My inventory is full of monster materials.

Daphne Hotel.

As soon as Mark came downstairs, he saw Aphrodite, wearing a linen apron, carrying a plate of fragrant red wine-baked steak past him.

Good morning, Mark!

The little girl greeted Mark with great enthusiasm.

Good morning, Aphrodite.

Mark nodded in response and then saw Aphrodite, carrying the steaming hot steak, take small, quick steps to the table near the window. Sitting at the table were two men and a woman, who were none other than Mark's three teammates.

The aroma of the food whetted Mark's appetite.

So what should we eat today?

As Mark pondered this, he went to the bar, where the owner, Paul, was still leisurely wiping the seemingly endless glassware.

"Old Luo, give me a grouse and pumpkin soup and a white bread, put it on my tab."

However, Paul remained unmoved, turning the glass in his hand without raising his head and wiping it with a "squeak, squeak" sound.

"Your outstanding balance is insufficient."

"What?!"

Mark stiffened his neck and raised his voice several decibels.

"I just renewed my account with a whole gold coin a few days ago! A whole gold coin!"

But Paul didn't explain; he just spoke in a very casual tone.

"The rent renewal is in two days. If you can't come up with double the rent, I'll throw you and all those bottles and jars in your room out onto the street."

"!Well..."

Mark's momentum instantly deflated and waned.

Sleeping on the streets is fine, but if the neighbors find out that I have these "special fetishes", how will I ever be able to get along in the guild again?

Damn it! Which bastard is squandering my money?

and many more! !

The steak I just ate...could it be...?

Thinking of this, Mark's face turned ashen. Resigned, he pulled a gold coin from his pocket and slapped it onto the smooth wooden table with a "thud".

"Here you go! My generous landlord!"

After saying that, Mark took a few steps but still felt unsatisfied, so he suddenly turned back, took out another gold coin, and slammed it heavily on the bar as if venting his anger.

"Double the amount of white bread!"

Mark finally felt a little relieved and walked confidently toward his teammates' table.

At that moment, Brady was thoroughly enjoying a steak sizzling with myoglobin and oozing with the aroma of wine.

Beside her was Emily, who was praying with her eyes closed and hands clasped together—in front of her was also a cream of mushroom soup and a piece of sugared white bread.

Sitting opposite them was Henry, whose left shoulder had just recovered. The big man was tearing apart a crispy roast chicken covered in jam with his hands, while a large glass of frothy, chilled ale sat next to him.

These guys always eat better than me!

Upon witnessing this scene, Mark's initial sense of relief vanished, replaced by a throbbing vein on his forehead.

"Ahem!"

Mark deliberately coughed loudly a few times.

Henry and his two companions turned around in surprise and greeted Mark warmly when they saw him.

"Mark! I was just about to go up and call you."

Good morning, Mr. Mark.

"Brother Mark, come and try this steak, it's delicious!"

Mark was almost laughing in exasperation, but he asked with a forced smile.

"That must be expensive!"

Upon hearing this strange tone, Henry and Emily both realized what was happening and felt a pang of shame.

And Brady—

He was just a bit of a rascal, not an idiot, so he awkwardly adjusted the barbed insect-shell-like arm armor on his left shoulder and explained.

"Last time we killed several giant tarantulas, so I took a few decent pieces of their shells to 'Old Blacksmith's Shop' to have this arm armor forged. It cost me a whole 3 gold coins..."

Brady poured out his grievances, recounting all his difficulties.

Mark then turned his gaze to the pure and innocent Emily.

The young pastor looked flustered and stammered as he spoke.

"I... I just used my connections to buy a holy book from the Dawn Parish in Sergei City..."

"Alright, alright, do I look like such a petty person?"

"And you, stop talking. After you finish eating, tell us why you were in such a hurry to call us together today?"

Mark interrupted Emily's next words and shut down Henry's long-awaited remarks, a series of moves executed smoothly and naturally, clearly a habit he was used to.

