Global Game: I Can Choose Instance Rewards-Chapter 455 - 326: Entering the Instance (Part 2)

Wang Zhifan suddenly felt regret for his oversight, failing to notice his dungeon companions gathering here. However, the term ’companions’ might need quotation marks since the penalty mechanism for this dungeon has already been removed.

"Boss! Give me and the boss two large barrels of Blood Tower fruit wine! Make sure it’s the highest purity!"

The red-haired young man then approached the counter, loudly addressing the muscular old man with pointed ears inside, drawing inquisitive glances from nearby patrons drinking.

"Jack, your voice is really too loud! I suggest that after you finish my wine, you head next door to the Black Moon Inn to cool off! Young men shouldn’t keep everything bottled up!"

The boss, while taking out two cups shaped like small wooden barrels to mix the crimson fruit wine, joked to the red-haired young man leaning on the counter, causing his face to quickly show a barely noticeable blush.

"No! For Alice, I will never go to a place like that!"

The red-haired young man called Jack shook his head, his attitude very firm.

"By the way, Jack, are you planning to go on a mission again? Is it just the two of you this time?"

The tavern owner then focused his gaze on Wang Zhifan beside him, curiously inquiring Jack.

"That’s likely the case, but we might meet new companions along the way."

Jack responded without hesitation and then took a large cup of the wine that the tavern owner had prepared, quickly taking a sip.

"This is the taste! Boss, your Blood Tower is simply wonderful! Boss, hurry and try it!"

As soon as he took a sip, he couldn’t help but loudly praise it, his young and vibrant voice echoing throughout the lively tavern, adding more excitement to the already bustling atmosphere.

Under his strong urging, Wang Zhifan quickly picked up his small wooden barrel and took a sip, discovering that this crimson fruit wine indeed tasted good. The alcohol had a lighter feel compared to Xia Country white liquor, but the fruit aroma was rich, with a unique refreshing flavor.

"How is it, young man? Can my signature creation make you feel as satisfied as Jack?"

After seeing Wang Zhifan taste it, the muscular old man with the pointed ears behind the counter smiled and asked, his confident gaze awaiting praise from the new customer in front of him.

"Very good, it’s exactly my type."

Wang Zhifan spoke honestly, smiling at the old man before suddenly asking:

"May I ask if you know where the Demon King is hiding? I hope one day I can personally kill him and then stand on his corpse, sipping a cup of your fine wine..."

His tone carried a sense of jest and boasting, making the abrupt change of topic not seem too abrupt, more like someone going crazy after drinking.

"Haha... You really think highly of an old man like me."

The blond old man behind the counter seemed amused by Wang Zhifan’s words.

"I’m just a tavern owner. Although in my youth I was a mercenary, how could I possibly know the whereabouts of the Demon King? That kind of existence is only qualified to be hunted by the legendary strongest mercenary group, the source of all darkness."

Though the old man claimed he was unaware of the Demon King’s whereabouts, it unmistakably implied that this target was traceable and not some unknown secretive existence.

"Well then, I guess I have to first form the strongest mercenary group before I can go after that guy."

After listening, Wang Zhifan laughed and said, ending the first round of intelligence gathering. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

But his conversation with the old man at the counter caught the attention of a nearby man who was dressed in modern orange hiking gear, clearly a player. He had originally gotten up from the other side of the tavern to come over, but heard Wang Zhifan’s conversation after getting close to the counter.

"You’re also looking for the Demon King? Interested in cooperating with our team?"

The man, judging from Wang Zhifan’s appearance and outfit, speculated he might also be a player and asked probing questions, perhaps puzzled why they didn’t initially notice Wang Zhifan’s presence, not understanding why this suddenly appeared player seemed rather familiar with a certain NPC, making things even more intriguing.

"Let’s talk about it later if there’s a chance. Sometimes, moving separately gets better results."

Wang Zhifan immediately returned a mild smile, indicating a polite refusal.

This was mainly because he knew these players weren’t really trustworthy. With the penalty mechanism deactivated, players could do anything, let alone the fact that their initial intel couldn’t be much more than his own; there wasn’t much meaning in cooperating.

"Haha... If that’s the case, then please step aside for a moment; I need to order some drinks."

The man in hiking gear also responded with a smile, but his eyes turned a bit colder, signaling Wang Zhifan and his companion to move away from the counter.

"Please."

Wang Zhifan promptly and considerately pulled his mercenary companion aside, showing no intention of wanting a conflict with this player, no sign of domineering force.

As they turned and walked towards an empty table, a hint of contempt flashed briefly in the eyes of the hiking gear player, even with cold glints faintly appearing in his pupils.

"Jack, what intel do you have on the Demon King?"

Once seated at a wooden table, Wang Zhifan lowered his voice, asking his mercenary companion, Jack, still tasting the crimson wine. This was one important purpose for agreeing to come in for a drink.

"Boss, how could I know about the Demon King... That’s just a legendary existence..."

Jack, listening, felt somewhat speechless, eyes slightly blurred from the intoxication as he enjoyed his drunkenness, trying to find the words.

"If I have to say, legends mention the Demon King might be hiding in places like towers, deep lakes, dungeons, particularly in the most dangerous spots, like the highest floors of pitch-black towers, the central bottom of Devil’s Lake, the lowest level of Endless Dungeon, all places that have devoured countless adventurers’ lives, inevitably connected to the Demon King... Huff... Huff..."

Wang Zhifan was still listening carefully, hoping to glean more intel from this companion, when he realized the other had suddenly fallen asleep at the table, snoring softly.

"This drinking tolerance... really can’t be praised..."

Seeing his companion unexpectedly knocked out, Wang Zhifan showed a hint of helplessness; he wanted to wake up this unfinished-talker but ultimately felt it impolite not to try. Considering this was just the beginning of the dungeon, maybe he didn’t need to be so impatient.

"If he wasn’t just spouting nonsense, then this dungeon likely requires us to investigate various perilous places, ultimately tracking down the Demon King and killing him. It seems the dungeon process won’t be overly complicated..."

Wang Zhifan felt he chose wisely for his initial identity in the dungeon, directly obtaining fairly reliable information, with his companion initially maintaining loyalty crucial, saving him from suspecting this guy was misleading him, eliminating a significant step in information screening.

"Since he’s asleep, I need to find a way to exchange some Gold Coins."

Originally, Jack was supposed to treat, but now he’s already passed out and can’t pay. Wang Zhifan began pondering how to make some money, deciding to try his luck with the tavern owner, feeling he might be willing to take some of his scraps.

So, he got up and returned to the tavern counter, seeing that the previous hiking clothes male player was still there, surprisingly collaborating with another female player to gather information, also asking about the Demon King.

"What’s going on today? Why are you young folks so keen on asking about the Demon King? Has a new legend emerged?"

The tavern owner seemed not too interested in discussing this topic, mixing drinks while shaking his head, suddenly warning:

"I advise you not to aim for the Demon King; that existence in legends is not merely some strong monster."