Despite being called the "Nilia River Passage", it was more than just a bridge linking the south and north of the eastern region of the Eternal Islands.
It was also one of the main ports and a capital of fishing and river transportation, connecting the surrounding villages and towns to the rest of the island.
Its population exceeded five thousand, and its main street, completely illuminated by thousands of magic lamps, buzzed with prosperity.
Hundreds of travelers and merchants passed through the many stores, hotels, taverns and restaurants.
Ethan slipped through the crowd unnoticed and entered one of the city's largest and most luxurious taverns.
His gaze swept over the crowded tables and the waitresses whose uniforms were so short that they barely covered their voluptuous bodies, leaving parts of their full breasts and rounded buttocks exposed.
"Can I help you with something, young master?" A waitress approached Ethan and asked politely.
"I need a table," Ethan replied coldly.
"Right, please follow me." The waitress spoke with a smile, before guiding him to one of the few empty tables in the establishment. "What will you have to eat and drink?" she asked as she seated him at the table.
"The chef's recommendation and a bottle of white wine."
"Right, it'll be ready in a few minutes... anything else?"
"No."
Writing down the order in a small booklet, the waitress left, her hips swaying gently as she walked away.
'System, how do I control when I could activate and deactivate my abilities?' Ethan asked the system, enjoying the time until his order arrived. No one but him could see the system's messages, and he didn't need to ask out loud to get an answer.
[System: Open your skills menu. You'll be able to control them once you've evolved to level 3. Until then, you have little or no control. Remember that you can buy more skills in the corruption store].
[Skills:
{The Black Dragon's Lust:
The Black Dragon is known not only for its strength and feats in war, but also for its fatal attraction to all females.
Type: Passive/active
Grade: SSS
Level: 1 (500 corruption points to evolve to level 2)
Effects:
All females in a 10 meter area: +10% arousal gain
General attraction: +10%
Charisma: +10%
Libido: +10%
Stamina: +10%}]
'Interesting...' Ethan thought as he looked at the numbers carefully. They were already very high at level one, and he couldn't wait to see how high they would get in the future. But he didn't delude himself.
His skills might be useful against a young woman like Valeria and in a weak-minded woman like Victoria, but against someone like Alice? He could never even come close to breaking through her mental defenses being that weak.
'System, do you have any melee skills I can afford?' Ethan asked, remembering that he still didn't have any special fighting skills.
['Yes. This is a low-level skill, but it can still cause you some discomfort when learning. Be careful when you buy it].
[Skill
: {Mana Slash (Lower)
A common and extremely useful skill, but one that consumes a lot of mana.
Type: Active
Grade: F
Price: 300 corruption points
Effects:
Sends a powerful cut of mana towards your enemy}]
'All right, I'll have it.' Ethan already knew this skill and although he didn't know how to use it perfectly, he at least had a basic understanding of how it worked.
With his heart sinking as he watched his corruption points drop, Ethan sighed, feeling a slight discomfort as the system bombarded his mind with information on how to use the skill.
"Sir, is everything all right?" The waitress interrupted Ethan as she left his food, a bottle of wine and two glasses on his table. She leaned over slightly, the neckline of her uniform revealing the soft curve of her breasts.
"I'm fine, it's nothing." Ethan shook his head before examining the food.
"It's goat meat from the Eternal Peaks cooked with rice from the southeastern plains, a chef's salad and black beans," explained the waitress, pointing to each element on the plate.
"Enjoy your meal!" She smiled at Ethan before leaving.
Ethan watched the waitress's back move away before returning his gaze to his plate, pouring himself some wine and starting to eat.
Unfortunately, it wasn't long before he was interrupted again, this time by the figure of Stuart approaching, accompanied by two powerful bald warriors in black leather armor.
"Do you want something from me?" Ethan asked, finding Stuart's presence there strange.
He clearly remembered him saying that they would spend the night here and that Ethan should meet him at noon in the city center.
Stuart being there only meant that plans had changed.
"Actually, the opposite." Stuart laughed, before removing a small bag from his pockets and placing it on the table. Its contents tinkled as they touched the surface.
Ethan took the bag and opened it, revealing three shiny gold coins.
"I don't need your services anymore, I've found more competent and useful warriors than you." Stuart smiled contemptuously as he tapped the shoulder of one of the warriors, who puffed out his chest with pride.
"Right." Ethan put his coin purse back in his trouser pocket before going back to eating quietly.
Hearing the short, cold reply, a vein appeared on Stuart's forehead. He slapped the table and exclaimed in a hateful voice: "Right? Is that all you have to say? You should be begging to remain in my employ! Why aren't you begging?"
"Get out." Ethan's voice turned icy as he released a faint murderous intent, his purple eyes glowing, seemingly able to see through the souls of these men.
"Ek!" Stuart choked on his own words and almost fell backwards, turning and rushing off, with his two "mighty" warriors following close behind.