plumnovel Chapter 38 : Merchant
Chapter 38 : Merchant
MerchantWherever there are people, there's a "jianghu"; the world of games is no exception.
Legend of Kaloran is entirely different from other online games. Monsters are few and respawn slowly, which means resources in the wild are extremely limited. Combined with the precious value of equipment and materials, players frequently brawl over monsters, equipment, or even the right to use certain areas—such scenes are commonplace.
Moreover, some sharp-eyed people have already noticed that although it's not yet the golden age of Legend of Kaloran, many big companies with business acumen have sensed the immense market and commercial potential behind this phenomenon-level online game. They've rushed to join, stirring up the already tense game environment into even murkier waters.
It is easy to foresee: in the next version, when the gag system officially unlocks, the petty squabbles between players will escalate into furious wars between gags or guilds. In this game world, utterly unlike reality—without any legal constraints and teeming with contention, violence, coercion, and looting—the prospects for ordinary players are plain to see.
Against such a grim backdrop, the girl in front of her, identifying herself as a "Merchant," wanting to find a strong backer early to pave the way for later riches, became quite understandable.
However, what actually concerned Cecilia was not joining a gag, but rather what the girl mentioned about a secondary class—in other words, the role of "Merchant".
Up until now, Cecilia knew of only three secondary classes. The first two were her own: Forging and Beast Tamer. The third was Apothecary, unlocked by Gu Yanxi from a lottery at the start.
As the names suggest, a Forging craftsman could create and repair all kinds of equipment, while the Beast Tamer's role was still a bit unclear, most likely having to do with training and commanding pets.
The Apothecary could identify herbs in the wild and use "formulas" to craft various highly effective potions—a highly supportive secondary class.
As for the Merchant, it was the first time Cecilia had heard of this secondary class. She decided to ask the girl before her.
"What does a Merchant do?"
"Eh?"
The girl, still nervously awaiting Cecilia's reply, was taken aback by the sudden question. She took a few seconds to recover before hurriedly replying:
"There aren't many who unlock the Merchant class, so it's normal you wouldn't know. This class requires a real-money purchase to unlock. It allows you to befriend NPCs specializing in trading rare items or equipment. You barter with them and then lawfully resell the goods to other players or keep them for yourself. In other games, this type of player is generally called a 'scalper'."
"Is that how you got your purple weapon blueprint?"
Cecilia felt enlightened. Connecting the dots about in-game purchases, she couldn't help but curse inwardly, "Damn capitalists!"
Upon hearing the question, the girl hesitated, then finally nodded and looked at Cecilia apologetically. "Yes, but I've already promised that NPC, so I can't reveal the specific location."
After all, that was someone's commercial secret. Cecilia had no intention of making things difficult for the girl—she simply nodded coolly. "I understand. I can agree to your first request, but not the second. For now, I have no plans to establish a gag."
To establish a gag would mean having to set aside time and energy to manage subordinates, distribute benefits, win hearts, or attract more players to join. Even just thinking about these chores felt exhausting.
Her time was limited as it was. If it weren't absolutely necessary, Cecilia really preferred being a lone wolf. Everyone minding their own business, without entangling each other.
With her straightforward refusal, her intent was clear, but the girl actually looked relieved, exhaling a long breath:
"It's fine—as long as you give your word, that's enough. If I do join your gag, I'll definitely bring many benefits: not just timely protection fees every month, but I'll help you gather rare materials and blueprints, and share a portion of trading profits with you. Unless truly necessary, I promise never to give you any trouble. How's that sound?"
Gathering materials for her job as a Forging was always a sore point for Cecilia.
Even with help from Dawn's Light and Yuewu, neither of them were professional merchants. Their efficiency was limited. Suddenly, being approached by a Merchant willing to join her felt like being handed a pillow just when she needed sleep—how could Cecilia refuse a good thing like this?
She nodded slightly, deciding for now to agree to the girl's request.
"If I ever decide to build a gag, I'll contact you."
"Then let's sign the contract right now!"
A hint of joy surfaced on the girl's young face as she pulled out a parchment and a quill from her bag, starting to draft out the contract on the spot.
商Qun|妻洱⑶龄⑷久气I#II寺人居然还有这种功能?
(Cecilia was a bit dumbfounded to see the girl swiftly write up the contract, sign her own ID, and pass it over.)
The contract itself had no issues, but Cecilia still reviewed it carefully, unwilling to overlook even a single clause. The world of adults brooks no negligence.
【Little Persimmon Puppy】
Cecilia found the girl's ID amusing.
After thoroughly confirming the contract's wording, Cecilia accepted the quill and signed her in-game nickname at the bottom.
【Cecilia】
Once both parties had signed, the contract became official—faint light shimmered, and the once-thick parchment automatically split into two. Each party received a copy.
"Thank you so much. I won't bother you any further—goodbye."
