Synthesis-type adventurers

Chapter 19 The "Artifacts" of the Demigod Era

With a憨厚 smile on his face, Rhodes scratched his head and said, "Hehe, I dug it out of the swamp outside the city. As you know, the recent torrential rains washed away the mud, and the mudslides brought out a lot of good stuff."

He is lying.

It was clumsy, rough, and full of flaws.

But Chiba didn't care about the truth at the moment; her entire attention was drawn to the illusion created by the [pseudo-mithril luster] on the sword.

"Name your price." Chiba took a deep breath, trying to calm his wildly beating heart and regain his usual shrewdness as a merchant. "Although it's a rare item, it's just a sword blank, unenchanted, and its origin... well, it's very risky. 500 gold Ducards, that's my limit."

500 gold coins.

That's enough for a family of three to live lavishly in Ruian for several lifetimes.

But for the prototype of a "legendary" weapon, this price is tantamount to robbery.

Rod's smile deepened.

The hunter watched as his prey bit through the bait.

"Boss lady, you've certainly offered a generous price." Rod's rough fingertips traced the spine of the sword, producing a crisp metallic clang. "However, haven't you overlooked something?"

"Missed it?" Chiba frowned, his bushy tail twitching irritably. "In Rust Harbor, no one dares to say I, Chiba, am blind. Kid, don't think you can teach me how to do things just because you got lucky."

She has an almost blind faith in her profession.

She checked every detail repeatedly—material, texture, magical properties—and it was undoubtedly top-grade deep silver.

Rhodes did not argue, but simply extended a finger and pointed to a spot about three inches below the junction of the hilt and the blade, where there was a dark, almost invisible line.

"Look here," Rod said casually. "The polishing is perfect, but if you look through a lens, you can see an extremely fine porous structure underneath. This isn't a natural mineral deposit, but rather the traces of the erosion caused by the fire poison during ancient smelting methods."

"What?!"

Chiba quickly adjusted the focus of the multi-layered magnifying glass and looked at the point that Rod had pointed out.

The silence lasted for several seconds, then her expression changed.

It does indeed have pores—very tiny, but they are clearly visible under high magnification.

However, this did not diminish the sword's value; instead, it made her breathing even heavier.

"These are forging marks from the unique breathing techniques of ancient dwarven grandmasters..." Chiba murmured to himself, his throat dry and sore. "Gods above, this is no ordinary antique; it's a heroic relic passed down from the era of demigods!"

The Age of Demigods—that was ten thousand years ago, a dark epic of heroes that lasted for thousands of years.

The fragments of power scattered after the fall of the gods gave birth to demigods in the mortal realm; they are the saviors of the world, and also its ultimate destroyers.

In their struggle for the remnants of the divine throne, they launched the "Radiant Wars," which nearly destroyed the entire surface civilization of that time.

The civilization rebuilt in the post-era era only offers fragmentary descriptions of that period.

Upon hearing this, Rod chuckled inwardly.

That was just a flaw he had Tolin deliberately leave behind, combined with the weathering treatment done to the gray, negative [corruption] keyword.

However, with their excessive imaginations blinded by greed, these experts turned flaws into irrefutable proof of noble lineage.

"It seems you've figured it out." Rhodes withdrew his hand and continued the conversation, "Since it's a 'hero's relic,' isn't 500 gold coins... a bit too much of a rip-off on an honest person?"

Chiba's face turned a deep liver color.

Being pointed out to her blind spot by a scavenger covered in mud was a precise blow to her professional dignity.

Before she could even form a retort, Rhodes turned around and casually pointed to a shield that was most conspicuously placed on the wall.

"That 'Dragon Scale Shield' priced at 800 gold coins," Rhodes didn't even glance at it. "That's not dragon scales at all; it's a mutated alligator snapping turtle shell that's been hardened with a potion. The hardness is passable, but it will carbonize instantly if it comes into contact with real dragon breath. It doesn't have any of the dragon flame resistance you advertised."

He then pointed to a necklace in the display case: "That 'Tears of the Deep Sea' necklace isn't mermaid tears at all. It's just high-quality blue fluorite coated with an illusionary layer. After three years, the coating will peel off, and it'll just be a piece of rotten rock."

Chiba's lips parted slightly, her lively fox ears drooped limply, and her eyes stared straight at Rhodes without blinking for a long time.

Those two items are indeed the store's "high-quality replicas" and its prized possessions.

She spent a fortune hiring an alchemy master to forge it, and even the old, blind vampires in the guild were fooled. How could this kid who looks like a complete scavenger possibly see through it at a glance?

Cold sweat trickled down Chiba's smooth forehead.

In front of this man, her prized appraisal skills and all the secrets in the house were laid bare, exposed to the naked air.

"...Who exactly are you?" Chiba's voice finally lost its cloying sweetness and was filled with deep apprehension. "A fellow professional looking to cause trouble for me?"

She subconsciously took a half step back, her right hand subtly reaching for the hilt of the dagger behind her waist.

This seemingly harmless young man is definitely not some lucky scavenger; his eyes are too sharp, they're chilling to the bone.

"I'm just a nobody, not here to cause trouble." Rhodes' clear eyes reflected Chiba's wary face. "The key is that I have the good stuff you want. And you have the channels I need."

Rod pulled over a mahogany chair and sat down casually, as if this were his own living room.

"I'm not selling this sword."

"Not selling? Then are you here to mess with me?" Chiba's fox tail bristled instantly. "And you say you're not here to cause trouble?"

Although she was somewhat wary of Rhodes, whose origins were unknown, her instinct as a businesswoman still made her angry.

