17 Trading
"Do you want to buy the skill book from me? I don't mind selling it since I can't use it myself, and I was actually planning to put it on the auction house. Depending on your offer, I might be willing to part with it." said Cyrus.
"I'm glad to hear that you're willing to cooperate with us." replied the buyer. "But before we proceed with negotiations, I noticed that you seem to have already figured out what kind of item I received from the Queen's ant. Would you mind explaining how you came to that conclusion?"
"It seems that you're quite skilled at analyzing situations. Well, it's not really a secret. When the gate was first cleared, a person acquired the skill book [Sacrificial Birth] from the slain Queen ant. That book alone brought the person tremendous growth and eventually led to them becoming incredibly powerful. You might have heard of her, Agnes Highfire?"
"Agnes Highfire? You mean the S-ranked hunter known as the Empress of Flames?"
"Indeed, her story is quite famous in New Ashes. Despite initially awakening with a mediocre ability, she managed to become one of the strongest hunters ever," said the old man.
"I've heard of her. She started with the ability to summon a single fire element bird, but through hard work and perseverance, she was able to evolve it into a phoenix-like entity,"
"It's no surprise that she was able to achieve such extraordinary growth, considering the Sacrificial Birth skill she obtained at the time," the old man explained.
Cyrus thought to himself, 'Sacrificial Birth is even more overpowered than I thought. No wonder he was so cautious in his approach with me. But can they give me what I want?'
The rude and pampered girl interjected, "Exactly! You don't deserve to have this incredible skill. Just be obedient and give it to me."
Cyrus asked, "And who might you be?"
"Hmph, my name is Aurora Gold. With my Awakened Ability, [Teddy Bear], I'll become even stronger than that chicken breeder." she said boastfully.
Cyrus couldn't help but think to himself, 'Chicken breeder? *BUGGOCK!đ*
"Anyway, what are you willing to offer me for it?" asked the seller.
The buyer responded, "After thoroughly understanding your ability, I would like to trade it with another Skill Book instead of buying it with currency. How about this one? I'm sure it would be of great help during your journey."
Cyrus pondered for a moment while analyzing the skill book shown to him.
[Skill Book: Regeneration Mastery(Passive)]
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Life Regeneration Lv. 1/10
Proficiency: 0%
Description: Provide a certain amount of life regeneration per second depending on the total sum of your maximum health.
*Regenerates 0.5% of your Maximum Health Per Second.
NOTE: Previous wounds prior to acquiring this skill will not be healed.
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Cyrus was amazed by the skill that was offered to him. The ability to regenerate life was a valuable asset to have in his arsenal, especially since the Overloaded Heat downside was constantly causing him to lose health. This skill would enable him to reduce the use of health vials, and with enough leveling up, he could even eliminate the need for them altogether. Despite the value of the skill, Cyrus hesitated to accept the offer due to the old man and the pampered girl's condescending attitude towards him. However, he knew that he was the only one with the skill, and they were the first to reach out to him. While they needed him, he did not need them.
"That's a tempting offer, but my skill book is actually worth more than yours," Cyrus said.
"I'm sorry, what do you mean?" the other person asked.
"I mean that my skill book is even rarer and more valuable than the one you're offering. It wouldn't be worth it for me to trade." Cyrus explained.
The other person looked surprised. "Do you even know how difficult it is to obtain the skill in the book I'm offering? It can only be found in the A-ranked Orc Canyon gate. It's incredibly rare."
Cyrus shrugged. "I think mine is even rarer. But here's my proposal: include the skill book you're offering in addition to the Dimensional Storage skill book."
The other person's eyes widened at the mention of the Dimensional Storage skill book. This skill allowed hunters to store any unanimated item in a dimensional space and was highly sought-after. It prevented loss or damage to belongings during gate ventures and allowed for the safekeeping of valuable items found within the gates. "Then would I consider it a fair deal" said Cyrus.
As Cyrus browsed through the skill book options to aid him, he stumbled upon it in the "most wanted items" section of the hunter's association auction house webpage. However, he knew it would be difficult to obtain as its drop rate was less than one percent and it was always sold at a high price due to its rarity. This particular skill book was known to be dropped by monsters in any gate.
"I can't just give you a Dimensional Storage! Do you know how expensive they are? No way!"
"If you're not willing to give it, I can always put it up for auction. You could always try to bid on it and potentially win."
"Grandpa!"
"Okay, fine. I actually have one in my possession that I was planning to give to my granddaughter. However, since the Sacrificial Birth skill is a rare boss item that's not normally obtainable, I'll make an exception and accept your proposal. Here it is."
[Dimensional Storage (Active)]
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Dimensional Storage Lv.1/1
Proficiency: Max
Description: This ability enables the storage of unanimated miscellaneous items within a confined space. The storage capacity is limited to a 50x50 square, with larger items occupying more space and consequently reducing the amount of free space within the storage room
*Store unanimated items
*50x50 square space
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Cyrus expressed his satisfaction, "It was a pleasure doing business with you." as he took the two books from the old man who seemed reluctant to hand them over.
"..."
[You have learned 'Regeneration Mastery(Passive)']
[You have learned 'Dimensional Storage(Active)']
Aurora expressed her gratitude to her grandfather, jumping into his arms and hugging him tightly. "Thank you so much Grandpa, I love you so much!"
Her grandfather replied with a chuckle, "Hoho~, anything for my lovely princess."
Excited to show her father how strong her Teddy could be, Aurora asked if they could leave.
"Of course, let us go then," her grandfather agreed.
As they passed by Cyrus, Rosa spoke up with military conduct, "Have a safe travel, sir!"
But as they moved away, Cyrus heard Aurora whisper certain words to him, "Bumpkin, if you dare, come to the 'Wintertide Peak' gate. I'll make sure to show you how worthless you are during the contest."
'Cyrus wondered about Wintertide Peak and the contest mentioned, but before he could ask further, they had already left the room.
*Clank*
"..."
Cyrus glanced at the two people left in the room, but neither of them brought up the recent events. Eventually, Cyrus decided to break the silence.
"What was that all about?"
Rosa responded, "I'm so sorry for what just happened. Even though you entrusted me with this task, it seems that I've brought unwanted attention to you." She sincerely apologized for the inconvenience she had caused.
Cyrus let out a sigh, "Ha~, You were just doing your job. Before I go, can any of you provide information about the Wintertide Peak gate?"
Dr. Hinks eagerly responded, "Oh, I see you're interested in the competition there. You have a good chance of winning, considering your ability. The Gold family is organizing an expedition in two days to clear the E-Ranked Wintertide Peak gate. It has never been cleared before, and anyone ranked D or lower can participate. The winner gets to choose an item from the Gold family's treasury. This is a highly anticipated event, as the Gold family is one of the founding families of New Ashes."
"Interesting," Cyrus said, intrigued. "What makes you think I have a high chance of winning?"
"The gate inhibits cold element monsters," the girl replied. "They are extremely weak to fire. That's why many fire ability users are likely to join this event, as they have a better chance of clearing the gate."
Cyrus considered this. He was tempted by the challenge, especially since it was presented by the spoiled girl. He smirked as he imagined the look on her face if he were to succeed.
"Can you tell me where the gate is located and how to join?" asked Cyrus.
"It's easy. Just show up at the gate's entrance within the next two days during the designated time. Here's a map showing where the gate is located," replied Dr. Hinks.
"Thanks, I'll head there now." said Cyrus.
"Good luck out there." wished Dr. Hinks.
"I hope we'll meet again. And again, I'm sorry for any inconvenience." said Rosa.
"No worries, I understand. Goodbye." replied Cyrus.
"..."
