Book 9: Chapter 68: The Unbearable Exchange

Returning to the Order Front’s Demiplane Trading Floor, Qin Lun found it much livelier than the last time. Most of the projector terminals in front of the stalls had Apostles operating them. The entire cloud platform was now packed and noisy like a bustling market.

Yet, seeing this prosperous scene, Qin Lun frowned slightly instead. Obviously, the news that the Light Team had been wiped out in the mission world must have leaked. These Alliance Apostles were frantically trading out of panic. In a way, this apparent prosperity was a last flicker before dying.

Panic gripped the Order Front. Apostles were flooding the market with high-value items they couldn’t usually use but were reluctant to sell, hoping to exchange them for suitable equipment or tools. Those unaware of the truth always believed one more trump card was useful, even if it meant losing some value.

In reality, any future changes to the Devil’s Horn were matters between high-rank teams, unrelated to most low or mid-rank Apostles. However, this was good for Qin Lun. He had items he wanted to sell and a large amount of Shattered Crystals. The more Apostles seeking trades, the better his chance of getting rare items normally unavailable.

The influx of people trading, many times the usual number, kept the Alliance attendants incredibly busy. No one came to guide Qin Lun. He didn’t mind the peace and quietly browsed for several rounds, waiting until a recently vacated private trading booth became available.

Opening the projector interface, Qin Lun skimmed over the most popular trade items currently on the market. He noticed the price of Apostle equipment hadn’t risen sharply; it was actually a bit lower than normal. Conversely, the prices of consumables like magic scrolls and healing potions had gone up.

Of course, highly adaptable Dark Gold Equipment and above still commanded premium prices. Most traders demanded item-to-item exchanges, not just plain Shattered Crystals.

After thinking awhile, Qin Lun started his search with the armor category. The battle in London had completely destroyed his Leather Army Boots and Leather Trench Coat. His Earth Drake Leather Armor and Glove of Sacrifice were partially damaged, requiring replacements or new gear.

The Leather Army Boots and Leather Trench Coat were only Blue Quality; he wasn’t too bothered about them. As for the Earth Drake Leather Armor and Glove of Sacrifice, he was unwilling to have them repaired by a native blacksmith haphazardly — doing so would lower their quality.

He already had a plan. He would entrust the armor and gloves to Kelly, the Female Tyrannosaurus, and have her use her Contribution Points to fix them. As a high-rank Apostle, Kelly certainly had a third-tier title, allowing her to repair equipment with Contribution Points. Since she still needed his help later, a small amount like this should be no trouble for her.

After watching the trade projections for some time, a free waitress finally noticed him and brought over drinks and snacks enthusiastically. Sipping the Green Duckweed Tea produced by the Elven Race, Qin Lun’s eyes suddenly lit up. He spotted some equipment that suited him quite well.

Indian Feather Boots (Footwear Defense Gear)

Quality: Dark Gold

Material: Indian Eagle Feathers, Mandu Beast Hide

Weight: 230 grams

Artifact Spirit: Indian Divine Condor

Bonuses: +2 Protection, +4 Agility

Equipment Abilities: Blink Spirit, Ascending Flight

Blink Spirit: Uses the spirit essence of the Indian Divine Condor to achieve a short-distance blink. Speed is 2-3 times the original. Changes direction require no foothold. Each use of Blink Spirit has a 10-second cooldown requiring equivalent Mana Value.

Ascending Flight: Uses the condor spirit’s power, enabling the Apostle to glide short distances. However, every full 10 seconds of sustained gliding doubles the Mana Value consumption. Once stopped, Ascending Flight requires a 3-hour cooldown.

Equipment Notes: This gear has room for advancement. If the Apostle possesses high Wind Element Affinity, the cooldown for Blink Spirit will decrease proportional to affinity level, down to a minimum of 1 second. Ascending Flight’s glide time increases and Mana Value consumption decreases proportionally with affinity level, while the cooldown shortens to a minimum of 3 minutes.

Both skills of this equipment seemed quite useful. Compared to many movement techniques, Blink Spirit wasn’t incredibly fast, let alone instantaneous.

