RISE OF THE ULTIMATE MERCHANT

CHAPTER 2

Yuchen ignored the statement. “You can't afford to do this to other buyers. This city needs to become a better place.”

“Just because you were duped, doesn't mean you have to dupe others too. What if someone died using this badly crafted sword? Their blood would be on your hands” Yuchen's voice became softer, and he gripped the man by his shoulders.

The seller was moved and then he took a look at the sword.

He could now see that there were some mistakes in the crafting of the sword.

However, he was so excited to get such a premium sword that he didn't look at those mistakes.

Now this bad egg, Yuchen had opened his eyes.

“You are right. Just bring whatever amount you have, and I'd sell it to you. My mistake shouldn't cost a life.” The seller said

Hearing this, Yuchen wanted to do a fist pump into the air.

This skill was tremendous.

“You freaking slick fraudster.” Taion’s voice resounded in Yuchen's head.

Taion was the creature that he had seen in his dream.

The chibi-like creature congratulated him for winning before taking him to a nightmare destination.

Yuchen wanted to instantly curse the chibi but he was in public.

“Okay Seller, I'd give you two silver coins. Although I would have loved to get it for a smaller price, this would ensure you weren't at loss and I'm happy to do this for a fellow human.” Yuchen said, with a bright smile.

The seller who had expected to get a few bronze coins looked up, tears welling up in his eyes.

“I don't know what to say.” The man uttered.

“It's fine. I hope you can throw me the free pouch too.”

The seller quickly nodded and prepared all the items.

In the next moment, Yuchen walked out of this place with a large smile.

This would actually be good if he could milk it for a while.

“Hmm, so what do I do next?”

The only thing Yuchen could remember after playing the game repeatedly for two months were the lucky items that seemed to drop in the forest.

The forest looked exactly like what was in the game.

“Y'all couldn't even make the effort to do something worthwhile. What happened to inserting a few fruit trees here and there, you scammers? Now I have to work for the rest of my life!”

Although Yuchen had previously appeared happy to the seller, he was very angry.

No one would like to be woken up and sucked into a place just to work.

“If only I could rest for some time and enjoy the love of my new parents, but somehow I have to defeat the demon king. I'm not even the main character.” Yuchen continued his rambling.

“If I see that lazy bastard, I'm going to give him a good beating.” He said again, swiping his saber sword and clearing the tall grasses.

In the normal game, loots dropped from even clearing grasses, but there was nothing here.

He walked deeper into the forest and realised that he had lost his way.

Yuchen was about to turn back when he heard a low growl behind him.

Without even turning back, the man rushed forward, his legs moving before his brain could think.

Yuchen glanced behind him.

It was a razorfang wolf and this was amongst the weakest beasts in the forest.

“Damn it.” Yuchen cursed. He would have used a few buttons to dodge it if he was playing the game.

But he was glad this body wasn't weak. It seemed like trouble helping in strength building.

The razorfang wolf only needed four hits from a level one adventurer.

Yuchen was just a merchant, he didn't know how many hits it would take. He had basically never tried to kill a monster when he was a merchant.

“If only I hadn't sped up this game while using this role– Ack!” His foot hit a rock, sending pain into his leg.

Yuchen tumbled forward, and rolled down a cliff.

His body hit different places but it wasn't hard enough to break him.

And just when he thought that it couldn't get any worse.

He slammed face first into the base of a tree.

“I hate this.” Yuchen groaned, rising to his feet.

Then he looked back. “Okay, it's not following me.” He sighed and picked himself from the floor.

Glancing around to find where he was, Yuchen saw that this place was familiar, and especially this tree.

“Don't tell me.” His face brightened and then he picked up his sword and dug down at the root of the tree.

After a minute of digging, a flat stone-like item surfaced.

It was ugly but Yuchen knew what he was.

When he had played the role of a fighter, this was what had helped him boost his fighting ability and mana affinity.

“Freaking Gold!” Yuchen yelled out in happiness and his eyes displayed three large money signs.

[Merchant Gaze activated.]

[Ashen core: S grade material.]

[A seed of world energy that can be used to rewrite or change spiritual, physical, or mana prowess.]

“Of course! It is exactly like the last one I found. To think luck is so much on my side.” Yuchen grinned.

His search for today was done, so he placed the seed into his pouch.

“Wait. Since I have no fighting power, it wouldn't be wrong to use it on myself. What if I don't find another one?” Yuchen was deep in thought.

The struggle was now between his craving for power and his overwhelming greed for money.

“If I had more money, I could always buy the ashen core.” Yuchen snickered.

One of the things he had noticed in the early game was that no one knew how powerful the ashen core was.

It was a simple mistake he had tried.

When he double clicked on the ashen core, the game had given him the option to eat it.

Out of curiosity.

“No! Like any other gamer. I chose to eat it. And it worked marvelously.” Yuchen chuckled to himself.

Then it graduated from a chuckle to a full blown laughter.

And soon enough, it became a maniacal laughter from a mad man.

Taion shook his head as he watched this scenario.

“You should be the Demon King instead.”

“Curse you Taion.” Yuchen cleared his throat and then he walked back to the adventurers guild

He took up his sword to look at it, wondering if Merchant Gaze would work on it.

Then someone bumped into him.

“Watch it, you filthy scum.” A man's loud voice reverberated in Yuchen's ears.

“Where do you even think you are going with a crooked sword like that? Look at you. A merchant?”

The man was clothed with a large silver armour which made his muscles look bigger and there was a white gleaming sword by his side.

It was easier to differentiate each class from what they wore.

This man was of the fighter's class.

“Should you even be out here? What about tending to your shop? Why is a weak human like you holding a sword?” The man said and the other men around him laughed.

Yuchen sighed. Of course, it was the typical trope that he saw in those animations and movies.

But right now he didn't have the time, he needed to go and see if there were ashen cores being sold in the market, and then use his money to process the one he has.

“I could learn a skill to process it.” Yuchen mumbled to himself, forgetting the fact that he was being addressed.

The things money would do to a man.

“Hey!” The fighter-class man grabbed him by the collar and swiftly pulled him up.

“Look at me when I'm talking.”

Yuchen stared into the man's eyes for a moment and then he looked away, “You are not my type, I'm sorry. I'm more interested in women.” He mumbled but it was enough for the man to hear.

The fighter-class instantly turned red with embarrassment.

“How dare you?”