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墨書 Inktalez
"Cut it out! Don't make useless assumptions. Our Gathering Place accepts challenges from any enemy, including Zombies. No matter how tough the opponent is, we have confidence in driving them back. So stop worrying about the Carrot and hurry up with your selection; I still have to serve the people behind you!" The Trader said impatiently.
Behind him sat a miserable-looking man on the sofa, clearly struggling. He was holding a woven bag that seemed to contain large Essence Fruits, probably four or five of them!
To the Chamber President, such items were hardly worth mentioning. Moreover, they were of the lowest grade. Having dealt with Essence Fruits frequently, he had become adept at judging their quality by smell alone.
It was merely a matter of Vital Energy levels.
Now, the Trader's poor attitude was almost unbearable for him. However, as a successful businessman, he knew that some things had to be tolerated.
This was essential for any merchant, especially in this apocalyptic world; one had to maintain a degree of respect for everyone.
Of course, this did not extend to his goods. Those slaves were just asking for trouble.
"I want to trade 4,000 of the lowest grade Essence Fruits for higher grade ones. When can I complete this transaction?" He no longer looked down at the list; most of it was a purchasing list, and there were very few items for sale here.
"Sure! Just fill out this order form and head to the warehouse in the back to complete the trade," the Trader said, shooing him away like a fly.
He felt helpless; this was their territory. Although he used to think of Gathering Place as a bunch of poor folks.
Now he dared not speak out. He needed to observe more; hearing is deceiving, but seeing is believing. It was better to understand others' strengths by watching closely.
With that thought in mind, he turned to leave. However, another incident nearly drove him mad: that poor guy actually went up to the Trader and sold those five Essence Fruits.
He could tell they were the lowest grade junk—just like what he was selling—but the quantity was completely different!
Looking back at the Trader, he was smiling like one of those flirtatious barmaids, all sycophantic and even pouring a glass of water for that poor guy!
Here he was trying to sell 4,000 Essence Fruits, and they were practically kicking him out! What kind of treatment was this?
Remembering this, he felt a surge of anger rising within him. With a face full of fury, he began to descend the stairs.
At that moment, he seemed to spot another unfortunate soul, equally frustrated, with a bandage wrapped around his head. Upon seeing him, the man suddenly shouted, "Old Carrot! The big merchant! What brings you here to suffer as well?"
The words immediately made him realize that the fellow across from him was someone he knew.
Upon closer inspection, he recognized him as another merchant from the Gathering Place. However, this fellow typically dealt in high-end goods, specializing in premium Essence Fruits. His own strength allowed him to operate independently without many subordinates, which naturally made him faster.
"Old Skin! You’re here too. What happened? If I remember correctly, you’re a Third-Stage Esper, right? How did you end up like this? Who did this to you?" the plump Old Carrot asked incredulously.
Old Skin helplessly covered his head. "Don’t mention it. I was trying to show off when I first arrived and got taken down by their Gatekeeper."
"Let’s not block the way here; we should hurry up and leave. Otherwise, if they penalize us for obstructing trade, we’ll end up losing money," Old Skin urged as he pulled Old Carrot out of the Trading Hall and into a nearby tavern.
A tavern was an essential place in this post-apocalyptic world. Even if one didn’t drink, it was still a favorite spot for merchants.
"Two beers!" Old Skin handed over two New Hope Currency coins and settled into a corner with Old Carrot.
"I’m Old Skin. You, my fellow, usually prefer sitting in the middle for the prestige, right? Why are you hiding in the corner now as if afraid of being seen? And what’s going on in this cursed place? Why do those people dislike us so much?" Old Carrot grumbled as he took a sip of his drink while looking at his not-so-familiar companion.
"Why sit in the corner? To avoid getting beaten up! They’re all official residents of Totenburg—people with status. We’re just a bunch of merchants from other Gathering Places; we should be grateful if we don’t get beaten," Old Skin replied, seemingly enjoying his drink.
"How can you stand this? With your temper, wouldn’t you have already turned this Gathering Place upside down to confront them?" Old Carrot began drinking as well.
Old Skin quickly gestured for silence. "Are you crazy? Want to turn this Gathering Place upside down? Are you looking for death? Don’t even say such things! Did you not hear me earlier? I was at the city gate and got taken down by one of the gate officials; I didn’t even encounter their combat troops or see any of their higher-ups."
"I need to give you a little education; don't drag me down with you." Old Skin's seriousness made Carrot quiet down. As a merchant in this post-apocalyptic world, there were some things he needed to know. He might not have a business mind, but he had to do his best to stay alive.
"There are so many good things in this Gathering Place. There are supplies, and you don't even have to barter directly; just sell them. Cash is convenient and easy to carry. Besides, you can't buy anything good through bartering; you can only exchange for different levels of Essence Fruit, and those things have huge profits."
"Here, the best items are weapons!"
"Psychic Weapons, even the lowest-grade Psychic Weapons, are valuable. And there's no limit; as long as you have money, you can buy them, though they are a bit pricey."
...
Old Skin explained many things about the Gathering Place to him. Totenburg was no longer the Totenburg it used to be; here, one could buy all sorts of magical items. They even saw airplanes and cars, though the prices were outrageous.
During the explanation, Carrot also realized their strength was beyond what they could handle. He was puzzled about whether these were elite fighters sent to intimidate others or just ordinary guards with such combat power.
This point was crucial. Which Gathering Place didn't have a few Third Stage or Fourth Stage powerhouses? But having them didn't mean there were many! It was likely that a Gathering Place would only have two or three at most.
If they were organized, that would be terrifying.
"Carrot! Let me tell you a secret—though it won't be a secret for long. Anyway, I've already sold my share for 00 bucks. Lame Song the Fourth is about to attack here soon. In just a few hours, we'll witness a great battle. Then we'll know their strengths and weaknesses. There are over ten Fourth Stage powerhouses; what kind of force is that? They've set their sights on this place." (To be continued)
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