novelraw Chapter 187
Chapter 187
“Haha, we’re all friends here.” Leon patted Krobus on the head. He couldn’t reach Krobus’s shoulder, so the head would have to do.
To his surprise, the black little fellow felt soft and springy to the touch, almost like cotton.
“Still, I’m planning to keep a low profile for a while. Don’t want to cause you any trouble,” Krobus said, clearly enjoying Leon’s touch—his mouth stretched into a wide grin.
“Keep a low profile?” Leon looked at Krobus, puzzled. He couldn’t see what difference it made for Krobus to stay quietly in the sewers.
“It’s one of my special abilities. If I remain in complete silence, I can blend into the darkness—like an animal hibernating. My presence becomes so faint that I’m almost impossible to detect.”
“Any side effects for you?” Leon asked with concern.
“None.” Krobus shook his head. “It’s just like sleeping.”
“Oh, so that means I won’t be able to visit you?”
“I can wake up from that state whenever I want. But honestly, there’s nothing much fun down here, and humans can’t tolerate the sewer smell for long. Unless you have something to trade, I don’t recommend dropping by too often.” Krobus’s words were entirely for Leon’s sake.
“I don’t mind. Speaking of trade, have you gotten anything good lately?” Leon asked, waving his hand. He was quite curious about Krobus’s latest stock.“Same as always. No new goods. You can check for yourself.”
Krobus pulled out his large sack and poured the contents onto the ground.
The most eye-catching items were still the piles of Void Essence and Solar Essence, followed by various monster drops—bat wings, slime jelly, and the like.
“Void Essence still a hundred gold each?” Leon asked, tempted. As someone with inside information, he knew this material’s price was bound to rise.
“Mm. Do you want them?”
“How many do you have?”
“About forty.”
“Four thousand gold, huh… I didn’t bring that much with me.” The price didn’t surprise Leon, but he hadn’t planned for such a big purchase today.
“You can take them first. I know what you’re thinking. You can pay me back after you sell them.”
“You’re not afraid I’ll just run off with them?” Leon teased.
“You won’t. I trust you, Leon. And honestly, even if I gave you these for free, it wouldn’t bother me.”
“Forget free. I’ll put it on the tab. Whether I profit or lose on this investment, I’ll pay you back in full.”
“Alright.” Krobus nodded and packed up all the Void Essence for Leon. “Now you owe me four thousand gold.”
“Got it.” Leon opened his bag and stored all the Void Essence in his System Backpack—only to notice there were actually forty-five pieces, not forty.
“That’s too many.” He started to pull out the extra five, but Krobus vanished along with the remaining goods.
His voice still echoed in Leon’s ears: “I don’t do discounts, but I like adding freebies for my customers. Don’t refuse, Leon. We’re friends, right? And four thousand gold is final.”
Leon sighed helplessly. It was exactly because he saw Krobus as a friend that he didn’t want to take advantage. But Krobus clearly had no intention of letting him refuse—like relatives sneaking a red envelope into your pocket and disappearing before you can protest.
Since Krobus had fled, Leon could only accept it. He’d just add a little extra when he repaid him.
Leaving the Sewer Drain, Leon tidied his clothes, sniffed at the lingering sewer smell on himself, then rode back to the farm to change into something fresh.
After that, he headed for the remote Northern Forest. The caves were right near the farm’s north exit, so he casually peeked inside—only to see complete darkness.
The only light came from Demetrius’s helmet-mounted lamp. Leon caught a glimpse of him crouched low, shoving something into the rock layers. The sight was so bizarre Leon lost all interest in sticking around.
He passed through the Northern Forest, climbed the foothills to the north, walked past the mountain lake outside the mines, and finally stopped in front of the Pelican Town Adventurer’s Guild. A quick glance at his watch confirmed it was after two o’clock, so he pushed open the door.
Gil was, as always, wrapped in a thick blanket by the fireplace, eyes closed. Marlon was busy polishing an iron sword with a clean cloth.
“Leon, here to buy something or take on a commission?” Marlon asked, pausing in his work.
“I heard the City of Elements is buying Void Essence in bulk for high prices. Do you know about that, Guild Master?”
Leon didn’t want to trouble Linus or Rasmodius, and sending Krobus would be too risky, so he thought of Marlon, who was both shrewd and influential.
“Oh, you’re well-informed,” Marlon said with a faint smile. “So, planning to head to the City of Elements to make a fortune?”
“I’d rather not go.”
“Understandable. With your current strength, going there wouldn’t be making money for yourself—you’d just be lining someone else’s pockets. With your looks, you’d fetch a high price on the black market.” Marlon’s tone was teasing.
“That’s why I came to you, Guild Master.” Leon grinned and leaned closer. “I figure you could walk sideways through the City of Elements without issue. So, I wanted to ask if the Guild might be interested in making a little profit.”
“You want me to sell on your behalf?” Marlon narrowed his eyes.
“I imagine you’ve got a stockpile of Void Essence yourself,” Leon hinted.
“Indeed,” Marlon admitted. “But Void Essence is a key material for many magic tools. We keep it as a strategic reserve. The surplus isn’t enough to justify a special trip to the City of Elements.”
“We’re both smart men. Just name your price,” Leon said, exasperated. With someone like Marlon, directness worked best.