Chapter 789 - 149: Trading Market
The trading market is located slightly south of Spring Breeze Port.
It’s also one of the more bustling areas of Spring Breeze Port.
Here, members of various ships or fleets can freely trade, sell materials and goods, or barter items.
There are also dedicated stalls here, each displaying a variety of items, full of dazzling things of all kinds.
"From the Level Three Sea Area, Whale Tiger Beast Whip. Highly effective, only one available, three water coins, first come, first served!"
"Fetched from the Level Two Sea Area, a locked rusty iron box, unopened, if you want to test your luck, come and try, one water coin!"
"Level Four Sea Area, Wind-Suppressing Stone, used as a Ballast Stone for warships, can reduce sea winds and waves by ten percent! Priced at fifty water coins, no deceit!"
Walking through the trading market, sellers on both sides were vociferously promoting their goods.
Han Zhan noticed that the Whale Tiger Beast Whip at the first stall was being keenly observed, picked up, scrutinized, and then put down by quite a few people.
Even the Whale Tiger Beast itself probably wouldn’t have imagined its whip being toyed with like this... Han Zhan clicked his tongue mentally.
Though he had no use for such an item, curiosity drove him to take a glance.
It was roughly the thickness of an arm, coal-black in color, about thirty to forty centimeters long, and according to the stall owner’s words, it could be used to brew wine.
It could increase Hunger Value by 1 point and Spiritual Value by 5 points, and mainly it also provides an additional "Whale Tiger Power" buff.
As for the effect of this buff, the onlookers all wore understanding smiles.
While the crowds around the first stall owner were still manageable, the third stall owner was practically surrounded by a sea of people.
"Is this Wind-Suppressing Stone really that sought after?" Han Zhan muttered to himself in surprise upon seeing the scene.
"New adventurer, I presume." Nearby, upon hearing Han Zhan’s confused voice, a bystander spoke up.
"The Wind-Suppressing Stone is a Ballast Stone, its effect is outstanding. It can reduce sea winds and waves by ten percent. In the Level One Sea Area you might not feel it, but if you venture into Level Three or Level Four Sea Areas, or even higher areas, you’ll understand its effect."
They likened the sea winds and waves to a base number, and the higher the danger level of the sea area, the larger the base, thus the ten percent benefit becomes more significant.
The person seemed to be explaining this effect.
But actually, Han Zhan genuinely had no interest in the Wind-Suppressing Stone.
Because, on the Gray Sparrow, the First mate Gongyang Jin’s talent effect already included reducing sea winds and waves.
If the Wind-Suppressing Stone could be sold for fifty water coins, with so many people vying for it, then the value of Xiao Jin’s talent...
Unimaginable.
If this talent effect were revealed, what kind of sensation would it cause?
Retracting his thoughts, Han Zhan nodded in acknowledgment to the adventurer who clarified things for him, then continued forward with Shang Siteng through the crowd.
"A Ballast Stone, it seems to be an item that adds extra traits to ships."
"Should we consider buying one?"
Shang Siteng asked Han Zhan while they walked.
"We might consider it, but the price of the Ballast Stone appears to be quite high and very popular."
This was evident from the number of people around the stalls.
The Ballast Stone was useful, but for Han Zhan and his team, it seemed not particularly necessary.
After all, they all had SSS Level talents, and after appointment, each had inherent special talent effects...
While talking, Han Zhan and Shang Siteng passed by several different stalls, with a variety of odd and unique items displayed.
"These must be the harvests after exploring the sea areas."
After viewing some, Shang Siteng concluded.
"Because the origin of each item or material is noted with the different levels of sea areas."
"By exploring sea areas, strengthening one’s warship, selling surplus yields to exchange for water coins, then using water coins to purchase other resources, creating a cycle."
"Besides this, one can continuously increase Reputation Value, enter higher level sea areas, obtain better and higher items and materials, and cycle endlessly..."
At first glance, it indeed resembled the routine of a large game.
While they were talking, the stall owner at one stall suddenly called them.
"Hey, hey, adventurers, please stop."
The speaking stall owner was a middle-aged man whose demeanor was simple and honest, his mutated parts were on his lower half.
The entire lower half had transformed into a writhing, translucent form, resembling an aberrant genie.
"Can you help me with something?"
Seeing them halt, he continued,
"You see my status, going to the bathroom isn’t very convenient now, and my stomach hurts a bit, can you help me watch over my stall?"
"As a reward, when I come back, you can choose any item freely from my stall."
He spoke sincerely, and his expression of holding his stomach indeed appeared painful.
Is this... a chance encounter quest?
Han Zhan and Shang Siteng exchanged a glance.
"Alright." After thinking it over, Han Zhan nodded.
The honest and simple stall owner gratefully nodded toward Han Zhan and handed him a stall token.
After instructing them to watch over his goods, the stall owner clutched his stomach and quickly dashed away into the distance.
He seems to really trust us; is the atmosphere on Water Planet so positive... Watching his retreating figure and a stall full of goods, Han Zhan mused.
"You’ve been tricked."
At this moment, someone came over and said.
Recognizing the speaker, it was still the previously helpful guy.
As he spoke, he shook his head and sighed, "That stall owner isn’t going to the bathroom, he’s fleeing!"
"Fleeing? Why fleeing?" Shang Siteng asked in confusion.
"The trading market at Spring Breeze Port requires a daily rental fee for these stalls, ten water coins a day."
"Furthermore, rental payments are tied to the token not the person, and only settled at the end of each day when the market closes. By handing you the rental token, you are now the stall owner!"
Can it be like this?
Han Zhan paused for a moment, "So he’s abandoning his stall and goods?"
Han Zhan wasn’t foolish, he agreed to supervise the stall partly because there were so many goods there.
And these goods appeared luminous and colorful, at first glance not seeming like ordinary items.
Unexpectedly, the helpful brother continued to shake his head.
"Take a closer look."
"With the token in your hand, scanning it will reveal the status information of those goods."
Han Zhan, hearing his certainty, casually picked one and scanned it.
Soon, its information appeared before Han Zhan:
"Readily available broken stone (Mirage effect active, remaining time: 00:09:54."
Han Zhan: "..."