Chapter 25: The clan leader
At the same time that Silas smashed down his paw, countless realms apart, on one of the deeper floors of the Netherworld, a being sitting in the void opened its eyes with a frown. Countless thoughts and scenarios played through its mind. If one looked closely at the giant¡¯s eyes, they would see endless carnage and a river of blood, enough to push one¡¯s mind into a daze.
The giant was deep in thought. After some contemplation, and with slight hesitation, he stretched out his hand. The void distorted, and space was torn open. As the giant forcefully pushed his hand inside the portal, his flesh withered, and even his hair started turning white. Yet, he did not pause, his face remaining expressionless.
Vorrak, who was desperately trying to escape the giant paw smashing toward him, suddenly felt something. Looking to his right, he saw space being forcefully torn apart, and a skeletal hand appeared out of nowhere. The hand, reduced to bone, grabbed him and pulled him into the torn space. Vorrak couldn¡¯t even put up a struggle.
As soon as Silas¡¯s paw landed, the portal leaving only a thin crack in the space.
Now pale, Vorrak found himself kneeling inside a grand palace. A massive throne, made from the bones of ancient creatures, stood in the middle of the hall¡ªbut no one was there. The hall was empty. Remembering the skeletal hand that had reached out to him, his mind was in turmoil. This place was not unfamiliar to him¡ The last time he had been here was when he had received the seed of the Star Fruit Tree.
As a multitude of emotions coursed through his mind, a calm voice reverberated through the palace.
"Vorrak, you may return."
Vorrak¡¯s eyes turned red, He could not even begin to fathom the price his clan leader had paid to rescue him. He don''t know if the clan leader is disappointed he felt like he had to explain but no words came out of him mouth... he was defeated, that was the truth, at the end he chose to remain silent, he simply knelt and bowed deeply, his forehead touching the ground.
all this while his mind was filled with arrogance of being the top genius of the clan and being valued by the clan leader... he thought he was undefeated and unrivaled in the same realm and he could even easily defeat someone of the higher realm....but this day his confidence and his arrogance were shattered...
In the void, the giant looked at his hand¡ªnow reduced to bone. He shook his head. Was the price worth it?
For him, yes. Vorrak was one of the top geniuses of the clan and carried his lineage. This price was definitely worth it. As for Vorrak losing his motivation after being defeated by someone of a lower realm¡ the giant wasn¡¯t too worried.
There were many strange and bizarre creatures in this universe¡ªbeings that defied all logic and common sense, enough to make one despair and question their existence.
Thinking about the black lion he had perceived in the dungeon, the giant¡¯s gaze flickered.
"A member of the Nyxian Pride¡ They still exist?"
The upcoming times would not be so boring, after all. Memories he wished he had long forgotten slowly surfaced.
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Silas, now alone in the dungeon, pushed thoughts of the giant to the back of his mind. There was no reason to worry about it¡ªif he could kill, he would kill; if the enemy escaped, there was nothing else to be done.
Looking at the tree in the distance, Silas reached out with his paw and grabbed the dungeon core from the altar. As soon as he did, the entire dungeon flickered like a dying lightbulb¡ªthen, suddenly, Silas was back in the forest.
Nina poked her head out from his mane, looking around with excitement. She took a deep breath and muttered, "Young Master, the energy in this place is multiple times higher than my home world. Young Master¡ soon, let¡¯s go home. I''m exhausted from all the fighting and killing¡ Will I get my own separate room?"
Nina looked at Silas expectantly.
Silas: "Home? What home¡? And what do you mean by killing?"
Silas thought about the spider that had begrudgingly taken its last breath, staring at him with resentment.
"Home¡"
Thinking about the shabby cave he had been using as his home, black lines formed on his face. A new question surfaced in his mind¡ª "Do monsters even live in houses?"
He kept his thoughts to himself, forming a new priority in his mind.
"Buy a home before Nina finds out about my situation."
Well, now that he had all the corpses from the dungeon, and considering he carried the entire dungeon core with him, he wasn¡¯t worried about money. The beasts they had killed should be tradeable, right? He also remembered the Nether Stones the old centipede had mentioned¡ and his debt that needed repayment.
His war spoils should be enough¡ right?
