It was already close to noon. The sun had risen high, casting bright sunlight onto the cobblestone streets in the center of Anda Town.
The shop signs on both sides of the street cast short shadows under the light, and the passersby coming and going brought much more life to the area than in the early morning.
Matthew had just walked out of the guild. Standing on the stone steps at the entrance, he carried a bulging backpack on his back, with four large sacks resting on either side of his feet!
He hefted the money pouch at his waist, feeling the heavy weight of the coins inside, and felt extremely satisfied.
Just moments ago at the counter, he had handed over the venom sacs and carapaces of the viper lizards to the staff for counting.
The three bags of venom sacs were completely intact. Although the carapaces bore some battle marks, they were also largely complete, totaling twenty-one pieces.
When the transaction was settled, the venom sacs fetched 210 silver coins, and the carapaces brought in 105 silver coins, totaling 3 gold coins and 15 silver coins!
This amount far exceeded his expectations and was truly an unexpected windfall.
As for why he had lingered in the guild for so long, it wasn't just because of handing over the materials.
After the transaction was completed, Matthew didn't leave immediately.
He remembered that his "Green bow" was still with Old Joel, and the arrows he commonly used had been depleted quite a bit during his previous practice and encounters.
Since he was already at the guild, the military-grade standard arrows they provided—whether in terms of the sharpness of the arrowheads, the straightness of the shafts, or the balance of the fletching—were far superior to the crude, self-made ones in the village. This was the perfect opportunity to replenish his stock.
Thus, he purchased nearly a hundred arrows with finely forged tips.
The price was naturally not cheap. A single arrow cost 3 copper coins, meaning a hundred arrows cost 3 silver coins.
Although the money was spent quickly, when he thought about his future archery improvement and the prospect of potentially developing combat techniques, this investment seemed highly necessary.
In addition, he bought some consumables that would be useful for entering the forest, such as:
Insect repellent powder: Used to ward off venomous insects in the forest, priced at 10 copper coins per bag.
Healing salve: Used to treat external wounds and slowly accelerate healing, priced at 20 copper coins per portion.
Wolf repellent powder: Emits a specific odor targeting Shadow Wolves, priced at 50 copper coins per portion.
Matthew bought a few of each of these three items.
Of course, there was also the most important item: dried meat.
At this thought, a trace of disappointment arose in Matthew's mind.
When purchasing the food, he had specifically asked the young man in charge of sales:
“What do ordinary Black Iron Rank Class holders usually eat to replenish their stamina? Is there any special food?”
But the clerk only looked bewildered upon hearing this, and then mentioned some standard meat broths and dried meats...
Seeing this, Matthew could only let the matter drop.
He then ordered four full sacks of dried meat. This was a decision he made after careful consideration; it would guarantee him food for the winter without spoiling due to being stored for too long.
Moreover, the dried meat sold by the guild was not expensive. It cost 55 copper coins for a piece of dried meat about the length of a forearm, and it was of excellent quality, well-marinated, and highly shelf-stable.
He stuffed his backpack to the brim.
All of these expenses added up to a whopping 120 silver coins!
But for him, with a net worth of over 5 gold coins, it was of little consequence.
With this in mind, Matthew swung his heavy backpack onto his shoulder and walked out of the guild hall.
The autumn noon sun was very warm. He first returned to the tavern to drop off his goods and had lunch while he was at it.
Then, he left the tavern once more.
He headed toward the black market Sierra had mentioned—located on the south side of town.
...
The south side of Anda Town appeared older and more dilapidated than the other areas.
The houses here were low and run-down, and the streets had turned into potholed dirt roads. The air was filled with a faint, lingering musty odor and the smell of accumulated garbage.
The further south he went, the fewer pedestrians there were. Occasionally, he could see a few residents squatting in the corners of walls, basking in the sun.
Even a small town like this has slums? Matthew raised an eyebrow slightly. But this just proves I've come to the right place.
After walking for about seven or eight minutes, a fork appeared ahead. Low voices could be heard from the alley on the right.
Matthew paused slightly to confirm the direction of the sound, then turned into that inconspicuous, narrow alley.
The alley was not long. Its end connected to a relatively open, low-lying area enclosed by several rows of dilapidated houses.
The moment he stepped into this area, the scene suddenly changed.
The sight before him was completely different from the silent, ruined slums outside; it actually possessed an unexpected level of liveliness.
The layout here was similar to a food street from his previous life, with individual stalls set up on both sides of the path, though the density wasn't quite as high.
Most of the stalls were simple. Some were just a piece of tattered cloth spread on the ground, while others were crudely constructed using old wooden planks, discarded barrels, or carriage wheels.
The stall owners squatted behind their stalls, exhibiting various expressions.
The goods on the stalls were even more diverse, completely different from the orderly, public transactions in the guild hall.
There were old weapons and tools with obvious dubious origins, still covered in dirt or bloodstains;
There were jars and bottles of bizarre colors emitting strange odors;
There were scattered, unpolished ores of various colors;
There were dried, unrecognizable plant roots and insect shells;
There were even a few stalls displaying silverware and jewelry that were clearly stolen goods.
Most of the pedestrians on the road covered their faces with black cloth.
I've come to the right place!
Matthew also followed the crowd, covering half his face as he walked among them, secretly delighted.
Because he carried a huge sum of 5 gold coins, he felt as if he held a treasure map, simply waiting for a discerning eye to spot a hidden gem.
In other words, he was looking to score a bargain!
He intentionally slowed his pace, his eyes scanning the simple stalls on both sides like a hawk.
The things here were a mixed bag of all sorts—some covered in dirt, some stained with suspicious dark spots, and some even emitting strange smells.
Matthew squatted down in front of a stall filled with jars and bottles. The stall owner was a scrawny youth of about seventeen or eighteen, who was currently using a finger stained with medicinal powder to scrape dirt from the rim of a clay jar.
Matthew didn't look at those jars. Instead, he directly pulled a glass bottle plugged with a cork from his waist—
This was precisely what he had seized from Brody. Initially, he thought it was for healing, but after smelling it later, he had immediately dismissed that guess!
This had also left him even more curious about what was inside the bottle.
He hadn't dared to bring it out to ask at the guild, fearing someone might recognize it.
But here, he wouldn't have such worries.
“Do you buy this?”
The scrawny youth glanced at Matthew. Seeing that Matthew didn't look like a ruthless character, he then took the bottle.
He shook the pale gold liquid in the bottle against the sunlight, then pulled out the cork and brought it close to his nose to sniff.
“Cough, cough...!”
The youth suddenly turned his head and coughed violently, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. He hurriedly covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve for a long while before gasping in a low voice:
“This stuff of yours... is too strong!”
“The ingredients are absolutely top-tier. There must be goldspine grass in here... but as for its exact use, I can't tell.”
The youth shook his head and handed the bottle back.
“How much do you want for it?”
Though the speaker spoke without thought, the listener took it to heart.
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