, and Tess's eye appeared behind it.

  "You shouldn't have go."

  "Tess, that elf chick was right, you do talk too much."

  After the door closed, the e brothers emerged from their hiding spot.

  Lucas had found information about the e brothers on his phone.

  They were frequent patrons of the Seawall City Assassins' Tavern.

  Their abilities were obtaihrough secret arts, giving them werewolf blood. They could transform into werewolves for bat, with their powers enha night. On a full moon night, their powers would signifitly increase.

  [Rating: Three stars (bat power on a full moon night reaches three and a half stars)]

  Lucas looked up at the sky, and a full moon had just risen overhead.

  "I have never seen such a beautiful elf; she's truly a gift from the gods. Brother, be geh the elf dy. If her face gets damaged, she won't be worth as much!"

  "I uand, brother. I really envy those rich folks... If we had money, we wouldn't o sell her."

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