Adventurer, did you revive today by watching the ads too?

"Are you sure?" Amyusha asked. "But she looks like just a child. If your deduction is correct, then she should definitely not be in Farlans."

"I don't think so. Isn't there still the underground labyrinth?" Professor Flo said, smoking a cigarette. "Since that guy once mentioned His people, then the existence of this little guy now corroborates His statement... that the Third Continent really exists."

"It's incredible..." Amyusha murmured. "The second continent, Augustus, brought precious energy amethyst, and the new continent means new wealth and energy."

“Yes,” Professor Flo exhaled smoke, “to be honest, after so long, I thought that the person we met was just a collective illusion, that he didn’t even really exist.”

"Let's not be too happy yet," Amyusha put down the recording crystal. "The truth is still unknown until we confirm the little guy's true identity."

"Coincidentally, that's what I was thinking too. Perhaps this little savage who can't even speak is just a coincidence," Professor Flo said. "So let's keep this a secret from the old man for now."

"Why?" Amyotha asked.

"Sigh, Old Deng's style is still too old-fashioned," Professor Flo stubbed out his cigarette. "It's like a repressed middle-aged man going to Round Corner Street for fun, but his face is all over the place saying, 'My wife cheated on me, my son turned into a lesbian, and my daughter calls me Biology Dad, why don't I just die?' He can't come up with anything interesting by being so rigid. Sometimes foreplay is quite important."

Perhaps it's because of the generation gap that's caused by getting older.

Amyotha didn't really understand Professor Flo's rhetoric, nor did he understand why he was so popular among the young students, so he wisely refrained from asking what he meant.

But he probably understood what Flo was thinking.

That is to wait and see.

The silver-haired girl in the recording crystal ball is both important and unimportant... After all, they are no longer adventurers. Even if a third continent truly exists, it is the braver and more resourceful young people who will seize those riches and opportunities.

Old, withered leaves will eventually fall off the branches, and younger buds will grow in their place; this is the natural order.

But after a few seconds, he couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean?"

"They came in with black cards," Professor Flo shrugged.

"Ah, it's the old librarian!" Amyusha exclaimed, then looked puzzled. "But how do they have the World Tree Card?"

"I heard the old manager has a granddaughter who works at the Adventurers' Guild, and she's quite a beautiful and gentle young lady," Flo said with a hint of regret. "If I were twenty years younger, I would definitely have won her over and started my career in the Great Library."

"Stop dreaming. Even if you get younger, you'll still be ugly. No girl would dare to touch you, okay?" Amyusha said disdainfully. "Then why are these three guys in your office? The old manager isn't here."

"They probably don't know about their grandfather's recent situation," Flo said. "These three unlucky guys have encountered the 'Cursed Eye'."

"Have we entered an underground labyrinth?"

"No, no, no, that thing has come up here, in the Misty Mountains."

"Running this far? That's strange." Amyusha raised an eyebrow. "This thing doesn't seem like an extrovert. In today's young people's terms, it's a debt of staying at home... what was it again?"

"A shut-in," Professor Flo added.

"Yes, yes, by the way, what kind of curse was it, and did you give them a solution?" Amyusha asked.

"We've given it to them; now it's up to them whether they're willing to do it."

"What method?" The old man was unusually curious. "Curses can only be avoided, not lifted. Your magical skills shouldn't be that advanced."

Professor Flo smiled mysteriously: "Have you ever heard of a human x centipede?"

Amyusha was taken aback and shook her head.

"Come on, let me explain," Professor Flo said mysteriously, beckoning us. "And while we're at it, we can find some girls to do the same thing when we go to Round Corner Street tonight..."

……

……

"The rain falls in torrents, and the old hometown is overgrown with weeds and trees."

I heard you've always been alone.

Hua Zhen hummed a mournful tune as she walked down the rain-soaked street.

My dreams are shattered, brothers.

The rain ruined my physical exam... no, I mean my adventure dream!

To break the curse, the magic circuit must be severed.

Although it may not seem to have any impact now, if you don't understand the importance of this thing, you can try to think about it from another perspective.

In the world of cultivation, this would be a clear case of shattered spiritual roots!

If there's no way to level up and become stronger, how can I access higher-level dungeons? Fight stronger monsters? Earn more money? Obtain higher-level adventurer badges?

If I can't become a Gold-level adventurer, who's going to make up for it by making me rich as a mine owner?

Oh my god, how could this curse be so wicked?!

"Can you stop humming that awful song? It sounds like someone's died. Sing something cheerful!" Tia said from the side. "Something uplifting! Something positive!"

