Chapter 23: A Crazy Performance
Luren raised an eyebrow and snubbed the cigar in his fingers, his expression also slowly became serious.
"I accept a fair trade. What kind of goods do you have?"
Lucien paused, not immediately pitching up his goods and looked a bit reluctant to part with it.
The more Lucien acted like this, the more Luren couldn’t contain his curiosity.
For an "unknown reason", his curiosity was actually several times stronger than usual.
"Is it a raw material? An item? Artifact? Or...a living monster?"
"A living monster. A mutated one." Lucien, the source of the "unknown reason", patted the box lightly, the corner of his lips raised briefly.
"Huh. A smuggler, how bold." Luren looked at Lucien with a newfound respect as he rubbed his gloves together.
"Can I see the goods? What’s the value? You said it’s a mutated monster?"
"Not so fast, it is fragile." Lucien shook his head and held the box tightly but he still whispered in a low voice,
"It’s a monster with a healing attribute."
"Healing monster" Mumu: ??
"What??" Luren almost raised his voice and immediately covered his mouth while looking around warily.
Once he was sure no one was listening, he immediately looked at the box with a glint in his eyes.
"That’s rare, indeed. Still, I have to check it myself— "
"Isn’t there a faster way to check?"
Lucien’s bearing suddenly became stronger and standing in front of him, Luren felt like he was in front of a noble lord, not just any young masters.
The other customers around also felt the faint pressure from Lucien’s landlord aura, each sensed a different strength.
An E-rank awakener....
A D-rank awakener...
"Damn, a D-rank awakener is already at the top rank of our continent, " An E-rank customer whispered to his partner and the woman tilted her head.
"He felt like an E-rank for me..."
"What? His aura is changing? Damn. That’s even more dangerous!"
Anyone who could manipulate the pressure they emitted was either a high-level awakener or had a super rare Artefact to manipulate their aura.
Both kinds weren’t something mere unregistered awakeners and illegal hunters like them could offend!
Luren felt Lucien’s E-rank aura and he became more cautious.
This young master is stronger than him.
"Okay, young master, so what is the method you talked about?"
As Lucien’s prestige soared in other people’s eyes, his aura also skyrocketed.
For the vultures eyeing Lucien in the dark, the smell coming from that aura was too enticing.
Swoosh. Swoosh.
A few vultures moved in the dim light, their shadows flickering.
Lucien keenly felt the eyes sticking to him moved several times closer and he gulped softly, his legs trembling but he forcefully stopped it.
"You know there are some beings here called...the vultures, right?"
"What? The vultures?! Don’t tell me you— "
Luren’s face instantly changed and he subconsciously grabbed the iron tubes hanging around his waist.
"Just watch."
Lucien’s smile widened, his inner soul hid under a table but outside, he raised his fingers in front of Luren’s eyes.
"Three."
Lucien counted out loud, his back was already sweating as he felt the sharp gaze intensifying.
"You! What a madman!" Luren rambled anxiously, his face turning pale, "You don’t need to lure the vultures like this— "
"Two."
Swish.
Shadows surrounded the light dome’s wall right behind Lucien, the void twisted faintly.
"Ahhh! Bastard! I don’t need your thing anymore!" Luren tried to push Lucien and the box in his arms away but...it was too late.
Lucien’s fingers bent, leaving his fore finger alone.
"One."
Swish!
The wind blew Lucien’s black hair.
A swift shadow swooped down as fast as lightning and the curved claws glinted viciously— towards Lucien’s neck.
"SCREEEECHH!"
High-pitched cries cut through the air, but before the glinting claws could dig into Lucien’s back, he subtly turned his body around, showing a glimpse of the iron box in his arms.
Scratch!
Lucien quickly took a step back and the sharp claw grazed the silver box, leaving a deep scratch that almost tore open the iron box!
Mumu, who felt the nail dangerously close to his body, fainted with foams all over his mouth.
Glurg! Bad uncle!!
Missing the first attack, the vulture immediately crashed to the ground with a loud noise, scaring the other customers.
"Ah! Fck! It’s the value vulture!"
"What? What? Is there anything valuable here??"
"Only one vulture— but it should still be a good thing!"
"Shrieeekk!"
The vulture stumbled around but it quickly got up and kicked the ground with its claws, soaring into the air within seconds.
Flutter. Flutter.
Black feathers with a golden shimmer drifted down gently and amidst the rain of feathers, Lucien locked eyes with the vulture.
It was a bald-headed vulture with a curved golden beak and a pair of octopus tentacle antennas above its head.
Its entire body was dark, blending perfectly with the dim light, only showing a pair of blood red eyes with golden reptile irises.
The moment the vulture locked eyes with Lucien, it immediately flapped its wings high, instantly disappearing into the dark.
So that’s the Value Vulture.
An assassin-type treasure-hunting monster?
From what the customers said, the more vultures came, the higher the value of something.
And...
Lucien’s mind flashed back at the person who said he’s a newbie for flaunting his strength—
One’s own aura or strength also attracted the Value Vultures.
Lucien’s inner soul screamed like a groundhog, running around with tears flowing like a waterfall.
Fck. Fck. Fck. If his aura’s value was a little bit higher, he wouldn’t be attacked by just one vulture— there might be a whole herd!
A miscalculation.
Lucien subconsciously wanted to suppress his dignity by fainting on the spot, but no! Not yet!
Lucien ruthlessly bit his tongue and beat up his crying inner soul.
With a calm smile, Lucien turned his body around, his fingers stroked the almost-damaged box carefully.
"How is it? Is this...enough proof?"
Crazy.
That’s the first word that crossed Luren’s mind.
The second was—
A big shot.
Luren’s casual attitude immediately vanished. If he had tails, he would have wagged it into a propeller.
"Yes, yes~ that’s definitely enough proof!"
Luren slapped his eyes exaggeratedly and praised,
"I had eyes but failed to see Mount Tai! Please don’t take offense, young— my lord~ "
Secured.
Lucien silently let out a sigh as his back slumped, just for a split second before he straightened his back again.
"Good. I’ll get the goods now and put the box here."
The box containing Mumu, the so-called "healer" was an inch away from touching the table when out of the blue—
Crash!
"LUREN BASTARD!! COME OUT!!"
Fck.
Lucien had a very, very, bad feeling.