The Old man lowered himself into a bow before Arlo and Remi. They both registered shock but managed to keep their faces impassive.
"Why this sudden show of respect? What's the value of our weapons?" Remi queried.
Rising to his full height, the old man responded, "2 Billion Nion."
Nion is the universal currency. Prior to the Great War between Mages and Innovators, each group had its own currency system, with some even trading in gold. However, post-war, this common currency was introduced, primarily for transactions among dungeon riders.
Arlo turned to Remi, his eyes wide with surprise at the offer. Remi, equally taken aback, met Arlo's gaze. Misinterpreting Remi's stunned silence as a calculated act, Arlo responded nonchalantly,
"That's all?"
"Apologies, this is the maximum we can offer," the old man said, bowing once more.
"Could you show us the appraisal results?" Remi requested.
The old man placed a tablet on the table, its screen displaying the status of their weapons. Remi picked it up, leaving Arlo curious about the details.
"Could we have some privacy now?" Remi asked after scrutinizing the status.
"Of course, you can stay here, we will step out," the old man said, leaving a button on the table. He added, "If you need to discuss anything, press this button. Take all the time you need."
The old man and his security detail exited, a palpable tension filled the room.
"You nearly ruined everything. How many times must I remind you not to act without my guidance?" Remi vented his frustration, landing a punch on Arlo.
"What's gotten into you? Why this sudden outburst?" Arlo asked, bewildered.
Remi thrust the status sheet in front of Arlo's face. Arlo read:
[Shield: Protector]
[Duration: Can last for half an hour]
[Class: Mythic (upgrade)]
[Subclass: C]
[Type: Wind]
[Sword: Slayer(cursed)]
[Duration: One time per day]
[Special: kills its user after activation]
[Class: Divine (Upgrade)]
[Subclass: C]
[Type: Dark]
Arlo responded, "This seems in line with what you explained earlier. C sub-class, dark type. But what about this upgrade?"
Arlo's curiosity was piqued by the sword Slayer, marked as cursed. He pondered,
'Why is it still cursed? I thought the curse had been lifted. What's going on?'
With a frosty expression, Remi explained, "You need to understand the basics before selling items. The upgrade in class type on both items is what adds to their value.
An upgrade allows us to elevate a weapon's subclass level from C to S. Once it reaches its peak, it will never be destroyed or lose its durability. For regular Divine and Mythic classes, once the subclass has been encrypted, it gradually loses its edge upon use and will eventually disintegrate, unlike these Upgrades."
Remi continued, his voice filled with passion, "What sets these two items apart is that, for the shield, I've never come across a Mythic Innovator's product with an upgrade. And these weapons, made of Void stone, would typically disintegrate after reaching their usage limit. But not ours. How did they even create weapons like these?
The sword is even more remarkable. Despite being cursed, it still possesses a dark type and a skill that kills its user after activation. That implies it certainly summons undead of all it has slain so far. Imagine having your own army of undead. Sure, it kills the user afterward, but that's a minor detail."
Grabbing Arlo by the arms, Remi exclaimed angrily, "We mustn't sell these. If their existence becomes public knowledge, it will cause a massive uproar. We could be kidnapped, interrogated about their origin, and our lives would be at risk. We need to leave immediately."
As Remi urged him to leave, Arlo responded awkwardly, "Sorry, Remi, I can't. These items don't suit me, but think about that 2 billion Nion cash. I wouldn't have to pay your rent for the rest of my life, right?"
Remi shook him by the shoulder. "Do you even comprehend how much 2 billion Nion is? With that money, we could buy our entire street, construct new buildings, and still have more than half of the money left."
Arlo's perspective shifted dramatically upon hearing this, and he retorted, "We are selling it. There's no other way around this."
Remi pleaded, "Please, just hear me out. I won't ask for anything else."
"Okay, I will listen to you," Arlo conceded, his voice tinged with sadness.
After Remi and Arlo had calmed down a bit, they pressed the button. The old man reentered the room, his face falling at the sight of them.
Arlo responded to his offer, "Sorry, I'm not selling my items."
The old man pleaded, "Please, we will throw in some other items too. Please reconsider our offer."
"Then, how much are you planning to sell them to your client for?" Remi asked, his tone icy and haughty.
This sudden shift in Remi's demeanor left Arlo reeling. Just moments ago, Remi had begged Arlo not to sell the items, and now his behavior had changed so drastically that Arlo wondered,
"Does he have a split personality?"
The Old Man stuttered, "Sir, what are you talking about? You just arrived here, and you guys haven't even sold them yet. There's no way I can arrange a client this quickly."
Remi smirked. "Then we will take our leave. Arlo, gather our things. We will register at the Innovators & Mage Guild."
Remi rose to his feet and gestured for Arlo to do the same as they prepared to leave.
The old man shouted in frustration, "Wait, what exactly do you want?"
Remi grinned,
"How about you let us directly negotiate with the client, and if both parties are satisfied with the sale, we will give you a suitable commission. What do you think?"
Remi extended his hand for a handshake. The old man gritted his teeth but, left with no choice, agreed to the deal.
"Pleasure doing business with you," Remi said cheerfully, after sharing his phone number and instructing the old man to arrange a convenient time for the meeting with the client.
They exited the black market and strolled down the streets, Arlo was taken aback by Remi's reaction and stared at him.
"Dude, just ask what you want to know," Remi remarked.
Arlo stuttered, "Why did you tell me not to sell them and then act that way afterward?"
Remi replied arrogantly, "Because you're terrible at lying. If I had shared my plan with you, you would have definitely botched it."
Arlo slapped Remi on the back and added, "Bastard, I'm still mad at you for earlier, but thank you for now."
"Who cares? Tell me, what's our next move?" Remi asked, his tone lofty.
"Well, I told you before, I need a weapon. Shall we look for one?" Arlo suggested.
"Yeah sure, my chief already mentioned a place. We should go there to buy the weapon. Let's go give them a scare next," Remi exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
[End of Chapter]