Chapter 072 – Can I touch that?
......
Inside the not-so-spacious inn room.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Lumiere began to regret it. He was just unfamiliar with the outside world, not completely ignorant of worldly affairs.
So he quickly explained:
"No, I didn't mean that. I'm just not very good at expressing myself in the common language. Please don't misunderstand."
As he spoke, he even blurted out a few phrases in the native language.
"Anyway, Matthew is normal. You can rest assured, madam."
Lumiere emphasized to Popo—
In his view, the two of them sharing a room at night must have a deep relationship.
Popo's eyes lit up at his words:
"You can tell that I'm a woman?"
Seeing the topic shift, Lumiere immediately laughed and said:
"It's obvious."
Popo proudly puffed out her chest and looked at Matthew:
"See, someone's poor eyesight is not my problem. There are still many people in this world who can distinguish."
Matthew gave a bitter smile.
His perception was actually quite sharp, but it was naturally incomparable to a fifth-order big shot like Lumiere.
He then exchanged a few pleasantries with Lumiere.
In the middle of their conversation, Lumiere had a sudden idea, stating that he had been on the road all day and was now hungry, hoping the two could get him something to eat.
Seeing the deepening night, Matthew guessed that Lumiere wouldn't find another place to stay for a while, so he looked at Popo with an inquiring gaze.
Because Lumiere could accurately identify her female characteristics, Popo's impression of him greatly improved.
She coolly nodded at Matthew.
So the next moment, Matthew led Lumiere into his private chamber with a smile.
After the two of them went in, they didn't come out for a long time.
Only Popo, who was awakened in the middle of the night and lost her sleepiness, was left bored and had to polish her armor again.
......
The next morning.
Matthew calmly walked into a magic item shop in the northern trade district.
He needed to replenish some supplies for his trip to the Great Dragon Lake, the most crucial of which was the "Underwater Breathing Potion".
After drinking this potion, the user would grow a pair of gills on both sides of their neck, thus gaining the ability to breathe underwater at will.
The Underwater Breathing Potion is a widely used and distributed potion. Although the production habits and processes vary from place to place, the effects are often similar.
Matthew was not worried about not being able to buy a good potion, he was just worried that the price would be too high.
The funds he had on hand were far from being able to be spent freely.
However, after Matthew had walked around the shop named "Desert's Light", he almost couldn't contain his excitement and joy!
He came to the counter and asked calmly:
"How much for the Underwater Breathing Potion?"
The shopkeeper was a large goblin wearing pince-nez glasses and knitting a sweater.
Her stature was much larger than that of ordinary goblins, but still only about 2/3 of a human's.
Hearing Matthew's question, she immediately put down her knitting frame and introduced gently:
"12 gold coins per set, it's written on the label."
Her common language was very standard, and apart from her appearance, she seemed no different from a human woman.
Matthew casually asked:
"12 gold coins? Why is it this price?"
The female goblin slowly replied:
"Do you think it's expensive? This is already the result of a price reduction. The Underwater Breathing Potion has always had a stable market, especially since they are made by the deep-sea Naga, the quality is trustworthy.
To be honest, this potion was originally going to increase in price—the Naga always felt that they were selling it too cheaply. But as soon as they proposed the idea of raising the price, they had an internal conflict.
It's said to be because of jealousy over a remarkable poet.
Now, the Naga tribe's magic craftsmen have been divided into several factions, and there's no way to raise the price.
Moreover, in order to compete for the market, our shop even lowered some prices yesterday.
If you can buy more, I can give you a discount.
The discount is not much, it's just to express our gratitude for your support of the 'Eternal Night' tribe."
Matthew took a Underwater Breathing Potion from the shelf and found that the label on the back indeed read "Eternal Night" tribe.
At this moment, his mind was clear.
"No wonder it's so cheap. It turns out that the goods of different races have flooded the market, and the monopoly of mages and a small number of alchemists has been destroyed. The Naga's goods are not only cheap but also effective. The local mages probably can't get a piece of the pie anymore."
"And why do I hear news about Loran wherever I go?"
Matthew thought it was funny.
He pondered for a while, then waved his hand and bought 20 sets of Underwater Breathing Potions and 10 sets of "Frogman Potions" which were priced at 18 gold coins and had stronger effects.
As a result.
He only had a little over 100 gold coins left.