Maybe if he had managed to kill that giant, his profits would have been much higher¡ªbut there was nothing he could do about that now.
He asked, "Nina, you mentioned a market where we could trade stuff, right? Would it be possible to trade for Nether Stones?"
"Yes, Young Master, but why do you need Nether Stones? Most of what you need can be purchased using Universal Points and they have a higher purchasing power when compared to nether stones, and nether Stones don¡¯t provide much benefit to you unless you pursue a life profession. Ah¡ªyeah, they¡¯re sometimes used to transfer resources since they¡¯re a stable currency. Universal Points can''t be directly traded, so Nether Stones act as the general currency instead."
"Universal Contribution Points are much more valuable, and there are certain perks when your points reach a certain limit. Since Universal Points are difficult to obtain, you can either kill Nether Monsters or work as a craftsman¡ªcreating and selling items via the system store."
Silas navigated to the market tab and selected to sell all the items in his inventory except the dungeon core.
A prompt appeared:
Total value of items: 430 Nether Stones. Finalize the deal?
Silas pressed "Yes." All his items vanished, replaced by an icon of pitch-dark stones with the number 430 beneath it.
After spending so long clearing the dungeon, he was now left with only 430 stones. He still had to pay 200 as a penalty¡
Silas felt his heart bleed.
Well, it was better than being hunted down. With 230 stones left, he should be able to afford a home, right?
Seeing Silas''s sour expression, Nina muttered, "Young Master, if you¡¯re willing to sell the dungeon core, you could get around 30,000 stones."
"30,000?"
Silas was tempted¡ªbut he held himself back.
Nether Stones could be obtained easily, even if it took some time. But getting a dungeon core was far more difficult. This was just an Iron Rank dungeon core, yet it had Bronze Rank mini-bosses and a Silver Rank final boss¡
He could only imagine the high-ranked dungeons.
And when you belonged to a party, your profits dwindled. Most people didn¡¯t even try to claim the dungeon core¡ªit would trigger the final boss monster¡¯s appearance. Since Iron Rank dungeons only allowed Iron Rank members inside, facing a Silver Rank boss was practically a death sentence¡
Unless you were someone who didn¡¯t fit under common sense.
Chapter 26: Countdown to extinction
Silas closed his eyes and muttered, ¡°Return.¡± It had been a long time since he had last set foot in the human world. His heart was filled with carnage, and he needed a change of environment. Even though he hadn¡¯t faced much danger here, nothing compared to the feeling of being home. Moreover, there were things he needed to check, so he decided to return and take care of them.
Silas opened his eyes and immediately felt the surge of power coursing through him. His evolution points had reached the maximum limit for the Iron rank. A smile formed on his lips as he sensed his strength¡ªit was exhilarating. He had completely bypassed the usual one evolution point per day limit imposed on humans. Perhaps it was different for other races, but Silas didn¡¯t know for sure. A hundred days might not seem like much at this stage, but as one advanced to higher ranks, the requirements became exponentially harsher. To reach Bronze rank, he would need 1,000 evolution points¡ªa tenfold increase. Silver rank required 10,000 points, and the pattern continued. Progression wasn¡¯t just about accumulating points; stringent requirements also came into play. For instance, one needed to find a martial spirit at Silver rank. That was precisely why humanity lacked high-ranked evolvers.
"Inventory," Silas muttered. A screen flickered before him, revealing his stored items. He let out a sigh of relief at the sight of his condo and the dungeon core. Now, his plan could proceed smoothly. He retrieved the dungeon core from the inventory. It was a large, fist-sized object adorned with intricate golden runes. He examined it briefly before putting it back, lost in thought.
With the ability to transfer resources between both worlds, Silas could now buy special items to strengthen his human body. He also considered capturing powerful beasts as summons and forging a grimoire that would enhance his abilities. His human form needed more combat strength. Should he bring that little lass over here as well? She could be useful. The possibility intrigued him¡ªafter all, if the Star Fruit Tree from the dungeon core could be taken to the human world, then perhaps she could too. Once the grimoire was complete, he could allocate a page for Nina, creating a way for her to travel between realms.