It wasn’t the speed that Qin Lun valued, but the stipulation “require no foothold”. Being able to change direction without needing a foothold was immensely valuable in combat. Combined with his Swift Wind Step, his movement would seem utterly ghostly and unpredictable to opponents.

Of course, the 10-second cooldown for Blink Spirit drastically limited its value. In the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it chaos of close combat, 10 seconds was an eternity. A single blink wouldn’t cut it.

Similarly, Ascending Flight’s mechanic – doubling mana cost every 10 seconds – meant it couldn’t be used for long-distance travel. It was another awkward skill, less useful than Qin Lun’s Swift Wind Step, only serving as a minimal buffer against fatal falls.

Happily, the equipment’s final note saved its worth. As a Moon Elf blessed by the Ancient Inheritance, Qin Lun knew his Wind Element Affinity was no worse than the top Wind Element Magicians. In his hands, these boots would achieve their maximum potential.

Blink Spirit reduced to a 1-second cooldown would become truly ghostly movement. With reduced mana cost and a mere 3-minute cooldown, Ascending Flight could be used for long-distance traversing, its actual effect far surpassing Swift Wind Step.

Most importantly, this Dark Gold piece was usable in most Quest Worlds and held an Artifact Spirit. Even if this spirit’s quality wasn’t the highest, it had advancement potential. It should remain part of Qin Lun’s essentials even when he reached high rank.

However, the price for this gear was steep. The owner had set a fixed price of 150,000 Shattered Crystals. After the Serial Killer’s internal auction, Qin Lun now possessed 220,000 Shattered Crystals – enough to buy it.

Yet, this price seemed inflated. Apostles with high Wind Element Affinity were rare, otherwise, this item would have been snapped up long ago. Besides, Qin Lun had consumed most of his magic scrolls and healing items in the Divine Comedy World. Spending over a hundred thousand crystals on one item was impractical.

The vendor’s fixed price was likely just a gimmick. The real requirements were in the item-exchange section below. The first demand was a long-range weapon of equivalent quality, type unimportant as long as highly adaptable.

The second demand was a large quantity of magic scrolls, or a top-tier healing treasure! What constituted a top-tier healing treasure? An item that could restore an Apostle from the brink of death to full strength in an extremely short time!

Looking at the Indian Feather Boots’ description, a spark flashed in Qin Lun’s eyes. He searched the contact code below the item and found its owner wasn’t just selling these boots; several other high-value items were also listed for sale.

Clearly, this Apostle had been spooked by the rumors. Fearful of large-scale civil war erupting in the Devil’s Horn, they moved all their accumulated treasures to the trading platform. Alternatively, these might be assets belonging to the owner’s team.

Qin Lun thought for a moment, then pressed the contact button with a smile. He sipped his Green Duckweed Tea, waiting calmly for the other party to appear.

“You want to buy my gear? Which piece?” Soon, an Apostle wearing a rabbit mask appeared on the other end of the projector. Elven masks and animal masks were the most common disguises Apostles used on the Order Front.

“Indian Feather Boots!” Qin Lun smiled, pushing the boots’ projection onto the shared interface.

“So, show me your offer,” the other party was direct, not wasting words. Qin Lun appreciated that.

“I don’t have the weapon you specified!” Qin Lun replied with a smile. “But I believe my offers will meet your requirements!”

Without playing games, Qin Lun immediately displayed several pre-selected items onto the interface screen. Among them were the Archery Mastery Scroll obtained from Hawkeye Clint, the matching Advanced Reflex Training Scroll, the Blood Crystal, and the Grim Chain Gunblade.

The other party had demanded a long-range weapon for the boots but hadn’t specified the type. Clearly, they didn’t yet have dedicated long-range attack power, so the Archery Mastery Scroll should suit them.

Additionally, their demand for bulk magic scrolls and a high-tier healing treasure was solely about boosting survival chances in battle. In that regard, the Blood Crystal also met part of their needs. Hence, Qin Lun was confident about a deal.

As for the Grim Chain Gunblade, Qin Lun was just padding out the options. Judging by the high-value items this Apostle was selling, they weren’t a Novice. Likely at least Second Order or part of an established team.

