Chapter 152: Life Mage, Fleecing the Sheep!

Death Cube!

Before Tier 4 powerhouses even emerged into the world, it was already one of the top mercenary corps in the Knight Empire. Its overall strength and reputation far surpassed even the Supreme Mercenary Corps and the Chaotic World Mercenary Corps!

Just as he was preparing to break through to Tier 4, the leader of Death Cube suddenly dropped several levels, plummeting straight out of the top ranks of the leveling leaderboard, making it impossible for him to attempt the Tier 4 breakthrough anytime soon. This situation had once excited countless mercenary corps that had been suppressed by them, as they frantically speculated whether Death Cube had kicked a hard rock and been secretly plotted against.

However...

Over the next few days, not only did news spread that the leader of Death Cube had never been attacked, but someone also managed to look up the profile of the leader, "Rubik," and discovered that his class had changed!

He had transformed from a "Water Magician" into a "Life Magician"...

"Rubik" instantly became the first discovered hidden class player in the Knight Empire, as well as the highest-level hidden class player!

This explosive news instantly propelled the reputation of the "Death Cube" Mercenary Corps to an unprecedented height, even temporarily overshadowing the Tier 4 powerhouse who appeared around the same time――Supreme.

Because the mystery of a hidden class obviously surpassed the seemingly within-reach "Tier 4 Advancement Quest"...

...

As soon as the people from Death Cube arrived at the stall, several players who still harbored designs on the Ice Condensation Wand stood up and sighed repeatedly:

"This shouldn't be happening!"...

"If I had known, I would have had the people in my corp scrape together fifty thousand gold coins and sent them over..."

"The stall owner is utterly devoid of conscience!!"

"..."

I ignored those people who had started to badmouth themselves nearby. If I had known? If I had known my item was worth fifty thousand gold coins, what was I doing before? They kept haggling over the price all along—despicable!

My gaze shifted, ultimately landing on the three magicians who had emerged from the middle of the Death Cube warriors.

"Level is too low, unable to retrieve opponent's profile!"

"Level is too low, unable to retrieve opponent's profile!"

"Level is too low, unable to retrieve opponent's profile!"

The successive system prompts dealt a ruthless blow to me, while simultaneously dispelling any notions I had of prying into their stats. I dismissed my appraisal skill and fixed my gaze on the young magician walking at the very front, who possessed quite a handsome and striking appearance.

A magic robe woven with golden threads, a magic cloak, boots, and bracers that all faintly shimmered with a golden luster... Not only me, but even Falcon beside me and the other players gasped sharply!

A full set of Gold-grade equipment!!!

...

Staring at the complete set of Gold-grade equipment radiating a faint golden glow on the other party's body, I was speechless for a moment—just how many high-level bosses do you have to kill to drop an entire set of Gold gear?

Amidst my emotional sigh, Falcon's restless voice rang out in my ear once again:

"If I'm not mistaken, this guy should be the boss of Death Cube—Rubik. He's a wealthy master. Why don't you raise the price a bit more? Uh, wait, he's already seen the price. Never mind, never mind... Offending him is hardly a good idea."

Damn it, did I not know that the guy with the full set of Gold gear was Rubik? But this fellow was even greedier than me! The price was already eighty thousand gold coins, and he was still telling me to raise it.

That was my assessment of Falcon.

Fortunately, though, this kid wasn't foolish enough to let me continue raising the price right in front of Rubik. Treating someone like a cash cow and trying to fleece them too blatantly was a sure way to make enemies.

Moreover...

Eighty thousand gold coins was already a terrifyingly high price!

Even Rubik, after squatting down and seeing the price, couldn't help but furrow his brow tightly. He stood up and looked over:

"Is the price negotiable?"...

After all, eighty thousand gold coins amounted to 1.2 million in credit points. No matter how wealthy someone was, they wouldn't squander money like this, right? Especially since this was Silver-grade equipment!!

Hearing Rubik's inquiry, I did not remain silent any longer, and replied succinctly and clearly:

"An archer-type equipment of the same tier."

Talking to Rubik wasn't because of his fame, and certainly not because he was wealthy... What I had my eyes on was the Death Cube organization standing behind him. Given the strength of Death Cube, they undoubtedly possessed top-tier archer equipment on par with the "Ice Condensation Wand"!!

However, Rubik did not seem very satisfied with my proposal, frowning as he looked over:

"My corp doesn't have any spare archer equipment... Besides, I don't think you're in such a rush to switch to such high-end gear right now. How about I have someone prepare two sets of Tier 3 archer equipment for you—one set at level 30, and another at level 35? The stats are definitely not bad. On top of that... I'll add another twenty thousand gold coins for you. How does that sound?"

