Chapter 98

Sunlight filtered through the window, casting dappled beams that slanted between the window and the floor. Dust particles danced up and down in the beams, with a few mischievous ones occasionally breaking free to fly toward the wooden table. Fang Yi looked at the two girls chatting animatedly in front of him and suddenly felt a sense of disorientation as if time and space had intertwined.

"From what those people said earlier, can we assume that the people with the Silver Wands were actually waiting for you?" After recounting the events of the past two days, Heishan Xiaoyao recalled the group of players.

"It should be that way," Fang Yi also remembered the thief player named Wu Gou Bai. "I think we need to pay a visit to the Viscount Valier's mansion."

Heishan Xiaoyao immediately became excited, "To expose the spy and the Dark Night Mask's plot?"

In contrast, Caisang Ren was much calmer, frowning slightly. "But we don't have any evidence yet. Shouldn't we first look for clues from the Dark Night Mask? If we go there rashly, will Viscount Valier believe us?"

"We can't wait. The enemy already knows that the ambush on us failed, which means that any information about Viscount Valier's actions could be revealed to the viscount at any time. Isn't that the same as telling others that the viscount's son's death is related to the Dark Night Mask?"

Fang Yi checked the scrolls in his ring, stood up, and adjusted his sturdy cloak. "With the Dark Night Mask's style, we might hear news of the viscount's accidental death tomorrow."

"You two go check the forum for some information. I'll go to West Gate Port. Log in before 6 PM game time; there might be some excitement at the viscount's mansion." Fang Yi waved at the two and turned to leave the room.

Following Fang Yi's suggestion, Heishan Xiaoyao and Caisang Ren temporarily left the game and logged onto the game forum to start searching for information.

"Why did Fang Kuai ask us to look up information about the nobles in West Gate Port? Aren't we going to deal with the Dark Night Mask?" The information about "Miracle" on the internet was vast, and finding specific information was not easy. Heishan Xiaoyao felt his head start to ache as he looked at the constantly flashing sections on his retinal display.

Caisang Ren was also busy but more patient than Heishan Xiaoyao. "Fang Kuai wouldn't ask us to do something useless. Once we gather the information, it will become clear."

Back in the game, Fang Yi opened the game map and looked at the map of West Gate Port. The main street from West Gate to the viscount's mansion, which he had seen when he first arrived at the station, was now visible on the map, still some distance from the central square. After determining the direction, Fang Yi headed northwest.

Compared to the small square in front of the viscount's mansion, the city center was like a vast wilderness, spanning about half a mile. The square was crowded with various stalls and enthusiastic players.

How familiar it feels~ Fang Yi looked at the square, which resembled a giant supermarket, and felt a deep sense of nostalgia. Back in the day, he would also put items he had obtained by luck on his stall for automatic sale, and the sense of achievement when he returned to find an empty shelf and a few more copper coins was indescribable.

Now, Fang Yi mainly wanted to find a belt. As his level increased, the intensity of battles also increased, and the two quick slots were no longer sufficient.

Fang Yi weaved through the crowd, looking for his prey. Stopping at a stall with no one manning it, he casually glanced around and immediately noticed a stick-like object in the corner of the automatic sale list, which seemed familiar.

He selected it to view the properties, and his eyes widened. He quickly bought the thumb-thick stick for 100 gold, using the same speed he had used to cut down the Chaos Demon.

Who is this blind-faced fighter, selling such a thing for only 100 gold? Fang Yi stared at the item in his hand, already overjoyed.

Mia's Alchemy Rod (Fine Curio)

Special Item

Gently Stir: Grants inspiration, increasing the probability of enchantment skill upgrades by 10%.

Durability: 77/100

Weight: 2

"Angle is key"

"Bro, my buddy has been eyeing this thing for a while. I just got the money," a male elf thief walked up to Fang Yi, who was grinning to himself, and greeted him with a smile. "How about this, I'll give you 130 gold, sell it to me."

Fang Yi had already noticed a few people standing around him. He put the item in his backpack and looked at the surrounding people. So quickly there's a buyer~ Of course, this thing is for making money, but I doubt your sincerity~

"130 gold?" Fang Yi tightened his cloak, hiding his entire body under it, and smiled. "I'll sell it to you for ten times that."

