Chapter 28: Preparation and Scoring a Deal

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Preparation and Scoring a Deal

"5 Silver Coins and 12 Copper Coins... here you go."

That afternoon, at Old Yor’s General Store.

Behind the counter, Old Yor handed a handful of silver and copper coins to Lu Wei, a peculiar expression on his face.

’He came to stock up this morning and had to put the two silver coins on credit.’

’Then this afternoon, he waltzes in and buys more than 4 Silver Coins’ worth of things all at once.’

’I ask him to pay for his earlier purchase, and he says he has no money...’

’Isn’t that money in your hand???’

"Mr. Yor, I’ve already told you, this Gold Coin belongs to my friend, the one who came with me this morning."

Sensing Old Yor’s angry glare, Lu Wei explained helplessly,

"We’re following your advice and plan to go deep into the forest tomorrow to find a suitable place to set up shop, so we came to purchase some necessities."

"As for the payment for my stock, I can pay you after I’ve sold it."

’The one from this morning?’

"You mean that kid with the golden hair, the one who kept clamoring for breakfast?"

Old Yor looked skeptical. "He couldn’t even afford breakfast, so how did he suddenly get his hands on a Gold Coin?"

"It’s a long story... it’s about slavery and problems with the social system..."

Lu Wei muttered under his breath as Old Yor stared at him blankly, and he counted the coins in his hand one more time.

After confirming the amount was correct, he picked up the large, full bag of newly purchased goods and nodded goodbye to the old man.

"Mr. Yor, I’ll be leaving now. Goodbye."

"..."

Old Yor stared blankly at Lu Wei’s retreating back, his face a picture of confusion.

’Slavery? Social system?’

’What was all that nonsense...?’

...

...

As dusk approached, Lu Wei and Furen met up under a large tree near the Central Plaza.

They didn’t know how many days they would be in the forest this time, so they had to be fully prepared.

So, after lunch, the two had split up to do their shopping, agreeing to meet back here when they were done.

Lu Wei was in charge of purchasing the necessary "survival" items, while Furen was responsible for the food.

"I’ve got it all. Salt, alkaline biscuits, hard cheese, hard liquor in an iron flask..."

Opening his backpack, Furen took out bags big and small, taking stock of the food. Everything was compact and high in calories.

The Gelan Forest Adventurer’s Manual had detailed recommendations on what food to pack, even going so far as to specify the exact rations for each item.

Most of the food items also had multiple uses, in order to conserve as much backpack space as possible.

For example, salt and hard liquor could be used for disinfection, hard cheese could be used to bait Kobolds, and the alkaline biscuits could alleviate acid toxins.

This was all precious Experience, paid for with the lives of countless predecessors, so following their advice was a surefire bet.

Of course, whether or not any of it tasted good was another matter entirely.

However, adventuring wasn’t a picnic; you couldn’t expect a single food item to fulfill every need. Thus, it wasn’t a major issue.

Besides, if they wanted to eat a little better, it was easy enough. They just had to ’live off the land’ once they entered the forest.

Small wild beasts, mushrooms, wild vegetables, and even some monsters were, in fact, edible.

And as long as they were cooked properly, they tasted absolutely delicious.

As a popular saying among Adventurers went—

"In an Adventurer’s Land, you only have to worry about becoming the food, not about finding it."

Clearly, finding food wasn’t going to be a difficult problem to solve.

And that was precisely why Lu Wei had handed this part of the shopping over to Furen.

As for himself, he had taken on the task of purchasing the "survival necessities," which required a more strategic and big-picture perspective.

"A wax-layered Waterproof Sleeping Bag, a Flint Box with two spare flints, Insect Repellent Powder, a universal antidote for snake venom, a folding pot that doubles as a shield for cooking..."

Opening a large linen bag, Lu Wei also took his items out one by one, soon covering the ground with them.

Looking up, he asked Furen a somewhat redundant question.

"Think we’re missing anything?"

"Gods, this is unbelievably thorough..."

Furen looked shocked. "This is way more detailed than what I prepared last time I went into the forest."

’Well, that’s the thoroughness of a doomsday prepper for you.’

"Alright, in that case, let’s head back."

Lu Wei nodded and packed his things away again, planning to return to their small wooden cabin to rest and recover, hoping to replenish all the Magic Power he had wasted practicing Stealth.

Then he would be in peak condition to face this crucial adventure, which would determine whether the initial stage of his "commercial empire" would be a success.

Just then, however, Furen suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, right. We should also go buy some Equipment and a Weapon or two."

"Equipment?"

Lu Wei glanced at the Sword hilt visible beside Furen’s head. "What else do you need to buy?"

"My Leather Armor was torn to shreds by that bear, wasn’t it? I need to buy a new one."

Furen looked over, his expression serious. "But more importantly, we need to buy a set for you."

"Ah, I don’t think I need any. After all, you’re the one who paid for all these supplies."

Lu Wei was overjoyed at the prospect of getting a free set of Equipment, but he feigned reluctance.

"I’ll leave security to you. A Dagger is enough for me."

"Hmm, although it’s true I can handle most dangers, it’s better to be more careful."

Furen’s tone was quite serious. "Even if you don’t need a Weapon, you’ll still need Armor."

"..."

’Wait, what do you mean I don’t need a Weapon??’

