In an instant, Ethan's stall, which had originally thinned out, exploded with people once again.
Everyone waved the dragon coins in their hands, completely selling out Ethan's final barrel of vanilla milkshake.
After these two waves of business, deducting costs, Ethan had earned a total of ten thousand and eighty dragon coins.
A truly outrageous return for a tiny investment.
However, he looked at the backpack full of dragon coins, then glanced over at the witch's stall.
Those piles of skill vouchers, piles of spellbooks and blueprints, yet he didn't dare go over and buy anything.
That made Ethan feel pretty stifled.
But compared to developing too fast, lying low until the very end was still the real path to victory.
'Forget it.'
'Anyway, things like skill books, there will still be chances to get them later by opening treasure chests.'
As for what the Happy Times, as the witch said, was, Ethan really had no interest in knowing at all, nor did he want to play there even a little.
"Clang!"
At this moment, a clear, crisp bell-ringing sound echoed throughout the entire traveler inn.
And the moment the bell rang, everyone inside the traveler inn began packing up their stalls and their belongings.
"Yi-ai!"
Immediately after.
Standing at the staircase on the second floor, the head butler gently waved his hand.
The large wooden doors of the traveler inn opened once again. Outside, all the fog around the inn had been driven away, revealing the Misty Forest not far off.
"The time is up. You may leave!", The head butler's stern voice rang out.
Everyone slung their packs over their shoulders and headed outside one after another.
Ethan also finished packing up his things. He turned back and glanced at the head butler standing on the second floor with a serious expression, but he noticed that on the table behind the head butler, there were actually two cups of milkshake and a skewer of squid.
'When did he buy those?'
Seeing Ethan, the head butler couldn't help but twitch his furry ears, and the tail behind him even swayed unconsciously.
But the head butler quickly coughed, covering up his restless emotions.
Following the crowd, Ethan walked out of the traveler inn.
From a distance, there was actually a dog already sitting atop a lamp spider, waving its hands and tail frantically at Ethan, "Honored guest, I'm here!"
'Oh, right.'
'The driver isn't a dog. It is a werewolf!'
"You were waiting for me?", Ethan pointed at his own nose in surprise.
He had skipped out on the fare last night. Could it be that this werewolf driver had come to block him?
But… Ethan wasn't afraid now.
After all, money gives courage to the poor. He was a ten-thousand-coin man now.
A mere one dragon coin fare was something he could definitely afford.
"Yes, I came specifically to thank you and to take you back."
The werewolf tightened that undersized, extra-extra-small outfit. Even though the buttons wouldn't close, the werewolf driver still forced them shut.
And on the clothes, the grime Ethan had rubbed on last night was still there.
That was a bit awkward.
He had really only been trying to get away at the time. He hadn't expected the werewolf driver to treasure it so much, and even come specifically to thank him, 'That is kind of... Haha!'
Besides, Ethan looked up at the lamp spider's enormous mouth. He really didn't want to go back into that monster's stomach.
That shit was disgusting as hell.
"N-no need," Ethan waved his hands repeatedly, "I already have a bone horse. I can ride back on my own."
As he spoke, Ethan even took out the bone whistle and blew it once.
Very soon, the bone horse ran out from the back courtyard of the traveler inn.
Ethan reached out and patted the bone horse, which radiated a chilly aura, and smiled at the werewolf driver, "Thanks for the offer! As for last night's fare."
Ding!
He flicked his fingers, and a glittering dragon coin flew straight into the werewolf driver's pocket.
The werewolf driver's eyes lit up as he thanked him repeatedly, "Honored guest, you already warmed my heart last night with this coat. There's really no need to pay the fare again. But if you insist on giving it, then I can only reluctantly accept it."
"Just take it," Ethan waved his hand indifferently, "Consider it a thank-you for showing up in time last night and saving my life."
With that, Ethan turned and prepared to leave.
But just then—
"Please wait!"
The werewolf driver suddenly stepped in front of Ethan and said, "It's been a long time since anyone cared about us werewolves. To thank you for your concern, I've decided to give you something."
"Huh?"
Ethan froze for a moment.
He hadn't expected his fare-dodging act to move the werewolf driver so much that he wanted to give a gift in return?
He was also a bit curious about what the werewolf driver would give him.
Then Ethan watched in surprise as the werewolf driver climbed onto the lamp spider and forcefully removed something mounted on its back.
'A saddle?'
"I don't really have anything good to give you," The werewolf driver smiled honestly as he slapped the much larger saddle straight onto Ethan's bone horse, "So I'll give you this saddle. Thanks again for your generosity, honored guest."
And yet, miraculously, when the saddle had just been removed from the lamp spider's back, it looked extremely large.
But once the werewolf slapped it onto the bone horse, it fit perfectly, as if it had been custom-made specifically for the bone horse.
It was unbelievably magical.
"Then thank you," Naturally, Ethan didn't refuse the gift. After all, his horse really did need a saddle.
If it were a normal horse, maybe riding without a saddle would still be fine.
But this was a bone horse. Just imagining a certain sensitive part rubbing nonstop against the bone frame of the horse, that was basically the devil's dance.
"Farewell, my honored guest. Good fortune will accompany you all the way."
The werewolf driver removed his hat and bowed at a full ninety-degree angle.
Ethan nodded back at him, then mounted the bone horse and rode away from the traveler inn.
Along the way, Ethan took out his magic book and saw that it was only six thirty in the morning.
There was still an hour and a half before the sun fully rose, but the sky was already gradually brightening, and the surrounding fog had thinned quite a bit.
However, along the road, all kinds of strange cries coming from the forest still made Ethan feel uneasy.
He quickly glanced at the map.
Luckily, he wasn't too far from the ice plains. At his current speed, he could probably make it back in about half an hour.
Once he reached the ice plains, Ethan would be able to find his way home.
"Heh! Heh! Heh!"
But just at this moment.
A familiar sound suddenly rang out not far behind Ethan.
Immediately after, Ethan saw a trail of gray-black exhaust streak past his eyes, then perform a drift in midair and block his path.
Only then did Ethan see clearly that the exhaust that had just overtaken him was actually a witch's broom.
And the person blocking his way was precisely the one who had been selling happy times at a stall in the market. No, selling scrolls—
The wilderness witch!
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