"Look! What's that?"
"Is it a treasure?"
"No, it's a system reward! The legendary Han Ming is from our beginner village! I've seen him; he's incredibly powerful!"
"Incredible! After playing for so long, I've just reached level 13, while he's already level 18!"
"This is the first time the game system has announced a reward to players! This must be something special!"
…
Clang!
A golden beam of light suddenly descended from the sky, capturing the attention of everyone within a hundred miles.
Players chattered excitedly, their eyes filled with envy as they watched the spectacle.
At the center of the beam,
"Master, all glory belongs to you!"
Amidst the envious golden light stood a dragon-like figure clad in deep black scales. His stern face was bathed in the radiance, surrounded by the corpses of high-level monsters from the beginner village, their remains barely dissipated from the swift defeat.
In the midst of the crowd's speculation,
The chat channel was abuzz with calls for his name.
Yet, Han Ming remained unmoved, his expression serene. Standing still, he gazed calmly to the south, his hands clasped in prayer, his dragon eyes glowing with a blood-red light, filled with devotion.
"Achievement Unlocked: Title - Explorer"
"Acquired Epic Item: Blessing of the Divine x1"
As the golden light gradually faded, a shimmering necklace appeared in his hand.
This was the reward for being the first to reach level 18!
He glanced at it briefly, his eyes gleaming, and with a shift of spatial energy, the necklace vanished from his palm.
"Han Ming! Finally found you!"
"Are you really not willing to share the method to obtain the hidden class with us?"
At that moment, a figure appeared nearby.
The sound of a booming male voice preceded the figure, a burly man in armor pushing through the crowd to confront him.
"…"
Han Ming remained unchanged, his calm demeanor and hands still clasped in prayer, gazing southward.
He ignored the interruption, seemingly oblivious to the nearly hundred players now encircling him.
"Are you ignoring me?!"
The newcomer's eyes widened in anger as he shouted.
Being of high status and well-fed, the feeling of being ignored was a blow to his pride.
His knightly skills and glory were activated as he charged at Han Ming with his large sword.
Clang!
The rare-quality great sword struck the black dragon scales with brutal force.
Clank!
A crisp metallic sound echoed as the sword hit the unprotected back, dealing a measly -3 damage.
"Hmm?"
The ritual of prayer was interrupted and finally ceased!
Han Ming, now aware, slowly turned to face the attacker.
His dragon eyes, red and slit, met the man's gaze.
"…"
Silence!
The atmosphere grew eerily heavy!
The burly knight faltered, a sense of inexplicable fear rising within him despite the support of nearly a hundred allies.
The dragon's impassive face and calm eyes radiated an overwhelming aura of terror.
It felt as though a colossal dread loomed behind him.
The red great sword began to materialize slowly.
At this moment, he felt as if he were staring into the abyss.
…
Meanwhile, in Sunfire City,
"Mr. Drake, tell us a story! I'll double the payment for the drinks! Did the legendary monkey break free from his fate?"
A burly man with a double-edged axe, clad in minimal clothing, raised his mug and laughed heartily.
"Yes, yes! Mr. Drake, tell us a tale! I want to hear about Madam White Snake and Xu Xian! Do you think that serpent's transformation is truly as beautiful as they say?"
Before Mr. Drake could respond, another lean man asked with a hint of longing.
"Reid, I saw it! You pointed at a level 20 Ivy Snake and told it to 'transform'! Hahaha, it was hilarious!"
"Hahaha, Reid, you're something else!"
At someone's comment, the lean man blushed with embarrassment, prompting laughter from the crowd.
The already noisy tavern grew even more boisterous!
A month ago, a nondescript tavern on the outskirts of Sunfire City suddenly became a sensation.
Renamed the Blackflame Tavern, it introduced a variety of strange but exceptionally delicious dishes.
From Mapo Tofu and Kung Pao Chicken to Spicy Chicken, Hot Pot, and Barbecue…
With many unfamiliar yet delightful names, these new dishes captivated everyone's taste buds.
The prices were reasonable, and the drinks were extraordinary.
With great food and fine drinks, the tavern's popularity soared even on the city's fringes.
It was bustling with patrons, all thanks to a young man.
The new owner of the tavern!
No one knew who he was, where he came from, or his background.
He maintained a warm smile, sometimes seen sipping at the counter, other times not seen at all.
He seemed indifferent to the tavern's success.
No one knew his name, only that he was known as Mr. Drake, and that was all.
The most special feature was the tavern's signature program! The owner was, in fact, Ethan Drake.