Chương 14: Market Maneuvers and a Deadly Encounter

So as Leo left the Blacksmith place, He then made his way into the market, immediately overwhelmed by the bustling crowd. The sights and sounds were unlike anything he'd seen before—vampires and werewolves haggling over prices, vendors shouting out their wares, and a cacophony of voices filling the air. It was all new to him, and he had no idea what the fair prices were. He felt out of place and vulnerable, knowing that without understanding the local market rates, he could easily be overcharged.

As he wandered around, scanning the various stalls filled with fresh produce, meats, and exotic spices, his eyes landed on a woman wearing a maid outfit. She stood out among the other shoppers, her presence almost regal. She was definitely a vampire, with her pale skin and sharp red eyes, but what caught Leo's attention was the way she interacted with the vendors. He watched her negotiate prices with a sharp, no-nonsense attitude, forcing even the most stubborn sellers to lower their prices.

Leo thought quickly. *If I follow her lead and buy exactly what she buys at the same prices, I can avoid getting cheated,* he reasoned. He decided to shadow her through the market, using his super hearing to eavesdrop on her negotiations.

Keeping a safe distance, he followed her from stall to stall. She haggled over fresh vegetables, dried herbs, and sacks of grain, her voice firm as she bargained each vendor down. Leo waited until she left each stall, then approached the seller and used her exact words. *"But the lady who just left bought it at this price,"* he'd say, and the vendor, clearly annoyed but unwilling to argue further, would relent and sell him the goods at the same rate.

For a while, Leo felt smug. His plan was working flawlessly, and his bags were filling up with foodstuffs at fair prices. However, as he approached the next stall, he noticed the maid looking back at him. She caught his eye, then raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Finally, she turned fully around and walked up to him.

"Why are you stalking me?" she asked, her tone sharp but not hostile.

Leo froze, realizing he had been caught. He had assumed his plan was clever and subtle, but now he was cornered. He tried to think of a plausible excuse but quickly abandoned the idea. He knew it wouldn't work.

With a sigh, he decided to come clean. "I'm actually new in town," he admitted, giving her an apologetic smile. "I don't know how much goods are sold here, and I didn't want to get ripped off by the vendors. I noticed how you were haggling and figured you knew the market well, so I thought I'd follow your lead."

The maid's expression remained skeptical. "And why did you choose me, of all people, to follow?"

Leo hesitated, then pointed at her maid outfit. "Because you're wearing a maid uniform, I figured you might be familiar with the market. Plus, I saw you bargaining effectively—the sellers didn't seem too happy about lowering their prices. I thought that following you would be the best way to get fair rates, and I used the excuse that 'the lady before me bought it at this price.'"

The maid scrutinized him for a moment, her gaze sharp. Then she glanced down at the bags in his hands, noting they were filled with nearly identical items to what she had purchased. Finally, she let out a small sigh, her expression softening slightly.

"Okay, I believe you," she said, though there was still a hint of suspicion in her eyes. "But next time, just ask. Stalking someone isn't exactly a great way to make friends in a new place."

Leo chuckled, feeling a wave of relief. "Fair point. I'll remember that next time."

The maid gave him a brief nod. "Well, I'm done shopping for the day. Do you still need to buy more?"

Leo glanced at his bags, now filled to the brim. "No, I think I've got everything I need. Plus, I've figured out the going rates for most things now. Thanks for not calling me out in front of everyone."

She smirked, a slight amusement in her eyes. "Just be careful. Not everyone would take kindly to being followed."

With a final nod, the maid turned and disappeared into the crowd. Leo watched her go, Saying Goodbye.

Leo rushed back to the mountain, his mind racing with a sense of urgency. The city had been an overwhelming experience, but at least he had managed to gather supplies without much trouble, thanks to his quick thinking at the market. As he entered the mansion, he was greeted by Alisha, who seemed surprised to see him back so soon.

"Here," Leo handed over the bags filled with foodstuff. "I've got everything we need for now. Can you cook?"

Alisha hesitated, looking down at the bags. "Only a little," she admitted.

"That's fine," Leo said with a reassuring smile. "There should be some pots and pans in the kitchen. You can make something simple for yourself. Oh, and here," he handed her a piece of barbecued meat, "this should keep you going for now. Just make sure to leave some leftovers for me when I get back."

Alisha looked up at him, her expression shifting to one of concern. "Where are you going?" she asked in a quiet, almost pleading tone. "I hope you'll come back..."

Leo felt a pang of guilt at her words. He knew she had been through a traumatic experience, kidnapped and brought into an unfamiliar place. Her fear of being left alone was understandable. He gently patted her head. "Don't worry, I'll be back. I promise," he said, giving her a comforting smile. "Just whatever you do, don't leave the house, okay?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes still filled with worry. "Okay."

With that, Leo left the mansion and made his way to the Forest of Chanter. The system had given him coordinates where a powerful monster, the Shadow Goblin, was reportedly hiding. He knew he needed to gain experience, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

As he arrived at the forest clearing, he was met with the sight of chaos. A group of C-rank vampire adventurers were battling the Shadow Goblin, their attacks causing ripples of destruction in the surrounding area. The adventurers were struggling, and Leo could tell that their regenerative abilities were barely keeping up with the onslaught of the monster's attacks.

The Shadow Goblin was a formidable opponent. It moved fluidly, disappearing into its own shadow and reappearing behind the adventurers, striking with twice the power of their own attacks. The creature's unique ability seemed like a counter technique—any time it was attacked from behind, a black smoke would envelop it, and it would instantly teleport behind its attacker, delivering a retaliatory blow with double the strength. Leo observed this pattern closely, noticing the distinct way the smoke appeared just before the Goblin shifted position.