The honest-looking, burly man smiled sheepishly, whether as self-punishment or reward, he took a big gulp of malt liquor.

At the same time, Mark's breakfast arrived...

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the waitresses cleared the table, and the four of them sat around it.

"The important thing today is two letters."

As Henry spoke, he took out a well-preserved white letter from the seam of his breastplate. The red sealing wax on the letter revealed a crest of a soaring eagle.

Mark's eyes sharpened, and he immediately asked.

"Felix!"

Seeing this, Henry smiled and nodded, then placed the precious letter in the center of the table.

"I finally got a reply to the letter I sent out last month."

Upon hearing this, Emily and Brady both showed joy on their faces.

Emily goes without saying, while Brady always missed his sister Talia, who was far away.

Then, under everyone's gaze, Henry used his fingers to pry open the sealing wax.

Bang!

With a soft pop, the letter bounced off Henry's hand.

The sudden commotion startled the four of them, attracting the attention of not only nearby customers but also Paul at the bar.

Then, a magical thing happened.

The letter in the air folded and deformed on its own, forming a lifelike paper mouth.

The paper mouth opened and closed, emitting a cheerful sound that was very familiar to the "White Eagle" squad.

"Long time no see, Henry. And Emily, Mark, and little Brady!"

"Felix!"

"Mr. Felix!"

"team leader!"

"Brother-in-law!!"

The four of them were filled with surprise.

Henry was particularly excited and subconsciously reached out to grab the floating paper mouth, but it was easily dodged by the other party with a nimble drift.

The paper mouth seemed to have a life of its own, actually "seeing through" Henry's actions and taking the initiative to explain.

"Save your breath, Henry. It's no use even if you catch him. This is a 'phonograph,' a very ingenious magical artifact. Every word you hear now is actually pre-recorded by me."

Upon hearing this, the excitement on Henry's face gradually faded.

This "unreal reunion" amplified Henry's longing and weariness.

If it weren't for Mark's amazing abilities, Henry would really doubt whether he could lead the team and whether he would fail the trust placed in him.

But at this moment, Felix, who was not connected by time or space, seemed to sense the other's emotions and spoke in a gentle and solemn voice through his paper mouth.

"Henry, do you know how happy Talia and I were when we received your letter! My brother, my dearest friend, I am so proud that you are one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life."

"But that's enough with the sentimental talk, because 'phonograph paper' isn't cheap at all."

Upon hearing this, Henry's eyes instantly reddened. He rubbed his sore nose hard, forcing himself not to make a sound, afraid of disturbing this precious voice from afar.

Mark, Emily, and Brady, who were standing nearby, listened intently, holding their breath.

The paper mouths floated gently back and forth in the air, as if Felix himself were strolling and chatting beside them.

"Talia and I successfully arrived in Revavel with the caravan."

"The grandeur of this city far exceeds your imagination; even King Mok is but an infant before it..."

"What I'm most envious of is the 'Dimensional Bag.' It looks like a small money bag, but it can hold the contents of a whole room. Unfortunately, the cheapest one costs a thousand gold coins..."

As Felix's voice began to recount the story.

Mark seemed to see the gray-haired youth in bright white armor again, exploring the unknown new world little by little.

The excitement and joy in his words revealed a side of Felix that was previously unknown to Mark—a man who was a boy until death.

"...Oh, right, I have to remind you. If you see goblins dressed up like proper people... uh, very respectable, don't immediately draw your sword and attack them."

"Because they are likely goblins, a type of creature very similar to goblins but refusing to acknowledge any blood relation between them. Anyway, I can't see any difference."

"And Revavil is a mixed bag of races; you can see evil creatures on the streets, like Tyflins, Drow elves, and even—"

"—Even what! Even succubi, right!"

The paper mouth's voice suddenly rose in pitch, switching to a clear, sharp, and angry soprano.

It was Talia!