On a fine midday, a breeze skimmed the surface of the sea, carrying with it the scent of brine.
Ethan, disguised as a grown man, boarded a merchant ship setting sail.
The war between the Sunset Empire and the host of Dark Lords still raged on, with frequent small-scale skirmishes between the two sides.
At this critical juncture, Ethan naturally wouldn't step into the fray.
Both his personal development and the growth of the Dungeon had hit a bottleneck.
Understanding the customs of this world was something he had always wanted to do.
After establishing his forces and bidding farewell to his women, he temporarily left the East Sea.
Only by venturing out, seeing more of the world, could he prevent his horizons from being limited.
"Anchor's aweigh!"
"We're setting sail!"
With the boatswain's robust voice, the merchant ship slowly left the harbor.
After three days adrift at sea, the silhouette of land gradually appeared on the horizon.
From the excited chatter of the people around him, it was clear that they had arrived at Stone Rock Harbor.
Stone Rock Harbor, the only sea outlet of the Blackstone Dwarf Kingdom, was a hub of vast wealth.
The Dragon Crossbows that Riverside had obtained at a great expense had come through here.
And the Blackstone Dwarf Kingdom was Ethan's first stop on his journey.
The reason for choosing the Blackstone Dwarf Kingdom as the destination was simple.
There was an uncompleted S-Rank hidden quest there.
Ethan wasn't particularly concerned about completing it; he would take things as they came.
Following the main artery of Stone Rock Harbor, amidst the oddly dressed adventurers, Ethan quickly found his destination: Stone Rock Harbor's Adventurer's Tavern.
As the place where heroes accepted and completed quests, the Adventurer's Tavern never lacked customers.
Compared to the Adventurer's Tavern in Riverside, the one in Stone Rock Harbor was evidently more lively.
As soon as Ethan walked in, several pretty green sprites, wings fluttering, bustled about, serving the heroes.
Ethan had never seen such creatures before and couldn't help but take a longer look.
They belonged to the fairy race and were said to be related to Treants by bloodline.
But with such a significant size difference, it was hard to imagine what had transpired in their history.
"Welcome, welcome!" A sprite greeted Ethan warmly as he entered the bar.
"Please follow me, sir," the sprite led the way, surreptitiously eyeing Ethan to gauge how much he might spend.
Ethan's human disguise was a man in his early thirties, with a stubbled chin, dark skin, short black hair, dressed in convenient brown traveller's clothes and carrying a long sword on his hip.
At first glance, he might have seemed destitute, but the sprites, known for their keen perception, were not deceived.
The sprite clearly sensed a faint magical aura emanating from the long sword on the man's hip.
A piece of magic equipment like that is worth at least a few thousand gold coins. The sprite, having stamped Ethan with the labels of being low-key, capable, and wealthy, greeted him with an increasingly genuine smile.
Having scanned the tavern, all the seats were taken. The sprite asked, "Sir, the tavern is currently full. Would you mind sharing a table with someone?"
"Not at all." Ethan shook his head. He was originally interested in gathering information from the locals, so the sprite's suggestion was to his liking.
"Right this way, sir." The sprite led Ethan towards a corner of the tavern. As they passed a beautiful woman with a figure that could make heads turn and a very revealing top, the sprite whispered, "Miss, would you mind sharing your table with this gentleman?"
The woman eyed Ethan up and down, then turned to the sprite. In a remarkably pleasant voice, she said, "Of course not, sir, please have a seat."
Ethan pulled up the chair next to her and ordered two servings of Black Flame Ale, a potent brew unique to Stone Rock Harbor.
The sprite quickly brought over the two drinks, and Ethan gestured for her to give one to the woman across him.
"Thanks, big guy," the attractive woman said, her voice soft and sultry.
The drink was not cheap, costing a hefty five gold coins.
She hadn't expected this seemingly plain man to be so generous.
She exchanged a knowing look with the sprite.
As a regular in this tavern, and someone with a unique profession, she often relied on the sprite to pick out potential clients.
If things went well, she would give the sprite a portion of the earnings.
It seemed that this guy had a hefty purse, promising a good payday for both of them.
"This drink really packs a punch, making me feel so warm..." After taking a sip, the woman began to fan herself and discreetly undid a button of her shirt, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her chest.
"Indeed, the drink is quite strong. It's to my liking." Ethan took a sip.
After the fiery kick, there was a lingering sweetness. The taste was rather pleasant.
"I'm Veronica. What's your name, big guy?"
"Ethan."
"Where are you from, Ethan? Ever since I came to this world and became a blasted Hero, life has become so much tougher, especially for us unfortunate women..." As she spoke, Veronica leaned over the table to give Ethan a generous view of her cleavage.
Ethan didn't shy away from appreciating the woman in front of him.
Her looks and figure, combined, could probably score an eighty.
She didn't match up to any of the women he had ever been with, but she had a worldliness about her that was new to him.
"Naughty! What are you looking at?" Veronica scolded Ethan playfully and pushed her chest out proudly.
Veronica moved her stool next to Ethan, snuggling against him, she seductively proposed, "Big guy, how about we go to my room? It's only fifty gold coins, and I guarantee you an experience like never before."
"Really? What kind of special experience are we talking about? Care to elaborate?" Ethan gave a hearty laugh.
He didn't hesitate to wrap his arm around Veronica's shoulder, reaching into her blouse and fondling her soft bosom.
"Ah..." Veronica couldn't help but let out a soft moan.
She didn't expect Ethan to be so bold, to do such a thing in front of everyone.
He seemed like a gentle guy at first glance, but he turned out to be quite the randy fellow.
This should make things easier to handle...
Biting back her discomfort and letting Ethan have his way, Veronica cooed, "Big brother, there are so many people here, and you're making me... you know... Should we go to my room instead? I'm really in the mood..."
"Well, I would love to, but I'm a little short on funds," Ethan said with a sigh, quickly pulling his hand from her blouse.
"You're kidding, right? You look like you're loaded," Veronica hugged Ethan's arm, pressing her bosom against it as she spoke.
"I'm really not kidding," Ethan sighed again, sounding utterly sincere.
"But you've seen and touched me already. Don't leave me hanging! How about this, I'll give you a 50% discount?"
"Next time, I promise..." Ethan laughed awkwardly, trying to free himself from Veronica's grasp as he made his way to leave.
But Veronica realized what was going on.
This guy was trying to get a free show!
After all that, she couldn't just let him off the hook.
Veronica's coquettish expression suddenly turned cold as she grabbed Ethan's arm and said, "You're not thinking of leaving just like that, are you?"
"What else?" Ethan responded with a playful smirk.
"Who the hell do you think you are, flirting with my woman?" A burly warrior at the next table suddenly stood up, striding over with a menacing look.
He pointed his finger at Ethan and said, "One hundred gold coins, no haggling. If you can't pay up, I'll chop off the hand you used to touch her!"
With a loud thud, he pulled out an ax and slammed it into the table in front of Ethan.
"Is that so?" Ethan laughed, suddenly pulling Veronica towards him and ripping off her blouse.
Veronica's ample breasts were exposed to the air, bouncing around as Ethan cupped them in his hands and began kneading.
"I've touched with both hands now, so what? Should we double the fee?" Ethan retorted sarcastically.
A series of whistles and cheers erupted in the bar.
"Man, you've got guts!"
"Holy crap, I wanna grab a handful too!"
"Dude, you're one lucky son of a gun. How's it feel? Share with us!"
"Steven, teach him a lesson! No way you're gonna let him get away with this, right?"
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