"Mac, what's the point of this auction anyway?"
Adventurers Guild!
When Qing arrived, he happened to catch old Mac sitting down with two large mugs of beer.
Qing joined him, picked up one of the mugs, and drank it clean before recounting the entire incident.
Seeing this, old Mac chuckled and didn't seem to mind.
"Feeling stingy now? Why pretend to be a big spender if you don't have the money? It's pointless!"
"Barry is just like that. He's a businessman, after all, always penny-pinching. Don't take it personally. But, what about the items you bid on? John trusted you to attend the auction."
"What's there to worry about? The auction won't end until the afternoon. I'll get back before it's over. I just couldn't stand it anymore, couldn't take that crap!"
"If you can't take it, why are you drinking my beer? Go buy your own!"
Hearing this, Qing scratched his head with a goofy smile and said, "Well, you see, I don't have any money. If I had money, I wouldn't be mooching off your drinks."
"Figures. Speaking of which, John mentioned that you guys aren't from this world, right?"
Old Mac took a big gulp of beer and, lost in thought, finally spoke after a long silence. "Can you tell me about your world?"
"Tell... I'm not good with words. I don't know how to explain it."
"Just chat casually. What did you do before?"
At this, Qing perked up, grinning. "I've got plenty to say about that. Before the apocalypse, I was a soldier."
"A soldier? Like those patrol guards on the street?"
"Hey, don't compare us to them! They're just loafers. I was a soldier, a sacred profession! Protecting the country, you know?"
"I know, I know. So, you were quite ambitious?"
"Of course! It was my childhood dream!"
Qing laughed heartily, but then his smile faded, replaced by a bitter expression.
"But then, a disaster struck."
"What kind of disaster?"
"A disaster like the end of the world. The ground cracked open, earthquakes and storms raged for seven days straight. As a soldier, I couldn't do anything in the face of it...
I felt unworthy of my uniform."
Qing sighed deeply, downing drink after drink, making old Mac feel a pang of sympathy.
It wasn't so much that old Mac felt sorry for Qing as it was for the beer.
Judging by their attire and weapons, it was clear they belonged to the same organization and came prepared!
After all, the thief class is arguably the best counter to the berserker class.
Their elusive movements were what troubled Qing the most!
"Bringing over forty people, you really went all out."
"Of course! To deal with a player bearing the will of the war god Ares, we have to be on high alert. We won't leave you a single chance to survive! Enough talk, kill him!"
With that, the surrounding figures almost simultaneously vanished from their spots!
Seeing this, Qing's expression changed drastically.
He swung his halberd heavily to the ground, shattering it with a powerful impact.
The residual force rippled out, repelling the approaching thieves.
"War god? I don't know any war god! But judging by your look, you're not here for the treasures, so I don't need to hold back."
"You may be misunderstanding something. Right now, you are the prey!"
With that, the leading white-robed man swiftly appeared in front of Qing in the blink of an eye, thrusting a dagger straight at Qing's face!
Seeing this, Qing grunted, lifting his halberd from below to meet the dagger in a clash!
The next moment, Qing gasped in surprise.
This guy is strong!
As a berserker, equipped with numerous Attack-boosting items, Qing's attributes had long surpassed 600 points.
Even against monsters, Qing could hold his own!
But this man could contend with him, even without losing ground!
[Class Skill: Battle Roar!]
Activating the skill, Qing let out a thunderous roar, the sound shattering the air in front of the white-robed man.
At that moment, Qing realized he was in an entirely unfamiliar location.
The original street scene had been replaced by a light curtain.
He was trapped here!
The situation was almost hopeless!
Just as the white-robed man said, Qing's weakest point was a war of attrition.
Once dragged into their rhythm, without any way to contact John or others, the only thing awaiting him was death!
"Then let's end this quickly and take out you scum as fast as possible!"