I Really Am Not a Human Trafficker!

Chapter 22: 022. I'm Really Not a Human Trafficker!

"So, little Mercer, where is your family? Where are your parents?" Makino asked.

Seeing that this guy was a bit too familiar and smelled of seafood, Mercer said, "Are you gathering seafood here?"

Makino was stunned for a moment, then reacted, covering her mouth and laughing:

"That's right, big sister is here to collect some fish during low tide.

But how did you know?

I thought you were just spacing out over here, you shouldn't have noticed me."

"The smell," Mercer wrinkled his nose, "You smell fishy, like the smell of rotten dead fish."

Makino's delicate eyebrows twitched, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly, "Not bad.

Such a keen sense of smell, the smell of dead fish.

I accidentally stepped on a dead fish earlier, and even though I washed it, the smell hasn't completely gone away yet."

"Mmm~, can you tell me now?" Makino asked, "It's noon now, and it's lunchtime. Where is your family?"

"They aren't here, I'm alone."

Mercer's lie came out as easily as breathing.

Makino blinked, "Not here?"

"You're alone? Then how do you eat? Is no one taking care of you?"

Mercer lifted his fishing rod and reeled in the line.

"Do I need someone to take care of me?"

"No. I won't starve to death by myself. I can hunt, I can cook, I know herbs, I can dig for them. I won't starve."

Mercer turned to look at Makino, "So? You tell me, if I can survive on my own, why would I need someone to take care of me?"

The next second.

Mercer saw pity in Makino's eyes.

His mouth twitched, and Mercer felt helpless.

"What's with that look?"

"Little Mercer, don't deceive yourself," Makino said pityingly, "You can't even catch a single fish. How can you possibly feed yourself?"

"Forget it, sister is in a good mood today. Since you kept me company, I'll treat you to lunch. Come to my place."

"You're really not a human trafficker?" Mercer squinted at her, "You're just being nice to strangers like this?"

Makino flashed a brilliant smile and reached out to grab Mercer's arm:

"Sister isn't a human trafficker, and you're not a stranger either. Didn't we just tell each other our names?"

Seeing her dazzling smile, Mercer didn't dodge her grasp this time.

She grabbed Mercer's left arm with her right hand, making a cute "hexiu" sound, and then pulled Mercer up with force.

"That's right, big sister isn't a bad person."

"Let's go, I was just about to go home and cook. It's a big harvest today."

Makino pulled Mercer and walked to the side, picking up a fish basket about ten meters away.

Mercer reeled in his fishing rod and could see many palm-sized sea fish and some seafood like shellfish, sea urchins, and conch shells inside.

They walked along the beach towards the village, passing through a few streets and alleys, and arrived at the back door of a two-story flat.

Makino let go of Mercer and took out a key from her pocket.

Kata!

The door opened.

Inside was a spacious courtyard.

"Let's go, we're going in."

Entering the courtyard, Makino led Mercer into the house.

She opened the window.

It was laid out like a bar, with a bar counter, wine racks, and tables and chairs. The chairs were placed upside down on the tables, indicating it wasn't open for business.

The inside was very clean.

Makino poured Mercer a glass of water behind the bar and smiled:

"Little Mercer, sit here for a bit. I'll go to the kitchen to cook. You'll be able to eat delicious seafood rice soon."

Watching her walk to the back kitchen from behind the bar, Mercer idly looked at the water in his cup.

With a thought, a light screen appeared in his vision.

Soul Crystal: [F*268]

Looking at the balance in the Soul Crystal section, it was the 268 F-rank Soul Crystals Mercer had accumulated from hunting over the years.

"Soul Crystals can be fused and decomposed. So, how many F-rank Soul Crystals are needed to synthesize an E-rank Soul Crystal?"

"250."

A few seconds later, he looked at the remaining balance in the Soul Crystal section.

Soul Crystal: [E*1, F*18]

Looking at the Attributes section, Mercer fell into thought. One E-rank Soul Crystal could only improve one E-rank attribute.

Each attribute had an indispensable role, so he could only choose the one most suitable for the current situation.

Looking at these six attributes.

[Physique]: Strength: E- Durability: E- Agility: E-

[Soul]: Will: E- Perception: E- Spirit: E-

Finally, with a thought, the grain-sized E-rank Soul Crystal turned into a wisp of invisible mist and merged into Mercer's limbs and bones.

Minor adjustments occurred within his body.

A slight pain spread.

A few minutes later.

Mercer stood up and jumped. He felt his body had become much more agile, and even his chubby physique had become a little slimmer.

[Agility: E- → E]

It just so happened that higher levels of Observation Haki would boost the growth of Agility, Perception, and Spirit attributes.

Now, except for the Spirit attribute, the remaining two related attributes were at the same level.

With this, Mercer clearly felt his coordination become more effortless.

This was the charm of becoming stronger.

He strode quickly around the small bar, carefully savoring the subtle changes in his body.

