The stall owner looked at Perry approaching, laughed heartily, and glanced at the bubble in his hand, saying, "Young man, I only trade for meat here. Do you have any special kinds of meat?"
Perry had initially planned to retrieve the piece of paper about the Lazard Quadruped from the bubble. But as he took his first step, he heard the stall owner calling from behind, "Young man, you're going to get the bubble, right? Actually, you don't need to walk over; you can summon it directly!"
Perry stopped, turned around, and looked at the stall owner in confusion, his eyes filled with bewilderment. "Summon it? I can summon this bubble? How does that work?"
Seeing his puzzled expression, the stall owner chuckled and patiently explained, "Do you remember the number on the bubble? Every bubble has a unique ID. As long as you call out that number, the bubble will automatically float to your hand."
Perry was momentarily stunned and suddenly realized that the stall owner was right—each of his bubbles did indeed have a small printed number. Recalling the number, he confirmed he remembered it and exclaimed in surprise, "So it works like that! I thought I'd have to walk all the way over there."
Still, he felt a bit self-conscious about shouting in such a large marketplace. But then he noticed many others using the same method, calling out numbers, and their bubbles seemed to float to them as if guided by an invisible string. This reassured Perry a bit.
He cleared his throat and, trying to stay calm, called out the bubble's number, "147!"
A few seconds after he spoke, the bubble with the number "147" indeed floated toward him, drifting lightly as if tethered by an invisible line, and finally landed in his hand. Perry watched the bubble gently wobble in his palm, filled with amazement and excitement. The trading system here was so convenient—even the bubbles could be "summoned."
Perry took out the paper from the bubble, and with a gentle squeeze, the piece instantly transformed into a piece of Lazard Quadruped meat with a rich red hue, exuding a strong raw scent. He said with slight anticipation, "I have some Lazard Quadruped meat here. Would you be interested?"
The stall owner's initially warm smile froze slightly at the sight of the meat. He waved his hand and shook his head, saying, "Oh, sorry, the smell of that meat is too strong! It takes quite a bit of work to prepare it, what with all the marinating and cooking involved. My usual customers don't care for that smell." He waved his hand as if to dispel the scent.
Seeing the rejection, Perry felt a bit disappointed but unwilling to give up. He hesitantly asked, "What about fish meat? I also have some fresh fish meat here." He tried to keep calm, hoping the stall owner, being a fisherman, might at least be interested in fish.
The stall owner burst out laughing at the mention of "fish," patting his belly and laughing so hard his face turned red. "Young man, you're funny! I've been fishing for decades! Is there any fish in the sea I can't catch? I've got more fish than I know what to do with!"
Embarrassed, Perry scratched his head, a faint look of helplessness on his face. He realized that the ingredients he had didn't appeal to this seasoned vendor. The stall owner, seeing his disappointment, kindly patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Don't be discouraged. While Lazard Quadruped meat does have a strong smell, it's a favorite of some hunters and collectors. You might try other stalls—someone might actually want it."
Perry felt slightly reassured by the stall owner's words, nodded in thanks, and was about to leave when the stall owner called out again.
With a smile, the stall owner said, "Young man, if you could get some Icewood Ox meat or Alantis Mountain Boar meat, I'd be interested in trading with you. But as for other types of meat, I'm afraid I'm not interested."
Perry glanced helplessly at the Lazard Quadruped meat that had reverted to a slip of paper. Although this meat was unique, it clearly held little value in the eyes of this stall owner. Forcing a slight smile, he said, "Alright, I'll try other places."
After bidding farewell to the stall owner, Perry looked down at the paper slip in his hand, weighing whether to make another bubble to display the ingredient. Breaking the bubble earlier meant he'd have to spend more coins to create a new one. However, his budget was limited, and each bubble cost five coins—a significant expense for him at the moment.
After some thought, he decided to save on costs and not make another bubble. Instead, he would carry the slip around the market, trying to find a suitable buyer. Perhaps he could trade the ingredient directly for something more valuable.
Perry took a deep breath, scanning the stalls around him. He knew his ingredients were limited in value, and in this vast trading market, it would be a challenge to gather enough items in just two hours to trade for the Long-Haired Crab he'd been eyeing. After all, he estimated his ingredients would only fetch about 1,500 coins at minimum value, while the crab was priced at a steep 7,000 coins—quite a gap.