But Matthew was not panicked at all.
He just needed to transport these potions to a big city near Rolling Stone Town: Baiyan City, Emerald Jade Court, Torrent City... anywhere could sell for more than 8 times the price!
This profit was too exaggerated.
Matthew even wished he could build a teleportation portal in Kordo City and run business back and forth every day!
But a teleportation portal was obviously unrealistic. The cost of long-distance teleportation could easily wipe out the profits of running a business.
The idea of running a business seemed to only survive in fantasy.
"Wait, it's not completely hopeless. I can find a safe spot in the wilderness and build a shrine for the Goddess of Moonlight."
Matthew was considering feasible strategies.
In his view, the Moonlit Grove was actually a very potential long-distance cargo transport springboard.
It's just a pity that the southernmost point of Asiya's divine power coverage hasn't reached Zeshui City yet.A high-ranking follower like Ella could return to the Moonlit Grove under the moonlight at any point in the primary material world. However, being able to return doesn't mean she could come back. Without a shrine or altar as a coordinate anchor, the moonlight returning to the Moonlit Grove was destined to be a one-way ticket.
Matthew seriously considered the feasibility of building a shrine in Kordo City.
The geographical location of Kordo City was actually very advantageous.
It was the central section of the north shore of the Gold Coast, with a large flow of people both at sea and on land.
At the same time, it was located in the central area of four types of terrain—
To the north were mountains, the El Gaoxiong Peak and the Millennium Mountain Range, the latter being a natural barrier stretching nearly a thousand miles, dividing the vast southern land into two parts, east and west.
The Millennium Mountain Range was a dangerous place that could make many high-level adventurers despair. In addition to the terrifying and evil terrain, the mountains were unevenly distributed with habitats of eagle people, air elements, mountain giants, green-footed dragon snakes, salamander people, ghosts, red-robed monsters, etc. It was said that there were also traces of witches and twilight creatures, making it very dangerous;
To the south was the sea, the Aru Inner Sea. The port of Kordo City was built very large, very suitable for doing business with the deep-sea overlord Naga;
To the east was the rainforest, the world of the Jango people;
To the west was the endless Poplar Desert, which contained a considerable number of oases. These oases supported 99% of the desert population. The merchants of Kordo City were willing to do business in the oases, but later someone claimed that there was an adult blue dragon living in the Poplar Desert who liked to rob passers-by.
Gradually, the commercial road that crossed the desert and connected the oases was abandoned.
Not to mention the great highway that crosses the east and west along the coastline, the geographical advantages of Kordo City were already evident.
"When Ella comes back from her long rest in the Moonlit Grove, I'll ask her about the maintenance methods of the shrine!"
Matthew made up his mind secretly.
His thoughts were set.
While the goblin boss was packing the goods, Matthew casually asked:
"Are you knitting a sweater for your family? But the weather in Kordo City is so hot, I'm afraid it won't be worn, right?"
The other party laughed and replied:
"My son Quint is a vanguard for the Black Dragon Lord in the Frozen City underground in the north. I haven't seen him for many years. This year I received his letter saying that he has a child. My husband and I plan to save some money to go and visit them."
"This sweater is for my grandson whom I haven't met yet. For this, I specifically learned some exquisite skills from the Su people next door."
Matthew took the packed tool box, confirmed it was correct, and then said goodbye to the boss and left.
It was clear that the goblins, having lived in human society for a long time, had basically been assimilated. They cherished what humans cherished, and human customs gradually became their customs.
Dealing with them, one could indeed ignore their race to a certain extent.
Leaving the shop.
Lumiere immediately followed.
After barely getting through last night, Lumiere had been thinking about excuses.
Until now, his thoughts were finally clear. He decided to stay with Matthew first, gain his trust, and then find a way to lead him back to the rainforest without disturbing him.
So he said to Matthew:
"Since my promotion, my path to legend has also begun.
My instinct tells me that it is outside the rainforest, so I left the rainforest.
But I am too unfamiliar with the outside world. Just so happens that your scent left a deep impression on me, so I unconsciously came over.
I actually don't know what to do next. I am curious and a little scared of the outside world. Maybe this is the adaptation period.
Matthew, if possible, can I stay with you during this time?
Don't worry, I won't freeload. I'm very capable, I can do anything you ask."
