[Sheep's Meat]
The drop from the Beep Sheep was the same as the rare drop from Cheep Sheep. I stored it in the Backpack and we went upwards to the 5th floor. However, as it was Breakfast time already, we warped back to our House from there.
For Breakfast, we seasoned the meat with Pepper and Kobold salt, then fried it using Olive oil. It turned out quite good.
"I will go to the Merchant Guild today, to make an order for Skill Crystals." I told Roxanne and Sherry while we were having breakfast.
"Hmm, in the meantime we both can take care of the Household chores, the rooms will start to get dirty if we don't clean them soon" Roxanne said while drinking her herbal tea.
"Master, everyone can use the Auction but generally people go through the Brokers" Sherry chimed in.
"Yes, I will most likely use a Broker as well. Sitting at the auction would be a waste of time" I nodded, agreeing with her.
When you need to purchase a specific item, you can never be sure when it will be available at the auction. That's why people prefer to use Brokers .
You tell the Broker the highest prize you will offer, he will discuss it with the other Brokers and they will reach a satisfactory price. But if you are the seller selling the item without a Broker, then he may bring down the price.
"Master, Brokers snatch away your profits so you should really be careful of them." Sherry stated indignantly
"Well I will make sure to be careful." I replied with a wry smile.
The Brokers look out for each other, so in the end it's not really an auction and it's just the Brokers buying and selling at the prices they have decided amongst themselves.
"I really hate Brokers, they take away the profits, even though we are the ones buying and selling" Sherry exclaims, brandishing her knife as if she is striking them instead.
I chuckled at her adorable reactions and proceeded to check their statuses.
[Party Job Setting
Sherry
Acquired Job: Explorer Level 10, Villager Level 5, Herbalist Level 1, Warrior Level 1, Merchant Level 1, Shrine Maiden Level 1, Master Smith Level 3, Swordsman Level 1, Monk Level 1
Set Job: Master Smith Level 3]
[Party Job Setting
Roxanne
Acquired Job: Beast Warrior Level 9, Villager Level 8, Farmer Level 1, Warrior Level 1, Swordsman Level 1, Explorer Level 1, Monk Level 1, Herbalist Level 1
Set Job: Beast Warrior Level 9]
Sherry gained 3 levels while Roxanne gained 1. Instead of progressing higher in the Labyrinth, if we would have fought with more demons than they would have leveled up more, with their 40x multiplier.
But if we go to a higher floor they will receive more exp, so I still think it's better to advance higher than to waste time fighting everything. And I already knew that racial jobs would be harder to level up.
When we were at the 2nd Floor, I made Sherry kill a Kobold with a sword and another with her fists, so she also gained Swordsman and Monk Jobs.
I shifted my attention to my own Jobs.
[Job Setting
Acquired Job: Villager Level 25, Thief Level 20, Hero Level 17, Farmer Level 1, Explorer Level 26, Swordsman Level 1, Warrior Level 25, Merchant Level 1, Wizard Level 25, Herbalist Level 1, Monk Level 18, Alchemist Level 20, Sex Maniac Level 8
Set Job: Explorer Level 26, Hero Level 17, Wizard Level 25, Warrior Level 25, Sex Maniac Level 8]
My Explorer went from 22 to 26, Wizard from 21 to 25, Warrior from 21 to 25, Sex Maniac from 1 to 8 and Hero from 15 to 17, this all with 800x multiplier.
After finishing my Breakfast, I accessed my Level up system, and multiple screens popped up displaying rewards for each of my Leveled-up classes.
Accept: Yes No > I opened the Wizard reward first. -Magic Gem(100%) > I knew, I would get this reward, but all the slots in my Magic Bracelet had been filled, so I will have to keep this gem aside for now. Still an extra Power Bank for Magic would surely come in handy, especially now when I have started using Magic extensively. Accept: Yes No > Next, I opened the Warrior reward. -Increase strength (small)> A tingling sensation coursed through my body, but this time it lingered for a while before subsiding. Unlike the last time, I definitely do feel stronger, as if I had undergone some kind of power boost. I can't wait to go to the labyrinth again and check out how much my strength increased. Accept: Yes No > I was most excited about this reward, as each and every reward of Explorer has been exceptional so far. I hoped the streak would continue. -Explorer's Health Potion for Minor Injuries> A clear Glass Vial with a red stopper materialized in my hands. Curious about the new reward, I used Appraisal on it. [Explorer's Health Potion for Minor Injuries - 20 ml (reusable)] Appraisal left me more puzzled, as the Vial was empty, devoid of any health potion. Knowing that the rewards cannot be useless, I began experimenting. Even after removing the stopper, there was nothing inside. I added water in the Vial, filling it completely with water, still there was no change. I drank the water but it tasted just like regular water. I shook the Vial in frustration, and miraculously the water changed to red. I tasted it and it had a bitter taste, but I did feel rejuvenated. I emptied the vial in another Jar and refilled it with water. Upon shaking it three times, the water once again turned red. This was amazing. I would have to test what exactly 'Minor injuries' meant, but having an unlimited potion was incredibly cool. Accept: Yes No > Finally, I moved onto the last reward. I still haven't had a chance to try out the previous reward of this Job yet. Still I mentally click accept. -Increase stamina (slight)> A tingling sensation passed through my body, and it was gone as soon as it came. Knowing the name of the reward, I could tell what its effects would be. It is certainly a good reward. Informing the girls that I would be going out, I used Warp to reach the Quratar's Explorer's Guild. It was still as lively as ever. I made my way to the main street and proceeded towards the Merchant Guild. If the Explorer's Guild represented the Strength of Quratar, then the Merchant's Guild embodied its Wealth. The Guild building itself was the testament to this fact. Although not as large as the Explorer's Guild of Quratar or the Adventurer's Guild of Imperial City, it sprawled expansively, occupying a significant horizontal area. Upon entering, I noticed several people in the lobby, engrossed in examining items on a board. That must be the bulletin board, where the list of previous bids on the