Re: Evolution Online-Chapter 1230 When in Rome...

"Sis, what are you thinking?" Mei Mei approached Alex with a sad, pouty face. She still couldn't believe that her brother ditched her and went on a space adventure. Perhaps she was being spoilt but she missed her brother. A lot. Would there be a day when all of this constant struggle would end and she would be able to spend some actual time with her family?

Alex hummed absent-mindedly but she then quickly cheered up after seeing the forlorn expression on the little girl's face.

"I am thinking what that idiot is doing now?" Alex slapped her forehead.

"He He. Is my brother's new pet name idiot?" Mei Mei giggled.

"What? No. I am talking about my brother, the idiot. I don't like the fact that he has clung onto Liam and ran away to another world. I hope he acts with sense." Alex sighed.

"Ha Ha Ha. I am sure, Rey will be fine. He only went because Shin Soo's hand is not healed yet."

Alex did not say anything. The dryad had healed Shin Soo's hand, actually regrowing his limb from the stump. It was understandable that Shin Soo needed some time to familiarize himself with his new hand and train a little to make sure that everything ran smoothly.

But she still did not like the fact that her brother ran away. He was her only remaining family so she couldn't help but be nervous.

She also did not like that Liam was away from her once again. Overall, she was having a bad day and it sucked.

"Do you want to head to a dungeon, Mei Mei?" She suddenly turned around to ask. A bad day was a perfect time to pummel some beasts.

Mei Mei understood her sentiments very well and the little girl grinned in response.

***

Meanwhile…

Liam sighed at the disappearing figure of the elf. He still couldn't decide if this elf was a dependable character or not. He watched him turn a couple of times and shuffle onto some street and shook his head helplessly. He then let it go. After all, the elf had come in clutch and delivered a teleportation token to another world when he needed it, that too a world that was quite interesting. Liam looked around and observed calmly. This place was entirely different from the elven world Tirnanog that was full of wilderness. The streets bustled with activity and all sorts of beings wandered around mixing with each other without any bias. The liquor probably helped as it was clear that most of the population was intoxicated, at least in the city they were currently in.

"Let's be careful." Liam again reminded the group as they slowly started walking around. Sure, a guide would have been helpful but no one seemed to care that they had just now teleported in and no one paid any attention to them. This was convenient as they could move around freely.

"Bro, we should head to a tavern or something. We can get some information first." Rey suggested.

Liam nodded. They walked around somemore and soon noticed a big glaring problem. There was something else about this world that had failed to consider. Money.

This world, apparently, only welcomed the rich. Every single place was expensive as hell costing millions of mana cores, some even dealing only with high-grade mana cores.

Considering the beauty of the women who paraded around and the general atmosphere of the place, this didn't come as a shock, but it was still hard to circumvent.

The group loitered around for a while and finally found a crowded place that seemed like a suitable tavern. It was a grand establishment with a façade adorned with intricate carvings and glowing lanterns that cast a warm, inviting light. The sound of laughter and music spilled out from its open doors, along with the rich aroma of food and drink.

This was the only one that looked even remotely affordable. Fortunately, it was also crowded and lively which should make it somewhat easier to get information.

"Boss Liam, leave this to me." Rey immediately took the initiative to navigate the tavern. He disappeared in the crowd, before returning in a few minutes.

"Wait time is about an hour for a table but I got us some free drinks on the house." The guy whistled as he juggled four big mugs full of ale.

Hmmm? Liam raised a brow to which Rey gave a sheepish smile. "I used my charm bro. I didn't create any trouble, I swear."

As the evening time rolled in, the tavern became even livelier with performers giving a spectacular dance show. Later on, surprisingly, the nymphs who had danced were auctioned off to the highest bidders for the night.

This reminded Liam and the rest exactly what kind of a place this was. Under all the finer things, there was a dark undertone. Was everything happening here consensual?

Not just Liam, everyone else felt uncomfortable too as they weren't used to these things but they were in no position to act in a place like this.

Several powerful auras popped up now and then. Clearly, all sorts of beings wandered here in the city.

As per Eldrin's guidelines, no one had used [Inspect] or any other scanning skills on anyone around them. This was considered rude and often resulted in disputes. So the elf had warned them plenty of times to not get curious.

A couple of hours later, the group finally managed to snag a table.

A sultry dryad approached them, offering them some drinks and a menu. She seemed extra attentive to Rey, solving the question of how he managed to snag them free drinks.

"Just give them compliments." Rey proudly instructed his clueless companions. Liam and Lan Deming did not react to his antics and remained stone-faced but the jiggly hunter grinned.

"Heh." Madan laughed. "Bro, watch and learn." He then swiftly left the table and disappeared into the crowd.

"Hey, wait for me." Rey quickly followed him.

Watching the two run away, Liam felt a headache coming. Were these two going to behave?