Chapter 379 - 325: Selling Like Crazy (Part 2)

Chapter 379: Chapter 325: Selling Like Crazy (Part 2)

What Marcus said made everyone understand.

"Oh, right..."

Gray said thoughtfully.

"No wonder when I went to the Blacksmith Shop to trade in my weapon a couple of days ago, the owner said his buyback business has been so good lately that he’s even lowered his prices quite a bit."

"Even though not as many people have been buying the guide these last few days, we still made a killing."

Marcus poured himself another large glass of wine as he spoke, a look of satisfaction on his face. "It was all worth it."

"Good work, Marcus." Zelir patted his shoulder.

Without a doubt, Marcus deserved the most credit for their success with the ruins guide.

He’d drawn the map and helped with distribution—it had been a lot of hard work.

"In that case, do you think we could sell the map of the third level of the ruins, too?"

Hill asked, spearing a slice of ham with a fork and popping it into her mouth. "We’d just have to erase the location of the treasure."

"That’s true..."

The suggestion met with the group’s approval.

The guide they were currently selling only marked the location of the light curtain on the second level, along with some preliminary information.

But the third-level Treasure Map in Hill’s possession was a complete and highly detailed map.

It was bound to be worth much more!

"This trip to Sengu Town has been pretty profitable."

Gray raised his glass. "Come on, let’s celebrate. Here’s to our future trips into the ruins being just as smooth!"

"Smooth sailing!" the other team members echoed, raising their glasses as well.

With the crisp clinking of glasses, the atmosphere at the table grew even more lively.

Having earned some money, everyone’s appetite was whetted.

After a few rounds of drinks, Marcus loosened his collar and fanned himself.

"We should be able to set out again soon."

"There are even more Adventurers in Sengu Town now than a few days ago. With the appeal of equipment drops, I reckon a large part of the second level of the ruins has already been explored."

"Mm," Zelir nodded in agreement.

Although their ultimate goal was the treasure’s location on the third level, the other parts of the ruins were still worth a thorough exploration.

Who knew what unexpected rewards they might find.

"Oh, right, I also asked about mounts... The Adventurer’s Association said it’s allowed, and they won’t charge any extra fees."

Marcus looked around at the group.

"So... should we take mounts with us next time we enter the ruins?"

"We should. Walking is exhausting," Gray was the first to say.

"I think we should, too."

Zelir chimed in, "But we should just rent them. No need to buy."

Hill and Valles had no objections.

"Alright then. We’ll rest up tonight, pick our mounts tomorrow morning, and then start exploring the ruins again!"

Marcus finalized the plan.

...

「The next day.」

Pet Beast Street, Sengu Town.

"This... is the place where they rent and sell mounts?"

Zelir stood under a massive log archway.

Gazing down Pet Beast Street from its entrance, he felt as though he’d just gained a bit more life experience.

"It’s so lively..."

"To be honest, this is my first time here, too."

Marcus stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Zelir, looking just as amazed.

"Before I met you all, I never had the spare cash to rent a mount... let alone buy one."

The Pet Beast Street before them was like a gigantic marketplace for rare and exotic creatures.

The road here was also different from the stone-paved streets elsewhere.

Perhaps because it was constantly trampled by all manner of heavy hooves, claws, and paws, the original flagstone path had long since been shattered beyond recognition.

The Sengu Town Government Hall had simply given up on repairs, removing all the flagstones and replacing them with a thick, compacted layer of sand and dirt.

As a result, with all the creatures and people coming and going, the entire street was dusty, shrouded in a faint yellow haze.

Once they entered Pet Beast Street, the scene inside was even more astonishing.

"Hey, kid! Move it! Don’t blame me if you get run over!"

A merchant riding a camel passed by nonchalantly.

He was fat, wore a small round cap, and was in high spirits.

He seemed to adore his new mount, bobbing his head smugly from atop the camel’s back.

On Pet Beast Street, a camel was considered relatively normal.

Looking around, the sheer variety of other mounts was dazzling.

There were stocky, multi-legged beasts of burden carrying mountain-like piles of goods on their backs.

Docile in nature, they were lying quietly by the roadside, chewing their cud.

There were also brightly colored Land Birds, herded together in massive pens.

They made "COO COO" sounds as they preened each other’s feathers.

What surprised Zelir even more was that he also saw a horse-man.

And the horse-man was riding a horse.

His features were even more pronounced than the Beastmen Zelir had seen before.

The horse-man had an extremely robust physique, with bulging muscles on his bronze skin and a thick mane covering his neck and shoulders.

As for his face... it was practically a horse’s head, creating a bizarre and striking image.

Meanwhile, the fine steed beneath him looked utterly disgruntled.

It kept pawing at the ground, snorting angrily.

Wedged between all sorts of strange mounts, Zelir felt as if he were being swallowed up.

"Wait a second..."

Zelir’s gaze couldn’t help but fall on a particular spot.

It was a giant lizard, over three meters long and covered in thick, earth-yellow Scale Armor!

It was moving with a steady gait, carrying its owner down the street with a leisurely air.

"That thing’s a Demon, isn’t it...?"

"Uh... I think it’s a species called a Land Lizard?"

Gray narrowed his eyes, thinking.

"Strictly speaking, once a Demon is tamed, it’s no longer called a Demon. It’s a Magical Beast."

"Of course, if you were to slaughter it, you’d still find a Demon Core inside."

"What kind of person uses a lizard as a mount?" Zelir frowned.

’Those short legs don’t look like they could run very fast.’

"People who like lizards, I guess."

Gray shrugged. "People have all sorts of weird tastes. Some even ride turtles."

As they were talking, a majestic cry suddenly echoed from the sky!

The piercing sound even drowned out the clamor on the ground.

Nearly everyone on Pet Beast Street instinctively looked up, letting out gasps of amazement.

A shadow fell over the ground as a powerful gust of wind swept through, kicking up dust and making banners flap wildly!

A Griffin with a wingspan of five or six meters soared past!

Its upper body resembled a magnificent giant eagle, while its lower half was that of a majestic lion.

Its powerful limbs were covered in golden-yellow feathers, and its sharp eagle talons glinted with a deadly light.

The Griffin flew at incredible speed, flashing across Pet Beast Street in an instant and disappearing into the azure sky.

Though they couldn’t get a clear look at its rider, it was surely a wealthy and powerful Professional.

"I never would’ve thought..."

Marcus tilted his head back, only looking away after the Griffin had completely vanished.

He sighed in a low voice, "So a Griffin really can be a mount."

"Now *that’s* a cool mount to ride."

Gray rubbed his hands together, his face full of eagerness. "Descending from the sky... how awesome would that be?"

"Don’t even think about it... It’s very difficult for an ordinary person to control a Griffin."

Valles shook his head.

"First of all, they’re ridiculously expensive... and Griffins have extremely volatile temperaments."

"They’re very proud. Their relationship with humans isn’t like the master-servant dynamic of a tamed beast; it’s more like a partnership of equals."

"You have to buy a Griffin when it’s young, raise it yourself, and build a bond with it from chick to adulthood. Only then will it willingly accept you."

"That said, Griffins are considered top-tier pet beasts. They’re loyal, they can fly, they’re fast, and they have great combat strength."

"The force of their dive attack is enough to pose a fatal threat even to a Middle Level Professional."

"Alright..." Gray could only shelve his fantasy for the time being.

"So what kind of pet beast are we renting this time?" Hill asked.

"Land Birds."

Marcus pointed to a shop on the side of the street, fenced off with logs, from which a chorus of cooing and cackling could be heard.

"Land Birds are cheap and practical, and they’re better suited for complex jungle environments than horses."