Chapter 8

Page 1/3

Ray found a candle holder in the room, finally bringing some light into the space.

There was only one stool inside, so the three of them simply stood and began their conversation.

The candlelight flickered across their faces. Kai was the first to speak: “Alright, it was my fault earlier. I won’t run away again! But as I said before—I don’t know any more about Ebony than you do. It’s going to be hard to find him just from what I know.”

“That’s fine,” Iris said, twirling a dagger in her hand. “Just tell me what you do know.”

Though Iris appeared gentle, Kai swallowed nervously and suppressed any thoughts of fleeing.

Kai began, “About three months ago, I was near Baron Tasim’s estate trying to sell potions that prolong life, but the baron’s servants kicked me out ruthlessly. As I was leaving, Ebony called me back. He said he thought I was a rare genius and wanted to collaborate: I’d make the potions, and he’d sell them.”

Ray took a deep breath. “You just trusted him like that?”

Kai glanced at him and replied slowly, “At first, I just sold the potions to him, and he sold them at a higher price. After a few trials, he proposed coming directly to me for stock, paying more than before, and giving me my cut immediately.”

Ray’s mouth twitched. “Weren’t you afraid he’d take your products and not pay you?”

“I gave him cheap stuff,” Kai scoffed. “Even if he took everything, I wouldn’t lose much. You’re really cautious. If I were a con artist, I’d need some daring, wouldn’t I?”

Ray was left speechless.

Iris then asked, “Who was he doing business with?”

“Of course, those with more gold in their pockets than we have.” Kai pulled out her empty pockets. “Mercenaries, adventurers, low-ranking church members, small-time merchants, nobles who can’t resist the temptation of longevity… Honestly, I think sooner or later he’d be exposed as a fraud. I just didn’t expect it to happen this fast.”

The range of victims was broad, and Ray frowned. “Those potions… aren’t you afraid of being found out? What exactly were you giving them?”

“Really just tonics,” Kai said. “The nobles are easy to fool, but mercenaries and adventurers aren’t stupid. At least I gave them genuine, good stuff… enough to make them feel healthier.”

Ray pressed with his expertise, “Fortifying potions?”

Kai: “Diluted versions by many times.”

“You…” Ray sighed. “With your talent, you could have joined the guild, studied under a mentor, and become a proper apothecary…”

“Do we have to talk about this?” Kai interrupted impatiently. “I said I need money fast. That’s too slow.”

Iris noticed Ray’s repeated disappointed looks—the kind that say “wasted potential.” Clearly, Kai had considerable skill with potions.

And since she just lost a partner, perhaps persuading her now wouldn’t be so difficult.

This sparked a new idea in Iris’s mind, but she knew it wasn’t the right time yet; the thought was immature and lacked opportunity.

She refocused on the conversation and asked, “Is there a reason you urgently need money?”

Iris noticed Kai had mentioned this several times.

Kai replied coldly, “It’s personal and unrelated to Ebony’s disappearance.”

Ray said, “That’s only your side of the story.”

Kai’s stance hardened. “Then I have nothing more to say. I’ve told you what I know.”

Iris realized Kai responded better to softness than force. Compared to Ray’s bluntness, she softened her tone to appear less aggressive.

She asked, “Then tell me something else. When you dealt with Ebony, did you notice anything unusual about him?”

Kai thought for a moment and shook her head. “Nothing special.”

Iris listed questions in rapid succession: “Did he dislike or fear anything? Was there something he often mentioned or cared about? Did he say why he was making money?”

Kai was at a loss for words amid the barrage.

Kai: “You sure have a lot of questions.”

Luckily, Kai found no hostility in Iris, so she patiently began to answer.

“I guess he hated and feared police and church patrols. Oh, and he’s the kind who sizes people up just by their scent, looking down on most. I’m curious who his direct boss is, someone he’s willing to obey.”

Page 2/3

“You think he has a boss?”

“He seems unconcerned about any financial investment. That’s unlike a typical con artist. My ‘peers’ wouldn’t risk losing money like that; they’d quit while ahead.” Kai paused, then added, “He moves freely everywhere, never stopped. Even if stopped, he quickly finds a way around it.”

Kai ruffled her messy hair. “So I’ve been considering just giving up on getting my money back. If his backer’s really that powerful, digging deeper won’t recover my losses and could bring trouble.”

Her words served as a warning to Iris and Ray.

The risks versus rewards of finding Ebony looked bleak.

“You’re a student of the Apothecary Guild, right? Continuing this might jeopardize your future.” Kai eyed the hem of Ray’s robe.

On the lower right of his dark robe was an embroidered emblem of a potion bottle with letters stitched in navy and gold.

Kai continued, “You’re proud of your status, aren’t you? You don’t want to end up like me, kicked out of the guild.”

Iris noticed Ray unusually quiet.

What drove him was practical interest, not momentary pride or abstract notions.

When the risk outweighs the gain, reassessing is normal.

