LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 172: Trash for Treasure, This Fruit Looks Tasty!
After a few minutes of tense silence, Alex can tell his trading partner wants to push the price even higher. Sensing the stall, Alex decides to draw a hard line. "Sorry, that's all I'm offering. See you around," he says firmly before turning and walking away, leaving the hooded man stunned.
Steven follows, glancing back at the merchant, but Alex's mouth soon curls into an evil grin when he hears the hooded man's panicked shout:
"STOP! Okay, let's do it! Just one condition!"
Alex slows his pace, turns around, and raises an eyebrow, feigning confusion. "Sorry, I told you—no more bargaining. What's your condition?"
"I want a contract," the hooded man says, his tone sharp but controlled. "Don't worry, nothing serious. You and your friend just need to promise to keep the details of this deal to yourselves, especially anything about me. I'll sign it too, so your possession of the devil fruit will also remain a secret."
"Sounds reasonable. Let's talk details," Alex replies. Drawing inspiration from his earlier contract discussion with Roja, Alex manages to keep the terms incredibly simple: neither party can mention anything specific about the hooded man, the deal, or any items involved. In return, the hooded man can't say anything about Alex, the trade, or the fruit.
Once the draft is ready, Alex turns to Steven. "Steven, you're not getting anything out of this deal… I can't force you to sign." Alex's voice carries a hint of guilt.
"It's fine, Alex. I don't like this hooded freak, but I'll sign it to help you," Steven responds without hesitation.
The hooded man quickly draws up the contract, and all three sign it, sealing the deal.
Finally, Alex holds the [Batto Batto no Mi, Model: Desmodus Draculae] in his hand. His fingers tremble slightly as he stares at the fruit, its glossy surface almost taunting him. The temptation to eat it is enormous.
With a nod to the merchant, Alex turns and walks away with Steven. The hooded man, though not looking entirely pleased, seems relieved as he packs up his stall and disappears into the crowd.
"Steven, I owe you," Alex says, grateful for the hint that led to this trade. "Can I give you something as thanks?"
"Uh… it's a bit embarrassing, but…" Steven hesitates before finally admitting, "Could you loan me a couple hundred FC? Sometimes you need a little extra to learn a language, you know? I've only got about 700 FC left, and I feel like that's cutting it way too close. I'd like to have at least 1,000 FC for some breathing room."
Without hesitation, Alex opens his trade window and sends over 300 FC. "Take it. Thank you so much! With 1,000 FC, you should be fine. And don't even think about paying me back."
"Thank you!!! Man, this was so worth it for me. Now I can go into my next mission without freaking out," Steven says with a wide grin.
They part ways, and Alex makes his way back to his player room. As soon as he gets inside, he sends a quick message to [Rishi], informing him about the trade while carefully abiding by the contract, leaving out any mention of the hooded man or specific deal details.
Finally, Alex flops onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. He doesn't immediately log out to the real world. Instead, he pulls up his status screen and starts scanning through it, taking note of his current stats, resources, currencies, skills, and items.
Alex Kerber: Lvl 4
HP: 252/252, MP: 212/212 AURA: 192/192
STR: 14 (+3), AGI: 14 (+3), PHY: 14 (+2), SNS: 14 (+2), CHA: 14 (+5), MNA: 14, INT: 14 SPR: 14 (+5), LUK: 14 (+1), NEN: 14 (+1)
Available Stat Points: 0
Followers: Menchi (Purple) lvl 12
Innate Skills: Nen Prodigy lvl 4 (Genius Conjurer lvl 4, Basic Nen lvl 4, Advanced Nen lvl 4), Statistical OCD lvl MAX
Arcane Medieval Armory: Annihilation Grenade lvl 4, Sealion's Icewing Embrace lvl 4, Mustrano's Malice Mauler lvl 4 (Claw Proficiency/Poison Resistance) / Toxic Breakthrough lvl 4
Free Skill Slots: 0/3, Free Basic Skill Slots: 0/8
Basic skills: Basic Close Combat Prowess lvl 4, Basic Footwork lvl 4, Basic Endurance lvl 4, Basic Long-Range Combat Prowess lvl 4, Basic Eloquence lvl 4, Basic Concentration lvl 4, Basic Meditation lvl 4, Basic Mana Control lvl 4
Passive Skills: Pistol Proficiency lvl 4, Alexandrian Royal Swordsmanship lvl 4
Active Skills: Black Magic (Fire-Blizzard-Thunder-Series) lvl 4, Sword Magic lvl 4
Fantasy Coins: 140,000 Soul Crystals: Small x7 Medium x1
Current Weapons: Mr. 5's Revolver (Deep Blue), Sword of Pluto (Deep Blue)
Current Equipment: Commander Shepard's Dog Tag (Deep Blue), Sealion's Might (Deep Blue), Shield of Pluto (Deep Blue), Armor of Pluto (Blue), Visor of Pluto (Blue), Cuisses of Pluto (Blue), Gauntlets of Pluto (Blue), Sabatons of Pluto (Blue), Nimbus Cloak (Light Purple), Champion Belt (Blue), Cave Spider's Essence Ring (Light Blue), Destiny Watch (Light Purple), Sacred Emerald Copper Earring (Purple), Hunter License (Deep Green), Noble Shirt +1 (Light Blue)
Recovery Items: Lurkwort (Deep Green), Potato Chips (Gray)
Miscellaneous Items: Jack's Spare Silvery Mask (Light Green), Batto Batto no Mi, Model: Desmodus Draculae (Purple)
Special Items: Pluto's Ceremonial Blessing (Deep Purple), Baroque Works Invitation (Purple), Player Contract (Tereza Řezník), Destiny Supporter Token (Purple), VIP Invitation (Deep Purple)
Alex smiles. He lost or gave away nearly every item he acquired in his last world, and aside from his equipment, his inventory is now pretty clean. While relaxing on the ancient but comfortable bed, he gathers his thoughts.
