Anime: Fight Sukuna at the beginning?.

Chapter 452 The First 'Dungeon'

Gu Qi, holding the identity plaque, remained silent.

Instead, he gripped the shield in his hand very cautiously.

Some silver-white runes, like flickering flames, also lit up on his neck.

His aura was almost boiling, and within this vast guild, a scorching shackle, nearly tangible, pressed down on the bandits.

This caused the robber's body to hunch over instantly, as if he had shrunk by half.

Only then did they respond.

Don't answer questions with questions!

Why are you hiding your presence to eavesdrop?
"Where did you hear that man's name from!"

Feeling the astonishing aura emanating from the woman not far away.

The robber first squinted and examined the mechanical shield in the woman's hand.

The feasibility of destroying the opponent's equipment was assessed.

At the same time, through the red dot of "Eliminate Evil Completely" to perceive that the other party, despite their bad attitude, is not an 'enemy'.

The robbers then leisurely displayed their "power" with the intention of "breaking the law and subduing evil".

He gradually diminished the woman's oppressive aura.

After assessing the situation through the woman, he killed the Minister and the Imperial Arms User during the mission, and plundered their 'power'.

After learning battle aura, the skill strength is adjusted after being fitted by the [Talent] system.

The robber straightened his back under the woman's astonished gaze, and then clicked as he drew his flintlock pistol from his waist.

He pointed the dark muzzle of the gun at the woman and gave a very calm reply.

"Refuse to answer, bullet."

"Providing a response is a convenience within the rules."

Then he pulled out a dagger from his belt and brandished it at the woman.

He made a provocative gesture, revealing his identity.

"Or would you like to have a showdown with 'the cleaner'?"
"Let's see who that man's strongest partner is!"

After issuing the warning, the robber calmly gave his questions.

"Would it be comfortable to talk to him?"
-
Looking at the bandit whose imposing presence rivaled his own, and listening to the identity revealed in the other party's words.

After sensing that the two weapons of the opponent had an aura that was different from other weapons, they were able to detect their unique characteristics.

Having confirmed the other party's identity, Gu Qi then carefully examined the robber in front of him from head to toe.

After reading through Fang Yi's previously polite private messages...

She gave an uncertain reply based on her 'boss's' information.

"Handsome face?"

The robber nodded and put down his gun.

"There are many ways to get to other towns, but you need to explore them."

Gu Qi lowered his shield slightly and tentatively gave a reply.

"Does the number start with G?"
"12xxx?"

The robber tucked his flintlock pistol into his waistband and glanced at his private message history.

Then a string of numbers was revealed.

"12781."

Gu Qi lowered his shield.

Since the 'cleaner' can know the other party's number.

According to the 'rules', that man is definitely not the other party's enemy.

The woman gave an answer.

"I don't know where he is. Maybe he'll come here, or maybe he'll go to another town."
-
[They're not acquaintances of his, at least not now.]

The robbers withdrew their momentum.

They also lost interest in talking to the other party.

"Upgrading your [Mercenary Level] will automatically teach you how to travel to other towns."

"If you have any news about him, you can pass it on to the guild. I won't leave this town until I've completed my 'duty'."

After giving his reply, the robber glanced at the notice board.

Then he walked to the counter.

Write an announcement.

"【Eradicating Evil Completely】is searching for 【the person holding the list in the thick fog】, if you want..."

The man behind the counter wrote down the robber's words and tentatively asked a question.

"Instructor Disma, where should we hang it, and how long will it take?"
"There are some that cost 100 a day, but the ones in the very center cost 200 a day."

The robber threw a money bag to the man.

"In the center, forever."

Even after leaving their contact information, the robbers still seemed uneasy.

He then pulled out two more money pouches.

"Notify all rotating staff to repeat this message to all newcomers to the guild."

"If someone recommends me..."

After setting the bounty and publishing the task that the reincarnators can see.

The robber walked out of the guild without looking back.

Watching the robbers leave, he recalled his boss's description of men.