auctioned items is displayed. Looking up, I could see a second floor with multiple glass panes. To the right, a room housed several individuals, who were scrutinizing me, just as I was assessing them. [Laurel Sex Maniac Level 35 Equipment: Landslide Iron Sword, Sacrificial Misanga] This middle aged man was the person Michio encounters here first in the original story. He tells Michio about the Sex Maniac Job and its Guild. However, Michio finds him too sloppy and decides not to hire him as his Broker. Seeing him reminded me of my own Sex Maniac Job and its useless skill 'Abstinence Attack'. [Abstinence Attack: An attack that deals damage in accordance to how sexually frustrated the user is. After the attack, the user feels sexually relieved.] This skill was useless to me because it only worked if one abstained from Sex for multiple days. No thank you, I couldn't imagine life without sex at this point. I think this skill was made to control Human Population growth. I look around and at last find who I was looking for. [Luke Acid Armor Merchant Level 2 Equipment: Sacrificial Misanga] This young man was the one who Michio chose as his personal Broker. He is honest and trustworthy, and most importantly he has connections with Hanz, who is a Knight of the Duke of Harz, Brocken. As soon as I moved towards him, he approached me on his own accord. "I am Luke, a Broker. Do you need my services?" Luke said, giving me a small bow. His clothing, style and manner of speech screamed Aristocracy. "Yes, I would like to purchase some items," I replied curtly. "Well then, this way please," Luke gestured, leading me towards the stairs. We ascended to the second floor, where there were multiple rooms. "We use these rooms for business discussions," Luke informed me. "I see" We entered one of the rooms, where there were just two sofas and a table. A glass panel provided the view of the main lobby. This kind of Glass window that encompassed the whole floor showcased the wealth of the Merchant Guild. We sat down across from each other. "My name is Michio Kaga, and I have a very big order for you" I cut straight to the topic. "Are you the person living in the Haunted Mansion?" Luke asked, raising a brow. "Yes" I replied with a wry smile. "So what kind of order do you want to place for the auction?" Luke inquired seriously. "I want to buy," I replied "Very well. As brokers we have many purchase orders, so what kind of items do you want to purchase?" Luke nodded. "Skill Crystals" I stated "Which one?" Luke asked curiously "All of them," I affirmed, spreading my hands. "All?" Luke exclaimed in shock "Yes, any skill crystal you can acquire, I want to purchase them all." I stated resolutely "Michio-sama, do you intend to make money by buying the Skill Crystals, attaching them to equipment, and then selling them for profit? If that's the case, then I wouldn't recommend it. Skill Crystal Fusion often fails, so its better to buy the skill crystals you actually need" Luke advised, crossing his arms. "I am aware that Skill Crystal Fusion fails most of the time. That's precisely why I am buying so many" I said with a helpless chuckle. "But does your party require such a large number of Skill crystals?" Luke inquired. "I have plans to establish multiple parties. It won't happen immediately, but I believe it's necessary to prepare sufficient equipment for them," I explained "Hmm … As you wish, Michio-sama," Luke conceded. "The prices for the Skill crystals shouldn't deviate significantly from the market rate, if you do a good job then I will be willing to pay you extra for your efforts" I assured him, sporting a harmless smile while thinking of my ultimate 35% Discount skill. "Yes, I will do my best. As Brokers we are under the supervision of the Merchant Guild, so no one tries to deceive the customers," Luke reassured me. I just nodded along with his bullshit. "You can also keep an eye out for Orichalum Equipment or other rare accessories" I suggested seriously, "If the bidding price is too high or if the buyer wishes to trade with something else, please inform me. You know my address, don't you?" I added. "Yes, I will notify you at the earliest opportunity" Luke affirmed seriously "Do you know about the Big Auction that happens every three months?" I inquired "Yes, the Big Auction occurs on the Seventh day of each Season, so it should take place the day after tomorrow," Luke informed me. "Hmm, that is certainly good news" I said, a pleased smile forming on my face. "Michio-sama, the purchasing commission is 500 nars and is paid in advance" Luke informed me "Certainly" I replied, taking out 5 silver coins and handing them to him. "In that case, I will meet you after two days, when the Big Auction takes place. If there is anything urgent you can send someone to inform me" I instructed, rising from my seat. "I look forward to working with you," Luke said, extending his hand. "Likewise," I replied, shaking his hand before we exited the room. Leaving the Merchant Guild, I used Warp to return home through the Explorer's Guild. At home seeing that Sherry and Roxanne were busy cleaning, I started making health potions and storing them in a metal container. After a while they both were done with their work and we geared up again. "Let's go to the Labyrinth!" [NOT A PART OF THE CHAPTER Author's note: First of all I am terribly sorry for the extended hiatus. And I sincerely thank everyone who commented for my early return or even waited for me to come back. Still I do have to clarify that no, I wasn't sick or gone. The thing was that there was this Idea which got stuck in my head so I started writing about it, but then that Idea kept expanding and in the end, I had to spend days doing research about different topics. Yes, I started writing another Fanfic, 'Echoes of Power : Embracing the Supernatural'. And this Fanfic will also continue and won't be abandoned so don't worry. I will try to update both of them regularly. I have written only 5 chaps of the new Fanfic. I was planning to write 15K words first then update this one, but it was taking too long so I stopped at 10K. The new Fanfic would be a mixture of different Supernatural fantasy media and lore. I have added multiple stories in it, with characters from many different novels, movies and tv series. It is a bit dark and it will have loads of sex, so I don't know if people will like it. If you can then please check it out. Thank you again for all your patience! Have a great day. ]