After securing Krokro's agreement, Ethan no longer gave him a hard time. He returned the *Tree of Life* branch and pocketed an additional 30 gold coins from Krokro. Now, combined with the 50 coins Archangel had given him, Ethan's total assets amounted to 80 gold coins.
Of course, what intrigued Ethan the most was the *Eternal Fire Seed*. Even though it wasn't technically his yet, Ethan had a plan to convince Ghanil to let him keep it.
In addition to the *Eternal Fire Seed*, there was also the quest reward: the *Phantom Card*.
---
**[Phantom Card (Gold)]**
*An artifact once used by Master Magician Brian. It possesses magical abilities.*
**Effect 1:** +15 Dexterity
**Effect 2:** *Self-Recovery*
*Self-Recovery:* The deck contains 108 cards, and any thrown cards automatically return without the need for manual retrieval.
---
"Nice!" Ethan smiled as he toyed with the *Phantom Card*. While the card itself didn't increase damage or have overwhelming attributes, the *Self-Recovery* ability made it invaluable. Now he wouldn't have to worry about running out of cards during combat.
"By the way, Krokro, I have a bunch of equipment here. Are you interested in buying?" Ethan asked casually.
"What kind of equipment?" Krokro asked, curious.
Without a word, Ethan tipped his hat and unleashed the items from his hat's space.
With a loud clatter, a pile of weapons and armor spilled out at the entrance of the shop—greatswords, daggers, armor, staves, boots, and more, covering a wide range of professions. These were all spoils from the elite members of *Third Heaven*.
"This much gear?!" Krokro's eyes widened as he examined the pile. Most of the items were iron and bronze quality, with a few silver pieces mixed in. "These are all top-quality items! Where'd you get them? You didn't rob a noble, did you?"
"I'm not that bold, don't start rumors." Ethan waved his hand dismissively. Players at this stage of the game were far weaker than the native NPCs, let alone the nobles. "I got this from a small guild. Good stuff, right? Make me an offer."
"What price are you expecting?" Krokro asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Market price, of course," Ethan said matter-of-factly.
"That's fair, but I don't have that much money on hand," Krokro admitted after mentally tallying the value of the gear. The items were worth at least 400 gold, especially the three silver pieces, which alone could fetch hundreds. It was a fortune—more than he could afford.
"How about we do it on credit?" Krokro suggested with a hopeful smile.
"..."
Ethan was speechless. This was the manager of Frostleaf Town's shop, and he couldn't scrape together enough gold? Even suggesting credit? If Krokro ran off with the gear, what recourse would Ethan have?
"No way. No credit," Ethan refused firmly.
Krokro wasn't offended by the rejection, as he understood the situation. After all, it was a huge sum of money, enough to rival the yearly income of a minor noble.
"How about this," Krokro offered after a moment of thought, "I'll hold the items here and sell them for you. In return, I'll take a percentage as commission."
"You've got guts," Ethan said with a grin, giving Krokro a thumbs up. "Alright, how much commission are you asking?"
"Fifty percent!" Krokro said without hesitation.
"Get lost!" Ethan barked. "I can sell these on my own if I wanted to waste time. I just don't want the hassle."
"Wait, hear me out," Krokro said, raising his hands to calm Ethan. "I'm planning to go to Winterhold soon. If I take these items there, I can sell them for a much higher price. The nobles there have deep pockets."
"You're heading to Winterhold?" Ethan's interest piqued. If Krokro sold the gear in Winterhold, he could indeed get a better price. Winterhold was the crown jewel of *The Northlands*, a bustling metropolis with sky-high prices. But fifty percent was way too much.
"Twenty percent," Ethan countered. "Take it or leave it."
Krokro thought for a moment before grinning. "Deal!"
"..." Ethan felt like he might have gotten lowballed but couldn't help laughing it off.
After finalizing the deal and signing a sacred contract, ensuring the agreement was binding, Ethan left Krokro's shop.
He opened his messaging interface and shot a quick message to Naomi.
"I'm back!"
Naomi, who had been grinding mobs outside, felt a wave of excitement upon seeing Ethan's message.
"Finally! I'm near the *Treasure Cave*. Come here," she replied.
"On my way."
Ethan headed to the *Treasure Cave* and arrived in no time. From a distance, he spotted a group gathered near the entrance. Leading them was a woman in leather armor with a massive sword on her back. Her figure was incredible—long legs, striking curves, and a chest that looked like it could burst out of her armor at any moment.
"Dustwalker!"
The moment Ethan appeared, *OverallSuspender* sprinted over to him.
"Dustwalker, you're finally here! We've been waiting for you."
"It's only been a few days. Why are you so excited?" Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow.
He only had a business relationship with *OverallSuspender*, but the guy was acting overly friendly.
"Come on, don't be so distant. A brother for a day, a brother for life!"
"Yeah, right. You expect me to believe that?" Ethan smirked.
"You gotta believe me! Some people were spreading rumors that you're a scammer. But now that you're here, those rumors are dead in the water."
"Oh? Who said I was a scammer?" Ethan asked curiously.
"That archer over there. His name's AFKandChill," *OverallSuspender* said, pointing toward a certain archer. "Don't mind him; the guy's got issues. Just because he has some money, he looks down on everyone. Ignore him. Come on, I'll introduce you to the boss."
As they chatted, the two walked up to Naomi.
"Damn, even in the last life, she was the Valkyrie. And she definitely lives up to that title," Ethan thought as his eyes briefly flicked to her chest before he quickly looked away, swallowing hard.
Naomi noticed his gaze, her face turning cold as a wave of disgust swept over her. "Ugh, just like Hunter. Another pervert!" she thought, instantly forming a bad impression of him.
"Hi, I'm Dustwalker. You must be Naomi?" Ethan said, extending his hand with a smile.
"I am," Naomi responded curtly, refusing to shake his hand.
"Uh…" Ethan awkwardly withdrew his hand, forcing a smile. Trying to shake off the discomfort, he continued, "So, as we agreed, I'll lead you guys through the *Treasure Cave* on hard mode. You give me 50 gold and a ship ticket to Winterhold. That still good?"
"I know. You don't need to repeat it," Naomi said icily.
"What the hell…" Ethan thought, growing frustrated. "What's her problem? Did I do something wrong? She's acting all high and mighty for no reason. Just because she's the guild leader of G&G? Please. I've already crushed *Third Heaven*, like I care about her!"
Although he was fuming internally, Ethan wasn't about to argue over nothing. Instead, he dropped his polite tone and said flatly, "Fine. Let's cut the chit-chat. Invite me to the party."
"Hold on!" a voice called out, and Hunter suddenly appeared from the back of the group.
"Kid, being a party leader isn't something just anyone can do. Do you even have the qualifications to lead us through a hard-mode dungeon?"
"And who are you?" Ethan asked with a squint.
"My name's AFKandChill," Hunter replied arrogantly, his nose in the air, exactly as *OverallSuspender* had described.