Chương 99: Chapter 104: Poor Merchant

"I am capable of offering no more than two hundred thousand points. Any more than that and I'll incur a loss. You'll have to understand, the marketplace is already full of potions of any kind, and this one is pretty basic too. Something found within the bounds of the tutorial couldn't possibly be worth more. The price is already this high due to the sheer quantity you managed to obtain, and after calculating the transaction fees, transportation, reselling, permits…"

The little crossbreed between a dwarf and a mole went on ranting about how, in his magnanimity, he was giving us the best price possible while at the same time salivating at the prospect of putting his hands on the golden liquid we had brought to his "store." He had a really good poker face, and his tone and mannerisms were top notch. If I didn't know the real value of the treasure we had, I would have been fooled too. But there was something the little guy wasn't capable of controlling. His own aura.

He was basically broadcasting to anyone capable of sensing it how much he desired the potion. I didn't know exactly how I knew, but when my own senses brushed against his aura, the message was pretty clear. Anyway, I tried to talk some sense into this guy, but there was no way he would let us access the System store itself. He kept lying straight to our faces that it was impossible. At some point I was internally debating whether it was worth ruining my own eardrums just to stop hearing the bastard talk.

As he droned on, I turned to Vix.

"I can't take this thing anymore. Are you satisfied now? Or do you enjoy making us suffer in vain?" I told the tall blue alien. I noticed that compared to the dwarf-mole man, his appearance was much less off-putting.

"I wanted you to see what it is like to deal with these scum," he said in a clear and loud voice. The mole-dwarf fell silent at his voice, a contrived expression appearing for just a moment before returning to his usual smile. Not that the smile helped.

"They lie and try to take advantage of anyone. It doesn't matter the condition, race, circumstances, or any other factor except how much they can line their pockets. Hey!" he shouted to the merchant.

"Shut your trap for a moment. You know I'm talking about you. And give them access to the System shop." The merchant looked at a loss for words for a moment. He swallowed hard before trying to save the situation.

"Lord O'Ran, as I explained previously, it is impossible to access that part of the System at this date. That's why we took it upon ourselves as our duty to help any tutorialis—" An intense pressure spread from Vix. We weren't the targets, but everyone still took a step back.

"You sniveling piece of trash. You dare lie to my face? You are lucky that I am forbidden from acting on my desires here, or you'd be a stain on the wall by now." The amount of outrage I could feel from the alien was incredible, and the fact that he was willing to kill over something like a merchant lying said it all about how the multiverse worked. The mole-dwarf went really pale at that thought, trying to say something but failing as Vix's aura bore down on him.

"As stated in the seventeenth article of the commercial section of the Tutorial Codex, Section 5, Clause 2 states: Merchants operating within Tutorial safe zones may offer alternative goods, services, and pricing structures; however, such operations shall be classified as supplementary markets rather than replacement markets." This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Clause 2, Subsection D then elaborates: Supplementary markets must maintain open pathways to the System exchange if the market occupies, overlaps with, or replaces a previously established System trade node."

"Clause 4, Subsection A reads: Any participant may issue a Formal Access Request to the merchant controlling the node." His speech grew in speed and intensity.

"And Subsection B states: Upon receipt of a Formal Access Request, the merchant must either provide access to the System interface or demonstrate that the interface no longer exists under legitimate administrative authority."

"If a merchant fails to provide access after a Formal Access Request has been issued, the System will automatically classify the Safe Zone as a contested interface and restore baseline access privileges to the requesting party, overriding any private restrictions." He took a breath.

"Elias, repeat after me. And repeat it perfectly: In accordance with Tutorial Codex Articles 7, 3, and 12, and pursuant to Section 9, Clause 4, I hereby issue a Formal Access Request to the System Trading Interface located at this Safe Zone." Damn, that was fucking long.

"In accordance with Tutorial Codex Articles 7, 3, and 12, and pursuant to Section 9, Clause 4, I hereby issue a Formal Access Request to the System Trading Interface located at this Safe Zone." Everyone looked at Vix as he stood up, slamming all four of his hands down on the merchant's counter. For his part, the mole-dwarf looked like he was just about to pass out.

"No… why? WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME??" he screamed impotently at the blue man.

"I'm ruined… I won't be able to pay back the debts… Gruta… my dear Gruta, I'm sorry, I failed you… why?" He started staring up at the wooden ceiling, seeming to have lost his mind. Vix's satisfied expression said it all about how he felt about the whole thing.

"Go on. Place a hand on the counter and you should be able to access the System shop again." I did so, and an interface appeared. It was the same one I used in the first safe zone. I went to the selling section.

"I need authorization from every one of you to sell the potions and the other loot," I said to the whole group, who were still chattering about the drama that had unfolded here. I sent a request to all of them, then I started receiving confirmations back. We had already discussed everything, and nobody messed anything up. When I looked at the price offered for the entire batch of potions, my jaw almost dropped. Nearly three million points. 2, 863, 060 to be precise. I said the number aloud.

Gasps and shouts of surprise, joy, and excitement filled the merchant's shop. The merchant himself seemed to die a little more after hearing the voices.

"Sell it to me and I will give you exactly that price. Contrary to this little shit, I have no wish to deprive you of your hard-earned points."

"I will," I said, "but tell me first: how rare is this liquid outside the tutorial? I'm sure someone of your standing doesn't have trouble going around and finding or buying what he wants." He looked at me, a small smile spreading across his face.

"It's good that you understand. Outside of the tutorial it will be worth even more. Mind you, not an exorbitant amount, but it is rare to find anything infused with lifeforce that isn't snatched up quickly. The most valuable thing about this liquid is the possibility of refining it, concentrating it, and enhancing it."

"I don't need to create some lifespan elixir with it. No, my intention is to use it to unlock a prerequisite to obtain a lifeforce-related skill. You have no idea how rare and precious they are. I still have no idea how you managed to obtain one… did you fall into the pond before getting it?" I thought about what he said. If it was so hard to get even the prerequisites for skills or class evolutions, my achievements that reduced requirements would play an even bigger role than I thought.

I would have to think more about how to proceed later. Maybe my plan of working and testing my skills more was a double-edged sword. I could get better evolutions, yes, but the speed and reduced requirements granted by the Tutorial should be taken advantage of to the fullest.

"No, I got that skill before finding the pond. But I ate a fruit that boosted my Vitality before getting the skill. Could that be the reason?"

"A fruit, you say? Maybe it was a natural treasure. Was it a flat increase or percentage-based?"

"Both. We ate many. Each gave a flat bonus, then after eating enough we got a percentage increase due to a Vital Surge or something like that." I saw him make a disgusted face.

"Damnable first generation. Finding something like this would already be a miracle. Do you have any idea how long it takes to grow any kind of natural treasure? And the cost involved? No, of course you don't."

"And having it lead to unlocking a lifeforce skill…" He breathed deeply a couple of times, seemingly trying to calm himself. Was it really as good as he said? The more he talked about how lucky we were, the more worried I became. I felt like I was wasting time. Every second here was precious. I needed to make the most of it.