The polished floor was immaculate, gleaming under the soft glow of the magic lamps like a mirror. The spacious bed was large enough not to just fit one person but could easily accommodate seven or eight people at once.
All the amenities in the room, including brand-new sheets and quilts, were neatly arranged. After all, the one they were expecting to host was no other than the Hero, and Wozworth certainly didn't want to leave any bad impressions in the Hero's mind.
The room was fully stocked with all kinds of daily necessities—toothpaste, toothbrushes, hot water, and there was even a large bathing pool in the suite, inlaid with fiery red Fire Demon Crystal Stones to keep the water at the perfect temperature forever.
Next to the bed was a brown desk adorned with a neat stack of books containing basic information about the Sky Dome Continent. It seemed they intended for Qin Chu to gain a basic understanding of the world through these volumes, which were coarse and yellowed with age—undoubtedly a sign that the papermaking skills of this world were not that advanced.
Hanging on the wall beside the desk was a milky white magic lamp, similar in appearance to a kerosene lamp but the size of a fist. Under its light, long shadows were cast across the floor.
The wall behind bore a relief of the Holy Light Goddess, her gentle white brilliance shimmering in the sculpture, holy and bright.
There was also a large wardrobe in the room, and upon opening its door, Qin Chu couldn't help but fall into contemplation.
Inside the wardrobe were dozens of sets of clothing, of which only about one-fifth were prepared for himself, the rest appeared to all be women's garments.
Hollowed-out maid costumes, a female thief's sexy leather armor, a bikini-style Female Warrior Armor, high-slit robes that accentuated a female magician's body curves, Elf ear accessories, cat-ear headbands, fuzzy tails, collars signifying enslavement…
His lips couldn't help but twitch—were these also prepared by that guy Wozworth? Did that bastard think of him as some kind of lecher, or what? Am I that kind of person?
And talk about fancy, what's all this about? Seduction through role-playing outfits? To curry favor with the Hero, they really went all out.
What left Qin Chu speechless was the presence of pure white or black, or even black-and-white striped nun and priest outfits… Seriously, isn't this sacrilegious? Especially one set, which oddly resembled Saint Monica's attire.
Wozworth, that guy, isn't even afraid of getting struck by lightning.
He even thoughtfully prepared a box containing ten bottles of light green medicine.
This medicine was all too familiar to Qin Chu, having used it numerous times!
Fighting against demons always comes with exhaustion. When completely drained, consuming one bottle could instantly rejuvenate, restoring vigor and vitality… In some respects, it also held the effectiveness of Sky Dome Continent's very own Viagra.
It was a product of alchemy with extremely high sophistication, using exceedingly rare materials. The cost of a single bottle was at least upwards of 100,000 Mana. Wozworth, that scoundrel, actually spent such precious medicine on these matters, making Qin Chu once more realize how extravagantly the high society folks of this world could live.
Turning back to the desk, he adjusted the magic lamp to make it a bit brighter, pulled out the chair and sat down, then picked up a book and flipped it open.
This book simply introduced some of the most basic aspects of the Sky Dome Continent.
In fact, the Sky Dome Continent resembles a massive island surrounded by limitless seas, somewhat like Australia on Earth. As for what lies beyond the ocean?
No one knows.
In the tens of thousands of years since the dawn of civilization on the Sky Dome Continent, nobody has ever reached the other side of the sea.
It's not that they didn't want to, it's that they couldn't.
Despite countless superior navigators and powerful experts throughout history who wanted to see what lay at the deepest part of the ocean, none succeeded. According to the messages sent back by these people, all that's known is that the depths of the ocean are mired in a dreary darkness with raging winds, and the sky scattered with ashes from the aftermath of a burn, similar to snow.
Even the Great Sages, when nearing these regions, would feel a soul-deep fear, and the Magic Shield would be effortlessly torn apart by the rampant winds.
Over tens of thousands of years, countless outstanding humans have perished in the dark depths of the sea.
There are a total of thirteen countries on the Sky Dome Continent, among which the Oville Empire is the most powerful; the other countries are no match for the Oville Empire. If it wasn't for the sudden disaster of demon incursions, Wozworth would have unified the entire Sky Dome Continent long ago.
The faiths on the Sky Dome Continent are also quite diverse, with many religious factions. However, only two religions have an influence on the entire continent's situation: the Holy Court that believes in the Holy Light Goddess and the Earth Mother Goddess Church that worships the Earth Mother Goddess.
Both Churches vie for supremacy with the Oville Empire, competing for the highest authority over the Sky Dome Continent.
However, these matters had little to do with Qin Chu. After going through the first week, Qin Chu was already very familiar with the situation on the Sky Dome Continent. He casually skimmed through the material, then closed the book, pushed the window open a crack, turned off the Magic Lamp, and went to bed to sleep.
Before long, Nicholas, the guard outside, heard soft snores.
It seems Mr. Brave really is exhausted. It makes sense, after all—being suddenly summoned from his familiar world to the Sky Dome Continent, having no time to digest anything, then riding in a carriage for two hours and attending a few hours' worth of banquets, it's quite normal to be worn out.
As for him, all he needed to do was to complete his task: not disturb Mr. Brave's rest and ensure no one approached this room.
