After the person in charge left, Lex walked into the hall by himself. He then heard a beautiful violin melody, which seemed to stir up some memories, filling him with mixed emotions.
He followed the sound and saw someone leaning against the wall, playing a violin in the corner of the hall, next to a bay window, under the crimson moonlight.
It was a middle-aged gentleman in his early forties, with short, golden, choppy hair. He had his eyes closed, seemingly lost in his music.
His violin was a deep, dark black, as if the deepest part of the night sky had been plucked down and draped over it.
The surface of the violin occasionally shimmered with faint lights, like stars. It was unclear if this was due to the refraction of the hall's lights or the mystic quality of the Materials.
Seemingly sensing Lex's gaze, the blond man opened his eyes. He had a pair of brown eyes and offered Lex a friendly smile before continuing to play.
Lex withdrew his gaze and went to the bar, where he met the so-called 'Mr. Parker.'
Mr. Parker was no longer young; his facial muscles were slack and sagging, his eye corners were etched with deep lines, and he kept his lips tightly pursed, rarely smiling.
Lex's purpose in coming to Elk Tavern was for the mystic Materials. Since he knew the club had a trading house, he directly asked.
"I want to buy something."
Mr. Parker glanced at him, took out a notebook, and said, "You need to pay a 10 pound inquiry fee first. The fee is non-refundable, but you won't need to pay a similar fee in the future."
Although Lex had money, he was quite emotional to hear that just an inquiry cost 10 pound, even if no additional charges would be collected later.
Sure enough, all platforms are very profitable, and the more upscale the place seems, the more charging items there are.
Compared to that, Evil Dragon Bar was truly conscientious; at least their inquiries were free.
Thoughts bubbled up like air bubbles on the surface of the water, one after another. Nevertheless, Lex took out a large-denomination pound and placed it on the table.
"I hope you have what I'm looking for," he said, looking at Mr. Parker.
The old man did not respond, showed no expression, but simply took out a black-covered notebook, opened it, turned to a page, and handed it to Lex.
"These are the items in the trading house for the past week. You can look at the detailed information yourself."
The service is really bad!
Lex grumbled, took the notebook, and began to read.
The first item was actually a 'high-pressure steam rifle,' which is a military controlled item! The club dared to trade such things; without some military connections, they probably wouldn't touch such an item.
Lex continued to flip through, seeing magical items, Charmss, and mystic Materials. When he turned to the sixth page, the item list clearly stated: 'One piece of Dragon Blood Man-Eating Flower Rhizome.'
The remaining main Material for the potion formula was found!
Lex quickly looked at the price column. Fortunately, it was only 200 pound. Moreover, the seller also agreed to exchange it for 'a complete pituitary gland of a Rainbow Lizard Dragon' or 'a solid horn crystal of an Earth Rhinoceros.'
This was the last item.
Overall, the trading house didn't have many items, far fewer than Evil Dragon Bar. However, the variety of goods was diverse, which was richer than Evil Dragon Bar.
Closing the notebook, Lex said in a deep voice, "I've found one item I'm interested in. How do I trade for it?"
Mr. Parker took out a ledger: "We only accept cash transactions, no credit, and no loans."
"We provide confidential information services for both trading parties at no extra charge. If you are a seller, we will charge a 5% handling fee after a successful transaction."
"As for buyers, there are no additional fees."
"So, what is the item number you are interested in?"
Each item in the trading house had a number. Lex quickly reported a set of digits and placed 200 pound on the table.
The old man took it, made some records, and then left through a small black door behind the bar. A moment later, when he returned to the bar, he placed an exquisite iron box on the table.
Lex opened the box, and inside was indeed a blood-red plant rhizome.
With this, only the Midsummer Grass powder remained for the formula Materials. It wasn't available at the club's trading house, so he would have to try his luck at Evil Dragon Bar again.
Lex put away the box and spoke again: "Are there any tasks recently? Task inquiries don't cost anything, right?"
He recalled that it hadn't even been a week since he arrived in Tingen, and he had already paid for Kyle's wife's hospital and treatment fees. Plus the expenses on mystic Materials these past few days, he had spent nearly 900 pound.
900 pound could buy a house in Tingen, one with permanent usage rights.
Although the location and house type should only be a terraced building like those on Daffodil Street.
Watching his assets dwindle by nearly a thousand pound in just a few days, Lex sincerely lamented that the mystic Dao was truly a money pit.
He decided that next time he came, he would put the extra mystic Materials up for sale in the trading house. Also, he had to find a way to make money!
"Task inquiries are free."
The old man's voice brought Lex back to his senses. He saw Mr. Parker take out another red notebook and begin to flip through it.
"Given your Hunter Rank, the task currently suitable for you is this..."
"Investigate the Sea Serpent Gang."
"The investigation targets include their headquarters, number of personnel, important members, and detailed information on their leader."
"The client will provide corresponding remuneration based on the value of the investigation report. The minimum remuneration is 5 pound, and the maximum is 50 pound."
"There is no time limit for the commission; it will remain valid until the client wishes to end it."
"The clues the client can provide are: this Gang is active in the Dock Area, and their personnel often disguise themselves as dock workers and Sailors. The Sea Serpent Gang only appeared in the last two years; they quickly occupied the Dock Area and engage in various illegal activities, including but not limited to human trafficking, smuggling, and providing fake documents."
After speaking, Mr. Parker closed the notebook and looked at Lex: "That is the detailed content of the task. Do you wish to accept this commission?"
Lex nodded. Firstly, as a Hunter, if he didn't take on work, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. Secondly, he also wanted to use these commissions and Hunter activities to digest the potion. Of course, that was for later.
The old man quickly made a note in his notebook: "Currently, besides you, there are two other Hunters handling this commission."
"To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, I will inform the other two of your information. Of course, I will also tell you their corresponding information."
He took a document from a cabinet under the bar and pushed it to Lex: "This is the information on your two colleagues. You can take a look."
Lex didn't immediately look but asked, "Will my Rank increase if I complete this commission?"
Mr. Parker's tightly pursed lips loosened slightly, curving upwards, but quickly stopped: "You will need to complete at least two more similar tasks to increase your Hunter Rank."
"That slow?"
Lex frowned slightly under his mask. He didn't want to keep taking these investigation tasks; such tasks didn't earn much money and probably wouldn't help much with digesting the potion.
He changed his line of thought: "Since the client wants to investigate the Sea Serpent Gang, it means they don't like this Gang, and even hope for its demise. If, and I mean if, I make this Gang disappear, I should be able to increase my Rank, right?"