Manticore: A rank 5 monster with the body of a lion and the face of a human. The essence of this type was quite peculiar.
[Manticore: Discernment +40, Appetite +30, Jumping Power +30.]
The stats were essentially just +30 Jump Power. In some ways, it was inferior to the essence of a rank 9 monster, but the passive was associated with statistics.
(P) Inheritance: Mana stone consumption increases stats permanently.
Inheritance was an ability that increased stats by consuming mana stones. Judging from the content alone it seemed like a trick skill, but there was a critical limitation here.
The sum of the absorbable statistics is 200 or so.
The total number of stats obtainable through a skill was 200. At first, I wondered what kind of junk essence this was. Among the rank 5, there were many essences with a total of over 300 stats. To do this, basic statistics had to be obtained with passives. The active ability wasn't that good either, unless it came with the Manticore's main ability, Frenetic Random Ability, but that was an individual ability that couldn't be acquired with an essence.
«Everyone still!»
However, the moment this essence came out, everyone's gazes changed.
Yes, so everyone knows the true value of this essence.
«Raven, roll the dice!»
Simultaneously with my scream, the dwarf growled. «I think you better back off first, barbarian.»
What, you think I'll steal it if I lose?
It was ridiculous, but nothing good would come of making a dispute right now. «...Let's all go back at the same time.»
"Good."
«Yes! I think it would be nice.»
Starting with me, everyone backed away together and resolved the situation as quickly as lightning. The retention time of an essence was an average of 30 minutes. So I asked the question I hadn't been able to ask before, just in case. «Is there any team that renounces its candidacy?».
Hans G and the dwarf shook their heads. Hans said: «We will participate. Except a magician or a priest, anyone can use this essence».
Damn bastard player. The true value of Manticore's essence came after being erased. Even after, 20% of the extra stats remained. It was the same as an elixir with 40 extra stats.
«Why would he give up this expensive essence?», asked the dwarf.
«... Expensive essence? Are you thinking of selling it?»
«We don't have room for one».
Hmm, that made sense, but suddenly a possibility came to mind.
These bastards are from the underground city, right?
For Noark's explorers, erasing an essence from the temple was a complicated procedure, especially if the city was closed. Keeping it and selling it secretly after closing would be more reasonable. However, the biggest unknown remained.
«...But doesn't your team have a magician?» There were no wizards on the dwarf's team. The sorcerer who used all of his slots in attack-type essences played a similar role in terms of firepower, but a mage's usefulness could not be substituted.
The dwarf responded as if nothing had happened: «But you do. We will pay the test tube and the cost of labor».
Who are you trying to scam?
«What if we reject both?»
The dwarf laughed at my suggestion to stop being greedy. «Even so, the dice will be rolled. And if we win, we will watch until the essence disappears».
Literally translated, it meant that they would choose to interfere if they couldn't have it. It left a bitter taste in my mouth. Underground or on the surface, explorers were still explorers. In this sense, they were remarkably similar.
Shall we just ambush them and kill them here?
Of course, such extreme methods came to mind, but I managed to regain my composure. Raven's help played an important role. «Mr. Yandel, there is no choice.»
Yeah, we hadn't even rolled the dice yet. It wasn't even a basic essence like gigantization. Once rank 3 essences could be supplied, it would have to be erased anyway, and there were better alternatives.
«How long are you going to be like this?»
I came to myself at the dwarf's insistence. «Let a representative from each team come». And so, the leaders of each team met in one place. I briefly explained the rules to them. «One person throws at a time and the one with the highest number takes the loot. However, if the same number comes up, only those two will roll again».
«Are we going to use that wizard die?».
«This is a genuine Scout Guild die. It doesn't matter if we don't use mine. Of course, I'll have to check it before shooting in that case».
«Really? So I don't care».
The dwarf nodded coldly, and after the wizard from Hans G's team came out to watch, the preparations were over.
«Hans, as I promised, your number will be reduced by two. So, if you have something to say, say it now».
«...We will settle for having the opportunity».
«That's all, then. Now who will start?»
Go first, or later? Not that it really mattered, but everyone swallowed and watched each other attentively.
Unexpectedly, it was Hans G who stepped forward. «I... I'll start first». He took the dice. Although they had the disadvantage of subtracting two from the number, his companions encouraged him with hopeful eyes.
«Mr. Chrisen, you did it!».
«Hans, you better prepare for a beating if you don't roll the die correctly».
«Chrisen, it's okay if you lose, so don't put too much pressure on yourself».
Hans G exchanged glances with each of his team members, one by one: the rookie guide, the human warrior, the middle-aged wizard, and the archer fairy. The fairy nodded without saying a word. Anyone could see that the relationship between the two was very special.
Wow, are we in a shonen manga?
That made me laugh. The new guide saw him and bit her lips angrily.
«Then... I'm going to shoot!». Hans G rolled the dice vigorously.
Drive...
