RISE OF THE ULTIMATE MERCHANT

CHAPTER 3

Yuchen was thrown harshly to the floor and the aches in his back came around again.

The fighter-class was about to unsheath his sword when another man came forward and placed his hand on his shoulders.

“We can't do this now, Rufus.”

Hearing the name, Yuchen chuckled but masked it with a cough. Rufus was exactly the name of his neighbour's dog in his past life.

“We still have to report to the guild master. After that, you can take your time with this scum.” The man said.

Rufus growled and turned to Yuchen, drawing a line across his neck.

“Cough.” Yuchen said and picked himself from the floor.

“To think I'd get my first hater without even doing anything. Now I have to faceslap that guy somehow.” Yuchen sighed, this wasn't part of his to-do list.

“But in order to be safe. The only being who should kill me should be the demon king, not some random person.”

He said, and then walked to the merchant guild, from his memory of the game.

It was a bit hard to link everything to the game, but there were a few landmarks that helped.

Yuchen walked into the guild. His new decision was to learn how to process the ashen core himself, so he could save the money from processing.

“I need to find an alchemy ability book.” Yuchen thought to himself.

But he didn't know if alchemy would work with having the merchant class.

“I really shouldn't have sped run that game.” He said.

“Taion, could I use an alchemy book with my merchant class?”

This Taion was the same person he had met in that dream.

The creature who had brought him into this world.

Taion manifested above him. “The more you mess around, the more you find out.”

Yuchen frowned, “What exactly are you saying?”

“Find out.” Taion said indifferently.

Yuchen gritted his teeth. “I thought you were my administrator, shouldn't you be helping me out like this?”

“I'm not your baby sitter, and I have given you my best answer. Now I have a meeting, so bye.” Taion said and then he vanished.

“So freaking useless.” Yuchen cursed then he sighed.

He had no choice but to do this alone.

In the worst case scenario, he could break the ashen core and sell little parts of it..

It was the other safest decision if this didn't go as planned.

Yuchen walked into the merchant guild and straight to the reception desk.

“Good day Miss, I would like to purchase an ability book.” He said with a smile.

The woman looked at him.

She was used to seeing merchants who were better dressed so Yuchen was a turn off for her.

Anyways, she was just here to do her work.

“Okay. For that, you'd need to get a merchant identity card. Is that okay with you?”

“Am I paying?” Yuchen asked with widened eyes.

“Not at all, it's for free.” The woman said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

From his question, she could already tell that this man was a stingy merchant.

Her worst kind of merchants.

“Okay thank you, how do I do it?” Yuchen said with a wide smile.

He couldn't even afford to feed himself, not to talk of spending more money for this.

“Just place your hand on this pin and then the card printer would do the remaining work.” The lady said.

Yuchen did exactly as he was told, and he ignored the sharp piercing of his flesh.

The blood flowed into the machine and after some rickety sounds, a card was slowly coming out.

Yuchen was amazed.

Seeing it in real life made it especially wonderful.

“Here's your card sir, and your merchant level and everything you need is on this card. It helps you go through different cities and you can also make sales and purchases in their merchant guild.”

“Oh thank you very much, Miss…” Yuchen tried to look for a tag but there was nothing like that.

“My name is Sandy. It's my work name here.” The woman answered, then glanced at the bronze colored card, before turning her eyes away.

This man was as poor as the rat that lived in the community centre.

“The card changes colour based on the amount of wealth you have in possession as it is linked to your bank account, if you have one.”

Yuchen sighed, “I have a bank account.” He could sense that this woman was not happy with seeing him, so he didn't want to stay there any more.

After thanking her, he found his way to the sales center.

“I'd like to buy an alchemy ability book. For processing and potion making.”

The woman blew a gum and looked at him.

“My name is Flora, nice to meet you. It's a work name.”

Yuchen widened his eyes. So that was what a work name meant.

“Thank you, how much is it please?”

“Purchasing both ability books would cost you two silver coins.”

“Damn.” Yuchen wanted to cry out blood.

Meanwhile, he could hear Taion’s laughter in his head.

He was going to be completely broken after this.

“It doesn't matter. I'd be rich soon, just a matter of time. I'd just get one of them now.” Yuchen sighed, and handed the silver coin to her.

It was his last one.

Then he remembered something. It was a trinket he had found in his pocket the night before, along with the coins.

At least the developers of the game were generous.

In reality, this trinket wouldn't do much for Yuchen but he needed the money now more than ever to save his new family.

“How much can I sell this pendant for?” He said.

He had used the Merchant Gaze on it previously, and it was a spatial device for carrying items.

Yuchen didn't need it now, since he didn't take in many items.

Flora looked up at it. It was a rotten looking item, she didn't think someone like this man would actually have something worth selling.

“I'd buy it for three bronze.”

Hearing that, Yuchen frowned, “What are you talking about? This is a spatial device. It's far more than that. Have you appraised it? It should be worth five silver coins, if not more!”

Flora's face turned red. “I don't have to appraise it to know. I have been working here for a decade, I have enough experience.”

“I demand an appraisal.” Yuchen frowned. He wasn't going to let money slip out of his hands like that.

Especially when he needed all the money he could get, in order to defeat that bastardly demon king.

Hearing that made Flora tick, and she was going to make this lowly merchant pay.

“Okay if you want to refute my appraisal and seek the appraising machine usage. It would cost you a silver coin.”

“Freaking Daylight robbery!” Yuchen slammed his hand on the table.

He wanted to use his merchant bargaining skill on this woman.

But somehow it wasn't working. Was it because she was more experienced than him?

“Okay! Take the coin and appraise the damn thing.”

Flora scoffed. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face after she was proven right.

“Hey guys, please bring the appraisal machine here.” She beckoned to some bulky men.

Everyone in the guild was shocked.

The appraisal machine hadn't been used for years. And this was because they all trusted Flora's ability.

Who was the guy doubting Flora?

They wanted to know and somehow, this newcomer made them angry.