Chapter 15: Chapter 15：Dragon Scales and Treasures
Years of smuggling and combat had taught Allen to conceal his emotions well.
He approached quietly and observed closely.
Allen couldn't help but sigh inwardly; excitement was useless because it was fake.
Though it looked very similar, Allen could still confirm that this batch of fungi was likely substandard Magic Brain Mushrooms.
"It doesn't look right. I don't think it is," Allen said, shaking his head.
The owner behind him seemed to have anticipated this outcome and snorted coldly but didn't mock him as his stall now had customers.
However, the sickly man became anxious: "I swear on a knight's honor, this was a reward I received after a dragon hunt with the lord! It's definitely real!"
Allen knew that the guardian beast of Magic Brain Mushrooms was a Striped Dragon, but it was definitely not a dragon.
A stranger's honor? Ha, what a joke! How much was that worth in a market full of swindlers?
Even if he was telling the truth, it was likely exaggerated.
"These mushrooms were found in a dragon's lair, and the lord rewarded me with them! They must be treasures!" The man quickly added, seeing Allen's disbelief.
"May I take a closer look?" Allen seemed persuaded by his words.
The man hesitated but, thinking about how many days he had gone without selling anything or having a full meal, he nodded and reluctantly handed the bundle to Allen.
Allen had initially planned to buy the fungi at a reduced price, thinking they were substandard Magic Brain Mushrooms.
However, upon closer inspection, Allen's hand momentarily paused before he continued to examine them. No one noticed this brief hesitation.
Allen's tone remained unchanged as he asked, "If these were treasures, would you be unable to sell them here?"
The mocking owner, who had just seen off a customer, immediately interjected with sarcasm: "You're right! A fool bought two mushrooms from him ten days ago, fed one to his hunting dog, and then... Oh, dear!"
"What happened?" Allen noticed the owner's eagerness to speak and asked at the right moment.
The owner waved his hands and replied with even stronger sarcasm: "The dog went mad, started biting people, and then died of exhaustion!"
After a few seconds, he continued: "If he sold them as poison, someone might buy them, but this guy insists they're treasures. No one believes him."
Allen nodded in agreement: "Indeed!"
He then asked the sickly man: "These poisonous mushrooms might be useful to me. If you want to sell them, give me an honest price."
The man gritted his teeth, extremely unwilling: "Two thousand, at least two thousand copper coins!"
Allen didn't say a word, expressing his attitude through his actions by immediately turning to leave.
"Wait! One thousand! I'll take one thousand copper coins!" The man panicked, fearing he wouldn't have another chance to sell them if this deal fell through.
But before the man could finish, the mocking owner shouted: "Ha, you fool, one thousand copper coins! Are you joking? No one would buy those stinky mushrooms for even a hundred copper coins!"
Allen stopped, turned to the man, and said: "I'll offer two hundred copper coins at most. If you don't want to sell, then forget it."
Long-term illness and hunger had reduced the once tall man to skin and bones. He didn't know if he could hold on any longer.
Despite his extreme reluctance, he had no choice but to agree. He looked at Allen: "Six hundred copper coins! I risked my life for these! They came from a dragon's lair!"
Allen sighed: "Out of respect for your effort, I can only give you two hundred copper coins. That's my highest offer!"
Although both claimed their prices were final, after some negotiation, they settled on four hundred copper coins.
Allen feigned reluctance: "I agree to four hundred copper coins, but I want everything in this bundle, as well as the hunting knives and arrowheads at your stall."
The man, having already broken his psychological barrier by selling his treasures at a low price, didn't care about the second-hand hunting knives and arrowheads as they weren't worth much.
He nodded in agreement to the deal.
The mocking owner didn't say a word. In the black market, it was an unwritten rule not to interfere in others' transactions.
The transaction went smoothly.
The man took Allen's money, handed over his entire stall, and quickly disappeared into the darkness.
A sickly man with a considerable amount of money wasn't safe in the black market either.
Allen held the bundle of "substandard Magic Brain Mushrooms," his posture unchanged, everything as usual.
But inside, he was thrilled because, among the substandard Magic Brain Mushrooms, there were three genuine Magic Brain Mushrooms!
Whether it was Magic Brain Mushrooms or substandard Magic Brain Mushrooms, the caps of both fungi were bright yellow, shaped like a brain with a thin layer of flesh, and hollow inside.
Magic Brain Mushrooms had brownish-yellow caps, leaning towards dark yellow or gray, with thick flesh. Although hollow, they were more solid.
After reading "Dark Ritual," Allen had memorized the contents of the parchment scroll.
The depicted images were etched deeply in his mind.
He could confirm that the three shriveled fungi were indeed Magic Brain Mushrooms.
"So, the man's words had some credibility. If he hadn't dealt with the guardian beast, the Striped Dragon, he wouldn't have obtained these Magic Brain Mushrooms."
Allen thought to himself. Magic Brain Mushrooms and substandard Magic Brain Mushrooms always grew together. The difference might lie in whether they completed the transformation during growth.
It was likely that the collector couldn't distinguish between the two and harvested all the mushrooms.
"Given that, these dragon scales might also be real, perhaps?"
Allen pondered as he quietly left.
Nothing unexpected happened along the way. Allen merely purchased some medicines and tools.
He also bought a bundle of dried fish bladders at a riverside stall before boarding a canoe.
All transactions were silent and swift.
Allen's trip was highly fruitful.
Besides the biggest find, the Magic Brain Mushrooms, he also bought large red fireflies from the Baken Rainforest at a medicine stall.
These insects were one of the materials for making the "Plant Mage's Curse."
Unfortunately, he couldn't find the other ingredients for the "Mage's Meditation," except for the main ingredient, the Magic Brain Mushrooms.
Fortunately, the auxiliary materials, though precious, weren't treasures and weren't hard to find.
Allen believed that with a few more trips to the black market, he would eventually find them.
After disembarking and returning to the Beaver Inn, it was already late at night.
After checking around, he found the sea boats and rafts intact and returned to his room.
Peter and Allen shared a double room, while Bernice had a small room to herself.
Despite staying at the inn, the three took turns keeping watch, checking the boats periodically.
The next day, before sunrise, under the cover of darkness, the three of them sailed away from the black market city of Bacha.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone