The Useless Skill Became The Most Powerful

004

Ronan stood beside the dead Mother Worm, examining the enormous creature that had almost taken his life. Its body was still warm, and the sword he had used to finish it remained buried in the wound along its side.

He pulled the weapon free and used it to cut through the creature's thick flesh until he found the crystal buried inside. It took him several attempts to remove it, but when the crystal finally came loose, Ronan stared at it for a moment before wiping away the blood.

An A-rank beast crystal.

He had seen the guild members collect crystals like this during their expeditions, but he had never been allowed to keep one. Darius always insisted that his payment was the money spent on Nera's treatment, even when Ronan had absorbed injuries that would have killed the other Hunters.

This time, there was nobody to take the crystal from him.

Ronan placed it inside the bag he had recovered from the chamber and turned towards the eggs and crystals scattered near the wall. Most of the eggs had survived the commotion, although a few had been crushed beneath the Mother Worm's enormous body.

He gathered the intact ones carefully, checking each for cracks before placing them inside the bag. Among them was the rare egg Darius had taken for himself earlier, the same one he had refused to let anyone else touch.

Ronan examined its unusual markings briefly. He didn't know why Darius had been so interested in it, but he had no intention of leaving it behind.

After collecting the remaining crystals, he checked the chamber one last time before making his way towards the entrance. He had already wasted too much time, and with Nera still waiting at the hospital, he couldn't afford another delay.

As soon as he reached an area with a signal, Ronan brought out his phone and dialled the hospital.

The call connected after several rings.

"Good afternoon. How may I help you?" a familiar voice asked.

"This is Ronan. I'm calling about Nera. Has the Ironclad Guild made any payment for her treatment?"

There was a brief pause, followed by the sound of someone checking the hospital's records.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ronan, but we haven't received any payment from the guild."

Ronan stopped walking.

"Are you certain? Please check again."

"I've checked, sir. The outstanding bill is still unpaid."

He tightened his grip on the phone. Darius had promised to settle the bill if he accompanied the guild on the expedition, and Ronan had done exactly what was asked of him.

Even after leaving him to die, the bastard hadn't bothered to keep his word.

"How is my sister?" Ronan asked.

"She's still receiving care, but the payment needs to be settled as soon as possible. The doctor has already been informed of the situation."

"Please, don't stop her treatment. I'm bringing the money."

"We'll inform the doctor, sir."

Ronan ended the call and looked at the bag hanging from his shoulder. He had no idea how much the crystals would fetch, but the A-rank crystal alone should be worth a considerable amount.

He needed to sell them quickly.

By the time Ronan arrived at the crystal market, the place was already crowded with Hunters and merchants negotiating over different kinds of beast materials. Stalls lined both sides of the narrow street, with crystals of various colours displayed behind glass counters.

Ronan adjusted the bag on his shoulder and walked through the entrance.

He had visited the market several times while working for the Ironclad Guild, usually to accompany the Hunters who came to sell their loot. However, because he was never given a share of the crystals, he rarely had any reason to approach the merchants himself.

That didn't stop some of them from recognizing him.

"Well, look who decided to visit us," a merchant called from behind his counter. "Isn't that the Ironclad Guild's healer?"

Another man raised his head and laughed.

"What are you here to do, sell your life?"

A few Hunters standing nearby turned towards Ronan, their attention settling on the bag he was carrying.

"Maybe he stole some crystals and wants to implicate us," one of them remarked.

"Wouldn't surprise me," another replied. "I heard his ability is so useless that he can't even kill an ordinary beast."

Ronan heard them clearly, but he didn't stop walking. He had already spent enough time listening to people mock his ability, and with Nera's condition weighing on his mind, their comments were the least of his concerns.

His attention was fixed on a stall near the far end of the market.

Unlike the others, it had very few customers. A young merchant sat behind the counter, wearing a black robe with its hood drawn partly over his head. Several crystals were displayed before him, but he made little effort to attract the Hunters passing by.

Ronan had never noticed the merchant during his previous visits.

Because he rarely had access to crystals of his own, he had spent much of his time studying the market whenever the guild came to sell theirs.

He paid attention to the merchants who offered reasonable prices, those who deliberately undervalued unfamiliar crystals, and the wealthy buyers who occasionally appeared in ordinary stalls to purchase rare materials without drawing attention.

The man at the end of the market had caught his interest for a different reason.

Although his robe appeared plain at first glance, the material was expensive, and the embroidery around its edges was far too delicate for something an ordinary merchant would wear while sitting in a dusty market. Even the clasp holding the robe together looked costly.

More importantly, the man seemed unusually interested in concealing his appearance.

Ronan couldn't be certain who he was, but he suspected that the merchant came from a wealthy family. He had encountered a few rich young men who visited crystal markets in disguise, hoping to purchase valuable materials without revealing their identities.

And unlike the merchants who had spent the last few minutes mocking him, this one had enough money, or at least appeared to, to purchase what he was carrying.

Ronan approached the stall.

The merchant was examining a small crystal when he noticed someone standing before his counter. He raised his head and looked Ronan up and down, his eyes lingering on the bloodstained clothes and the bag hanging from his shoulder.

For a moment, he seemed uncertain what to say.

Then he straightened his back, adjusted the spectacles resting on his nose and cleared his throat, apparently trying to appear more intimidating.

"You..." He coughed lightly and glanced at the bag again. "You have crystals to sell?”