Tearfully Made 50

"How much?"

After thinking for a moment, Bai Zhi asked the Information Broker before him.

"For this information, it'll cost at least 500 Game Coins."

Holding up one hand, Astolfo spoke solemnly.

—Bai Zhi immediately stood up and turned to leave without hesitation.

"Wait, wait, wait! Don't you know the rule of asking high and bargaining low? You should at least make an offer!"

Seeing that the customer he had finally waited for today was about to leave, Astolfo hurriedly called out.

"If 500 won't do, name a price. We can negotiate!!"

"1 Game Coin."

Bai Zhi stopped, turned around, and very seriously held up one finger before him.

"..."

After what seemed to be an extremely complicated internal struggle, Astolfo nodded rather reluctantly.

"...Fine!! One it is. Meeting you was fate, so consider this Afo making a friend."

"Oh. Go on, then. Sanity Value."

Bai Zhi nodded and sat back down at the stall, handing back the card the other had given him earlier.

"Here. This card is worth 1 Game Coin. Now we're even."

"..."

Even though none of the Players here had visible faces, Bai Zhi could still sense Astolfo looking at him with an utterly speechless expression.

"...You'll understand what Sanity Value means once you reach Level 10. Your Sanity Value should be around 10 to 13 points right now, correct?"

Taking the card and sighing, Astolfo began to explain.

"You've probably noticed that Sanity Value is unusual. Unlike the other six attributes, it automatically increases as a Player's Level rises. Its true purpose is to keep you from falling into hysterical madness when you encounter strange Unspeakable Things."

"..."

Bai Zhi silently glanced at his Sanity Value, which was marked with "???," and said nothing.

"Our world is like a castle made of sand on a beach, while waves keep rolling in from the sea surface, trying to devour it. We Players are the vanguard reinforcing the castle and resisting the tide."

Astolfo's expression was grave.

"The truly dangerous and terrifying existences are beginning to reveal signs of themselves, and a raging tsunami is brewing in the deep Sea. Our world is gradually falling into a terrifying crisis."

"Have anomalies—or rather, Unspeakable Things—that can cause Mental Pollution already appeared in the world?"

Bai Zhi raised an eyebrow.

"Uh... not yet."

Astolfo shook his head decisively.

"But according to Chu Ci's speculation, because of the existence of Sanity Value, an attribute with no description whatsoever, such things will inevitably appear sooner or later."

"Who is Chu Ci?"

Bai Zhi recalled the creator listed on that card earlier.

"An official Player in the Relevant Department with a Military background. They say he has doctorates in both physics and mathematics—a genuine Big Shot, one of the Launch Players who has survived to this day. The Relevant Department was organized and established by him."

Astolfo answered readily.

"Well? For just 50 Game Coins, you got all this valuable information. Tell me, was it worth it!?"

"People who say that usually made a tearful profit of 49 in their hearts."

Curling his lip, Bai Zhi stood up from the stall after getting the information he wanted.

"By the way, have you heard of something called a [Shadow Crystal]?"

"Shadow Crystal?"

After going over the term in his mind, Astolfo shook his head.

"Never heard of it."

"See you around."

Bai Zhi nodded to him and turned toward the Plaza exit. When a certain Information Broker saw the direction he was leaving in, he swiftly chose to leave the Plaza and return to the Real World.

This Trading Plaza, spontaneously formed by Players, was quite large. From above, it looked like a massive circular Plaza perfectly divided into four equal fan-shaped sections. High walls separated each area, forming four sections: east, south, west, and north.

The section Bai Zhi was in was the eastern one.

When he reached the only exit from the eastern section, intending to leave the Plaza and take a look at the town outside, a Player who seemed to be maintaining order at the entrance and exit looked him over before handing him a Small Booklet and a card.

"This is a beginner's guide customized and printed by us. If you lose it, you can come back here to claim another. We welcome all independent Players to join the Relevant Department."

"..."

Looking at the extremely familiar card handed over together with the Small Booklet, Bai Zhi fell silent for a moment before accepting both the booklet and the card.

[This is a lost and forgotten world. Players are advised not to leave the town's boundaries...]

[...This Plaza is a Welfare Plaza jointly developed by various official organizations for Players. Any incidents that may cause harm are prohibited within the Plaza...]

[Special reminder: A strange anomalous natural phenomenon has recently appeared. We call it "doors." These "doors" come in many colors and appear unpredictably in any corner of the world. Aside from the Black Gate, no one has yet returned alive from doors of any other color. Please be extremely careful.]

[...According to our speculation, the purpose of Sanity Value...]

[...Our world is like a castle made of sand on a beach, while the sea surface... Our world is gradually falling into a terrifying crisis. To protect our world, we welcome all Players to join the Relevant Department!!]

[—Chu Ci]

...The lines were extremely familiar—so familiar that he had heard nearly every word from a certain Information Broker just minutes ago.

"...So because this is a gathering place for Players above Lv10, most information is publicly distributed here for free, all to recruit Players? Chu Ci... but why the hell isn't it Chu Xuan?"

After staring at the name marked at the end of the Small Booklet and musing over it for a moment, Bai Zhi turned back toward the Plaza behind him. Just as he expected, the Shady Merchant who had been running a stall there was already nowhere to be seen.

"Sure enough, no merchant is honest. I thought he'd tearfully made 49 off me, but it turns out he'd tearfully made 50... I'll remember you."

Casually putting the Small Booklet and card back into his Inventory, Bai Zhi walked out of the Plaza.

As the saying goes, a drop of kindness must be repaid with a gushing spring. If I don't scam 5,000 Game Coins back from you, then my surname isn't Bai...

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