novelraw Chapter 135: Reward
Chapter 135: Reward
To save their lives, the investigation team handed over all their valuables, including their weapons.
Especially Rena, who gave up everything she had except her clothes.
Chen Qi placed his hands on these items, counting them like a merchant weighing souls against gold.
The most valuable item was Rena's massive sniper rifle, the Magic Bullet Company's "Giant Slayer"!
Its inherent skill [Armor Piercing] meant bullets fired from this rifle packed at least ten times more punch than ordinary firearms!
Moreover, it could be loaded with various powerful beast-hunting rounds.
Acquiring this gun through legal channels would cost at least eight million.
On the black market, the price would easily exceed ten million.
Other items included potions, their equipment, two Backpack Cards, and two million Shell Coins.
Altogether, these amounted to a staggering ten million!For an impromptu investigation vessel, gathering ten million Shell Coins was no small feat.
With this sum, upgrading the small houseboat or even buying a new ship entirely wouldn't be a problem!
Am I really that terrifying? Chen Qi gently twirled Small Green Algae's tentacle hair between his fingers.
This wasn't some ordinary crew - these were people who'd risk their lives for intel!
They'd open fire even against Coastal Apex Predators without hesitation.
Yet in their eyes, he seemed more dreadful than the hideous Abyssal Merchant.
Team leader Jiger cautiously asked:
"Monster, are you satisfied?"
He knew well the bottomless greed of deep-sea creatures - like the Abyssal Merchant who'd demand souls and lives after transactions.
"Barely equivalent to your souls' worth."
Chen Qi smiled as he collected the items.
Killing them wouldn't yield anything more valuable anyway.
Besides, he hadn't intended to fight and wasn't certain he could defeat the investigation team.
With a cold laugh, Chen Qi declared:
"Not bad. Let me give you... a reward."
He emphasized the word "reward" deliberately.
At that word, all ten crew members shuddered, their terrified eyes darting to the tentacles on Ember's Touch.
A reward!
A monster's reward could never be anything good!
Typically, such "rewards" either corrupted their souls or defiled their flesh!
Of course, Chen Qi was a decent man without such perverse notions - he planned to give them something genuinely valuable.
He had no desire to become another dreaded sea monster like the Abyssal Merchant.
If he were just some mindless plundering beast, he'd be no better than the black-armored sharks or great sea serpents.
This was also about building his reputation.
As a mere second-tier Transcendent, he couldn't afford the navy's wrath.
He needed long-term vision.
If he gave something back, more people might venture into dangerous waters seeking him out.
He could establish... pleasant transactions with adventurers.
Though he didn't understand why they looked at him so strangely when he mentioned rewards.
Puzzled, Chen Qi retrieved one-tenth of the black whale blood from his Backpack Card - loot taken from Black Glove.
Though extremely valuable now, as the Dimensional Tide intensified, black whale blood would become increasingly common and cheap.
When it became widely available, this amount would only be worth about five hundred thousand.
Since Chen Qi had no use for this dangerous substance, he might as well use it to burnish his reputation!
Current buyers were limited to the Blackfin Crew, Beiguo Research Institute, and the Sea God Pirates who employed the Abyssal Merchant - making sales incredibly difficult.
Chen Qi rolled the black whale blood into a squirming sphere and tossed it to them:
"Your reward."
Jiger's body shook as he caught it:
"The reward isn't tentacles? Or eating us? Or planting seeds to turn us into monsters?"
The Beiguo Meteorological Bureau was desperately researching black whale blood - this was an incredible windfall!
To his shock, this was even processed black whale blood!
He never imagined this monster would genuinely reward them rather than lash them with tentacles!
Wait... if they'd brought more money or weapons, could they have gotten more?
Regret flooded him - why hadn't they brought more cash today?
Legends said obtaining black whale blood required defeating infected sea beasts - a feat demanding at least third-tier strength.
Moreover, one needed advanced blood extraction techniques!
Meaning... this person before them definitely surpassed second-tier!
Rena's imagination ran wild, convincing her of the being's unfathomable power.
She silently prayed this monster wouldn't implant parasites like certain sea beasts did.
Time to leave.
Lingering risked attracting unwanted attention.
