Chapter 87 | Psychological Welfare
Dexter’s eyes drifted across the black market as he walked, scanning the stalls and tables without any particular purpose.
Then they stopped.
The ultra rank expert was still there.
He sat in the same position as before, cross legged on the floor, eyes closed while the type three blade lay there before him.
He then checked the weapon closely and saw it was incredibly beautiful.
The sword body was very dark but it was also incredibly beautiful.
It wasn’t flashy at all, nor was it dull
It looked more like elegant.
The steel had a faint silver sheen that seemed to shift depending on the angle, like moonlight on still water.
It was, without question, designed for a woman. It wasn’t decorated with much jewels or covered in elaborate engravings. In fact, its appearance was remarkably simple. Yet that simplicity made it elegant. The slender blade, graceful guard, and perfectly balanced design gave it a quiet beauty that would undoubtedly appeal to women.
More importantly...
It was a Type-3 Relic.
A weapon powerful enough to greatly enhance its wielder in battle.
The more Dexter looked at it, the more certain he became.
The girls would absolutely love this...
Dexter paused.
He should keep walking. He had already spent far more money than he had planned to spend.
The jewelries he purchased was enough and adding more expenses would be irresponsible.
But he was like a gambler. Just one last purchase. One last 100x investment opportunity.
Dexter stood there for several seconds, warring with himself. The rational part of his mind told him to walk away. The irrational part, already calculating his rewards and the smile on his girls faces.
The irrational part won.
’I bet the price would scare me away.’
He adjusted the bags under his arm and walked toward the trader.
He stopped in front of the cloth mat and looked down at the blade. Then he looked at the man.
"How much?" Dexter asked.
The man did not open his eyes. His response came in a voice that was low and unhurried, carrying the particular gravity of someone who had no need to rush anything.
"I am not selling it."
Dexter frowned. If you are not selling it, then what are you doing here? The question rose in his mind, but he kept it behind his teeth. Questioning an ultra rank hero’s choices seemed like a poor way to start a conversation.
"In that case, never mind."
Just as he turned to leave—
"I am not selling it," the man repeated, and this time his eyes opened, "but I am exchanging it for certain items."
Dexter paused mid turn. He looked back at the man over his shoulder and blinked his eyes thoughtfully. Then replied.
"What item do you wish to exchange it for?"
"A grade three heavenly material."
Dexter went still.
Heavenly materials. Heaven and earth treasures are rare treasure.
Unlike weapons, which could be used repeatedly and passed from owner to owner, heavenly materials were consumable.
They could only be used once, their power expended in a single moment of transformation or enhancement.
And because of that single use limitation, they were valued above almost everything else.
Obtaining a type three relic weapon was difficult but achievable. Enter a high grade dungeon, defeat the creatures within, and there was a chance, however small, of finding one.
But heavenly materials were different. They did not appear in dungeons with any reliability. They were found in places so dangerous that the mortality rate for expeditions was measured in percentages rather than fractions.
People died for grade three heavenly materials and here was an ultra rank hero, sitting on the floor of a black market, asking for one in exchange for a single type 3blade.
"No one in their right mind would trade a Grade-3 Heaven and Earth Treasure for a single Type-3 weapon."
The man’s eyes flashed, "Does not mean you do not have one."
Dexter met his gaze without flinching. "Maybe I do. Maybe I do not."
The man snorted, a sound of dismissive amusement, and closed his eyes again. The conversation, as far as he was concerned, was over.
Dexter stood there for a moment, then smirked. "Alright. It is your choice if you want to miss this opportunity. Who knows when the next one will come."
The man’s nostrils flared slightly. He inhaled, as though testing the air for something, then shook his head without opening his eyes. "You are bluffing. You do not have a grade three treasure."
"It is up to you whether you want to miss this opportunity or not," Dexter said, and this time he actually turned and started walking.
He did not look back in the slightest. Behind him, he could sense the man’s attention pressing against his back.
But Dexter simply kept walking.
"...Fine."
Dexter stopped walking.
A faint smile flashed across his lips before disappearing.
When he turned around again, his expression had become completely calm.
The man was looking at him now, his eyes open and it was obvious he was frustrated.
"What else do you want to exchange for the grade three treasure?" Dexter asked.
The man’s jaw tightened further. "I have one more weapon with me. I will exchange all two for the treasure."
Dexter shook his head reading three of his fingers. "Three grade three weapons."
The man’s expression darkened as his nose flared. "Why do you not just put a blade to my neck and steal it instead?"
"Three weapons or nothing," Dexter replied with indifference. "I don’t need the weapons. But it seems you need the trwaure. So what’s it gonna be?"
"Do you want to rob me?" The man’s voice had dropped.
Dexter sneered. "You have no other choice. You can exchange, or I leave. Those are your options."
The man leaned forward slightly, and the pressure in the vicinity intensified to the point where Dexter could feel it pressing against his skin like a physical force. "I could simply take it from you."
Dexter did not move. "Do you think I am dumb enough to bring a grade 3 heavenly material into a black market, in front of an ultra rank hero, without any protection? Of course I did not bring it with me. I left it somewhere safe. This is my first time in this place. Bringing a treasure here would be asking for death, and I am not seeking death anytime soon."