Chapter 39 - Dredge Sent Me Here 

Broken was so exhilarated that day, unable to contain his enthusiasm at obtaining the Monster Soul Stone. He was eager to sell it immediately, but he sensed that it would be more beneficial to refine the stone into something more powerful, such as equipment, or to give it to Polly to help her grow even stronger. The excitement buzzed within him as he contemplated the possibilities.

He leaned closer to Polly's head, still riding atop the fox that was galloping towards Deadbay City.

"Tell me, Polly," he said, his voice filled with curiosity, "what will happen to you if I give you this Monster Soul Stone to eat?"

"Master," Polly answered quietly, her voice almost a whisper against the wind, "we spirit beasts will absorb the spirit of the monsters from the Monster Soul Stone, and it will affect the skills that I might receive when I develop later."

"That doesn't mean you're going to turn into a wild boar, does it?" he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"No, Master," she responded eagerly, her voice conveying her excitement. "I will still be a fox, but with many more tails from now on. However, Master, I won't transform immediately after you provide me with the Monster Soul Stone, I mean, there is no assurance that will happen. Therefore, you'd be better off using that thing for something else first. I have devoured plenty of Monster Cores in the last day, and I'm content with that."

Broken then proceeded to the plaza in the center of town to sell all the spoils of his hunting trips: mostly animal meat and bones. The bustling marketplace was filled with the sounds of haggling and the scent of various goods. However, since there were many other sellers of the same items, the prices weren't very high. As he placed the coins he had earned on the counter, the sound of clinking metal filled the air, a satisfying melody of success.

"Twenty silver coins? Wow," he said happily, realizing he'd hit the jackpot in one day. On top of that, he had acquired Monster Cores and a Monster Soul Stone earlier.

[Coins: 0 gold 61 silver 40 bronze]

"I think I'd better save the Monster Cores for Polly's food or use them to make armor and weapons later," he added, still smiling.

He thought about exchanging the coins he had for actual money and maybe taking Lily out for a nice dinner, as it had been a while since they had done something like that. His uncle had only been home once every two weeks since then, and his uncle's salary had been used to cover Lily's tuition fees and to pay off the mortgage of the house they were living in.

"I think leaving some Monster Cores for Polly is still okay for now," Broken finally made up his mind, and he took a short walk toward the official merchants in the plaza. He knew that here, they had more stable buying prices for items of value, such as Monster Cores.

After haggling and confirming all the prices again, Broken got a total of 145 silver from the ten monster cores he sold. He nodded happily as he felt he had really made a huge profit that day, his pockets heavier and his spirit lighter. The prospect of a better future, even just a small step at a time, filled him with a sense of accomplishment and hope.

He still had five Common-grade monster cores, one Rare-grade monster core, and one Rare-grade monster soul stone. Despite having more than enough for Polly's food, he felt it was too expensive to feed her, especially if he had a contract with three Spirit Beasts. But then, having Polly was like having an extra person on his team; her fighting potential resembled that of a player with the same or even a higher level. Her strength and agility in battles had proven invaluable time and again.

"I have to wait until I can enter the Temple of Blessings again and try to find a contract with another Unique-grade Spirit," he muttered softly to himself, the thought both daunting and exciting. "Or I'll have to find another way to get my hands on some high-grade spirits."

[Coins: 2 gold 6 silver 40 bronze]

Broken's heart raced as he held the gleaming gold coin in his inventory for the first time. It shimmered brightly, a symbol of his hard-earned success. Without the blessing bestowed upon him by the goddess Akidia, he may have never been able to amass such wealth. He was more likely to exchange his coins for real money before even reaching one gold coin of game currency. The realization of his progress filled him with a sense of pride.

Taking a few small strides, he arrived at the outskirts of the plaza, at the same spot he had agreed to meet with Dredge. He waited there, anxiously anticipating the next steps he would take for his big quest. The bustling market around him seemed to blur as he focused on his thoughts.

A few minutes later, as the sun was already sinking over the horizon, casting long shadows across the plaza, Broken noticed a man walking towards him. He recognized him as Dredge, the person with whom he had made an appointment. Dredge's appearance was as imposing as ever, his stern expression giving away little of his thoughts.

Dredge had an angry look on his face, whether he was really angry or if this was his default expression. His brow was furrowed, and his eyes seemed to pierce through the dimming light.

"Follow me!" he said curtly.

Broken followed Dredge without saying anything since he saw that Dredge was not the type of person who liked to engage in small talk, and he was also not a fan of it. The silence between them was thick, but Broken felt no need to break it.

After a while, they arrived at the outskirts of the city, in front of an old wooden house. The structure looked weathered but sturdy, with ivy creeping up its sides and a small garden at the front.

"There." Dredge pointed, "Tell her that I brought you here."

Broken nodded in agreement.

"Let me know if you need any other help from me. You can meet me at the usual place," Dredge added, his voice softer now, almost kind.

Dredge then walked away, his heavy footsteps fading into the distance.

"Thanks, Dredge," Broken shouted, waving his hand in appreciation, though Dredge didn't look back.

Broken smiled with relief to discover that not all NPCs were looking for money. He chuckled softly, then made his way towards the house. He paused for a moment, admiring the quaint building, before gently knocking on the door.

"Who is there?" an old woman's voice called from within.

"Uhm… sorry, Dredge sent me here... I wanted to know something about Moonstone... and I was hoping you'd be willing to help me out." Broken spoke slowly, making sure to enunciate each word clearly.

"Dredge?" queried the aged woman's voice once more, this time with a hint of recognition.

The sound of footsteps followed, and the door in front of him swung open. He was confronted with the bent figure of an elderly woman, her age likely around eighty. Her eyes, though clouded with age, sparkled with intelligence and curiosity.

"Who might you be?" she inquired, her voice gentle but firm.