Chapter 1 A Hammer's Deal

A Hammer's Deal watched as everyone left, collapsing into his chair, his eyes vacant and lifeless.

How could someone sell a bronze equipment design in the auction house?

A Hammer's Deal couldn't comprehend it. It was as foolish as handing over the key to a gold-filled vault.

Only an idiot would do something so brainless.

"No, they must be trying to trick me." A Hammer's Deal shot up, opening the official forum. He would make them regret it. He would bury them, show them the price of underestimating him.

But when he saw the pinned discussion threads, he was stunned. There really was a moron selling designs.

Bronze Equipment Design Appears in Auction House, Pics or It Didn't Happen!

Clicking on it, A Hammer's Deal was utterly dumbfounded.

The design was for a Glimmering Breastplate, the same equipment the Black Flame Forging Master had sold before. Its stats were well-known, absolutely top-tier.

If a first-rate guild had this design, they wouldn't need him anymore.

Reputation didn't mean much to those guilds. He had been arrogant because he learned the Savage design. Now that someone was selling an even better design, who would give him the time of day?

Many first-rate guilds had declared in the comments that they would have this design, and anyone who tried to take it would face their wrath.

Everyone's attention turned to the design and who would get it. No one cared about him anymore. Instead, they were gloating, laughing at his downfall.

Everyone admired the mysterious player selling the design. A bloodless slaughter, using only a piece of paper to bring down A Hammer's Deal, who had been the envy of thousands and on the rise, casting him into an abyss with no hope of recovery. A brilliant move.

A Hammer's Deal utterly hated the player selling the design. The happy life of fancy cars and beautiful women had been within reach, only to be destroyed by this… idiot.

It's not so bad to have a god-like enemy, but a pig-like teammate will be the end of you. Now add a third, even more fearful: a random, moronic passerby.

A Hammer's Deal's eyes were bloodshot, his face ashen, his expression murderous.

"No, I must buy it. No matter the cost, I must buy it. If I buy it, all my advantages will return. Then I'll have both the Savage Breastplate and the Glimmering Breastplate. Those first-rate guilds will be begging me on their knees!" A Hammer's Deal was like a gambler deep in the red, pinning all his hopes on buying the Glimmering Breastplate design.

With that thought, A Hammer's Deal slammed his hand on the table and raced toward the auction house.

But A Hammer's Deal wasn't the only one rushing to the auction house. High-level members of guilds from towns all over White River City were too. They all wanted to buy the design. Everyone knew how powerful the Glimmering Breastplate was, and having the design was like having a gold mine.

This made the auction houses in towns all over White River City extremely lively, packed with people. The crowd stretched all the way to the entrance, making it difficult for players to get inside.

The competition for the Glimmering design was fierce. Guilds were putting in all their effort, offering one high price after another. In just ten minutes, it reached one gold coin.

Yes, one gold coin, almost the entire liquid assets of a large guild.

And the price kept rising, with no sign of stopping.

"Guild Leader, I don't have enough money. What do I do?"

"What? How? I gave you one gold and twenty silver. How is that not enough?"

"But it's selling for one gold and fifty-six silver now…"

"Damn it, these people are crazy. It's just a design! Wait here. I'll go get money from the gold farming team right away. I refuse to believe we can't buy it."

As the price of the Glimmering design soared, the guilds were constantly raising funds, contacting gold farming teams and guild members. Finally, they had no choice but to buy from the virtual transaction center.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng, the cause of this frenzy among the guilds of White River City, was peacefully making his way to the library.

"Respected Ms. Xia Lian, I have brought the items you requested. Can you help me remove the curse now?" Shi Feng sincerely presented two gold coins, thirty Moonstones, and a Teleportation Orb.

Xia Lian nodded in satisfaction at the sight of the glittering gold coins. With a saintly pity, she shook her head and said regretfully, "Adventurer, you truly amaze me. To gather the materials in such a short time. I should have told you about the different levels of the Moon's Dew ritual."

"Levels?" Shi Feng looked at Xia Lian's expression of regret, feeling uneasy, like a mouse being eyed by a cat.

"Yes." Xia Lian sighed. "The Moon's Dew is a very ancient ritual. In fact, it not only has the effect of removing curses, but also other effects. However, to make it easier for people to use, later generations modified it, turning it only into a way to remove curses, weakening its other effects. If you pay three more gold coins, I can gather the materials needed for the complete Moon's Dew ritual. In addition to removing your curse, it will also give you an unexpected 'great reward'. Wouldn't you like to consider it?"

Xia Lian said the words "great reward" with unusual emphasis, as if it were something extraordinary.

But Shi Feng knew that Xia Lian must have some kind of appraisal skill. Otherwise, how could she guess that he had three gold coins left in his bag? He had already spent three gold coins to remove the curse and didn't want to be a sucker.

As if Xia Lian could see through Shi Feng, she said earnestly, "Adventurer, do you know the legend of the Demon Slayer Sword Saint, Seliuos? Legend has it that Seliuos was cursed by the Great Demon King, suffering greatly for a long time. But after much hardship, he finally found a way to remove the curse, which was the Moon's Dew. After the complete Moon's Dew ritual, he was reborn and gained incredible power, thus defeating the Great Demon King and becoming the legendary Sword Saint of the Divine Domain Continent. Don't you think 'Sword Saint' Seliuos is great?"

As Xia Lian spoke, she blinked her big eyes at Shi Feng, repeatedly praising the title of Sword Saint.

"..." Shi Feng was speechless.

Xia Lian's actions clearly said, "The Sword Saint is beckoning you, young man! Won't you give it a try?"

Shi Feng glanced at the smiling Xia Lian, feeling helpless. This Xia Lian was simply a diamond salesperson.

Although Xia Lian had a wild charm and a body that tempted crime, six gold coins at once was too much. Six gold coins were thirty-six thousand credits!

Okay, he was tempted. If he could become a Sword Saint in the future, it would be worth it.

Out with the old, in with the new.

"Respected Ms. Xia Lian, I would like to try the complete Moon's Dew ritual. There won't be any danger, will there?" As he spoke, Shi Feng reluctantly pulled out three more gold coins.

After receiving the gold coins, Xia Lian smiled and said, "Adventurer, don't worry. Although this is my first time, I'm very skilled. Even my mentor praised me as a genius. Let's start now."