The sheer complexity of the universal system fascinated Silas. Who could have created something so extraordinary? The inventory alone was a mystery. If he focused on a beast-taming or summoner lineage, he was certain he could eventually acquire exotic beast eggs. The thought of riding a dragon, instilling awe¡ªahem¡ªbeing revered by the masses, filled him with anticipation.
With another thought, Silas opened the Universal Point Shop. "Good, this works too," he muttered. He could now purchase items directly in the human world, even those beyond the inventory¡¯s handling capacity. A truly mysterious system indeed. Could he capture a Nether Demon and tame it? That giant thing seemed powerful¡ His mind wandered with possibilities.
Meanwhile, in one of the human world¡¯s major cities, a high-level meeting was taking place. The atmosphere inside the conference hall was grim. Top-ranked evolvers and military officials sat around a table, their expressions dark with concern.
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A man slammed his fist down in frustration. "Mr. Kim, you said we had another decade before the merge was complete! Why is everything accelerating?"
Mr. Kim frowned deeply. "I don¡¯t know either. Based on our previous calculations, the barrier between worlds should have held for at least ten more years before showing signs of weakening. But something¡ something on the other side is rapidly draining its energy. Whatever it is, it¡¯s accelerating the collapse far beyond our expectations. We don¡¯t have time. We need to move to Plan B."
Another official grimaced. "Our nuclear arsenals were already depleted after that disaster. Right now, we have only eight Diamond-ranked evolvers and about a thousand Gold-ranked ones. Based on our power assessments, we¡¯ll be absolutely crushed once the barrier falls."
Silence fell over the room.
Mr. Kim sighed. "I know what you¡¯re all thinking. But the truth is, we didn¡¯t have enough time to develop further."
Mr. Shaw, one of the eight Diamond-ranked evolvers, leaned forward. "Back when the mana awakening happened, Blue Star experienced an unprecedented catastrophe. Seventy percent of the world¡¯s population perished in a single day. Most people assumed it was a side effect of the mana awakening¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t." His voice was grim. "The truth is, even the awakening itself was a side effect of something much bigger: a world crashing into Blue Star. The surge of mana we experienced was a mere leak from that world. Fortunately, a mysterious barrier protected our planet, preventing direct destruction. But even the shockwaves were enough to wipe out most of humanity.
"And now, that same barrier is deteriorating at an alarming rate. It was supposed to hold for much longer, but something has accelerated its collapse. Just last week, we detected a severe drop in its energy levels. We barely have any time left."
The weight of his words settled over the room like a suffocating fog.
"If we can¡¯t stop this," Mr. Kim continued, "our only option is to abandon Blue Star. We¡¯ll have to retreat into the gates. Only awakened individuals can enter. The rest¡" His voice trailed off, as the image of his wife and their young daughter appeared on his mind, even if he faltered.... he should not as one of the pillars of humanity
Their silence spoke volumes. If they couldn¡¯t stop this disaster, they would have to leave the majority of humanity behind to perish. They couldn¡¯t even announce it publicly¡ªit would cause unnecessary riots and chaos.
Now, within a week, they needed to locate every awakened individual and move forward with the contingency plan. If the crisis was averted, they could return. If not¡
The highest-ranked evolvers¡ªtheir world¡¯s last line of defense¡ªwould stay behind and fight.
The war protocols were initiated. A full information blackout was enforced. Top officials were barred from contacting their families to prevent leaks. The next seven days would decide humanity¡¯s fate.
On the massive screen behind them, a countdown appeared:
175 hours 45 minutes 23 seconds to extinction.
A heavy silence fell over the room. Some inwardly cursed whoever had thought of adding that countdown¡ªit wasn¡¯t helping their sanity.
Alerts were sent to world leaders, and a global virtual war room was established to strategize one last time¡ to survive.
¡ª
Oblivious to the existential crisis looming over his home world, Silas was preoccupied with something far more personal¡ªhatching schemes to shake the world with his power and establish himself as a celebrity.
After spending a few peaceful hours at Uncle Jay¡¯s shop, he finally decided to return to home.
But as he was heading home, his phone buzzed.
A new message had arrived¡
Chapter 27: A legacy site appeared?
