Suicide Ring

After confirming that the Red Tide Corpse Queen was thoroughly dead, Roger finally began carefully tallying the spoils.

Most of the battle had gone exactly as he expected.

Anyone capable of claiming a place in a monster-infested region like Cloud Terrace Mountain could not possibly be a pushover.

As for trump cards...

Any intelligent creature having a trump card up its sleeve was hardly surprising.

The only thing that displeased Roger was—

The Red Tide Corpse Queen had not only hidden a sinister move like "Corpse Explosion + Rebirth," but had also concealed her true level.

Both were elite monsters, yet the difference in strength between LV5 and LV7 was anything but minor.

This had forced him to level up on the spot, disrupting the rhythm of his "Charge Up" to a certain extent.

Fortunately, the Qi Divination Technique could also conceal one's Qi Flow.

Although he was now a level-eight Hidden Hero, under the cover of the Qi Divination Technique, others would only perceive him as being around level six.

This information gap gave Roger an immense sense of security.

There was nothing particularly valuable on the Red Tide Corpse Queen herself.

Roger was not discouraged.

After clearing out the surviving Red Tide Zombies, he strode into the gorge.

Since the Red Tide Corpse Queen was an intelligent monster, she likely had a habit of storing her valuables. Even if she possessed good things, she presumably would not carry them on her person.

And in this vast gorge, the only place capable of storing things was that tent.

Roger meticulously searched every corner of the gorge.

That tent was naturally the main target of his looting.

The results were, of course, quite fruitful.

In the tent and the corners of the gorge, he found more than a dozen clay jars.

The jars were filled with Copper Coins stained with verdigris.

After counting them, Roger found that there were nearly 600 Copper Coins here, twice the bounty offered by the Lord's Manor. No wonder so many people were willing to take risks. The money really came fast.

He sighed inwardly.

This was the largest fortune Roger had acquired since transmigrating! Taking Tongma Town as an example—

Two Copper Coins could buy one hefty old pumpkin.

Ten Copper Coins could buy a small cup of the finest Dragon Brook Wine at a tavern.

Thirty Copper Coins could buy roughly one pig.

And a carefully crafted piece of adventuring equipment often cost more than 300 Copper Coins.

Besides the Copper Coins, Roger also found several useful items.

He found two wooden crates in the gorge, then packed all those items into them.

Most were old household utensils: jars, clay basins, iron boxes, and the like.

He roughly estimated that if he sold these things to a blacksmith's shop or General Store, he could probably get around 100 Copper Coins.

If he were willing to personally haul the goods south to Gem City to sell, the price could even double.

Mixed among those household items were three treasures Roger had identified with the Qi Divination Technique.

The first was the "Quicksand Lamp."

It was an inconspicuous object resembling an oil lamp. At first, Roger had not noticed anything unusual about it and casually tossed it in with the other household items. Before long, however, he discovered the Quicksand Lamp's remarkable quality.

Unlike an ordinary oil lamp, half of this lamp was filled with fine white sand.

With a gentle shake, the shifting sands rubbed against one another and emitted a soft, faint white glow, making it perfect for nighttime illumination.

The second was a small piece of "Mithril."

This was Roger's first encounter with Mithril in this world. According to the blacksmith Miller, Mithril held immense value for mages and was a priceless treasure in Gem City to the south.

Who knew where the Red Tide Corpse Queen had gotten such a treasure? Now, it had fallen into Roger's hands.

Due to the nature of the Hidden Hero class, he would never be able to cast spells in his life, so Mithril was merely hard currency to him.

But the best thing about this stuff was that it was truly "hard."

This piece of Mithril was about the size of a baby's fist, but it was definitely worth more than 2,000 Copper Coins!

Is this the joy of getting rich?

Roger carefully tucked the Mithril into the inner lining of his jacket.

The third treasure was a strange piece of equipment.

"Suicide Ring"

"Rating: B+"

"Enchantment: Extreme Flame Storm"

"Extreme Flame Storm: A Second Ring Spell that forms three blazing vortices centered on the ring, burning all life to ashes."

"Activation: Mystra's Ninth Spell"

"Restriction: Once per day"

After seeing the effects of Extreme Flame Storm, Roger finally understood why it had that name.

So it was an item meant for perishing together with the enemy.

After all, Extreme Flame Storm was a Second Ring Spell with indiscriminate attacks. Even if it killed the enemy, the user at the center of the vortices would find it difficult to survive.

This thing seems practically tailor-made for me...

The more Roger looked at the ring, the more he liked it.

After all, his Magic Resistance was already maxed out. Although Extreme Flame Storm was a Second Ring Spell and had "ring suppression" over him, who was still at the First Ring, its effects were ultimately nothing more than minor trouble.

The only thing giving him a headache was "Mystra's Ninth Spell."

He had heard of it before. It was a collective term for several simple incantations conventionally used by Mystra's spellcasters.

The original purpose behind these incantations was to promote magical items, allowing even non-spellcasters to use spells.

There were more than a dozen such incantations in total, and each corresponded to the use of a specific category of magical item.

For example, the Ninth Spell corresponded to ring-type items.

Unfortunately, Roger knew nothing whatsoever about it.

The few apprentice mages in Tongma Town did not seem like they knew the Ninth Spell either.

Looks like I need to head to Gem City sooner after dealing with the Corpse Demon.

Tongma Town is still too small a place, after all.

Thinking this, he hid the Suicide Ring together with the Mithril.

By the time he had finished tallying the spoils and organizing the crates, dusk was approaching.

Roger did not rush down the mountain. Instead, carrying the Quicksand Lamp and a collapsible basket, he headed deeper into the gorge.

A short while later, he stopped at the edge of the gorge. Bending down, he pushed aside the Weeds, revealing a plant with bright yellow stamens and sharp, slender leaves.

"Seven-Flower Mangge: Plant/Herb"

"Traits: Prefers shade and tolerates moisture; often grows in areas with excessive concentrations of magic."

"Effect: Can be used to treat Magic Addiction."

It really is Seven-Flower Mangge.

Roger felt a small surge of delight.

Using the small herb hoe he carried with him, he dug into the soft earth and carefully unearthed the valuable herb, roots and all, along with the soil around it. Then he placed it in his basket.

Immediately afterward, he got up and continued onward in search of the next herb.

Before long, he found another Seven-Flower Mangge and happily began digging it up.

After all, Roger was not only a Hidden Hero, but also an intermediate apothecary.

During the ten years since his transmigration, he had spent his spare time gathering herbs and making medicines.

Hidden Hero and apothecary were two highly compatible professions.

The two fields shared many similarities, which gave Roger considerable motivation.

Unfortunately, the Qi Divination Technique could not be used to identify herbs.

That meant he could not slack off and had to search for them one plant at a time with his own eyes.

Fortunately, patience was the one thing Roger lacked least.

The sky gradually darkened, and the night wind deepened.

Only the howling wind and Roger's silent footsteps remained in the gorge.

After a night of gathering herbs, he returned fully loaded.

Besides four Seven-Flower Mangge plants for treating the mages' Magic Addiction, he also gathered more than twenty Lattice Vines and SuiSui Flowers—the two main ingredients used to make Beginner Hemostatic Ointment.

Time to head down the mountain.

Hefting the heavy basket, Roger roused himself, hid the two wooden crates in a designated spot, and left Cloud Terrace Mountain in the fresh morning breeze.