Chapter 37: Sell Sell

As I continued staring at the strange creature, the confidence I had carried into Decium began to crumble. I had always believed that being granted such powerful weapons meant there was no danger in this world capable of harming me, but that belief had just been proven wrong.

An unknown creature hidden inside an unknown cave had nearly killed me before I could even understand what was happening. Fortunately, I could only assume that the Entity had somehow protected me, because without that protection, I might not have survived the encounter.

Once I pushed those thoughts aside, I dragged the creature’s body back toward my camp so I could examine it properly before eventually extracting whatever valuable materials I could find. Despite possessing incredible speed, strength, and destructive capabilities, the creature was surprisingly light, making it far easier to transport than its appearance suggested.

After bringing it back to my camp, I carefully examined the creature from head to toe, trying to determine what kind of species it belonged to and what made it so powerful. Unfortunately, my limited knowledge was nowhere near enough to provide an answer.

Everything about its anatomy was unfamiliar, and even the strange structure attached to its back was something I had never encountered before.

I eventually realized that if I wanted answers, I would have to return to Triandum and ask someone with greater knowledge about monsters.

However, it was still too early for me to leave Decium, and returning to that cave after what had happened felt like an unnecessary risk, so I decided to continue my hunt in the higher regions of the mountain, far above the cave where I had encountered the mysterious creature.

From there, creature after creature fell before my blades. I hunted them, harvested their valuable materials, and carried everything back toward my camp, yet despite the growing pile of resources around me, that strange creature never left my thoughts.

Something that fast and powerful shouldn’t have been able to exist without leaving some kind of reputation behind, and the fact that I had never even heard of it made the entire encounter feel even stranger. Although the creature had shattered my confidence, it had also taught me something far more valuable than gold could ever provide.

"I was so naive."

Days passed before I finally decided that I had gathered enough materials. By then, I had accumulated four large sacks filled with raw monster materials, another sack containing the strange creature’s back and its unusual structure, and another sack filled with valuable fur.

I carried every sack across my back as I made my way down the mountain, the weight pressing against my body with every step, but I refused to complain. After spending nearly an entire week hunting, I was determined to return to Triandum with enough wealth to support my journey for a considerable amount of time.

Even before I reached the settlement gates, people began staring at me. Several of them whispered among themselves as I approached, clearly unable to understand how someone my size could carry so many heavy sacks at once.

"Is he a dwarf? How can he carry that much?" one person asked, while another suddenly recognized me.

"Wait, isn’t that the same guy who brought a sack of materials here a few days ago?"

Someone else glanced at the mountain of sacks on my back before realizing what they contained. "Don’t tell me all of those are materials."

I ignored every comment and continued walking until I reached the young merchant I had dealt with before. Without saying anything, I placed the sacks in front of her one after another.

"Those sacks contain the scales. These are the eyes and horns, and these contain the fur." The young woman stared at the growing collection of materials with such disbelief that she nearly stumbled backward. "What? You gathered all of this in just several days?" she asked, her voice filled with astonishment.

"Yes."

She looked at the enormous pile once again before quickly turning around. "I need to call my father."

I waited for several minutes until she finally returned with an older man. He possessed a large belly, yet surprisingly muscular arms and shoulders, making it clear that he had maintained considerable physical strength despite his age. He approached me with a friendly expression and gave me a polite nod. "Greetings, young warrior."

"Greetings," I replied.

His eyes immediately shifted toward the enormous collection of materials I had brought. He studied the sacks carefully before eventually shaking his head. "I cannot realistically purchase all of these myself. It would probably take my shop many weeks to sell this much material." He paused before continuing, "However, I have an alternative.

I can use my connections to contact other merchants and buyers throughout Triandum and arrange for them to purchase your materials directly. Of course, I would have to take a small fee for arranging everything."

I wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by using his connections, but it sounded considerably better than waiting weeks for a single merchant to sell everything. "That sounds fine."

"Then please, follow me to my shop."

I gathered the sacks once more and carried them behind him. We eventually arrived at a spacious building filled with countless materials, monster parts, equipment, and other goods that I couldn’t even identify. The sheer amount of merchandise inside made the merchant’s earlier explanation seem much more believable.

He looked at the materials I had carried inside before turning his attention toward me. "You hunted all of these yourself?"

"Yes."

His expression changed slightly. "You must be a strong man, then. May I ask your name?"

I straightened my posture before answering. "Retian. Retian Drough."

The merchant repeated my name quietly, his expression suddenly becoming thoughtful.

"Retian..." He stared at me for another moment before narrowing his eyes.

He stared at the ceiling before answering, "Your name sounds familiar. Have we met before?"

I simply said, "No, I don’t think so"