Wasn't the Black Glove's adaptive ability exactly the size-changing ability Zhu Qing had always dreamed of?
No wonder Chu Sheng had found it familiar when he saw it.
At that thought, Chu Sheng considered it briefly, then said, "I have a sacrificial item here. Its ranking is a little low, but you should really like its ability."
"What ability?" Zhu Qing asked in surprise.
"The one you've always wanted, the ability to grow along with you when you transform."
"It's just that the side effect is a little awkward to explain."
As he spoke, Chu Sheng opened the passenger door, took out the Black Glove stuffed inside, and tossed it to Zhu Qing.
"Take a look yourself."
Once a sacrificial item acknowledged an owner, other people could no longer see its information. Before that, however, anyone holding it could view its information.
Zhu Qing only looked for a moment before his face darkened. He wanted to say something, but when he saw An Xi watching him curiously beside them, he couldn't quite bring himself to speak.
Still, looking at that adaptive skill, he really did want it.
After all, this was the first sacrificial item he'd seen with that ability. Although it was a pair of gloves with a rather low ranking, that percentage boost was genuinely enticing to him.
His Sequence was Giant, and he was already incredibly strong after transforming. Even a 1% boost would make a noticeable difference, let alone a 5% boost.
Besides, people from the other convoys might not know, but everyone in their convoy knew about Chu Sheng's ability.
The Black Glove might be weak and low-ranked now, but that didn't mean it would stay that way forever.
An Xi watched Zhu Qing stand there with the Black Glove in his hands, his expression shifting between sickly and grim, and her curiosity grew unbearable.
"Chu Sheng, what's the price of this sacrificial item? Why is he so torn?"
She clearly knew about Zhu Qing's pursuit of a size-changing ability too. Now that a sacrificial item with that ability was right in front of him, the price had to be steep for him to hesitate so much.
Chu Sheng glanced at Zhu Qing, with no intention of hiding it. He was just about to speak when Zhu Qing bellowed, "Wait!"
"I'll take it! But don't tell anyone the price! If you tell anyone, I don't want it!!!"
Chu Sheng swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and shrugged at An Xi, indicating that his hands were tied.
That only made An Xi even more curious.
"Come on, tell me. I won't tell anyone else."
"No! Qing is my customer. Protecting a customer's privacy is a merchant's responsibility and duty. Miss An Xi, please don't underestimate my principles!" Chu Sheng spoke with righteous conviction, as though he were the last shining paragon of virtue in the entire world.
An Xi: "..."
When Chu Sheng refused to talk, she turned to Zhu Qing. Seeing him look equally solemn, she knew she probably had no hope.
Meanwhile, Zhu Qing discreetly slipped the Black Glove into his pocket.
Chu Sheng spoke up at just the right moment. "I won't ask for anything in exchange. How about we call it even for those two sacrificial item fusions I owe you?"
Zhu Qing nodded at that. "Sure."
Both sides were very satisfied with the outcome.
Two fusions represented two supernatural materials. Trading this useless thing for two supernatural materials felt like a profit to Chu Sheng, especially since he'd acquired it at no cost anyway.
Besides, Zhu Qing was probably the only person who would want the thing.
As for upgrading it with supernatural materials, Chu Sheng didn't think there was any need.
Since awakening his Heavenly Craftsman Sequence, he'd also figured out a little something about this.
Even if a sacrificial item fused with other supernatural materials, its original price might change, but its general nature wouldn't.
For example, if a sacrificial item initially needed to be fed blood, then after fusing with other materials, its price would still involve blood or killing.
Chu Sheng was satisfied, and so was Zhu Qing. He'd traded a pig's spine for those two fusions from Chu Sheng, which meant he'd effectively exchanged one supernatural material for a sacrificial item. That was a profit too.
Both men felt they'd gotten a fantastic deal.
After using the barely useful Black Glove to cancel out the two fusions he owed, Chu Sheng turned his attention to the three supernatural materials Zhu Qing had tossed on the ground earlier.
Rotten wood, white paper, and a blade.
Chu Sheng asked, "I can still use my ability once today. Do you want to upgrade the Black Glove?"
"Hm?" Zhu Qing paused at that, then also looked at the supernatural materials on the ground. After some thought, he nodded. "Sure."
"Out of these three supernatural materials, use the blade to fuse with the gloves. The other two aren't much use to me, and I'd end up giving them to you as payment later anyway. Pick whichever one you want."
The rotten wood and white paper probably wouldn't do much for a fusion upgrade. Even if they were fused in, the result would likely be of little use.
"All right." Chu Sheng nodded and, without any hesitation, picked up the blade and the sheet of white paper.
Compared with the rotten wood, he still felt the white paper might be more useful.
After putting the white paper on the passenger seat, Chu Sheng took the Black Glove from Zhu Qing. He held the pair between his thumb and forefinger, the disgust on his face plain for anyone to see.
Zhu Qing: "..."
For some reason, watching Chu Sheng's expression made him feel utterly humiliated.
Especially when he thought about having to sneak around and do some handiwork in the future, he felt even more mortified.
Even if Chu Sheng was the only person who knew about it.
While he was thinking about that, white light had already appeared in Chu Sheng's hands, completely enveloping the gloves and blade.
A moment later, the light faded, and a pair of pure black combat gloves with tiny blades on the backs and along both sides appeared before the three of them.
Upon sensing the gloves' price, Chu Sheng's disgust immediately turned into a peculiar expression, as though he wanted to laugh but was desperately holding it in.
Seeing that, An Xi reacted swiftly. Under Zhu Qing's horrified gaze, she snatched the gloves away. After sensing the sacrificial item's price, she looked at Zhu Qing as though he were trash.
With a look of utter disgust, An Xi tossed the gloves to Zhu Qing and promptly fled.
Only then did Zhu Qing sense the gloves' abilities and price.
[Black Blade Gloves] [Sacrificial item ranking: 8848] [Strength boost: Increases strength by 5%.] [Sharpness: Cutting damage prolongs healing time.] [Adaptive fit: Always fits the user.] [Sacrificial item: A supernatural object. Every use comes at a price!] [Price of use: Gloves born in a certain dark household, fused with a blade material. Yet before the apocalypse, they still had not forgotten their former owner's depravity.] [Having personally experienced those depraved daily acts, they fell in love with that taste. Whenever they come into contact with blood, they must experience the presence of milky white fluid within 12 hours. If they encounter blood again during this process, they must experience that taste again. Failure to meet these conditions will cause a backlash against the user.]
He was numb!
Zhu Qing was utterly numb!
Was this really the kind of price a sacrificial item should demand?!
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