It wasn't a simple task to excavate relics in the desert. In a desert environment like this, if there weren't any professionals, one would be buried if the sand was dug too deep. Other than a guide, Suhlen also needed to hire a group of workers to help him excavate the ruins.
This oasis city was called Halta, which meant outpost. It was the first oasis to enter and exit the desert. Caravans and adventurers from all over the world could be seen here. Every year, monks would come here to travel or do ascetic practices. In order to temper their will, many martial monks would deliberately go to some areas with extremely harsh environments to practice on foot. Su Lun saw several bald heads in the city.
Most of these monks were wearing old clothes, and their hands were covered with calluses. Although they did not wear heavy armor or weapons, none of them were below grade 3. Most of these monks had made the [Poverty Oath]. Many of them wanted to become ascetics, but only a few succeeded in the end.
Su Lun walked through the bustling street and wandered alone in the streets and alleys here. His eyes swept around from time to time. Soon he found his target here. It was a tavern. Outside the tavern, a shabby sign was waving in the wind: Shadow Howl.
The tavern was not in a very good location, and the outside was also shabby. A few rats scurried through the garbage next to it. Suhlen frowned and walked into the alley. He came to the tavern's door and pushed it open.
When the door of the tavern was pushed open, a burst of noise immediately came out. Unlike the outside, the inside of the tavern was very lively. What surprised Su Lun the most was that there were more than a dozen maids in revealing clothes here. The tavern was full. The guests were toasting and drinking loudly. Among these guests, there were mercenaries, dwarves, thieves, and even desert bandits. Su Lun also saw some orcs and barbarians.
The maids were like butterflies flying around the tables. From time to time, there would be one or two screams and laughter, followed by a series of curses. There was no need to guess.
"A cup of Heart of Flames, please!" Suhlen sat down on the bar counter and tossed a Nar over.
His arrival attracted the attention of some people around him. Suhlen didn't look like a mercenary. In a dark corner, a few eyes glanced back and forth at Suhlen's clothes and money bag from time to time, judging whether this person was a fat sheep, whether he was strong or not, and whether he was worth their time.
In the corner of the tavern, there were several figures hidden in the darkness. They were Shadow Dancers, an advanced class of Rogues. They were proficient in assassination and liked to use curved swords and daggers. They were the best assassins and assassins. As long as they were paid well, there was no one they didn't dare to kill. Of course, daring to kill and being able to kill were two different things.
A few fierce-looking desert swordsmen with scars on their faces glanced at Suhlen from time to time. This was a profession unique to the desert. They used scimitars, worked with agility, and attacked very quickly. At this time, one of the swordsmen was shaving with a knife. His eyes fell on Suhlen's bulging pocket from time to time, and a trace of uncontrollable greed flashed in his eyes from time to time.
As soon as Suhlen entered the tavern, he felt the malicious gazes around him. Even the human mercenaries were secretly communicating with each other. The Shadow Wailing Tavern belonged to the dark corner of the city. It was said that the tavern was supported by the Shadow Brotherhood. The Shadow Brotherhood was also notorious on the continent.
"Your Heart of Flames!" A scantily dressed maid put a glass of strong liquor in front of Suhlen. She even deliberately sat on his lap with a big, white, and soft peach. The pair of huge breasts in front of her chest almost hit his face. Her eyes were hot and full of provocation. Her small tongue licked her bright red lips as if she was looking at a delicious food.
Suhlen took the wine glass. He was not interested in this maid. Although this body had a good figure and was beautiful, Suhlen, who had been spoiled for a long time, did not like to be with others. Moreover, the strong dark aura showed that this woman was either a vampire or a sucking demoness. She was not only lusting after his body, but also his life essence.
After casually sending her away, Suhlen picked up the wine glass and drank it in one gulp. This Heart of Flames was made with vodka and a few other spices. Drinking it was like drinking fire. When he put down the glass, he used a little force, and the glass was slightly dented.
The bar counter of the tavern was made of iron oak wood. It was tough and sturdy. After seeing Suhlen casually use the glass to leave a dent on the table, the people who had been watching him looked away.
Although these people in the tavern were not good people, they still had good eyesight. They knew what they were capable of and what kind of enemies they could not provoke. If they did not have good eyesight, they would not have survived. They would have been buried in the endless sandstorm outside the city.
