Lord of Prayer - Chapter 189 147: Thunder Strike
“Ten million Eastern Continent Coins, and one Thunder Attribute Extraordinary Material.”
Zhou Chen thought for a moment before naming a reasonable price.
These five Extraordinary Weapons were exquisitely crafted. Although there were slight differences in quality between them, it didn’t matter much. After all, they were all Extraordinary Weapons; even the worst of them was still quite good.
By his estimation, the market price for selling the five weapons as a bundle was somewhere between ten and eleven million. The price would fluctuate slightly depending on the Weapon market, but the overall change wouldn’t be too drastic. So, Zhou Chen simply opted to exchange the fluctuating portion of the price for a Thunder Attribute Extraordinary Material, saving him the trouble of buying one himself.
Colin pondered for a moment, then nodded. “A very fair price. What’s your dark web account number? I’ll wire the money to your account within ten minutes of the gathering’s end. As for the Thunder Attribute Extraordinary Material… I happen to have one right here.”
He took out a purplish-gold stone from his Player Backpack, then paused, slightly stunned.
This Thunder Stone generated its own Thunder Field. Under normal circumstances, simply taking it out would cause it to release purple Thunderbolt, indiscriminately attacking its surroundings.
The power of the Thunderbolt was terrifying. A single wisp could pierce through an ordinary person’s body, killing them on the spot, and it posed a threat even to Ascenders.
He had placed a Sealing Matrix on it, but the Thunder Stone’s Power was too overwhelming. Even with the Matrix’s suppression, it would still release faint arcs of electricity. Yet now, the Thunder Stone was completely quiet. Even the volatile Thunder Breath Energy within had fallen silent and become docile.
Colin knew this was due to Mr. Lamp God’s suppression and began to explain:
“This is a ‘Magnetic Storm Thunder Stone,’ a specialty from the Thunder Prison Plain. You should be familiar with it.”
Soron’s eyes lit up when he saw the Magnetic Storm Thunder Stone. That thing was a rare find; even the Alchemy Association he belonged to didn’t have many in stock.
Each Thunder Stone was a crystallized essence of the violent Power of Thunder, containing immense Thunderstorm Energy. With a few modifications, it could be used as a battery with an incredibly long life. For instance, many Weapons like Plasma Guns, Magnetic Storm Gloves, and Light Sabers were well-suited to be equipped with this potent Energy source.
Most importantly, the Thunder Stone wasn’t a one-time resource. After its internal Energy was depleted, it could be recharged. A thunderstorm or just a bit of electricity was all it took to fully replenish its Energy.
As a proper Alchemist, the moment Soron saw the Magnetic Storm Thunder Stone, more than twenty different designs for Alchemy Tools popped into his mind.
Unfortunately, he could only dream.
Zhou Chen took the Magnetic Storm Thunder Stone, examining it over and over. He couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, “What a fine item.”
The quality of this Thunder Stone was extremely high. It could even serve as the main material for a Thunder Type Ascender’s Advancement. It was an excellent choice for Forging a Weapon.
With such a pure essence of Thunderbolt, combined with his exquisite Forging skills, securing a spot in the weapon tournament’s preliminary round wouldn’t be difficult at all.
“Mr. Lamp God, I request to pass a note,” Number One said cheerfully.
Instantly, paper and a pen appeared on the Obsidian Round Table. He picked up the pen, wrote down his dark web account number, and handed it to Colin.
Colin took the paper and committed the string of numbers on it to memory. He then placed the paper face down on the table. The next second, the paper and pen dissolved into mist.
“A pleasure doing business with you,” Number One said with a smile.
“A pleasure,” Colin replied with a calm nod. He stored the five Weapons in his Player Backpack, then looked at Number Two, Soron, and pushed five Red Dragon Treasure Scales toward him.
“Do these scales meet your requirements?”
Soron’s heart leaped. He picked up the scales, inspecting them one by one. The glistening Dragon Scales were like brilliantly lustrous Rubies, and he was utterly captivated. “They’re a perfect match.”
