The game has become a real alternate world

Chapter 1111 - 783: Gathering Adventurers

Splinter Wave City—Port District.Night Watcher Adventurer’s House—Sea Howl Tavern.

The salty sea breeze, carrying scents of fish catches, tar, and distant spices, barely wedges into the thick oak door of "Sea Howl Tavern," only to be utterly consumed by the internal heat wave and clamor.

This place seems a bit out of place with the entire city.

Because here it is lit up all night, and whether it’s day or night, this tavern operates 24 hours a day.

Whether grassroots and mud-soaked or high and mighty gentlemen, sometimes you can see them gathering in this peculiar place.

This is the Adventurer’s House under the Night Watcher’s protection, a haven for weary returners, a starting point for those with ambition.

Also, this city is the starting point for adventurers originating from this area.

But tonight seems no different from usual.

The clamor is as obvious as ever at night here.

Fortunately, the Night Watcher is conscientious, engraving symbols around to prevent the sound from spreading too far, avoiding disturbing the residents.

But most of the surroundings are shops and streets, so even if disturbed, it wouldn’t be much of a hassle.

Some bosses and clerks from surrounding shops also gather here at night; they themselves are part of the disturbance too.

Push open the tavern door.

The air is thick enough to cut, mixed with the sour froth of ale, the burnt aroma of roasting meat, the pungent scent of dwarven pipe smoke.

And the sweat and leather scent on various races, either strong or faint.

Every race always has something annoying.

Like that damn smell on them.

The light mainly comes from the enchanted stone lanterns hanging on the thick beams, flickering and casting shifting shadows on the coarse stone wall and the cork board plastered with wanted posters, sea charts, guild notices.

That’s the favorite spot of every homepage’s own.

The commission board where adventurers accept tasks.

Now you can see some people twisting around beside it, occasionally talking about something.

Clamor is the main theme here.

"Another cup! With ice, ’Dwarven Fury’!" A robust young human slaps the bar counter, his dark face marked by the just-removed heavy armor, his voice loud, with a rural accent, months ago he might have been swinging a hoe in the fields.

The Night Watcher changed all that, giving farmer’s sons, blacksmith’s sons, hunter’s sons more paths ahead.

"Save it, Hawke! Your bounty isn’t enough to get you drunk three times!" Beside him, a Half-Elf agilely hops on a high stool, his shrill voice carrying a jest.

He’s dressed in fitting leather armor, a belt with a few shiny small tools, deftly peeling salted nuts. "Why not hear ’Quickfoot’ Finn’s intel? Guaranteed to earn ten copper with one!"

Not all Half-Elves are synonymous with friendly and simple; quite a few are notorious.

Because they amplify the chattering and nagging traits of Half-Elves.

Behind the bar, a Leopard-man waiter with oil-slicked black spotted fur, wipes the large mug with dance-like fluidity, his golden vertical pupils bearing a lazy amusement, scanning the entire hall.

His tail swings gently, precisely avoiding a stumbling, drunken sailor.

Casually flicking, waking up a drowsy fellow.

In the corner, a few Dwarfs sit around a table, heavy armor casually piled by their feet, beards frothing.

They’re not drinking, but engaged in fierce discussion, fists pounding the wooden table with bangs akin to thunder in a Dwarven mine:

"Glennba! I said, Storm Fjord is the way to go! Your old route through ’Weeping Reef’ won’t work anymore, sea witches haunt the area now!

"Damn rats, damn Evil God, making the world worse." A Redbeard Dwarf spits with salivary specks.

The curse of Evil Rats and the death’s shadow bringing evil chaos have begun appearing across the world.

The most apparent manifestation is the increasing number of evil beings, and even originally weak ones suddenly find themselves strengthened.

The specific evil forces, once scattered across the world. Have somewhat broken some local orders, making places dangerous and chaotic.

Thankfully, the Night Watcher’s Adventurer’s House plan has suppressed this chaos.

This also explains why the special first homes are located in each city and town because local nobles turn a blind eye.

How?

You want the lords to pay for such things?

"Come on, though these evil bastards indeed annoy, without them, we’d struggle for meals now."

A nearby human complains.

Blunt words, with some truth.

The dwarves completely ignore him, turning to their companions.

"Nonsense! Moradin’s beard testifies! The old maps marked safe waterways under the reef!" Another Dwarf with a thick nose-guard helm retorts fiercely.

"Our ’Stone Fist’ Clan knows the northern seas better than you ’Deep Furnace’! This expedition, we must return to the Ancestor’s Hall of Furnaces!

"The Night Watcher’s provided ’Protection Blessings,’ with our rune anvils, will surely smash open the doors occupied by stone debris in our homeland!"

His eyes burn with intense desire, the flame to reclaim the lost Empire.

This is one of the gathering points for exploration ships.

As time draws nearer.

More and more adventurers gather here, led by Dwarfs, who begin bustling to return to their former homeland.