Hunters Bureau ¨C We have found traces of a legacy site, suspected to be a remnant of an ancient sect, most likely one that excelled in the beast taming/summoner lineage. Our analysis shows that it is a test site meant to select disciples. The Hunters Bureau has decided to open the site to the public. The portals will be activated on the 4th of December. Please click the link below to register:
https://www.associationofhunters.com/public/legacysites
Participants will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis, as we are unsure how many people will be able to claim the rewards. It is suspected that the top legacies contain eggs of ancient mythical beasts.
Silas¡¯s eyes lit up as he muttered, ¡°I was just thinking about finding a good beast, and with these eggs of ancient mythical beasts and my grimoire, I should be unstoppable, right? Moreover, the Star Fruit will soon give birth to a Star Wolf. Nina was excited about it, so it shouldn¡¯t be that bad compared to those ancient beast eggs, right?¡±
Silas was tempted but decided to check the Hunters Forum first¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to get scammed by clicking random links. Phishing was a real issue these days.
Inside the Hunter Association webpage, a pop-up appeared on the homepage, mentioning the legacy site and prompting users to register. After browsing the forum, Silas concluded that it was probably legitimate, especially since all major countries had announced the same event.
¡°Is this a joint operation? And only people below Gold rank can enter the site?¡± Silas pondered. ¡°That must be because younger ones are easier to mold compared to those already at Gold rank.¡±
Without wasting time, he quickly registered on the website. He then decided to return to the monster world immediately¡ªhe needed to forge a grimoire and hatch the Star Wolf first. Only then would he have a better chance of obtaining the egg of a mythical beast.
¡°Nina, what were you saying?¡± Silas asked as he returned from his short trip.
Nina rolled her eyes. ¡°Young Master, you were mentioning increasing my pay, considering my exceptional performance.¡±
Silas: ¡
¡°Are you not satisfied with 20%?¡± Silas rolled his eyes.
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As the two chatted, a huge shadow suddenly loomed over them. Silas slowly turned his head, stiffly muttering, ¡°Damn it, the collection agent is back.¡±
The centipede spoke in a feminine voice, ¡°Good lad. Looks like you cleared the dungeon even sooner than I expected.¡±
Silas could only smile stiffly.
The centipede extended one of its claws toward him.
Silas: ¡
Grumbling internally, Silas reluctantly handed over the two hundred Nether Stones.
After taking the Nether Stones, the centipede gave him a location in case he wanted to find her. She also reminded him not to cause any more trouble before quickly leaving, seemingly in a hurry.
Silas looked around, lost in thought. The first thing he needed was a good residence. The second was completing all his elemental affinities.
With his current progress rate, Silas estimated it could take him a century¡ªafter all, it was incredibly rare to come across anything that granted rare affinities. He hadn¡¯t even encountered the Time and Space affinity fruits yet.
¡°Do they even exist?¡± he muttered.
¡°Nina, do you know anything about fruits that grant affinities?¡±
Nina: ¡
¡°Young Master, as far as I know, there are treasures that can increase affinities, but I¡¯m not sure if something can outright grant them. For example,¡± she pointed toward a blue berry plant in the distance, ¡°those Frostbite Berries are said to help people with frost affinities, but they¡¯re considered low-level natural treasures. Eating them slightly increases affinity for those with ice affinity.
¡°There are rarer natural treasures to boost ice affinity¡ªlike the essence blood of an Ice Phoenix, Ice Spirit Liquid, or the Heart of Ice. But they¡¯re all incredibly valuable.¡±
Silas: ¡
Damn it. Looks like I underestimated the bloodline power of a Nyxian.
From what he had gathered, he¡¯d really lucked out. Now, he was certain it wasn¡¯t possible for people to acquire elemental affinities simply by eating natural treasures. Affinities were randomly formed upon reaching Bronze rank. Even consuming precious natural treasures would only slightly strengthen an existing affinity, helping to learn skills faster, but it wouldn¡¯t grant an elemental heart.
To be honest, at one point, Silas had thought the beasts of this world were incredibly lucky¡ªthey could awaken their elemental hearts just by eating roadside fruits. He had even dreamed of becoming a wholesale trader, using his inventory to harvest these fruits and sell them in the human world for exorb¡ª ahem¡ªfor an affordable price to strengthen humanity.
But even if these fruits were helpful, their effects were too negligible. If he started selling them, he¡¯d look like a scammer.
