The Ultimate Beginner Defense Item

The Spirit Forger's shop, the Worldweaver's Clothing Store, and the Zhang family's pharmacy.

These three shops were well known in Liangmin County and had the most customers.

Even so, everyone agreed that when trading for something, they should check the central trading area first. Only if they couldn't find what they needed there would they visit the three shops.

There was no other reason: the three shops charged higher prices and didn't allow bargaining.

"Fengqi, I suggest you buy a set of level 3 defensive equipment. That way, exploring the desolate town will be a little safer."

When the two arrived at the central trading area, Cao Jiancheng offered him this advice.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."

Cao Fengqi nodded slightly, and the two began browsing the stalls.

The central trading area consisted of fixed stalls. Though the stalls were free, low-quality items couldn't be sold there.

In other words, the central trading area sold only high-quality goods.

Many stalls had items displayed out front, with the supplies their owners wanted in exchange written underneath.

There was a dazzling assortment of goods, including all sorts of strange and curious items.

[Heart-Corroding Grass: level 3 quality]

[Effect: highly poisonous. Once consumed, it corrodes the heart. Can be used to make poison or commit suicide.]

[Trade: 4 Moon Spirit Stones / 15 jin of meat]

[Hundred-Slash Spear: level 3 quality]

[Trade: 80 jin of meat. Meat only.]

[100 jin of level 3 metal materials, trading for meat. Exact price negotiable.]

[Level 2 quality defensive equipment set. Interested parties may discuss terms.]

After looking around for quite a while, Cao Fengqi frowned slightly and asked his father, "Dad, how come I haven't seen anything that increases constitution or mental strength?"

"Don't even think about those things. The moment they appear, those wealthy families and Brahmins snap them up."

"And they pay high prices for them," Cao Jiancheng replied. "Ordinary people can't compete with them at all."

This also caused those wealthy families and Brahmins to grow stronger and stronger.

"If we can't find good defensive equipment here, we'll have to go to Spirit Forger Wang's shop."

Cao Jiancheng looked around and said with a hint of helplessness, "Their equipment is famously expensive."

"Transcendents are powerful, even if they aren't combat-type Transcendents," he couldn't help remarking.

His eyes showed his longing for the Transcendent Sequence.

Cao Fengqi's eyes flickered too.

Were there Transcendent Sequence runes in the desolate town?

"Huh?"

Just then, Cao Fengqi looked at an item on a stall ahead, interest showing on his face.

[Evil-Attracting Music Box: level 3 quality]

[Effect: once activated, it can attract evil spirits within two kilometers. Protect it, or it will be destroyed by the evil spirits. Can be activated for five minutes a day.]

[Trade: 80 jin of meat. Meat only; no other offers.]

I might have a use for this.

Cao Fengqi looked at it, but when he saw the price, he was speechless.

His 50 jin of level 4 materials had only fetched 300 jin of cured meat, yet the seller wanted 80 jin of meat for this level 3 Evil-Attracting Music Box.

Beside him, Cao Jiancheng saw his son staring at the Evil-Attracting Music Box. After some thought, he too felt it might be useful to his son.

He patted Cao Fengqi on the shoulder and whispered, "Leave it to me."

Cao Jiancheng pointed at the Evil-Attracting Music Box and said to the middle-aged stall owner sitting there, "40 jin of meat. Deal or not?"

Cao Fengqi was a little impressed by how aggressively his dad had cut the price.

Wasn't he afraid of getting cursed out for an offer like that?

The middle-aged owner looked up and promptly handed Cao Jiancheng the Evil-Attracting Music Box. "Deal. All sales are final. I'll pay the transaction tax."

Cao Jiancheng: "???"

Cao Fengqi: "???"

"Shit, I offered too much."

Cao Jiancheng froze for a second, then couldn't help cursing.

He had wanted to show his son his bargaining skills...

"Forget it, 40 jin of meat is acceptable."

The corners of Cao Fengqi's mouth twitched as he spoke up to comfort him.

The owner grinned at them.

The Evil-Attracting Music Box he had acquired was indeed a good item, but the problem was that he didn't dare use it. Attract evil spirits and evil beasts straight to him?

What if he attracted something powerful? Wouldn't that be suicide?

On top of that, its range was relatively small and it was easily destroyed. For many people, it wasn't even as good as a level 3 weapon, so he had spent several days trying to sell it without success.

He was already very satisfied to get 40 jin of meat for it.

Cao Jiancheng gave the owner a gloomy look and took him to get the meat.

Cao Fengqi smiled and continued browsing.

"Come on over and take a look! The ultimate beginner defense item is going cheap! It's the real deal, no lie!"

As Cao Fengqi looked through the stalls one by one, a shout suddenly came from ahead.

The ultimate beginner item?

He looked over and walked up curiously.

"This? You dare call a level 3 item the ultimate beginner item?"

"There's a difference between level 3 items too. Mine is level 3.999 recurring, a supreme existence half a step from level 4. Look at its effect: it can completely ignore attacks from Calamity Rats and ordinary Rotten Crows."

"What a joke. All it can do is block attacks from Calamity Rats and Rotten Crows. The moment an attack exceeds their attack value, this thing is done for."

"Hey, if you're not buying, quit talking nonsense. Give this to a son or daughter entering the Lost Land for the first time, and it's absolutely the ultimate item."

"The Lost Land doesn't even have beginner villages, so what ultimate beginner item are you talking about? You actually dare charge two souls for this thing? No one would buy it for even one."

"Fuck you! If you're not buying, shut up! This is a transcendent item!"

"..."

Before Cao Fengqi reached them, he heard the sounds of arguing and cursing.

When he drew closer, he saw a strange necklace displayed in front of a middle-aged man's stall. The man was glaring bad-temperedly at several customers gathered in front of him.

Cao Fengqi's gaze fell on the necklace.

It was a necklace with a bronze-colored humanoid figure, giving off a faint sheen.

[Crude Arcane Necklace: level 3 quality]

[Effect: once activated, it can block attacks from the weakest types of evil spirits and evil beasts, such as Calamity Rats, Rotten Crows, and Shadow Specters. Lasts five minutes, after which it requires 24 hours to recharge. Note: attacks endured must not exceed the Arcane Necklace's limit, or the spirit patterns inside will collapse.]

"You can buy a level 4 weapon at the Spirit Forger's shop for 10 souls, and you want two souls for this thing?"

"Do you understand how valuable it is to ignore attacks from Calamity Rats, Rotten Crows, and Shadow Specters? Even if you ran into a swarm of Calamity Rats or a flock of Rotten Crows, you'd come out unscathed."

"Heh, never mind that it lasts five minutes and takes 24 hours to recharge. Calamity Rat swarms and Rotten Crow flocks all have leaders. If you ran into one, your ultimate beginner item wouldn't help."

"Exactly. It's just a bit better than a level 3 weapon. As for its actual value, it's only worth about as much as a level 3 fruit."

"Bullshit! Two souls is the lowest I'll go. Any less, and I'd rather use it myself."

"Will you sell it for a hundred souls? If you will, pretend I didn't say anything."

"200 jin of meat. Deal or not?"

"Souls only. No other trades."

As Cao Fengqi examined the Crude Arcane Necklace's attributes, the arguing around him continued.

The owner stubbornly stuck to the steep price of two souls and wouldn't budge.

As Cao Fengqi looked at the Crude Arcane Necklace's attributes, his heart grew fervent.

If I had this "ultimate beginner item," couldn't I go get revenge on that swarm of Calamity Rats?

Couldn't I wipe them out easily?