Making Deals

"The Fuck!"

A loud curse echoed through the dark city of Bo, shrouded in pre-dawn darkness. It was 4 AM, and the sun had yet to rise.

Damon stared at his phone with a trembling hand, eyes fixed on the forty-some notifications indicating eager buyers for a piece of information he held. Normally, information in the database would be purchased as soon as someone paid the price, but Damon had made the rookie mistake of not activating the automatic purchase setting.

"Did I price it too low?" Damon wondered aloud, marveling at the chaos he'd caused on the internet in just 8 hours.

Before becoming a magician, Damon had done extensive research on Elemental Seeds and their prices. He knew their worth, especially those of soul grade. The top-tier seeds sold for hundreds of millions of dollars at auctions.

But selling a seed at auction and selling its location were two very different things. Even so, the price Damon set for the location was already exaggerated. Yet, seeing so many people ready to pay, he realized he might have underestimated the seed's value.

After combing through the internet and reviewing multiple discussions and materials about his soul seed, Damon finally understood the uproar. Healing elements were considered among the greatest due to their effects and were extremely rare, second only to space elements.

Healers with this element were highly valued and noble, and every powerful faction sought to gather as many healers as possible due to their importance. Resources related to healing elements were even rarer than space elements, making high-grade healers scarce and mostly controlled by the Parthenon.

Even the lowest-grade healing elemental seeds could cost millions, while even a weak spirit-grade one might exceed a hundred million dollars. In the past 5 years, only one spirit-grade healing seed had been sold at auction. This was the first time another healing elemental seed, a soul grade, had appeared.

Only legendary healers had possessed soul-grade healing seeds, and they were revered as heroes. The information Damon revealed caused a storm, drawing the attention of major powers worldwide.

The price Damon demanded was high for just a location, but for those eyeing the seed, it was a pittance. Money was no object for them, and they could easily dispatch multiple super-grade mages to secure the seed once they had the location.

"Now what should I do?" Damon muttered, realizing the seed's significance and the number of interested buyers. He felt torn, unsure of whom to sell to.

After pondering the issue for over an hour, Damon decided on a different approach. He contacted the Hunter Union's main headquarters, explained his problem, and proposed a solution: an exchange where organizations would state their offers under the Union's observation, ensuring Damon's anonymity. In return, the Union would take a percentage of the proceeds.

The Union agreed and soon released a public statement. While some organizations were displeased, they complied, as the arrangement was fair and included all major participants. Some tried to negotiate privately, but the Union firmly rejected these requests, protecting Damon's identity. The organizations relented, knowing that pursuing Damon directly would damage their reputation and the Union's credibility.

Within two weeks, Damon received over fifty proposals, each offering tempting conditions. Some offered five billion dollars, others included a commander-level dragon mount, rare artifacts, or prestigious positions. The offers were overwhelming, but at the end of the month, Damon chose the one that intrigued him the most.

The Parthenon offered 1.2 billion dollars after the Union's cut and granted Damon the privilege of becoming a guest of the Parthenon, along with other benefits. This seemed ordinary compared to other offers until Damon read the main condition: he would receive the goddess's blessing for all his elements that reached super grade.

Anyone familiar with the novel knew how powerful this blessing was; it could permanently enhance any element, adding a natural multiplier. This blessing was top-tier and priceless. Damon realized that, in the future, whenever he reached super grade in any element, he could apply for the goddess's blessing, especially for rare elements like space, chaos, psychic, or curse.

Considering the other privileges and the unique value of the goddess's blessing, Damon accepted the Parthenon's proposal. The deal was made online, maintaining Damon's anonymity, with the Hunter Union overseeing the process. To ensure the authenticity of the information, the Parthenon stipulated that all benefits would be provided only after confirming the coordinates' accuracy.

Damon agreed, and another week passed before the Hunter Union and the Parthenon confirmed the coordinates' authenticity. Damon received all the promised benefits. The seed, located in a remote region near Greece, was acquired by the Hall of Knights and stored in the Parthenon's treasury, awaiting a worthy owner chosen by the goddess, who had not yet been appointed.

With the acquisition of the soul-grade healing seed, which boosted the Parthenon's morale and reputation, the organization contacted the Hunter's Union and awarded Damon a large number of contribution points. This promotion elevated him directly to the advanced hunter rank, with only 1,000 points remaining to qualify as a master hunter.

During this time, Damon didn't slack off in his cultivation. His fire element was on the verge of breaking through to the next realm, and he had already begun control training for his shadow element. With the experience he gained from mastering the fire element, controlling the stars of the shadow element seemed simpler, and his progress was faster than it had been with fire.

His space element remained untouched due to its difficulty, while his lightning element, which he had revealed to the world, continued to progress steadily.

Months passed, and the storm Damon had caused became a distant memory. As the semester neared its end, he revealed that his lightning element had reached the primary rank, surprising both instructors and students. His fire element also advanced to the second tier of the primary rank, while his shadow element was halfway through the primary rank, demonstrating Damon's extraordinary growth rate.