In the end, Hongye raised the price by fifty percent and bought the batch of goods.
“I also have some human coins here. Can they be exchanged at a fixed rate?”
“Of course, but my magic crystal coin quota for this month has already been exhausted by adventurers. I have no way to exchange magic crystal coins for you.”
Having finished the haggling, Hongye remained as genial and polite as ever.
“Then exchange them for some copper coins first.”
Purple Hammer was not surprised. He took out the human coins, excluding the gold ones, and exchanged them for the copper coins of the Well of Eternal Imprisonment.
“By the way, it is said that new silver coins will be introduced later, with an exchange rate of 1:10 to the copper coins.”
As colleagues, even though they had to keep their accounts clear, Hongye was still willing to provide some information to Purple Hammer for free.
“I see.”
Purple Hammer nodded as he took the money pouch filled with dungeon coins.
“You should have the materials I need for my upgrade here, right?”
“Of course, Mr. Purple Hammer. Based on our transaction just now, I can give you a discount.”
As if performing a magic trick, Hongye flipped his hand and produced a purple stone ball.
The surface of the stone ball was studded with small red gemstones that refracted the glow of the lava.
The moment the stone ball appeared, Purple Hammer felt his body crave it.
Every inch of his flesh seemed impatient to swallow the stone ball before him.
“How much?”
“For anyone else, it would be 400 copper coins, but for you, 300 will suffice.”
Purple Hammer did not haggle; the price was indeed fair. He counted out 300 copper coins from his money pouch, placed them in a separate bag, and handed it over.
Currently, dealing with large amounts of copper coins was indeed a hassle.
As for trading with magic crystal coins, no one would use them as a substitute for copper coins in a transaction.
After all, many precious items could now only be traded using magic crystal coins.
“Thank you for your business, Mr. Purple Hammer.”
Purple Hammer took the promotion stone ball, suppressing the urgent desire within him to fuse with it immediately.
“Have you ever been to the floors below?”
Purple Hammer had been created on the eleventh floor of the Lava Stratum. So far, he had only visited the floors above and had never been to the ones below.
Consequently, he was unfamiliar with the terrain of the lower levels.
If he wanted to seek the Forbidden Fire, he had to keep going down, and information about the lower floors was essential.
“I have only been as far as the thirteenth floor. Other monster merchants are responsible for trading in the deeper levels.”
“The twelfth floor features a spectacular lava lake that is as vast as an ocean.”
“You will understand once you see such a magnificent sight for yourself.”
“Beneath the lava mountains surrounding the lake, there are ancestral lands for both the purple-skinned blacksmiths and the dwarf miners.”
“To reach the thirteenth floor, one must pass through the small island in the center of the lava lake.”
“That is a very difficult path. I was only able to cross the lava lake by relying on magical artifacts and my own spatial ability.”
“The thirteenth floor consists of large areas of lava rivers and lava lakes. Although difficult to traverse, there are landmasses connecting them.”
“The purple-skinned blacksmiths and dwarf miners live in tribes beneath the surface of those lands.”
Hongye looked up, reminiscing as he spoke of the lower floors.
“Anything below the thirteenth floor is outside my trade route.”
“Furthermore, I have no way of going any deeper.”
Purple Hammer committed Hongye's words to memory. Hearing this, he looked up in confusion.
Multiple eyes on his bald head stared at Hongye.
“The fourteenth floor is a lava sea—a true sea of lava that severs the connection between the thirteenth floor and everything below the fifteenth floor.”
“The only things active in that lava sea are wyverns and lava fish. Although there are islands, they are not connected to one another.”
“Even for me, moving between them is almost impossible.”
Purple Hammer recalled Lady Feiwan's warning. Combined with Hongye's description of the terrain, he finally understood the situation.
“The only intelligent species living in the lava sea of the fourteenth floor are the flame skeletal shamans and the Wyvern Leaders.”
“If you wish to continue downward, you must find a way to move through the lava. Otherwise, you will never be able to track down the Forbidden Fire.”
“That is my advice to you.”
Hongye gave his warning to Purple Hammer.
As a purple-skinned blacksmith, what method could Purple Hammer possibly have to move through lava?
Lady Feiwan had already pointed him in the right direction.
And that was the wyverns. By relying on the wyverns' flight, he could gain the ability to move across the lava.
But how was he to obtain a wyvern?
Lady Feiwan had given him guidance on that as well.
“As for how to move freely within the lava sea, that will require your own courage and wisdom.”
The guardians followed the Master, so their judgment was absolutely correct. The direction they pointed out was the one he had to follow.
This was the 'because-therefore' axiom!
Therefore, courage and wisdom.
That was it. He would rely on courage and wisdom to face the lava lake and the lava sea.
“It seems you have already made your judgment and found your direction.”
Hongye spoke with a smile.
“Thank you for your guidance. This is very helpful to me.”
Hearing Purple Hammer's words, Hongye shook his head.
“Everything comes from your own judgment.”
Finally, Hongye took out a piece of parchment inscribed with a unique pattern of overlapping diamonds.
“If you see a mark similar to this on your journey for the Forbidden Fire, try to seek it out.”
“Though I do not know if it will succeed, you possess a true name granted by the Master and the blessing of a guardian.”
“Perhaps you can pursue this power and use it to aid your search for the Forbidden Fire.”
Purple Hammer respectfully took the parchment and memorized the pattern on it.
He had already come to view Hongye as an important friend.
However, whether this money-minded monster merchant, Hongye Mane, viewed him as a friend was something Purple Hammer didn't know.
But it didn't matter. Purple Hammer only cared about who he recognized as a friend, and Hongye earned his respect as one.
“Reasonably speaking, ordinary monsters cannot utilize this power.”
“This power requires a massive amount of mana as a foundation. Among humans, only specialized classes related to mages can bear such a load.”
“Although your total mana is not particularly high, you possess a specialness that others do not. You should give it a try.”
“Do not be discouraged if you cannot obtain this power.”
Purple Hammer asked no more questions and put the parchment away.
“By the way, do you know of the Forbidden Fire Longbow?”
Hongye looked at Purple Hammer.
“The vessel for the Forbidden Fire was once stolen by your kin from the palace guarding the flame. Later, it fell into a lava river, merged with the lava, and its whereabouts are now unknown.”
Monster merchants truly knew everything.
“My kin...”
Purple Hammer felt a bit lost. Similar legends seemed to circulate within his tribe.
Hongye felt no doubt, finding it all perfectly natural.
But because Purple Hammer possessed the true name granted by Dalun Li and the power of the guardians, he suddenly noticed that something was wrong with his memory.
He had clearly been created by the Master not long ago, as had the rest of the purple-skinned blacksmiths.
Purple Hammer eventually stopped thinking about it. After all, the Will of the Dungeon was the Master's will.
His loyalty did not permit him to question it, so he calmly accepted the historical setting provided by the dungeon.
Rate on N.U.
