Inside the tavern, a group of five adventurers sat together, eating while discussing their next course of action.
Primarily, they were engaged in exchanging information.
Looking at the simple map they had obtained from the villagers, the group frowned. After a long while of analyzing the map, one of them finally raised their head and spoke.
"Does anyone have detailed information about the first act of the Dragon King Warriors' world?"
At this, the others exchanged glances and collectively shook their heads.
"Detailed information is extremely expensive. Only team guilds have the resources to collect it on a large scale. As scattered players, how could we afford it?"
"While I don't have anything detailed, I do have some basic info. I heard the first act's boss, the Orc Chieftain, isn't easy to deal with. He wields two chained meteor hammers and has a power level even higher than most second-act bosses. He also commands a substantial force, so brute force is a sure path to death."
"So, it's the same as usual, huh? Either we leverage the villagers to start a revolt, or we team up with the protagonist. Villagers are easy to find, but where's the protagonist of this world?"
Using leverage was a common tactic for adventurers.
Under normal circumstances, adventurers were far weaker than the story characters. Without additional help, there was no chance of completing their mission alone.
Thus, intelligence on not only enemies but also the protagonists of the story world was crucial.
In the world of Dragon King Warriors, there were five protagonists with completely distinct roles: a Warrior, a Dwarf, a Priest, a Mage, and an Elven Ranger.
If they could locate any one of them and convince them to join forces against the Orc Chieftain, their odds of success would significantly increase.
The problem was—they had no idea where any of the protagonists were.
As the group was stressing over this, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the village. Hearing the noise, they all turned toward the source.
The door to the tavern was thrown open with a bang. Two figures—one tall, one short—strode in.
Sitting among the adventurers, Qin Ming adjusted his sunglasses with a light push, his eyes narrowing.
Speak of the devil—here came the protagonists!
Skill: Heaven's Fire (Grade B)
Background: Priest Aludo dreams of building his own grand cathedral. To achieve this, he willingly challenges a dragon.
Skill: Nature's Wind (Grade B)
Background: Elf Labelle, a child of nature, dedicates himself to giving back to the environment, such as funding tree-planting campaigns.
Two of the five protagonists, the Priest and the Elven Ranger, had appeared!
Thanks to his sunglasses' scanning ability, Qin Ming quickly identified them. Although the other four adventurers lacked reconnaissance tools, they too recognized the newcomers immediately—not because of self-introductions but because the two were so visually distinctive.
The so-called Priest was a towering giant, over two meters tall, clad in standard-issue plate armor. He carried a short-handled flanged mace in his left hand and a one-meter-tall kite shield in his right. His face, though not quite ferocious, could easily be described as brutish.
As he stood in the doorway, his menacing glare swept across the tavern.
Next to him was the Elven Ranger, Labelle.
If you imagined an elf to be slender and ethereal, think again!
Standing at 1.8 meters tall, Labelle was clad in green leather armor that accentuated his muscular build. His arm muscles bulged with definition, and his chest and abs were equally prominent. His giant bow, nearly a meter tall, added to the imposing image.
If Qin Ming hadn't scanned their stats, he would never have believed these two were a Priest and a Ranger.
Blocking the doorway, the pair of "macho men" immediately made the adventurers realize these two were protagonists.
The adventurers began to approach with smiles, eager to strike up a conversation.
However, before they could rise from their seats, the duo approached with large strides.
The brutish Priest slammed his heavy mace onto the table with a thud, causing it to groan under the weight.
Without missing a beat, the Ranger drew a dagger, spun it theatrically, and stabbed it into the tabletop.
Leaning in, their intimidating faces loomed close to the adventurers.
"So," Aludo growled, his deep voice reverberating. "We heard you stole our job?"
"Uh, my ass!" the Priest roared. "We've already taken the mission to hunt the Orc Chieftain! If you don't want to die, scram! Otherwise, we'll take you out along with him!"
As a Priest, Aludo was clearly skilled in the art of physical persuasion.
Meanwhile, his companion Labelle, though less aggressive, maintained a cold demeanor.
"This isn't the place for you to earn money. Find another village. Otherwise, you might earn your coin but lose your life."
The adventurers were stunned. The duo's appearance, attitude, and behavior were so absurdly out of place that they couldn't even process it.
Finally, the heavily armored tank of the group tried to mediate with an awkward smile.
"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding! We're not here for money. We came to defeat the dragon and save the villagers! We..."
"Bullshit! 'Save the villagers'?" Aludo sneered as he grabbed the tank by the collar and lifted him off the ground.