Chapter 61: The Gem Merchant
Su Xiao fitted the Realm Severing Thread beneath his wrist, and with a click, it snapped perfectly into the slot on the Black King Bracer—a modification Lide had helped him craft.
Zzzz—
The Realm Severing Thread extended, its tip's locking anchor opening and fixing itself to the wall. Without careful observation, the thread's presence was virtually undetectable.
For now, the Realm Severing Thread was still a support item, but once Su Xiao mastered a certain ability, its utility would become immense.
Su Xiao had two more things to do: first, meet with the gem merchant, and second, find a way to obtain an alchemy potion formula.
Dragon-Slaying Flash could still accommodate one more Holy Spirit-rank gem. Since Su Xiao was about to undergo the 150-point attribute barrier assessment, he naturally needed to boost his combat power as much as possible.
As for the alchemy potion formula, Su Xiao urgently needed that as well. After his endurance attribute reached 149 points, the recovery effect of the Ancient Secret Medicine had plummeted. Drinking one bottle couldn't even restore 10% of his health, making it not worth the risk in combat. Even after a battle, it only allowed for slow recuperation from injuries.
A high-grade recovery potion formula was something Su Xiao desperately needed now, but such items were hard to come by. Directly purchasing Epic-rank recovery potions was an option, but they were unstable and overpriced.
Su Xiao had invested so many resources into Alchemy that crafting his own was the optimal path. Without a formula for now, he could only buy Epic-rank recovery items as a temporary measure.
Some recovery items were bizarre—some were even dried fruit that couldn't be chewed through after half a day, and swallowing them whole caused stomach pain. Remember, this was based on a contractor's physique, which showed just how strange purchased recovery items could be.
Pushing open the wooden door inside his Exclusive Room, Su Xiao began inspecting the thriving Black Maple Tree within. Under the irrigation of the [Natural Source], the tree's growth rate had increased. It now stood 2.59 meters tall, exuding an exceptionally tenacious vitality, having passed the stage where it would randomly die on Su Xiao.
This was a growing treasure vault. When the day came to sell its yield, it would be a continuous stream of income.
Just as Su Xiao was about to turn and leave, a Black Maple leaf drifted down, bearing a small insect-eaten mark. Seeing this, Su Xiao didn't intervene. His bottom line for cultivating the Black Maple Tree was that it wouldn't completely wither; beyond that, he wouldn't interfere too much.
Su Xiao didn't want a Black Maple Tree raised in a greenhouse. That was why he had spent a fortune to expand this room and used Paradise Coins to create various harsh environments—biting cold, scorching heat, and so on.
Without weathering storms, even a Black Maple Tree that grew to over a thousand meters would be worthless; its unique characteristics wouldn't manifest.
A truly mature Black Maple Tree would have insects on it that became its guardians, helping it fend off natural enemies. Moreover, these insects were extremely rare and held extraordinary value. They only ate the leaves, helped aerate the soil, and absorbed harmful substances from it.
The only privilege Su Xiao gave the Black Maple Tree was the nutrients needed for growth. Soul Crystals and the like were never in short supply, and the [Natural Source] was an occasional treat.
Confirming the Black Maple Tree was fine, Su Xiao left his Exclusive Room. He was going to meet the gem merchant—a nameless guild that only bought or sold gems. Its members were collectively called gem merchants. The alternative purchasing channel through the black market was too shady.
The meeting place was on Locke Street, the territory of the Traveling Group. Su Xiao wasn't exactly hostile with the Traveling Group, but they hadn't cooperated much either.
As soon as he arrived at Locke Street, Su Xiao spotted a familiar figure—the Witch. She was using her slow, deliberate tone to tease a rookie contractor, her personality as nasty as ever.
"Is the gem merchant here?"
Su Xiao interrupted the Witch's teasing, and the rookie, whose gender was unclear, quickly scurried away.
"He's, been here, for a while. I'll introduce you, but I'll, take a finder's fee."
The Witch spoke slowly and softly, exuding a seductive charm.
"If you spoke normally, I might consider paying you an introduction fee."
"Can't do that, this is, my..."
Before the Witch could finish, Su Xiao walked toward a bar. This bar was run by the Witch and usually had no customers.
