The friction sound between the door hinges and the door frame made Skiffins Steinbeck frown.
He didn't like the sound of that.
It's like I don't like waking up early.
It was pitch black behind the door; even the afternoon sun could not illuminate anything inside.
But a piece of paper fell out.
It says:
Those who enter do so at their own risk.
The text is clear.
No date or signature.
Skiffins Steinbeck took a quick look and walked in calmly.
It was like passing through a layer of smoke.
It suddenly lit up inside.
Warm lights and oval light bulbs hang on the ceiling like blooming petals, the ground is a black and white checkered floor, and in the distance is a wooden bar and high round stools with backrests.
High-heeled glasses that had been wiped extremely clean were hung upside down on it.
Bottles of wine are placed on the wine cabinet.
Behind the bar stood a middle-aged man in a black vest and white shirt.
"Welcome."
The other party said, after a slight pause, he continued: "Skiffins Steinbeck? He is the heir of the 'Wandering Family' - Hello, I don't have any whiskey stained with human blood."
A peek.
One answer.
【The Eye of Fairness and Truth】.
Skiffins Steinbeck thought and walked towards the bar.
But after taking only two steps, he realized something was wrong.
He didn't really get close to the bar.
But standing still.
Just as this thought came to his mind, Skiffins Steinbeck found that the distance between himself and the bar began to lengthen infinitely. The original straight-line distance of less than ten meters suddenly stretched to a hundred meters.
Next, it’s kilometers.
The originally clear bar and people suddenly became blurry.
Skiffins Steinbeck lowered his head. The black and white chessboard-like floor beneath his feet was magnified countless times. Originally, one of his feet could fill up a floor of the same color.
But now?
He looked insignificant standing on a floor of the same color.
“I don’t like visitors without appointments.”
"So, let's play a board game!"
"Each black and white square may represent safety or a trap. If you walk in a safe square, you can continue to move forward. If you walk in a trap square, you will be hit by a fatal blow. There is no doubt that it is a real fatal blow, because this is the contract you signed when you entered the board game. It took effect when you chose to walk into the bar."
The person at the bar chuckled.
"Yeah?"
Skiffens Steinbeck also smiled.
“It has no pattern.”
“It’s just a gamble.”
"And I want to try your luck."
The other party said so.
Skiffins Steinbeck said nothing, just closed his eyes and strode forward.
One step, two steps.
Ten steps, a hundred steps.
Skiffens Steinbeck went straight ahead.
When he stopped and opened his eyes, he was standing in front of the bar again.
Walking all the way.
Not a single trap was triggered.
"The Steinbecks have always had good luck."
Skiffens Steinbeck said with a smile.
"yes."
"There is no doubt about this."
"only……"
"The people you travel with are unlucky."
The man at the bar nodded first, then sneered: "He should be interrogated by the adults now, right? Are you a little confused as to why I call you adults?"
"Because I am just the agent of the bartender."
As the other party spoke, he looked at Skiffins Steinbeck with a smug look.
Skiffins Steinbeck looked at the other person as if he were a fool.
"You know?"
The other party raised his voice.
"Um."
Skiffens Steinbeck nodded.
“Impossible!”
"You can't possibly know! "
"You've never met Mr. Bartender!"
"And now I look exactly like the 'bartender'-sama!"
The other party looked unconvinced.
"well."
Skiffins Steinbeck sighed, sat down on the chair, took a goblet, raised his hand to call for a bottle, poured himself a glass, and then said softly: "Frogs are always conceited, especially when they are at the bottom of the well, they will think that the sky is only as big as the well mouth, and you?"
"Not even as good as a frog."
As he said this, Skiffins Steinbeck took a sip of the wine in his glass.
“It’s really hard to drink.”
Skiffens Steinbeck commented.
However, the other party could not hear such comments.
The opponent standing there has become a 'pile of salt'.
Just as the name implies, the human figure made of "salt" - Skiffins Steinbeck walked around the bar, walked in and knocked gently.
Bang!
The other side is broken.
Salt piles collapsed.
A 'door' appeared under the salt pile, completely engulfing the collapsed salt pile.