The die rolled on the dry ground and revealed in turns the large and small numbers on each side.
Hit.
In the silence, the dice stopped rolling. The number written on the turned face was a whopping ten, the largest number that could come on the die.
«¡Kyahhhhh!»
«It's crazy! Crazy».
«Average market price! Mr. Partean, what is the average market price written in the guild?»
Cheers broke out from his team. On the other hand, the cat ate our tongues.
The dwarf took a step forward as if he disapproved of that spectacle. «You speak as if the essence were already yours. You haven't forgotten that you have to subtract two, right?».
«Ah yes... I am aware». The heated atmosphere diminished greatly, but Hans G's team was still festive. Eight was still a high number.
«I will be next». The dwarf approached Hans G and snatched the dice from him. He hesitated for a moment before frowning and roughly throwing him to the ground.
Drive...
The die stopped moving when you got a nine. Was this real life?
«Ahhhhhhhhhh!»
«¡Joder!»
«I believed in you! Son of a bitch!»
Beastly screams erupted from the dwarf's equipment. On the other hand, Hans G's team froze, unable to control their expressions. The dwarf looked at Hans G and me and sneered. He spat out the number one phrase that I had probably said the least in my entire life. «Luck is on my side».
What the hell was wrong with this bastard? An overwhelming sense of despair enveloped me. However, he couldn't let me defeat like that. There were too many things that supported me for that.
«Yandel! Don't be so dejected. It's not like you».
«I believe in you, Bjorn! You can do it!»
«Yes, yes, Bjorn! You can do anything, remember?!»
«I won't talk about probabilities. It doesn't mean anything to you anyway, does it?»
I still had teammates who believed in me. And he also had me, someone who never gave up. That's why I grabbed the dice.
Aprieta.
Seeing me like this, the dwarf laughed arrogantly. It was a pretty familiar situation. Hans' number was eight. The dwarf's number was nine. I just had to get a ten. Probability was just probability, it didn't make sense. This type of dramatic development appeared in movies and cartoons all the time. Yes, judging by the development of the scene, this would work! It had to work.
«...Bjorn's eyes look different.»
That strange certainty descended upon my hand. I felt like something invisible was hugging me warmly. Before that feeling could go away, I rolled the dice.
«Come on! Great warrior!» The dice rolled in the middle of Ainar's scream. Surprisingly, my mind as I watched this was calmer than ever.
Hit.
My heart was beating low. The air touching my skin was moderately fresh, and as if time passed slowly, every second of this scene was etched in my mind. Within that pleasant sensation, the die stopped.
Touch.
The air changed instantly. The silence descended, cold and dejected. Instead of the dice, I watched the people.
«Holy…»
The dwarf who smiled arrogantly, my teammates who watched me and believed in me, even Hans G, whose defeat was already confirmed, could not hide his astonishment and dropped his jaw.
Had it really happened...?
I checked the die. He had fallen into one.
... I should have had Missha throw it.
A loser was silent because everything would be nothing more than an excuse. They could only endure it in silence, just like me right now.
«Hahaha! One with that expression! Have you seen it? Did you see it? I was so scared there. His eyes were so confident». A sharp mockery emerged from the Dwarf Team. A feeling of contempt covered me from head to toe.
«I just want to ask. How the hell can you put that look in your eyes? Ahahaha!»
«¡Don't make fun of Bjorn!»
»Let's go! Great warrior! Pft, pft! Ahahahaha!»
«...¡Te food!»
I grabbed Ainar, who was about to charge. «Enough!»
«But! If I don't crush that head...!»
Yeah, you can't shut that snout. He knew the feeling better than anyone, but now was not the time. The other side also knew it very well.
«You stop too». When I remained silent, the dwarf also stopped his companions from making more taunts. After all, the winner was decided. I also let go of my regrets and moved on to the main point. «How much will you give?»
«Fifteen million stones for a test tube».
That was the standard price. «And the cost of labor?»
«I will give you five million stones».
Earning five million stones for casting a magic spell was a profitable business. However... «Seven million.»
«You are greedy.» The dwarf looked at Hans G's team. Since there were two wizards, he could ask the other one.
«N-we don't have a test tube.»
That? First of all, I asked for the high price to share the cost of labor with them, but this changed things.
At Hans G's words, the dwarf accepted my proposal without hesitation. «I will give you seven million».
However, the train had already left. «It's too late. It just rose to fifteen million». In effect, the cost of labor had equaled the cost of the test tube.
«Don't be unreasonable, barbarian», the dwarf murmured, stunned.
It's not that I didn't understand it. Being so short, it must have been difficult to see the world widely. It was natural that he was unaware of the basic principle of the market, which consisted of supply and demand.
«Isn't that reasonable? I think it's a reasonable price. Above all, because you won't reject it».
«...Ten million stones.»
«There is no negotiation here. If you don't like it, don't accept it.»
«Think rationally, barbarian. Are you going to throw this money on the ground?»
