Chapter 81: The Skulls !?

Alexandre replied in astonishment, "You only want the Zombie skulls? Why's that?"

The seller replied, "The skull of a Zombie is where the material is at its strongest and the best quality. The Z-Virus has evolved the skull to protect the brain as well as possible, which is wonderful for our purposes! As far as I'm concerned, no other bone from a Zombie is even worth considering. It's enough that just ten skulls is enough to compensate for your discount."

Alexandre thought about the merchant's proposal. "I'm curious as to why you're asking me about this. Surely you could just buy the materials from big guilds and it'd be more worth your time."

The man's mouth twisted into a wry grimace. "Let's just say that I've had a… difference of opinion with some of the big guilds. And if you don't play nice, act politically, kiss enough ass, nobody wants to sell you the raw materials you need! Given my injuries, I find myself in a situation where I need to act through an intermediary." He pointed a bony finger at Alexandre. "Since recent speculation has caused prices to soar, you'll do just fine for my purposes."

Well, Alexandre couldn't deny that this was a very good offer. "Alright," he said, "it's a deal. But on one condition."

"Oh, really? And what condition would that be?"

"I want the gauntlets right away. I'll pay the cash portion now, with the discount applied, and then I'll use the gauntlets to make the skull grinding far more efficient! It'll still take a bit of time, of course."

The merchant sat back and thought about this. It was clear that he knew this was his only choice of getting rid of such a niche Boxer weapon anytime soon. Offensive Boxers who could afford such a weapon were nearly extinct, after all. But would it be worth the risk of Alexandre simply taking the gauntlets and leaving forever? "At the very least," he mused out loud, "I don't think there's much risk of you dying to the Zombies after taking my goods… you don't strike me as a complete idiot who'd die to Tier-E Zombies, especially not with my craftsmanship at your disposal."

Alexandre gave him a smirk. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

The seller finally said, "Alright, you've got yourself a deal! But you'd best not forget: We freelance crafters might seem like rivals and enemies out here in the bazaar, but we've got our loyalty to one another and to the community at large. If you rip me off, you'll be stuck with the Terra Corp shop for the rest of your career… and if you're lucky, that's all that'll happen to you."

Alexandre smiled. "Like you said, I'm not a complete idiot. We've got a deal."

The merchant took down the number from Alexandre's Pip-Boy, then showed him a shopping terminal.

$850,000. The price stared Alexandre right in the eye. It was as though he was looking into the slavering maw of a savage monster.

Nonetheless, Alexandre gathered all of his courage and took a deep breath. "I hope I'm not making a mistake," he muttered to himself. But it was clear that no other investment would pay off like this one would. He needed more power, and he needed it now.

So Alexandre sent the payment, holding his breath until the "Payment accepted" message appeared on the terminal. His heart skipped a beat. There was no going back now.

The salesman gave a huge smile. "Thank you for your patronage!" He stretched out his hand. "Jasper Grosburg at your service. I hope this is the beginning of a wonderful partnership."

Alexandre took his hand. "You're welcome, and thank you as well. I'm Alexandre Hautville."

Jasper replied, "Well, Alexandre, I wish you luck in your first year on this island. I don't know if it's still the case, but students used to gain access to the training island during the first trimester. If you want to make a little extra money after you pay off what you owe me, I'll buy any intact Tier-E Zombie skulls for $50,000 each."

Alexandre replied, "$50,000!? Wow, that's incredible! These things must really be worth it for crafters."

Jasper smirked. "If you're as skilled as I am, a $50,000 investment becomes a weapon worth over a million. It took many years for my skills to reach that point, of course."

Alexandre nodded. "That's a high return indeed. Well, I'll think about your offer, thank you."

The two men parted ways, each content with their part in the agreement. But only time would tell whether Alexandre's investment, and Jasper's gamble, would pay off.

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