"My lord, is it really worth as much as my sister?"
An Kai glanced at Will-Bukelin and nodded.
Of course it was worth as much as Sally Bukelin. It was Sally Bukelin herself!
Unfortunately, An Kai wasn't going to tell Will-Bukelin that.
Even if he did, it wouldn't be now.
After thinking for a moment, Will-Bukelin nodded firmly. "My lord, leave it to me!"
Then he turned and left.
Throughout their conversation, Will-Bukelin had been tactful enough not to ask An Kai why he couldn't enter the city to make the transaction.
Nor had he insisted on finding out exactly what could be worth as much as the Fifth Princess of the Bukelin Duchy.
Will-Bukelin knew that doing so would only annoy An Kai and gain him nothing...
Sally Bukelin's astonishing value came partly from her status, but also from her beauty.
Her reputation as one of the Bukelin Duchy's three greatest beauties wasn't just empty talk.
Watching Will-Bukelin leave, An Kai felt quite pleased.
He hadn't expected to find a way out of his predicament at the last moment.
At last, he could get the greatest possible value out of Sally Bukelin.
Humming a tune, An Kai walked toward Sally Bukelin.
Under the combined effects of Fireball and the scorching desert weather, Sally Bukelin's clothes had long since become soaked with sweat.
As time passed, the waves of heat radiating from Fireball dried that sweat again.
Her clothes hung wrinkled on her body, making her look like a beggar.
As time dragged on, she also grew increasingly frightened.
Eventually, thoughts began to surface: Has Hanks abandoned me? Has an enemy defeated him? Does he still remember me?
...And other such negative thoughts.
Especially after nightfall, Sally Bukelin's spirits sank to rock bottom...
He hasn't gone to Chaos City by himself, has he?
Surrounded by Fireball, she became increasingly consumed by that thought...
Until she heard a shout: "Disperse!"
The refreshing night breeze of the oasis blew over her, making Sally Bukelin narrow her eyes in relief...
"Hanks..."
Just as she was about to ask An Kai where he had been all this time, magical fluctuations appeared in his hand...
A Freezing Spell appeared, and An Kai cast it onto Sally Bukelin from a distance, forming a thin layer of ice over her...
The sudden coolness was so soothing that Sally Bukelin couldn't hold back a soft moan...
At that moment, all thoughts of complaints and questions vanished, replaced by a gentle remark. "Hanks, next time you're going to be away for so long, tell me beforehand. I'll worry about you."
"Don't worry. There won't be a next time," An Kai replied softly. Before long, he would be able to hand Sally Bukelin over to the Bounty Tower.
He might never see her again for the rest of his life.
So he wasn't wrong to say there wouldn't be a next time.
But Sally Bukelin heard an entirely different meaning. She thought her words had worked, and that Hanks was making her a promise.
That indirectly proved she was close to winning Hanks over!
The two exchanged smiles...
Perhaps because she felt she was close to winning Hanks over, Sally Bukelin decided to teach An Kai some basic knowledge about mages.
An Kai had just cast an ice spell, after all. Combined with the fire spell he had used earlier, this meant he was heading down the wrong path in Sally Bukelin's eyes.
"Hanks, do you know how mages are classified?"
An Kai froze. How would he know that?
That old bastard Dong Lin had never taught him any of this.
He shook his head honestly.
A smile appeared on Sally Bukelin's face. For the first time, she had found something she could feel confident about in front of An Kai.
Then she began explaining the basics of being a mage.
Among other things, she explained that fire spells couldn't coexist with water or ice spells.
After listening for a while, An Kai felt that none of it had much to do with him.
What Sally Bukelin was explaining were things to keep in mind when a mage underwent Class Advancement.
In other words, they were considerations for Second-tier Mages-mages at Lv11 and above.
They had little relevance to a Lv1 mage like him, whose level was locked and who couldn't level up...
Second-tier Mages underwent Class Advancement.
Their affinity with spells during the first tier determined which elemental branch of mage they would become.
Most mages instinctively began working toward this while they were still in the first tier.
That way, they wouldn't encounter any obstacles during their second-tier Class Advancement.
Unfortunately, to An Kai, this was useless knowledge...
His own Class Advancement would probably, presumably, happen in another 9,998 years...
He reckoned his level lock wouldn't be lifted until the players arrived...
At the thought of that, a wave of sadness welled up in An Kai's heart...
Sally Bukelin, who was enthusiastically sharing everything she knew, saw An Kai's expression of "gratitude"-actually sadness over his locked level-and redoubled her efforts...
At that very moment, Sally Bukelin felt her sense of superiority reach its peak!
The next day.
Daybreak.
An Kai took Sally Bukelin to a new location early that morning.
He chose a spot facing Chaos City and continued making up excuses to put off Sally Bukelin's desire to go there...
A day passed, and Will-Bukelin still hadn't appeared.
An Kai wasn't in a hurry. The task he had assigned was bound to be somewhat difficult for Will-Bukelin.
Night fell again. An Kai took out some food, and he and Sally Bukelin began eating by the lakeshore.
Catching the masculine scent coming from beside her, Sally Bukelin felt her heart pound. This was the first time she had ever been so close to a man...
Hmph! Lucky barbarian!
Sally Bukelin huffed inwardly. Just as she was about to continue explaining matters concerning mages, An Kai suddenly stood up...
"Give me the Storage Ring!"
Sally Bukelin froze. Then, for reasons even she couldn't quite explain, she obediently took out the Storage Ring and handed it to An Kai.
Perhaps spending these past few days together had made Sally Bukelin begin to trust An Kai.
After handing over the Storage Ring, Sally Bukelin asked with concern, "Hanks, what's wrong? Is there an enemy?"
An Kai gave Sally Bukelin a strange look.
He suddenly felt that this princess seemed a little stupid...
Still, that was good. It saved him the trouble of taking it by force...
An Kai smiled, then nodded.
Fireball abruptly appeared, imprisoning Sally Bukelin within it...
"Warrior Hanks, be careful!"
Sally Bukelin's concerned voice suddenly rang out from inside the ring of Fireball...
An Kai's steps faltered. Then his gaze hardened, and he walked off into the distance...
At the oasis entrance, Will-Bukelin stood at the front. Behind him were an old man with his head held high and the first-tier, ninth-stage Earth Mage An Kai had met once before...
A nameplate bearing the words "Bounty Tower" hung on the old man's chest...
He wore a gleaming ring on his hand. Judging by its magical fluctuations, An Kai was certain it was a Storage Ring.
"Hmm? First tier, first stage?"
The old man from the Bounty Tower murmured in surprise. After he spoke, the Earth Mage beside him also let out a soft breath...
"Young man, what bounty target do you have?"
With his hands clasped behind his back, the old man from the Bounty Tower regarded An Kai. He was now doubtful that An Kai could produce the bounty target he had been expecting...
An Kai chuckled and replied heartily, "The Fifth Princess of the Bukelin Duchy. What is she worth?"
Thanks to Cao Luoyu and Aili rkg for their monthly votes.
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