Chapter 11: Mercenaries in the Tavern

  "Hey, Wu, it's been a while since you've been here." As soon as Wu Song entered the door, Old Will, the bartender at the Morun Tavern, greeted him warmly.

  "There are some days that haven't come, and I've gone out to complete a task." Wu Song smiled, he had a pretty good impression of this lecherous old man who had lost an arm, loved drinking, and loved slapping girls' butts.

  "It's good that you're back." Kowell patted Wu Song's shoulder warmly and nodded, which was already the best blessing for an adventurer who had his head stuck in his waistband. He took out a cigarette, lit it up, and handed it to Wu Song, asking, "Do you want something to eat? Today Sasha is here, so you're in luck."

  "Well, same old, same old." Wu Songke smiled wryly and walked to the corner of the tavern, sitting down quietly to gaze at this bustling world, as if he was just a passing traveler.

  Wu Song's usual fare was actually just three dishes: a smoked chicken, a plate of beef, and a cup of strawberry wine. These few dishes looked very ordinary, but for an adventurer, this was already a luxurious dinner.

  Maybe tomorrow I'll die in the wilderness, so today I must be kind to myself. This is a phrase that Wu Song has been silently reminding himself of. Several months of training between life and death have made his fear of death gradually fade away. Wu Song is not afraid of death, but he cherishes the time he's alive. As long as possible, he will try his best to make himself eat a little better and live a little more comfortably.

  Wu Song didn't like to drink, so he ordered strawberry wine because the Moren Tavern only had liquor and no other beverages. The strawberry wine was also the lowest in alcohol content. However, Wu Song loved eating meat. This guy wasn't too tall or fat, but alone could easily finish a whole chicken and a large plate of beef weighing over two catties.

  There were many people drinking at the Mo Lun wine house, but few eating, so what Wu Song wanted was quickly brought up. Wu Song picked up his knife and fork and skillfully dissected the smoked chicken, cutting the whole piece of beef into small pieces, savoring this delicious dish that belonged to him.

  The sun sets, and the Moren Tavern becomes lively at night. Many adventurers work during the day and run to the tavern for a drink in the evening. The adventurers gather together, but just drinking seems a bit dull. At this time, the adventurers will spontaneously gather together to organize some exciting programs, and arm wrestling seems like a good choice.

  "Is there no one else who dares to come up and try? Are all of you adventurers in Mill Town useless? Can't a single real man stand up?" A thin, pale-faced man wearing black leather armor shouted loudly beside the table where the arm-wrestling match was being held. Standing next to him were several people dressed similarly, including a burly man who stood over 2.5 meters tall and towered above the crowd like a crane among chickens. This guy had just broken the arms of five adventurers in a row.

  A group of outsiders were drinking and shouting, surrounding the adventurers at the table. Many of them were furious, as they had been coming to Moren's tavern for a long time, some even lived in Mill Town, and considered themselves locals. Now someone was causing trouble right outside their doorstep, making the adventurers very angry. However, despite their anger, no one wanted to step forward. On one hand, it was because the big guy was just too strong - previously, five people had gone up to challenge him, including two level 7 ability holders and a warrior with exceptional strength, but they all ended up having their arms twisted off by this guy. Judging from this, the burly man's power had reached an astonishing level, possibly even above level 8. In a small town like Mill Town, someone with abilities above level 8 was already quite impressive.

  Another reason why adventurers didn't dare to approach was the inverted triangular tattoo on their foreheads, which was the signature tattoo of the Poisonous Thorn Mercenary Group. No one recognized who these people were, but most adventurers who often hung out in the Giant Stone City area knew this tattoo.

  Mercenary groups are large organizations formed by adventurers gathering together. Many high-difficulty tasks published by the Adventurer's Guild cannot be completed by just three to five people, so many adventurers gather together to complete these large-scale tasks and receive rewards. As they work together to complete tasks, they form a considerable force over time. In addition to completing tasks published by the Adventurer's Guild, these forces often help the military complete some tasks, which is somewhat similar to mercenaries. Therefore, these large adventurer groups are called mercenary groups.

  The headquarters of the Toxic Stinger Mercenary Group is located in Kuren Town, one of the three major strongholds surrounding Giant's Rock City. They are among the top ten mercenary groups in terms of strength around Giant's Rock City and also the largest mercenary group in Kuren Town. However, these guys have a terrible reputation, and many adventurers who frequent this area know that the Toxic Stinger Mercenary Group is essentially no different from a bandit group. They have committed countless atrocities such as murder and robbery in the wilderness. Nevertheless, due to the group's formidable strength and their possession of a ninth-level super-ability leader, many adventurers dare not speak out against them.

  "Damn it, what a disappointment! Is there nobody in Milltown?!" The originally bustling tavern was unusually quiet, with only a few people from the Venomous Stinger Mercenary Group constantly cursing.

  "I'm coming!" A loud shout suddenly came from the crowd, and the adventurers' nerves were instantly excited. Everyone turned their heads, but to their surprise, it was Old Wine Preserver Cole who rushed forward.

  Kowiel is almost fifty years old, and some people say that this old guy was an adventurer a long time ago, but later broke his arm, became disabled, and came to the tavern to be a bartender, living a comfortable life.

  Many adventurers who saw Kowell rush up were first stunned, and then showed a worried expression. Although this old guy was a bit lecherous, he had a good relationship with many people. Most of the adventurers who often drank here got along well with him.

  "Old man, you only have one arm left. If that arm is broken again, then in the future, when eating, you will be like a dog, licking with your tongue on the ground." The strong man looked at Kowell with disdain and cursed a few words, obviously not taking this old man with a big beard and only one arm seriously. The other venomous mercenaries also burst into laughter after hearing the strong man's shouting.

  "Haha, kid, can you only play with your mouth like a woman? Who's the one who needs to try and see if they can break their arm?" As for playing with his mouth, Cowell, who had been mixing in the tavern for half his life, was not bad at it either. His hearty laughter immediately brought cheers from the surrounding adventurers, regardless of whether he won or lost. At least Cowell, who knew that his opponent was a member of the Poisonous Thorn Mercenary Group, still dared to shout out, and this courage was worthy of praise.

  "Wait and see." The strong man bent down, putting his arm on the table.

  "Come on!" Kowell rolled up his greasy sleeves with his mouth, revealing a fairly robust arm, and shook hands with the strong man.

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