"Who is it?"
Although the unexpected voice was a complete surprise,
Su Qi quickly looked up.
Then he saw a figure sitting on the edge of the pit.
The man wore a top hat and a purple tailcoat, with orange amber pupils in his black eyeliner. Sitting at the edge of the pit, one hand propping his chin, he cast his gaze over.
Friend or foe?
Su Qi didn't know, but the fact that the other party could sit there unscathed and smiling meant his strength was certainly not low.
But no matter what, even if you were Ultraman, it wouldn't matter.
Su Qi, right now, couldn't afford to respond or linger. Every second of hesitation only drained his spiritual power more.
The figure's gaze followed Su Qi, seemingly appraising him, his pupils taking on an interested expression.
As Su Qi approached the Ancient God's Heart.
Finally, the figure made a move, reaching for his top hat, and, like a magician, pulled out a Small Knife. With a flick of his fingertip, the fruit knife disappeared right where it was, as if it had traversed space.
"Use this."
As Su Qi was running swiftly, he reached out instinctively and caught the small knife flying at high speed.
He looked down.
This knife... wasn't this just an ordinary fruit knife?
But in the next moment, the panel popped up.
[Name: Fruit Knife]
[Type: Equipment]
[Quality: Immortal]
[Note: It was originally just a common knife, but with the endowed Strength, it has the Divine Power to slice through anything]
Su Qi's expression turned sharp.
Who was this person, giving him Immortal Quality equipment just like that?
He didn't have time to hesitate as he firmly grasped it and stabbed it fiercely towards the Ancient God's Heart, which was within arm's reach!
At this very moment,
The heart, as if instinctively sensing danger, began to beat more violently, and a terrifying aura burst forth, as if it could block out the sun and cover the sky.
The three Evil Spirits, as if suddenly going mad, rushed towards the crater. It seemed they were there to protect the heart from harm.
Their roar was deafening.
The whole Sky Dome changed color, the ground shook, and the clouds split apart! The might of the Evil Spirits! Terrifying to such an extent!
And the man sitting at the edge of the pit, his amber pupils flickering with light, uttered an unsatisfied remark, "Too loud, don't disturb my business."
He put his top hat back on and pointed with his hand.
"Boom!"
The ground in the center of the City cracked!
A huge hand made of molten lava burst forth from the ground and fiercely grasped the three Evil Spirits!
Then,
These horrifying Evil Spirits, that ordinary people couldn't even gaze upon, now completely lacked the ability to resist.
Amidst their struggles and low growls,
They were pulled by the lava hand down into the ground, never to be heard from again!
Su Qi, at this moment, was unable to notice any of this. He was standing next to the heart, his spiritual power hitting its limit.
The next moment,
He plunged the Small Knife in his hand into the Ancient God's Heart with all his strength.
Those thick blood vessels, filled with faces of ghosts, emerged, wailing and trying to pounce at Su Qi.
But the power emanating from the knife released a suppressing aura, protecting him.
"Ah, ahhh, ahhhh, ah!"
In the city, countless pollutants screamed as if they too felt agony!
A multitude of ghostly faces and evil auras vanished at a pace visible to the naked eye!
Su Qi had only heard a "boom"!
Centered around the Ancient God's Heart, a massive amount of dust was suddenly swept away, as if a gust of wind had dispersed all the wails, and in the blink of an eye, there was nothing left but utter silence.
The screams and roars that filled his ears also came to an abrupt halt.
"Snap!"
The fruit knife in Su Qi's hand cracked apart, and as he gradually regained his focus, he watched the Small Knife turn to dust in his hands.
And there it was... the heart before him that had become dilapidated and dull.
"Is it over?" Su Qi no longer felt the onslaught of spiritual power.
He was left with barely 3 points of spiritual power. For a split second, it felt as if his soul was about to be snatched away by those entities.
Su Qi suddenly closed the panel and looked towards the distant figure, waving his hand.
"Although I don't know who you are, thanks for just now."
"A thank you? There's no need for that," the man replied with a light laugh. "After all, this was a trade, and I never make a loss-making deal."
Su Qi's gaze shifted slightly:
"May I ask for your esteemed name?"
"You can call me... Traveling Merchant."
Su Qi's brows rose.
Traveling Merchant?
In many games, once an instance was cleared, there was a very small chance that a merchant who sold special items would appear as a hidden reward.
"So that's it." Su Qi glanced at the three main quests that were all completed and that he could leave the instance at any time. He was in no rush: "What do you want from me?"
Indeed.
Having just punctured the Ancient God's Heart without the aid of this mysterious individual claiming to be the Traveling Merchant, he wouldn't have been able to complete it.
But if the other party demanded too much,
Su Qi would decisively teleport and flee, now that the main quest was complete.
He quietly placed his hand on the Ancient God's Heart, ready to collect it into his Item Slot at any moment.
The Traveling Merchant seemed to see right through Su Qi's thoughts, chuckling, "Thinking of running away?"
"I am not," Su Qi replied without blushing or skipping a beat.
"I have traveled countless worlds, you have no idea how many people long to meet me, how many wish to make a trade with me."
The Traveling Merchant looked at Su Qi, his eyes narrowing. "And you... are thinking of running away? Also... stop trying to put the Ancient God's Heart into your Item Slot."
"I really am not, stop making things up; I'm just tired and leaning here," Su Qi coughed, releasing his hand, surprised that the object couldn't be added to his Item Slot.
The Traveling Merchant adjusted his hat, rising from the edge of the pit. He leaned on his cane, donned his gold-rimmed glasses, and stood there, the very picture of a gentleman.
"Fate is a wonderful thing, and I give each person I meet a chance, after all, some might never encounter me in their lifetimes. For someone as weak as you to have such an encounter of strength with me, isn't it an interesting affair?"
"The help just now, I could consider it free service, but... if you want to take this heart, there will be a price to pay."
Su Qi watched the Ancient God's Heart before him.
Without a panel or any other information, this item seemed to have something special about it? Or perhaps the Traveling Merchant before him had tampered with it? It seemed he had no other means to take it with him.
Su Qi decided to listen: "So, what is it you want?"
The Traveling Merchant smiled lightly:
"It's interesting, usually when people meet me, it is I who ask what they want, yet now you ask me in return."
"And what do people generally give you?"
"Many things, some that pique my interest, items of equivalent value, interesting pollutants or... they might also trade their own lives, souls, and so forth."
Su Qi suddenly paused.
"You mentioned interesting pollutants…"
He took out a finger bone from his Item Slot that he had acquired from the real world through[!].
"Does this count?"