Ghoul Evolution

Chapter 38: Sudden richness

Quite some time had passed since they had escaped into the river to flee from the fire-spitting leopard and only now, after confirming for the hundredth time that the leopard wasn’t following them anymore, did Theo finally let out a sigh.

Ahreum, however, wasn’t as relaxed.

She looked at Oliver and Korre for a few moments before asking directly, "So what exactly happened? Why were those beasts chasing the two of you like that?"

Korre opened her mouth to answer, but Oliver quickly cut her off.

"Not really sure," he said while scratching his cheek. "We were just looking for some food and maybe a beast to hunt. Then somehow we got caught in the middle of a fight."

Theo frowned slightly as he rowed the boat. "A fight?" he asked. "Between the leopard and the serpent?"

"No... well yes...but there was another. They were three beasts in total." Korre corrected immediately.

She looked at Oliver for a moment before continuing with a perfectly innocent smile, "There was also a Crimson Ant Queen. A pretty strong one too."

Oliver glanced at her wondering where she was going with this while Korre pretended not to notice his stare.

"The three of them were fighting each other," she continued calmly. "Then for some reason they decided that we looked tastier than their opponents and began chasing us instead."

Oliver nodded seriously as he cut her in between.

"Yeah... It was a very tragic misunderstanding."

Theo and Ahreum both stared at him blankly as Oliver coughed awkwardly and gestured for Korre to continue.

"The serpent and the Ant Queen temporarily teamed up against the leopard," Korre said. "But they were still losing badly."

"So, Oliver, in his infinite wisdom, decided to help them as we had thought that the leopard might still follow us even through the river."

’Infinite wisdom...that doesn’t sound like she is praising me.’

Oliver’s expression stiffened as he argued,

"That is not how I would phrase it."

Korre ignored him and continued dramatically.

"He attacked the leopard, but somehow it was the Ant Queen who died."

Silence reigned in for a moment before every other person on the boat stared at Oliver. Even Goldie.

Oliver suddenly found the dark river very interesting.

"It was an accident," he muttered.

Theo blinked twice as he questioned.

"You accidentally killed a Ravager? And that too...the wrong one?"

Oliver coughed into his hand before puffing his chest slightly.

"I would like to inform everyone present that yes."

"I may or may not have accidentally killed a Pristine Grade Ravager and inherited its inheritance in the process."

This time Theo genuinely stopped rowing for a second and Ahreum’s eyes widened ever so slightly while Korre looked at Oliver as if she was wondering whether he was lucky or cursed.

"You are serious?" Ahreum asked.

Oliver nodded proudly as he looked at them.

Theo looked at him with intrigue and awe, "Really? What type of inheritance is it?"

"Utility type inheritance," he said casually. ""It’s called Winter’s Hoard and it gives me a spatial storage."

Ahreum frowned as she asked, "Spatial storage? So, kinda like...a bag?"

Oliver felt his heart crack as he heard her words.

’Lady...’

’I almost died for this thing. Please don’t call it a bag.’

Thankfully Theo immediately shook his head.

"Noona, that’s not true at all." He looked at Oliver with obvious envy. "Spatial inheritances are extremely rare. If he sells it to a large clan or faction, he could become rich overnight."

’Finally.’

’Someone intelligent.’

Oliver nodded in satisfaction and mentally gave Theo a thumbs up.

He then looked at Theo and asked curiously, "How rich exactly? Like...a few hundred thousand?"

Theo looked at him as if he had just asked the dumbest question imaginable. He rubbed his forehead and sighed.

"A hundred thousand?" he repeated. "Even the most ordinary Ravager inheritances sell for a few hundred thousand dollars. Yours is a pristine grade one and a spatial inheritance on top of it."

He pointed at Oliver with the paddle in his hand. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

"At the very least, it’s worth a few millions."

Oliver froze as he repeated the amount to confirm.

"A-a few million?"

For a moment, Oliver’s mind went blank.

Korre and Ahreum also looked at him with some envy as even they hadn’t expected the inheritance to be this valuable.

But Oliver wasn’t paying any attention to their expressions as he was currently busy thinking about the exchange rate.

And then...

’Fuck.’

’Fuck fuck fuck.’

’A million in US dollars...That’s more than seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds.’

’I am rich.’

’I am actually rich.’

Oliver suddenly stood up as he shouted out aloud,

"I AM FUCKING RICH!"

The boat shook violently due to him standing up and Theo almost dropped the paddle while Korre hurriedly grabbed Oliver’s shirt and pulled him back down.

"Sit down you idiot!" she shouted.

Oliver sat down obediently but his grin remained.

Honestly, none of the others judged him too much.

After all, if they suddenly became millionaires overnight, they too would’ve gone crazy.

After calming down a little, Oliver suddenly remembered something far more important.

The Golden Pear.

That was the thing they had risked their lives for in the first place. Surely it was even more valuable than the inheritance.

Theo seemed to know an absurd number of things about inheritances, beasts and even the Spirit Realm in general and Oliver would’ve loved to ask him more.

But considering their current situation, it was for the best to not talk about the golden pear to him.

So, he secretly looked at Korre who looked bac.

After that, Oliver blinked twice and subtly gestured with his eyes toward her pockets.

Korre stared at him for a second before understanding.

She then rolled her eyes and gave a tiny nod.

’Later’, it meant.

Oliver grinned and then brought Goldie near his face and whispered softly,

"Hey..."

"That thing won’t expire, right?"

"It won’t suddenly lose its powers or something?"

Goldie shook both his head and tail at the same time, seeing which Oliver finally relaxed.

To everyone else, however, it just looked like he was playing with the squirrel and celebrating his new found richness with his companion.

Suddenly, Goldie jumped out of his hands and it climbed onto Oliver’s shoulder and began pointing toward the distance.

Oliver looked ahead and then froze.

’What in the goddess’s name is that?’

Far away, he could see lights...Lots of lights.

These lights instantly got everyone’s attention. Theo straightened his back while Ahreum narrowed her eyes, and even Oliver looked at the light with surprise.

Meanwhile, Korre was staring at the lights with a frown.

"Wait...Don’t tell me..."

She pointed ahead and continued in a questioning tone.

"Is that a group of humans or their settlement or something?"