Chapter 126: Bidding

A moment later, I awoke to find the Ice-Toothed Saber-Toothed Tiger’s head severed from its body. I recalled how I had relentlessly slashed at its neck while tumbling down the hillside, eventually pouring my final ounce of strength into that last strike before blacking out. A surge of warm energy flooded my body as I gained a significant amount of experience; bathed in a golden light, my body began to mend, not just the surface, but my meridians, organs, and muscles as well. An overwhelming sense of power welled up from within.

After two weeks of grueling training, I had finally reclaimed my place at level 48. I thanked the heavens and the earth—had I not been dealing with countless high-level monsters and bosses over these past few days, such rapid leveling would have been impossible. After gathering some spoils of war, I noticed that the wind and snow around me had intensified, gradually obscuring my vision. I began to move forward step by step, hoping to find a path up the slope; had it not been for the near-vertical incline, I would have tried to scale it with my bare hands.

"What a fierce storm. Is a blizzard starting? How unlucky to run into this," I muttered as I walked, the storm showing no signs of letting up.

The wind was far too abnormal. If this continued, I would have no choice but to use a Return Scroll to head back to Sky Dragon City. Just then, however, a massive shadow emerged from the swirling snow ahead. Driven by curiosity, I pressed forward to investigate.

As I stepped closer, a deafening roar echoed in my ears. Was it a boss-level monster? I continued until I could clearly make out the creature’s form, and what I saw stopped me cold: it was a dragon. A giant dragon with silver-gray scales, and the hurricane itself seemed to be centered around it.

Steel Dragon, Kushala Daora, Unknown Level Boss. Description: The Steel Dragon is a terrifying Elder Dragon species. Records indicate it is one of the few Elder Dragons that has never been defeated by anyone...

Unknown level, and the description was sparse. I hadn't expected the boss to be so terrifyingly large. Regardless, I decided to use the system’s built-in camera to record it; posting this online would surely cause a sensation. I couldn't miss a shot like this, so I activated the recording mode.

At the same time, I recalled the description saying no one had ever defeated it. Standing before it now, wasn't this the perfect opportunity to become the first to slay it? I quickly dismissed this unrealistic thought. "ROAR!" The Kushala Daora let out a thunderous cry. I immediately crouched down, covering my ears and opening my mouth to equalize the pressure, yet I watched in horror as my health plummeted until it halted at ten points. I stood up, and the Kushala Daora turned its massive head, fixing me with its cold, dragon-like gaze.

An unprecedented sense of pressure washed over me. Run! That was the first reaction of my brain, but I found my body unresponsive; my feet seemed frozen, unable to budge.

After staring at me for half a minute, the Kushala Daora suddenly took flight, vanishing into the void. The hurricane died down instantly, and everything fell into a profound silence, as if nothing had ever happened.

With the winds gone, I could see clearly once again. I quickly found my way back to Bilo Village. Still catching my breath from the encounter, I took a deep, steadying breath and headed to the village market to browse. Aside from buying Thunder-Blast Stones for equipment crafting, I wanted to see if there was any other decent gear.

The market was bustling, filled with players from all over who had come to grind and hunt for treasure. The stalls on both sides were packed with exotic goods, a dazzling sight to behold.

I searched carefully. Most of the gear on display consisted of Red and Purple-tier items, with some Green-tier gear that lacked special skills. Occasionally, I’d spot Silver-tier items, but the prices were absurdly high. Finding top-tier gear here was no easy task.

"Come one, come all! A Thunder-Blast Stone just dropped from a level 47 Thunder Snake King! This is a top-tier material for crafting equipment! Only 50 gold coins!" I had been looking for a while without success, my eyes growing weary, when I heard a player shouting nearby. It was exactly what I needed. Without hesitation, I rushed over.

"Buddy, it's just a stone that adds a bit of thunder resistance to crafted gear. Is it really worth that much?" a player asked.

I arrived at the stall to see a middle-aged player displaying a series of square boxes. Inside were various grades of equipment, ranging from Purple to Silver, though most were Green and had mediocre stats. There were also piles of summoning scrolls, magic stones, life stones, and various potions. But my eyes were fixed on the small blue stone in his hand. It shimmered with a blue light, looking like a sapphire—very beautiful. If it weren't for crafting, it would make a lovely necklace pendant.

The middle-aged player snapped at the previous inquirer, "Get lost! You don't know quality when you see it. Don't hinder my business." The player grumbled and walked away.

Seeing my chance, I stepped forward and said, "How much for the Thunder-Blast Stone? I'll buy it."

"50 gold coins. No haggling," the player replied.

"Fifty it is. I'll take it," I said.

"I offer 55 gold coins." A rival appeared out of nowhere—a female player clad in dark red armor with a two-meter-long katana strapped to her back. Her helmet obscured her face, but her voice was crisp and sweet.

"Miss," I retorted, "there's a first-come, first-served rule. I saw it first. Boss, I'm buying it," I said, pulling out fifty gold coins.

"I think the lady's offer is higher. I'll sell it to her," the merchant said. I could tell this guy was a profiteer, but for the sake of my future gear, I grit my teeth. "60 gold coins."

"68 gold coins," the female player said calmly, raising the price by another eight.

A crowd began to gather, sensing a spectacle.

"Whoa, it's just a crafting material. Is it really worth over 60 gold coins?"

"Don't be ignorant. Gear crafted with this adds lightning resistance. You won't feel a thing when fighting lightning mages!"

Hearing the discussion, I grew anxious and raised my voice. "70 gold coins!"

"75 gold coins!" she countered.

"80 gold coins!" I bid, my heart aching.

This time, she didn't raise the price, waving her hand as if giving up. At 80 gold coins, the deal was struck. The onlookers dispersed, and the player happily opened a trade window with me.

After securing the item, I rushed to the old dwarf’s workshop. "Uncle, I’ve collected everything!"

"I thought it would take you a month to gather these," the old dwarf remarked.

"Let's begin," I said.

"Very well." He produced a massive cauldron and tossed in all the materials I had collected, along with all my equipment except for my Ruyi Staff, Dragon-Pattern Helmet, and Hands of Fate. He began the forging process, skillfully controlling the intensity of the flames. Suddenly, a pillar of golden light erupted from the cauldron, shooting straight into the sky and lingering there.

The golden pillar exploded into a shimmering ring of light before suddenly contracting, pulling all the radiance into a tiny, glittering golden crystal. The old dwarf looked up and said, "Lad, you can come back to collect your gear tomorrow morning."

"Thank you." With that, I logged off to rest.