To completely escape from Pleasure Street and the control of the Ishtar Familia, Ryou, enduring the intense pain in his body, ran across the central Tower of Babel to the other side of the labyrinth city, Orario.
It seemed that the sense of danger in his heart had significantly lessened, causing the fatigue and hunger that he had momentarily ignored to catch up with him all at once.
He needed to find a place to eat and rest immediately.
Feeling his body protesting in various ways, he made a prompt decision.
However, he quickly stopped, for a simple reason: he had no money.
As a slave gladiator, he had no human rights, no wages, and his food barely kept him from starving.
Even during the festival, when he had killed that mutated Minotaur, the large magic stone worth tens of thousands of valis that it dropped was unceremoniously taken by the Amazons.
Should he use the items exchanged from the system to get money?
Ryou frowned.
To be honest, this was not a wise choice.
"Products from the system are always top-notch."
This saying was no joke. Even the healing potions produced by the system far surpassed those made by gods who specialized in herbs and alchemy, something he had personally tested.
After all, according to the gods' contract, deities in the lower world were not allowed to use divine power without permission. Without divine power, even potions personally crafted by gods were just average.
If Ryou used the system's healing potions to get money, it would attract attention from those with ill intentions, leading to more trouble.
As for magic equipment, he couldn't even let people see it. As an ordinary 'non-adventurer', carrying a magic item worth millions of valis would be like openly inviting trouble from unscrupulous adventurers.
As Ryou pondered, a slender hand suddenly reached over from behind and lightly tapped his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" a voice gently asked.
Ryou was startled, his body reacting almost instinctively—clenching his fist, turning, and swinging!
When he turned around and saw the person behind him, he realized he had overreacted and quickly tried to retract his fist.
Ryou's movements were fluid and explosive, almost on par with top-level adventurers of level 2. However, as fast as he was, someone was even faster.
The other figure standing beside the person he almost hit instantly moved, striking Ryou's hand with lightning speed, forcing his fist to veer off course.
The punch's wind brushed past the fair and beautiful face of the person, who ignored Ryou's extremely rude move and instead clasped her hands together, apologizing with a smile.
"Sorry, did I scare you?" She even stuck out her tongue playfully.
Ryou looked carefully and immediately recognized the two lovely figures.
The one he almost hit had a somewhat familiar face, with short silver-gray hair and eyes of a similar color. She wore a green dress with an apron tied in front, looking very much like a restaurant cook.
With such a distinctive appearance, a person immediately came to Ryou's mind.
Syr Flova, Freya's alter ego, bore a striking resemblance to Freya, though their temperaments were worlds apart. Syr appeared more youthful and lively, with a hint of devilish playfulness, whereas the goddess Freya exuded a mature elegance.
As for the girl standing beside Syr, she was an elf with a similar outfit. She had short green hair that exuded a natural aura, blue eyes, pointed long ears, and a face as delicate as a doll. However, this elf girl radiated an icy demeanor that kept others at a distance.
At this moment, the elf girl was scrutinizing Ryou with a cold gaze, standing half a step in front of Syr to protect her.
Ryou immediately understood that this was another important character from the original story—the elf girl, Ryuu. Like Syr, she was a staff member at the tavern "Hostess of Fertility" and a semi-retired level 4 adventurer.
No wonder she could easily deflect my attack...
As Ryou pondered, he offered an apologetic smile. "It's my fault. I just came back from the dungeon and haven't adjusted my state yet, so I was a bit tense."
"I see..." Syr's eyes lit up. "Since you just came out of the dungeon, you probably haven't eaten anything yet. How about coming to our place for a bit?"
"I'm not hungry..." Ryou instinctively refused, but as soon as he spoke, his stomach betrayed him with a growl.
Silence...
In that instant, Ryou felt overwhelmingly embarrassed, his face turning red.
"Hehe~!"
Syr couldn't help but giggle. Then, as if they were old friends, she took Ryou's arm and half-forced him to walk forward with her, saying enthusiastically, "Come on~ Don't be shy, we have special dishes tonight~"
"Syr!"
At this moment, the elf girl Ryuu suddenly spoke up. "Come here, I need to talk to you."
"Sorry, please wait a moment~" Syr smiled apologetically, let go of Ryou's arm, and turned to the corner with Ryuu.
Ryou instinctively glanced at Syr's back and wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead.
This girl was too enthusiastic, making it hard for him, a newly-transferred homebody, to handle.
On the other side, a conversation about him began between the two girls.
"What is it, Ryuu?" Syr asked nonchalantly, smiling carefreely.
Ryuu frowned slightly, her tone somewhat stern. "You should know very well that he was lying just now. When monsters appear, they create a great disturbance, making it hard to ambush adventurers. His stance clearly showed he was wary of adventurers. He didn't just come out of the dungeon."
Ryuu paused, her face serious. "I smell human blood on him..."
With her words, the atmosphere immediately dropped to a freezing point.
After a long silence, Syr suddenly smiled, a mysterious light flickering in her gray eyes. "So what? Does it matter who he is?"
"And besides, Ryuu, having just crossed paths with him, what do you think of his strength?"
"Not as strong as me," Ryuu replied without hesitation.
"So, do you think he could cause any trouble in front of Mama Mia?" Syr's smile widened.
"No," Ryuu answered almost instantly, recalling the terrifying strength of the level 6 woman.
"Then there's no problem. Let's go." With that, Syr led the way out of the corner.
"Wait..." Ryuu reached out to grab Syr's arm but was a step too late, shaking her head helplessly.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we go?"
Syr unreservedly took Ryou's arm again, as if afraid he might escape, dragging him forward.
"Wait! I..."
"Oh, I haven't introduced myself, have I? My name is Syr, Syr Flova. Remember it~"
"Listen..."