"Even if you shoved Carla's foot into my mouth right now, my enthusiasm wouldn't improve," Hua Zhen sighed. "If I were truly happy, I would be singing 'Bound by Love' right now, and I could even give you a Ciallo while I sing it~(∠・ω<)⌒★."

Tia remained silent.

Indeed, it's impossible to be happy right now.

Even if you're singing a happy song but you're unhappy inside, it only intensifies that unpleasant feeling.

Tia remembered that it was raining when they set out full of hope.

It's still raining now.

The rain poured down on the three people and the dog, but thanks to their youth, they didn't even have to spend money on an umbrella.

Actually, this shouldn't have been spared.

At least I can wash fewer clothes when I get back.

After all, she might really become a factory worker in the future.

I struggle to earn a fixed salary every month.

After deducting the rent and sending any extra money to my father, I don't know if the remaining money will be enough to live on.

I hope Hua Zhen will still let me live with her then...

At worst, I can wash his underwear myself, say some nice things to him, and earn a few coins.

But after that?

If I keep working without any hope of promotion, I don't know when I'll be able to pay off my father's debts.

Tia's thoughts became increasingly chaotic as she contemplated her life, which seemed destined to end at a glance.

They even started to vaguely want to collapse the true gold coins.

But as soon as this thought popped into her head, an image of the Divine Eagle version of Tia Ge appeared in her mind.

She pointed.

Damn it, how could you be so selfish?!

Tia followed Hua Zhen blankly with her head down, her mind a mess. The rain soaked her beautiful blonde hair, which seeped into her collar, making it wet and cold.

Karula and Shiva didn't understand what had happened, but the mother and daughter weren't stupid.

Hyenas are highly social animals. To some extent, they are masters of reading people and can even tell from the prey's expression and movements whether it is timid and easy to catch.

Although Karula cannot speak, she was raised by Shiva, an experienced female hyena, and has developed similar abilities. If Hua Zhen's expression is more positive, her success rate in getting Da Rou a stick will be much higher.

Karula and Shiva obediently followed at the back, and unusually, the mother and daughter did not search the streets for plump buttocks.

"Let's take a car," Hua Zhen suddenly said.

Caught off guard, Tia collided headfirst with Hua Zhen's back.

"car?"

She looked up and realized that she and Hua Zhen had arrived at a small platform.

"Ah, we really need to take a car back; the rain seems to be getting heavier."

"Go back?" Hua Zhen asked in surprise. "Why go back? We're going to the Adventurers' Guild."

"What?"

"Didn't that ugly Professor Flo, whose eyes are so wide-set that he needs to take a taxi, say that he would give us time to consider? And now we have a total of seven days left, so I think we can still put up a fight," Hua Zhen said.

"You're going to find Anna?" Tia asked, realizing what was happening.

"Yes, and while we're at it, let's collect the reward for saving Akuri," Hua Zhen said. "Haven't you heard that there's always a way out... There are so many adventurers, I refuse to believe there aren't other unlucky souls besides us!"

As they were talking, a tram came running through the rain on the tracks.

……

……

It was evening.

Adventurers' Guild.

The guild was bustling with activity at this time.

However, it wasn't a lobby or office, but a tavern run by the guild.

The guild often holds promotional events, so many adventurers eat there. They can get free craft beer and barbecue feasts when they accumulate a certain number of commission points or when they advance in adventurer rank.

On the contrary, the front desk and service counters in the lobby were very quiet.

When Hua Zhen and the others returned to the counter, they saw Miss Anna again. She was alone at her workstation, with a fried pork cutlet set meal and a cup of hot coffee beside her.

"Uh... Miss Anna, your dark circles are really bad." Tia said seriously.

"Why are you only arriving now?!" Anna was both surprised and delighted to see who it was.

"I was really tired last night, so I slept until the afternoon..." Hua Zhen said. "What's wrong?"

"I found it!" Anna exclaimed excitedly. "There's an adventurer on the register who suffered the same fate as you about ten years ago, but she still survived."

Hua Zhen and Tia Ge exchanged a glance.

So spicy!

As expected, that old man Flo is unreliable; it has to be Miss Anna.

At the same time, the two of them also understood why Miss Anna's dark circles were so severe.

Miss Anna is amazing!

"Can...can you tell us who the other person is?" Tia asked nervously.

"Of course, her name is Fitaia. She's no longer an adventurer. She lives in the Upper City now. Let me write down her address for you." Miss Anna pulled out a piece of paper and quickly wrote it down.