After pushing the Dragon Scales back, he looked at the Lamp God in the main seat. “Mr. Lamp God, I also request, uh… a private exchange.”
He used a more formal phrasing.
A moment later, they had exchanged contact information, both of them completely satisfied.
Soron had managed to trade for the Red Dragon Treasure Scales he desperately needed, which would allow him to create an Alchemy Armament.
Colin, in turn, would receive the Air Gloves, strengthening his combat power. This Alchemy Tool was exceptionally effective, providing substantial defensive capabilities that could be life-saving in a critical moment.
After the trades were concluded, everyone turned to look at the Lamp God, who had yet to speak.
He was like a mysterious and profound elder, casually watching children play house.
“Number Three, do you have nothing you wish to trade?” the Lamp God asked, looking at Number Three, Lin Ya.
Lin Ya flinched as if startled, pursing her lips as she blushed with a sense of inferiority. ‘I feel so useless,’ she thought. ‘The other members are either Blacksmiths or Alchemists, and there’s even a wealthy, elite Ascender. Compared to them, I couldn’t be more ordinary.’
But hearing Mr. Lamp God’s gentle words, she mustered her courage. “I just became an Ascender not long ago, and I’m about to go on a mission. I’d like to ask for some advice—what’s the fastest way to accumulate merit points?”
Lin Ya was currently a peripheral member of the Star Association. On Father Daun’s advice, she had accepted a field mission that would both earn her money and temper her skills, but she had no experience and was very worried about it.
“I can answer that for you, free of charge,” Number One said with a chuckle. “The simplest missions are assassinations. The more people you kill, the more merit you earn. The only difficulty is a new Ascender’s Fear of killing. Once you get over that hurdle, there’s no problem.”
“My advice to you is to just think, ‘These aren’t people, they’re money.’ Just use a bit of hypnosis on yourself a few times and you’ll be fine.”
“Next are team-based missions. Be smart, be cautious, and follow your teammates to get in on the kills. If you’re strong enough, you can take the initiative to deal with tougher enemies to make yourself stand out a little. Showing your strength is how you get noticed by your superiors for promotion.”
“Finally, don’t forget about dog-eat-dog. Any spoils of war you seize during a battle, as long as they aren’t exceptionally valuable, don’t need to be handed over. That’s a great way to make some extra cash.”
Lin Ya carefully committed Number One’s words to memory and nodded solemnly. “Thank you for your guidance.”
“I also have some experience to share, a lesson learned in blood.”
Colin paused, then said in a low voice, “Never feel pity for your enemies.”
“Many years ago, on my first mission, the objective was to eliminate a group of smugglers. Some of them were even younger than I was. After I took down the adults, the young ones knelt and begged me for mercy. They claimed they were innocent, that they were forced into it, and that they’d be beaten if they didn’t cooperate. They were crying their hearts out, kowtowing until their heads were bleeding.”
“But the moment I let my guard down, they pulled out guns.”
“In the end, I was shot four times. One bullet nearly hit my heart.”
Lin Ya nodded, taking Number Four’s bloody lesson to heart. She thanked him politely, “I’ll remember that. Thank you.”
“It was nothing.”
‘Even though Number Three is just a new Ascender, the fact that she was chosen by the Lamp God means there must be something extraordinary about her,’ Colin thought. ‘There’s no harm in being on friendly terms with her. Besides, everyone has to start somewhere. Maybe Number Three will grow strong very quickly…’
“I rarely fight, so my advice is to make sure you’re well-equipped before a fight, and if you can’t win, run…” Soron chimed in, but he quickly realized he was stating the obvious and gave a dry laugh. “Well, I’m an Alchemist…”
“Thank you for your advice as well,” Lin Ya said sincerely.
The group fell silent for a few seconds. Seeing that the topic was concluded, the Lamp God tapped the table at the right moment and said with a smile, “It seems this gathering was quite successful. You all got what you wanted.”
“From now on, we will hold a gathering once every half-month. I will notify you when the time comes. If the timing is inconvenient and you have matters to attend to, you can ask me for leave.”
They each agreed, indicating they understood.
