Chapter 14: The Red-Light District? An Outrageous Prerequisite Quest Location!

Soon, a catalog was handed to Wang Chen. He leafed through it thoughtfully, considering his options for quite some time before finally sliding the catalog in front of Manager Liu.

“Give me these two fire-element gold-rank magic scrolls, and pick three silver-rank magic scrolls as well—fire element preferred, if not then lightning,” Wang Chen said, pointing at a page.

“Mr. Wang, you are truly generous!” Excitement flickered in Manager Liu’s eyes.

He had not misjudged this customer’s potential—yet another major order had landed in his lap. What he did not know was that Wang Chen was only making these initial purchases to have some scrolls at hand, since the details of his quest remained uncertain. Once he knew more, he would inevitably return for more equipment as needed.

Soon, the five scrolls Wang Chen requested were brought over by a clerk. He picked them up and examined them carefully:

[Heavenly Fire Falls (Gold Rank)]
[Effect: Upon use, summon meteors of fire from the sky. Upon hitting their target, the meteors explode, expanding the area of effect.]

[Blazing Flame Cyclone (Gold Rank)]
[Effect: Upon use, summon a fiery tornado rising from the ground. The flames it sets are extremely difficult to extinguish after burning the target.]

[Blazing Inferno (Silver Rank)]
[Effect: Upon use, instantly cast five fireballs, each with explosive effects and considerable power.]

[Lightning Thorn (Silver Rank)]
[Effect: Upon use, conjure a thicket of lightning thorns. All enemies within range are paralyzed and harmed.]

[Thunder Lash (Silver Rank)]
[Effect: Upon use, the scroll’s magic forms a sturdy two-meter-long whip of lightning. For three minutes, the user can control the whip to attack targets, capable of breaking defenses.]

Wang Chen was satisfied with his choices. Since he still did not know the full requirements of his class-change quest, he could not prepare specifically. For now, he had simply chosen a few powerful fire and lightning scrolls—the forceful approach.

“I’ll take them all. How much?” he asked.

Manager Liu was secretly astonished. He’d thought Wang Chen would inspect the scrolls and pick only a few, not purchase every one of them.

“What rank is his class-change quest? How many scrolls does he need for it?” Manager Liu maintained a calm demeanor as he instructed the clerk to check him out, but inside, his thoughts were in turmoil.

Wang Chen handed his five-million-credit card to the clerk, got his receipt, and prepared to leave. Manager Liu once again escorted him all the way to the door, watching Wang Chen’s retreating figure in silent contemplation.

...

Night had fallen. The city’s bustle gradually subsided, brimming with energy for the life that tomorrow would bring.

Luzhou’s largest red-light district, however, was still ablaze with light. Here, nighttime was when life truly began.

Wang Chen, wearing a battered baseball cap, walked quickly down the street with his head lowered. When he had read the quest prompt mentioning the location of the Elder of the Fairy Tribe, he had been utterly bewildered.

No longer an innocent youth fresh out of school, Wang Chen had already shed some of his naivety. He knew, from rumors traded among male classmates, exactly what kind of place this was, which was why he’d brought a hat. It was less about disguise, though, and more for psychological comfort.

On both sides of the street, neon signs hung from storefronts, emblazoned with provocative slogans. At the entrance of each establishment, glowing signs displayed alluring posters of seductive women. Dozens of women with permed hair, bright red lips, and scanty outfits leaned against doorways, smoking and beckoning invitingly to every passerby.

“Young man, why not come in and have some fun with your big sister? I guarantee you’ll be in heaven~” One particularly flirtatious woman with a beauty mark at her lip stopped Wang Chen.

“No, thanks. I’m looking for someone,” Wang Chen muttered, lowering the brim of his cap and quickening his pace.

“Of course, all men who come here are looking for someone—the one who can soothe their soul, hmm? But how do you know you won’t find what you seek in our place unless you try?” The woman blocked his path and rested her hand on his chest.

Wang Chen darted aside, dodging her grasp just as she was about to drag him inside, and hurried away at a near run.

“Good grief, I didn’t even dodge that fast when I fought the Six-Tailed Venom Scorpion King!” he thought, patting his chest in lingering fear.

After all, he hadn’t been much older during his last life’s adventure, either. “Maybe, for a split second, my agility stat shot up to a thousand,” Wang Chen joked to himself.

Like many young men his age, he had more curiosity than courage when it came to such matters, quick with crude jokes but timid when faced with the real thing.

“This place is terrifying. I need to find the Fairy Elder and get out as fast as possible!”

He resumed his search. “But why would an elder of the Fairy Tribe be in a place like this?”

“Shouldn’t fairies live somewhere over the mountains and beyond the sea… or rather, in the forest, sipping nectar and tending to flowers and trees?”

“Could it be this Fairy Elder is a lecherous old monk, like one of those ascetics who chant mantras while sneaking wine and meat on the side?”

Wang Chen soothed his nerves with sarcastic banter as he searched.

“But with so many establishments—hundreds, maybe thousands—how am I supposed to find the right one?”

He sighed. Real life wasn’t like a role-playing game, where quest NPCs walked around with their names floating overhead.

As he pondered, a sudden beam of glaring light shone down on him, making him stop in his tracks.

“Maybe there really will be a quest prompt descending from the heavens!” he thought.

He looked up to see an enormous neon sign:

[Emperor-Class Special Service! Exotic girls from foreign races invited for your exclusive evaluation—discover which race you sync with best! Special privileges for the first ten guests each night!]

“...”

“Exotic services? Fairies?”

“This is one unique quest prompt,” Wang Chen mused.

His quest panel only listed the red-light district’s location, with instructions that further prompts would appear upon arrival.

With no other leads, he decided to follow this clue.

Taking a deep breath at the entrance—three times in, three times out—he finally summoned his courage and stepped inside.

No sooner had he entered than he saw a grand hall, two rows of welcoming hostesses lined up before him.

As soon as Wang Chen stepped through the door, they called out in perfect unison, “Welcome—one male guest!”

It was more synchronized than a military drill.

Wang Chen was startled, but couldn’t help marveling at how seductive that final note sounded.

But… one male guest? Did they also serve female guests here?

He felt like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, eyes wide with curiosity at this fabled place of every young man’s dreams, secretly observing everything.

The extravagant, almost wasteful, décor was the first thing that caught his attention. Fabrics finer than any he’d worn were strewn across the carpets. Four huge Roman pillars stood at the entrance, their surfaces carved with lifelike heroic tales. Golden steel panels lined the walls, and when the crystal chandeliers blazed, the light reflected so brightly it was almost blinding.