With his remaining Nether Stones, Silas swiftly navigated to the Daily Essentials section while discreetly hiding the panel from Nina.
Click¡ª Purchase.
Silas casually bought a makeshift expandable mansion for 30 Nether Stones.
¡°Huh¡ these are actually pretty affordable¡ª¡±
Fuck.
Each Nether Stone was equivalent to hundreds of Bronze-ranked monster corpses. He had just spent a hefty sum¡ for a condo.
But after reading the description, he let out a sigh of relief. The materials used were worthy of the price¡ªit could withstand attacks from Silver-tiered beasts with ease.
Chapter 28: Dwarven tavern
With the leftover 200 stones, Silas pondered his options. If skill books were affordable, he might have considered getting one. But damn¡ªwhen he searched the store, his jaw nearly hit the floor. Not all skill books were the same. A Fireball skill book was obviously of lower value compared to something like Armageddon, which allowed the user to summon a meteor. Even if both had high growth potential, a meteor would always be more powerful than a fireball of the same level and size. A skill like Armageddon would naturally cause far more destruction than a fireball of a similar tier.
But even a Fireball skill book cost a whopping 1 million universal points!
Silas, who had slaughtered thousands of iron- and bronze-ranked monsters, had only managed to gather around 40,000 points. He had completely cleared an entire dungeon, yet he still couldn¡¯t afford a basic spell like Fireball. Meanwhile, high-tier skills like Armageddon were priced at a staggering 30 million points.
And that wasn¡¯t even the worst part. Simply obtaining a skill book wasn¡¯t enough. One had to continuously train, improving their proficiency to unlock the skill¡¯s full potential. Mastering a skill was a long and arduous process.
Sighing, Silas muttered, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s check the price of a healing skill.¡±
Obtaining a skill book was so rare that some hunters wouldn¡¯t even find one after killing tens of thousands of monsters. The only reason he had been able to farm so many was due to the overwhelming strength of his Nyxian body. Most hunters could take months just to clear a single dungeon alone.
Even if someone farmed dungeons day and night, it might take them years to obtain a single skill book¡ªif they were unlucky.
Still, he couldn¡¯t complain. At least skill books could be purchased with universal points here in the shop. Back in the human world, that option didn¡¯t even exist. The number of healers in the entire world could probably be counted on one hand, and each one was treated as a national treasure.
Heal - 150,000,000 universal points.
Silas stumbled backward.
¡°150 what?! How many zeroes is that¡?¡±
He checked again.
¡°¡Damn it! 150 million points for a healing skill? Why don¡¯t you just rob people instead¡ªwait¡ why am I complaining? I¡¯m the one who lucked out.¡±
Silas sighed and made a mental note to build a memorial for the Giant Arachnite. Hell, he¡¯d even be willing to be their ambassador at this point.
¡°Young master, what¡¯s with that expression?¡± Nina asked, tilting her head. ¡°You look so weird¡ I didn¡¯t know a person¡¯s face could show so many expressions and colors at once.¡±
Silas: ¡
¡°Just wait until I get a transformation skill, little lass¡¡± Silas muttered. ¡°These hands were not made to deal with you.¡±
Nina¡¯s eyes widened, and she immediately dove into his mane, mumbling, ¡°Young master always tries to bully me¡¡±
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Silas shook his head as he rubbed his paws together. ¡°Nothing beats a good spanking.¡±
Nina, who had just peeked out from his mane, slowly slid back inside as if she hadn¡¯t heard anything.
At least transformation skills were affordable¡ªonly 2.5 million points¡
Affordable? Well, relatively speaking.
Thinking back to the Shadow Terror, Silas couldn¡¯t help but wonder what skills it had. That thing had been able to seamlessly slip in and out of shadows¡ªan assassin¡¯s dream skill. Too bad he hadn¡¯t been able to obtain it.
As he continued browsing, Silas discovered a selection of natural treasures that could enhance elemental affinities. His heart leaped with excitement¡ªfinding treasures that granted affinities was getting harder and harder. He had almost given up on acquiring the time and space affinities, but to his surprise, the universal store even carried treasures for them.
But why are they greyed out?
Out of stock? Damn it.
As Silas was grumbling to himself, a new item suddenly appeared.
