Wrong, my props refresh every day

----

Sunlight filtered through the pristine white buildings of Orario, casting tiny specks of light across the cobblestone streets. Xingjian subconsciously pulled her new cloak tighter, feeling the gazes from the street were particularly intense today.

"Look...it's that guy..."

"Is this true? A new member of the Hephaestus family!"

"Is that the kid who broke Sword Princess' record?!"

The chatter drifted around like dandelions in the wind. A fruit seller suddenly thrust a basket of strawberries in his hand. The blacksmith's apprentice blushed and bowed at a 90-degree angle. Even the patrolling Ganesha clan nodded in greeting.

This treatment is simply indescribable.

Xingjian's ears began to feel hot, and he quickened his pace and rushed towards the guild. The bronze door knocker was still shaking slightly. The moment he pushed open the door, the noisy hall suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

"A black-haired boy? There's no mistake! He's a new member of Hephaestus's family!!"

"Oh my god, he's so young! I heard he's already been promoted to an Advanced Adventurer (Level 2 and above are called Advanced Adventurers) and broke the long-standing record of Miss Aisi from the Loki Familia!!"

"When Miss Ais advanced from LV1 to LV2, it seemed like it took her a year. How long did it take this guy? Ten months?"

"What do you mean by ten months? You've added an extra zero. It's only been a month since he registered as an adventurer, and he's already become a senior adventurer. That's the fastest record in the world!!"

"Hey, hey, hey, this...how is this possible? One month is too much, right?"

"That's right."

"It's absolutely true. We witnessed his battle on the twelfth floor. He single-handedly defeated the young dragon of the upper level, the Lonely Lord of the Labyrinth."

"What? How is this possible? The dragonlet is a peak LV2 monster, and its durability has reached LV3. It takes several LV2 adventurers to siege it and defeat it. How did this brat... defeat the dragonlet single-handedly?"

Amidst the constant exclamations, Xingjian gritted his teeth and walked through the crowd.

The magic stone screen on the bulletin board was flashing red:

【State of emergency】

10-15th floor monster activation abnormality

Confirmed new variant.

It is recommended that adventurers below LV2 are prohibited from entering areas above the 10th floor.

As Xingjian's eyes moved downward, a yellowed parchment caught his attention:

[Reward: Glowing Crystal]

20000 faris/gram

Need to keep the crystal intact

Contact: Hermes Familia

"What is God Hermes planning to do now..."

Hoshimi muttered to herself about the God of Travel, and then was suddenly pinned to the spot by the words at the bottom of the bulletin board.

【New LV2 Adventurer】

Name: Xingjian

Affiliation: Hephaestus Familia

Deeds: Single-handedly killed the 12th-level dragon.

Title: "Wanji".

(Supreme and noble Blue God of All Things!)

----

As dusk fell, the magic stone lamps lit up one after another, casting a warm halo on the bluestone road.

The lanterns in front of the "Hostes of Plenty" swayed gently, and the wooden sign creaked in the evening breeze. The moment the oak door was pushed open, the aroma of malt liquor and the sound of cheers hit us in the face.

The craftsmen of Hephaestus's family had already occupied the central table, with metal armor and forging hammers piled haphazardly in the corner.

The sound of wine glasses clinking rang out one after another, and the amber wine looked like flowing gold under the firelight.

"The protagonist has finally arrived!"

The clan leader, Miss Chun, kicked the bench open and stood up with a thud. Her long black hair flew with her movements, and the ice cubes in the glass of liquor she was holding clinked against the wall of the glass.

"Going from LV1 to LV2 in one month? Even that blonde princess' record was crushed by you! Hahahahahahahaha, let's drink! To our rising star!"

Dozens of wooden wine glasses collided in the air, and the splashing wine foam soaked the tablecloth.

As a commercial family famous for its forging, the Hephaestus family has always lacked combat talents. As the only Level 5, the leader Chun often accidentally blows up the training ground when testing new magic swords.

Now, there is a newcomer who has broken the record of [Sword Princess] of [Loki's Family]. These craftsmen who work with the anvil all day long are even more boiling than the molten iron in the furnace.

This time, Xingjian, who was not serving as a waiter but as the host, sat at the main seat. Hephaestus's red eyes flashed with a rainbow of satisfaction, and then his fingertips gently stroked the edge of the wine glass, and the metal and glass triggered a clear sound.

"You are indeed the child I have chosen."

"Big sister, don't take credit for it! I've been taking care of him every day since he joined the clan." Chun laughed and strangled Xingjian's neck. The big brown ball was already touching Xingjian's cheek...

"Hey, Hoshimi..."

Welf squeezed over and hooked his arm around Xingjian's shoulder. The smell of beer mixed with the smell of rust hit his face, and then he said with envy in his eyes:

"I've been an adventurer for three years and still haven't reached the LV2 threshold... I really envy you. I don't know when I'll be able to develop my [Forging] ability."

Hoshimi raised his glass and clinked it with Welf's, their shadows overlapping in the glass.

"Next time I'll take you to the twelfth floor to farm for materials for the Boar Orcs."

With the blessing of [Luck], you are guaranteed to achieve great things quickly.

Welf's pupils instantly lit up like red-hot iron.

"Okay, it's a deal!"

The crisp sound of wine glasses colliding was drowned out by the noise.

"Stinky boy."

Mia's mother's sudden appearance blocked out the light, and the oak wine glass slammed onto the table, with foam overflowing from the rim like an avalanche.

The giantess's shadow completely enveloped Xingjian with her hands on her hips, and her rough thumbs brushed the rim of the cup.