And a ring appeared in Skiffins Steinbeck's hand.
【The Eye of Fairness and Truth】!
Looking at the ring in his hand, Skiffins Steinbeck took a deep breath.
What he, Goethe, and George VI said was all true.
And didn't lie.
There was no hiding.
The Eye of Fair Truth is one of the Steinbeck family heirlooms.
However, although the [Eye of Fair Truth] seemed to be snatched away by the 'bartender', it was actually voluntarily given up by the ancestor of the Steinbeck family. Otherwise, the other party would have no chance at all.
And now?
He took it back.
It is not against our ancestors.
Just had no choice.
He needed to prove something.
Thinking of this, Skiffins Steinbeck put on the ring, turned around and walked out.
Goethe's battle?
He believed it was about to end.
In fact, this is also true——
After eating the cream waffles, Goethe drank berry tea made from chopped strawberries and blueberries.
The sweet and sour taste dilutes the cream.
Ling Goethe raised his hand again and asked for a pie.
Triple beef patties.
The crust was crispy, and the beef and onion filling had the richness of meat and the sweetness and spiciness of onions. Goethe rolled up the pie, stuffed it straight into his mouth, and chewed it in big mouthfuls.
Greasey appearance.
Mixed with the crisp sound of clicking.
Next, have another sip of berry tea.
It’s really a pleasure.
Goethe found that his appetite had become particularly good since his racial talent [Human] was promoted to [(Gold.Alienation)]. When [Feast II] appeared, he even developed a mentality of enjoyment towards eating.
It’s simply about enjoying food.
Not much more.
It feels fresh yet has just the right touch.
It's like the pepper in mutton soup in winter.
Goethe squinted his eyes and enjoyed the joy brought by the food.
Goethe didn't mind even though there was one more person beside him.
"Tea and meat pie?"
"Not worthy."
"I suggest you choose beer, the ice-cold kind, which is refreshing when you take a sip."
A middle-aged man sat down opposite Goethe.
The other person was wearing a black vest, a white shirt, black trousers and leather shoes of the same color, a complete four-piece suit. His hair was combed meticulously and he had a small mustache.
When facing Goethe, he smiled.
"My name is... well, this name is too old."
"You can call me 'bartender'."
"Can you tell me your name?"
The other party asked politely.
"Goethe."
Goethe said the name while holding the teacup.
After hearing the name, the other person's smile immediately became more sincere.
"Are you a descendant of that Modeus?"
The other party asked.
"Well, sort of."
Goethe nodded.
To some extent, this body of his is indeed the descendant of the 'Mad King'.
The frank admission brought a little more admiration in the other person's eyes.
"I'm very interested in your bloodline, so can we make a deal?"
“A fair trade.”
The other party emphasized that without waiting for Goethe to speak, he continued: "If you give me a certain amount of blood regularly, I will provide you with protection. At the same time, I can turn a blind eye to the offenses of you and the boy from the Steinbeck family."
"He's not a good guy."
"I don't know why you allied with him, but there's a high probability that you were deceived, right?"
“The Steinbeck family was always full of them.”
"Always tempting others with various benefits."
"but……"
“They are all empty promises!”
The 'bartender' seemed to be thinking of something unhappy, and his face became gloomy.
"You know what? Their misfortune is due to the curse."
"And for you, it's hatred."
"Want to know?"
The bartender smiled again, as if he was here to trade with me. He was not like this at first, but after he acquired the [Eye of Fair Truth], he gradually became like this.
He didn't hate the change.
This change made him feel fair.
At least!
It's fairness that he can manipulate!
That's fair, isn't it?
Listening to the words of the 'bartender', Goethe was slightly in deep thought.
He immediately thought of the diaries of the Mad King that he had seen before.
"The betrayer back then was a member of the Steinbeck family?"
As soon as Goethe's words came out, the 'bartender' was stunned.
"You actually knew that?"
“It shouldn’t be like this!”
"This part of history should be hidden - um, is it the diary left by Modeus or something like that? Only what he left behind will not be hidden or tampered with."
"As expected, as the last bloodline of Modeus, you are different."
