Trouble Again

Malcolm looked Fran over carefully, then smiled and said:

"You want this? Don't you know who we are?"

He pointed to the bright red pointer at his waist, which he had snatched from an unfortunate fellow two hours earlier.

He was on his way to a realm to hunt Spirit Realm Traveler when suddenly their leader summoned them urgently to discuss an important matter.

It wasn't until he arrived there that he learned they were going to rob the Heart Lake Market.

There's a reason why such important news wasn't communicated to those in charge until just before the operation was about to begin.

Although Malcolm joined the organization relatively early, the leader still favored a few people with whom he had a closer relationship.

So even though he held a high position, he was often later than others in learning about many things.

The reason for keeping this information secret is that the Yellow Robe Man's organization is not limited to one entity.

When the "Yellow Robe Man" model first became famous, many imitators emerged, creating a chaotic scene.

People in black robes, blue robes, and red robes all appeared.

However, these organizations that used other robes as their identifiers almost always collapsed within weeks of starting their activities, because they struggled to expand their manpower.

For organizations like theirs, the biggest problem is manpower, due to the special circumstances of the Spirit Realm.

Many people in yellow robes would quit after a few robberies, and then check after a while to see if they had any bounties on their heads. If not, they would simply go straight and leave the country.

If there's a bounty, and there's no way to withdraw it, you're left with no choice but to go all the way.

These members, after pulling off a few heists and earning a lot of Spirit Crystal, started to consider quitting.

Leaders like Malcolm, on the other hand, never kill the Spirit Realm Traveler themselves, but instead let others do it, so that the Spirit Realm Traveler won't track them down.

Later, the imitators discovered that as long as they wore the yellow robe, no one could tell the difference, and one set of clothing could be worn by several organizations.

Malcolm was well aware that nearly half of his current subordinates had worked for other organizations, but for various reasons, he did not stop them.

The reason they blocked the news was that they were afraid that people who had dealings with other organizations would bring members from several other organizations with them to get a share of the spoils after hearing that they were going to attack Heart Lake Market.

This has happened several times before. The number of Spirit Realm Traveler is limited. If you kill one and get the item, I will hardly get any. That's why they try to block the news, all for the sake of maximizing their profits.

Returning to the present, Malcolm looked up at Fran, his eyes full of amusement.

Fran answered him with just this one sentence.

"This is the Spirit Realm Market; we can trade using Spirit Crystal. Isn't that right?"

Malcolm seemed to have thought of something, and then said:

"Yes, this is a market..."

Malcolm reached out and touched the Spirit Realm Guide at his waist. To be honest, Malcolm had checked this newly acquired item while waiting for the other side's main force to take their positions.

He felt this thing was of little significance, even though it led to a realm he had never seen before— the Sun Domain.

However, in reality, this Spirit Realm Guide does not directly point to a certain Trial or special building, so such Spirit Realm Guide that only points to a certain realm has little practical value.

Regarding the total number of Spirit Realm Traveler have been discovered and identified as belonging to different realms, one documented book states that the number is approximately 1341.

However, the day after the book was published, someone verified that about ten newly discovered realms were not recorded in it.

By now, people have completely lost interest in counting how many realms there are in the Spirit Realm. Although most Spirit Realm Traveler will reach realms that others have already visited, there are simply too many Spirit Realm Traveler, and a few will inevitably find new realms.

Malcolm probably memorized hundreds of realms, so it was normal for him to encounter unfamiliar ones.

If this guide points to an unknown realm but doesn't lead to a rewarding Trial, then Spirit Realm value is greatly diminished.

In Malcolm's view, such a Spirit Realm Guide was of no value at all; even if it contained a few milligrams of Spirit Crystal, probably no one would buy it.

Since everyone's time is limited, people buy Spirit Realm Guide either because it's a Trial or because there are materials that others need within that realm.

Malcolm looked at Fran, guessing that she was the latter, and that there was probably something she needed inside this realm.

Faced with this situation, Malcolm came up with a very interesting idea, and this is what he said.

"I got this from a Spirit Realm Traveler. I was really unlucky; I only got this one when we were dividing the loot."

"However, this Guide of the Spirit Realm isn't worth much money. How about this, you give me 100 grams of Spirit Crystal, and I'll give you this Spirit Realm Guide."

