Bab 15: Central Bazaar
After getting directions from the AI robot, Vincent rode the elevator up to the tenth floor. As soon as the doors slid open, he stepped out into a long, wide hallway. At the far end, a crowded entrance buzzed with activity as people flowed in and out, while guards with serious expressions, dressed in sleek, skin-tight armor, kept a watchful eye on the scene.
One of the guards stepped forward as Vincent approached.
"Let me see your ID," the guard said, holding out his hand.
Without a moment's hesitation, Vincent presented his Origin Warrior License. The guard examined both Vincent and the card carefully. Although the card labeled him as just a Rank 0 Origin Warrior, the guard couldn't help but feel an unusual pressure coming from Vincent. Confused, but brushing it aside, the guard returned the license and handed Vincent a black token.
Vincent inspected the smooth black token, noticing a countdown timer ticking away.
"What's this for?" Vincent asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's your visitor's token," the guard explained, his voice steady. "It tracks how much time you have left to stay in the bazaar and is only good for this floor. If you want to go to any higher levels, you'll need the Host's permission and top-tier items to qualify."
Vincent gave a nod of understanding, now aware he had just two hours. Thanking the guard, he moved forward and entered the Central Bazaar.
As Vincent stepped into the bazaar, he was immediately swept up by the lively atmosphere. The immense space was filled with vendors and buyers, their chatter blending into a constant hum of activity. The bazaar stretched out so far that he couldn't see its end from where he stood.
"Armor materials for sale! Check out my stall!"
"Buying common items here!"
"Selling common and uncommon skill books!"
Vincent was taken aback by the sheer scale of the market, having never experienced anything like it before in this world. His Heaven Eye skill activated, allowing him to sense the strength of those around him. Most of the people he passed were Rank 0 to Rank 1 Origin Warriors, with the occasional Rank 2 mixed into the crowd.
As he wandered through the bustling marketplace, his attention was drawn to a particularly crowded stall: the Lucky Stone Stall.
"Step right up!" the vendor called out enthusiastically. "Try your luck by cracking open a lucky stone for just 10 Origin Crystals or 10,000 credits! You might find a rare gem worth over 100,000 credits or more!"
The vendor, an elderly man with a long, wispy goatee, stroked his beard as he continued promoting his goods.
"I'll even give you a discount—five Lucky Stones for only 40,000 credits or 40 Origin Crystals!"
A brash-looking Origin Warrior from the crowd stepped forward with a confident grin.
"Give me five! Today's the day I clean you out!"
The old man's lips curled into a teasing smile.
"Ho ho, looks like you didn't learn your lesson from yesterday, did you?"
"Shut it, old man! Today's my lucky day!" the warrior snapped.
"If you say so. It's your money, after all."
The man selected five stones and handed them to the vendor.
"Crack them open already!" he demanded impatiently.
The vendor chuckled softly before raising a hammer.
"As you wish, let's see what fortune has in store for you..."
With a sharp bang, he brought the hammer down on the first stone.
It was empty.
"That's your first stone. Unfortunate," the old man said, his voice dripping with feigned sympathy.
Grinding his teeth, the man barked, "I've still got four left! Keep going!"
"Very well, onto the next one," the vendor replied calmly.
Bang!
The second stone was also empty.
The third and fourth stones yielded the same results, and frustration was etched deeply into the warrior's face. His fists clenched tightly as he struggled to contain his anger.
"This is a scam! Your stones are all rigged!" he accused, glaring at the vendor.
"Now, now," the old man said with a shrug, "this is all a game of chance. You weren't forced to buy my stones. I'm not responsible for your bad luck."
Seething, the man's lips trembled with fury, but there was nothing more he could do.
"Just open the last one," he growled.
"As you wish," the vendor said, raising his hammer one final time.
Bang!
The last stone didn't split immediately but showed a few cracks.
Seeing this, the man's eyes gleamed with a flicker of hope.
Bang!
With the second strike, the stone broke apart, revealing a small green gem inside.
"Congratulations!" the vendor announced theatrically. "You've uncovered a speed enhancement gem!"
The man let out a triumphant shout.
"Yes! I knew it! I won!"
"Indeed," the vendor agreed. "You can sell that gem for 20,000 credits or 20 Origin Crystals."
The warrior's excitement faded quickly as he realized that even with the gem, he had still lost 20 Origin Crystals overall.
"You swindling old bastard! I still lost out on this!"
The vendor merely chuckled.
"That's how it goes, young man. You win some, you lose some."
Furious but defeated, the man stormed off, grumbling under his breath. Vincent had observed the entire scene from a distance.
"Anyone else feeling lucky?" the vendor called out to the crowd. His gaze scanned the area before settling on Vincent, who was watching intently.
"You there! You look like a newly awakened warrior. Want to try your luck? I'll give you a special discount—just 5 Origin Crystals for one stone!"
The crowd, having witnessed the last customer's frustration, started to voice their disapproval.
"Hey, Old Feng! You're trying to scam a newbie now?"
"Yeah, you old fox! Don't pick on the kid!"