"I'm going to auction it," Rod emphasized, raising his index finger. "A targeted auction for specific clients. I want to make this sword the hottest topic in Rust Harbor for the next week."

"An auction?" Chiba frowned slightly, her shrewd calculations resurfacing in her mind. "That's something that can be done. But the origin of this sword is far too conspicuous. Without sufficient backing, it could easily be stolen by a powerful force."

"That's why we need you, Miss Chiba." Rhodes' lips curled into a smile. "The most well-informed intelligence broker in Rust Harbor."

He leaned forward, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of coldness, "I heard that recently, that young master Vic from the Hohenheim family has been looking for trouble with you all over the world because the batch of 'elf potions' you sold to him wasn't working very well?"

Chiba's face turned deathly pale instantly.

This happened seven or eight days ago.

She did add water to the potion, which is an unspoken rule in the black market, but if that thing had been even slightly firm, it wouldn't have had no effect at all.

Who knew that rich kid would be so weak, almost embarrassing himself on a woman's belly.

Afterwards, Victor threatened to demolish her shop.

These days, Chiba-ya has had very few customers, and even the regulars are afraid of getting splattered with dirty blood.

After all, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse.

Aside from the Gear Brotherhood, Baron Hohenheim is the undisputed local tyrant, someone the local thieves' guild can't afford to offend.

"What do you want to say?" Chiba stared intently at Rod.

"I'd say this is an opportunity." Rhodes pointed to the sword on the table. "Victor is a discerning man, especially obsessed with fire-based items. If he knew that a divine sword from the demigod era, perfectly suited to his fire elemental magic, had appeared in the world..."

"He will stop at nothing," Chiba chimed in, his fear replaced by an almost manic excitement. "And in order to win the upcoming family heir assessment, he will definitely bid like crazy and empty his own savings."

“That’s right,” Rod nodded. “By selling it to him, you’ll not only earn a commission, but you’ll also make him owe you a favor. Your previous 'misunderstanding' will naturally be wiped clean.”

"How will the profits be divided?" Chiba cut straight to the point.

Rod held up two fingers: "Twenty-eight."

"Dream on!" Chiba shrieked. "How much risk would I have to take to set up a scheme like this—50/50!"

"You get three, I get seven; this is my bottom line. Besides, this isn't a small sum," Rhodes emphasized again, his tone leaving no room for argument. "And you have no choice but to agree. Victor's henchmen are already prepared and are probably on their way. Help me sell this sword, and he'll go bankrupt, or even disappear completely due to some 'accident.' Only then will you be truly safe."

Chiba's pupils contracted slightly again; how could she not understand the implication in Rod's words?

This is not just a transaction, but a trap.

A dead end for Viktor von Hohenheim.

And this sword is the bait.

The room fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the occasional crackling of the whale oil wick.

Chiba's fox ears twitched a few times. She stared at the young man's smiling face and felt a chill creep up her spine to the back of her head.

Although he was chatting and laughing, the cold, calculating aura he exuded was a million times more dangerous than those barbarians who only knew how to wield clubs.

That's a madman.

A rational, greedy madman with terrifying execution skills.

But this is precisely the ally the black market craves most.

"Deal." Chiba took a deep breath and squeezed out the two words through gritted teeth, "But I have one condition."

She stretched out her right hand, her palm covered in cold sweat, and added, "After it's all over, you have to tell me exactly which forgotten tomb you dug up this divine object from."

Rhodes glanced at the slender, pale hand but did not take it.

He rewrapped the sword blank and slowly tied a knot.

"Your background doesn't matter, ma'am."

Seeing Rhodes sling the sword back behind his back, Chiba was taken aback and subconsciously asked, "You're taking the sword with you? Since it's going to be auctioned, shouldn't it be stored here in my warehouse? Everyone in the black market knows my reputation, Chiba. Are you worried I'll double-cross you?"

"Put it here?" Rhodes seemed to have heard a joke. As he walked towards the door, he adjusted the straps. "Victor's men could come and smash up the shop at any time. Do you think I would leave such a 'demigod-level' treasure in this dilapidated building?"

This reason was impeccable, leaving Chiba with no room for argument.

"Moreover," Rod casually picked up his black umbrella, stopped at the door, turned back with a meaningful smile, "maintaining mystery is key to raising the price. Let him only hear rumors but not touch the actual product, and his appetite will be whetted to the bone. When he finally sees the goods, it's time to exchange money for goods."

Even in a cooperative relationship, the hunter will not reveal his trump card to others—especially since this sword cannot withstand a second close inspection.

"Don't let me down, spread the word."

The sound of the copper bell rang again, but was swallowed up by the sound of rain.

Rhodes' figure, along with the sword, disappeared into the dark rain outside the door.

Chiba let out a heavy sigh, his tense shoulders slumped instantly, and his clothes on the back were already soaked with cold sweat.

She immediately pulled a bottle of wine from under the counter, tilted her head back, and took a big gulp. The slightly spicy liquid slid down her throat, suppressing the lingering chill in her heart.

"What a devil in human skin."

She took out a handkerchief and casually wiped the wine stains from the corner of her mouth, her gaze falling back to the empty table, as if an exciting deep silver luster still lingered there.

The tension and unease from before were quickly fading. Although she was itching to keep the sword for a closer look, now that it was confirmed to be genuine, the greed and fanaticism characteristic of a black market merchant once again took over.

"If we're going to play, let's play big." Chiba's lips slowly parted, revealing sharp canines. "Victor, you've always taken advantage of me... This time, I'm going to devour you whole, skin and bones."