Chapter 22: A "Real" Workshop
"Alright." Daemon's Grimace and Happy Drunk nodded their heads at the same time. Surely, if they voiced the content of their hearts, the giant female Minotaur would have their heads marked. Even together, their guilds could never compete against the Magithieves.
"It's decided! We'll see each other again soon," Southern Azuresword said curtly.
"Very well. Until next time."
"Bye."
All the other big shots bade their farewells. None of them wished to be there any longer, especially when they were all rivals. At that moment, Jiang Fei was no longer relevant to the picture. He was just another random vendor making his daily living.
"WAIT!" Jiang Fei shouted at the top of his lungs. His customers were walking away when he had not even brought out the big guns!
"What's wrong? Displeased about something?" Lady Casanova leered. She leaned over to stare him down. Jiang Fei took two involuntary steps back.
This woman could really bring a hoof down and turn me into mush...
Jiang Fei chose his next words, carefully and slowly. "I have some more equipment for sale. Green grades ones, would you like to buy them?"
"YES!"
"Sell them to me."
"YOU HAVE GREEN ONES?"
"I'll take EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO OFFER!"
All four guilds representative responded differently, but Lady Casanova's voice boomed over them all. The 250cm Minotaur took one huge step forward. Her face that was also so close to Jiang Fei that she could have kissed him! If one were to calculate based on current odds, 300 White Equipment from Jiang Fei could produce at least three to five pieces of Green equipment. With that knowledge in mind, all four of them knew that they would have to fight tooth and nail for these gems.
"I have 70 Green equipment. All of them with additional skills!" Jiang Fei made sure to keep them hanging on to every word.
"What?" Lady Casanova rolled her eyes. 70 Green equipment was stretching the suspension of belief. Less than 10,000 players had just reached Level 10, and many more were still having the time of their lives playing around in the Beginner's Village. As such, the total number of Green equipment would not; could not exceed 50! Yet, this little boy was standing there, saying that he had 70 of them, and with additional skills on top of it? What a ridiculous claim! That was like claiming that the Earth had three suns and eight moons! Lest mention Dawnlight City, all four cities combined could gather 50 Green equipment with skills imbued!
"Brat. Don't bullshit me. If you claim to have 70 Green equipment, I can still let that slide. But claiming to sell 70 Green equipment, all with skills imbued? Are you in need of attention? You can't afford mine," said Lady Casanova, turning away from Jiang Fei.
"Hoho. Do you really believe that the Workshop is that inefficient? We have professional, in-house Enhancers working round the clock! How else could we have produced 70 Green equipment? We have our pride," Jiang Fei drawled like it was nothing. Rosette Rose knew how he did it, but he could not afford to have anyone else know of his methods. The less they knew, the better. If word got out that Jiang Fei could produce such equipment in his sleep, the game masters would be out for his blood!
"Enhancer..." The four of them exchanged looks of fear and disbelief! Jiang Fei had proved that he was not the kind of player that they had assumed him to be! The boy might even be on equal standing as they were!
Enhancers were a Profession on their own. However, the class was as rare as the game's servers running during the day. The reason would be simple enough. Enhancers could only work with materials exclusively obtained from dismantling Green tier equipment or higher!
As the server was still in its infantile stage, no player would sacrifice their Green equipment for the sake of a single Profession! Not even Blacksmiths would dismantle their White tier equipment! Even entire professional guilds could not afford to do so either. Such a system was meant to be carried out only its mid game stage.
"We would have already dismantled these Green ones here if not for the fact that our banks were running low," said Jiang Fei, conceitedly.
"Name your price!" Lady Casanova roared. To have even one Enhancer in the guild on the third day of the game was something out of this world. To have someone being ahead of the Magithieves had been outside Lady Casanova's predictions. But there it was, those treasures, laying right in front of her eyes. She would have to work on obtaining as much Green equipment as she could. Everything else would be dealt with later on.
"One gold coin apiece. No picking, like how I won't pick any favorites. Whether it's good or crap, it's up to god now," said Jiang Fei. Even though Green equipment would only cost around 50 silver coins, those with skills were worth double that.
"Yes." The four of them nodded. It was the best and most unbiased method of distribution. An equipment with a 10% increase in Health Points and another with a 10% chance to steal 10 copper coins were worlds apart. Attempting to appraise them one at a time would take far too much time.
"Guys? What do you say?" Lady Casanova quipped. With a single glance, all members of the Magithieves rushed into the stall and chased away the other players. Smaller guild and pub player would never get their hands on the Green tier equipment, even if they could afford. Nothing much could be said about it, the biggest bullies were in town!
"It's your call, sister Casanova," Happy Drunk grinned sheepishly. As the strongest out of the four, nothing much could be done about her. Not even if the three others banded together.
"I will take 25, you lot get 15 each!" said Lady Casanova after a moment's thought.
"Alright. Agreed. But! We get the first pick."
It was a reasonable deal. They would have to pick the items in batches, as Jiang Fei had previously voiced out that there would be no selective pickings.
"Go on," said Lady Casanova, giving her consent.
"I take the first 15."
"Second here."
"Looks like I'm left with the last 15."
They quickly took their turns.
"Hoho. Thanks for your patronage." Jiang Fei grinned delightedly.
"Little brother, what's your name? Let us be friends. If your little Workshop ever restocks its wares, please think of me as your first customer!" said Lady Casanova, leaning towards Jiang Fei. Was she actually trying to be seductive...
"What the hell is this female cow doing... Is she trying to smother me...?" Jiang Fei was both disgusted and terrified. This hulking giantess had actually leaned in to whisper into his ears in a deep contralto. It was scary since the player leaned in close to him and whispered into his ears with her deep voice. Eventually, he swallowed it down and gave her his name. It was important to form connections with the big shots.
"Hah. Verdure Glider. Hehe. I like your style boy." Daemon's Grimace praised Jiang Fei, as he too sent an invitation to befriend Jiang Fei.
"Please do contact me if you wish to conduct some serious business."
"I do wish we could go on and work together in the future. I'm sure that you would be happy to have me as your friend."
Both Southern Azuresword and Happy Drunk sent their invitations as well. They were all thinking the same thoughts; befriending him was as good as befriending a large-scaled, equipment producing Workshop, what more, they had actual, in-house Enhancers!
"Little brother. You must have heard about the Magithieves and what we can do. Don't pay any more heed to those pesky little guilds. Just think of me!" said Lady Casanova, winking through a large, furry eye.
"Yes... Yes.." Jiang Fei tried his best not to look away. If Lady Casanova was not the most influential figure in the city, he would not have even have spared her a glance!