Chapter 8 : Tavern Turmoil Part One

Did this girl just call me "young man"?

Barrett found it both amusing and ridiculous. The inexperienced girl in front of him was probably a newbie adventurer who had just left the nest. Never mind the fact that he was more than ten years older than her and a head taller. Just in terms of adventuring experience, he had been in this business for almost twenty years.

Barrett waved his hand, about to refuse, when another adventurer holding a cup of black rye beer approached.

This adventurer carried a longsword on his back, his face covered in freckles, and when he grinned, everyone could see the gap in his yellowed teeth.

Approaching EeDeChi, he wore a falsely sincere smile and said, "Little girl, this guy below the waist is already useless. If you like the older man type, Uncle here is quite capable. I'm a Platinum-level adventurer! I'm very strong! I can be your guide for free."

He proudly puffed up his chest, and the shiny white "Platinum" metal badge on his chest gleamed.

Barrett knew this guy; he was "Scarface Bladebearer" Valent, who recently, feeling old, wanted to quit adventuring and return to his rural hometown to marry and have children. So now, whenever he saw a young girl, he shamelessly approached to flirt.

However, he was too ugly, and not many beautiful young girls were willing to pay attention to him. But he was truly "desperate," daring to chat up a girl like EeDeChi, who exuded an air of maturity and seriousness.

EeDeChi lifted a corner of her gray shawl expressionlessly, revealing a yellow metal badge on her chest. Under the hexagonal candle chandelier in the tavern, the badge shimmered like the sun, dazzling Barrett and Valent.

She glanced at the dumbfounded "Scarface Bladebearer" Valent and coldly said, "A guy with a Justice Value of -120, go play elsewhere."

This girl was a "Orichalcum-level" adventurer! Barrett was astonished.

"Orichalcum-level" was just below the highest "Adamantite-level"! It was one level higher than his "Mithril-level" and two levels higher than Valent's "Platinum-level"!

"Orichalcum-level" adventurers were rare; there were only thirty or forty teams in the entire empire that possessed "Orichalcum" metal badges.

Barrett was already the center of attention in the tavern, so now most people noticed the "Orichalcum-level" metal badge on EeDeChi's chest. The surrounding adventurers whispered, and waves of exclamations spread slowly through the tavern like ripples on water.

(Note: Adventurer levels are ranked from low to high: Copper, Iron, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Mithril, Orichalcum, Adamantite.)

"Who's Orichalcum-level?!"

An irritable voice rang out in the middle of the tavern, and at the same time, a burly figure stood up in the crowd's center. The burly man looked disdainfully at EeDeChi, then pushed through several tables, striding toward Barrett and the others.

Along the way, to make room in the crowded tavern, he shoved aside several adventurers sitting upright drinking. A weak adventurer even fell under the table, but no one dared to speak out against this hotheaded strongman.

Barrett knew this person; he was "Bonebreaker Axe" Wood Balder, a notorious "Mithril-level" adventurer who wielded two heavy blood-patterned axes forged by dwarves.

Wood was taller and more muscular than the average person, with exquisite martial arts skills and a hot temper. He had killed many famous monsters and broken many people's noses and ribs in fights with other adventurers. Therefore, adventurers gave him the nickname "Bonebreaker Axe"!

As far as Barrett knew, Wood Balder had applied to the Adventurer's Guild several times, hoping to upgrade his level from "Mithril" to "Orichalcum" based on his military exploits, but he was rejected each time by the guild, citing insufficient strength.

"Bonebreaker Axe" Wood was two heads taller than EeDeChi and almost three times her size, like a wall looming over the black-haired girl.

He looked down at EeDeChi, his face twisted into a long scar, and asked coldly, "You, this little woman, are 'Orichalcum' level? I've killed so many monsters, and I'm not even 'Orichalcum' level! How many times did you suck the guild leader's cock to become 'Orichalcum' level, you little bitch?"

Barrett wanted to intervene and calm down the enraged and hot-tempered Wood. Although EeDeChi's demeanor resembled that of an old nun climbing out of a monastery, Barrett still felt a hint of pity and cherishing for her. Moreover, he believed that a man with self-respect should not lay hands on women.

Although Barrett was not a knight, he had always maintained a bottom line that some adventurers looked down upon.

Before Barrett could speak, EeDeChi spoke first, "You scum with a Justice Value of -250, grow up. Don't scream like a child in front of me."

Justice Value? Barrett didn't understand what that was, and Wood clearly didn't either. But when Wood heard the words "scum" and "child," his anger was ignited. He reached out his arm, thicker than that of a grown silverback gorilla, and grabbed EeDeChi's neck.

But EeDeChi was faster, or rather, she acted later but got ahead first.

The black-haired girl seized Wood's neck, lifting him up. Because Wood's neck was as thick as a tree trunk, EeDeChi could only grab half of it. At first glance, the scene seemed somewhat comical, like a slender elf lifting a burly troll.

Wood's legs flailed wildly. Due to his height, even when EeDeChi lifted him, his feet could still touch the ground. However, even though he exerted all his strength to kick the floor, he couldn't break free from EeDeChi's slender arm around his throat.