Free Web NovelChapter 118: Chapter 118: Re-evaluating the Value of the Talent Stone
Faye Yardley was wandering aimlessly through the rustic town with Bella Dillon and her brother.
It wasn’t that Faye Yardley had wanted to invite Bella Dillon, but Bella was clinging to her arm and wouldn’t let go, making it impossible to break free.
Ethan Yardley was happy his sister had made a good friend. He even said that if they were in the same district when they got back, he would add Bella Dillon as a friend.
Before Faye Yardley had a chance to speak, Bella Dillon eagerly accepted. "Yes, yes! Ethan, make sure you add me."
"Bella, do you know of any hidden shops here?"
Bella Dillon nodded. "There’s a master weapon forger, but he has a very odd temper. I don’t know if he’ll be willing to custom-make weapons for us."
Faye Yardley’s face lit up. "As long as he’s willing to sell us something he’s already made, that’s good enough. Hurry, take us there! Let’s go."
Meanwhile, Ethan Yardley, who was trailing behind them, was completely baffled. ’Has Bella been to Island 98 before? She seems to know her way around.’
’I wonder if all master blacksmiths live in such rundown places,’ Faye thought.
Faye Yardley stared at the rickety door, worried that if she pushed it even gently, it would collapse and the owner would demand compensation.
But she could hear the CLANG CLANG CLANG of hammering from within.
Bella Dillon stood at the entrance with her hands on her hips. After taking a deep breath, she bellowed at the half-open door, "Master Pete, are you home?"
The clanging stopped, and soon, the sound of THUD... THUD... THUD-THUD followed.
Heavy footsteps approached, and with a loud CRASH, the already rickety door fell flat on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
When the dust settled, Faye Yardley saw a broad, sturdy Dwarf appear before them. He was shirtless, covered in corded muscle, with a tangled, explosive mop of red hair and a scruffy beard.
"What do you want?"
Faye Yardley got straight to the point. "Hello, Master Pete. We’d like to buy one of your weapons."
Master Pete sized Faye Yardley up for a moment, then turned around. "Then come in. Last one in, put the door back up."
As Ethan Yardley entered, he tried to lift the door but couldn’t budge it. Bella Dillon went over, helped him, and easily lifted the door, slamming it back into place.
This made Ethan Yardley wonder if he was progressing too slowly. ’How is every girl I meet stronger than me?!’
Meanwhile, Faye Yardley had followed the master into a spacious Wooden House. Weapons of all kinds hung on three of the walls, not to mention that the racks on the left and right sides were also packed to the brim.
"Wow, this is incredible. You can tell just by looking that these weapons are extraordinary."
Master Pete was clearly flattered by her praise, but he still said gruffly, "Flattery won’t get you a discount. Not even by a single Copper Coin."
"Of course not! Giving a discount would be disrespectful to you!"
Faye Yardley said this with such great solemnity that Master Pete was instantly overjoyed. His attitude softened considerably.
Just then, Bella Dillon and Ethan Yardley arrived. Ethan was practically drooling at the sight of the weapons. If nothing else, their Attributes were definitely far better than the weapon he was currently using.
"Brother, look! Doesn’t this blade look like The Hound God, one of the Three Great Evil Blades of Antiquity?" After a look around the room, Faye Yardley had spotted a very distinctive blade placed rather casually behind a weapon rack in an inconspicuous corner.
As she drew it from its sheath, a menacing chill emanated from the blade.
Master Pete looked at the blade with a nostalgic expression. "So its real name is The Hound God, eh? I saw it in some ancient book I came across and was inspired to forge a replica. Let’s call it The Hound God, then."
After Master Pete named it, Faye Yardley received a system notification: [Rare Weapon—The Hound God, meticulously forged by Master Pete].
’A Rare Weapon?!’
’It might be a step below Peerless, but it’s still an incredibly rare find. I have to get it!’ frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Faye Yardley made her decision in an instant.
"What’s the price?" freewebnøvel.coɱ
’I might not have enough money, but I could probably trade something else for it.’
"This blade is for trade only. Show me what treasures you have to trade for it. You only get one chance to make an offer."
’Right, right, right. Everyone on this island just loves to barter. They trade for absolutely everything, don’t they?’
Faye Yardley immediately countered, "There are three of us. It’s only fair that we each get one chance to make an offer. You can trade it to whoever makes the offer that pleases you most."
After a moment of silence, Master Pete nodded. "Fine."
Faye Yardley spoke up immediately. "I’ll offer one Talent Stone. Master Pete, you may not know what a Talent Stone is, so let me just..."
"A Talent Stone?! Really?! Quick, quick, the trade is done!" After a moment of stunned silence, Master Pete snapped out of it, looking extremely excited.
’Huh?!’
’Looking at how incredibly excited Master Pete is,’ Faye Yardley thought, ’I think I might have underestimated the value of a Talent Stone.’
Still, under Master Pete’s expectant gaze, she took out the Talent Stone and gave it to him. Master Pete then grabbed the Talent Stone and simply vanished.
After a long moment, his voice drifted out. "My young friends, feel free to look around. You can take The Hound God."
’Is he kicking us out already?!’
Faye Yardley shoved The Hound God into her brother’s hands, then called out, "Well, we won’t disturb you any longer, Master Pete. Hope to see you again sometime!"
As they left, Ethan Yardley was still giggling like an idiot.
"Brother, do you like the blade? If not, we can be shameless and go back to ask for a different one."
"I love it! I love it! The Hound God is perfect. It’s a Rare weapon!"
Faye Yardley looked at her brother, who was giddy with happiness, and wondered if she should tell him that she already had a Divine Weapon, not to mention two other Peerless-grade weapons.
’Forget it,’ she decided. ’I won’t burst his bubble. I’ll just let him enjoy his moment.’
"Bella, are there any other shops?"
Bella Dillon seemed a bit dazed, as if she hadn’t heard a word. She just stared at Faye Yardley and asked blankly, "Faye, you actually had a treasure like a Talent Stone?"
Her reaction once again forced Faye Yardley to re-evaluate the true worth of a Talent Stone.
’The system must have spawned a bunch of them, right? A lot of people should have gotten one by now.’
’But most people probably get them from chests and use them right away. It must be extremely rare for someone to have a spare one for trading.’
Faye Yardley suddenly leaned in close to Bella Dillon. "Bella, do you have anything valuable? I’m out of Talent Stones, but I can sell you a piece of information—where to find one. How about it? Want to trade for that tip?"
"Yes!"
Bella Dillon didn’t for a second suspect Faye Yardley was lying. After all, Talent Stones weren’t weeds you could just find growing by the side of the road.
She was more than willing to trade an item for a reliable tip.
"What do you want?"
Faye Yardley blinked. "What have you got?"
’It’s always better to have them make the first offer,’ she thought. ’If I don’t like what she offers, I can just refuse. But if I name my price and end up lowballing myself, who can I complain to?’
