Deal Reached

"These?"

The Collector glanced at the various odds and ends in the surrounding display cases. "These are all items that were once tainted by extraordinary influence. Perhaps they lived through some incident, or were used by some big shot. But by now, the influence they once held should have completely dissipated, leaving them with nothing but general collectible value."

"So, I just put them together with the animal specimens—about half of these trendy little pieces of junk were brought to me by a girl in town named Sally. I have no idea where she finds them."

Oh...

Lude understood in his heart; it turned out that the thing tainting that dinner knife was the [influence] Professor Beshe had once spoken of.

"Then, next is the fourth room..."

Lude started to walk toward that door, but the Collector reached out a hand to stop him.

"Mm, apologies, I was being presumptuous." Lude smiled and stepped back.

"Not presumptuous at all." The Collector chuckled, revealing a mouthful of yellowed teeth. "It's just that the collections allowed into the fourth room are either spiritual material or, quite simply, alchemical tools."

"I worry that if you happen to take a liking to one of them, should I grit my teeth and part with it, or should I just resort to violence against you?"

"So, you wait here. I'll go up and fetch some items that match the value of your book. You can rest assured regarding my reputation; after all, the vast majority of the collection here was acquired through purchase, not by force."

"...What are you saying." Lude laughed. "I naturally trust your reputation, it's just that not being able to admire the fourth floor, the most precious of all, makes this humble one feel a bit regretful."

The Collector raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "Nothing to be done about that. Perhaps that's just life."

With that, the Collector pushed open the door, which was covered in a thick layer of dust.

Through the gap between the Collector and the doorframe, Lude could see that the items in this fourth room were quite sparse.

There were only twelve display cases in total, with a large distance between each one.

"Is this all there is?" Lude asked with some curiosity.

The Collector shrugged helplessly. "Although our family has been collecting for eight generations, it wasn't until my generation that a spellcaster finally appeared. Plus, true extraordinary materials and alchemical tools are extremely rare; being able to collect even these is already quite an achievement."

"Oh..." Lude nodded, feeling a secret sense of disappointment.

As the Collector's massive frame slowly squeezed into the fourth room, a bit of dust was shaken down from the eaves with a thud; Lude was left alone in the third room, quietly staring at the giant dragon whose skull had been smashed in by a single punch.

Looking at the Dragon Beast hunted by a mortal, Lude couldn't help but feel his heart surge.

If Lord Hypnos had shown Lude the possibility of stepping onto the path of transcendence, then this Collector had shown Lude the possibilities of humanity itself.

Secret Arts—logically speaking, Secret Arts should have their limits.

Aside from the [Rule-type Secret Arts] that the old man Hypnos spoke of, mortals shouldn't possess the power to shake those more powerful Dragon Beasts single-handedly; after all, the gap between species is like a natural chasm.

Yet the Collector, she had clearly crossed that chasm, and she had done it with her own flesh and blood.

However, the basic principle of occultism is [Equivalent Exchange]. Any spell can increase its yield if enough of a price is paid. He wondered if the Collector's Secret Art had anything to do with this.

More importantly, if the Collector could achieve this through a Secret Art, would the effect of his own Secret Art, which had been gestating for so long, be even more formidable? Could it allow him to gain the strength to hunt Dragon Beasts overnight as well?

At the thought of power, Lude's heart felt as restless as if it were being burned by fire.

It had to be said that Lord Hypnos was very good at bewitching people. A small suggestion from him back then was now making Lude's mind churn with unease.

He was conflicted, debating whether to use the first Wyvern Blood Essence directly to nurture his own gestating Secret Art.

Perhaps, if his Secret Art successfully gestated, the power contained within it might be even greater than the power gained from using all three Wyvern Blood Essences directly?

Just then, the Collector's massive figure slowly squeezed back down the staircase. She was carrying a clinking little bag, which she handed to Lude.

"I think this item should be quite suitable for you."

The Collector began, "Although I don't think you can achieve much in alchemy at your age, I am happy to give you a little investment. After all, who knows? Perhaps Professor Beshe's legacy could create a miracle."

Lude smiled and opened the bag to take a look. Inside was a cinnabar-red amulet engraved with alchemical runes that emitted a faint golden luster; it was clearly an alchemical tool.

"This is a Cinnabar Amulet."

The Collector explained:

"Wear it close to your body, and it will keep you from fearing the heat. Although I don't understand alchemy, I at least know that alchemy is the art of fire. This thing should be quite practical for you."

Lude nodded. He knew of the Cinnabar Amulet.

The [Cinnabar Amulet] could help an alchemist safely increase the temperature of a furnace during smelting without worrying about heatstroke or burns. This thing was absolutely useful for a novice alchemist.

"Just as I said, I generally don't take advantage of others."

The Collector chuckled. "After all, in our line of work, reputation is everything."

"...I think it is very fair." Lude replied.

Naturally, he wouldn't expose his trump card at this moment by telling the Collector that he was naturally immune to fire.

In fact, Lude had initially planned to use a transcribed copy for the trade. His high-precision forgery was so excellent that he could create a nearly identical book in a single night.

But after learning of the Collector's identity as a member of the Black Tide Society, he changed his mind.

The reason was simple: Lude had already made up his mind to finish her off before leaving Blackwater Town.

And then, from her mouth... from her home, he would get his hands on all of her collection.

In this way, the initial trade became a probe for intelligence. At such a time, it was better not to resort to deception and alert the other party.

What's more, once Lude finished off the Collector, this item would just end up back in his hands anyway!

After the transaction concluded, the Collector enthusiastically invited Lude to stay for a simple meal. Unfortunately, the scent clinging to her was far too pungent, and Lude had no desire to linger, so he offered an excuse and made his escape.

The excuse was simple: Lude stated outright that he was investigating the whereabouts of the escaped Vessel.

Yes, I am hunting myself.

It was only once he returned to town that Lude finally let out a sigh of relief.

He then located a blacksmith shop and spent 50 Sol to rent the premises for a week.

During this period, Lude was free to use all the facilities and materials within the shop.

However, Lude was also required to compensate for any damages caused to the forge.

Clearly, the owner of the shop viewed Lude as someone who had never touched smithing in his life, and fearing he might do something absurd—like spilling a crucible of molten iron into the furnace—he had specifically insisted on this condition.

To be honest, if Lude hadn't paid so much—enough to cover several months of the owner's income—he would never have been willing to rent out his livelihood to a complete layman.