But the vendor, unfazed by their protests, scoffed, "Hmph! I'm not forcing anyone to buy. If you're not interested, then move along!"
He turned back to Vincent with a sly grin. "So, what do you say, young man? Feeling lucky?"
Vincent met the vendor's gaze, his mind churning with amusement. 'This old man thinks I'm easy prey…'
With a subtle smirk, Vincent responded, "How about we make it a bit more interesting?"
The vendor's eyes gleamed at the challenge.
"Oh? What do you have in mind, boy?"
Vincent's smile grew.
"I'll buy just one stone. If I find a gem inside, you pay me double the market price."
"And if you lose?" the vendor countered, intrigued.
"Then I'll pay double the normal price for your stones."
The old man burst into laughter.
"You've got guts, kid! Alright, if you're so eager to give me your money, who am I to refuse?"
Still smiling, Vincent stepped forward and began inspecting the stones carefully.
"Take your time, lad," the vendor taunted, "but remember, you've only got about two hours left for your stay!"
Vincent ignored the old man's jibes, carefully examining the stones laid out before him. After several minutes of silent inspection, he finally selected one.
"Ha! Took you long enough!" Old Feng chuckled. "I thought you were going to spend your whole time here staring at rocks. You sure about that choice? I'll give you one last chance to change your mind—this one's probably empty!"
Vincent's smile remained unchanged.
"I'm satisfied with my choice. Go ahead and open it."
The confidence in Vincent's voice baffled Old Feng, but the vendor shook his head with a grin.
"Alright then, don't say I didn't warn you!" He raised his hammer and, with a resounding bang, struck the stone.
To his shock, the stone didn't shatter like the others. Instead, cracks formed along its surface, and a glint of something shimmered through the fractures.
Old Feng's laughter faded as the crowd leaned in, murmuring in surprise. Vincent's smirk widened.
"Well, I'll be!" the vendor exclaimed, his voice catching in his throat.
"The kid's got beginner's luck! There's a gem in there!"
The vendor struck the stone again, and it cracked open fully to reveal a high-quality power enhancement gem. The crowd gasped.
"That's no ordinary gem," one of the onlookers whispered. "That one could go for 150,000 credits, easy!"
"And the deal was for double the market price!" another shouted.
"Old Feng's gonna have to pay up 300,000 credits!"
Laughter rippled through the crowd, and those who had lost money to the vendor earlier couldn't hide their satisfaction at his predicament.
"Looks like Old Feng's finally taken a hit!" they jeered.
Old Feng's face twitched with barely concealed frustration, but he forced a strained smile.
"Alright, alright, you lot! I'm not so shameless as to cheat a young man!" He shot a glare at the crowd before turning to Vincent.
With a bitter tone, the vendor spoke, "I'll pay up, but you've got to wager with me one more time. After all, I accepted your first bet, didn't I?"
Vincent's smile vanished, and his face darkened.
"You're being pretty shameless, old man," he said coldly. "You're the one who pushed me into buying a stone in the first place."
But Old Feng, seeing Vincent's stern expression, became convinced the young man had just gotten lucky. There was no way it could happen twice.
The vendor's eyes gleamed with confidence as he said, "Not shameless, lad—just giving you another chance to win more! What do you say? Will you take another bet?"
Vincent paused, as if in deep thought, then gave a small nod.
"What are the terms?"
"Same as before," Old Feng replied eagerly.
"If you win, I'll pay double the market price again. But if I win, I won't pay you your previous winnings, and you'll have to pay for all the stones you've opened."
Vincent didn't answer immediately, pretending to weigh the risks. After a moment, he nodded in agreement.
"Good!" Old Feng's grin widened. He knew there were fewer than ten stones left on the table, and based on his experience, he was certain that all the remaining ones were worthless.
"Pick your stone," he said, his voice dripping with smug confidence.
Vincent approached the table once more, his expression grave. He took his time, carefully inspecting each remaining stone, while the crowd watched in silence, the tension rising with each passing moment.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Vincent made his choice.
"This one," he said calmly, handing it to the vendor.
Old Feng's eyes sparkled with excitement. He was sure this stone was empty.
"Ready to lose, boy?" he taunted one last time, lifting his hammer.
Vincent remained silent, his face unreadable as he watched the vendor.
Bang!
The first strike didn't split the stone, but a crack appeared.
Old Feng's smile faltered, but he kept going. Bang!
The second blow shattered the stone open, and to the vendor's utter disbelief, another gem lay nestled inside. But this time, the gem wasn't just valuable—it was even more precious than the last one.
The crowd erupted in cheers, some clapping in excitement at Vincent's astonishing luck. A wide smile spread across Vincent's face as he calmly looked at Old Feng, his eyes sparkling with amusement. It was as if Vincent had known all along what would happen.
"You… you knew, didn't you?" Old Feng stammered, his voice barely audible over the noise of the crowd. His expression was a mix of shock, disbelief, and grudging respect. The old man stared at Vincent, realizing he had completely underestimated him.
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