VIP Chapter 125: “You finally recognize me? Mr. W.”
The “XXX” Tavern.
Will looked at the address on the letter. Mr. S had even marked it for him, as if he wasn’t sure Will would know, right across from the Adventurer’s Guild.
But…
Will had known from the beginning. He had been paying attention to this tavern for a long time since arriving in Nov.
Of course, there had to be a very simple reason for him to pay attention to it—
This was the location where a crucial plot point of the Original Work took place!
Moreover, this tavern wasn’t named this way because its original name was censored. It was deliberately named this to signify the freedom to fill in any name.
“Phew… I’m here. It looks quite crowded, not like how it was described in the Original Work…”
Perhaps because it was located opposite the Adventurer’s Guild, the people coming and going from the tavern were quite dense, with a large flow of traffic.
And they were all adventurers with similar clothing styles.
At a glance, many were uncles who had finished their daily missions and came to the tavern for a drink before going home to sleep soundly.
On the contrary…
Will, dressed up and wearing new clothes, looked out of place.
In the Original Work, this tavern appeared in the first chapter of the first volume, on the snowy night the protagonist was kicked out of his party.
At that time, this tavern was a little-known establishment, long forgotten by the times, that only served its own specialty cocktails.
It was here…
that the protagonist, Xiu, was gotten drunk by the Dungeon Empress of “Apex of the Galaxy” and taken away directly.
Will clutched the letter. He had actually memorized the location in the letter completely, but he still looked at it from time to time, afraid he might forget.
“Pothos… it’s here.”
He stopped.
Under the eaves, a lush green pothos plant in a flowerbed by the window caught his eye. In the dim twilight, illuminated by the light from the hotel window behind it, it seemed to be sparkling.
This had to be the meeting location Mr. S had written about in the letter.
Will stood to the right of the flowerbed, leaning against the wall of the red-brick tavern.
Since he had found this place…
it meant he was getting closer and closer to “S.”
However, paradoxically, Will’s heartbeat had slowed considerably, and his nervousness had eased compared to when he left home.
Mr. S…
What kind of person would he be?
He had countless imaginations.
With these imaginations, he had already sized up every person who passed by him.
Mr. S possessed rich Dungeon exploration experience and had even brought him many loot.
So…
Would he be an uncle who spent his precious evenings at the tavern, drinking all night after a day of Dungeon exploration?
…
Mr. S also possessed profound knowledge, not only from within the Dungeons but also from books. His letter showed he was well-read.
So…
Would he be a professor who had just graduated from university, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking like he was here to survey the town?
…
Mr. S had a strong sense of curiosity. Judging from some of his descriptions of Dungeon explorations, he was strong and perhaps not old.
So…
Would he be a promising young man who had just walked out of the tavern?
His gaze swept over everyone.
It’s strange…
For some reason, when summarized like this, these descriptions, when pieced together, seemed more like the protagonist of the Original Work, who had unique “black” hair, rather than these guys with messy hair passing by…
No, no, wasn’t that an idea he had dismissed from the beginning? Because some of Mr. S’s actions deviated from Xiu’s trajectory, and in the Original Work, Xiu had been depressed since losing his former teammates a year ago.
So, he couldn’t possibly be that protagonist.
He…
He should be that expert who was outside the “story,” guiding him from the outside where the story did not describe.
At least…
That’s what he hoped.
Will thought, gazing at the chaotic and bustling crowd, his eyes gradually becoming unfocused as he scrutinized each person who approached.
Speaking of which… with so many people here, he had never described his appearance to S, and he hadn’t even shown him a photo, despite having one now. Could he really find him among so many people…
In the stifling summer twilight, a gentle breeze blew, and a wisp of black hair drifted past his eyes.
!?
He widened his eyes.
A young girl with flowing black hair slowly walked past him.
She was tall, with a well-proportioned build that showed signs of training.
She tucked her long hair behind her ear and then stood to the left of the pothos, leaning against the wall. She then pulled out a book—it seemed she had brought it tucked under her arm.
Will was captivated by her.
Her clothes looked quite new, not like those who had just returned from training in the Dungeons.
But…
They were clearly outfits only an “old hand” at the Dungeon could put together.
She wore a denim vest jacket, which gave her a somewhat cool look. This jacket was actually camouflage, offering good concealment in forest-type Dungeons, and had two pockets on the chest for emergency potions.
For her lower half, she chose a pair of denim shorts that were easy to move in and provided excellent ventilation, hugging her firm buttocks. It was evident she wasn’t the sedentary type and undoubtedly exercised regularly.
At the same time, attached to her thighs, connecting to the shorts, was a thigh strap holding a dagger—which, coincidentally, was currently holding a glittering dagger. This was a convenient place for melee fighters to keep a backup weapon without hindering their movement.
She wore boots with special anti-slip treatment, and unlike many girls who chose heels for aesthetics and height, these flat ones were safer.
What was even more noteworthy was her black stockings.
Her muscular, well-trained, and straight legs perfectly complemented by stockings were a sight to behold. Perhaps insect-repellent stockings would have been better, but inexplicably, amidst her overall professional gear, this was a deviation.
And the book she was reading…
She was about Will’s height, and from Will’s perspective, he could just see the pages of her book.
But…
More than the pages…
Will was drawn to her exposed chest, and he swallowed.
Although with her attire, the only option for her inner clothing was a short, sports-style shirt, its size seemed to be a bit… excessive. From Will’s angle, he could admire the dazzling white light reflected from the tip of her exposed breast.
No, no, no…
The point was the book she was reading… What could it be, pulling out a book in such a bustling place…
… Huh?
A metal bookmark was placed right in the middle of the page she had just opened. In fact, she hadn’t turned a page since she started leaning against the wall.
The bookmark was a small, square card, with a cutout of many stars forming a “galaxy” in the center, with holes in between the stars.
Under the white background of the page in her hand, they could be seen glowing.
It was a shame, though, that the golden plating on the metal had worn off in some places, making it look a bit old.
No, no, no…
Wait?
This…
What did this mean?
Will’s brain short-circuited for a moment.
The bookmark… that was the bookmark he had given to S. Yes… if anything could serve as a token of identity, it would be this custom-made bookmark, the only one of its kind in the world, making it the most suitable.
The person holding this bookmark, moreover, this faded bookmark, must be…
Will’s eyes widened…
But…
*Bang.*
As if she had been waiting for a long time, the moment he saw it, she closed the small-format book, as if she didn’t intend to let him confirm the appearance of the bookmark.
*Thump-thump-thump-thump…*
Will heard his heart race again.
She turned her head, and her black pupils reflected his own image. She was sizing him up very seriously.
“You finally recognize me?”
“Mr. W~”
She parted her lips, enunciating each syllable, and with a melodious, crisp voice, she spoke the alias Will had been using for so long with a teasing tone.