As he spoke, Rubik even gestured toward the equipment I was wearing.

"Unnecessary! This trash set of equipment is not mine (it's even worse than the Gale equipment, so naturally it's pure trash)..."

I understood what Rubik meant; he wanted to say that I didn't temporarily need to switch to such high-end gear, and that a set of Tier 3 equipment with good stats was far more practical than a single top-tier item. However, I still rejected his proposal:

"Besides, I still have the money to buy the kind of equipment you mentioned. If you want to use two sets of the trashy gear you have lying around in piles to trade for the Ice Condensation Wand, you'd better save your breath!"

As soon as those words left my mouth, the expressions of the dozen or so Death Cube mercenaries standing beside Rubik shifted drastically, and they sharply rebuked in unison:

"Kid..." "Don't be ungrateful!"

Before they could finish speaking, Rubik raised his hand in time to cut them off:

"Stop."

...

The people from Death Cube quieted down, but Falcon couldn't calm down no matter what:

"You brat, are you out of your mind? Offending the people from Supreme, Dragon Wolf, and Darkness is already enough to give you a massive headache, and now you're being this impolite to Rubik. Are you the reincarnation of the Sirius star?" Falcon wore an anxious expression. Originally, Supreme Mercenary Corps calling off their bounty had just allowed Scavenging Qilin's situation to take a turn for the better; he certainly didn't want one trouble to end only for another to begin.

Furthermore, due to Rubik's own identity and strength, Death Cube vastly surpassed the Supreme Mercenary Corps in terms of influence. Offending him was not as simple as merely offending a regular mercenary corp.

...

"Fine, I take back my previous proposal. But I truly cannot produce archer equipment on the same level as the Ice Condensation Wand. Let's change the condition, shall we?"

Rubik had already caught some clues from Scavenging Qilin's tone and disdainful expression, realizing that he might have underestimated the level 30 Iron-Blood Magic Archer before him.

"Change the condition? Sure."

I smiled, and then pointed at the stall:

"You can choose to buy it with gold coins. The price is clearly marked."

As soon as those words fell, the expression on Rubik's face—which had just relaxed—instantly stiffened: This kid, wasn't this obviously making a fool out of him? Paying eighty thousand gold coins for a transitional Tier 3 Silver-grade weapon? He wasn't made of money, nor did he have money to burn!

I calmly watched Rubik, who had been played for a fool, while inwardly laughing to myself: Could a mercenary corp as massive as theirs really fail to produce a single piece of archer equipment on par with the Ice Condensation Wand? Who would believe that? They were just reluctant to part with it! But it made no difference to me; if you're reluctant, then you'll just have to bleed for it! Gold coins work just as well anyway. When the time comes, I can just wander around the market and buy up those ridiculously overpriced equipment and accessories.

Even if this trade falls through, I'm not afraid. With the stats of the Ice Condensation Wand right here, a minimum of fifty thousand gold coins is guaranteed.

The crucial point is whether Rubik is willing to yield!

Watching the price contest between me and Rubik, Falcon wore an inexplicable, bitter smile. Glaring at the unfriendly-looking Death Cube mercenaries behind Rubik, he cried out internally in agony: Qilin really is something else—the man is already offering such great terms, would it kill you to do a favor and sell it? What good could possibly come from souring relations with Rubik?

Just as he was wondering which direction things would unfold, a familiar commotion and crowding suddenly erupted in the distance once more, as if someone else was elbowing their way toward this spot.

At that moment, Rubik also seemed to sense the commotion behind him and glanced back. Immediately, a three-meter-tall Giant clan member leaned close to his ear and whispered something.

The next instant, Rubik immediately furrowed his brow and looked back toward me.

"Alright, I'll trade with you using archer equipment. You can put your things away now."

Facing Rubik's sudden one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, both Falcon and I were momentarily caught off guard. However, just as I was about to pack up my stall, an unexpected voice suddenly pushed aside the crowd of Death Cube mercenaries and arrived right in front of the stall:

"Haha! Don't rush, don't rush! Good things should naturally be shared among everyone... Yo, isn't this our brother Rubik? How come you didn't let me know when you arrived on my turf? Let me take a look at what you guys are checking out here, and then we can reserve a table at Top-Grade Fragrance and have a few proper drinks together!"

Looking at the newcomer, Rubik sighed inwardly: They just had to come neither too early nor too late... Looks like I'm going to bleed a lot this time.