"I want to ask for some information." Suhlen's fingers tapped rhythmically on the bar counter.
"Sir, what information do you want to ask for?" The tavern owner looked at the glass on the table. A hint of fear flashed through his eyes.
"Have you found any ancient ruins around this city recently?" Suhlen asked.
The tavern owner shook his head. "This is the periphery of the desert. There are very few ruins. No new ruins have been found in the past three years."
Suhlen nodded and continued to ask, "You should have a map of this desert, right? I want a detailed map of this place. The oases and cities need to be marked on the map."
"Sure, but the price …" The tavern owner heard Suhlen's words and made an international gesture.
"How much?" Suhlen smiled. If he could solve it with money, then he would solve it with money.
The tavern owner gestured with his hand. "Fifty Kinnar!"
"Not only are there oases and cities marked on the map, but there are also some ruins."
"Sure." Suhlen took out a bag and threw it on the bar counter. The sound of metal hitting metal came from the bag. "This is the down payment. If I am satisfied with the map, I will give you the rest!"
The tavern owner reached out and grabbed the bag. He weighed it in his hand. There were at least twenty Kinnar inside. The crisp and melodious sound of gold coins colliding attracted the attention of some people around. Their eyes, which had been turned away, once again looked at Su Lun, but not as blatantly as before.
The tavern owner looked satisfied and put away the bag. He got up and went into the room. After a while, he came out with a piece of parchment.
"This is the map you asked for. It should meet your requirements."
Suhlen took the parchment and opened it. All the cities and most of the oases in the desert were marked on the parchment. There were even many ruins marked on it. Suhlen compared this map with the strategic map in his system. There were no mistakes. He nodded with satisfaction.
The map he bought before only marked the approximate location of the ruins. With this more accurate map, it would be much easier to find the ruins.
"Not bad. This is your reward!" Suhlen nodded and put away the map. He threw a bag of money to the tavern owner and got up to leave. Just as Suhlen left, a few people quietly followed him.
With the map in hand, Suhlen didn't need to stay here. He planned to go to the ruins as soon as possible. But before that, he needed to recruit some people. After all, how long would it take for him to excavate the ruins alone?
It was easy to hire people in this desert city. Compared to other areas, the people at the bottom of the desert had a harder time.
Adventurers Guild.
Suhlen saw many professionals here. Although the desert was dangerous, there were a lot of ruins buried in it. If they could bring something out of the ruins, they could easily sell it for a good price. Therefore, many adventurers liked to come here.
"Sir, how may I help you?"
A young man appeared in front of Suhlen. Judging from his clothes, he was the receptionist of the Adventurers Guild.
"I need to recruit some people." Suhlen looked at the receptionist and said.
"You want to issue a mission? Please come with me. " Hearing Suhlen's words, the receptionist's eyes lit up. He led Suhlen to an office desk.
After Suhlen sat down, the receptionist smiled and said, "Sir, what mission do you want to issue? This is a form. You can fill it out. "
Suhlen took the form and looked at it. Then, he filled it out according to his requirements. After a few minutes, he finished filling out the form and handed it to the receptionist.
"Exploring ancient ruins? You need 200 people to excavate? You also need an adventurer team. The difficulty of this mission has reached the A-level. You need to pay at least 2,000 Kinnar. Do you agree? "The receptionist looked at the form Suhlen filled out and said.
"Two thousand gold nars, huh? Yes! "Suhlen nodded and said.
"Since you agree, we will publish the mission information as soon as possible. Please tell us your contact address. If someone takes the mission, we will send someone to inform you."
Suhlen left a hundred Kinnar as a deposit, then left the address of the hotel. He turned and left the Adventurers Guild. It would take some time to recruit people. Suhlen intended to study some maps while he still had time.
He now had two maps in his hand. Suhlen intended to combine these two maps with the map in his system to find the exact location of the ruins he was looking for. At the same time, he also had to prepare some tools needed for the exploration of the ruins.
Although these underground ruins had been buried for thousands of years, as the ruins left from the era of the Arcane Empire, Suhlen would not be careless. The desert environment was harsh, but being buried by sand was also a kind of protection. There were likely to be a lot of mechanisms and traps inside.
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