Gu Qi had even more doubts about the man named Fang Yi in her heart.

[This 'cleaner' is quite strong, and Fang Yi, who can become his partner, should also be quite powerful.]

But wasn't he just promoted to Rank 2 [Alchemist]?

The woman, filled with doubt, sat back down in her chair, lost in thought.

She started recalling the private messages the man had sent her before.

The man's words that left a deep impression on me, with their somewhat arrogant ignorance, made me burst into laughter: "I'm very strong."

At this moment, after pondering it several times in the woman's mind.

It seemed to have acquired some other, unique, and wonderful meaning that could not be precisely described in words.

[This is getting interesting. Does it mean that anyone valued by this young lady is no ordinary person?]

Gu Qi leaned back in his chair and gazed absently at the pristine white ceiling.

After unconsciously repeating the man's name in her mind several times.

The woman's curiosity about the man behind this name has risen at an incredible speed.

She glanced at the unusable private messages and the man's words in them.

A wonderful smile, like that of a child encountering a new and exciting toy, involuntarily appeared on his face.

Fang Yi, what kind of person are you really?

After uttering this exclamation, she stretched and moved her somewhat tired body a little.

They devised a course of action for the next step.

That 'cleaner' doesn't seem interested in cooperating.

"Then I'll have to rely on myself. Let's see if he comes here first, and at the same time, I'll increase my Mercenary Level to unlock Private Messages."

The woman looked at the pale sky and began to plan her remaining tasks.

Besides waiting for him, I also need to wait for that person to move forward with my plan.
-
Hamlet Town, midday.

"Boom boom boom!"

With a rapid knock on the door, Fang Yi pushed it open and saw the familiar Vaughn.

"I found the antique dealer you asked me to find in the guild."

"Or rather, he took the initiative to talk to us 'newcomers' who hadn't entered the 'dungeon' for the first time, and promoted himself."

He can indeed gain extra benefits in the 'dungeon'—

In his previous life, Fang Yi had relied on the "antique dealer" in the game to obtain valuable "antiques" through interactions and exchange them for money, which made him want to cheat. He frowned slightly.

He gestured for the somewhat hesitant swordsman to continue speaking.

"But a lot of new people came to the guild today, and there are quite a few people looking for him."

"And there is only one antique dealer whose mercenary level is no higher than Warrior lv2 who meets the conditions for entering the first 'dungeon'."

"Therefore, he hopes that we will show some 'sincerity' in the upcoming talks."

"You see?"

Trying to blackmail me using my skills!

Fang Yi, who possesses [extraordinary gravity], wore a standard smile.

"lead the way."
-
Hamlet Town, midday, tavern, second-floor private room.

Swordsman Vaughn was glaring fiercely at the man wearing a brown turban sitting opposite Fang Yizheng.

Or rather, this short man who leisurely writes the names of the dishes on the order form.

After seeing that the antique dealer had filled one sheet, he pulled out another.

After a trend of writing down all the food in the tavern.

Vaughn finally couldn't hold back any longer.

He first glanced at Fang Yi, who was standing to the side with a standard smile on his face.

She noticed the man's brow furrow slightly, clearly indicating his dissatisfaction with the other person's behavior.

He suddenly stood up and grabbed the antique dealer's hand.

He offered advice.

"Is this enough food, Mr. Sma?"

"If you keep ordering, you're already going beyond the scope of the free hospitality we offered during the cooperation negotiations!"

Sima looked at the swordsman who was holding his hand and whom he had assessed to be quite valuable, and slowly raised his head.

He gave a calm and innocent reply.

"It seems you're not very sincere about 'cooperating'!"
"You want to recruit an antique dealer who can bring extra benefits to the party through knowledge in the 'dungeon'. But you're not even willing to show this small bit of 'sincerity'?"
-
Vaughn turned to look at Fang Yi.

After seeing this, Fang Yi shook his head slightly, then reluctantly withdrew his hand and sat back down.

