Chapter 38 - 37: [Secret Technique Lock]

Chapter 38: Chapter 37: [Secret Technique Lock]

"Something came up, so I haven’t been out for a while," Gaode explained with a helpless smile before asking, "Are you still buying Basic Spider Venom Potions?"

"Of course." Pierre nodded with a smile, offering Gaode a piece of news along with it. "For some unknown reason, the number of wild beasts outside the city has clearly increased recently, and they’ve become much more aggressive. Even the frequency of Earth Vein Creatures appearing has gone up quite a bit, so there are more people going out to hunt.

"The demand for Basic Spider Venom Potions has greatly increased during this time. They are even falling a bit short of supply."

Basic Spider Venom Potions were originally used by Hunters to coat their arrows and weapons to deal with ferocious beasts. Their severe paralyzing effect made them a sharp weapon against Low Tier Earth Vein Creatures and wild beasts. As hunting activities increased, the sales volume of Basic Spider Venom Potions naturally went up.

This was good news for Gaode. His mind stirred slightly as he handed the batch of Basic Spider Venom Potions he had brought to Pierre.

Pierre took the potions, a faint glint flashing in his eyes, and nodded in satisfaction. "The quality of your goods is as excellent as ever." He stored the Basic Spider Venom Potions away, took out some coins from a drawer under the counter, and handed them to Gaode.

"Did you give me too much?" Gaode did a quick mental calculation and realized that Pierre had actually given him one Sean Gold Coin and fifteen Trifoliate Flower Silver Coins, which amounted to thirty-five silver. This was two silver more than the initially agreed purchasing price of thirty-three silver. It wasn’t a large sum, but Gaode had no intention of being greedy over such a petty advantage.

"Didn’t I tell you that Basic Spider Venom Potions have been in short supply lately? Because of that, their market price has been raised by ten percent. Naturally, my purchasing price has to increase a bit as well. It’s not like I’d take advantage of you," Pierre explained.

Knowing it wasn’t an overpayment, Gaode accepted it without further hesitation.

"By the way, does your previous offer to take on the repair of Magic items still stand?" After the transaction was completed, Pierre stopped Gaode and asked.

Gaode’s eyes lit up. "Do you have business for me?"

Repairing Magic items would not only earn him some extra income, but it would also allow him to indirectly learn about certain Magic. It was killing two birds with one stone.

"Yes. After I put the word out, someone actually came to the store a few days ago to inquire," Pierre nodded, not rushing to sit down. "But since you hadn’t come around recently, and I didn’t know your situation, I didn’t agree on the spot.

"However, he still left me an address." The little old man leaned closer to Gaode and added, "The price that person offered was exceptionally high."

"How high?" Gaode asked instinctively.

Pierre stretched out his right hand and spread his fingers.

"Five Sean Gold Coins?" Gaode was slightly startled.

Pierre nodded heavily. "Are you shocked? I was shocked too when I heard it."

"A First-Ring Spell item?" Gaode asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Pierre spread his hands. "Otherwise, how could they offer such a high repair fee?"

The intrinsic value of a 0th Ring Extraordinary Item was only around twelve to fifteen gold coins. If the repair fee alone cost five gold, they might as well buy a new one. The only thing that could command such a high repair fee was a First Ring Extraordinary Item.

"Can you repair it?" Pierre asked. The difficulty of repairing a First Ring Extraordinary Item compared to a 0th Ring Extraordinary Item was on a completely different magnitude. Pierre wasn’t sure if Gaode’s skills were sufficient, which was one of the reasons he hadn’t accepted the job right away.

"I can," Gaode nodded. "But it will take time, and..." He paused, then said in a deep voice, "I’ll need more money!"

A repair fee around ten percent of the item’s inherent value was generally considered reasonable, and the average price of a First Ring Extraordinary Item was sixty-five gold. Furthermore, finding a second person in Hogan City capable of repairing a First Ring Extraordinary Item was nearly impossible. Things are valued for their rarity. Under these circumstances, an appropriate price increase was only fair and reasonable.

Pierre understood the market as well, so naturally, he didn’t think Gaode was asking for an exorbitant price. He even nodded in strong agreement. "A repair fee of five gold is high, but if it’s for repairing a First Ring Extraordinary Item, this price is indeed on the low side."

"As long as you can repair it, that’s what matters. I can help you negotiate the price again. How about this? Come back to the store the day after tomorrow. What do you think?" the little old man took the initiative to suggest with a smile.

"Then I’ll have to trouble you," Gaode certainly had no objections. "I’ll come back to the store the day after tomorrow."

"Mr. Pierre, do you happen to know if there is any Magic among the 0th Ring and 1st Ring Magic that can protect a box and prevent it from being opened by outsiders?" Gaode hesitated for a moment before finally asking.

He absolutely had to find a way to open the wooden Magic box left behind by Mage Seda. Although asking so directly would expose some information, he believed this was a risk he could afford to take. Besides, if he deliberately tried to hide it, he might not only fail to deceive others, but he would also easily arouse suspicion.

Moreover, after interacting with him for a while, Gaode and Pierre had established a faint sense of trust. Of course, the main reason was that through these few interactions, he had faintly detected that this little old man wasn’t as simple as he appeared on the surface. He was definitely not just the owner of a small general store. He possessed vast knowledge and experience, making him the most likely person among everyone Gaode knew to provide him with answers.

Not to mention, the wooden sign at the entrance of the general store also listed Pierre’s extensive range of "business": Part-time Item Retrieval and Treasure Appraisal. Treating the wooden Magic box left behind by Mage Seda as a treasure didn’t seem like much of a stretch, either.

"Protecting a box and making it impossible for outsiders to open?" Pierre did not disappoint Gaode. After furrowing his slightly graying eyebrows and pondering for a moment, he gave his answer. "Based on your description, the only thing I can think of is a Secret Technique Lock."

"A Secret Technique Lock?" Gaode raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, the 1st Ring Magic, Secret Technique Lock," Pierre explained in detail. "A Secret Technique Lock can be cast on a door, chest, or any other closed container, securing it with a Magic Lock and greatly enhancing its security. Unless you have the corresponding Unlocking Secret Spell or a powerful Magic method, it will be nearly impossible to open.

"This means that general physical methods, including lock-picking and violent smashing, will be ineffective against a container under the effect of a Secret Technique Lock.

"Because of this effect, a Secret Technique Lock also serves to protect the container," Pierre concluded. "Of course, there might be other Magic that can achieve the effect you described. After all, I only have a little understanding of the most common and versatile Magic." The little old man gently shook his head and sighed, "There’s simply too much Magic out there."

"If I want to open a Secret Technique Lock, is there any way?" Gaode was almost certain that the wooden box left by Mage Seda had been cast with a Secret Technique Lock. He couldn’t help but frown, feeling a sense of helplessness. Just the Trick, [Tracking Mark], had already left him with no way out. A Secret Technique Lock, being a 1st Ring Magic, would definitely leave him even more helpless.

"If you want to open a Secret Technique Lock without knowing the Unlocking Secret Spell set during its casting, the only thing I can think of is Dispel Magic, which can directly lift the Magic effect of the Secret Technique Lock.

"Another way is the Tapping Technique, which can temporarily suppress the Magic effect of the Secret Technique Lock for a short time." Pierre spread his hands. "However, Dispel Magic is a 3rd Ring Magic, so you can forget about that."