The dark-skinned man choked on Luke’s reply. He stood there in silence for a long while before finally leaving. Clearly, he was short on cash and knew Luke would not budge.
Luke did not care. He knew the value of this kind of specialization scroll far surpassed that of a max-rated Purple piece of equipment. Its benefits were lasting and comprehensive.
The second-rank Explorer market was fairly lively. Before long, many people had stopped before Luke’s stall, mainly because both items on display were true heavy hitters.
Whether it was the specialization scroll or the Legendary bloodline, both held immense appeal for second-rank Explorers.
"Sixty thousand Endspace Coins. I’ll take it."
A tall blond man called out a bid. He had his eye on the Other Shore Demon Bloodline. As an Explorer developing in the tank direction, he greatly valued the Other Shore Demon’s survivability.
"Beetle, you’re dreaming. That’s a 380-point Legendary bloodline. You think you can buy it for sixty thousand?"
An Explorer who knew the big man sneered from the crowd.
Legendary items generally sold for between thirty thousand and one hundred thousand Endspace Coins. A max-rated main weapon could fetch the highest price if it found the right buyer.
Luke’s Other Shore Demon Bloodline was not a max-rated bloodline. But as a powerful bloodline that could stay with an Explorer indefinitely, it was worth even more than a main weapon, exceeding the usual value of Legendary items.
Therefore, even in the second-rank trade market, despite so many Explorers looking it over, no one could afford it.
"Ninety thousand. I’ll take it!"
At that moment, a voice rang out from outside, stirring the crowd.
The Explorers on the outskirts saw a woman approaching. She wore light armor as white as frost and snow. Beneath the icy armor, her graceful figure was faintly visible, displaying both a woman’s soft curves and a warrior’s unyielding strength.
Her white hair cascaded like a waterfall, swaying gently as she walked. Every strand seemed to contain winter’s biting chill. Her eyes swept across the crowd, the corners tilted slightly upward with an authority that allowed no challenge, causing several Explorers to instinctively move aside.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that her icy armor was Legendary equipment, as was the sword at her waist. Even among second-rank Explorers, she was undoubtedly one of the strongest.
"It’s Snowwind, captain of the Wind Snow Adventure Group. She seems to have gotten even stronger. I wonder whether she’ll take the top spot in the arena this time!"
"Tch. With a monster like her here, there’s no share left for us."
"I heard they conquered a world not long ago. No wonder they’re loaded."
As the restless crowd parted, Snowwind made her way to the stall. Only then did Luke, who had been meditating with his head lowered, open his eyes. He knew the real buyer had arrived.
"Not enough."
Luke met Snowwind’s gaze and spoke calmly. This was a bloodline item—and one of the best all-purpose bloodlines for the early stages. Its side effects were not impossible to deal with in Endspace. There was no way he would sell it for less than one hundred thousand.
"This bloodline gives its user an urge to eat people. The side effect isn’t minor. My offer is already generous."
Snowwind replied.
"Leaving aside the fact that it can be resisted, there are plenty of ways to eliminate the side effect in Endspace. The attribute boosts and hyper-regeneration the Other Shore Demon Bloodline provides are beyond what other Legendary bloodlines can offer. One hundred and twenty thousand, minimum."
Luke stated his expected price.
Snowwind’s delicate brows furrowed. Honestly, she hated the Other Shore Demon Bloodline’s side effect. But her team’s main tank currently needed a bloodline that could take an exceptional beating, so they could tackle their next world.
What Luke said was also true. Compared with the attribute boosts and hyper-regeneration this bloodline offered, that little side effect did not seem like much.
"Sister Snowwind, maybe forget it. This thing is too expensive. The others in the team need upgrades too; we can’t spend all our money on me."
A simple, honest-looking youth behind Snowwind spoke up. He was the Wind Snow Adventure Group’s main tank. Though still young, he was exceptionally gifted.
"If you don’t want to die in the next world, shut up. I need you to take hits for everyone else."
Snowwind’s voice was cold and blunt, immediately silencing the honest youth.
"Our team’s liquid funds are limited right now. Would you accept a trade?"
Snowwind looked at Luke and asked.
Luke nodded. "Let me see what you have first."
Snowwind took a fruit and a stone from her storage space, holding them out for Luke to inspect.
Luke was initially unconcerned, but the moment he checked their details, he was startled.
[Lucky Fruit]
Origin: Native World No. 113213
Quality: Legendary
Item Type: Special Consumable
Usage Requirement: Luck attribute no higher than 10
Method of Use: Swallow
Details: A divine fruit produced by the Divine Tree of Fate. The first time a user eats a Lucky Fruit, their Luck attribute permanently increases by 1 point.
Rating: 400+
Evaluation: Cherish this opportunity to change your fate.
Luke now vaguely understood that Endspace’s evaluations might differ from person to person. He was a little confused. If those words were directed at him, what did they mean?
He did not think his luck was particularly bad. What did it mean by telling him to cherish an opportunity to change his fate?
Still, putting Endspace’s evaluation aside, Luke was tempted by the fruit.
Luck was the only attribute that could not be altered using free attribute points, and raising it was extraordinarily difficult. According to what Endspace had told him when he asked previously, only extremely special items or certain rare opportunities could increase the Luck attribute.
This Lucky Fruit could do so, though it only added one point. Luke did not know roughly where its value stood.
Although it was a max-rated Legendary item, Luke felt that for Explorers in the early stages, its practical value was far inferior to a powerful bloodline. The benefits from Luck had to be judged over the very long term.
