Chapter 40

Dafei steeled his heart and decided to give it away! If he couldn't even deal with an NPC woman in the game, what was the point of playing?

Dafei took out the extra telescope, "I'll give it to you!"

Although it was only a C-grade item, it was still a strategic treasure. It could be sold for a thousand gold coins or so. Giving away treasures was a final move that players had discovered during the beta test. For example, when encountering enemy faction heroes in the tavern, if nothing could sway them, treasures were the key to opening the door. Of course, it was just a key.

Sure enough, the woman's eyelids twitched. Was she moved?

She took the telescope and played with it repeatedly, as if it was the first time she had seen such a thing, or like a child engrossed in a new toy. Dafei was also nervous, thinking, "Bro, I can only give you this. Don't kick it away like a coconut."

Finally, a satisfied smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, "The craftsmanship is quite good."

Dafei let out a long sigh of relief. "Of course! This is from the captain's cabin. The things the captain uses are of a different level compared to what you poor pirates use."

Dafei said with a smile, "Only such a high-quality item matches your beauty."

The female pirate's eyes turned cold, "Kid, do you know your current situation?"

Dafei's eyebrows twitched, "Oh! Finally, we're talking business. Great, now the whole island is full of red-named people, and no one wants to pay attention to me. If I can find a breakthrough, I can survive."

Dafei sighed, "I feel very lonely."

The female pirate snorted, "Of course, this place doesn't trust outsiders. You should know what to do."

Dafei's heart sank. Did she mean he had to become a pirate to hire her? Damn, wouldn't that make the telescope a waste? He would lose a lot! There was no other way now; he had to give up.

Of course, he meant giving up on her! He would never let an NPC woman affect his future. Men can always find new women, but without a career, they are truly finished. He was that pragmatic.

Dafei sighed, "I won't become a pirate. It's too small-scale and has no future."

The female pirate smiled coldly, "Then you'll stay here forever. Without becoming a pirate, you can't get on the ship or leave the island. You'll be stuck here." She then ignored Dafei and continued drinking by herself.

For a moment, Dafei was speechless. If he died, he would respawn on the island. Was he really trapped here? Should he hate the Blood Sea Storm? If not for him, Dafei would have been robbed by the pirates and lost his ship. At least now the ship was still there, and he had a glimmer of hope.

But where was the hope?

The melodious violin music echoed in the tavern, and a few hired heroes were dozing off in their seats. Dafei suddenly realized that the tavern's business was extremely slow. Apart from the heroes waiting to be hired, there were no gamblers or drunkards. It was practically out of business.

This tavern was not ordinary. Neither was this female hero. If he couldn't even pass the test of buying her a drink, she wouldn't have talked to him so much. Other heroes would have simply said, "Go away." Moreover, her seat was different; she was sitting at the bar, not at a table like the other heroes. Dafei's eyebrows twitched as he realized this.

She had depth! This literary female pirate definitely had depth. The door wasn't closed yet.

Dafei tried to continue the conversation, "Miss, I have nothing to do on this island. I want to find a temporary job. Can you put in a good word for me...?" After all, he had given her a C-grade treasure, which should increase his favorability a bit.

Sure enough, the female pirate chuckled, "Sure, you can wash dishes and serve here. Two gold coins a day."

— System Notice: You have become a waiter at the Blood Moon Tavern, earning 2 gold coins a day.

Dafei was startled! Was this female pirate the owner? Damn! He had found a lifeline! He begged, "Thank you very much."

The female pirate shook her head and sneered, "Dishwasher Captain... hah..." She then tossed her long hair and left the tavern, disappearing.

Dafei was shocked again! The hero left the tavern? If it was a regular hero, it meant her time was up, and the system would refresh her. But was she a regular hero? Of course not, she must be an epic hero!

Dafei was stunned! If she was an epic hero—damn! Don't worry about me! I won't become a pirate!

As the female pirate left, the violin music stopped. The musician put down the violin and picked up the accordion, the most popular instrument among pirates. Then, a few scantily clad dancers entered through the back door and began preparing on the dance floor.

No way? The tavern turned into a regular one? Was the literary atmosphere just for her?