[Ripple of Time] ¨C An image of a water droplet appeared on the screen.
Ripple of Time ¨C A drop from the River of Time, containing the essence of the laws of time.
Cost: 40,000 Universal Points.
Silas didn¡¯t hesitate for a second. That was all the points he had, but¡ªPurchase.
A small glass bottle appeared in his inventory.
[Ripple of Time x1]
Without a second thought, Silas gulped it down in one go.
[Consumed Ripple of Time. Obtained 1 Time Elemental Affinity.]
Silas breathed a sigh of relief.
One point¡ acceptable. He would have been heartbroken if it had only given him 0.1 affinity points.
So, 4 million points just to reach 100% in Time Affinity?
It was expensive, but others wouldn¡¯t even get such an opportunity in the first place.
¡°I should find a place with a lot of dungeons and just camp there¡¡± Silas thought.
At one point, he had started to doubt whether he could truly acquire all affinities. Sure, he had unlimited time, but finding the necessary resources was an entirely different challenge. He might not run out of lifespan, but the mental exhaustion of constantly searching for treasures could still break him.
But now, with the system store, at least he had a possibility.
Silas paused and looked up at the sky.
¡°How many years will this take¡? Can I even find enough dungeons to clear?¡±
Pushing that thought aside, he shifted his focus.
¡°First, I need to forge a grimoire. Or find someone who can do it for me.¡±
Silas scrolled through the Craftsman section and navigated to the Grimoire subsection.
As soon as he clicked, a flashy pop-up appeared. Bright, colorful lights flashed across the screen, showcasing an array of ornate grimoires. A short, stout dwarf swung a hammer in the corner of the advertisement.
[20% Discount at the Dwarven Tavern for the Dwarven New Year! Offer ends in 1 day. Priority given to first-come, first-serve customers!]
Silas stared at the screen.
¡°¡Ads?¡±
He never expected to see advertisements popping up in the system panel.
¡°Should I install an ad blocker? Or do I have to pay a subscription fee?¡± he muttered. Then he sighed.
¡°Well, guess I¡¯m heading to the Dwarven Tavern.¡±
Another notification appeared.
[Would you like to enter the Dwarven Tavern?]
Silas hesitated. He had assumed it was just an online storefront or video conference¡ but this was an actual teleportation option.
How advanced are the people who built this system?
Back in the human world, even with the emergence of mana, teleportation was still considered a myth.
Silas pressed [Yes].
Chapter 29: Sing and be merry
A loud, bustling noise filled the air as Silas found himself standing in a lively marketplace. He glanced down at his hands¡ªshort, thick, and covered in callouses.
Did I turn into a dwarf?
Amused, he looked around. The tavern was full of life. Dwarves sat at long wooden tables, gripping massive jugs of ale, while a group of dwarven women sang merrily in the center of the hall. On one side, blacksmiths wielding hammers as tall as themselves pounded rhythmically on anvils, their strikes ringing like drumbeats. The clang of metal blended seamlessly with the singers¡¯ voices, creating a mesmerizing harmony.
For stone and steel, we are the kings
The world will shake under our mighty swings
Hammer and anvil, our closest kin,
But ale and rum¡ªwe¡¯ll drink them in!
One toast to the brave,
Another toast to the dead below!
Fill your cups, march to the drum¡ª
The mighty dwarven legion is coming for your rum!
"Aww, the famous Dwarven Tavern!" Nina¡¯s excited voice chimed as she floated around Silas. "I never thought I''d get to visit this place in my lifetime!"
The whole tavern roared with cheer. Some dwarves sang, others swung their cups left and right, sloshing ale onto the floor.
Even Silas felt his exhaustion fade. For a moment, all the battles and killings he''d experienced seemed to disappear. The sheer energy of the place made him want to join in, to sing and drink alongside them.
But he had business to take care of.
At the far end of the tavern, he spotted a counter where a dwarven woman stood beneath a wooden sign labeled Reception.
"Miss, I¡¯d like to forge a grimoire," Silas said as he approached. "I saw the advertisement about a 20% discount¡ªdo I need to book an appointment?"
The receptionist''s eyes lit up. A big customer!