After examining the fruit, Luke looked at the other black stone.
[Lucky Forging Stone]
Origin: Native World No. 113213
Quality: Legendary
Item Type: Special
Durability: 3/3
Method of Use: Place it into the equipment enhancement device together with the equipment.
Details: A forging stone from a holy land. When placed together with equipment into the Equipment Enhancement Hall’s enhancement device in Endspace, it guarantees enhancement success before +8 for any equipment whose quality does not exceed that of the Lucky Forging Stone.
For enhancement levels above +8, if enhancement fails, the Lucky Forging Stone loses 1 Durability. Once its Durability reaches zero, the forging stone breaks.
[Hint: Equipment enhanced with the Lucky Forging Stone cannot be traded for 15 natural days in Endspace. Equipment enhanced through lucky enhancement also cannot be traded for 15 natural days.]
Rating: 350
Evaluation: Be confident. You don’t need this thing.
Seeing Endspace’s evaluation of the stone, Luke frowned. Why did he feel like Endspace was speaking sarcastically?
He had not visited the Equipment Enhancement Hall yet, mainly because he had heard that the place burned through money. He had also played similar games in his previous life and knew equipment enhancement was a massive trap, so he had never been interested.
But if he had a stone like this that guaranteed stability, he felt it might be worth giving it a try.
Besides, getting hold of this thing would almost certainly not result in a loss. If it did not break after he used it, he could resell it afterward. It was basically a free, guaranteed +8 enhancement.
"They’re good items..."
Luke hesitated. Mainly because neither the Luck attribute nor an equipment-enhancement support stone was something he urgently needed. He believed many Explorers at this stage felt the same way.
Unless one’s Luck attribute was exceptionally high, anyone who was meant to die would still die. For low-rank Explorers, several extra physical attributes were far more practical.
Yet he was afraid that if he missed this chance to raise his Luck attribute, he would regret it later.
"Sister Snowwind, don’t! Aren’t you going to eat it?"
The youth behind Snowwind could not help speaking again. Their team had worked extremely hard to obtain that fruit.
"My Luck attribute is already high enough. I don’t need this for now. It’s better to sell it and turn it into combat strength for the team."
Snowwind replied indifferently, then looked back to Luke. "Well? Two Legendary items for one of yours. That’s enough, isn’t it?"
Luke fell silent. He was still considering whether it was worth it. In terms of monetary value, he felt it was probably enough, but he could not be certain whether he truly needed Luck.
Seeing that Luke still seemed hesitant, Snowwind’s brows drew together. She acted decisively and disliked dragging things out, so she took another piece of ‘junk’ she had kept for a long time from her storage space. "I’ll add this little thing. In exchange, you give me those two Blood Demon Art Skill Scrolls as well."
Luke looked at the item in Snowwind’s hand. It was actually a key.
[Universal Key]
Origin: Endspace
Quality: Purple
Item Type: Special
Usage Requirement: None
Method of Use: Insert it into a keyhole.
Details: An entry-level universal key native to Endspace. It can open any mechanical lock whose quality is no more than two major ranks above its own.
Rating: 200+
Evaluation: It can open most doors and take you wherever you want to go.
"A key?"
Luke froze. For the moment, he did not see much use for the thing.
"Judging from what you have on display, you don’t seem weak. You don’t understand this thing’s value? Sometimes it can save your life."
Snowwind explained. She had gotten this key from a chest during the first rank. Later, it had helped her gain considerable rewards in mission worlds. But as her strength improved, situations where she could use it had become less common over the last two worlds.
The Wind Snow Adventure Group was currently expanding, and improving the overall strength of its members mattered more to her. That was why she was willing to trade this key that she did not currently need. It was also the only item among her personal possessions she could bear to part with.
Luke considered it and felt Snowwind had a point. In mission worlds, even starting out locked in a prison cell was not unusual. A high-quality universal key could do many things.
For instance, perhaps it could open certain locked super chests as well.
In any case, it was a max-rated Purple item, so its inherent value was not low. Luke felt that if he continued raising his price, the other party would leave.
"Deal."
Luke stood and nodded. He had intended to include the Blood Demon Art Skill Scrolls anyway, since they would never sell on their own.
"Pleasure doing business."
Snowwind shook Luke’s hand. "I hope we don’t run into each other in a mission world."
Several Explorers nearby wore meaningful expressions upon hearing that. Quite a few second-rank Explorers knew of the Wind Snow Adventure Group. The group was extremely domineering in mission worlds and gave other Explorers almost no chance of survival.
Luke more or less understood what she meant. He smiled. "That would be best."
After this trade was completed, there were far fewer people at Luke’s stall. Most had clearly come to see the Legendary bloodline.
He waited another five hours. Bored out of his mind, Luke was about to pack up and put the specialization scroll up for consignment when a strange woman came to his stall just before he closed.
She was petite and wrapped from head to toe in black bandages. Even her face was tightly covered, with not a single strand of hair exposed. Luke could only tell she was a woman from the curves of her body.
"How much for the scroll?"
In contrast to her eerie appearance, her voice was sweet.
"Forty thousand."
Luke answered casually, thinking that he would consider it if she did not haggle too aggressively.
To his surprise, the strange woman did not bargain at all. She simply nodded. "Fine. Let’s trade."
During the transaction, Luke saw her nickname: Black Lily.
"You don’t seem to need specialization scrolls that badly. If you get any more in the future, sell them to me."
Black Lily spoke after the trade. Her voice was sweet, but it carried no change in tone, as if she had no emotions at all. It was deeply unsettling.
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