Such Apostles rarely changed their primary weapon casually. While the Grim Chain Gunblade was valuable, it might be harder to sell right now. However, since this Apostle was clearly affected by the rumors and not high-rank, showing the Chain Gunblade demonstrated Qin Lun’s capability, lent credibility to the trade, and saved unnecessary mutual testing.

“All three items meet the trade requirements! How do you want to do this?” After carefully examining the item descriptions in silence for a while, the masked Apostle spoke again. They had even included the Grim Chain Gunblade in their acceptance. “How do we trade?”

“If you only want the Archery Mastery Scroll, then one-for-one. Add the Advanced Training Scroll, and you owe me another seventy thousand Shattered Crystals,” Qin Lun glanced at the screen, his tone light.

“That’s a fair price!” The Apostle across pondered briefly before nodding readily. Objectively, Qin Lun’s quote actually favored them by ten to twenty thousand crystals. But as the buyer, that was expected; they couldn’t expect the seller to operate at a loss.

“Well… what about the other two things?” Just as Qin Lun thought the deal was closed, the masked Apostle initiated a new trade. “You displayed them, so you’re willing to sell them too, right?”

“Sorry, I checked your other listings. I doubt there’s anything I need,” Qin Lun’s eyes flashed thoughtfully as he smiled. “Currently, selling these two items purely for Shattered Crystals carries a heavy markup. I doubt you’d accept the price.”

“Understood. You— wait! Don’t close the projection yet!” The rabbit-masked Apostle paused, then disappeared from the projection, presumably to consult with teammates.

“This guy’s loaded!” Staring at the screen, Qin Lun unconsciously touched his chin. The displayed Blood Crystal was one thing, but the Grim Chain Gunblade was undoubtedly worth over 150,000 Shattered Crystals – its value likely higher now. He estimated around thirty thousand for the Blood Crystal. These three items couldn’t be shared by an entire team; at most one or two could utilize them. This Apostle had already shelled out seventy thousand for the boots. Buying the Blood Crystal and the Chain Gunblade would require liquid assets exceeding two hundred to three hundred thousand crystals!

Moreover, they still needed to replenish healing supplies and other consumables. This wealth nearly matched Qin Lun’s own! Remember, Qin Lun got these extras only because he secured a Gold Evaluation in the Divine Comedy World.

“See if you’ll trade both your items for this!” When the rabbit mask returned and sat before the projection, Qin Lun stared at the screen, his mouth slowly falling open in disbelief.

“You… really want to trade with this?!” Qin Lun’s shock was warranted. This seemingly ordinary rabbit-masked Apostle had placed a Divine Artifact on the screen!

No, it wasn’t quite a Divine Artifact; it should be termed a Divine Relic. When Qin Lun snapped out of it and scrutinized the item description, his expression turned highly complex.

Merimith’s Placenta (World Treasure, Divine Artifact-grade)

Item Info: An organ of the Goddess of Wisdom and Peace. This relic can extract the Apostle Soul Mark from the Law Body and gestate a new physical vessel. Attributes mirror the original Law Body. Rehabilitates any damage, including soul trauma and malicious curses.

Usage: Upon activation by an Apostle, ‘Merimith’s Placenta’ is expelled by the mission world’s rules into the Boundary Dimension. Within the Boundary Dimension, a new Law Body is re-crafted. Retrieving the Placenta returns the Apostle to the mission world at any previously visited coordinate.

Note: Merimith’s Placenta replenishes energy by consuming Divine Sparks. Currently holds 21 Divine Power points. Reconstructing a Novice Apostle Law Body consumes 10 points; Second Order requires 20 points; High Rank requires 40 points; Legendary Apostle requires 100 points. The Placenta has lost divine consciousness and cannot create another godly form.

The ‘Merimith’s Placenta’ projection appeared small, but in reality, it measured five meters long. Its widest cross-section spanned over two meters – an oval shape tapering at both ends – resembling a colossal football. Its wrinkled surface shimmered with dark green, glowing patterns.

Its quality truly reflected the Divine Artifact tier. However, being practically irreplenishable rendered it effectively a consumable artifact, merely a “Divine Relic”.