After listening, Matthew looked regretful:
"Is that so? Lumiere, I would be happy to help you. But unfortunately, I'm afraid I can't accompany you in the next period."
Lumiere asked in surprise:
"Why!?"
Matthew said with great regret:
"Because next, I'm going into the rainforest, and your path to legend is outside the rainforest, I'm afraid we have to part ways."
With that, he walked towards the direction of the inn.
Leaving Lumiere alone, dumbfounded.
……
Back in his room, Matthew smelled a burnt scent.
Looking down, he saw the dwarf sitting on the floor, meticulously playing with a brick.
"Where did you get this brick?"
Matthew asked curiously.
"When a Mechanist is infusing an item, it's best not to distract him, to avoid causing an explosion."
Bobo didn't lift his head, and his tone was cold.
After a while.
Matthew saw the brick start to glow red. His eyelids twitched, and he was about to retreat, but in an instant, the red light was completely absorbed, and there was a violent smell inside the brick.
……
「Prompt: Your Mechanist partner Bobo has successfully made a brick bomb!」
……
Matthew's face changed:
"Are you making a bomb?"
Bobo snorted:
"What else?"
"I can't just carry a bomb on an adventure, that's too insecure. What kind of Mechanist would be so perfunctory when going out."
Matthew said solemnly:
"You promised me, you won't blow up the tomb!"
Bobo looked at him puzzled:
"Yes, I did!"
"But what about the periphery, the tomb passage, the blind monsters, aren't you going to use bombs?"
Matthew rubbed his temples, he suddenly understood Yulian's performance yesterday."Bombs can be used, but there aren't many occasions for them."
He spoke softly, as if coaxing a child:
"My summons and spells are enough to handle most situations, not to mention we have strong reinforcements. The man you saw yesterday, although his behavior was a bit strange, he's actually quite good and very powerful."
"Just bring this brick, there's no need to make more."
Upon hearing this, Bobo's expression remained unchanged, but two antennas suddenly rose from the sides of her helmet, the tips flickering with a faint red light.
"What does this mean?"
Matthew stared at the antennas.
"It means I'm very happy."
Bobo replied coldly.
Then her voice became a bit shy:
"If you promise me one thing, I can change the red light that symbolizes happiness to a happier yellow light."
Matthew asked:
"What is it?"
"Can I touch that?"
Bobo lifted her head, her large eyes filled with longing.
She pointed to Matthew's right hand and said:
"This glove, I can feel the wonderful power it emits, a terrifying power that can destroy everything, yet it's so exciting. Let me touch it, and I won't hold a grudge against you."
Matthew realized that this was the negative energy emitted by the Hand of Pale, which had partially corroded the glove.
In the eyes of a Mechanist, everything can be infused, and item infusion is their most basic professional ability.
Every item will react differently after being infused, and most of them explode.
If what Bobo wanted was a common item, it would be fine, but this glove was a top-tier dangerous item.
So Matthew shook his head and refused:
"Sorry, this glove is related to my privacy, I can't give it to you."
"Oh."
Bobo's little face immediately fell, and the red light on the antenna became more dazzling.
Seeing this, Matthew quickly took out a biscuit from his bag and handed it over: "How about you try this?"
Bobo glanced at the biscuit disdainfully, but still took it.
She placed the biscuit in her palm, and after a slight arcane fluctuation, a blue light rose from the biscuit!
……
「Prompt: Your Mechanist partner Bobo has infused the biscuit.
Bobo successfully created a Mana Biscuit (Instantly restores 20% of Mana, the standard of Mana is based on the average value of a third-order Mage)」
……
A biscuit that instantly restores Mana?
Matthew was stunned.
Bobo placed the biscuit in her palm and asked Matthew expressionlessly:
"Do you want it?"
Matthew nodded.
Crack.
She quickly stuffed the biscuit into her mouth, chewed it up, and mumbled provocatively:
"None left!"
Matthew was taken aback at first, then he couldn't help but laugh.
……
「Prompt: You have seen through Bobo's trick "Deception", you found that Bobo hid the real Mana Biscuit in her palm.」
……
Matthew didn't ask for the biscuit.
He knew that although Bobo's thinking was unique, she was not a person who couldn't communicate. If needed along the way, she would definitely be willing to take it out.
The two prepared for a while.
Then Lumiere finally arrived late.
