[Demon Tree Branch No. 0010]
The moment Ethan entered the Demon Tree's sphere of light, he saw a notification flash past.
So the Demon Tree outside his home was Branch No. 10.
But there were two leading zeros in front of it. Did that mean there were thousands of Demon Trees throughout the world?
As the notification disappeared, Ethan found himself inside a large hall.
The hall had the style of a classic tavern.
Right past the entrance was a spacious main hall. Along one side stood a huge bar counter, and behind it was a gigantic wine rack over ten meters tall.
The rack was neatly stocked with all kinds of liquor.
Behind the bar stood a red-haired man in a leather vest, quietly polishing a glass.
There were quite a few bar stools beside the counter, but not a single customer.
On the other side of the hall was a massive bulletin board covered with notices that looked like bounty postings, along with various other announcements. The writing was too small to make out from where Ethan stood.
"Hello."
Ethan walked up to the bar and slid a Dragon Coin across the counter toward the red-haired man.
The man's hand paused for a moment.
Then he grinned, revealing sixteen perfectly even teeth.
"Hello. I'm Alfred, the manager of this Demon Tree Branch. How may I help you today, sir?"
"I'd like to ask how to travel to another Demon Tree Branch."
Ethan couldn't help sighing inside.
Money really did make the world go round.
If he hadn't slid over that Dragon Coin just now, this red-haired man, Alfred, probably wouldn't even have acknowledged him.
"There are two methods. One is faster, and one is slower," Alfred smiled, "Which one would you like to know about?"
"Tell me both."
Without hesitation, Ethan pushed over another Dragon Coin.
He didn't care about a little tip.
What he lacked was time.
If money could buy time, why waste something as precious and irreplaceable as time?
"The fast way is to take the Demon Tree's special bubble lift up to the Cloud Platform on the hundredth level of the Demon Tree, then ride a Swift Dragon to the next Demon Tree."
Alfred happily pocketed the second Dragon Coin before continuing.
"The slow way is to take a Worm Car through the worm tunnel to another Demon Tree Branch."
"However, Swift Dragons are very expensive. Unless you're traveling a great distance, I wouldn't recommend them."
"Worm Cars are a bit slower, but they're much cheaper and much safer."
This time, instead of offering another Dragon Coin, Ethan casually rolled one between his fingers.
"If I want to go to the Demon Tree in Border City, how long would it take by Worm Car?"
He had already tipped twice.
If he kept handing them over, he'd be treated like an idiot.
And if an NPC spotted an easy mark, there was no telling whether they'd deliberately tell him only half of what he needed to know.
So Ethan naturally had to keep him in check a little.
He needed Alfred to understand...
A good answer would be rewarded.
A bad answer...
Well.
Then there'd be nothing.
"Sir, you've asked exactly the right person."
Alfred immediately poured a large mug of wine from a huge oak barrel behind the bar and placed it in front of Ethan.
"Please have a drink first while I explain."
"There are three Demon Tree Branches in Border City. One is Branch No. 0079 in the city center, another is Branch No. 0324 in the suburbs, and the third is the newly grown Branch No. 1123, which is some distance away from Border City, almost near the Sea of Mist."
"It's also the quietest Demon Tree Branch in Border City."
"Which one would you like to visit, sir?"
"I'll take No. 1123."
The moment Ethan heard the word quietest, he chose it without hesitation.
After all, he was about to use a forbidden technique banned by a murderous organization.
There was no way he was going to head somewhere crowded.
"Very well! Although that branch is the farthest of the three Border City Demon Tree Branches, Border City itself isn't that far from here."
"So if I arrange the fastest Worm Car for you, it should only take about ten minutes."
Alfred smiled, "Please enjoy your drink while I make the arrangements."
His eyes remained fixed on the Dragon Coin in Ethan's hand.
But Ethan still didn't give it to him.
Instead, he took out two more Dragon Coins, making three in total.
"Go ahead. If everything's handled well, all three are yours."
"Thank you, sir! I'll get right on it!"
Alfred immediately quickened his pace and hurried toward the back of the hall.
Ethan nodded in satisfaction.
Having money really was great.
Whether in his original world or in this brutal Mist World... money was always important.
While waiting for Alfred to make the arrangements, Ethan picked up the mug and took a sip.
Pfft!
He spat the entire mouthful out.
No wonder Mr. White had been full of praise after tasting the fruit wine from the Treant's home.
So it turned out that this world simply didn't have any good alcohol.
Especially the mug Alfred had just poured for him.
It smelled wonderfully fruity.
But the moment it touched his tongue, it tasted like stale beer that had been left out overnight.
Was this the average standard of brewing in this world?
"Forget it."
Ethan pushed the mug back across the counter.
Then he walked over to the bulletin board, intending to learn more about the Mist World through the posted notices.
Instead...
He saw something that shocked him beyond words.
A bounty notice.
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