Leo also noticed its shadow clones—three copies of the Goblin that split its power evenly. The clones only lasted for about two minutes before disappearing, and there was a cooldown period of five minutes before the Goblin could summon them again.

*This monster is strong, but it's not invincible,* Leo thought to himself. *Its shadow manipulation has a time limit, and its counter ability only triggers when it's attacked from behind while distracted.* He continued analyzing the fight. Despite their numbers, the adventurers seemed unable to break through the Goblin's defenses. One of them looked particularly injured, his clothes torn and bloodied, struggling to keep up.

Leo clenched his fists, feeling the adrenaline pump through his veins. He debated whether to join the fight. *If I go in alone, I'll probably get overwhelmed... but if I help them, we might have a chance to take it down together.*

However, his rational side also warned him of the risks. He was a newcomer, unfamiliar with the abilities of the adventurers around him. If they were reckless or uncoordinated, they might make the fight even more chaotic. And if he revealed his full strength, there was no telling how the vampires would react.

Leo's gaze shifted to the injured adventurer, struggling to fend off one of the shadow clones. It was clear that if something wasn't done soon, this group would be wiped out. He made up his mind.

*I can't just stand by and watch them die. Even if it's risky, it's better than doing nothing.*

Taking a deep breath, Leo stepped into the fray. The adventurers noticed him immediately, their eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and confusion. One of them, a tall, burly vampire wielding a greatsword, shouted at him. "Who are you? This isn't a place for amateurs! Get back before you get yourself killed!"

Leo didn't respond. Instead, he activated his own abilities, feeling the surge of power flow through him. He dashed towards one of the shadow clones, striking it with a swift, precise blow. The clone dissipated into smoke, caught off guard by the unexpected attack.

The burly vampire's eyes widened in surprise. "You... took down a clone in one hit?" he muttered.

Leo turned to face the adventurers. "Listen, I know this might be sudden, but if we work together, we can take this thing down. I've noticed its abilities and weaknesses. If we coordinate our attacks, we have a chance."

The leader of the group, a female vampire with a scar across her cheek, glanced at her comrades, then back at Leo. She seemed to weigh her options quickly before nodding. "Fine. We could use the help. What's your plan?"

Leo pointed at the Shadow Goblin, now eyeing them with a wary expression. "Its shadow manipulation only lasts for 60 seconds, and its counter ability only activates when it's attacked from behind while distracted. We need to bait out its counter, then overwhelm it during its cooldown period. I'll go in and bait the counter. When it teleports behind me, that's your chance to strike."

The adventurers nodded, quickly forming a circle around the Goblin. Leo took a deep breath and sprinted towards the monster, intentionally leaving his back exposed. As expected, the Goblin lunged at him, black smoke swirling around its form. Just as it teleported behind him, Leo spun around, already anticipating the move, and parried the strike.

"Now!" he shouted.

The adventurers moved in unison. The female vampire slashed at the Goblin with her twin daggers, while the others launched a barrage of spells and physical attacks. The Shadow Goblin let out a shriek as it was overwhelmed, unable to counter in time.

As the Shadow Goblin's body began to waver under the combined onslaught of the adventurers, something unexpected happened. The creature let out a deafening roar, a deep guttural sound that seemed to shake the very ground beneath them. Its shadowy form pulsed, and a dark aura began to emanate from it, thicker and more ominous than before.

The female vampire leader's eyes widened in horror. "No, it's going into rage mode! Everyone, retreat now!" she shouted, her voice filled with urgency. "When it's in this state, its cooldowns are reset, and its abilities are enhanced. We can't handle it like this—fall back! and the sun has set maybe that is what caused the rage mode".

The adventurers needed no further prompting. They quickly broke formation, fleeing in different directions, leaping through the trees and disappearing into the dense forest. Leo turned to follow, his instincts screaming at him to get as far away as possible. He could sense the power radiating from the enraged Goblin—its strength had multiplied, and any direct confrontation would be suicide.

As the group retreated, one of the vampires, a young man with a bow, was sprinting through the trees at high speed. He looked back briefly to check the distance between him and the Goblin when, out of nowhere, the creature leapt towards him from the shadows, its claws gleaming with dark energy.

Leo, who was also fleeing through the treetops, glanced up just in time to see the Goblin descending upon the young archer. "Watch out!" Leo shouted at the top of his lungs.

The vampire reacted quickly, twisting his body at the last second. Instead of a fatal blow, the Goblin's claws grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep scratch but sparing him a far worse fate. The vampire gritted his teeth in pain but managed to continue fleeing, aided by two of his comrades who rushed to his side and helped him escape.

The leader, glancing back to make sure her team was safe, called out, "Move, everyone! We need to get out of its range!" The group sprinted deeper into the forest, assuming Leo was right behind them.

But as Leo landed on a branch, something strange happened. A few droplets of blood from the wounded archer had splattered into the air and landed on his lips. He instinctively licked his lips, tasting the vampire blood. Suddenly, his heart began to pound violently in his chest. The world around him started to spin, and he felt a surge of energy rushing through his veins, hotter than anything he'd ever experienced. His vision blurred, and he felt a strange, overwhelming sensation taking hold of him.

*What... what's happening to me?* he thought, clutching his chest as his heartbeat thundered in his ears. He felt his consciousness slipping away, unable to resist the force pulling him under.

His legs gave out, and Leo fell, his body collapsing onto the branch. The last thing he saw before everything went black was the dark, cloudy sky above, and the faint outline of the enraged Shadow Goblin in the distance.

Then everything faded to darkness.

bình luận bình luận của 0

Bình chọn

GỬI QUÀ TẶNG

next chapter

Load failed, please RETRY