[You levelled up!]
[2 stat points have been acquired]
[EXP 200/400]
"I'll save those stat point for now who knows when i'll need them" Rain thinks to himself considering the chaotic series of events he's already had to endure
"The collectors should be here any minute, no more worrying about our goods being stolen from us. I have a good feeling that we're going to make a decent amount of shells and of course there is going to be a fifty fifty split between us Rain." Serena says with shells for eyes.
"Well hopefully they're not too fussed with the mess I made, to be fair I wasn't the one who started it." Rain says picking a fin out of his teeth.
"I'm sure it will be fine the abyssal pearls are notorious around this parts, if anything there is going to be more impressed with your ability to take them on single handedly." Serebna says sweeping tentacles out of her vision keeping a keen eye for the collectors.
"You're probably one of the few in the area who have stood up to those bastards. They've been a thorn in everyone's side for the last couple years." Serena says grimacing at the thought of the abyssal pearl.
"Yeah they don't seem like kind folk at all. If not by the way he views merpeople, then definitely by the way he treats his own men. I'm not going to lose to scum like that, I already lost my whole life, this one I'm going to protect even till the bitter end." Rain says clutching his fingers into a scaled fist.
"That includes you Serena like I said I have your back." Rain says pulling himself out of the harsh thoughts giving his friend a reassuring smile.
"You definitely put your shells where your mouth is." She says with a tinge of worry at how the future will shape only to be calmed by the prior events.
"I gave my word didn't i?" Raisin says rubbing the back of his head fidgeting with his fins.
"Yes you did. Oh what's up gilbert." Serena smiles before her attention is grabbed by her familiar presence.
"Oh it looks like the collectors are here, let's step aside." Serena say her tone wavering showing how on edge she is.
"Don't we need to worry about our stuff being skimmed through? I really don't want a repeat of what just happened." Rain says with a sigh ass he spits out remnant fish bones out of his mouth.
"I can assure you Rain, the collectors are a whole different ballpark, these guys are paid a hefty amount of shells to ensure business stays flowing. Any collector caught in the act of stealing clientele goods tends to lose more than just a fin." She says without a concern for theft just more unwanted violence.
"Yikes, pity the poor bastard who had to learn that first. Least there's nothing to worry about then. Hahaha." Rain says thinking how much of a shock the first person had to experience.
"Just play it cool and don't go accusing anyone, that's the last thing these guys want to hear. Like I said, they are well aware of the consequences." Serena warns.
"Right lads time to get to work its the merchant girl Serena i here she's a good lass so lets make sure we do a good job." A gruff burly catfish swims hiss way over to the goods to collect.
"I'll stay on guard, boss." A thin catfish merfolk with a long scar running up his eye draws out two hilts made of smooth volcanic rock. In a flash blades form on the hilt made of sea water slowly heating up as they form.
"What kind of weapon is that?" Rain says looking at the glowing blades of water.
"It's a tidal weapon, it harnesses the power of the ocean into a blade. Normally the catalyst for it is stored in the centre surrounded by durable rock shaped to be as durable as possible." Serena says giving an explanation getting used to Rain's cluenesses.
"I see, so how would I go about getting a hold of a weapon like that?" Rain says thinking of the combat potential of having a weapon like that in his grasp.
"You're kidding, right Rain? Do you even know how much those cost?" Serena says with a dumbfounded glance.
Rain looks at her with a dumbfounded expression making it obvious he doesn't have a single clue of the price.
"Right right that's my bad, put it this way, that weapon is more than I've made through my career as a merchant." Serena explains rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"That is way too many shells." Rain says getting a barebones understanding of the extortionate price.
"Exactly, it takes a top quality artificer to make something like that and even then you need to have the right materials on hand to even make something good in the first place." Serena says continue to explain the common information.
"Uhh what was it miss Serena? Our boss has informed us that will be hauling your goods back to the scavengers reef. We've noticed the high value materials you have and we were wondering if we could enter an early partnership" A scarred sharkman swims over to the pair bite marks littering his fins.
"We wouldn't normally do this but you seem to be a rising star according to our boss and with the mess left behind we have reason to believe that your friend is even more of a frightening star." He says with a wide grin.
"Wait, you want a partnership with me" Serena says, whipping her head back and forth in absolute shock at the explosion her business will go under.
"Our boss seems to have a good eye for budding potential and a tsunami of shells. So what do you think? You guys game?" He says, pulling out a can of small fish chewing the end of one of its tails.