Fran was taken aback. She thought the other party would ask for an exorbitant price, or simply refuse to trade with her. She didn't expect the other party to actually be seriously discussing the value of this Spirit Realm Guide.

Objectively speaking, when others know that you desperately need Spirit Realm Guide from this realm, they will raise the price on the spot. They might raise the price to at least 1 kilogram of Spirit Crystal Spirit Crystal, let alone 100 grams. At this point, it depends on your bargaining skills and the other party's greed level.

Fran hadn't expected the other party to quote such a price; it seemed rather low, especially considering how much Fran desperately needed this Spirit Realm Guide.

Fran didn't hesitate and said directly:

"Okay, deal."

Fran immediately activated the magic circle for the exchange ceremony, filled in the amount of Spirit Crystal she would trade, and then spoke.

"That's it, take a look."

After glancing at it briefly, Malcolm said:

"No problem, take out the Spirit Crystal."

Malcolm's actions immediately caused his yellow-robed subordinates to lose their composure. One of them whispered in his ear:

"Big brother, we didn't come here to rob..."

Malcolm waved his hand and said:

"Since we're already here, isn't the purpose of a market to sell some things we don't need?"

The man in the yellow robe said nothing more and simply retreated behind Malcolm.

After seeing that Malcolm had confirmed the contents of the ceremony, Fran didn't hesitate and immediately took out a standard kilogram of Spirit Crystal.

Malcolm's expression was quite interesting when he saw Fran take out a standard-sized Spirit Crystal.

This is like taking out a whole gold brick in front of others in the Material Realm —it's simply too astonishing.

But Malcolm also knew that although he coveted this entire 'gold brick', there was nothing he could do about it.

Because the maximum amount of Spirit Crystal that an apprentice-level plundering attribute Spirit Realm Guide can plunder is 100 grams; if it exceeds this value, nothing will be left behind.

After Fran confirmed the ritual, it burst forth with a brilliant Radiance, a sign of its success.

Then Fran handed Malcolm a small fragment designated for the ritual, but when she tried to take the Spirit Realm Guide from Malcolm's hand...

But then she saw Malcolm wave his hand behind his back, not handing her the Guide of the Spirit Realm.

"What do you mean?" Fran was a little confused about the other person's actions.

They have already performed the ritual, so even if neither side gives the other anything, there will be no problem, because what they traded has already anchored their relationship.

If Fran returns to the Material Realm now, this Guide of the Spirit Realm will disappear directly from Malcolm's hands and come into her hands in the Material Realm, as will the Spirit Crystal in Fran's hands.

"Heh..." Malcolm's lips curled into a sinister smile as he said smugly:

"Remember this for the future: even if the man in the yellow robe is willing to trade with you, why can't he kill you after the transaction is over to get something else?"

The yellow-robed men beside Malcolm also understood Malcolm's meaning. They gradually approached Fran, letting out shouts of surprise as they drew near.

This was Malcolm's idea. Although he could directly order his underlings to kill this arrogant person, he would only get a hundred grams of Spirit Crystal at most.

In return for this deal with Malcolm, he received double the amount, two hundred grams of Spirit Crystal.

Fran watched as the yellow-robed figures approached, each drawing their weapons and pointing them at her. She raised an eyebrow but made no move.

She had already gotten what she needed, and the surrounding of these people was nothing to her.

She had carefully examined the strength of these yellow-robed men when they arrived. They were all First Order Profession, but their auras were very weak.

Come to think of it, if a Spirit Realm Traveler is truly powerful, he can earn a safer and more numerous number of Spirit Crystal simply by participating in Trial.

Among these people in yellow robes, there may be a few who are quite powerful, but the vast majority are below average in strength.

"Shorty, let's make a bet!!"

Malcolm's voice carried a hint of pleasant laughter.

"One of my subordinates has a special ability: he can increase the probability of dropping a certain item from someone's person."

"And now, he has locked onto this Spirit Realm Guide."

"Let's see how lucky you really are!"

"If it costs twice as much (200 grams of Spirit Crystal) to get this Spirit Realm Guide you need, then it's not too bad."

"We still gained nothing, and even lost a hundred grams of Spirit Crystal. That's a huge loss."

"Come and try your luck!"