Agility was not just about physical speed; it also encompassed all aspects of the human body, such as nerve reflexes, personal dexterity, coordination, and so on.

The improvement within the same rank did not bring about a huge change, but it allowed Mercer to adapt for a while.

When he was almost done, Mercer sat on a bar stool and took small sips of water.

Time slowly passed.

A faint aroma also wafted out. Before long, Makino came out with two plates of seafood fried rice.

Two standard plates were piled high.

One plate of fried rice was placed in front of Mercer.

"Eat up, try my cooking, and give me your honest opinion so I can see if there's anything I need to improve."

Makino said with a smile, handing him a spoon.

"Thank you, I will." Mercer didn't stand on ceremony, took the spoon, scooped a full spoonful, and put it in his mouth.

He chewed carefully.

One bite, two bites, three bites.

The taste was just right, not too salty, not too bland. It had the fragrance of the rice and the freshness of the shrimp.

"It tastes good, just a little burnt. But the burnt flavor is also appetizing. I just don't know if it was accidental or if you intended it to have that slightly burnt flavor."

At that, Makino laughed, her small face blushing slightly.

"Not bad, you could actually taste that. I accidentally took too long scooping the rice just now, so the seafood got a little burnt."

"Also, I'm very satisfied with your compliment. This way, I'll have more confidence in opening my bar in the future."

Eating the fried rice with large mouthfuls, Mercer said, "Future? Your family's place looks quite large, and there's no one else around."

"Makino, you're not by yourself, are you?"

Mercer clearly saw Makino's hand pause while eating, but it was only for a moment before she continued eating.

"Sorry. I asked something I shouldn't have."

Mercer apologized.

Makino swallowed the food in her mouth and said with a smile, "It's not that you can't ask. I am alone at home. My family used to run a bar. My parents died in a shipwreck a few years ago when they went out to sea to get supplies.

But we have some savings, and with the village chief's help, life is still manageable."

I'll also wait a few more years, until I'm a bit older, and then I'll reopen the bar.

"What about you, Mercer? Your family?"

Mercer swallowed the food in his mouth and said calmly, "About the same as yours."

Just as she was waiting for him to continue, she saw Mercer start eating again. Makino blinked, puffed out her cheeks, and grumbled:

"Mercer, you're really mean. You only say half of what you mean. Do you know that if you spoke like that to a storyteller who visited Sometimes Village, he'd get beaten up?"

He glanced at Makino.

"You can't beat me. If I punch you, you'll cry for a long time."

"And I'll cry too."

"Why?" Makino didn't quite believe the first part, but became curious with the second.

"Because you're not going to die."

"Cough cough!" Makino coughed violently, choked by Mercer's words.

She rolled her eyes at Mercer impatiently, then giggled happily again.

"As expected, Mercer, you're so funny. I wish you were my little brother."

"Then I could laugh all day long."

He finished the rest of the fried rice in a few bites, not leaving a single grain of rice.

He drank the water in his cup at the bar in one gulp.

"It's not dark yet."

"?" Makino was confused: "What do you mean?"

"..." Makino thought and thought, and finally understood, laughing angrily:

"You're the one having a daydream."

She glanced at Mercer's plate, blinked, "Mercer, are you full?"

"Do you want more?"

Makino scratched her head, "If you don't mind, I'll give you the half in my bowl that I haven't touched yet. I made it according to my usual portion.

Sorry, I didn't know you ate so much."

"No need to apologize. I came here to eat and drink for free anyway, I didn't pay, so you don't need to apologize."

"How about I make you something else?" Makino tapped her chin, "Deep-fried small fish? Is that okay?"

"Roast suckling pig?" Mercer tactfully refused, "Can you make that?"

"That's probably not possible, I don't have money to buy one. A whole one is very expensive."

"Oh!"

"Then no need."

"Oh." Makino sighed, "Then I'm sorry."

"I'll be going then. I'll come find you when I have time. Mercer said, "The fried rice was delicious, I really liked it."

"Eh?"

Before she could speak, Mercer had already picked up his fishing rod and headed for the back door.

Makino put down her spoon and quickly chased after him, but by the time she reached the courtyard, Mercer's figure had already disappeared.

She couldn't help but pout.

"How could he do that? Run off after eating? I'm really not a human trafficker."

Makino sighed helplessly.

Walking down the street.

Carrying his fishing rod on his shoulder, Mercer glanced at his stomach and then walked towards the warship at the dock.

After a while, he boarded the warship, casually placed his fishing rod in a corner, and headed straight for the restaurant.

It was lunchtime.

As soon as he entered, he saw Bogard waving at him.

"Mercer, over here, over here."

Mercer first went to the chef's window and got a full plate of big bone meat and a bowl of noodles mixed with some kind of minced meat and unknown egg.

He came to Bogard and immediately started eating.

A bite of meat, a bite of noodles, he ate with great relish.

Bogard asked curiously, "Why aren't you with your grandfather?"

"I went fishing earlier but didn't catch anything, so I went to a stranger's place and got a meal."

