Shopkeeper Sun

"What? Not good enough for you?" Shopkeeper Sun glanced at Zhang Yao and continued, "Let me give you a word of advice, newcomer. Blue and gold equipment are things you can stumble upon but never count on finding. Don't set your sights higher than your reach! Most of the equipment here may be white, but you should know that if you run into danger, these things could save your life!"

"Heh, you've misunderstood, Shopkeeper Sun! How could I make a mistake like that? My funds are simply limited! That's why I need you to recommend a few essentials, so I can get the most out of my money!" Zhang Yao didn't admit that he really did look down on these items. Instead, he tactfully pleaded a shortage of money.

"Hmm! That's more like it! All right, I've taken a liking to you today, lad, so I'll help you pick out a few things!" Shopkeeper Sun nodded in satisfaction, then waved his hand again. In an instant, the packed inventory was reduced to just a handful of items.

Because of the rules of Rodos World, Shopkeeper Sun couldn't tell what equipment Zhang Yao was wearing. Besides, Zhang Yao was a newcomer, so Shopkeeper Sun had clearly believed his explanation.

Zhang Yao looked up and immediately filtered out the white equipment among the remaining items. Once he disregarded those pieces, only three things remained in the inventory.

Minor healing potion: Consumable. A potion provided by Rodos World exclusively for Chosen Ones. Restores 10 health per second for 5 seconds. Price: 30 gold coins.

Minor mana potion: Consumable. A potion provided by Rodos World exclusively for Chosen Ones. Restores 5 mana (battle aura) per second for 5 seconds. Price: 50 gold coins.

Overview of Rodos: Special item. Provides further details about Rodos and some precautions for Chosen Ones. Price: 100 gold coins.

After staring at the three remaining items for a long while, Zhang Yao made his final decision. "Shopkeeper Sun, I'll buy this Overview of Rodos!"

"You want the Overview of Rodos?" Shopkeeper Sun looked at Zhang Yao and asked again, sounding somewhat uncertain.

"Yes!" Zhang Yao nodded firmly.

"Here you go, lad!" With Zhang Yao's confirmation, Shopkeeper Sun swept his hand across the display. The Overview of Rodos appeared in Zhang Yao's inventory, while his gold coins decreased by 100.

"I picked out plenty of other things for you, lad. Why did you choose only this Overview of Rodos? You could equip the other things straight after buying them and improve your strength further. Surely that's much better than a book you can only read?" With the transaction complete, Shopkeeper Sun glanced at Zhang Yao, who was holding the book and continually leafing through it, and asked in puzzlement.

"Heh, Shopkeeper Sun, I like to lay my plans before making a move. I never fight a battle I'm not sure I can win! Since I've ended up in Rodos whether I like it or not, I need to learn everything about this place as quickly as possible, so I have a better chance of staying alive." Zhang Yao put the Overview of Rodos back into his Spatial Ring, raised his head, and answered with a smile.

"Hmm, you're a fairly clever lad!" After hearing Zhang Yao's answer, Shopkeeper Sun offered a lukewarm compliment.

"All right, is there anything else you want to buy? If not, you should head back."

"Well... Shopkeeper Sun... Earlier, I heard you muttering something about another newcomer. Does that mean other people came before me?" Zhang Yao hesitated, then voiced the question troubling him.

"Of course! The world of Rodos opens once every hundred years. Do you think opening it is easy? If it summoned only you, lad, wouldn't that be a huge loss?" Shopkeeper Sun rolled his eyes and answered irritably.

"Oh! So that's how it works. Then how many people are summoned each time? Where are they summoned from? Is anyone from the same place as me?" Zhang Yao nodded in understanding, then fired off several questions in one breath.

"Heh heh, lad, those questions fall outside what I'm authorized to answer! I have the right to refuse."

At Zhang Yao's questions, Shopkeeper Sun suddenly let out a sly chuckle. Behind his crystal spectacles, his eyes shone with a look that was hard to meet directly. He paused briefly, and once he felt he had thoroughly whetted Zhang Yao's appetite, he continued, "But this old man has taken a liking to you, so if you give me 200 gold coins, I'll tell you everything! How about it?"

"Oh, then forget it. I won't ask." As he spoke, Zhang Yao turned as though he were about to leave.

Had Zhang Yao really lost interest in asking?

Of course not! Shopkeeper Sun was clearly asking for the sky, and Zhang Yao certainly wasn't going to obediently hand over the money. Since the other party dared to name a sky-high price, Zhang Yao naturally dared to counter with one planted firmly on the ground. Still, bargaining took a little skill. If the other party saw how determined he was to get the information, the trick would stop working.

"Wait! Why are you in such a hurry, lad? If 200 gold coins is too much, name a price. As long as it's reasonable, I'll tell you everything!" Shopkeeper Sun hurriedly called out to stop Zhang Yao, who was making a show of leaving, and put on a smile that suggested everything was negotiable.

"Fifty." Zhang Yao lowered his head and pretended to ponder for a long time before naming his price.

"What? No! Absolutely not! At least 150 gold coins!" Shopkeeper Sun rolled up his wide sleeves, slapped the counter, and shouted.

"Hmm, then eighty gold coins! I really don't have any more than that." In contrast to Shopkeeper Sun's flustered urgency, Zhang Yao remained perfectly calm and unhurried.

"..."

"Fine! I'll take a loss this once. Give me the money, and I'll give you the information!" Looking as though both his parents had died, Shopkeeper Sun finally compromised.

Zhang Yao immediately selected the trade option. Seeing that his money display, which had shown 200 gold coins before he arrived, now showed only twenty, he couldn't help lamenting how quickly money slipped through his fingers.

Once the gold coins were in his hands, Shopkeeper Sun's gloom instantly turned to delight. "Heh, not bad, not bad. It's a little meager, but this is still my first unexpected income in nearly a hundred years! Ah, though it really is a little meager!" After muttering to himself for a moment, Shopkeeper Sun looked up and saw Zhang Yao standing motionless, waiting for answers to his earlier questions. He gave a couple of light coughs and began explaining:

"Ahem. I don't know when Rodos World first appeared, either, but after serving Chosen Ones like you here for so many years, I've managed to piece together some information about it. Rodos World draws in a group of Chosen Ones every hundred years, and each group numbers around a thousand. Those thousand people are randomly selected from planets all across the universe. As for whether anyone comes from the same place as you, I can tell you clearly: no! There is only ever one Guiding Stone from Rodos World on any given planet. Only after that stone disappears will the next Guiding Stone appear a hundred years later. That is a rule, and it cannot be changed."

"Hmm, I understand. Thank you for clearing that up, Shopkeeper Sun. I'll be going now!" Having learned what he wanted to know, Zhang Yao thanked Shopkeeper Sun and prepared to leave for real.

"Wait!" Just as Zhang Yao was about to leave, Shopkeeper Sun stopped him again.