“Mr. Lamp God, is there anything you need us to handle on your behalf?” Number One asked.
“I have no commissions at the moment.”
Zhou Chen looked at the other three members and said in a relaxed tone, “When I do have a commission, I won’t ask you to help for free. Upon completing my commission, you can have an equivalent wish granted.”
“Of course, you can also pay a price to have an equivalent wish granted at any time.”
“I myself advanced to Tier Two after completing one of Mr. Lamp God’s commissions. It was as easy as drinking water,” Number One mentioned offhandedly.
“If I ever need to, I will make a wish,” Number Three, Lin Ya, said with a serious nod.
Soron and Colin quickly agreed, but they were more cautious, thinking it was best not to make a wish unless absolutely necessary.
“Alright, that concludes today’s gathering. Until next time, everyone. And remember, do not reveal the existence of this gathering,” Zhou Chen said with a faint smile, bringing the meeting to a close.
The members rose, placed a hand over their chests in a salute, and in the next second, their figures vanished from the Round Table Hall as the connection was severed.
Zhou Chen let out a breath and beckoned the Magnetic Storm Thunder Stone into his hand.
‘This gathering was quite effective overall,’ Zhou Chen thought. ‘Everyone made a trade except for Lin Ya. Once she has some more time to develop, she’ll be able to participate too… As expected of an Ascender from a great family, Colin is incredibly wealthy. I can’t let a major patron like him get away… And Soron is an indispensable member as an Alchemist…’
After a moment of scattered thoughts, his body sank down, arriving beside the Wishing Fountain.
After this period of harvesting, the Wishing Spring Water had noticeably increased. The puddle had grown from the size of an egg to the size of a bowl, and he had enough wish value to splurge a little.
After enveloping the Magnetic Storm Thunder Stone with Essence, Zhou Chen’s consciousness descended, returning to the real World.
The moment he returned to reality, the volatile Magnetic Storm Thunder Stone was no longer suppressed. Its internal Energy flared back to life. Fortunately, Colin had placed a Sealing Matrix on it beforehand, so only a few arcs of electricity sparked from the Thunder Stone.
Zhou Chen went to his basement, tossed the Magnetic Storm Thunder Stone into the furnace, and sat to one side, playing on his phone.
Five minutes later, a notification from his dark web account arrived: a deposit of ten million.
“He really meant it when he said within ten minutes. What a straightforward client,” Zhou Chen couldn’t help but smile. He had made five million from this deal, plus an Extraordinary Material. He was in such a good mood he felt like he could eat a whole family bucket of chicken.
·
Star Association Medical Department.
Colin finished discussing the trade process for the Air Gloves with Number Two, then put down his phone and closed his eyes in thought.
‘Number One is a Blacksmith, Number Two is an Alchemist, and Number Three is a new Ascender. Most of her information is unknown, but I get the feeling she won’t be a disappointment. Besides, this was only the first meeting. There’s still a lot of room for growth. The Round Table Hall has a promising future…’
From just one gathering, he had already gained so much, trading for an Alchemy Tool and five high-quality Extraordinary Weapons. This gave him much more confidence for the family competition a month from now.
His chance encounter with the Lamp God and joining the round table meeting was a rare opportunity. He had to seize this good fortune and reap long-term benefits from it.
Only then could he survive the combined machinations of his enemies within the family. Only then could he get his revenge and realize his ambitions.
·
·
「One day before the end of the preliminary round, in the basement.」
Zhou Chen was bare-chested, his muscles defined and his build lean and tall. His entire body was covered in sweat, reflecting the leaping flames of the furnace.
He held a purple Tachi in his hand. Golden patterns like flowing clouds adorned the blade, and faint purple arcs of electricity coiled around the Long Saber. The audiovisual effects were maxed out, looking incredibly cool.
Near the end of the blade, two lines of small characters could be faintly seen etched inside it. This was a detail that could only be added during the Forging process, a mark for the participant to identify their own work.
The bottom line was the participant’s entry number, and the top line was the name of this Tachi:
—Thunder Strike.