Stowing her own copy away, the girl solemnly handed Cecilia the purple weapon blueprint. Without further ado, and not even mentioning the previously agreed 1,000 gold coins, she bowed slightly before turning and walking away.
Staring at the "freebie" blueprint in her hand, Cecilia fell silent—who, really, had profited most from this exchange?
A few seconds later, spotting a few chattering players approaching in the distance, she opened the main menu and logged out on the spot.
Taking off her helmet, as expected, Gu Yanxi was nowhere to be seen. Struggling up from bed, Cecilia went to the living room and found several steaming dishes already set on the dining table.
There were blackened eggs-and-tomato stir-fry, blackened dry-fried green beans, blackened stir-fried vegetables—clearly all the handiwork of Gu Yanxi over this period.
She went into the kitchen, and sure enough, Gu Yanxi was inside, apron on, one hand wielding a spatula, the other gripping a pan lid—looking every bit the fully-armed swordsman, frantically dodging spatters of hot oil.
Judging from the pile of potato skins in the trash and the objects in the pan that looked like thick French fries, it seemed she was making shredded potatoes... probably.
Cecilia sighed softly, refraining from interrupting and quietly retreated, heading to the bathroom to change her sanitary pad as usual.
Tomorrow, she thought, I'll just cook myself.
Back when she lived alone, to save money she'd buy whatever vegetables were on sale at the market, and cook for herself at home. It might not taste as good as restaurant fare, but it was definitely ten—or even twenty—times better than the "superstar" of the dark culinary world, Gu Yanxi.
Plus, I have an Lv.max Housekeeping skill.
With these thoughts, Cecilia pulled up her pants and, just as she stepped out of the bathroom, saw Gu Yanxi emerging from the kitchen holding a plate of "French fries."
Spotting Cecilia, Gu Yanxi promptly set down the plate, a hint of pride in her tone. "Not playing anymore? Come try my homemade spicy shredded potatoes!"
So it really was shredded potatoes.
With a faint pain in her stomach and not wanting to hurt Gu Yanxi's pride, Cecilia hesitated but still shook her head. "No, I'm not very hungry right now. You go ahead and eat."
"Huh? You're not eating tonight?"
Gu Yanxi's expression showed disappointment, but she soon collected herself and smiled again. "All right then, I won't eat either. I'll put away the dishes and reheat them tomorrow morning."
"No, I just got hungry again—let's eat now."
Cecilia quickly shook her head and obediently sat at the table.
The dishes were charred enough as they were; if any were reheated tomorrow, they'd probably become pure charcoal.
Gu Yanxi continued to smile widely, staring at Cecilia without blinking until she nervously picked up her chopsticks. Only then did the smile fade.
For some reason, Cecilia always felt a hint of coercion in Gu Yanxi's earlier smile.
She picked up one of the thinner "shreds," took a deep breath, prayed internally that it wouldn't be raw, and bit into it. Other dishes might be crispy outside and tender inside, but Gu Yanxi's shredded potatoes were hot outside and cold within: the surface was nearly burnt from frying, but the inside was still raw.
A true "master chef"—Cecilia wondered how she managed it.
"Ahem... Does it taste good?"
Gu Yanxi watched Cecilia intently for her reaction and, seeing her set down her chopsticks, asked expectantly.
"It's... special. This will be the most unforgettable plate of shredded potatoes in my life."
Cecilia chewed blankly, giving the best praise she could muster.
"If you like it, I'll make this for you every day from now on."
Gu Yanxi was relieved, breaking into a radiant smile.
"... As long as you're happy."
Cecilia forced herself to swallow the raw potato. After a moment, as if remembering something, she asked awkwardly, "By the way, were the potatoes sprouted?"
Eating Gu Yanxi's "shredded potatoes" every day was something Cecilia thought she could barely handle, but she didn't want to get poisoned one day by a sprouted, raw potato.
The headlines would be: "Cecilia, the number one Legend of Kaloran player, dies at 17 after years of eating raw sprouted potatoes in the 21st century"—what a farce that would be.
...
Half an hour later, after finally finishing the unpalatable dinner, Gu Yanxi cleaned up the dishes while Cecilia huddled on the couch, clutching her upset stomach and contemplating whether forming a gag was truly necessary.
Alone, she was limited; assembling a group's strength was undeniably greater than fighting solo.
After the Wall-eating Rat incident in Blood-soaked Soil Village, Cecilia now clearly understood that, even as powerful as she'd become, some things remained beyond her reach.
Her time was scarce. Just leveling up and tackling world-class bosses consumed most of her energy. With the upcoming server merge in a week, there would only be more world-class bosses, making it even harder for her to gather the necessary Forging materials.
After a few minutes' thought, Cecilia finally made up her mind.
Starting her own gag needed to be put on the agenda soon.