Chapter 450 - 434: A Peculiar Collection Obsession and Kink
Before Shi Ming could reply about the trade, a slightly teasing reminder from the Eye of Destiny flashed before his eyes.
[A 200% markup?]
[Star Travel Merchants are a profit-driven profession. For a boss like this petite young lady, few things are more important than wealth.]
[But a collecting habit and her ’type’ are slightly more important than money.]
[And this trade seems to involve both, doesn’t it?]
[Giving up on the grind, kid?]
[This merchant is 312 years your senior, and her treasure aura has a hint of orange. However, that’s not the full extent of her wealth. Her combat strength may not be high, but her professionalism as a Star Travel Merchant is exceptional. If you maintain a good relationship, you might save yourself decades of struggle in the Star Sea.]
[Heh heh heh...]
???
Shi Ming ignored the Eye of Destiny’s jokes and assessed the trade.
Cosmic Crystals was indeed a good sum.
’With the Eye of Destiny, I couldn’t possibly misjudge the Taunt Stone’s value. The curio, which could transfer aggro, is worth 200 Cosmic Crystals at most. The 200% markup stems from this wealthy boss’s penchant for collecting. Of course, there might be other reasons, but regardless, I’m definitely the one profiting from this deal.’
’Maintain a relationship?’
’Save myself from struggle?’
Seeing that Shi Ming remained silent, the girl named Doli put down the Taunt Stone and explained:
"The treasure’s effects and abilities are indeed average. There are many superior alternatives, like the mass-produced Hate Worm Eggs from Star Cavern 2129, which are much more effective."
"But as you can see, I’m a collector."
"The [Principle] contained within this treasure is a type I’ve never seen before. It’s worth the 500 Cosmic Crystal price, but that’s it. Leave this stall, and you won’t get such an offer anywhere else."
"Besides, I have a feeling..."
"We’ll be trading again."
"This is the first time, so I’m giving you a favorable deal."
Shi Ming looked at the young lady who puffed out her chest, yet only came up to his.
’To be a boss in a place like this, and to have a demand for the essence of Nirvana-rank experts... her wealth and power can’t be underestimated. She must have other factions and a whole powerful industrial chain behind her. Perhaps in the future, I can use this connection to offload some ill-gotten spoils of war.’
’More friends mean more paths.’
’Even a Nirvana-rank expert can’t be a master of everything.’
Shi Ming smiled.
"Deal. Thank you for your generosity!"
The short Star Travel Merchant put away the Taunt Stone and pulled 500 Cosmic Crystals out of a seemingly bottomless bag she carried. The bag was a Spatial Attribute treasure, clearly a higher grade than the Storage Bracelet and the "Hives" on Earth.
"This isn’t generosity,"
"It’s an investment."
"I can tell you’re no ordinary adventurer. Next time, perhaps the treasure aura on you will have risen a level. Star Travel Merchants love making friends. I hope we can both bring each other even greater returns."
Shi Ming took the Cosmic Crystals.
’I hope you don’t say that to every customer.’
...
Watching Shi Ming walk away, the over-three-hundred-year-old Star Travel Merchant named Doli lowered her head again, continuing to study the treasure in her hands.
That kid who looked like he was only in his twenties...
...was totally her type!
Unfortunately, she would only be on Treasure Star for a month. Before long, she would use a Wormhole to travel to the next Star Domain. In the face of immense wealth, this little flutter in her heart was completely insignificant.
After all, she was a career-oriented person.
Wealth was her ultimate partner.
...
...
...
After completing the profitable trade, Shi Ming’s total Cosmic Crystal count had reached 1,300.
"Now, I’m a so-called ’thousand-crystal tycoon’ myself."
"The negative buff from my white treasure aura can basically be ignored. I should have unrestricted access to most high-end places, except for the Treasure Museum, which only five-star VIPs can enter."
Treasure Star was a paradise for the rich.
The poor, however, were restricted at every turn, playing the role of the exploited—an indispensable part of the planet.
"Xingbao, navigate a route to the Trading Tower for me."
"Okay!"
The underground market was flooded with fakes, and eight out of ten pieces of information there were false. Trying to gain experience there was like panning for gold in shit. The Trading Tower, on the other hand, held the planet’s true treasures. It had everything imaginable: artifacts from all over the universe, new specialties from the Star Caverns, and more. It was said that every item for sale came with detailed notes on its use and effects, presented to the customer almost perfectly.
’This might lower the chances of me finding a hidden gem using the Brain of Creation,’
’but it saves so much time.’
Shi Ming stepped into the Trading Tower.
The tower was filled with a multi-colored treasure aura. The wealthiest people in the entire Cosmic Country gathered here. People with blue and purple treasure auras were everywhere. In comparison, someone like Shi Ming, with his white treasure aura, was a true anomaly.
But strangely,
all the staff were far more enthusiastic toward Shi Ming than toward the other guests who were cloaked in colorful light.
In their eyes, people like Shi Ming were Xiaobais carrying thousands of crystals.
The others, however, were shrewd old-timers.
Everyone knew who was easier to squeeze a profit from. Any holder of a white treasure aura who could enter this place had at least 1,000 Cosmic Crystals. In contrast, those colorful old-timers were all as cunning as foxes. Getting any profit out of them was incredibly difficult!
Soon, a sales guide approached Shi Ming.
"Distinguished guest, I am sales guide number 9983."
"It’s a pleasure to serve you."
Shi Ming just thought, ’You’re celebrating too soon. I don’t plan on buying anything.’
"Please allow me to take a few minutes to introduce the new items we’ve had for sale this past month."
"This is the Chaos Fruit from the 13th Cosmic Country. It’s exceptionally delicious and provides a strong, ascension-like stimulus to one’s spirit. Consuming it multiple times is greatly beneficial for solidifying one’s Spiritual Power."
"This is a female of the Transforming Race from the 82nd Cosmic Country."
"However, their numbers are extremely limited. To purchase one, you’ll need to make a small tie-in purchase."
The Transforming Race was a very peculiar species in the Star Sea.
Their intelligence wasn’t high, so they couldn’t be considered a sapient species. However, they could change their form flexibly, and their transformations were vivid and lifelike, achieving an eighty to ninety percent resemblance. Though not a perfect one-to-one match, this ability was exceedingly rare. It was because of this very trait that the Transforming Race lost its freedom and dignity, becoming the most sought-after "commodity" in the Star Sea—one that even required a tie-in purchase.
Shi Ming shook his head.
’These guides only recommend items with high commissions.’
Shi Ming only had a little over a thousand Cosmic Crystals. Until he earned more, every single one needed to be spent where it mattered most.