Celine dropped down from above using her Soul Threads, quickly arriving in front of the semi-enclosed booth.
Gunner was still standing by the table.
The betting tickets he had just lost had already turned to ash, scattered in the spilled wine.
His breathing was heavy, his flushed, purple-red face had not yet returned to normal, and white steam was still puffing fitfully from his ears.
The other guests nearby were clearly long accustomed to this sight. Instead of offering comfort, they laughed heartily.
“Lost again?”
“How many times is that tonight?”
“Gunner, if you really have nothing left to wager, why don't you try ripping that horn off your head?”
“Get lost!”
Gunner slammed his palm onto the table, sending the bone dice bouncing.
Seeing that he was truly about to lose his temper, the guests chuckled and dispersed.
Celine stopped in front of the table and placed the dark red iron token before Gunner.
“I'm here to discuss a transaction.”
Gunner, who was still fuming, reined in his anger slightly upon seeing the iron token. He asked, “From the Old Machinery Yard?”
Celine pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down, her gaze sweeping over the empty chip tray on the table. “The six wagons, seven camel-beasts, and the remaining tools and parts of the Windwing Caravan.
“I want all of them.”
The anger in Gunner's eyes quickly faded, replaced by an undisguised, probing stare.
He first looked at the black cloak Celine wore, then at the mask on her face, greed reflecting in his eyes. “Then tell me first, how much are you prepared to pay?”
Celine leaned back against her chair. Instead of offering a price directly, she asked, “What was the valuation given by the Old Machinery Yard?”
Gunner was taken aback for a moment, then let out a sneer from his throat. “Are you here to do business with me, or with that gnome who loves selling scrap metal as if it were treasure?”
Celine's gaze fell on the dark red iron token on the table. “Since you also know those wagons are basically scrap metal, the price shouldn't be too high.”
The smirk on Gunner's face froze. He had clearly only meant to disparage the Old Machinery Yard, but he hadn't expected her to use it to drive down the price. “Don't play word games with me.”
Gunner waved his hand in annoyance, picked up the remaining half-glass of wine, gulped it down, and held up five fingers to Celine. “Five thousand black tokens.”
Celine remained silent, but for a brief second, she wanted to use her Soul Threads to wrench the horn off his head and see if it was actually worth five thousand.
Was he selling wagons, or did he think she was some sucker who had come to bail him out of his debt?
Of the six wagons, one could only be dismantled for parts, and the other five needed repairs.
What, were the wheels made of solid gold, or was there a god hidden inside the carriages?
He was really just pulling numbers out of thin air.
Celine suppressed her anger, showing no outward sign of emotion. “Five thousand is too high.”
Gunner stared at her for a moment, as if trying to judge whether she genuinely found it too expensive or simply couldn't afford it.
The surrounding cheers continued to swell, the shifting odds above the arena reflecting in his eyes.
After a moment, he tapped the table impatiently. “Then two thousand six hundred.”
Celine hadn't expected him to drop the price so readily. The five thousand from earlier had indeed just been a random high-ball to test if she was an easy mark, seeing how eager she was to buy.
Two thousand six hundred was likely the figure he actually wanted.
But she only had three hundred and eighty-six black tokens on her right now, which was still a far cry from two thousand six hundred.
Celine tapped the iron token on the table, attempting to lower the price further. “Of the six wagons, one can only be dismantled for parts. The axles, harnesses, and shock-absorbing magic runes of the other five all need repairs. The seven camel-beasts haven't carried cargo in a long time and will need to be re-examined before officially hitting the road.
“On top of that, there's the storage fees accumulated at the Old Machinery Yard. Two thousand six hundred is still too high.”
The impatience on Gunner's face grew heavier, white steam huffing from his nose. “I already dropped it from five thousand to two thousand six hundred.” He leaned back, his tone carrying the arrogance of someone who believed they had made a massive concession. “Not a single token less.”
Celine was in no hurry to reply. She simply felt that two thousand six hundred tokens did not reflect the true value of the vehicles.
But judging by Gunner's attitude, this was already the lowest price he was willing to accept.
Celine didn't press the argument further, her attention drawn instead to the mark on his wrist.
She didn't recognize what it was.
However, whenever Gunner's gaze drifted toward a nearby betting station, the ring-shaped mark would glow with a piercing red light.
It seemed he hadn't just lost all the black tokens in his possession.
The Red Well also seemed to have temporarily revoked his eligibility to place bets through some method.
No wonder he refused to budge on the two thousand six hundred tokens.
This amount likely wasn't the value he placed on the caravan, but rather the capital he deemed sufficient to get back to the betting table and win back everything he had lost.
Celine withdrew her gaze and spoke calmly. “You're very short on money.”
Gunner's face darkened, his tone instantly growing irritable. “Who that comes here isn't short on money?”
He realized Celine had been observing the chips on the table and his wrist earlier, and the irritation of being read so easily quickly welled up inside him. “Are you buying or not?”
Gunner slapped his hand over the dark red iron token on the table, growling, “If you can afford it, pay up. If you can't, don't sit here wasting my time.”
Celine didn't answer, nor did she produce any black tokens.
She merely watched him in silence.
The brief silence caught Gunner off guard.
Then, as if finally realizing something, his gaze swept over Celine again, and the annoyance on his face gradually morphed into blatant mockery. “After all that talk, it turns out you don't have any money either.”