Still, Perry didn't lose heart. He remembered that he could keep exploring, and perhaps he'd find a vendor open to complex trades, like a combination of ingredients or offering additional value-added services.
Clutching the slip of paper, he continued weaving through the crowd, focused on finding a potential opportunity. In his mind, that Long-Haired Crab was an irreplaceable goal, and he was determined to come up with a way to acquire enough trade items within the time limit. Even if there was only a slim chance, Perry resolved to give it his all to fulfill this wish.
As Perry approached a meat stall, hoping for a bit of luck, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure—Hinnal. He recognized Hinnal instantly, despite his heavy disguise. Hinnal wore a hat pulled low over his face, covering most of it, along with a thick coat, even in the hot weather, and a pair of black leather gloves. It seemed he didn't want to be recognized, and his entire demeanor was nothing like his appearance as a chef in the kitchen.
The disguise worked well; passersby and vendors all ignored him, with hardly anyone noticing he was that famous chef. Perry couldn't help but chuckle to himself; the outfit seemed ridiculous in the scorching sun, and he could almost imagine Hinnal sweating profusely underneath.
After a moment's hesitation, Perry took a few steps forward and, with a hint of hopeful curiosity, greeted him with a smile, "Hello! Remember me?"
Hinnal looked up coldly, merely giving Perry a brief glance with an expression of distant reserve, showing no intent to respond. He gave a slight nod as a greeting, then turned and walked away briskly, leaving no hesitation in his steps or a trace of lingering.
Watching Hinnal's distant, aloof attitude, Perry shook his head with a wry smile, sighing to himself, "What a cold person. He truly doesn't seem to enjoy socializing."
He sighed, watching Hinnal's figure gradually disappear into the crowd, silently comforting himself. Perhaps this was just Hinnal's way of dealing with things—cold and decisive, never lingering for anyone.
Perry shook his head, putting his thoughts about Hinnal aside for now. Turning away, he muttered softly to the system, "I came here to buy things, not to watch him." The system responded in a timely manner, with a hint of reminder in its tone: [I noticed that he seemed to be looking for something just now, holding a bubble in his hand, but I'm not sure exactly what it was.]
Nodding slightly, Perry decided to refocus on the marketplace, as it was none of his business. Around him were bustling stalls, with vendors shouting to promote their goods, and buyers haggling in low voices, creating a lively atmosphere. The air was filled with the aroma of fresh ingredients and the unique sounds of a busy market, which lifted his spirits immediately.
Perry approached a stall specializing in meat. The vendor was busy displaying chunks of fresh beast meat to customers, each piece meticulously prepared, looking tender and gleaming invitingly. Perry couldn't help but wonder if these meats might be suitable for the exchange he was planning.
He moved closer to the stall, carefully examining the meats displayed on the counter. Many were unique varieties he had never seen before—some had peculiar red patterns, others were dark brown and exuded a rich aroma, even with a hint of an indescribable exotic scent. Curious, Perry asked the system, "Can you help me identify these meats? Let's see if there's anything special."
The system quickly activated a scan, with data flashing on the screen before providing detailed information about several meats. The system explained: [I'll give you a quick summary. From left to right, these meats are Giant Bone Dragon meat, Secret Grove Deer meat, and Arctic Wolf meat. Each type has its own unique properties and effects. For instance, Secret Grove Deer meat is rich in vitality elements, ideal for nourishment; Arctic Wolf meat has ice properties and, once cooked, retains a cooling sensation, making it perfect for summer dishes.]
Perry's interest grew after hearing the system's descriptions, considering whether he could trade some of his own ingredients for these special meats. He pulled out some Razza Quadruped meat he had on hand, hoping it might catch the vendor's attention. The vendor, noticing Perry's movement, approached and asked, "Young man, looking for something? All my meat here is top quality, especially this fresh batch of Giant Bone Dragon meat that just came in today. You won't find anything better."
Perry smiled slightly, deciding to test his luck. "I have some Razza Quadruped meat on hand. Would you be interested?"