"Roxy, take a look—is that the Nokubara we're looking for?" Dan Feng suddenly said softly, nodding slightly in that direction to indicate.
Hearing Dan Feng's words, Roxy's heart stirred. She quickly turned to look behind her.
Sure enough, at a nearby table, a horse-faced man was drinking and chatting.
The horse-faced man was tall and wore an adventurer outfit that left his chest muscles exposed.
Although his appearance had changed somewhat from before, Roxy recognized him at a glance—this was exactly the person they were looking for: Nokubara.
"It's him!" Roxy said in a low voice, her tone carrying certainty.
She stared fixedly at Nokubara, a complex mix of emotions rising in her heart.
Seeing this, Dan Feng said no more. He knew Roxy had confirmed Nokubara's identity.
So he quietly followed Roxy as they walked toward Nokubara together.
"Nokubara!" Roxy called out loudly. Her voice stood out clearly even in the noisy tavern.
Nokubara, who had been drinking, slowly turned his head when he heard someone call his name. His puzzled horse face turned toward Roxy.
His eyes narrowed slightly, showing a hint of confusion.
Then he saw a familiar figure approaching with a cold expression, accompanied by a human male who looked frail—his muscles didn't even fill out his clothes.
After all, they had been party members for nearly nine years—he recognized her instantly. But he ignored Roxy's call as if she had never shouted his name.
He slowly turned his horse head back around and continued drinking casually with the lizard-man.
"Nokubara, that little girl seems to know you. Water-blue hair—isn't she one of your old party members?" the lizard-man asked after glancing at Roxy and Dan Feng.
"So what if she is? The adventurer party disbanded who-knows-how-many years ago anyway," Nokubara said indifferently, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.
Seeing Nokubara's attitude, Roxy's doubts gradually faded. She began to believe that everything Brez had said was true—Nokubara really wanted no further connection with them.
So Roxy walked straight up to Nokubara's table.
"Nokubara!" Roxy shouted loudly while standing in front of him.
Her hands slammed heavily onto the table with a loud bang. The sudden action caused the two cups of alcohol on the table to tremble slightly.
Roxy's strength was still too small—if it had been Dan Feng, the table would have already shattered.
"Why treat Brez like that? We used to be comrades who faced life and death together!" Roxy's accusation was like a piercing sword aimed straight at Nokubara's heart—but it shattered instantly.
Yet facing Roxy's questioning, Nokubara remained exceptionally calm. His face still showed complete indifference, as if he didn't care at all about her reproach.
"Roxy! Think about it—what obligation do I have to help him?" Nokubara retorted. Though his voice wasn't loud, it carried a deep coldness. "After Drew died, we were no longer party members. Why should I help someone who's basically a stranger now?"
"Even so, we were still friends! Why act like this? Are you really that eager to cut all ties with us?" Roxy's voice carried a trace of confusion.
However, Nokubara seemed utterly unconcerned. He answered flatly, "It doesn't matter. Right now, that kind of 'friendship' does nothing to help me survive here." With that, he took a big swig of alcohol and let out a satisfied breath.
Dan Feng listened quietly to their exchange and already understood—Nokubara was clearly the pragmatic type.
No matter what Roxy said, it was unlikely to change his mind.
Just as Roxy was about to say more, Dan Feng suddenly reached out and pulled her aside.
Roxy looked at Dan Feng in surprise and asked in confusion, "Dan Feng, what's wrong? Why did you pull me away?"
Dan Feng spoke bluntly: "Talking to him is just wasting your breath."
Roxy let out a helpless sigh. Deep down, she knew Dan Feng was right. A former comrade had now drawn a clear line between them—it felt like falling out with a friend, and it was hard to accept.
Afterward, the two returned to their seats. It seemed that in just one short day since arriving in Rikarisu Town, they had already resolved everything.
They had delivered Mayibeia's news to her tribespeople and found Nokubara to confirm whether what Brez said was true.
Later, Nokubara left the restaurant with the lizard-man. Roxy no longer planned to seek him out.
If he had changed, then so be it. There would be no further contact anyway, Roxy silently told herself.
After all, once these matters were settled, she and Dan Feng would definitely not stay on the Demon Continent to live.
Since that was the case, Roxy felt there was no need to dwell on how Nokubara had treated Brez. She might as well let it go completely.
Not long after, all the dishes they ordered finally arrived.
Dan Feng and Roxy exchanged a glance. Roxy decided to temporarily set aside all worries and problems—first fill her stomach.
After all, food comes first.
After eating and drinking their fill ('alcohol'—or rather water), Dan Feng and Roxy left the restaurant contentedly and returned to the inn.
After saying good night to each other, the two returned to their respective rooms.
They had already agreed to leave early the next morning and head straight to the Migurd village.
To be honest, Dan Feng felt a bit nervous inside.
After all, this was his first love—and his first time meeting his girlfriend's parents!
Although this other world might differ from the one he came from in his previous life, the general psychology of facing such a situation for the first time should still be roughly the same.
Meanwhile, after returning to her room, Roxy did not rest immediately.
She sat on the edge of the bed and began calmly training her Foresight Eye.
She wanted to see if, besides predicting one second into the future, this pair of eyes had any other hidden functions.
As for Dan Feng, he went to train swordsmanship with Blade. That berserk sword style was indeed difficult to handle—if he learned it, he would be using Imbibitor Lunae's physical durability to tank damage while killing.
However, he figured he would rarely need to use a sword. He was already used to Cloud-Piercer—for long-range enemies, he could just throw it, then immediately draw the Heavy Abyss Pearl.