21: Earnings of 7,000 Star Coins

"I'll give you three thousand star coins for the tusks, one thousand for the beast hide, and two thousand for all these other bits and pieces. Six thousand in total, how about it?"

Lu Yuan sneered inwardly.

This old man, as expected, was trying to drive down the price because he saw how young he was.

Just the pair of three-star green card-grade Wild Boar King tusks alone could sell for at least four thousand at the Hunter's Market, and this piece of fur could fetch around thirteen hundred.

As for those low-tier materials, though individually not worth much, there were many of them, and together they could easily sell for two to three thousand.

Six thousand, that was a pretty harsh cut.

"Boss, the price you're offering is a bit low," Lu Yuan said calmly. "These tusks are the most essential part of a three-star green card-grade monster. Look at their luster, their hardness. Used for weapons or core materials, their value is surely more than four thousand, isn't it?"

"And this beast hide, though I processed it a bit roughly, it's large enough, and the core area is perfectly intact. It's more than enough to make two pieces of armor. Is one thousand too little?"

"As for these low-tier materials, even a small mosquito is still meat, and I have quite a lot of them. Two thousand... are you trying to brush off a beggar?"

The one-eyed old man chuckled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Kid, you've got a big mouth. Is this your first time here? Old Man Li's prices are fair and honest."

"Three-star tusks are good, but the Wild Boar King isn't some rare item. In these hills, who knows how many die each year. When I buy them back, processing, storage, and transportation all have costs."

"As for the beast hide, your processing method was too crude, affecting its quality. One thousand is not little."

"Those low-tier materials, honestly, I'd rather not take them; they just take up space."

Old Man Li had an expression that said, "I've got you cornered."

Lu Yuan wasn't in a hurry either; he reached out and pointed at the pile of materials.

"Boss, let's be frank. Four thousand for the tusks, fifteen hundred for the beast hide, and twenty-five hundred for the low-tier materials, making it a round eight thousand. If you think this price isn't suitable, I'll take them back to Jiangcheng to sell. It'll be a bit more troublesome, but it'll definitely be more than this amount."

He appeared very calm, but his tone was firm.

He had confidence now.

This trip's harvest was enough to support him for a while; there was no need to be taken for a fool.

Old Man Li's one eye narrowed as he re-examined Lu Yuan.

This kid doesn't seem like a rookie.

Accurate pricing, strong attitude, it seems he's done his homework.

He was silent for a few seconds, tapping his finger on the counter.

"Four thousand for the tusks, one thousand for the beast hide, two thousand for the low-tier materials. Seven thousand in total. Can't go any higher; I still need to make a profit," Old Man Li conceded.

Lu Yuan thought about it. Although this price was still a bit lower than his psychological expectation, it was within a reasonable range.

In a place like an Outpost, getting this price was already good.

Moreover, he urgently needed money now.

"Okay, deal!" Lu Yuan nodded.

"You little rascal!" Old Man Li smiled, quickly counted and put away the materials, then took out a terminal from under the counter and operated it a few times.

"Beep!"

Lu Yuan's identity card received a transfer notification.

[Star Coin Balance: 7850]

(Previously remaining approx. 850 + 7000 = 7850)

Looking at the number displayed on the terminal, Lu Yuan felt a surge of relief.

Almost ten thousand in one day!

This was much faster than working odd jobs at school!

Indeed, risk and reward coexist.

"Kid, if you have good goods in the future, come find Old Man Li again," Old Man Li said with a smile as he put away the materials.

"Definitely." Lu Yuan put away his identity card and turned to leave.

With money, he felt more confident.

He first returned to the "Wild Mountain Inn," paid for three days of room and WiFi, spending twenty-three hundred star coins.

It pained him, but there was no other way.

Next, he planned to visit a card shop.

To see if he could find a few suitable cards to improve his strength.

There weren't many card shops at the Outpost; the largest one was "Veteran's General Store."

The boss was a burly soldier, standing at the counter disassembling an energy gun with practiced movements.

"Buying something?" His voice was rough, carrying a military aura.

"Looking at cards."

"Look for yourself, call me when you find something you like." The boss pointed to a glass display case against the wall.

Inside the case, dozens of cards were haphazardly arranged, ranging in quality from gray to blue, and most were between one and four stars.

Lu Yuan leaned in and examined them carefully.

His goals were clear:

First, to see if there was a suitable flying or escape card that could complement the Shadow Mantis.

Second, to find a more reliable scouting card than the Wind Bamboo Worm.

His gaze swept across the cards.

[Adamant Shield] (White card, Two-Star, Skill card): Consumes Source Power to create a small rock shield, average defense. — Not very useful, too passive.

[Healing Salve] (White card, Material card): Applies to wounds, speeds up healing. — Somewhat useful, but there are bandages in the first aid kit.

[Explosive Fireball] (Green card, Three-Star, Skill card): Condenses fire elements to launch a fireball, decent power. — Doesn't fit his deck, and probably has high mana cost.

His gaze stopped on a white card.

[Swift Sparrow]

[Quality: White]

[Star Rating: Two-Star]

[Type: beast taming card]

[Skill: Swift Flight: Capable of extremely fast flight over short distances, consumes 1 Source Power per second]

[Price: 1500 star coins]

[Remarks: 'One-minute man' attribute, short distance, low load capacity, poor stamina]

"This... is a bit of a white elephant."

A two-star white card, fast speed is an advantage, but short distance, low load capacity, and poor stamina are too fatal flaws.

If he really encountered danger, it would probably run out of energy before flying very far, and low load capacity meant it might not be able to carry him.

It could only be said to be better than nothing.

He then saw a green card.

[Shadow Cat]

[Quality: Green]

[Star Rating: Two-Star]

[Type: beast taming card]

[Skill: Shadow Meld: Merges its body into shadows, greatly enhancing stealth ability, and moves silently, consumes 1 Source Power per second]

[Price: 5500 star coins]

[Remarks: Good at stealth, strong night vision, acute perception, suitable for reconnaissance and tracking. Silent movement. Wind Bamboo Worm plus version]

"This is good!" Lu Yuan's eyes lit up.

The Shadow Cat's reconnaissance ability was definitely much stronger than the Wind Bamboo Worm's.

Stealth, night vision, acute perception, silent movement – it was practically tailor-made for reconnaissance.

It was just a bit expensive, over his budget.

He continued to look.

[Sharpness Technique]

[Quality: White]

[Star Rating: One-Star]

[Type: Skill card]

[Ability: Consumes a small amount of Source Power to temporarily increase the sharpness of weapons or summoned creatures' physical attacks.]

[Price: 1100 star coins]

"This could work!" Lu Yuan decided to take it.

The Shadow Mantis's bone blades were already sharp, and with the Sharpness Technique, it would be like adding wings to a tiger!

(Skill cards that have not become Origin Cards can only be used by Card Masters; skill cards that have become Origin Cards can be used directly by all origin beast taming cards.)

"Boss, I'll take this Sharpness Technique."

"Good eye, 1100. This skill is perfect for dissection."

"Anything else you need?"

"If possible, could you hold the Shadow Cat for me? I'll come buy it in a few days when I'm stronger."

The boss grinned, "Alright, I'll hold it for you for three days."

Lu Yuan paid cheerfully.

Next, it was time to return to his room and rest.