The reason was simple. Even if it could save a life, even if an Apostle miraculously obtained a Divine Spark, what fool would lavishly feed such a treasure to this thing?

In other words, the true value of the ‘Merimith’s Placenta’ resided only in its remaining 21 Divine Power points. It could save a Novice Apostle twice, a Second Order Apostle once, and then become trash.

“If you have this, why even seek a high-tier healing treasure… Ah, nevermind, I understand. Don’t tell me,” Qin Lun spoke almost to himself. The question had formed, but he realized the answer before the masked Apostle could reply.

Rubbing his temples with his fingers, Qin Lun began weighing the pros and cons. A direct escape into the Boundary Dimension for physical reconstruction meant an extra life. Though essentially a consumable, its Divine Artifact-grade status meant its market value must be several hundred thousand Shattered Crystals.

Was a life worth several hundred thousand crystals? Logically, no, as a few tens of thousands could buy multiple lifesaving tools – ten items combined potentially matching its single benefit!

Take Qin Lun trapped in the Valley of the Undead in the Toril World – using the Placenta might have been appropriate then. However, numerous items costing tens of thousands could achieve similar escape outcomes: his own Accompany Card, or scrolls for temporary flight etc.

This owner brought it to trade precisely because they couldn’t tolerate its temperament. Who would want such an extravagant lifesaver? Even Qin Lun felt uneasy acquiring it.

“No matter its wide applicability… with several hundred thousand crystals, others could buy stacks of magic scrolls and healing treasures. Ten average items definitely surpass one unreliable luxury!” Qin Lun internally debated.

“You… this item…” Qin Lun hesitated, uncharacteristically tongue-tied for a long time. It was pseudo-Divine Artifact grade! Rejecting it felt wrong, yet accepting it rankled.

“How about I add another thirty thousand Shattered Crystals?” The masked Apostle gritted their teeth, turning their head away slightly.

Thirty thousand crystals roughly matched the Blood Crystal’s worth. Effectively, they were offering ‘Merimith’s Placenta’ for the Grim Chain Gunblade. A pseudo-Divine Artifact exchanged for a single Dark Gold weapon… even if the artifact was unreliable, even if the weapon was practical and valuable… the inherent mismatch left both parties speechless and somewhat embarrassed.

“Deal!” Qin Lun consented with a metaphorical nose-pinch.

After finalizing the trade, neither side wished to linger over the projection. They quickly packed and sent their items away. Both buyer and seller shared a silent resolution to repress immediate thoughts over this trade — pondering brought only pointless regret.

Following this transaction, Qin Lun’s Shattered Crystal holdings surpassed 150,000. However, replenishing his stock of magic scrolls and healing supplies could halve that.

Beyond essential gear, the items he retained from the Divine Comedy World were: Pym Particles; two Intermediate Reflex Training Scrolls; and a Gold Evaluation Card applicable to Mid-Magic Worlds. He intended to keep the latter two and gift the Pym Particles to Frank. As consumables with minimal side effects, they made suitable emergency tools for his hunchbacked servant.

Trade complete, Qin Lun didn’t leave the projector terminal. He began casually browsing the platform’s listings. He placed the artifact ‘Angel’s Praise’, housed within his Burial of Light and Darkness, onto the display interface. But he set a peculiar auction criterion: the only acceptable exchange item was the Beastmaster Hunting Bow in Lace’s possession.

His aim was to contact the Lost Team via this covert signal. When Kelly met him last time, she’d drastically altered her appearance to avoid watchers. With the Order Front’s situation deteriorating, Qin Lun opted for this indirect method.

Lace’s personality was bubbly, like a cheerful nut, and she was the Lost Team’s promising rookie core. Any Lost member spotting this message on the trade platform would likely alert Kelly quickly.

Just as expected, not long after Qin Lun listed the item and its condition, the associated contact code received an incoming call.

“So? Miss sis that much already? It’s barely been a day!” The projector soon displayed the unkempt visage of Kelly, seemingly just roused from sleep. Her utterly carefree demeanor made Qin Lun seriously doubt she held any concern for the looming crises at all.