007: [Freya]: Major, MI6, Imperial Inquisition

In the afternoon, Li Cha arrived at the St. Anne Adventurers' Guild once again.

He pulled ten whole Serenity Flowers and four Glow-grass stalks from his cloth bag, netting 78 copper coins.

In addition, he gained over twenty contribution points.

The twin sisters at the Adventurers' Guild said, "Mr. Li Cha, the herbs you submitted are in perfect condition. Here is your payment."

Li Cha, who had deliberately made his clothes look a bit dusty, smiled and said, "Thank you."

The younger sister, Lucy, remarked, "I never expected you to be an expert at herb gathering."

Li Cha waved his hand dismissively. "Just lucky. My abilities are limited, so I have to start with some dirty, manual labor to support myself."

The elder sister, Luna, added, "You are too modest. Herb gathering is a remarkable skill."

Trading those fourteen herbs didn't earn Li Cha much money, but the experience gained from the transaction was the key, bumping his personal level up by one.

Currently:
【Name: Li Cha】
【Occupation: None】
【Level: 3 (3%)】
【Attack Power: 17】
【Assets: 324 copper coins】
...
Still trash.

However, this was only Li Cha's third day in St. Anne City. If he could level up once a day, he would reach the first tier in another week.

Opening the system panel, the small icon for 【Glow-grass】 had turned into a grey, non-tradable state.

"So this thing has a usage limit."

The option for 【Serenity Flower】 next to it was still lit, but it likely had a cap as well. Besides, the returns on the little white flowers were clearly inferior to the shiny grass.

Li Cha looked up at the sky; the sun was setting. "Having a limit is probably to prevent me from becoming a 'lie-flat' master. No rush. It’s too late today; I’ll have plenty of time over the next few days to see what other tricks this damn system has up its sleeve."

He stored the money he had received into the system’s storage and returned to the Old Shock Tavern before dark.

After a simple dinner, Li Cha farmed another batch of 【Serenity Flowers】. His luck was bad this time, and he only managed to get two.

Afterward, he opened the system and carefully reviewed every option in the menu again. No surprises there.

The only thing remotely interesting was that Li Cha’s "Dignity" had increased in price. 100 points of Dignity, originally 0.1 copper per point, had now become 0.2 copper—a 100% increase!

Just then—

"Knock, knock, knock."

Someone was knocking at the door.

The Serenity Flowers were already in Li Cha's pocket. He wasn't in a "corpse-lying" state, so he stood up to open the door.

Outside the wooden door stood a woman with exquisite makeup, a fiery red dress, and black stockings that shimmered with a mysterious luster beneath the hem.

Black silk stockings in another world?

Heh.

When Li Cha was watching the CG trailers, those contractable goddesses wore black silk, white silk, and all sorts of other silks, warmly welcoming brave adventurers to the Loren Continent for intense and thrilling adventures.

"Mrs. Mary?"

The proprietress, Mary, said, "What, aren't you going to invite me in?"

Her large, fluttering eyes fixed on Li Cha, filled with tenderness and affection.

Li Cha smiled. "Of course, you are the mistress of this place, after all."

*Click-clack, click-clack.* Her high heels tapped against the floor, crisp and melodic.

Proprietress Mary was already tall, and with seven or eight-centimeter heels, she stood nearly 175 centimeters. With a slender waist and wide hips, she was a natural clothes hanger.

Just like that, this mature, beautiful wife leaned in close, the faint scent of her perfume rushing straight into Li Cha’s nostrils.

Then, a slender, long finger tapped on Li Cha’s chest. "I saved you yesterday, yet you haven't shown any appreciation at all."

Li Cha pulled that soft, voluptuous body toward him. "I have already thanked you."

Her crimson lips reached Li Cha’s ear. "Not enough."

Li Cha said, "Then your time tonight belongs to me, Madam."

Proprietress Mary smiled. "Very well."

"How much?"

"Free."

*Ding-dong.*

Notification: Detected that the Host is about to engage in a transaction. The tradable item is 【Mary’s Time】.

【Mary’s Time】: Proprietress Mary has accepted your invitation for a transaction, lasting from now until tomorrow morning. Mary, Level 30, Human, High-level Elite. This is a very high-quality transaction.
...

"???"

Li Cha was about to shout "Deal," but the words stopped on his tongue.

This was his third transaction with Proprietress Mary. If he remembered correctly, the proprietress was Level 18, a descendant of the Fire Giant race. In the outer city of St. Anne, people were generally below Level 20. It was perfectly normal for the proprietress to use her powerful bloodline to suppress the patrons downstairs.

But the Mary before him was Level 30.

Li Cha looked at the woman in his arms—bewitching figure, deep cleavage—there was no difference from before. But however heartless the system might be, it couldn't possibly lie to Li Cha about this. Higher levels and more powerful figures meant the system needed to pay out more money and experience points.

So... Proprietress Mary had been replaced. This person had other motives for Li Cha!

Thinking of this, Li Cha kept his mouth shut. With one arm, he hooked the back of her silky legs, and with the other, he supported "Mary's" back, lifting her up and tossing her onto the bed.

The wooden bed groaned in protest.

Mary felt a bit of pain and said, "Little one, you are too rough."

Li Cha replied, "Madam, isn't it my roughness that you like?"

He made a move as if to pounce, but the tip of a high heel blocked his path.

"Wait a moment."

Mrs. Mary said in a gentle, alluring voice, "I heard you’ve become an adventurer. Li Cha, do you have any plans for the future?"

Li Cha grabbed the high heel and slipped it off, revealing a dainty, black-stockinged foot to the air. Li Cha took hold of it and began to knead it gently.

At the same time, he felt Mary’s body stiffen for less than a second the moment he squeezed.

Sure enough, there was a problem.

Li Cha said, "What plans could I have? Strive to get stronger, join a party, and try to enter the inner city as soon as possible to live the high life."

Mary asked, "And what about me?"

"Does Madam want to go with me?"

"Looking down on me?"

Li Cha shook his head. "Not at all. I just suddenly thought of a question: Madam, you seem to value me a bit too much."

"Giggle."

Mary laughed again. "Is there something wrong with liking a young, handsome man? ...Keep at it, little one. If you can achieve what you said, I don't mind getting a divorce for your sake."

As she spoke, that little foot, which had been kneaded over and over, tried to pull back.

It was cruelly rejected.

Li Cha said, "The proprietress is much cuter than you."

"!!!"

Deal.

The next moment, the mature, beautiful woman opposite him fell unconscious.

*Clink, clink, clink!* Li Cha’s pocket suddenly held 20 whole silver coins!

"As expected of a Level 30 high-level elite; if we really fought, I reckon she could poke me to death with one toe."

Li Cha put her foot down and reached out to feel Mary’s face, but he couldn't find the edge of a human-skin mask.

He searched her body and found an ID card in his hand with the emblem of the Red Cedar Empire engraved on the back.

【Freya】: Major, Military Intelligence Division 6, Imperial Inquisition.

Li Cha muttered, "Damn it, it seems like there’s no way I can stay in St. Anne City anymore."