Joke, what is this? This is one of the top-tier items that every crafting profession dreams of: "Mia's Alchemy Rod," a tool that increases skill levels and the success rate of crafting skills, known as one of the three great yin-buster mini-gods of crafting. If it weren't a one-time consumable, it would cost tens of thousands of gold.

"This...!" The thief's smile faltered at Fang Yi's words. "Bro, this is just a fine curio. Your price is a bit high, isn't it?"

"Don't be ungrateful, or I'll beat you up!" The thief thought Fang Yi was asking for too much but kept his tone calm. However, the warrior on the left immediately burst into profanity at Fang Yi's quote, drawing the attention of nearby players.

Fang Yi didn't even turn around, continuing to speak to the thief in front of him. "I could have sold it to you for 1,300, but now, with the large auction house in West Gate Port, there are definitely more sophisticated buyers waiting to buy my items."

After saying this, without even looking at the noisy warrior, Fang Yi walked away. Making money is always good, but now it's still a seller's market. Why should I make myself miserable?

Fang Yi's indifference also angered the warrior, who was about to chase after him and give him a scolding. However, he noticed the thief's cold stare and the two words that came out of his clenched teeth, "Shut up!"

The warrior immediately backed down, lowering his head. The elf thief ignored the troublesome warrior and quickly caught up to Fang Yi. "Hey, bro," the elf thief laughed and stopped Fang Yi, speaking politely. "He's young and doesn't know better. Don't take it personally. I'll apologize for him."

Fang Yi stopped and glanced at the flying horse-shaped guild emblem on the thief's chest. Doesn't know better? Probably because I'm not wearing a guild emblem, they think I'm alone~

Players without a guild are often weak and isolated, often marginalized, a common phenomenon in every game. Fang Yi was used to it. However, the elf thief was quite experienced and clearly a seasoned player. Besides, as the saying goes, "Don't hit a smiling face," and Fang Yi made his decision after a few seconds.

"Let's do this. We both know the value of this item. It won't depreciate if we put it up for auction for a few days. Let's make it 2,000 gold." Fang Yi took out the white stick with a larger end and a smaller end, holding the top like a gem, and spoke.

"Deal," the elf thief decisively took out 20 star diamonds, completed the transaction with Fang Yi, and received the plain-looking small stick.

After confirming the properties of the alchemy rod, the elf thief was overjoyed. Fang Yi put away the money, thinking that he hoped the thief's friend had great perseverance.

The value of the alchemy rod lies in that 10% chance. In the later stages, upgrading skills becomes increasingly difficult, making this 10% chance extremely valuable. Theoretically, it's best to use it at the master level, but many people are tortured by the system's insane difficulty in upgrading skills at the expert level and use the alchemy rod before reaching the master level.

In other words, if the alchemy rod successfully increases a few points of skill proficiency at the master level, the buyer would have made a huge profit compared to the 2,000 gold.

Before leaving, the elf thief politely asked to add Fang Yi as a friend, but Fang Yi politely declined. 2,000 gold, should I consider buying a better air conditioner? The air conditioner in my place is probably older than I am...

There were actually many good items in the square, but with players' levels still low and quick leveling, items with low cost-effectiveness were not necessary to buy. After wandering for a while, Fang Yi finally found a satisfactory item.

Golden Belt (Fine Leather Armor)

Waist

Level Requirement: 18

Durability: 15

Weight: 4

Armor: 9 + 5

Proficiency +3

Quick Use Slots +4

Belts with good attributes were very rare, as rare-level belts had a chance to have special attachments, such as a special hook that could attach weapons like crossbows or small daggers to the belt, allowing for quick switching without action penalties (of course, if you wanted to put the crossbow back on the belt and take out your original weapon from your backpack, there would still be a penalty). However, Fang Yi didn't find such an item after searching for a while.

Looking at the sky, Fang Yi left the bustling square and headed back the way he came.

A short while later, on a small street behind the Viscount Valier's mansion.

Fang Yi entered stealth mode, circled the street and the connecting alleys, and silently eliminated two nearby thugs before knocking on the back door of the viscount's mansion.

"What is it!?"

A bright, bald head appeared from inside the door, with a face full of scars, looking to be in his forties. His fierce eyes scanned the finely crafted leather armor visible under Fang Yi's cloak, and his pupils contracted. He immediately put on a smile.

"I am an adventurer traveling here," Fang Yi revealed his identity to the bald man, essentially indicating that he and his group were players. "I am here to visit Viscount Valier."