Iris saw Kai’s gaze shift toward her, analyzing how best to persuade.

“I’m different from him. I have little to lose,” Iris said honestly.

She looked like she might as well have “Stubborn, don’t try to talk me out of it” written on her forehead.

Kai was speechless.

Iris pressed on, “Of course, I don’t support reckless action. Ebony and his gang are mature players. If we rush in blindly, we might walk right into their trap. But just probing around the edges should be safe. If the risk becomes too great, we’ll pull back immediately.”

…Well, that was a lie, Iris thought.

For Ray and Kai, the risk was high and the reward low; for herself, with her system, risk and reward might balance. So she wasn’t ready to give up.

Her words were just to convince Kai to share more information.

Kai looked at her skeptically.

Compared to Ray’s emotional swings, Kai found Iris’s thoughts and feelings harder to read.

After some inner struggle, Kai offered a somewhat valuable clue: “Before Ebony disappeared, he often went to Golden Locust Alley.”

Ray’s relaxed nerves instantly tensed again upon hearing “Golden Locust Alley.” He paced repeatedly, as if searching for answers in his mind.

“Why Golden Locust Alley…” he murmured.

Iris remained silent, not knowing what Golden Locust Alley really was. Though only one character different from Golden Locust Street, judging by everyone’s reaction, it was no ordinary place.

Seeing Ray’s reaction, Kai sat on the only chair in the room.

“That’s why I don’t want to get involved,” she said. “Refugees from Suen, strange cultists… oh, and the local gangsters all nest in Golden Locust Alley. I don’t know what Ebony was scheming there; there’s no profit in those people.”

Iris thought if it wasn’t money, it must be something far more precious.

At that moment, her task panel updated automatically.

[Current Mission: Find Ebony]

[Progress: 20%]

[Mission Description (Updated)]

[Golden Locust Alley, the most inclusive area of Newt City, shelters not only the poor but also those without identity or whose status is unrecognized here. They are the city’s shadows, the origin of evil.]

[And the best way to hide a tree is to hide it in a forest.]

Page 3/3

Iris withdrew her gaze.

The key to Golden Locust Alley lay quietly in her backpack; it seemed it was about to shine and reveal its secrets.

Her gamer’s intuition and experience kicked in. Before entering a new map, she reminded herself to prepare supplies and upgrade gear—after all, in the real world there’s only one life and no room for trial and error.

“Show me that dagger you tried to sell me earlier,” Iris said, approaching Kai.

Kai: “...?” The topic shifted too quickly; she was caught off guard.

After a brief pause, Kai jumped from the chair and pulled a weapons pouch from her inner pocket. “Here it is. You can look for yourself.”

Iris held the black dagger, trying to channel her magic like in class earlier. The resistance in the weapon was much less than that of her family’s shared weapon. The magic flowed more smoothly, with little loss during transmission.

As expected, you get what you pay for.

She turned away quickly and put the weapon back in her bag, noticing the appraisal information:

[Golden Fire Blade, Quality: Medium]

[The craftsman incorporated dragon scales—excellent magic conduction material—making this dagger faster in magic transmission and more durable. As for hardness... using a magic-guided dagger in close combat isn’t wise, but it’s at least harder than ordinary magic daggers. Don’t expect too much.]

She took the dagger out again.

Its advantages were clear, especially compared to the one she rented, which was labeled “worn out.”

Kai waited left and right for a response from Iris, thinking she might have reservations.

She took the initiative: “If I sold this dagger, I’d get at least six silver coins. But my reputation’s bad; many here know me. Without a middleman, finding a buyer is tough. Shops offer one or two silver coins, which is too low. I’m asking four silver coins and twenty copper.”

Iris started bargaining: “Four silver.”

Kai bit her lip and agreed: “Deal!”

With that, Iris had achieved most of her goals for the day.

“Let’s talk,” Ray said, as if he had made a decision. He addressed Kai, “About the debt between you and me.”

They moved to the door, slightly away from Iris, to converse.

While they talked, Iris observed the room. Besides the potion workbench, many books were piled up—some spread open on the floor, others scattered with prescriptions and handwritten notes.

In a corner lay a wooden storage chest with its lid open. Iris looked inside to find it stuffed messily with various scrolls, mostly prescriptions.

“I don’t have money now… okay, I can pay you back, but it’ll take time…” Kai and Ray re-entered.

Kai saw Iris standing by the chest and blurted, “What are you doing?”

Seeing her tense expression, Iris stepped back half a pace.

Ray leaned in, saw the chest, and incredulously turned to Kai: “You bought a ‘junk box’?!”

“So I don’t have money,” Kai said.

Iris asked, “‘Junk box’?”

“A gimmick,” Ray explained, “Some people gather all kinds of prescriptions and sell them by the box at a flat rate. Most are unverified and probably useless, but occasionally there’s something valuable mixed in…”

…Looks like blind box trends are popular even in this other world.