However, because he gripped the long sword at his waist with extreme force, several unusually ferocious blue veins appeared on the back of his hand.

This clearly demonstrates the swordsman's intention to strangle his opponent.

Looking at Vaughn, who had withdrawn his hand, and Fang Yi, who still had a smile on his face.

Sma revealed a smug smile and mocked his opponent.

"It seems your actions are somewhat superfluous, swordsman."

"He's nowhere near as calm and collected as the squad leader!"

As he spoke, Sima threw the paper in his hand in a huff.

He put on airs towards Fang Yi, who was smiling.

"Because of your rude behavior just now."

"The total reward for the first 'dungeon' has increased from 50% to 60%, and you will also have to give me an extra 500 'old gold coins' as a reward."

“I will not follow you into the ‘dungeon’ if the number is less than this.”

"Because someone has already offered a slightly lower price, I already know my own worth."
-
Seeing the swordsman's face turn red and he seemed about to make a move.

After greedily glancing at the armor on the other party's body and assessing that the price was within the 'fat sheep's' payment limit, he...

Sma began to calm the two down.

"Since you 'newbies' have come to me, it means you must already know that intelligence!"

"If there are two mercenaries in the team who are obtaining [Identity Badges] for the first time, what is the specific structure of the 'dungeon' you can enter for the first time?"

Vaughn gritted his teeth and spat out the rest of the intelligence.

"The difficulty will vary among five fixed options, but the overall difficulty remains relatively constant."

"You must clear the first 'dungeon' and gain the 'dungeon's' approval before you can gain the qualification to enter other 'dungeons'."

Sima smiled with satisfaction.

They continued to add to it.

"Then you should know these things too."

"After clearing the 'Dungeon' for the first time, if the team's total loot reaches a certain value, they will receive additional rewards from the 'Dungeon' when they leave."

"At the same time, since the difficulty is basically fixed, the total reward of the first 'dungeon' will also be used as an evaluation by the guild."

"A secret to indirectly assessing the abilities of mercenaries entering the 'dungeon' for the first time, and then granting them more preferential treatment?"

Seeing the two silent figures, Sima took out his [Apprentice lv1] [Identity Badge].

With a broad smile, he revealed his trump card.

"And I just happen to be the only one in town with a low [mercenary rank]."

"Therefore, it is possible to enter the 'Dungeon' by suppressing the requirement of [Hero lv2] which is the highest level required to enter the first 'Dungeon'."

"An antique dealer with the valuable knowledge of identification that allows them to recognize valuable items in the 'dungeon' that are not easily detected by ordinary people."

After revealing their 'trump card'.

Sima stood up and arrogantly uttered his last words.

"Can I continue ordering?"

"Perhaps you can wait for another antique dealer who meets the mercenary rank to appear in this town in the near future?"
"But I remember the first 'dungeon' had an opening cycle, right?"

"If you miss this brief opening opportunity before the 'Autumn Hunt,' you'll have to wait another month."
-
They nodded reluctantly and handed me the papers.

The swordsman gestures to himself as he orders his food.

Sima's smile grew even brighter.

"Wise choice!"

However, just before Sma was about to order...

Fang Yi, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

"Since we're finalizing the cooperation, let's go to the [Guild] to have the profit distribution notarized."

"Well, we still need to verify some things, like..."

Sima stopped writing the menu and looked up at Fang Yi.

This weak man, who doesn't know how to bargain and is like a steamed bun, lets me set the price.

In the eyes of Sima, a businessman, they had already been classified as "fat sheep" who were "inexperienced" and could be manipulated and slaughtered at his mercy.

And now this 'fat sheep' actually dares to rebel against me?

Therefore, Sma arrogantly raised his head and gave a reply.

Are you questioning my knowledge?
"I forgot to tell you about the skill of [Identification]."

"This is not something that a guild can obtain!"

"Although I am not an expert in this skill, I am able to [gather the magic power in the 'dungeon' to give some items strange effects and create magical equipment]."

