Encounter with Roland

The tavern is called Old George. From the outside, it looks like it's been around for a while, but once you go inside, it has a nostalgic atmosphere.

It was noon, and the tavern had just opened. Gu Ding was the first customer.

The tavern owner was an old man named George, with a full head of short silver hair and a face covered in silver stubble, and a very warm smile. "What would you like, young man?"

"A Mirka, please!" Gu Ding grinned. This tavern evoked memories of the Rose Tavern, where "Aunt Rose '" Rose Tavern also followed this nostalgic route.

"Good job, young man. Minors should all learn from you: drink more nutritious beverages and try to avoid alcohol." Old George smiled as he mixed Gu Ding.

Before Gu Ding's Mirka was even ready, another person walked in. It was a Middle-Aged Man looked to be around forty years old, with short, graying hair. His face was rugged, with a stubble beard, and a long Scarface running down his right eye. His right eye was completely white, making it unclear whether he could see. He was very tall, probably around 2.1 to 2.2 meters, and combined with his imposing figure, he was quite intimidating.

"This person is a demigod, be careful," Sea Emperor warned Gu Ding.

The middle-aged man walked straight to the bar stool to the right of Gu Ding and sat down. "Boss, a Rim, please!"

"It'll be ready soon," Old George said, bringing over Gu Ding's Mirka.

The Middle-Aged Man's gaze fell on Gu Ding. "Mirka, it's a very healthy drink. These days, not many young people don't drink alcoholic beverages."

"Uncle, the lim you ordered is healthy too, it's just lim juice, right?" Gu Ding took a sip of Mirka and turned to reply.

"Drinking more fruit juice is good for your skin," the Middle-Aged Man said, pressing a finger to his left cheek. "Look how elastic it is! Can you believe I'm over four thousand years old?"

"Uncle, you look to be around forty," Gu Ding said after a careful look.

"See? My apparent age is a hundred times younger than my actual age, so the juice is really useful," the Middle-Aged Man offered his bizarre theory. In reality, after reaching the Demigod Realm, the physical body begins to transform into an energy body, so it doesn't age.

Although this theory is bizarre, judging from the current direction of the conversation, this uncle doesn't seem as difficult to get along with as he appears.

"Mirka contains a lot of calcium and protein; someone as small as you should definitely drink more of it." The Middle-Aged Man, Lim, whose drink was also ready, picked up his glass and waved it at Gu Ding. "But most kids your age probably prefer alcoholic beverages, right?"

"My constitution is a bit special, I can't drink alcoholic beverages." Gu Ding shook his head. "Uncle, you can't drink alcoholic beverages either?"

"I used to love alcohol, but then one time I got drunk and got into a fight. Do you see this Scarface on my face?" The Middle-Aged Man turned his head and pointed to the Scarface on his right cheek, which was more than ten centimeters long. "This is what I got from that incident. And because of that incident, I also lost my right eye. After that incident, I never touched alcohol again."

"I'm sorry." Gu Ding didn't expect that he had accidentally touched a sore spot.

"Actually, I've always been grateful to the person who gave me this Scarface," the middle-aged man said with a smile, shaking his head. He didn't seem to mind bringing it up. "I was really young back then, though not as young as you are now. I was probably in my early twenties. I was young and arrogant, and I did a lot of stupid things because I thought I had talent. I didn't train properly every day; all I did was eat, drink, and have fun. I would always act crazy when I was drunk. After I got this Scarface, I started training like crazy, traveling around, and challenging all kinds of strong people, which is why I am who I am today. At first, I kept this Scarface for revenge. But slowly, I began to find that it became a warning line in my heart. It tells me what I should do and what I shouldn't do, making me a better person."

"Uncle, did you run into the person who left the Scarface on you later?" Gu Ding could understand his change of heart, but he still wanted to know the outcome of the matter.

Upon hearing this question, the Middle-Aged Man remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I searched for many years before finally finding information about him, then went to challenge him, only to be defeated again. After that, I cultivated even harder, challenging him again every time my strength increased. This continued until I reached the Demigod Realm, and that time I challenged him again, finally winning. But by then, my hatred for him had long since dissipated."

"Later, we became very good friends. It wasn't until more than three hundred years ago, at the moment when his lifespan ended, that he told me he was actually my biological father... It was only then that I understood why he had accepted my challenges unconditionally, time and time again, and why he hadn't moved away from that planet because of the inconvenience I caused. It was also then that I remembered that sometimes when we chatted, he would occasionally talk about fathers and sons. He had asked me if I resented my parents because I was an orphan, and he had also asked me what kind of father I hoped my father would be like..."

The middle-aged man's words made Gu Ding fall into deep thought. When it came to his father, all he could remember was the old Old Dad who raised him; he had absolutely no recollection of his biological parents. After hearing this story, Gu Ding began to consider a question he had never thought about before—what kind of people were his biological parents?

"I don't know why I couldn't help but talk so much. Maybe it's like an old man; as you get older, you start to ramble." The Middle-Aged Man downed the Rim juice in his glass in one gulp. "Boss, another one, please."

