Chapter 173: Connie's Visit

Alvin's gear was of ordinary iron quality with no special attributes whatsoever.

This left Jia Zhengjin somewhat disappointed, as he had originally hoped there might be some overpowered magical items he could quietly pocket.

Alvin had no idea what was running through Jia Zhengjin's mind. Upon entering the inner city and seeing the busy villagers coming and going, everyone seemed to have a happy smile on their faces. He thought to himself that although this city was not large, it possessed a sense of security unlike any other city.

And it made sense, really. Even situated within the dangerous Monster Forest, having a Dragon Knight and a Spatial Grand Magister guarding the place meant it was undeniably safe!

Jia Zhengjin hosted a banquet to treat Alvin, laying out all sorts of fruits and delicacies.

Since he wasn't an enemy, he was a friend. Even though Alvin was merely passing through and staying for a single night, the rules of hospitality could not be neglected in the slightest.

"So sweet!" Alvin recognized almost none of the food on the table, so he picked up a slice of watermelon, hesitated, and took a bite. Instantly, his face lit up with radiant joy. "What kind of fruit is this? It tastes amazing! I've never eaten it before, nor have I ever heard of it!"

"This is our local specialty," Jia Zhengjin smiled. "You could search the entire world and you wouldn't find a second place that grows this kind of fruit!"

"Is it really that incredible?" Alvin was extremely surprised.

Of course it was incredible—it was all food from Earth! Jia Zhengjin chuckled inwardly.

"This is delicious, too! And this is amazing! Wow—the flavor of this roasted meat is something I've never tasted before either! And this drink, it's so sweet it makes my heart melt!" Alvin had started off quite refined, but as he tasted more of the delicacies, he finally lost all control and began devouring the food voraciously.

"Another foodie..." Seeing him completely cast aside his pretty-boy image and demolish the food on the table at an astonishing speed, Jia Zhengjin was dumbfounded.

He had laid out a whole table of dishes expecting Alvin to sample a little of each. Instead, Alvin had opened his stomach wide and polished off every single bite.

It wasn't that he begrudged him the food; this amount meant nothing to Jia Zhengjin. But his dignity was entirely gone!

"I'm so full~" After finishing every last morsel of food on the table, Alvin patted his bulging belly. "Many thanks for the hospitality, Lord Keen!"

"Being able to eat is a blessing!" Jia Zhengjin nodded with a smile. "By the way, where are you planning to go after you set off tomorrow?"

"Well~" Hearing this question, Alvin frowned and thought for a moment. "I don't have a specific destination, just taking things as they come! Since I have to evade the pursuit of the Blood Temple, I suppose I'll just be running around various countries across the world."

"Won't you feel exhausted living like that?" Jia Zhengjin asked.

"I'm bound to get tired, of course," Alvin sighed. "But what other choice do I have? I'd love to find a place to settle down and live a peaceful life, but the people of the Blood Temple won't let it go!"

"I keep hearing you mention this Blood Temple. Are they really that powerful?" Jia Zhengjin asked out of curiosity.

Alvin turned to look at him. "The Blood Temple worships the evil god Tuyus. The temple members are extremely mysterious, and it is said that virtually no one who sees them ever leaves alive. As one of the six great temples of the continent, their power is no less than that of the Temple of Light! Although I've never clashed with them head-on, several companions much stronger than myself have died at the hands of the Blood Temple!"

"In other words, they're pretty formidable?" Jia Zhengjin asked.

"Yes!" Alvin nodded in reply. "And I have no idea how much longer I can keep hiding from them..."

Just as they were talking, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the door.

The next moment, a red-haired young woman walked in with a smile, carrying the familiar little loli.

"Protect Lord Keen!" Zhuoma and Buddy, who had been guarding outside, looked somewhat disheveled as they quickly rushed in and surrounded the red-haired woman.

Seeing the battered states of Zhuoma and Buddy, it was obvious they had just gotten beaten up! Jia Zhengjin glanced at the smiling red-haired woman and waved his subordinates away. "There's no need to worry! You guys head outside!"

"Yes!" Although they were worried, seeing that Lord Keen seemed to recognize the red-haired woman, Zhuoma and Buddy had no choice but to retreat from the room first.

"Connie, what brings you here?" Jia Zhengjin certainly remembered her—she was the one who had carved a tier-three fire magic circle onto the fake dragon!

"Hold Lizzie for me for a second!" Connie reached out and passed the little loli from her arms.

"Oh!" Jia Zhengjin reflexively caught the little loli, noticing that she neither cried nor made a fuss, staying quietly in his embrace.

"Hey! What is your relationship with Rusov?" Connie walked straight up to Alvin and looked at him sternly.

"Rusov?" Alvin's eyes were filled with confusion. "I'm very sorry! This is the first time I've ever heard that name."

"Oh?" Connie stared intently into his eyes for a long moment before nodding. "So that's how it is."

"What's wrong?" Alvin felt very strange. "May I ask who Rusov is? And who are you?"

"It's nothing!" Connie turned around instead, looking at Jia Zhengjin with a smile. "Lizzie and I would like to stay here tonight. Can you arrange a place for us?"

Jia Zhengjin was actually quite puzzled. Connie had walked over, inexplicably beaten up the guards Zhuoma and Buddy, and then asked Alvin a string of bizarre questions. What on earth was she thinking? And what was her true identity anyway? She was always so mysterious.

Suspicion aside, however, it was certain that Connie was no ordinary intelligent being. Building a good relationship with her could definitely do no harm! Thinking of this, he immediately nodded and said, "That's easy enough. I can have someone build a house for you right away. However, there are currently no empty plots left in the inner city, so it can only be built in the outer city. Relatively speaking, the outer city isn't as safe as the inner city. I wonder if that's acceptable?"

"Safe?" Connie chuckled upon hearing this. "Wherever I am, that is a safe place!"

Jia Zhengjin thought to himself that she certainly had a high opinion of herself! Could it be that there was nothing in the entire Monster Forest she feared?

Yet Connie's strength was undeniably formidable; Jia Zhengjin couldn't dispute that point. Both Zhuoma and Buddy combined had gotten beaten up by her while she was holding a child!

Jia Zhengjin immediately summoned a few kobold craftsmen and instructed them to go to the outer city to assist the other group in constructing temporary living quarters for both Alvin and Connie.

"Lizzie!" Having received her answer, Connie nodded and opened her arms toward her daughter.

The little loli glanced back at Connie, but unexpectedly clung to Jia Zhengjin's arms and refused to budge.

"Uh~" Faced with this scenario, Jia Zhengjin felt a bit awkward.

"Haha! It seems this little one really likes you." Connie wasn't angry at all; instead, she laughed heartily. "You saved her, and she remembers it!"

Is this supposed to be her liking me? Jia Zhengjin looked down at the expressionless little loli, thinking to himself that she wouldn't turn out to be a Version 2.0 of Perine, would she? Surely she wouldn't grow up to be like Perine, wearing a completely blank expression all day long?