Chapter 46: Interlude

Xianan frowned, his dark eyes sizing up the man before him who exuded hostility and reeked of alcohol.

He was well aware that under the influence of alcohol, certain regions of the human brain are impaired, leading individuals to commit aggressive and irrational acts.

Although he had only recently transmigrated into this world and his personal strength was not particularly formidable, he had already prepared himself to respond to any potential provocation from a stranger.

Subconsciously, he began to assess the combat capabilities of both sides.

"Hmm... Severe state of intoxication, highly unlikely to be an unsteady act."

"Unsteady on his feet; this weakness can be exploited whether I choose to temporarily withdraw or launch an offensive."

"When facing a humanoid enemy, a broadsword is more suitable, but the blade length might make it inconvenient to fight at our current close range. I need to create some distance first."

"Judging by his physique and attire..."

Meanwhile, Chaput looked at the two figures who had fallen into an eerie silence in front of him.

A growing sense of unease welled up in his heart.

He recognized the man whose senses were somewhat muddled by alcohol.

Bernie, the town's notorious drunkard.

Clearly a legitimate adventurer who made his living through bounty quests, he spent almost every waking moment soaking in the various taverns of River Valley Town.

Only occasionally, when he was completely out of money, would he tag along with his former party on a couple of quests to earn some drinking money before lingering in town once more.

And he had terrible drinking manners.

Having arrived in River Valley Town for only half a year, Chaput had already thrown him out of the White Ptitch Tavern three times just for getting drunk and starting trouble.

If not for the fact that Bernie was actually a pretty decent guy with a good personality when sober, Chaput would have blacklisted him long ago.

As for the black-haired young man on the other side...

Chaput suddenly noticed that the youth before him had slightly lowered his body, clearly assuming a combat stance. His hand was even subtly raised, appearing ready to grip the hilt of his sword at a moment's notice.

"No need for that, no need for that."

Behind them, two middle-aged men dressed as adventurers hurried forward.

They grabbed Bernie, who reeked of alcohol and looked on the verge of passing out within the next second, and laughed awkwardly.

"Sorry, he drank too much. We went to check out the commotion earlier and lost track of him for a moment."

Turning back toward Chaput behind the bar, they patted their chests and said loudly:

"Put this friend's tab today on my account."

Then, offering a few words of apology to Xianan, they dragged Bernie back to their table.

This wasn't because they had somehow gauged Xianan's true strength.

These experienced, low-tier adventurers might well turn on and backstab their lifelong companions over a priceless piece of equipment mid-quest.

But that was because enough profit was placed on the other side of the scale.

Having survived quest after quest, they certainly weren't reckless fools who let their emotions blindly drive their brains.

To risk creating an unpredictable and potentially formidable enemy over a trivial matter that could be avoided with a flick of the wrist—

Any fool would know what choice to make.

Since they were all in the same profession, who knew where they might cross paths again, or what state they would be in at that time? Nobody could tell.

Under these circumstances, with two companions present, Bernie naturally stood no chance of coming to blows with Xianan.

Of course, to assume these men were good Samaritans just because of this would be a grave mistake.

After all, if a profit large enough to sway their moral compass were to appear right before their eyes, they wouldn't hesitate to strike any slower than the blink of an eye.

The imagined confrontation did not occur, and the minor interlude in the tavern thus came to an end.

Although Xianan felt a trace of surprise in his heart, he harbored no further thoughts.

Since someone was offering to treat him, he naturally accepted the favor gracefully.

"A Set Meal Number Three," he said to the tavern owner standing before him.

Having survived on dry rations in the forest for so many days, it had truly become unbearable.

To be honest, one night he had even dreamed of returning to his past life and feasting to his heart's content at his favorite restaurant.

Now that the mission was finally over, he naturally needed to properly reward himself.

Come to think of it, it was only because of the late hour that most shops on the streets were already closed, leaving him nowhere to process his spoils of war.

Otherwise, following the [Adventurer's Manual] to run errands across various shops would have wasted a better part of his day.

Sizzle—

Heat rose, and the rich aroma of food drifted into his nostrils with every breath.

It was still the familiar combination of stewed meat, mushroom soup, and white bread.

He used the bread to soak up the savory mushroom soup.

Taking a large bite.

"Tsk."

The soft dough almost instantly melted into a milky fragrance in his mouth, intertwining with the sweet and savory flavors of the mushroom soup as he swallowed it down.

Xianan narrowed his eyes in sheer enjoyment.

"Now this is the kind of life a human should be living," he reflected inwardly.

Meanwhile, Chaput, the tavern owner, placed a rather expensive-looking glass of liquor on the table in front of him.

"This drink is on the White Ptitch house," he said, meeting Xianan's puzzled gaze.

"Thank you."

With no reason to refuse, Xianan nodded in appreciation.

The glass landed on the table, its crystal-clear liquid gently sloshing.

As he ate his dinner, his thoughts drifted, his eyes momentarily losing focus.

It was already late when he returned to River Valley Town, and with nowhere to process his loot, he had decided to return to the White Ptitch to rest for the night.

The bandages wrapped around the "Green Pine" wooden sword on his back were a layer of disguise to prevent anyone from noticing anything unusual.

He would observe the situation over the next few days and, when the opportunity arose, commission a blacksmith to craft a sheath, which should make things much more convenient.

The alcohol slid down into his stomach, leaving a lingering trace of fiery warmth on the tip of his tongue.

Yet his body showed no adverse reaction whatsoever.

Xianan guessed that his constitution, which had now reached a high score of "8" points, was taking effect.

Previously, the mere 1 point of Strength and 1 point of Agility granted by maxing out [Whirlwind Slash] had already made him feel as though he had swapped bodies, causing his combat power to skyrocket.

Now, after absorbing the dewdrop, the accompanying 3 points of Constitution provided a boost that was by no means insignificant.

After a full day of traveling, even Wood, who had already attained a professional rank, was left panting with a heaving chest by the end of the journey.

Yet Xianan himself felt completely at ease, without the slightest hint of fatigue, as if he had merely taken a leisurely stroll.

While part of this was due to the dewdrop replenishing the stamina he had expended along the way, it was still ample proof of Xianan's formidable endurance.

On the other hand, although lacking the visual feedback of an inflated health bar from a video game, the enhancement of his Constitution also meant Xianan could withstand significantly more damage in combat.

Though he hadn't tested it yet, he was certain that the current version of himself could repeatedly cast [Whirlwind Slash] in a short period without impairing his physical functions.

The awkward predicament of having sore and aching arms after swinging his sword just a few more times was now a thing of the past.

Thinking further ahead, an increase in Constitution also implied a stronger physical resistance to blows.

If the current him were to return to the Foggy Forest and let that petrified lizard ram into him from behind once more—

Xianan suddenly shivered, a phantom ache blooming in his upper back.

"I definitely wouldn't die from it, but I'd rather pass on that experience."