However, what Nicholas didn't realize was that not long after Qin Chu fell asleep, a pitch-black bat suddenly spread its wings and flew out from the slightly opened window. On the bed, Qin Chu still lay soundly, his snores continuing as before.
Illusion Creation.
Although his magic power wasn't high and his strength wasn't great, with the abundant experience from the first week, Qin Chu could easily use Martial Arts or Magic, as long as he had the necessary Attributes. Creating a simple illusion of himself sleeping was quite effortless.
He wasn't worried about being discovered.
The guards Wozworth arranged for Qin Chu were all excellent knights. They were very strong in combat, but not sensitive to magic power. No one noticed that the real Hero had already transformed into a bat and left the room.
Moreover, even if he were to be discovered, Qin Chu wouldn't care. He had already prepared an excuse—because of his status as a Hero, no matter how lame the excuse he concocted, those people wouldn't question it deeply.
Being recognized as a hero really was damn useful; at first, Qin Chu wasn't quite used to it, but he quickly grew accustomed to his current form.
Transformation was truly a remarkable power. Although it didn't enhance his combat ability, it was incredibly convenient to use. A pair of dark wings flapped, stirring a gentle airflow, and with the body of a bat, he soared through the night sky.
It was now about the wee hours of the morning, and both moons were already tilting slightly.
Despite the presence of some nobles who had not yet returned home for the night, no one would pay attention to a tiny bat flying across the sky.
Gliding over the Imperial City, over the tall isolation walls...
When Qin Chu arrived at the Civilian District outside the city, the light abruptly dimmed. Apart from the moonlight above, there was hardly any other light—it was the true face of night.
Following the memory in his mind, Qin Chu rapidly flapped his wings.
A few minutes later, Qin Chu landed in front of a bar.
It was a bar that was open twenty-four hours a day.
The body of the bat gradually writhed and stretched, transforming into a human form, appearing as a youth around seventeen or eighteen years old, handsome in features, wearing a loose-fitting Magician Robe.
He looked up at the sign, as dark red as ever, the Brave Bar.
He had many enemies, and today, he would begin his revenge against one of them, using a most despicable method.
Although it was a bit risky, Qin Chu believed that he could perform this play flawlessly!
Now, he was a mysterious and enigmatic master from beyond this world!
Smiling, Qin Chu pushed open the glass door of the bar. Inside, there were no customers; it was somewhat desolate.
The dim yellow glow of oil lamps gave off a slightly pungent odor, and black smoke curled upward.
Behind the long counter, a tall girl was carefully wiping a glass.
She was a very seductive girl, with light purple hair and elegant, narrow eyes like amethysts. With skin as pale and tender as a baby's, she wore a tight, black, long dress. Her waist was tightly fastened by a palm-wide belt, making her waistline appear even more delicate, and her figure outlined alluring curves between chest, waist, hips, and legs.
Among all the women Qin Chu knew, in terms of figure alone, this girl was absolutely top-tier. Even the voluptuous Angelica and the busty Saint Monica paled in comparison to the girl before him.
It seemed that only Great Mage Asina from the former Hero Team could rival this woman.
Because she was too beautiful and her figure too good, she had no shortage of suitors even among the nobles; countless balding old men hoped that this woman would become their lover.
Even though she could have immediately escaped the hardships of civilian life by accepting the requests of those nobles, this woman rejected them all and continued to run her little bar.
Hearing the sound, the girl lifted her eyelids, her profound purple eyes seemingly possessing the magic to ensnare the opposite sex.
Her beautiful eyes twinkled; this was a customer she didn't recognize.
"Welcome, sir. What would you like to order?"
Qin Chu chuckled and sat down in front of the girl, his fingers interlaced to support his chin.
His gaze lingered on the girl's beautiful and petite cheeks, prompting her to frown slightly, an uncomfortable feeling evident in her expression.
"The witch's heart, thank you..."
The girl nodded slightly, and her fair, slender fingers quickly and skillfully began to prepare Qin Chu's drink.
Witnessing her technique, Qin Chu's eyes were dazzled.
"Princess Candice's bartending skills are getting better and better…" Qin Chu blurted out unexpectedly.
"Thanks for the compliment, but I am still lacking..." the girl responded subconsciously, and then her movements suddenly halted, and silence fell over the bar for a short time.
The atmosphere became incredibly tense in that instant.
A few seconds later, the girl continued to make the drink, not lifting her head, "Sir, you must have mistaken me for someone else. My name is Catherine, and there is no one named Candice here..."
"Your drink..." With two delicate fingers, she pushed a glass filled with crimson liquid towards Qin Chu. Her expression hadn't changed in the slightest; it was as if their previous conversation had never occurred.
The figure of Shaye emerged from Qin Chu, still sitting on his shoulder, her tiny feet swinging and passing through the glass of drink, causing Qin Chu to worry that the beautiful beverage might be upset by the witch's accidental kick.
How am I supposed to drink this? Even though she doesn't have a physical body, the feeling of her tiny feet repeatedly passing through my glass is somewhat disconcerting.
"Why have you come out?" Qin Chu complained inwardly.
Shaye ignored Qin Chu's question and instead focused on the woman in front of her, speaking on her own, "This woman... she has the bearing of a witch!"