Chapter 45: Small Purchase
Chapter 45: Small Purchase
16th Street, Jack's General Store
Although this young man was introduced by someone else, Jack remained vigilant.
Though it was their first meeting, the young man in front of Jack felt peculiar.
Despite William's ordinary attire, the magical aura surrounding him indicated he was a rare mage according to Jack's perception.
But the calluses on his hands suggested frequent use of weapons such as long swords.
Strange!
Moreover, Jack's store usually attracted members of underground forces and gangs. Yet, this handsome young man emitted no trace of a fierce or bloody aura.
Especially the guard behind him.
A Golden Warrior? Not only extraordinary in strength but also in status!
Jack's mind raced, but he didn't speak to ask William and his companions to leave.
Able to run a shop in chaotic and disorderly places like 16th Street and maintain it for so long, Jack naturally had the ability and confidence to protect himself.
Even if this was a rare Golden Warrior, in the confined space of the house, Jack could deal a fatal blow under the guise of being harmless.
Unaware of Jack's suspicious thoughts, Welf followed quietly behind William, surveying the various items displayed around.
On the ground were various weapons and equipment haphazardly piled together, swords, armor, iron spears, and more, all covered in dark bloodstains, indicating the items' origins were not simple.
On the right wall hung materials obtained from various magical beasts, such as white fur from snow wolves, claws from earth berserk bears, horns from rock rhinoceroses, and even what appeared to be dragon skin, along with many other materials Welf didn't recognize, indicating they were likely not cheap goods.
No wonder the young master wanted to come here; this shop seemed to have some tricks up its sleeve!
William paid no mind to Welf's curiosity. He himself had been surprised the first time he came, but unfortunately, he couldn't afford anything and could only watch with envy.
But this time, he wasn't here to buy any equipment or weapons. The emerald mage suit he was currently wearing, as a Golden-level equipment, was already sufficient for him. His target this time was actually a treasure hidden in Jack's collection.
Of course, at the moment, this treasure was just an ordinary brooch.
Jack sat down on a wide-backed chair against the wall and said gruffly, "Since you were introduced by someone else, you should know the rules. If you see something you like, take it yourself, no bargaining!"
William didn't mind. Jack's attitude was much better than before; perhaps having Welf with him gave him a bit of face.
It should be noted that in the previous life, some players couldn't stand Jack's sarcastic mouth and directly attacked him, losing their lives. That's when they learned that Jack was a Golden-level Shadow Assassin.
"Welf, see if there's anything you like. I'll take a look myself."
William instructed Welf, then began to search through the pile of odds and ends nearby.
These were random items piled up in the corner of the room, many of which Jack didn't recognize and simply threw here for people to choose at will.
Each item was priced at 100 gold coins, just like a lottery; what you got depended on your eyesight and luck.
"Magic ring? Just an ordinary stone."
William tossed aside a ring emitting a faint light. It was a fake, but it looked pretty convincing.
"Is this a love potion or an aphrodisiac?"
William held a crystal potion bottle that was entirely pink, with half of the unknown liquid still inside.
After searching for a while, William finally found his target.
A dark gray brooch with a four-leaf clover pattern.
This was it, exactly the same as the picture he had posted online in his previous life.
William took the brooch in his hand, thought for a moment, and then also picked up the vial containing the aphrodisiac.
Sometimes, this stuff was more useful than poison or anything else.
"I'll take these two, for two hundred gold coins," William said, placing the bag containing two hundred gold coins on the table in front of Jack.
Jack opened it and glanced inside, then tossed the heavy bag directly into a cabinet behind him.
As for what William took from his shop, Jack didn't care. If you got something good, it was because of your keen eyesight; if you picked up trash, don't blame others.
These were all stolen goods, so getting them cheap was a bonus!
Perhaps the expenditure of two hundred gold coins had some effect, as Jack's attitude improved slightly.
"Is there anything else you need? I can get a lot of good stuff here," Jack offered.
William shook his head. Apart from this brooch, nothing else here was appealing to him.
Perhaps he would come back later for some rare magical beast materials when he started studying magic patterns.
So Jack occasionally closed the shop; he probably went elsewhere to restock.
Just as William was preparing to leave, the door was gently pushed open, and a soft voice came from outside:
"Uncle Jack, I'm coming in, and I brought some delicious food for you."
Ashley walked in carrying a basket, suddenly noticing two unfamiliar men in the room besides Uncle Jack.
But this young man seemed familiar. Where had she seen him before?
Ashley was curious, but still shy, so she immediately lowered her head and walked straight to Uncle Jack, placing the basket of bread and vegetable soup on the table. Then she hid behind Uncle Jack's wide-backed chair, sneakily peeking at the somewhat familiar William.
Isn't this the future Lord of Night? she's still so cute.
Over a decade later, in a side quest related to assassinating nobles in the kingdom, players eventually discovered that the culprit was a seductive female assassin who liked to wear tight leather clothes. In subsequent main quests, this female assassin made multiple appearances, and no one knew her origin.
But the power of the Players was terrifying. The identity of this female assassin was eventually discovered by players. She turned out to be the little girl who could occasionally be seen in Jack's shop in the early stages of the game.
This incident caused quite a stir on player forums at the time. William remembered clearly that someone had juxtaposed the childhood photo of Ashley, which was captured casually at the time, with the later image of the Sexy and valiant female assassin, making all the gentlemen marvel at the transformation.
As Ashley was a highly popular character among players, having encountered the Easter egg plot of Ashley's childhood in Jack's shop, players affectionately referred to her as "Future Lord of Night."
But at this time, the Future Lord of Night had not yet become a professional, so Uncle Jack probably hadn't officially taken her as his apprentice.
"Hello, little girl. From your voice, you're the one who reminded me from behind the window last time, right? Thank you very much," William greeted Ashley warmly. This was an important plot character; it wouldn't hurt to make a good impression.