He found Matthew with a troubled face:
"Uh, Matthew, I think I might have remembered wrong, my Path of Legend seems to be in the rainforest."
Matthew, who had long noticed Lumiere's abnormalities, simply cut to the chase:
"Did the Spirit of the Rainforest ask you to find me?"
Lumiere was shocked, but soon he said with relief:
"If you guessed it yourself, then it's not my fault, right? Indeed, it's a task assigned by the Spirit of the Rainforest, I can't understand it either."
Then he described the task he received from the squirrel in detail.
After listening, Matthew smiled:
"It's okay, just stay by my side."
No matter what the Spirit of the Rainforest was planning.
Right now, Matthew was about to go to the dangerous Dragon Lake to rob a tomb - no, to seek an opportunity to advance. A fifth-order strong man who came to his door, why wouldn't he accept?
……
After lunch, the three of them left Kordo City and headed towards the rainforest.
When they left Kordo City, they encountered a few ill-intentioned thugs.
Unfortunately, before they could get close, they were sent flying by Bobo's lightning fist, one punch each.
Many people saw this scene at the time.
So the subsequent journey became very peaceful.
Nothing happened until they entered the rainforest.
And it was even safer after entering the rainforest.
Lumiere was a true son of the rainforest, and the "Joy of Suya" on Matthew hadn't expired yet.
The two advanced together.
This made Bobo mistakenly think that the rainforest was quite safe.
A day and a half later.
The group arrived at the Dragon Lake.
However, before they got close, Lumiere said seriously:
"There are sounds of fighting!"
The three of them moved forward quietly.
Soon they found two groups of people fighting at the Dragon Lake.
These people added up to forty or fifty, all of high level, and they didn't look like good people.
"It's the Sandstorm Thieves and the Cataclysm Cult!"
Among the three, Bobo had the most information.
She excitedly took out the big bomb from her backpack:
"So, should we mediate?"
Matthew shook his head.
He led the two to bypass the main battlefield of the two sides and approached the Dragon Lake from another angle.
Then he took out three frogman potions and signaled to prepare to enter the water.
Lumiere and Matthew both took the potion. Soon, they grew gills on their necks and their leg strength was greatly enhanced. In the water, they could propel themselves far with just a gentle kick!
Only Bobo refused to take the medicine.
She hopped to the shore, leaped into the water, and sank quickly like a lump of iron.
Matthew and Lumiere hurriedly followed.
After entering the water, they took some time to adapt, only to find that Bobo had disappeared.
A moment later.
A strong current suddenly surged from the bottom of the water.
Matthew looked closely.
Bobo's helmet had somehow gained a layer of glass. Her heavy iron boots were now forcefully jetting air.
She beckoned Matthew and Lumiere, then plunged deeper into the water.
They quickly followed.
However, the gap between them was growing.
The speed provided by the Frogman Potion was already astonishing.
But Bobo was like a high-speed torpedo in the water!
Eventually, probably thinking they were too slow, Bobo surfaced, grabbed the collars of the two men, and plunged downward.
A few minutes later.
They arrived at the bottom of the Dragon Lake.
From afar, Matthew saw a huge statue. The base of the statue was covered by a large amount of white sand, and the top was overgrown with water plants.
The statue held a sword in its left hand and a talisman in its right, its features resembling those of the Su people.
……
"Prompt: You have discovered the underwater statue of King Mingtan, Knowledge (Giant/Su people) +10;
Aesthetics +10"
……
"This is the place, no doubt about it."
Matthew circled the statue three times and successfully found a secret door at the base.
He took out the Defensive Psalm and activated the spell to decipher the secret door.
Unexpectedly.
The secret door was instantly unlocked.
The three of them exchanged glances, and Matthew was the first to enter.
After passing through the secret door.
The damp feeling and heavy water pressure disappeared instantly.
What appeared before Matthew was a huge underground square.
In the center of the square was a stone tablet filled with tadpole-like text.
Behind the tablet were a dozen smaller stones, all engraved with carvings.
Matthew walked over and instinctively placed his hand on the tablet.
A surge of information flooded his mind.
……
"Prompt: You have received the inheritance of the Path of Balance, do you wish to continue?"
……
I was a bit tired after writing the big chapter yesterday, so I was a few minutes late. I'm currently correcting typos, please forgive me, and by the way, I'm asking for monthly tickets.
(End of Chapter)