Inside the bar, the lighting was dim. A figure wrapped entirely in thick cloth sat in a corner. He was bundled up tightly, wore a pair of goggles, and carried a wooden box on his back.
Su Xiao sat opposite the gem merchant. The Witch set down two cocktails. The gem merchant raised a hand and gently pushed it away, indicating he didn't drink.
"5000 Paradise Coins."
"?"
The gem merchant was visibly stunned. Though his expression was hidden, the shock was palpable.
"I didn't drink it."
"Hmm~, but you touched it, Merchant sir. Are you trying to welch?"
The Witch took a light puff from her long pipe, exhaling purple smoke.
"A shady joint."
"Do you, have any, objections?"
The gem merchant fell silent. He really couldn't afford to offend the Traveling Group. Plus, this deal was introduced by the Witch, so he had to pay her 500 Paradise Coins—yes, 500. The Witch had suddenly changed the price, making her unpredictable.
"Won't you, try my, cocktail?"
The Witch looked at Su Xiao with a smile in her eyes. Su Xiao chose to ignore her. The Witch had no leverage over him; she knew that two Traveling Group members had died at Su Xiao's hands.
"Mr. White Night, I hope my goods meet your satisfaction. Please take your time admiring them. I can wait up to two hours."
The gem merchant unstrapped the wooden box from his back, set it on the table, and opened it. Inside were eight rows of gems. The bottom six rows were all Epic-rank gems, while the top two rows were Holy Spirit-rank. In total, there were over fifty gems.
Behind the bar, the Witch also saw these gems. If the gem merchant entered a mission world, he would be a mobile super treasure chest.
Though the gem merchant was somewhat taciturn, his attitude was excellent. He believed the customer was king and tried to establish long-term cooperation with all clients.
Su Xiao ignored the bottom five rows of Epic-rank gems and focused on the top two rows. There were fourteen Holy Spirit-rank gems in total. This nameless guild had astonishing financial resources.
After examining each gem's attributes, Su Xiao knew this trip wasn't wasted. One gem was excellent and suitable for embedding into Dragon-Slaying Flash.
**Shadow Moon (Holy Spirit-rank Gem):** When embedded into a weapon, weapon sharpness +128 points, armor penetration +67 points.
The gems already embedded in Dragon-Slaying Flash, "Mystic Trace Gem" and "Flowing God," both increased sharpness. Su Xiao only needed Dragon-Slaying Flash to be as sharp as possible. Since he was going the sharpness route, he would push it to the limit.
During his battle with the Alien King, the Alien King's inherited tail had nearly been severed by Su Xiao. If struck directly on the body, it would cut through anything. That was the advantage of an extremely sharp weapon. When facing enemies of a higher rank, it ensured he wasn't completely without a chance. If Dragon-Slaying Flash couldn't even break through their defense, then the fight was truly unwinnable.
"These three."
Su Xiao picked up three gems, including [Shadow Moon]. The gem merchant pondered for a few seconds, then nodded and said:
"This one is 95 Soul Coins, this one is 129 Soul Coins, and this one is 205 Soul Coins."
No need to guess—Shadow Moon was the most expensive. The reason was that some Holy Spirit-rank weapons themselves didn't have as much sharpness as this gem provided. Naturally, it was costly. Moreover, gem embedding was an additional bonus on top of the base.
"Customer, we don't negotiate on price. I can guarantee that the profit on each gem doesn't exceed 8 Soul Coins. I can sign a contract to verify this."
This was the first time Su Xiao had encountered such a unique merchant. Earning 8 Soul Coins per Holy Spirit-rank gem was truly not much, considering the costs of inventory, the manpower and resources for acquisition, and the large capital investment.
Moreover, the merchant dared to sign a contract within Reincarnation Paradise. Note, this was within Reincarnation Paradise, where contracts couldn't be tampered with. Such a conscientious merchant was extremely rare.
To save a few Soul Coins and cut ties with this kind of merchant would be a loss.
"This one."
Su Xiao picked up the Shadow Moon gem and took out 205 Soul Coins from his storage space.
[You have obtained Shadow Moon (Holy Spirit-rank Gem).]
With the third gem in hand, Dragon-Slashing Flash was now reinforced to +12. Su Xiao didn't plan to continue reinforcing it—the risk was too high. With three gems fully embedded, Dragon-Slashing Flash had reached its strongest state yet.