"So you're still hungry, huh?" Bogard chuckled. "Heh, I guess ordinary families can't afford to feed someone like you."

"Uncle. If you can talk, you might as well shut up."

He ate heartily, finishing the meat and noodles in a flash.

He took the bowls and chopsticks back to the kitchen.

Mercer said to Bogard, "I'm heading out for a bit. If my grandfather comes back, tell him I went to Kolpo Mountain."

"Alright, be careful."

Mercer returned to his room to grab his axe, then left the warship.

He followed the path up the mountain, passing a pasture. He glanced at the plump dairy cows inside.

"I'll hunt something later."

Entering the mountain, Mercer suddenly felt more at ease, both physically and mentally.

His breathing deepened as he picked up his pace, pumping his arms as he ran.

Feeling the wind on his cheeks, he spread his Observation Haki, searching for prey.

Along the way, Tall trees appeared, their roots covered in green moss. At one point, Mercer noticed many broken branches on some low bushes.

"And there are scrape marks on the tree roots too."

He began to ponder what kind of creature, and what size, could have caused this.

Mercer followed the faint tracks he found around the area.

His Observation Haki continued to scan.

He filtered out extraneous scents.

After a moment, Mercer crouched low, looking at his prey not far away.

It was a black wild bull, two meters long, powerfully built, with glossy fur and a pair of hard, backward-curving horns on its head.

Its tail swished behind its rear, swatting away insects, as it currently poked its head into the grass, eating tender leaves from a bush.

"I need to find a way to kill it in one blow. That means... the neck is the only option."

He adjusted his breathing, slowed his heartbeat, and Mercer slowly walked forward.

At a distance of ten meters, the wild bull finally discovered Mercer.

"Moo!"

It raised its head, snorted loudly through its nostrils, and pawed the ground with its right foreleg, its bull's eyes fixed on Mercer.

Lowering its head, Mercer sensed its muscles bulging, ready to charge.

Moving forward again.

The next moment, the wild bull lowered its head and charged furiously at Mercer.

At less than ten meters, it was almost in the blink of an eye before the wild bull reached Mercer.

Thanks to his precognitive Observation Haki, Mercer jumped ahead of time, performing a backflip and landing on his feet, his right arm tightening around his axe in mid-air.

The instant he crossed paths with the wild bull.

Mercer swung his axe down.

Slish!

A spray of faintly fishy blood erupted.

In the blink of an eye, the wild bull ran past with inertia, and Mercer flipped himself from mid-air, landing steadily.

He looked back at the wild bull. A long, narrow cut had been made on its back neck, a full palm's width deep.

The wild bull, having sustained a fatal wound, collapsed to the ground. Mercer stepped forward and swung his axe again, aiming for the artery.

Slish!

Another spurt of blood flew.

The wild bull finally ceased all movement.

Immediately after, a grain-of-rice-sized irregular crystal, shimmering with a mysterious luster, precipitated from its corpse.

[Acquired F+ Grade Soul Crystal *1]

After a simple cleanup of the bull's blood, Mercer grabbed its horns and headed towards Kolpo Mountain nearby.

It took him over half an hour. Mercer, dragging a bull, arrived at "Dadan's Home." He immediately saw Ace sitting cross-legged and breathing under the shade of a tree outside.

And the occasional "cough, cough."

Mercer's movement was not small, and Ace noticed him immediately.

"Mercer?" Ace looked shocked. "You took down this big wild bull?"

He tossed the wild bull to the side of the door.

Mercer chuckled, "Didn't you see it with your own eyes?"

My apologies for the late update, I lost track of time while writing. This is a new book by a new author! Please follow along!

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PS: [Soul Crystals]: Soul Crystals of varying qualities are obtained by killing. Soul Crystals can be used to strengthen Attributes and Gifted Abilities. (Soul Crystals are refined and forged from the essence of a life's spirit.)

*Soul Crystals can be merged/decomposed.

*Five units of the same quality combine into the next higher quality (e.g., F- → F), while ten units of the same quality combine into the next higher quality (e.g., F+ → E-).

Five F-rank Soul Crystals can be combined to form one F-rank Soul Crystal.

Five F-rank Soul Crystals can be combined to form one F+ rank Soul Crystal.

Ten F+ rank Soul Crystals can be combined to form one E-rank Soul Crystal.

For example: 10,000 F-rank Soul Crystals can only yield 8 E-rank Soul Crystals.

One hundred million F-rank Soul Crystals can yield approximately 1.2 C-rank Soul Crystals.

PS: 10,000 F-rank Soul Crystals are refined from 10,000 F-rank lives.

PS: The essence of a spirit is the foundation or essence of a life's existence. It represents the inherent potential and possibilities within each creature or thing. The essence of a spirit is the unique and potential core element of every life or thing.

PS: The quality of Soul Crystals obtained is directly proportional to one's strength.

PS: After killing prey, Soul Crystals naturally precipitate from the prey's corpse.