I've Become the King of Villains in the Game

Chen Lun casually took out two Silver Ducats and handed them to the waiter.

"Ah, of course there's no problem! Please follow me, sir!"

For such a small town, two Silver Ducats was no small amount. The waiter was delighted and his attitude became even more enthusiastic.

He had now completely ignored the presence of the cow and led the way respectfully at the front.

Soon, he led Chen Lun, Noah, and Anton to a corner on the east side of the ground floor lobby.

"This spot is enough for two... three people to sit down. Hmm, here's the menu, may I take your order?"

The waiter pulled out a menu and handed it to Chen Lun.

Chen Lun glanced casually at the menu, which listed some seasonal foods and this restaurant's signature dishes. All were reasonably priced, even the most expensive "Baked Steak with White Truffle and Foie Gras Sauce" was only four Silver Ducats and thirty Copper Kros.

He ordered a signature steak for himself, along with some pasta and tea, then handed the menu to Noah. While Noah was ordering, Chen Lun turned to look at the other diners in the hall.

At a nearby table, five young people caught his attention.

Three men and two women, all carrying massive travel backpacks, looking like students out for fun.

"Hey, Gray, we'll head out after we eat. I hope today brings some treasures."

A young man with short brown hair stuffed a mouthful of noodles and mumbled to the girl sitting opposite him.

"Just go in like this? Oslo, I must say this is a bad idea… We don't even know what's inside, and it's too dangerous, not to mention…"

The red-haired girl, Gray, lowered her voice, but Chen Lun, with his extraordinary hearing, distinctly heard her say:

"The treasure map pinpoints a location deep inside Kellettville Forest, how could we possibly reach there today…"

"No worries, we can just find a travel agency here. Having a guide with us will make things much smoother and help us steer clear of trouble."

Another short-haired girl with glasses spoke up at this point.

She ate her vegetable salad gracefully and adjusted her glasses.

"Isn't Kellettville Forest an Empire's restricted area? Are there travel agencies daring enough to take people in?"

A tall, dark-skinned boy with an explosion of curly hair asked with a deep voice.

The girl with glasses glanced at him oddly before explaining:

"Why wouldn't anyone do a business that pays? Though the Empire strictly forbids ordinary people from entering Kellettville Forest unauthorised, it can't cover such a vast area... I inquired before coming here; in Olivares Town, there are indeed agencies that arrange guides, it's not something unusual..."

The last boy, who was quite short, pulled out a notebook and added to his companions:

"Messia is right. Apart from tourists seeking thrills in the forest, there are also quite a few local hunters who go in daily to hunt... Kellettville Forest sustains these hunters, and there are also a few outsiders who go in to poach rare animals, taking their teeth and fur to sell for high prices in Royal City and other big cities."

"Looks like you guys did your homework; I'm relieved to hear that,"

The first speaker, Oslo, chuckled, which elicited eye rolls from the other four.

Chen Lun quietly eavesdropped on the five young people's conversation and generally figured out their identities.

This group of college students from Morning Glory College in a neighboring city decided to venture into Kellettville Forest in search of treasures during their vacation... They had accidentally come across the treasure map on a picnic.

Apart from Gray, Oslo, and Messia, the dark-skinned tall boy was named Stiller, and the short boy was called Anel.

The five of them came together, planning to seek help from a reputable local travel agency after their meal.

Chen Lun noted the name of the travel agency, planning to check it out later.

At that moment, the waiter had come over with the dishes. Chen Lun asked Noah to start eating and then shifted his attention back to the other diners in the hall.

Most of the clientele were locals, who, while dining, chatted about some of the recent strange happenings in the town... There were talks of the renewed appearances of cannibal tribes in the forest, numerous neighbors going missing after venturing into the forest, or tales of a hunter bringing back unusual edible plants from the forest, only for his entire family to end up in the hospital, not surviving more than a couple of days.

Chen Lun felt that these locals, despite living here for decades or centuries, still harbored a strong sense of unfamiliarity with Kellettville Forest... Perhaps due to its vastness, rendering these ordinary folk incapable of exploring it entirely in their lifetimes.

After finishing their meal.

Chen Lun led Noah and Anton as they left the restaurant; the five young students had already departed.

"Mr. Jack, what do we do next?"

Noah asked.

"While we were dining earlier, the conversation from the table next to us gave me some inspiration. Perhaps we can use the travel agency's help to familiarize ourselves with the environment of Kellettville Forest… After all, it's not easy to cross the forest to reach the Augusta Mountains, and I also don't know the exact location of the Meteor Tower,"

Chen Lun pondered before speaking.

Noah nodded in understanding.

"Let's go, that 'Seagull Travel Agency' should be just around the corner at the end of the next street."

Chen Lun chuckled lightly, leading the way with one man and one cow.