It was peak dinner time, and the hall [N O V E L I G H T] was packed with people—merchants, guild members, and even a few soldiers dressed in standard leather armor.

The air was thick with the din of voices and the clinking of glasses; here, news of all kinds converged, fermented, and transformed.

“Have you heard? That hundred-thousand-strong Orc Army in the west has captured another city!”

“Which city?”

“It seems to be some county in the Tieba Kingdom. I didn't catch the name, but anyway, all the defenders died—not a single one escaped.”

“Tieba Kingdom? That's not exactly close to us.”

“Tell me about it. But I heard Zhenyue City is sending reinforcements, with Deputy City Lord Liu leading the team himself.”

“Deputy City Lord Liu? He’s a Level 39 powerhouse! If he’s going, the situation in the Tieba Kingdom should stabilize, right?”

“Hard to say. I heard the Orc Army has a Level 40 War Lord and several Level 39 Sword Saints. Deputy City Lord Liu going alone might not be enough.”

“He's not going alone. I heard another Level 39 powerhouse is going too.”

“Who?”

“Don't know, the news hasn't been confirmed yet.”

The discussion at another table was even more outrageous.

“I’m telling you, my cousin's comrade has a foreign friend serving in the Tieba Kingdom's military who saw it with his own eyes.”

“There’s a Mammoth War Elephant in the Orc Army that’s thirty meters tall! One stomp and the city walls collapsed!”

“Thirty meters? You’re full of it! Even the biggest Mammoth War Elephants in the livestreams are only about a dozen meters. Where would thirty meters come from?”

“Believe what you want! Anyway, that's what my cousin said.”

“Last time your cousin said there was a dragon in the Dungeon, and what happened? It was a giant lizard.”

“A giant lizard is a type of dragon too...”

Lin Feng listened to the half-true news, his lips twitching slightly.

Rumors were the same whether on Blue Star or in the Nightmare World.

As they spread, a ten-meter-tall Mammoth War Elephant became thirty meters, and an army of thirty thousand orcs became a hundred thousand.

However, some information was worth noting: Liu Zhenshan was leading a team, a Third Rank powerhouse was accompanying him, and the situation in the Tieba Kingdom was dire.

These core facts hadn't been distorted despite the layers of hearsay.

After waiting about ten minutes, the dishes were served one after another.

The braised pork hock was a bright, glossy red, the skin glutinous and the meat so tender it fell off the bone with a gentle nudge of the chopsticks.

The steamed sea bass was brought in from the great lake to the east; its flesh was fresh and delicate, without a hint of fishiness.

The stir-fried mutton with scallions was sliced thin as paper, rich with the aroma of scallions, and melted in the mouth.

There was also a plate of braised beef, a bowl of hot and sour soup, and a steamer of soup dumplings.

Lin Feng picked up a piece of the braised pork hock. The skin was soft and chewy, the fat melted instantly, and the lean meat was neither dry nor tough, with a perfect balance of salty and sweet.

He nodded; this chef's skill was more than a grade above Li Gui's from Fenghuo County.

He then took a slice of braised beef. The meat was firm and rich with the flavor of the braising liquid, sliced with impressive precision and uniform thickness.

The soup dumplings were also excellent, with thin skins and generous filling; when bitten open, the savory broth gushed out—delicious!

Having eaten his fill, he set down his chopsticks and pulled a small handful of Gray Crystals from his robe, placing them on the table.

The amount of Gray Crystals was more than enough to cover the bill. Not wanting to wait for change, he stood up, grabbed his Wildfire Spear, and pushed the door open to leave.

As he went downstairs, the waiter was still waiting at the top of the stairs and bowed quickly upon seeing him. “Sir, was the meal to your liking? If there’s anything you’re dissatisfied with, please let us know.”

Lin Feng waved his hand. “It was good. Keep the change.”

He pointed to the Gray Crystals on the table and strode out of the restaurant.

The waiter froze for a moment, then hurried upstairs. Seeing the small pile of Gray Crystals, his eyes widened; this lord was far too generous.

Leaving the restaurant, Lin Feng continued walking east along the main street.

Before long, a greyish-white stone building appeared in his line of sight.

The building wasn't tall—only three stories—but it occupied a large area. A massive wooden plaque hung over the lintel: “Adventurers Guild.”

The “Adventurer” flag hung from the flagpole at the entrance, fluttering gently in the afternoon breeze.

Many people were coming and going, making it many times more bustling than the Adventurer branch in Lucky Town.

Lin Feng stepped inside. The first-floor hall was at least three times more spacious than the one in Lucky Town, with light grey stone floors polished as smooth as a mirror.

To the left was a temporary rest area with over a dozen long dark brown tables and matching benches. Clay jars sat on the tables, filled with dried flowers.

To the right was a counter, stretching a good dozen meters long. The surface was made of dark hardwood with brass-trimmed edges.

A receptionist in a deep blue uniform stood behind the counter, communicating with an Adventurer in front of her.

It was Selina.

She was speaking with an Adventurer carrying a greatsword. Her speech wasn't fast, but it was organized and clear.

The Adventurer looked to be in his early thirties, wearing half-plate armor with an old scar on his face; his attitude was very respectful.

Lin Feng didn't step forward to greet her. He stood in the center of the hall, watching Selina interact with the Adventurers from a distance.

These people weren't the Adventurers who were about to descend—the descent hadn't started yet. They were Awakened who had already undergone class changes within the Nightmare World.

Their levels ranged from the teens to Level 20, and they wore various types of equipment, some of them bearing wounds.

Some were there to turn in quests, some to accept them, some to buy Class Change Books, and others were just there to take a break.

A short queue had formed in front of Selina. When it was someone's turn, they would first respectfully call out “Lady Selina” before stating their needs.

Selina responded to each one without haste, occasionally asking a few more questions to understand quest details or the Adventurer's equipment status.

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear, audible even from a dozen meters away.

Lin Feng noticed that while Selina was speaking with a young Archer, she made a specific point to warn him.

“This quest requires going deep into the mine. Although the monster levels aren't high, the terrain is complex. I suggest you form a party; don't risk it alone.”

The Archer was stunned for a moment, then nodded repeatedly. After thanking her, he turned to find teammates.

Lin Feng withdrew his gaze and looked at the quest board behind Selina.

The massive light-screen panel was twice as wide as the one in Lucky Town, densely packed with quests that scrolled line by line.

Lin Feng scanned it; the quest types were much more varied than in Lucky Town, including gathering quests for rare ores, herbs, and beast hides.

There were extermination quests to clear out monster nests in certain areas.

There were escort quests to guard merchant caravans from Zhenyue City to various county-level territories.

There were exploration quests to scout unknown regions or Dungeons.

Quest ranks also varied, ranging from Bronze to Silver, with rewards from a few Contribution Points to several hundred.

Lin Feng noted that some quests were posted not by the Adventurers Guild, but by life-professionals or Freemen.

For example, one quest was “Find the Lost Family Heirloom Jade Pendant,” posted by a Freeman named “Widow Li,” with a reward of 10 Contribution Points.

Another quest was “Purchase Five Hundred Units of Iron Ore,” posted by “Blacksmith Zhang.” It was a collective quest, allowing up to 2 parties of 20 people to accept it, with a total reward of one hundred Contribution Points.

After watching for a while, Lin Feng had a good idea of the situation.

He turned and walked out of the Adventurers Guild, looking up at the sky.

The sun was already moving west; there was still some time before dusk.