The 'bartender' looked at Goethe with increasing interest.
Moreover, it seemed that because Goethe knew enough, the other party no longer hid it.
"Modeus was a truly terrifying guy back then."
"If I hadn't been betrayed, I would have succeeded."
"even……"
"He can be the one and only one - can you feel the charm of the 'profession' he created? Before him, there has never been such power in the world before us."
“He’s really amazing.”
The 'bartender' didn't mind the compliment at all.
He said, looking at Goethe again.
The interest in his eyes became more and more intense.
There was even a slight burning sensation.
Different from the perverted 'gentleman'.
It's a kind of——
hunger!
No!
To be precise, it was a mouth-watering feeling.
Yes, greedy!
The other party seemed to be eager to taste Goethe's blood.
Goethe declined this offer.
Not to mention that he had no intention of reaching a deal with the other party, the other party's look at the moment alone told Goethe that the other party had bad intentions.
As if sensing Goethe's 'struggle', the 'bartender' spoke again.
"Goethe, you don't seem to understand the situation."
"You are working with that kid from the Steinbeck family to guard here as a backup, right?"
"He must have told you that I was inside and he was going to deal with me, and you just had to stay there."
"But what is the reality?"
"He must have known that I would be unable to resist rushing out after I saw you."
"And he?"
"But it is easy to take back the [Eye of Fair Truth]."
"You still don't understand?"
"He has left you."
"You have no reinforcements."
'The bartender kept reminding Goethe.
Goethe put down his teacup.
"Tell me, is there a possibility that we have anticipated the current situation, and I took the initiative to take on the task of confronting you?"
As he spoke, Goethe looked at the 'bartender'.
The 'bartender' shook his head.
"Would you be so irrational?"
"Or have you become irrational because you inherited Modeus's legacy?"
"Modeus is very strong ."
"So powerful that when he was around, I hid in the gutter like a rat."
"But you just inherit."
“It’s not really owned.”
"You will never understand the difference between heaven and earth."
The 'bartender' said as he snapped his fingers.
Bang!
With a crisp sound, the warm afternoon sunshine disappeared.
Night fell unnoticed.
The moon is full and bright.
Stars, all over the sky.
The people around him exclaimed in surprise, and they were all at a loss for what to do with this incredible change, but Goethe had a strange look on his face.
For the success of this operation.
Of course, good luck!
He and Skiffins Steinbeck both chose to burn money.
Of course he had no money.
But the Steinbeck family never lacked money.
Therefore, Goethe, who seemed ordinary, now had 999+ layers of luck.
For what luck brings.
Goethe had always been looking forward to it.
However, he never thought it would be a full moon.
"Goethe, you know nothing about power!"
"In the world of ordinary people, a soldier with a rifle is unmatched."
"In the hidden world, once you touch the extraordinary, you are unmatched."
“And in the extraordinary world?”
“Legends are truly awe-inspiring!”
"But you know what?"
"Legends, to some extent, have the qualifications to stand in this world - it is the true beginning, and the power I show you is 'above legends', it is 'the road'!"
“It’s real power!”
Seeing Goethe's strange expression, the 'bartender' thought that Goethe was surprised.
Immediately, the 'bartender' began to explain.
After saying this, the other party looked at Goethe sincerely.
"How about it?"
"I can be your teacher and teach you this power!"
"As long as you choose to cooperate with me!"
The words were sharp.
Very sincere.
In order to make Goethe feel it more vividly, the other party's momentum changed and everyone around them fainted. However, Goethe did not feel sincerity, but felt greater malice.
There is no teacher to teach the 'way'.
This was the enlightenment he gained after mastering the 'path'.
This kind of enlightenment will not deceive people.
The 'bartender' is a liar.
Goethe did not stand up, but stood up, took off his coat, and put his wallet and other important items aside.
His hair began to grow thicker.
His nails began to grow longer.
Werewolf!
Or to be more precise, it is: [Celtic Blood Sacrifice. Wolf's Disaster]!
One of Goethe's strongest cards is during a full moon.
And at this moment, it happens to be...
Full moon!