Chapter 130: Ch:130 The Merchant in Ruins

Daniel moved cautiously near the bushes, hiding behind trees and creeping forward to avoid the wild animals. He didn’t follow the dirt path laid before him; instead, he edged sideways through the undergrowth.

The area was blanketed in yellow grass, with trees whose leaves had turned the same yellow hue. Wild creatures like boars, deer, sheep, wildcat etc, roamed the jungle as he made his way carefully through it.

’Is that even a cat?’ he wondered, staring at its two tails, striped like a tiger’s.

“Status,” he whispered.

——————

Name: Nyclaw

Hp: 300/300

Mana: 100/100

Status: Hostile

Description: A wild cat renowned for its cunning attacks. Each slash has a 20% chance to cause blood loss, and the effect stacks when multiple cats strike together. Once blood loss triggers, the enemy suffers internal injuries, weakening them over time.

——————

“I shouldn’t get within their range,” he thought, moving from tree to tree like a ninja.

Daniel moved carefully, keeping his eyes on the path while glancing around for any hostile creatures. Each step was calm and precise.

Half an hour passed, yet for some reason, he felt neither hungry nor thirsty, and no sweat formed on his body despite the walking.

As he descended from the top of the cliff, Daniel found himself in an area of ruined houses — empty, abandoned, and draped in cobwebs.

Scattered among the wreckage were pieces of wood, stones, and ropes, as if some catastrophe had swept through the small village.

“What is this place? It’s so fucked up,” he muttered, gripping his sword tightly.

Daniel took his time to scan the area and soon found an item — a jade necklace, partially covered in dirt.

“Far,” he murmured.

——————

Name: Lucky Charm

Type: Wearable

Durability: 80%

Description: A necklace crafted by the dwarves of Jade Village. Wearing it increases the user’s luck by 10% and defense by 5%, making it a prized talisman for adventurers.

——————

“So this used to be a village, but now…” he whispered, touching the necklace around his neck.

The ruined village looked desolate, silent, and creepy. The wind whispered through broken windows, and the smell of dust and rot filled the air.

The yellow sky was fading, as if the sun itself were retreating, casting long shadows across the broken homes.

*Grrrr…. rrrr….*

Suddenly, a low growl echoed from behind. Daniel spun around and saw a wolf-like creature with pitch-black fur and glowing red eyes emerging from the back of a ruined house.

“Status,” he whispered almost immediately.

——————

Name: Howlen

Hp: 600/600

Mana: 300/300

Status: Hostile

Description: A fierce wild animal, feared for its razor-sharp bite capable of shattering rock with ease. Its claws carry a 5% chance to inflict poison damage.

——————

*Howl!*

One after another, Howlen emerged from the back, their teeth gleaming white and eyes darting toward Daniel with a predatory glare.

“Shit,” Daniel muttered, breaking into a sprint.

*Howl-Howl*

He hurtled into the forest, leaping from one tree to another in a zigzag pattern. The Howlen pursued him in a relentless pack. If it had been a lone predator, he might have considered fighting — but facing a group, he ran for his life.

*Thud-Thud-Thud-Thud*

Daniel’s heartbeat pounded in his chest, his breath growing heavy, his bare feet slamming against the ground. Just then, he ran into the range of a Nyclaw group.

One of them chased him for a moment, but suddenly, for some unknown reason, the Nyclaws turned and began fighting the Howlen pack.

Daniel being unaware, kept sprinting until the sounds faded, and he finally came to a stop.

*Panting*

He bent over, hands resting on his knees, his eyes fixed on the ground as he struggled to catch his breath. Glancing up, he noticed smoke rising from behind a ruined stone wall.

From the corner of the wall, he peeked and saw a brown-hooded man with a white mustache, holding a stick with meat on the end as he cooked it over a bonfire near a brown tent.

“Status,” he said, his eyes fixed on the man.

——————

Name: Kabin

HP: 1300/1300

Mana: 450/450

Status: Passive

Description: A trade merchant cursed to guide outsiders on their journey to purify their soul and discover their true purpose. Only once their travelers achieve their goal will the merchant be freed from this eternal torment.

——————

Daniel approached without hesitation. The moment the merchant saw him, his eyes shot wide with surprise.

’An outsider came to me? An outsider? Really?’ Kabin thought, setting his stick aside while trying to stay calm.

“Hello, sir. What items do you sell?” Daniel asked, his expression neutral.