«It's your choice. Throw away the essence or pay us, store it in the test tube and sell it». I pressed hard boldly until the end. This was the reason why monopolies could spread their vileness in the capitalist market. The business continued even this way.
«...Damn». The dwarf trembled with rage, then parted his lips. «I will give you fifteen million stones».
«Penalue bien »
«Not to you, to them». The dwarf looked at Hans G.
«Excuse me? I don't know what you mean...».
«If you pay the money, I will transfer ownership of this essence to you».
On-site sales, huh? This is how you're going to get out.
It was an emotional choice that abandoned rationality. That made me shudder for a moment, but in the end it wasn't a big deal.
«N-we don't have that amount of money right now.»
«You can pay in kind».
«Let me discuss it first...» Hans G took his time arguing with his peers. Judging by the way their mouths moved without making a sound, it seemed like they had activated team voice magic. It didn't take them long. The conclusion wasn't much different from what I expected either. «Just as we thought, we need our equipment...» With Team Hans G's equipment level, at least three of them would have to ditch their main equipment to match the price. Changing his equipment for an essence that was useless right now made no sense. «So... How about we pay you in the city?
«...That's not an option.» There was no way those guys from the underground city could sell Hans G on credit. Cornered, the dwarf let out a harsh sigh. Then he looked at me and said in a super listless voice: «Barbarian, at the price you said...».
«Twenty million stones. Just uploaded again».
«Your mother...»
«Or we can buy the essence from you for fifteen million stones, would you like to do it?»
«...I will pay twenty million stones.» The dwarf uttered expletives, but that didn't leave much of an impact on the outcome. Even with that money, it was still a profitable business, about 11.7 million stones.
No wait. So we made more profits?
Indeed, this was the taste of monopoly. Although our number on the die was the smallest, we were the ones who received the most. Quite ironic.
Once the negotiations were over, everything went very quickly. First, we received twenty million stones in kind from the dwarf team. Obviously, they wouldn't have that much money on hand. They tried to give us their equipment, but I refused, because they started taking a bunch of unused equipment out of their backpacks. How many people were looted?
«Give us a potion so it can be easily converted into cash».
«...We can't pay you that much money in potions.»
«Then I'll take the rest as a team.» Even giving a reason, I demanded as many potions as possible. Since we might end up fighting these guys, I judged that it was best to reduce their maximum power as much as possible before that. Receiving the equipment on their bodies would also make them easier to treat.
«Seven bottles of advanced potion and one high-ranking potion. Plus the rest of the team... sounds good». With the help of Raven, who was a certified general appraiser, the on-the-ground transaction ended without any dispute and we then set up camp in a suitable location.
One person from each team was selected for night duty, so a total of three stood guard each shift. In the first guard were Hans G, the dwarf, and Mr. Bear. Next in line was me.
«Yandel, it's your turn».
«Has something happened? Like a suspicious conversation between them?»
«More than anything it was this Hans talking on his own. I even thought it would be more comfortable and pleasant to watch alone».
«Good, good job. Rest a little».
My night guard companions were a fairy archer named Meirin and a beast warrior from the White Wolf tribe. It was an awkward moment in many ways.
I understand why you said you would be more comfortable alone.
The wolf warrior was silent, and the archer fairy kept looking at me disapprovingly throughout the guard.
«Do you have something to tell me?»
«Everyone is sleeping, how about you stay a little quieter?».
Oh, archer.
What was there to hate about kind barbarians? It was clear that these guys had a personality problem. Oh, except Erwen.
It doesn't matter, stand guard.
I was more wary of these guys betraying me than of a surprise attack from a monster, because the chances of them stabbing us in the back were now much greater. I didn't know anything about Hans G, but the dwarf bastard clearly had a knife prepared for us in his heart.
That's probably why they paid us so generously.
Even taking into account the monopoly, twenty million was an amount close to extortion. But he paid that amount so coldly, as if there was a way to get it back.
Well, I guess the same thing happened to me.
He still hadn't given up on the essence of that test tube, he was just waiting for the moment to come.
«Missha, get up. Shift change».
Once the guard shift was over, uncomfortable to say the least, I switched with Missha and fell asleep.
The next morning, exploration resumed again. Except for meals, we spent the remaining time searching the forest and as a result were able to defeat the two remaining middle bosses.
[You have defeated duocorn. EXP +5]
[Has defeated Culves. EXP +5]
Unfortunately, no essence came out.
«Hey? It is not that? What you told us before!»
However, we managed to find the third chapter, which I anticipated would take us another day.
[You have entered the Altar of Shadows].
As soon as we found the altar, a black shadow enveloped us. A huge barrier formed around us before we knew it. The concept of this chapter and my task here were clear.
[The sealed looter lives in the body of one of the expedition members.]
Well, it's time to manage some politics, starting with this bastard. «Dwarf, your face seems dull. Is something wrong with your head?»