"What will this partnership entail?" Rain asks.
"Well young terror, will be using your unique skill set Serena can find the high value goods then you come with us to retrieve the loot." He says giving a hefty pat on Rain's back.
"Sounds like a straightforward partnership, however I want to know the split." Rain says immediately getting down to business.
"80/20" The sharkman says with a gruff sigh of bubbles, showing hes done this plenty of times.
"Hahahahaha, you really think you will accept a skewed deal like that." Rain chuckles to himself, causing Serena to panic at his words.
"Rain this is already a good enough deal especially from the collectors." She says frantically trying to get her partner to shut it.
"I'm sorry Serena but I want to do more than survive. I want to thrive were going to need a way better deal than that." Rain says approaching the sharkman face to face.
"50/50 thats the only deal i'll accept." Rain says with a cold expression his yellow eyes emphasising his backbone.
"Hahahahah hey lads listen to this greenhorn he thinks he's in the league of a 50/50 split, you don't have the qualifications nor the skills." The sharkman says, pressing his face to Rains.
Rain's mind bubbles up with thoughts of his father always talking down to him never seeing him more than a burden without anything to prove his skills but talk.
'I'll show you it's more than mere talk.' Rain says as a silent anger boils up wishing to prove his past and present wrong.
"You dipshit you're nowhere near our level to even consider that, surely the seas haven't taught you that cocky merman" The sharkman crunches down on the spine of the small fish hanging out of his mouth.
"Then let's see if your bark is as good as your bite, to prove to myself how about I put a handicap on myself, 2v1 send your two strongest if i lose will work for free." Rain says with a grin.
"Oh" the collectors nearby look toward this announcement as the sharkman becomes even more intrigued.
"But if I win it will be a 70/30 split. You had your chance for an even split, at least I'm being generous." Rain says his bright yellow eyes are not flinching in the slightest.
"Rain this is ridiculous, I can't be working for free. My business will crumble. Please just take the original offer, there's no way you can win that kind of fight." Serena pleads with Rain trying to drag him out of his cocky train of thought.
"Serena. Trust me. Sometimes you have to gamble, otherwise you will never get far if we always avoid the risk." He says standing tall, not wavering in the slightest.
'This life I will do more than just survive!' Rain's mind screams out.
"I hate it when you do that fine." Serena says in a huff of bubbles looking down at the floor her mind swimmin to trains of thoughts of working for free.
"You talk big game tadpole, fine will fight you but i don't want to hear any complaints if you lose" The sharkman says gripping at anchor and chain.
"I doubt I'll be losing this fight." Rain says with a confident demeanour.
"Simon get over here, guarding can wait, we have a sweet deal waiting for us." The sharkman says eager to call Rain's bluff.
"This welp here wants to fight the both of us if we win we get free labour." He says struggling to hold back his laughter.
"You weren't lying about the sweet deal, this shouldn't be too difficult then." Simon says brandishing his two blades.
"How about this you throw in the blades and ill work for free for the next 4 years and i leave behind Serena but no debt can fall to her."
"Rain WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!"
"I'm willing to gamble my future on my prize."
"You cocky brat! Your on kid i'll give you both blades if you can win but its over for you if you lose it will be 5 years labour and we have a deal."
"Deal, bring it on." Rain says slamming his fist into his palm dispersing a big enough of water in its wake.
"10 minute fight, that's when our boss will be done securing everything." The sharkman says with a ready eagerness.
"Samuel here will act as a witness to this fight." He says with a threatening tone.
"Ah yes understood, I'll pay close attention." Samuel says with a weak tone, slicking back his pink tentacles.
"Alright kid, swim back 5 feet." The sharkman says gripping his weapon waiting for the fight.
"Good lord this one can barely swim on his own flippers." The merfolk laugh uproariously at the sight of Rain's poor swimming.
"Well looks like we got ourselves some easy labour for the next five years, what a nice bonus." Simon can barely hold his laughter seeing Rain.
[Quest received: Win a losing battle. Fight 2 opponents and win the fight in 10 minutes]
[Reward: 200 EXP and a random skill]
[Penalty -2 random stat points]
'Losing stat points now would set me back way too far, just more of an incentive to win.' Rain's mind flutters through streams of thoughts as he swims into position. Slowly he begins to notice the blood in his body starting to heat up to a boil as if his body is well aware of what's going to happen.
'I'm going to need to use everything for this fight, we can't lose this!' He affirms to himself as his entire nervous system begins to light up ready to dump adrenaline at a moment's notice.