"And that elf girl over there is Ryuu~!"
"About me..."
"I'm telling you, our tavern's food is the best in all of Orario!"
"..."
And so, Ryou was directly pulled into the tavern by the enthusiastic Syr.
Syr warmly ordered a large amount of food for him, all of which were specialty dishes displayed on the wall.
As everyone knows, in any establishment, the dishes displayed as specialties are either the most profitable or the chef's best dishes, and these specialty dishes are often not cheap.
Ryou calculated silently in his heart; this meal alone would cost three to four thousand valis, almost equivalent to a level 1 adventurer's daily income.
While he was silently calculating...
Thud!
The sound of a plate hitting the wooden bar resonated as a large plate of aromatic roasted pork ribs was placed in front of him.
Just from the heavy thud, he knew that this plate of meat was hefty.
"Eat up! Young men need to grow, don't be shy!" The tavern's owner and chef, Mama Mia, laughed heartily.
Despite her stout figure and middle-aged appearance, Mama Mia, the owner of Hostess of Fertility tavern, was also the former captain of the Freya Familia, a retired level 6 adventurer.
By the way, this tall and stout woman, whose physique was comparable to a bear, was of the dwarf race.
Seriously, this seems like a genetic throwback mutation!
But Ryou was too exhausted to complain.
Ah, another thousand valis added...
Looking at the table full of aromatic dishes, Ryou's heart became completely numb. Knowing the original story well, he understood that there was no way he could escape from this formidable woman.
This seemingly ordinary tavern was full of hidden monsters.
Not to mention the owner, a top-tier adventurer, even the female staff members were extraordinary: the goddess's alter-ego, a level 4 adventurer blacklisted by the Guild, a level 4 assassin, and a level 4 bounty hunter.
They could be described as the hidden criminal underworld of Orario.
Facing inevitable doom, whether sooner or later, Ryou gave up trying to avoid it and indulged himself in the feast before him.
Perhaps his stronger body required more energy, or maybe he was just really hungry. At an astonishing speed, he devoured the entire table of food, which made Mama Mia, behind the bar, smile with satisfaction.
But Mama Mia's smile quickly disappeared.
"I don't have any money on me."
By now, it was late at night, and the tavern was filled with adventurers. They were either drinking and toasting or loudly bragging about their adventures, creating a lively and noisy atmosphere.
As soon as Ryou spoke, the bustling tavern suddenly fell silent.
"Oh~ You've got some nerve, young man. This is the first time someone has dared to dine and dash in my place." Mama Mia's warm and hearty expression instantly turned menacing.
Crack!
She instinctively slapped the bar, and the thick, rock-hard wooden bar suddenly caved in a large chunk.
Her terrifying arm strength was evident.
The adventurers, who had been laughing and drinking, sobered up instantly.
The adventurers at nearby tables quietly picked up their utensils and moved away.
"I never said I was going to dine and dash. I just don't have any money on me right now," Ryou said calmly.
"Wait, Mama Mia, I was the one who insisted on bringing him here. How about I cover this meal..." Syr, who had been serving other customers, noticed the commotion and quickly came over.
Ryou immediately raised his hand to stop her.
"I'm still a man; I'm not at the point where I need a woman to pay for my meal." Ryou's voice was firm.
From living a worry-free life to becoming a slave gladiator fighting for survival, he had matured significantly in just over half a month.
Although Syr had dragged him here, he could have refused. Given that Syr was just an ordinary girl in terms of strength, it was clear he had come willingly, subconsciously seeking a place to eat because he was hungry.
Since it was his choice, he had to take responsibility for his actions. Letting a woman take the fall was not something a real man would do.
As for being labeled a male chauvinist, so be it. He was fine with it.
Moreover, he had his own plans, and the current situation was not beyond his expectations.
Ryou didn't notice that when Mama Mia saw Syr coming over, especially after hearing that Syr had dragged him here, she frowned slightly, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes.
"So, please let me run a tab or let me stay and work off my debt," Ryou said, his eyes glinting with an indiscernible light.
Mama Mia pondered for a moment before speaking, "Running a tab is out of the question. Our establishment has never had such a precedent and won't start now... You'll have to stay and wash dishes..."
"Wait!" Ryou interrupted, meeting Mama Mia's stern gaze with a confident smile. "When did I ever say I wanted to be a dishwasher? What I meant was—head chef!"
"Oh~" Mama Mia couldn't help but scrutinize him from head to toe, her eyes filled with doubt.
Not to boast, but part of the reason The Hostess of Fertility was so successful was due to the charming, youthful, and uniquely beautiful young female staff. The other half of the credit belonged to her, the head chef.
Looking at Ryou's thin frame and hands devoid of calluses, he seemed like a runaway noble's son. Mama Mia could believe he knew how to appreciate fine food, but as for making it, she had her doubts.
Ryou's gaze swept over the table's leftovers and stopped at the thoroughly gnawed pork ribs.
"How about this? Today's special seems to be pork ribs. Why not let me make a serving for you to taste? If mine is better than yours, let me stay on as the head chef."
"Don't say I didn't warn you. If you fail or waste ingredients, you'll have to pay for them," Mama Mia said, crossing her arms and smirking.
Some adventurers who overheard their conversation also derisive glances at him.
"That guy says his cooking is better than Mama Mia's?"
"He looks like a pretty boy from the Apollo Familia. Can he even cook?"
"Hope he doesn't poison anyone!"
"Can he even finish it without burning down the kitchen?"
"Hahaha!"
Reputation is built over years, and Mama Mia's culinary skills have been vouched for by Orario's adventurers for years.
"No problem!"
Ignoring the commotion from the crowd, Ryou walked straight into the kitchen.