Selling Loot

It was nighttime, and to Alex's relief, the Adventurer's Guild remained open around the clock. As he entered, he noticed that the morning receptionist had departed.

Approaching a different counter, Alex sought to confirm the completion of his two quests.

"How may I assist you, sir?" the receptionist inquired politely. The night hours had left the guild relatively deserted, with only a handful of employees present.

"I'd like to report that I've completed my two quests." Alex explained. "Additionally, I'd like to sell some monster materials and other items, as I managed to collect more than the quest requirements."

"May I see your license, please?" Alex handed over his license, and the receptionist entered his information into the system before returning it to him.

He then informed him, "Sir, please proceed to the third floor. The staff there has been notified of your arrival, and they will assist you further."

Alex raised an eyebrow, perplexed by the need to visit the third floor for quest completion. Nonetheless, he complied, taking the elevator to the third floor.

In this world, the elevators were quite different. They were constructed using magical engineering and relied on levitation magic rather than the conventional motor and pulley system Alex was familiar with.

Upon arriving at the third floor, Alex inquired about the reason for being directed here and soon grasped its purpose.

This floor featured a vast open space with various counters, each designated for different purposes.

Alex approached the counter specializing in medicinal herbs and related items. "So, you're the adventurer here for quest completion and to sell herbs?" greeted the middle-aged woman behind the counter, her drowsiness evident in her groggy tone.

As Alex began to place the herbs and plants on the desk, the receptionist seemed uninterested at first. However, her demeanor abruptly changed as she opened her eyes wide, fully awake now.

Alex paused, startled by her sudden transformation, and stopped unloading the herbs. He had took out approximately half of what he had originally collected, and the desk soon overflowed with a myriad of herbs and plants, emitting a faint medicinal aroma.

The receptionist gazed at the collection with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, then turned her gaze to Alex.

Momentarily taken aback, Alex took a step back, wondering if he had done something wrong. "Kid, are you a disciple of a renowned alchemist or a botanical expert?" she inquired.

"Uh, no, why?" Alex responded, somewhat caught off guard but with an inkling of her thoughts.

"Some of the items you've brought, while not particularly rare, are not easy to come by either. But that aside, the precision with which you harvested them is extraordinarily professional and so many of them at that."

Understanding her line of thought, Alex finally grasped her reason for her intense reaction. She continued, "I've worked this job for over a decade, and let me tell you, even seasoned adventurers don't handle these items as meticulously as you do. Most of them simply pluck them haphazardly, rendering them unusable. But everything you've brought is in exceptional condition."

Unaware of the intricacies of herb harvesting, Alex feigned modesty and scratched his cheek. "I've read a lot about it in books, so I guess I had some knowledge."

"You don't need to be so humble, kid. Be proud that without formal guidance, you've achieved such outstanding results on your first attempt."

Alex couldn't help but wonder, 'What would her reaction have been if I had brought out even more of them from my inventory?'

However, he decided to hold back for the time being, keeping the remaining half of his collected items to himself.

"Well, thank you."

"Listen, kid, would you be interested in working for the guild, searching for and harvesting rare plants and herbs? I can request a special quest from the guild just for you."

Alex pondered for a moment. "Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to decline for now. Maybe some other time. Could you please tally up the value of these herbs and complete my quest?"

The receptionist sighed, "I could've really used your help. Nevertheless, I'll provide you with a bonus for your exceptional handling of these."

After a brief pause for calculations, she informed Alex, "Your quest rewards are based on the number of items you've brought, totaling 4,350 relis. With the added bonus, the guild will pay you a total of 5,500 relis."

Thanking her, Alex proceeded to sell the monster carcasses.

The receptionist at this counter was a burly man, unlike any he had encountered before, resembling more of a butcher than a receptionist. Nonetheless, Alex displayed the monster carcasses he had collected earlier in the day.

Alex displayed the carcasses of 7 Horned Rabbits, 4 Green Vipers, and a lone Kobold—a total of 12 F-rank monsters.

He chose not to reveal the Monster Wolf's remains, opting to keep its fangs and magic core hidden to avoid unnecessary attention.

He had previously discussed with Aurora a method to discreetly use his inventory without drawing undue scrutiny.

On the designated processing area, he laid out the bodies, that were all inside his inventory.

Although they were all safely stored within the system's inventory, to outsiders, it would appear as if he were retrieving items from his bag, a storage treasure. In reality, he was accessing his inventory.

These storage type artifacts were common in this world. It came in various types and sizes.

"The completion of the quest has been verified. You will receive a reward of 1000 relis for that. Additionally, for the monster materials, you'll get 16,500 relis after deducting the processing fee and other charges." the receptionist explained.

F-rank monster cores fetched 1000 relis each, while Horned Rabbit fur brought in another 500 relis along with another 150 relis for its horn per piece. The poison sacks from the Green Vipers garnered 700 relis each.

Unfortunately, the Kobold held little value, adding a mere 200 relis to its worth beyond the magic core. After accounting for the processing fee and other charges, the total payment came down to 16,500 relis from 20,550 relis.

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Today, Alex had amassed a staggering 22,000 relis, an amount nearly equal to all the savings of the previous Alex. His elation was short-lived, however, as the pain in his injured hand resurfaced.

'Now, I should get this treated too.' He realized, momentarily forgetting about his wounded arm amidst the excitement.

He weighed his options—seeking the aid of a healer or purchasing a healing potion. The latter seemed more practical, as allowing the injury to heal naturally could hinder his progress.

The second floor of the guild functioned as a marketplace, offering various necessities and basic amenities essential for adventurers and hunters.

Alex soon discovered that the lowest grade healing potion came with a hefty price tag of 5000 relis.

With a bleeding heart, Alex clenched his teeth and purchased two vials of the lowest grade healing potion.

The liquid inside appeared as a pale yellow substance with no discernible fragrance in a small glass bottle. Without hesitation, he consumed one of the vials.

The healing potion possessed a mild bitterness, but it smoothly slid down his throat. Almost instantly, he could feel its effects taking hold as the wound healed at a remarkable rate, leaving no trace of scars or markings behind.