Dafei came to his senses and asked the bartender, "Boss, what's the name of that lady?"

The fat bartender with a scarred face glared, "You don't deserve to know! Don't think that because Kateryna let you off, you're one of us. The tavern is about to open, so get to work. If you slack off, I'll throw you to the crocodiles on Crocodile Island!"

Kateryna! That name... Damn, there was really a Spanish pirate queen named Red-Haired Kateryna in history? Could it be her? If her background in the game was set as a queen, she might be a legendary hero!

A legendary hero was out of the question for players. Good, it cut off his evil thoughts. He was determined not to become a pirate.

Am I a dragon in a pond? I'll become a dragon when the storm comes! The pirate pond is not a place for me. When the storm hits and you all hide, I'll sneak onto the ship. According to the game's resurrection rules, as long as I leave your Savage Sea, even if my ship sinks in the storm, I'll respawn in the Light Alliance. I won't believe I can't escape!

At that moment, a few pirates entered the tavern, laughing, "Boss, five bottles of rum! A large portion of grilled fish!"

The bartender immediately told Dafei, "Serve the drinks."

Dafei replied, "Understood."

Then, more pirates entered, and the tavern became noisy and boisterous. The literary atmosphere was completely gone. The tavern had delayed business for her, showing her high status. Even if he couldn't take her away, maintaining a good relationship was necessary. At least when he traded with the Savage Pirates, they might let him off for her sake.

In short, now he had a salary. He had to make up for the drink he owed her. Before escaping, he would try to max out his favorability.

In the game, a daily salary of 2 gold coins was not low in the world of regular NPCs. 1 gold coin = 10 silver coins = 100 copper coins. Buying bread, cooking a small dish, and drinking a little was enough to survive. However, if he wanted to buy weapons or recruit troops, it would be tight. As for repairing the ship, it was definitely out of the question.

The recruitment price for a 1st-level skeleton soldier, known as cannon fodder, was 16 gold coins. The price for a 1st-level spearman, known as the elite, was 50 gold coins. These 5 HP and 10 HP units would die in droves from a single fireball or a rain of arrows. It was not a game for a working-class player. As for repairing the ship, it was definitely out of the question.

Now the tavern was full of customers, and the dishes were almost ordered. Dafei had a bit of free time.

As an expert, Dafei wouldn't just sit around. He had a rare opportunity to gather information from the pirates.

Dafei took the chance to ask a table of pirates while serving them, "Does anyone know the Pirate King's ultimate skill, the Mysterious Stealth?"

Instantly, the room fell silent, and all the pirates stared at Dafei.

Dafei's heart tightened. Did he ask something he shouldn't?

Suddenly, the pirates burst into laughter, as if they had heard the funniest joke.

— "Even a kid like you knows the Pirate King's Mysterious Stealth, which shook the seven seas. How could we not know?"

Oh! So famous? Dafei couldn't help but be delighted, "Then how can I learn this skill?"

Pfft! The pirates ignored him and continued drinking and eating.

No way? No follow-up? Of course, the Pirate King's ultimate skill couldn't be known by just anyone. And in his current state, even if they knew, they wouldn't tell him. What to do? The only people he could interact with as a waiter were these pirates. Should he wait for Kateryna to come and ask her? Yes, he must. However, the more information he gathered, the better. He had another trick.

Dafei chuckled, "However, as far as I know, the Pirate King's ultimate skill isn't that great. It was easily broken by the navigator Renoir."

Instantly, all the pirates looked at him again. Haha! Not calm, right? But it made sense. Renoir died on his return journey, and the only record of this was in the navigator's diary. Probably only Makar knew about it. How should he answer?

At that moment, the fat bartender shouted, "This is a tavern! Eat! Drink!" He then pointed at Dafei, "You! Go to the kitchen and help!"

Instantly, the pirates resumed eating, drinking, and playing games as if nothing had happened.

Looking at their mysterious expressions, Dafei was even more puzzled. Did it mean that others only needed to know the power of the Pirate King's ultimate skill but were not allowed to ask how to learn it or how to break it?

In short, his first day as a waiter in the game was frustrating.

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