Gu Ding finished his Mirka drink too. "Boss, I want one too!"

"I've been so busy telling my story. What about you? You're probably not a local, are you? The natives of Problan Star have reddish skin."

"My name is Gu Ding, and I'm an Interstellar Pirate. I'm just passing through this planet. My hometown is in the Long Teng Universe Country, and like you, I was an orphan from a young age." At this moment, the shop owner brought over two non-alcoholic drinks, and Gu Ding raised his glass and smiled.

"Roland, the interstellar lone wolf." The Middle-Aged Man also raised his glass. "Cheers to the orphans!"

"Uncle, are you a lone wolf?" This wasn't the first time Gu Ding had encountered a lone wolf, but upon hearing this title, his first thought was to recruit him into his crew. "Would you be interested in joining our Pirate Crew, uncle?"

"Join Pirate Crew?" Roland raised an eyebrow, seemingly considering something. "Actually, I also yearn for the life of Interstellar Pirate. It's more interesting to be together than to be alone. But not now. Demigods only have a lifespan of five thousand years, and I'm already over four thousand years old. I must reach the God-rank before my lifespan runs out, so I've been traveling around looking for a breakthrough. Once I reach the God-rank, I can consider it."

Hearing that the other party did not directly refuse, Gu Ding was quite happy. "Then, uncle, can you leave me your contact number? Let's keep in touch."

Roland did not refuse the request and left his contact number with Gu Ding.

"Uncle, you've stopped on this planet. Is there some opportunity here for you to break through your limits?" Gu Ding couldn't help but ask.

"No. It's just that my spaceship broke down, and since it's a rather old limited edition, some of the materials are hard to come by and need to be custom-made, so it's stuck here." Roland shook his head and looked at Gu Ding's empty cup. "Do you still want it?"

"No need, I had lunch before I came. One cup is enough." Gu Ding shook his head.

"Boss, check please, for two people." Roland tapped his fingers on the table.

"Thanks, sir! I'll treat you to lunch tomorrow!" Gu Ding grinned. He and Roland had a lot in common. The two of them became friends over just two drinks; often, the formation of friendships between men is that simple.

"Since you put it that way, I'll definitely order the most expensive place tomorrow. I need to think carefully about what to drink tomorrow night."

After leaving the tavern, the two went their separate ways.

Only after Roland was out of sight did the Sea Emperor speak, "Gu Ding, do you know who that guy was just now?"

"Is he famous?" Gu Ding felt that the name Roland did sound familiar.

The Sea Emperor projected Roland's message.

Grand Duke: Roland

Title: The Man Closest to God

Gender: Male

Age: 4243

[Genetic Level: Demigod]

[Strongest Combat Strength: Unknown]

[Special Ability: Unknown.]

[Other Abilities: Possesses Godslayer Swordplay]

[Character Introduction: The only demigod-level powerhouse in the Fei Me Universe Country to be granted the title of Grand Duke by the Federal Government. He possesses unparalleled swordsmanship and once defeated a lower-level god in a single move with his demigod power. According to some unofficial sources, he is also a five-star prodigy. In the Universe Sea, he ranks eighth on the "Demigod Prodigy" Ranking List.]

"The title of Grand Duke is only awarded to one person in a Universe Country, and that is the strongest demigod. Before Elizabeth ascended to God-rank, he was the most Combat Strength person in the entire Fei Me Universe Country on the surface, and also the most likely to break through to God-rank," the Sea Emperor added. "If it weren't for the opportunity you gave Elizabeth, he would still be the strongest person in the Fei Me Universe Country Combat Strength. You really dared to ask him to join our team..."

"We almost succeeded," Gu Ding grinned. "But it's okay, there will be other opportunities in the future."

"I think he must have heard of you, because you've been all the rage lately. But he probably hasn't been paying much attention, so he didn't seem surprised when you said you were Gu Ding, or Interstellar Pirate. But that's normal; demigod -God-rank powerhouses usually focus their energy on how to break through to God-rank, and don't have much time to think about other things." The Sea Emperor felt that what had just happened was a bit strange. "When he gave his name, I thought it was just a coincidence, so I immediately checked his information, and it turned out he was the legendary Grand Duke Roland."

"Is it difficult to break through to the God-rank? Can we help you?" Gu Ding couldn't help but ask.

"Whether or not one can break through to the God-rank is actually influenced by many factors. Like Elizabeth and Roland, whom you met today, they are both top-tier demigods. They have already met all the requirements for breaking through to God-rank; all they lack is a small opportunity. In this situation, there's no way to rely on external help; it all depends on personal luck. Generally, at their level, the chance of a successful breakthrough is over 90%, it's just a matter of time. However, there are a few exceptionally unlucky individuals who may never find such an opportunity until their lifespan ends. This situation is very rare." The Sea Emperor's explanation left Gu Ding somewhat helpless, and the Sea Emperor immediately added, "A monstrous talent like Roland usually doesn't have bad luck. I personally think his breakthrough shouldn't be a problem."

After leaving the tavern, Gu Ding, guided by the Sea Emperor, headed towards the shop for potion ingredients... (To be continued).