My inventory might be empty, but I managed to turn junk items I was intending to sell anyway into the extremely valuable [Batto Batto no Mi, Model: Desmodus Draculae], while preserving 140,000 FC and 7 Soul Crystals. Of course, I also kept my medium Crystal, which I'll need for [Pluto's Ceremonial Blessing].
I don't know if I really have a knack for this or if it's all thanks to my LUK, but Rishi was right. I managed to create another good outcome. Come to think of it, that guy said he owes me for that CHA item I gave him. He should give me a Soul Crystal for it, Alex thinks, quite satisfied with his trading results.
My stats and resources grow after every mission. The Basic skills are quite useful in this regard, as all three of my resources are increased by a further 5% per level—at least the resources I gain from my base stats, not including the stat points or resources I get from my equipment.
Now, what do I need for our mission in two weeks? I need new recovery items. Let's give Menchi at least one week, and then I can see where I'm at and what I'll need to buy from the trading HUB.
Alex continues to think about various things, calmly analyzing his situation and making sure he isn't forgetting anything. After a short nap, he decides to finally head home, dreading the chaos that's awaiting him.
He steps into the portal and arrives back in his penthouse apartment. He can hear the sounds of pots and pans coming from one of the empty rooms, making him think, So she chose that room… the biggest one... whatever, it was empty anyway, so I guess that's fine. I better not interrupt her.
Alex enters the living room and sees Tereza watching TV while playing around on a laptop and her smartphone.
"Hi, can't decide on what you want to do?" Alex asks her.
"Nah, I always do this. Anyway, Menchi's busy. She kicked me out right after we finished setting up her kitchen. The Realm's cooking utensils look pretty weird, but she seems fine with them. Guess our beautiful honeymoon phase is over, and now she's focusing on cooking," Tereza replies with an exaggerated sigh.
"Yeah, I feel so bad for you," Alex says dryly, ignoring her delusional rant about her supposed relationship with Menchi. "Anyway, guess what—I traded away all the items I told you about. I even threw in 10,000 FC, a Soul Crystal, and the [Shockwave Hammer]."
"What? All of that? What did you get?" Tereza suddenly perks up, her interest piqued.
"Just this tasty-looking fruit: [Batto Batto no Mi, Model: Desmodus Draculae]. Want a bite?" Alex teases, holding it up with a smirk.
"Incredible! I think that was worth it. That actually sounds cheap! This thing is amazing... so how does the hybrid form look?" she asks, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"You just get two large bat wings," Alex explains. "Stussy, the user of it, looks more like a succubus than a bat with them. As for the full bat form? That hasn't been revealed yet."
"So… are you going to eat it right away?" she asks, watching him closely.
"Nope, I don't intend to use it. You don't want it?" Alex counters, raising an eyebrow.
"I… I don't think I can accept it. You already gave me the [Ben's Knife]. There's a limit to these kind of things. I can't just keep taking from you," she says, though the temptation flickers briefly in her expression before she shakes her head.
"I have no real use for it, so you can take it. The only other possibility for it is extremely unlikely to work. Honestly, I think this fruit would suit you perfectly. It's ideal for your fighting style—mobility and decisive attacks. Don't you think?"
"I… I need to think about it. But thank you," she responds, her voice soft, her expression uncertain.
Alex nods and heads to his room, changes into more comfortable clothes, and then sits down on the larger, empty couch in the living room.
Tereza shuts down her laptop, stands up, and quietly lies down behind him on the couch.
What now? Alex wonders, unsure of what she's planning.
But nothing happens. Tereza simply lies there in silence. After a while, Alex shifts, lying down on the other side of the couch. Tereza grabs a blanket, drapes it over them, and snuggles up next to him, lying in front of him. Without a word, Alex wraps his arms around her, feeling the warmth of her body.
The comfortable position helps Alex relax as he lets his mind drift away from thoughts of the Realm. For the first time in a while, he feels calm.
A few hours later, feeling tired, Alex says, "I'm going to bed. It's been a long day, and I'm still a bit stressed out... even though I feel calmer now, thanks to you."
He stands up and heads toward his bedroom. Tereza leans in, giving him a soft kiss on the lips before retreating to her room as well. Both of them quietly ignore the clanging sounds coming from Menchi's new cooking laboratory, which shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
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