Lu Wei froze, then quickly backpedaled. "You’re right. It’s better to be cautious."

"That way, if we really encounter danger, maybe I can help you out."

"With ranged support, for instance."

Deliberately emphasizing the word "ranged," Lu Wei did his best to hint to Furen that he needed a bow.

But as expected, the hint went completely over Furen’s head. He just scratched his scalp in confusion.

"Support me how?"

"I... forget it. I was just kidding."

Lu Wei hesitated for a moment before shaking his head with a sigh of resignation.

Although he could have indeed gotten a free Weapon, he had very little interest in close-quarters combat.

As for ranged combat, bows and arrows required a long time to practice.

Accuracy, power, timing—none of these could be mastered overnight.

And if he was only half-decent, not only would he be unable to help his teammate, but he’d probably have the opposite effect.

’After all, there’s no way to turn off ’friendly fire’ in real life.’

’So it would be better to wait until I’ve earned some money, buy a Skill Book, learn a few Magic spells, and become a noble Mage.’

With this in mind, Lu Wei didn’t bring up the subject of a Weapon again.

However, he definitely needed to get a piece of Armor to protect himself.

And so, after packing their things away, the two quickly arrived at the final stop on their shopping trip—

an Armor shop that was doing exceptionally good business.

...

...

[Padded Armor]

[Species: Armor (Light Armor)]

[Level: Ordinary]

[Value: 40 Copper Coins]

[Introduction: The most basic Armor, made from several layers of compressed fabric or cotton wadding. It is cheap and easy to obtain, and is the Armor most used by novice Adventurers and Militia.]

[Note: Although it does have a certain protective effect, it’s actually more for psychological comfort.]

————

[Improved Scale Armor]

[Species: Armor (Middle Armor)]

[Level: Ordinary]

[Value: 3 Silver Coins, 33 Copper Coins]

[Introduction: Armor made of overlapping metal scales sewn onto a leather backing. It offers excellent protection, but the friction of the metal plates creates noise, making it unsuitable for Stealth or running.]

[Note: After being modified to be lighter, its weight has been greatly reduced, but it still falls into the Middle Armor category.]

————

[Wooden Small Round Shield]

[Species: Armor (Shield)]

[Level: Inferior]

[Value: 10 Copper Coins]

[Introduction: Made of ordinary oak wood. The iron trim on the edge is purely decorative and cannot even withstand a single slash. The only attack it can likely defend against is a stone thrown by a goblin.]

[Note: A repurposed old door panel.]

"..."

Inside the bustling, thriving shop, Lu Wei ran his hand over one piece of Equipment after another on the shelves, a series of information panels appearing in his mind.

All the while, a pretty saleswoman beside him kept up a smiling commentary.

"Sirs, our Padded Armor isn’t like the others. Its durability is nearly on par with Leather Armor! And right now, we’re having a big sale—it’s only 80 Copper Coins..."

"Ah, you have a great eye! This Ying Feng Improved Scale Armor was crafted by a Master. It’s a truly amazing piece of Armor, with the durability of Middle Armor but the lightness of Light Armor. Of course, the price is a little higher; it’s 5 Silver Coins."

"This Round Shield... just look at that wood grain, isn’t it beautiful! The key is that it’s cheap—only 10 Copper Coins!"

"..."

’Well, what do you know. The only piece of junk is the one with an honest price tag.’

’So they can’t sell it and want to clear out their inventory?’

Glancing over at the enthusiastic and boldly dressed saleswoman, Lu Wei finally understood why this shop’s business was so good.

Furthermore, he didn’t recognize her, so she probably wasn’t a resident of Heitai Town.

’She probably switched careers after a failed adventure.’

"We’ll look around a bit more."

With "Precise Identification" at his disposal, Lu Wei naturally wasn’t going to be swindled by the saleswoman. He quickly continued to "feel" his way down the shelves.

Although his behavior was a bit strange, some customers did judge the quality of Armor by touch, so the saleswoman didn’t say anything like, "If you’re not buying, don’t touch." She simply followed silently behind him.

A few minutes later, Lu Wei suddenly stopped in front of a somewhat damaged piece of Leather Armor.

"Sir, while this piece of Leather Armor is used, I can guarantee its previous owner is still alive, so you don’t have to worry about any bad omens!"

The saleswoman was a true professional, immediately stepping forward to make her pitch. "And since it’s secondhand, the price is a real bargain. You can have it for a single Silver Coin."

"Hmm..."

Lu Wei nodded, looking tempted but also as if he thought the price was a little steep.

[Forest Patrol Leather Armor]

[Species: Armor (Light Armor)]

[Level: High Level (Slightly Damaged)]

[Value: 1 Gold Coin, 3 Silver Coins]

[Introduction: Lightweight Leather Armor made from soft deerskin with a nighthawk feather lining. Specially designed for those who need to move quietly through the woods. The damage has affected its value.]

[Note: The Armor can ward off an arrow from the shadows, but it cannot ward off the pain of a dead husband.]

"..."

’So, a "like-new, one-owner" set of leather armor from a beautiful widow, huh!’

’Jackpot!’

"It is pretty nice."

Turning to face the saleswoman, Lu Wei asked with a sincere expression, 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"But could you make it a little cheaper?"