"You're incredible, little brat! You're so talented! I've seen countless adventurers, but you're the first one to reach level 2 in just one month and cause such a stir."

"Just... good luck?" Xingjian shrank his neck.

"fart!"

Miss Tsubaki's slap almost knocked Xingjian into the table, and she said drunkenly:

"You call killing a young dragon solo luck? Strength is strength. Come on, drink! I won't go home until I'm drunk tonight!"

Uncle Engedo, the dwarf adventurer who had previously taken care of Xingjian, suddenly raised his glass and shouted, "Come on, everyone of the clan, toast to our supernova, [Wanji]——!"

"Cheers to [Wanji]!"

The sound waves caused dust to fall from the beams.

Xingjian raised his head and drank amid the cheers. The cold liquid slid down his throat, but it could not extinguish the warmth in his chest.

The hustle and bustle in the tavern continued afterwards. Hephaestus and Tsubaki had already started a drinking contest, Welf and the other blacksmiths cheered them on, while Miss Seele stood quietly by, occasionally handing a glass of water to the guests who drank too quickly.

Xingjian looked at the lively scene, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the edge of the wine glass.

The vibrations of the wooden bar, the clinking of glasses, and the off-key ballad Welf hummed as he hooked his arm around his neck.

Nights like this are perhaps more memorable than the upgrade itself.

After all, the furnace not only refines steel, but also the friendships that shine brighter in the firelight.

“…Congratulations on your upgrade.”

A sound like a clear spring suddenly cut through the noise.

Liu Leon had stood beside Xingjian at some point, his long, moonlight-like light green hair draped over the oak bar. The mead in his hand rippled with golden light under the light, but it wasn't even one-tenth as clear as those lake-blue eyes.

"Ms. Liu, Ms. Liu!"

Xingjian hurriedly stood up, and his elbow accidentally knocked over the salt shaker, and the fine white salt grains spread out like stardust on the bar.

The elf girl shook her head slightly and pushed the cold glass cup in front of him. The liquid in the cup was a strange silver-blue color, and a few mint leaves were slowly spinning on the surface.

"You're the guest today, so you can drink as much as you want, but you still have to take care of yourself. This is Mia's mother's hangover drink. Drink it now so you won't have a headache tomorrow morning."

Xingjian took it gratefully, but frowned at the sourness after the first bite.

"Is this... is this brewed with lemon?"

The corners of Liu's mouth raised an almost invisible arc, and the moonlight shining through the window cast tiny silver rays on her eyelashes.

“The effect is inversely proportional to the taste.”

Ms. Liu reached out to brush away the salt grains on the bar, her fingertips leaving a fleeting shadow on the wood texture.

"Hey! Our Lord Wanji!"

Welf suddenly rushed over from behind, reeking of alcohol, and hugged Xingjian's shoulders, saying enviously:

"You kid actually got that elf lady to personally deliver the medicine! I haven't received such treatment when I came to the tavern before!"

"The duty lies."

Ms. Liu's voice suddenly cooled, but the red tips of her ears betrayed her composure.

"Oh~ Duty~"

The blacksmiths of Hephaestus's family collectively drew out their voices, their eyes flicking back and forth between the two men with ambiguous expressions.

There was a burst of booing all around, and several blacksmiths even began to beat their wine glasses rhythmically, causing the useless elf to hold the tray tightly in his hands, and his pointed ears became even redder.

However, the real disaster has just begun——

When Xier was carrying the dinner tray, the clumsy girl was tripped by the outstretched leg of a drunk, and the silver cutlery was thrown into the air like flowers from the sky.

Liu dodged to catch it, but stepped on the spilled beer...

In an instant, time seemed to be stretched.

Xingjian watched the elf girl fall backward in slow motion, her long light green hair drawing a meteor-like trail under the light, so Xingjian subconsciously opened his arms, but at the moment of contact, he was dragged into the pile of cushions in the corner by inertia.

"Well……"

Liu's breath was close at hand, and the fragrance of herbs mixed with the sweetness of cider surrounded him. The scattered green shoulder-length hair separated the two of them from the outside world like a curtain. Xingjian saw the other's lake blue pupils tremble slightly, reflecting his own dull expression.

The whole pub suddenly fell silent.

"…………Oh?" Hephaestus raised his eyebrows.

"Oh oh!" Miss Chun whistled.

"Oh~~~~" the entire clan said in unison with a long drawl.

Liu jumped up with astonishing agility. Her usually pale cheeks were now more vibrant than Mia's mother's treasured red wine. She frantically straightened her apron, which hadn't been messy at all. Her voice was colder than the wind in the far north:

"I'll get the mop."

In the back kitchen, Anya held her head in her hands in despair, her furry cat ears trembling above the door frame, and she waved a soup spoon towards the ceiling.

"Nyaaaaa! Hoshimi-sama is a guest! What's Ryu doing now? Seele has broken more dishes than her salary this month! Mia-mama! We urgently need some reliable waitresses! Anya, I can't handle it all by myself!!"

"Shut up."

The dwarf proprietress wiped her wine glass without even looking up and said, "I don't want this to happen either. The tavern is so short of people, and I want to get a few more free workers."

The cat girl waitress fell silent instantly, with only the tip of her tail still wagging angrily.

[The Rich Hostess] The tavern is in urgent need of three waiters! !

Do not!

Two will be enough.

Is there any free work?!

At the same time, outside the window of the [Abundant Female Tavern], a brown-haired woman was secretly observing everything in the tavern from a distance...

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Chapter 55 How dare you! Who is trespassing into the "Mistress of Abundance"?