With a faint smile, Chen Qi stored his gains and walked across the water:
"We'll meet again if fate allows."
The crew stood dumbfounded, watching his retreating figure, unable to calm down for the longest time.
They'd successfully ransomed their souls in this transaction.
Ocean breezes caressed their faces as waves lapped gently.
"We survived..."
Leader Jiger lit a cigarette, wiping sweat as he celebrated living another day.
After Chen Qi left, everyone glared resentfully at Rena.
Had the monster not been merciful, they'd have become fertilizer for these waters today.
Jiger finally snapped:
"Rena, today you..."
"Captain, I know I messed up. I'll compensate all losses and treat everyone to a feast."
This single sentence silenced all complaints.
Head bowed, Rena quietly produced a freshly printed bounty notice from the ship.
It clearly showed the Flower Witch and the monster's bounties!
The Flower Witch's remained unchanged at twenty-two million.
But the monster's stood at just ten million!
No name. No title. No additional information.
The notice only stated one thing - this monster was a second-tier Transcendent.
"False advertising!"
Rena crumpled the paper, her hands turning red.
While she'd acted rashly, this bounty notice was the root of her overconfidence!
On the Witch Sea, bounty notices were crucial indicators of strength.
Many sought fights based purely on bounty amounts.
Gritting her teeth, Rena demanded:
"Why's the monster's bounty lower than the witch's?"
How?
Jiger exhaled a long smoke ring:
"Who knows? Maybe the navy considers the witch more important?"
After tonight, they all agreed the bounty gap was unjustified.
Rena exploded:
"Nonsense! That tentacle hunter can stir tides - he could easily crush that third-tier witch!"
"How can they even be compared? If they fought a hundred times, that monster would win every single time!"
The crew unanimously agreed.
Not even the witch could casually stroll through a deep-sea titan's territory with a sea witch companion.
Moreover, that monster had given them precious black whale blood!
This bounty notice was clearly tricking adventurers into suicide!
Rena demanded:
"Which idiot set this bounty? I'll settle accounts with him!"
"Senior Navy Admiral Old White Seagull..."
"......"
Silence fell.
Jiger shook his head wryly:
"Enough. When we return, we'll report today's events. His bounty must be increased."
Rena nodded seriously:
"We must tell the navy everything truthfully."
......
Morning, Sea Monster Island, inn.
Sunlight streamed through the windows.
"......"
The Flower Witch rose from her soft bed, combing her silky hair to ensure it stayed perfectly hidden under her hood.
After dressing, she prepared to leave!
Exhausted from yesterday, she'd collapsed into bed immediately upon returning.
Even now, her body ached from the Blood Blossom Disease's side effects.
She lacked the energy for medication.
Because Chen Qi had disappeared!
He wasn't in the adjacent room.
He might have been captured... The Flower Witch shook her head, donning her hood and grabbing her staff.
If Chen Qi had been caught, the consequences would be disastrous!
Knock! Knock!
Suddenly, someone rapped at her door.
"Guest, today's newspaper."
A young newspaper delivery boy called softly outside.
"Alright."
The Flower Witch cautiously opened the door just enough to take the paper.
The headline blared: 'The Witch and The Monster'!
Featuring photos of her and Chen Qi.
It detailed their hijacking of the Devil Ray and subsequent escape.
Though neither had shown their true power, since the battle occurred in a sea monster nest, the paper wildly exaggerated their prowess!
Making headlines brought no joy to the Flower Witch.
Fame only attracted death.
She continued reading:
#Blood Blade Pirates Announce Blood Lady Taking Over as Captain Falls Ill#
#Navy's Great Victory! Blackfin Crew in Retreat!#
#Sea God Pirates Conduct Massive Sacrificial Ritual - Pouring Ten Tons of Milk and Hundreds of Live Chickens into Sea!#
Then she noticed something shocking - at the bounty section's bottom, Chen Qi's reward now exceeded hers!
Even stranger were the additional notes on his bounty:
'Beware being implanted'... 'Beware sacrificial offerings'... 'Man-eating monster'... 'Deep sea cultist'...
"???"
The Flower Witch's petite mouth fell open.
Just what had Chen Qi been doing behind her back last night?