’Item? This outsider really came prepared, I guess,’ Kabin thought.

“Straight to the point, huh. What items are you looking for — weapons, consumables, armor, maps, wearables?”

“Weapons,” Daniel replied.

With a snap of his fingers, a long rectangular table materialized out of thin air, formed from shimmering white particles.

Swords, daggers, spears, pikes, halberds, and axes were neatly arranged atop it, their metal glinting in the light and etched with intricate patterns.

’Damn, look at these weapons,’ Daniel murmured, his eyes wide.

He picked the sword and began examining.

“Far,” he murmured.

——————

Name: Broad Sword

Weapon type: Sword

Durability: 99%

Effect: None

Description: A simple sword forged by the dwarves of Bison Village. Its sturdy steel blade and balanced design make it reliable in any battle.

——————

As Daniel examined the sword, the merchant spoke up.

“That would be twenty Xewels.”

“Jewels?” Daniel asked, brow furrowed.

“Yes, Xewels,” Kabin replied.

“But I don’t have any,” Daniel said.

Kabin’s smile faded. ’Great, and for a second I thought—’

“What do you have that you can sell?” the merchant asked.

Daniel glanced at his rusty sword and held it out in front of him. The merchant looked it over and responded immediately.

“This is garbage, it’s not even worth a Xewel,” said Kabir, his eyes drifting toward the jade pendent. “That pendent you’re wearing can be sold for ten Xewels.”

Daniel touched the pendant he wore and glanced at Kabin. “Is there any other way to earn that Xewel?”

The merchant nodded thoughtfully. “Hmm… you can sell me wild animal heads. Depending on the creature, I’ll set the price.”

He grabbed the axe and lifted upright, feeling the weight. ’If I have this axe I can literally chop those boar’s head in a single strike.’

Just then an idea emerged in his mind.

“Mr. Merchant, how about I borrow this axe and I’ll return it later,” Daniel asked, holding the axe tight.

Kabin stood from the ground and walked before the table. His height was short compared to Daniel.

“It’s not the first time an outsider told me about borrowing, and my answer is always the same. You can’t borrow it. If you don’t believe me, then take this weapon and moved a little far from this place.” said Kabir.

Daniel without a word took the axe and followed his words. Few steps later, the axe disappeared from his hand and reappear on the table.

With no choice, and no negotiation — though he tried to, he moved forward with his rusty sword, to find a wild animal.

Daniel crouched near the bushes as he heard a sound. He peeked from behind a tree and saw an animal that looked like a deer. Its antlers resembled sharp branches, glowing a soft green like crystal.

“Far,” he murmured.

——————

Name: Stormhorn

HP: 460/460

Mana: 300/300

Status: Hostile

Description: A fierce wild animal known for its rapid charge attacks and razor-sharp antlers. Its powerful legs allow it to dash at great speed, impaling enemies before they can react.

——————

“Hm… it’s the same as the boar. But the problem is, there are two more around it,” he murmured, scanning the surroundings.

There were no other wild animals around—only three Stormhorns grazing on the yellow grass in a triangular formation, each slowly moving forward as they fed.

Daniel waited patiently, moving in silence as he watched their movements. His plan was simple: lure one away from the group and hunt it.

…

Once they were a little farther apart, Daniel picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it.

It didn’t hit the Stormhorn that was moving toward him, but the rock landed right in front of it. The Stormhorn raised its head and gazed toward the tree where Daniel was hiding.

Peeking carefully, Daniel noticed the Stormhorn staring in his direction. Just then, he threw another small rock toward the bush in front.

He wasn’t sure whether it would work or not, but to his surprise, one of the Stormhorns began moving toward the bush.

’Perfect, just a little more…’ he thought, gripping his sword.

…

*BANG*

Daniel hurled another rock straight at its face.

“Eeeehhh!” the Stormhorn roared as it turned and charged toward him.

Daniel immediately bolted away from the spot, luring it far from its group. The Stormhorn followed, its antlers pointed at him as it charged like a raging bull.

The moment he glanced back over his shoulder, panic struck him — the Stormhorn was almost close enough to skewer him through.

*Thud*

Daniel instinctively jumped sideways to avoid the charge and landed on the ground with a heavy thud. The fabric of his pants near the buttocks was torn into ribbons, and a thin line of blood trickled down his thigh.

“Fuck… argh!” he muttered under his breath.

The Stormhorn stomped the ground behind him, snorting violently.

It was already preparing for another charge.

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