He had assumed that since she had researched the wagons' condition and dared to seek him out alone in the Red Well, she would at least have some backing.
To think it was all just big talk.
Gunner leaned back in his seat and deliberately raised his voice. “You can't even produce two thousand six hundred black tokens, yet you dare come to me to buy wagons?”
Hearing the commotion, several nearby tables of guests turned their heads to look.
Seeing this, Gunner's smugness grew.
He lifted his chin, gesturing toward the central arena. “If you're really that desperate for money, go down there and bet your life. The Red Well has plenty of things, but what it lacks least is fools willing to trade their lives for black tokens.”
Several bursts of laughter immediately erupted around them.
“With a frame like hers, how long could she even last down there?”
“If she's lucky, she might leave a whole corpse.”
“Not necessarily. The Red Well recycles corpses. Maybe they'll credit her a few black tokens for it.”
The laughter was quickly swallowed by the deafening cheers of the arena.
Gunner leaned back against his chair again, crossing his arms as he looked at Celine, expecting her to leave in a fit of rage.
Celine didn't get angry. On the contrary, she felt that Gunner actually had a point.
She was indeed short on money right now. Her three hundred and eighty-six black tokens weren't even enough to cover a fraction of the cost of the wagons.
Furthermore, returning to Crow Candle Castle to fetch money was out of the question. The round trip would take too long, and by the time she returned, all her prior efforts would be wasted.
Celine looked up, her gaze shifting to the crimson crystals above the arena that had just refreshed.
The previous match details had vanished, replaced by three new defenders appearing on the crystal surface.
【Newcomer Free Challenge】
【Defender: Weeping Banshee Meisha】
【Defender: Windblade Hunter Hena】
【Defender: Ironhorn Wrath Talu】
【Challengers may choose their own opponent】
【Victory Conditions: Death, surrender, incapacitation, or leaving the arena boundaries】
Gunner noticed where she was looking, the mockery on his face intensifying. “What? No money to buy wagons, so you're really planning to go down there and trade your life?”
Celine ignored him, instead activating her 【Fog Mirror Earrings】 to look at the three waiting areas around the arena.
The 【Fog Mirror Earrings】 warmed slightly, and basic information surfaced in sequence.
【Meisha】
【Race: Aberrant】
【Primary Class: Soul Class】
【Sub-class: Nature Attribute (Fog-type)】
【Notable Attributes: Spirit, Perception】
【Current Status: Fatigued】
The banshee's body was nearly transparent, grayish-white mist continuously pouring from her hollow eye sockets.
Those of the Soul Class were exceptionally sensitive to soul fluctuations; it would be very difficult to hide Soul Threads from her.
Celine shifted her gaze to the second defender.
【Hena】
【Race: Insectoid】
【Primary Class: Martial Class】
【Sub-class: Nature Attribute (Wind-type)】
【Notable Attributes: Agility】
【Current Status: Healthy】
Hena had a pair of wings on his back and held two daggers as thin as cicada wings, the blades wrapped in fine currents of wind.
He was fast, and his attacks focused on slashing—another counter to her Soul Threads.
Finally, Celine looked at the third defender.
【Talu】
【Race: Beastkin】
【Primary Class: Martial Class】
【Sub-class: Malice】
【High Strength, High Defense】
【Low Agility, Low Perception】
【Current Status: Old Right Knee Injury】
Talu, as shown on the crystal, stood nearly three meters tall. Heavy iron armor covered most of his body, and two massive, black horns curved forward, almost as thick as an adult's arm.
Celine's gaze lingered on the "Old Right Knee Injury" for a moment before shifting back to the central arena.
Over a dozen black stone pillars supporting the protective barrier stood around the arena, with a striking red line drawn along the edge.
Crossing the red line also counted as a loss.
With her current strength, she indeed couldn't block Talu.
But if she exploited his traits and old injury, there might be an opportunity.
Even if her judgment was slightly off, 【Twilight Inscription】 was enough to shield her from a single fatal mistake.
Gunner sneered from the side, pointing at Talu. “That bull has already won twelve consecutive matches. Someone like you probably wouldn't even be able to dodge one of his horns.”
Celine turned her head to look at Gunner, her tone rising. “You think I'm bound to lose?”
“Is that even a question?” Gunner scoffed. “If you can last half a minute against any one of them, I'll admit you have some skill.”
“Then let's make a bet.” Celine slid the dark red iron token to the center of the table.
The smile on Gunner's face froze for a fraction of a second before curiosity took over. “What's the wager?”
Celine took out all the black tokens she had and placed them on the table. “There are three hundred and eighty-six black tokens here in total.”
Gunner's eyes were instantly drawn to them. To other gamblers, this sum might be nothing.
But to Gunner, who currently couldn't even produce a single black token, it was enough to get him back to the betting table for another match.
Celine pushed the bag of black tokens to the center of the table and looked him in the eyes. “If I challenge Talu and lose, all of these black tokens are yours.”
Gunner's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked her up and down. “And if you win?”
Celine stared at the tall Aberrant in front of her through her black mask, her voice firm and clear:
“The six wagons, seven camel-beasts, and all the tools and accompanying goods left behind by the Windwing Caravan.
“They all go to me, completely free of charge.”
Rate on N.U.
