Published at 11th of July 2026 6:29 am

Chapter 1838: This Damned City

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Late into the night, the Rabbit Hole was lively as ever.

The massive tavern was packed from wall to wall. Every table was occupied, every barstool taken, and the air buzzed with a thousand overlapping conversations.

Laughter, cheers, curses, and the clicking of mugs blended into a constant wave that echoed through the five-story establishment.

And at the center of it all lay the Hole.

Adventurers emerged from its depths covered in dirt, blood, and exhaustion, while others eagerly lined up to descend. Some returned carrying sacks of treasures and monster parts. Others returned empty-handed. While there were those who didn’t return at all.

A few limped toward the bar in search of a strong drink before attempting another run the following day.

Near one corner of the ground floor, a drunken brawl had just been broken up. Two burly half-orc bouncers hauled the troublemakers apart while the surrounding patrons booed and laughed at the abrupt end of the entertainment.

Meanwhile, Adam wove effortlessly through the jubilant crowd.

A tray filled with food and drinks balanced on one hand as he slipped between tables, sidestepped a stumbling dwarf, ducked beneath a waving arm, and deposited mugs exactly where they belonged. Without missing a beat, he snatched up empty plates, accepted a handful of coins, and continued on his way.

After two months of working at the Rabbit Hole, he had learned to navigate the chaos.

And chaos was exactly what the Rabbit Hole specialized in.

In the past two months, Adam had spent all of his earnings — fifteen gold pieces a month — on permits and licenses. And he still owed Hannibal a small amount of money.

So he worked diligently. He never complained when given odd jobs or extra duties around the tavern. After all, he had worked in far worse places than this. Compared to life aboard the pirate ship, the Rabbit Hole was practically a paradise.

As he carried empty plates and mugs back to the kitchen, he was suddenly reminded of his childhood before meeting Anna.

Life really does come full circle, he thought in amusement.

And he laughed.

The rest of the tavern staff were used to him bursting into laughter at random moments. Earlier, they found it strange. Now, they just found it funny.

Suddenly, Adam crouched and twisted his body with the grace and agility of a cat and caught an empty glass behind him before it could hit the floor.

The glass had been knocked off by a—

"Oh, my~"

A gorgeous fiendling seated with her companions turned to him and licked her lips.

"You have some fine senses, young man."

Adam smiled politely. Then he turned and walked away.

These handwraps are truly something.

He carried plates and glasses into the kitchen and dropped them into the sink. When he finally emerged, he leaned against the bar counter and let out a long breath.

Weekends were always hectic. On nights like these, he often worked until past three in the morning. He also overheard many tales and critical information from customers. That was a bonus.

Still, this was the least he could do for all the help the tavern owners had given him. He was grateful for them.

Food, shelter, and protection, that was what the Rabbit Hole offered him.

If Adam wasn’t someone with grand ambitions, perhaps he might not have minded working here for a very, very long time.

Hannibal, who was sitting behind the bar counter, polishing freshly cleaned mugs, cast a glance toward him and smiled.

The boy had once been the strongest and most famous person in his home world, yet he never complained about carrying out menial tasks here at the tavern.

Adam worked hard, did what was asked of him, and treated everyone with respect.

The boy was humble.

And that was something Hannibal liked about him.

"How’s the license business coming along?" He asked casually.

Adam instantly grimaced. "This damned city! It has squeezed me dry!"

The corner of Hannibal’s lips twitched. If there was one thing that he didn’t like about the boy, it was that he was stingy.

Too stingy.

"Think of it as an investment," he said. "How many have you gotten yet?"

Every time Adam paid a fee, purchased a permit, or bought a license, he acted as though someone had reached into his chest and torn a piece of his soul.

Adam suppressed the indignation in his heart, then said. "As of now, I’ve sorted out the Magic Practitioner’s License and the Magical Creature Handling Permit. I’ve also registered my name and details in the Resident Registry."

Hannibal nodded as he put away the glass and picked up another.

"You mentioned you were a Herbalist?"

"Yes, Boss."

"Well, you cannot join the Herbalists’ Guild," Hannibal said matter-of-factly.

"They require their members to hold Davosian citizenship. And to obtain full citizenship, you need three months of continuous residency, sponsorship from a guild, a noble house, or one of the Lords of Davos, and a clean legal history."

Adam nodded solemnly. He had already looked into the matter. In another month, he would satisfy the residency requirement.

As for sponsorship, he didn’t know anyone from a noble house, and obtaining the backing of a Lord of Davos was even more unrealistic. That left the guild as his only option.

Unfortunately, the Herbalists’ Guild wouldn’t accept him without citizenship.

A classic catch-22.

Thankfully, there were other avenues open to him.

"So what’re you going to do?" Hannibal asked, testing him.

He was willing to help a young prodigy like Adam, but he was not going to hand over everything to him on a silver platter.

Adam’s lips curled into a smirk, and his eyes blazed with excitement.

"The Adventurers’ Guild," he said confidently.

"I visited their guild the other day and looked into the requirements for officially joining. There’s a practical test where I’ll have to prove my combat prowess, an interview before a panel of judges who will assess my resourcefulness and magical wilderness survival skills, and finally, the initiation mission."

Once he passed all three, the Adventurers’ Guild would sponsor his citizenship application with the government. And with that, he would officially become an adventurer.

Alternatively, he could have also joined one of the prestigious arcane academies in Davos. They, too, helped foreign professors obtain citizenship. However, Adam didn’t want to be tied down to a single city.

He wanted to travel far and wide and experience the myriad wonders of Myrrandor.

For someone like him, the Adventurers’ Guild was truly the perfect fit.

Besides, there was far more money to be made as an adventurer, despite the risks. Danger and opportunity often went hand in hand, and nowhere was that more true than in the life of an adventurer. For Adam, the rewards were well worth the risk.

Hannibal nodded in approval, a faint, knowing smile on his face.

"Well then, you’d better work hard, kiddo. The Guild charges ten-gold initiation fees. Then there’s the twenty-five gold for citizenship, plus a small ceremony fee."

The smile on Adam’s face disappeared in an instant.

"Dragonshit!"

Share