"Thank you so much, Miss Anna!" Hua Zhen glanced at the note quickly and put it away.

"You're welcome, it's my pleasure," Miss Anna smiled. "So, have you made any discoveries over there?"

"Uh... a little, but not much." Hua Zhen said, returning the black gold card. "Thank you for the card!"

"I'm glad I could help." Miss Anna seemed to remember something and said, "By the way, I heard that someone discovered this morning that the cemetery had been extensively vandalized. Maybe it was skeleton soldiers causing trouble. This has quite a big impact."

"Ah... this... this..." Tia was sweating a little.

Are you coming again?

"Miss Anna, we were the ones who did this," Hua Zhen said at this moment.

"what?"

"Ahem, here's what happened..."

Hua Zhen recounted the whole story in a different light, essentially blaming everything on that strange, large, monstrous skeleton.

The remains of that thing are still in the cemetery; the evidence is irrefutable. It's perfect to make it the scapegoat.

As for hiding it, it's definitely impossible to hide it.

A simple investigation would reveal who the culprit was.

That's right, it's Miss Jin Jin.

Am I, Hua Zhen, really without any fault at all?

of course not!

However, Miss Jin Jin is already dead.

With no one left to testify to the dead, the truth of the matter is difficult to determine.

Moreover, after encountering that strange, large monster skeleton, Hua Zhen and Tia Ge didn't dare to linger. After packing up Miss Jin Jin's corpse and the skeletons of her family members, they quickly slipped away.

The less trouble, the better.

If you can shift the blame, then do it.

Instead of doubting yourself, blame others!

"Is that so... I thought you'd gotten into trouble again," Miss Anna breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll report this to the guild properly. Don't worry, there won't be any problems if I answer truthfully. By the way, the reward for the rescue commission last time is here now, but because of that reason... the reward isn't as much as before."

Anna handed over the commission, and after Hua Zhen and Tia Ge signed the commission form, she gave them the payment.

"Thank you, Miss Anna." Hua Zhen put away the payment. "Then we'll be on our way."

Now, it's time to deal with my own troubles.

With the guidance of the senior, the curse on himself, Tia, and Karula should not be a problem.

Just as they were preparing to leave.

"Wait a minute," Miss Anna called out to them.

She took out several coupons from her pocket.

"Here's a coupon for a set meal. You can grab dinner at the guild tavern while you're there. After a long day, a good meal before you go see Miss Fitya won't be a problem. Once you've resolved the curse, you can focus on making big money with your commissions!"

"Thank you..." Even Tia felt a little embarrassed.

"It's alright," Miss Anna smiled. "I usually eat the free staff meals, and I don't really have much use for the vouchers I get. As long as you can eat your fill and stay safe, I'm more happy than anything else."

……

……

"Hey, Hua Zhen... Hua Zhen, why isn't my mother Miss Anna?"

Inside the bustling guild tavern.

Hua Zhen and Tia Ge sat at a table in the corner of the restaurant.

Tia was so moved that she almost cried while eating the barbecue set meal.

When Tia was first assigned to Anna's management list, she found the woman quite annoying.

She's so nagging, it makes me think she'll be a gossipy old woman when she gets old.

But now, Tia Go truly felt the maternal glow emanating from Anna.

Besides your mother, who else would stay up all night searching for a list to ensure your safety?

Who cares if you can get enough to eat or if you're safe when you're making a request?

When Tiague recalled her own mother, Lonnos, who had abandoned her husband and daughter and absconded with the money, she was overcome with sorrow.

Hua Zhen, holding a fork, looked up at the sky and said, "Sigh, it seems we are best friends, Tia Ge. But you're too late in recognizing your mother. Miss Anna has actually been my mother for a long time. She's the kind of lovely mother I wouldn't use to block a bridge."

Suddenly a voice came from the side: "Forget your friends, aren't you going to do anything about this dog and the little girl?"

The speaker was a rough-looking man at the next table, with a full beard.

Although he had a sturdy, bushy beard, his expression didn't seem like that of someone from Chengdu.

This was an adventurer who looked like a true adventurer; his equipment seemed quite valuable, as did his companions sitting at the same table.

Hua Zhen and Tia looked at him.

The other party then pointed to the area under Hua Zhen and the others' table.

Hua Zhen and Tia looked down.

Before anyone knew it, Karula and Shiva had already carried their plates under the table and were eating like two dogs... no, one of them really was a dog, anyway, they were eating very unceremoniously.