Chris's story

The nameless little slum tavern had become a human slaughterhouse. Four players had hacked the eight thugs to pieces, utterly routing them.

Everything had happened too fast.

From Lin Ruoyu's sudden attack and his first two kills to Little Ghost taking a stab to the shoulder, entering blood rage, and turning into a Berserker, the entire sequence had lasted only two minutes. All eight thugs were down.

The one who tried to flee hadn't made it, either. The fourth player had caught up from behind and driven a short sword into his heart. That single thrust sent him crashing to the floor, where he convulsed and died.

The woman serving drinks in a heavy, long dress stood blankly in the middle of the tavern. She had witnessed everything from beginning to end. Seeing that she was a woman, the rampaging players had spared her, which was why she was still standing.

Lin Ruoyu rose from his half-kneeling position. He raised a hand and wiped his face, smearing away some of the warm red liquid and successfully turning his face into a bloody mess.

"Do you have water and a cloth?"

Lin Ruoyu asked the waitress in a perfectly normal tone. Her face was ashen, and her lips trembled nonstop. When the most vicious of the four thugs addressed her, she shakily pointed toward the bar.

"There's... there's a cloth in there. Water... the water's in the kitchen..."

"Good. Is anyone upstairs?"

"Two people are drunk and sleeping up there."

"Good."

Pleased with the waitress's cooperation, Lin Ruoyu pointed at Little Ghost and another uninjured player, then at the stairs.

"You two, go upstairs and take care of things. You, take your weapon and finish off everyone on the floor. Stab them in the heart so nobody can play dead."

"Even the guy whose skull Little Ghost split open?"

"Finish him off. Don't skip anyone."

"Got it."

Then he turned back to the waitress.

"Go get some water."

With that, Lin Ruoyu walked behind the bar, stepping over the tavern owner's rigid corpse. He rummaged through the counter full of liquor bottles and found a dingy gray rag, along with an iron box filled with coins.

What an unexpected bonus!

Without hesitation, Lin Ruoyu took out the iron box and set it on the bar, planning to carry it away later.

Just then, unusual noises came from upstairs. Someone struggled and screamed, but Lin Ruoyu paid no attention.

An iron basin was set on the bar. Rising steam washed over Lin Ruoyu's face, and he instinctively looked up, only then realizing that the waitress had brought it.

She hadn't run?

Judging from her reaction, she was terrified, and she hadn't drawn a weapon and charged at them during the fight. Lin Ruoyu figured she probably had no direct connection to the tavern's thugs, so he had deliberately sent her to fetch water, giving her an excuse to escape.

He hadn't expected the waitress to be so obedient. Not only had she stayed, but she had actually come back with a basin of hot water.

Lin Ruoyu didn't dwell on it. If she hadn't run, so be it. He hadn't intended to kill her anyway. If she turned out to be plotting something, there would still be time to deal with her later.

So Lin Ruoyu dipped his hands into the hot water and scooped it up to wash the blood from his face.

It wasn't his blood, so washing it off was fine.

While he washed, footsteps pounded down the stairs. Little Ghost came running down, shouting as he sought praise.

"The two drunks are dead, boss! You'll never guess what else was upstairs!"

"Liquor, and three girls."

It wasn't Lin Ruoyu who said that. The waitress who had brought him the water spoke first.

Lin Ruoyu, Little Ghost, and the player stabbing the bodies on the floor immediately turned their eyes toward her.

She looked frightened, but didn't back down. Licking her lips, she gathered her courage and continued.

"Those three women were kidnapped by Hubbard and forced into prostitution. They're all outsiders who came from beyond the city, hoping to find work in Inyama."

"What about you? What are you doing here?"

By now, Lin Ruoyu understood that the waitress must have some other purpose in staying.

"I'm a local from the slums. Hubbard's son happened to like me, so they made me work here as a waitress."

"Who's Hubbard?"

"The owner of this tavern."

"Where's his son?"

"Over there."

Following her finger, Lin Ruoyu looked at a body on the floor that the fourth player happened to be finishing off.

Well, Hubbard and his son were both thoroughly dead.

"What's your name?"

"My name is Connie. I'm the daughter of Isaac, the chivalrous thief of Inyama's District 21."

By now, Connie's voice had become steady and composed. As she introduced herself, she placed particular emphasis on her father's name and reputation.

At that moment, a light called pride shone on her face.

Lin Ruoyu turned toward the third player and pointed upstairs.

"Go check with those girls. Question them separately."

"Understood."

Lin Ruoyu wasn't an idiot. He wouldn't believe everything Connie said just because she said it. Conveniently, there were three survivors upstairs whose accounts he could cross-check.

If Connie was lying to him, the three girls' answers would surely reveal inconsistencies.

"Boss!"

Just then, Little Ghost came running out from the back of the tavern.

"I found the entrance to the basement wine cellar."

"Go open the door and let them out to clean up the scene...

"Hey, Little Ghost, don't come over to wash your face. You took a blade to the face. Washing it now will only reopen the wound. Find a clean towel, or some clothes or something, and wrap your face."

Lin Ruoyu gave him those instructions.

"Once we get home, we'll have Chris treat your face."

"All right."

Little Ghost left. Lin Ruoyu turned back to Connie, who immediately stiffened onto her toes and stopped moving.

"Chris... did you just mean Chris from Thirteenth Street?"

"What do you mean, Chris from Thirteenth Street? I only know Chris Lin."

"That's him."

"You know him?"

Connie nodded firmly.

"I do. The Prince of Bagnia, the miracle doctor of Thirteenth Street who's willing to treat the poor. Mr. Chris has a great reputation in our District 21. Many poor people respect him."

"The Prince of Bagnia? A miracle doctor?"

Lin Ruoyu's head was full of questions.

"What's going on? Explain."

Connie said,

"A lot of people know that Mr. Chris is a hostage sent to Inyama by the Kingdom of Bagnia. He's the Kingdom of Bagnia's youngest Prince. He's also a doctor, and he was already willing to treat the poor several years ago.

"Over the past two months, he's even saved many seriously ill poor people whom the priests considered beyond saving. That's why his reputation has soared."

Well, well. I knew the beginner guide NPC wasn't ordinary, but I never expected him to have a backstory like this. Interesting!

Lin Ruoyu's eyes and those of the other player immediately lit up, gossip and curiosity written all over their faces.