"But even with the skill level of [Appraisal], which allows one to assess the value of items within a 'dungeon' and gain additional rewards, it still requires at least..."

Looking at Fang Yi, who reached out and smiled as he pressed his hand against hers, she remained silent.

Despite the man's laughter, for some reason Sima felt a sudden chill run down his spine.

Therefore, his voice grew softer and softer until it finally disappeared.

It was only at this point that Fang Yi made another request.

"Please show me your [discerning skills]."

"Describe the knowledge of this skill with utmost precision, and treat it as a transmission of knowledge!"
"Since a price has been set, it should have an equivalent value!!!"

He tried to move his hand around, but after several attempts, he still couldn't break free from the other person's control.

Sma reluctantly began to recount the story.

"If you want to [identify]..."

"."
-
"Captain, is this alright?"

"If I'm satisfied, I'll continue ordering. My mouth is getting dry."

"I'd like to add two more dishes this time! And preferably a bottle of good wine too!"

After narrating for a long time, Sima, whose mouth was a little dry, asked Fang Yi for a question.

It also pointed to two dishes worth 50 [Old Gold Coins].

The character [Sma] has taught you [Appraisal], but this character's skill level is relatively low.

[Due to the influence of [Extraordinary Gravity], this learning session requires you to spend 7000 points and 2 B-grade story points to obtain [Identification Lv2]. Do you wish to learn?]

"study!"

Listening to the prompts in my ear and looking at the new skills on the panel.

Fang Yi showed a satisfied smile.

He first exchanged a glance with the swordsman, and then communicated with gestures under the table.

She then gracefully stood up and handed Sima the paper with the names of the dishes written on it.

"Two dishes aren't enough, Sima, add a few more."

"I'll go and fetch another bottle of good wine myself; the wine at this tavern isn't good enough!"

Watching Fang Yi leave, Sima smiled confidently.

"At least you know what's good for you!"

Sima lowered his head and continued writing down the ridiculously long names of the dishes on the paper.
-
A few minutes later, looking at the table full of dishes and the two people who had left and never returned.

Sma, who was burping, sensed something was wrong.

At the same time, a hint of anger arose within him.

"You dare to mess with me? All I did was eat one meal from you guys. Why are you making such a fuss?"

Meanwhile, the waiter gestured to his companion to close the windows and lock the door.

He walked up to Sima and 'kindly' offered a reminder, interrupting the other's thoughts.

"Sir, all the dishes have been served to you."

"How would you like to pay?"

"A total of 2732 [old gold coins], I'll give you 2700 [old gold coins]."

"We do not offer credit here, and food cannot be taken away. You have two hours to eat."

Seeing the very burly swordsman outside the private room, Sima gave up the idea of ​​skipping out on the bill.

He had no choice but to grit his teeth and pull out a piece of jewelry.

The payment method was displayed.

"Use this as payment!"
"At least worth 4000 [old gold coins]."

"I'll come back to redeem you after I go down into the 'dungeon.' If you don't redeem me within a week, you can sell me!"

The waiter glanced at the ring that Sma had given him and smiled with satisfaction.

He gestured to his companion to open the window.

Enjoy your meal!

Suma, whose "accessory" was taken away, was told that "food cannot be taken away."

I had no choice but to suppress my hunger and push my stomach to its limits before eating the food I had bought.

Two hours later, Sma's body swelled to its limit, food residue kept gushing from the corners of his mouth, and he could no longer eat any food.

The waiter kindly reminded me that my meal time was over.

They could only look at the many untouched dishes in front of them and reluctantly leave.

At this moment, he was filled with jealousy and resentment towards the two of them.

They also raised their own value without thinking.

Determined to settle this score with the next lucky 'newbie' and get it back with interest.
-
A few minutes later, in the guild hall.

Luo Yi approached Sima, who had a stern face, and began to inquire.

"So you're the 'antique dealer' who claims to be able to reap even greater rewards?"

Sima's eyes lit up when he saw Luo Yi surrounded by the crowd.

Here comes the sucker!

(End of this chapter)