My Magical Card Tavern

"I remember when I entered the dungeon at noon, the sun was shining brightly outside."

"What are you thinking? If we see bright sunshine in this underground city, we'll have to run away."

"Look ahead, watch out for these plants blocking the way."

The main themes of this dense forest are gloom and dampness. Occasionally, strange plants block the way along the rugged path, welcoming outsiders in their own way.

"It's just a common dungeon plant, it's not poisonous and it's not worth much, don't worry."

The young warrior at the head of the group easily cleaved through the plants blocking his path with his longsword, and even had time to turn around and chat.

"Do you know what I want most right now? A glass of undiluted beer, a chair that doesn't wobble, and if I could have some hot food, that would be even better."

Behind the young warrior was a boy holding a short staff and wearing glasses, and behind the boy was a man with a large beard wearing armor and carrying a shield and a short-handled hammer.

Before the bearded man could even utter a curse, the mage immediately grabbed the warrior's shoulder, and a faint white light shone from his staff, coating the team with a thin film.

One-star magic, Shield Spell.

The warrior maintained his smile without turning around, but the muscles on his right arm, which gripped the longsword, were clearly visible.

"What is it?"

The monk adjusted his glasses.

"Although there's no bright sunshine, there are lights, isn't that a pleasant surprise?"

The soldier turned around in alarm and, sure enough, discovered a faint but resolute light in the depths of darkness.

This was not the stability that a flickering campfire could provide, but this very stability made the soldiers uneasy.

The Dark Forest dungeon is perpetually dark, and even spellcasters must use their magic cautiously to avoid attracting the special creatures within the forest with their light.

The bearded man looked serious.

"This has never happened in the Dark Forest before. I thought those little skeletons covered in moss and mushrooms were the only unexpected fright I had.

It could be a local skeleton, or it could be a fellow skeleton who wants to recommend him to live permanently in the dungeon.

The bespectacled man said in a low voice.

"This is a legend."

"There are safe zones in the dungeon that require a price to be paid, where adventurers like us can rest."

"These safe zones vary in type; some require currency, while others require resources produced within the dungeon."

"And among these, there is one very special safe zone, the kind that appears randomly and is written into textbooks."

"Tavern".

The bearded man frowned. "I think I've heard of it too, but isn't that just a legend? Why is it written into textbooks?"

The bespectacled man didn't speak, but the swordsman at the front spoke.

"I've also heard that adventurers often boast about entering taverns, but when you ask them what's inside, no two answers are the same. They're probably all lying."

"Some say it's full of fine wine and barbecue, while others say it's full of precious weapons and magical items."

"Steel Brush, trust him. Our employer is a top student at the magic academy and a prospective apprentice at a mage tower."

The bespectacled man scratched his head sheepishly.

"Well, actually I'm still in the assessment stage, so Master Maloren might not be able to..."

"Forget it, let's go back the way we came."

The man with the large beard, nicknamed "Steel Brush," was stunned.

"Wasn't it supposed to be a safe zone?"

The swordsman rolled his eyes.

"Who knows if it's a real tavern? What if it's a giant skeleton in the forest that found a magic light bulb on someone's corpse? You're not as cautious as your employer."

But just then, a rustling sound came from the side of the three. One by one, small, skeletal hands parted the bushes, and scattered soul fire flickered in the empty eye sockets of the little skeletons.

Steel Brush raised its shield and smashed the leaping skeleton to pieces. A rib covered in moss and dirt fell at Steel Brush's feet, still trembling.

The swordsman exclaimed in horror, "How can there be so many? I didn't sense any of them!"

The bespectacled man's expression changed, and he cast a shield spell on the two adventurers he had hired once more.

"This is an isolated incident in the Dark Forest. Usually, it happens when a small skeleton manages to kill multiple enemies, absorbs enough nutrients from the adventurer's body, and completes its evolution. Dominating its own kind is a basic ability after evolution!"

"Run forward!"

Whether it's a tavern or not, we have to run in that direction now!

The three immediately changed formation. Steel Brush charged forward like a chariot, shield raised, smashing through the obstacles. The bespectacled man remained in the middle, while the swordsman wielded his longsword to block the small skeletons charging from behind.

The light was getting closer, but the steel brush remained charging forward, leaving the responsibility of observation to the employer.

This employer is knowledgeable and capable; no wonder he is taken seriously by the master of the mage tower.

The bespectacled man craned his neck to look ahead and shouted happily.

"It's a tavern, definitely a tavern, you can see it just by looking through that wooden door!"

"Go in, once you're in, you'll be in the safe zone!"

The swordsman panicked: "Hurry, I see a huge one behind us, a giant skeleton the size of Steel Brush!"

Upon hearing the employer's assessment, the steel brush finally made its decision.

Shield block the charge!

The iron-gray energy seemed to coat the steel brush with a layer of metal, and the small skeletons that were originally just scattered pieces were directly smashed into pieces by the combat skill, and the speed of clearing the way ahead also increased.

The warm light carried a hint of wood and a wonderful aroma of beer; it was definitely not the kind of diluted, adulterated beer.

Seeing the steel brush pull open the wooden door, the bespectacled man, who had relaxed, turned around to look.

The giant skeleton, its bones paler than the cold hues of the Dark Forest itself, had clear and steady soul flames in its eye sockets, demonstrating its formidable strength.

In a dungeon encounter, this giant skeleton was beyond the capabilities of an ungraduated mage apprentice.

As soon as the wooden door opened, a bell above the door frame, indicating that a guest had arrived, immediately rang.

Because the steel brush opened the door so quickly, the bell rang even more sharply, waking the young man who was leaning on the counter.

"Have we had guests?"

The young man scratched his head and peered into the doorway.

"Oh, a giant skeleton. Judging by its appearance, it seems to be at the level of a two-star skeleton warrior."

The man shook his head and clapped his hands vigorously; the steel brush, clad in armor, immediately felt a bit hot.

"Alright, friends, let's warm ourselves up by the fireplace!"

"Welcome to my tavern!"

"Find a seat by the fireplace, anywhere you like."

The bespectacled man breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the warm fire burning in the wooden tavern hall and could no longer hear the large skeleton's footsteps coming from the wooden door behind him.

"Thank you so much for washing away the dampness from the dense forest for us."

"The legendary tavern owner, it's a pleasure to meet you."

The young man smiled in response and said...

"I'm not some legendary figure, just an ordinary tavern owner."

"My name is Gene Ollie."

"Would you like a beer? Of course, I also offer juice to minors."