"You''re in luck, sir! The discount ends today. Normally, forging a grimoire for the first time costs 100,000 universal points, but with the discount, it¡¯ll be just 80,000." She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice. "The high price comes from the rare resources needed to forge a first-time grimoire, but the cost includes all materials, and such discount I bet no one will be able to provide"
"It''ll take a week to complete. You can either pay in advance or when you pick it up," she continued. "Also, if you''re interested in weapons, we have a showroom just across the hall where you can browse or commission custom work."
Silas nodded. That suited him just fine. He signed the contract and deposited the dungeon core. As for the remaining 80,000 points¡ two dungeon clears would be enough to cover it.
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Turning his attention to Nina, he wondered what she was up to¡ª
On the other side of the tavern, four pixies sat around a massive table, each with a comically large jug of ale, big enough to drown them. One of them, her face flushed red, hiccuped intermittently.
"You know¡ hicc¡ young master just jumped¡ªso high! Hic¡ªhe pulled out his spear and¡ªhic¡ªhe was so massive, the whole dungeon shook! BOOM!" Nina reenacted dramatically, nearly toppling over.
The other pixies leaned in, listening with wide eyes.
"And then¡ the spider monster got scared¡ªit tried to run underground! But I was there! Hic! I pulled out my bow¡ªhic¡ªand nailed it to the ground! Helped young master kill it! He was so impressed, he¡ he even shared his profit with me! You know¡ 15%!"
A stunned silence followed. The other pixies¡¯ jaws dropped.
Their basic pay? 100 universal points per year. A 5% increase annually.
"You know," Nina added with a smug grin, "young master even promised to buy me a house!"
A sharp intake of breath.
A house? That was beyond extravagant!
They turned to glance at their own masters¡ªwho were currently locked in a heated argument with a shopkeeper, desperately haggling over a measly five nether stones.
Some pixies felt their eyes turn green with envy.
Meanwhile, Nina stood tall, hands on her hips, nose held high, proudly basking in their admiration. At some point, she even stood on the table to reenact her "glorious" battle.
Silas, listening from the corner, could only roll his eyes.
You asked for a room, and now it¡¯s a whole mansion?
And pinning the spider down? Helping him kill it? Yeah, right.
Still, seeing her happily showing off, he decided to let her be. She¡¯d automatically teleport back with him when he left anyway. No harm in letting her have her fun.
With that settled, he turned toward the weapon showroom. He had heard that they accepted nether stones as payment, and he had a decent amount stockpiled. This was a rare chance to get a legendary dwarven weapon.
The exchange rate of nether stones to universal points was 100 points per stone. However, no one ever exchanged points for nether stones¡ªuniversal points were far more valuable.
As Silas walked toward the showroom, he suddenly sensed something.
From the corner of her eye, Nina spotted him moving.
Young master is trying to sneak off without me?!
Completely forgetting that she had been the one ignoring him while bragging, she immediately shot up.
"Okay, guys! Looks like my young master is done with his business. I¡¯ll be heading out now!" Nina waved at the other pixies. "Tell my mom and dad not to worry¡ªI¡¯m doing great!"
With that, she fluttered off after Silas.
"Riyu, do you think Nina was telling the truth?" one of the pixies whispered.
Riyu hesitated. "Maybe¡ who knows? Good for her, I guess."
"But it¡¯s only been a few days! So lucky¡"
Reeza tugged at Riyu¡¯s sleeve. "Come on, let¡¯s follow them! Our masters are still arguing, and we¡¯re bored anyway. Let¡¯s see what they¡¯re buying!"
With that, the two pixies quietly slipped after Silas and Nina, curiosity sparkling in their eyes.
Nina, meanwhile, finally caught up, pouting.
"Young master! You forgot me and went shopping alone!" She crossed her arms, puffing out her cheeks in mock anger.
Silas sighed. "I didn''t forget you. You were too busy bragging about your ¡®great accomplishments.¡¯"
Nina huffed. "Well, I was telling the truth!"
Silas raised an eyebrow. "Oh, about how you pinned down the spider?"
Nina¡¯s face turned slightly red. "Ahem! Let¡¯s focus on weapons, young master!"
Silas smirked but let it slide. "Fine. Let¡¯s go."
And with that, the two of them stepped into the legendary dwarven weapon showroom.