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Chapter 8: Trouble Exists in Every World

The shadowy figures that had approached the door of Steven's room clearly didn't expect him to suddenly emerge from the room, and the atmosphere at the doorway instantly turned icy.

"Speak up. I assume you've come to find me?" Steven looked at these villagers who appeared more spirited than the aimless souls he had encountered earlier, wearing a smile of amusement.

He remembered these characters; initially, when he took out the gold grains from his pocket, they were among the crowd casting greedy glances his way.

It seemed that no matter which world you were in, troublemakers were always in abundance.

"..."

"Outsider, you should be aware of the rules in this village." Since their attempt at sneaking around had been discovered by Steven, these villagers straightened up and began to lecture him in a somewhat self-righteous manner.

But it appeared that they were wary of the long sword hanging at Steven's waist, and while their attitude in speaking was not great, they dared not come forward to lay hands on him. After all, anyone who openly carried weapons and strutted around in this land was generally not to be trifled with.

"Oh? Is there some special rule in this village that I should know about? I was just thinking that no one had told me yet." Steven's attitude was nonchalant. Chatting with people had always been his forte.

In another world, he had been pent up and almost driven to madness, so even though he expected that these individuals might talk nonsense, he was quite willing to engage in conversation with them. Besides, it wasn't as if these people were charging a fee for talking to them, right?

"Do you know the trouble it brings to our village to shelter your kind, the Agorians? Do you know the risks we have to bear for this?" The fact that Steven was so easy to talk to was something that these people hadn't expected themselves. However, soon after, they became progressively more arrogant, taking it as a sign that Steven was conceding.

"In that case, I'm really sorry. I know nothing about it. But according to your meaning, should I thank you?" Steven shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't a local, and he didn't even understand what they meant by "Agorians," so how could he know about their so-called risks?

However, it was apparent that the purpose of the other party wasn't simply to give him a warning; the real point would come later.

"Of course. Even if you paid the village chief, the entire village still has to bear this risk. Don't you think you should compensate us?" The person who had taken the lead in the conversation had convinced himself and straightened his back, adopting a somewhat entitled demeanor.

"You make a good point. I didn't think that far. So, are you here to ask for additional compensation from me?" Steven listened to their reasoning with a serious expression, as if he agreed with their argument.

"Yes, the money you've brought is not enough. We should get back what belongs to us." Steven's submissive response emboldened these people even further, and some of them unconsciously moved closer to him.

In their eyes, Steven was no longer the mysterious and dangerous Agorian but had transformed into a walking gold mine, a key to unlocking the door to happiness.

Seeing Steven's current appearance, it was clear that he was willing to cooperate with them, right?

"Gold, I do have some, but can you represent all the villagers? Maybe I should go talk to the village chief and see what he says?" Steven wore a troubled expression, and there was a hint of confusion and helplessness in his eyes. Coupled with his youthful appearance that hadn't changed since he crossed over, he looked like an inexperienced youth who had just stepped into the world.

At this moment, even Steven himself felt like he was acting like a drama queen.

"No, it's not necessary to go through so much trouble. Just hand over the money to us, and we'll distribute it to the others." When they heard Steven mention the village chief, the group seemed to panic, as if they held a deep fear of the old man who needed a cane even to walk. Their voices weakened.

"*Cough*, I really don't know when you all started representing everyone in the village." Steven acted as if he was seriously considering their proposal.

"Yes, the money you bought is not enough. We should reclaim what belongs to us." Steven's submissive response further emboldened the group, and one of them unconsciously moved closer to him.

In their eyes, Steven was no longer the mysterious and dangerous "Agorian," but had transformed into a walking gold mine and the key to unlocking the door to happiness.

At this point, it seemed that Steven would cooperate with them.

"Enough, disperse now. Are you trying to make a spectacle by blocking the guest's door?" A voice interrupted the conversation between Steven and the villagers.

Pande, the elderly man, appeared behind the group attempting to extort Steven. His expression remained calm, but Steven felt a kind of pressure emanating from him, as if the old man's presence carried some form of authority. Perhaps this was what people referred to as the aura of someone in a position of power. Steven hadn't expected a village chief in such a small village to possess such an aura.

It appeared that this world was even more interesting than he had imagined.

"Village- Village chief, we just wanted to..." The villagers still tried to explain themselves, but the old man's gaze silenced them all.

"That's enough, disperse. Do you want people to laugh at you after knowing that you are blocking the guest's door?" With a single sentence, the old man dispersed the group of villagers. Steven could feel the bitterness and resentment in their eyes, but none of them dared to speak up.

This situation became increasingly intriguing.

However, it was a bit disappointing for Steven. He had wanted to try to "interact" with these villagers, who appeared to be nothing more than cannon fodder. Maybe he could gain some approval or information from them. It now seemed unlikely.

Steven let out a sigh of disappointment and turned his attention to the old man approaching with a cane.

"Guest, this is food you might need. As I said before, if you have any requests, please come to me. The villagers are not sensible, and I hope you can forgive them." The old man handed Steven a plate of what could be called bread, though it looked more like a black brick.

"Heh, don't say that. If it weren't for your kindness, I might have been subjected to something else." Steven took the plate of food and found this village and the old man even more interesting.

"You're being modest. It's your generosity and not bothering with them that saved the day." The old man lowered his head, and a fleeting look of trepidation passed through his eyes.

He had no idea about the true extent of the young man's abilities, but the scent of the unique blood from Steven's body couldn't escape his nose. Those fools who didn't understand their limits, did they not realize that they might be provoking a terrifying individual?