Chapter 286 - 190: Mad Biter

CLICK-CLACK.

Li Miao clearly wasn’t paying attention to Lu Tan’s words. Instead, he was excitedly fiddling with the various joints of the gear prosthetic, which made crisp clicking sounds, and he clucked his tongue in amazement.

’I gotta say, this gear prosthetic really does look super cool!’

’I thought Spirit Candle was just a dark fantasy game with a medieval setting. Who would’ve thought it had steampunk elements, too?’

’And they’re foreshadowing it through a wandering NPC merchant, of all things.’

’Makes sense. A lot of sense.’

’They’ve definitely piqued my curiosity.’

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Li Miao continued to fiddle with the gear prosthetic, unable to put it down.

"..." Watching him continue to fiddle with it, Lu Tan’s wrinkled, bark-like face grew even more creased. He reached out, took it back, and asked flatly, "Are you going to buy it?"

Li Miao’s eyes remained glued to the gear prosthetic; he was practically burning with the desire to buy it.

’Using the funds the Candlekeeper gave me to buy a prosthetic like this... That should be fine, right?’

’Candlekeeper, you know me.’

’I’ve basically had three heads and six arms since I was a kid. Having just two hands now... I’m really not used to it...’

"Yes, of course I’m buying! I want this, this, this... and some information and intel..."

Li Miao began to pick out items from Lu Tan’s shop.

A little while later...

Li Miao soon finished his shopping, quickly made his way back, and found Luo Ge to turn in the quest.

Luo Ge casually pulled out a piece of equipment from a previous Anchor Island and fobbed him off with it.

After Li Miao left, he began to examine his haul from the trip.

First was the piece of bark from Lu Tan, the [Peculiar Spell]. Luo Ge had the Spirit Candle analyze and deconstruct it, and the feedback was that it wasn’t difficult at all; it could be mass-replicated with a small amount of Wax Oil.

In the future, players would be able to use items replicated by Luo Ge to summon the Wood Spirit Merchants. Of course, as Lu Tan had put it, there was no guarantee they would show up.

’That Wood Spirit Merchant probably fleeced me for 9,999 Wax Oil, shedding crocodile tears the whole time,’ Luo Ge thought.

He hadn’t been stingy, giving Li Miao fifty units of Scorching Charcoal Spiritual Material—worth over ten thousand Wax Oil—but Lu Tan’s wares were anything but cheap.

Besides, the main reason Luo Ge had sent Li Miao to buy things wasn’t for the items in Lu Tan’s shop, but for the various pieces of "intel."

Of course, thanks to the ample funds, while Li Miao hadn’t been able to buy out Lu Tan’s entire stock, he had managed to purchase nearly everything of special value.

The most noteworthy of these were, of course, Gaelguda’s [Gear Crystal Prosthetic Limbs] and another rather peculiar item, the [Sea Abyss Coexistence Bone].

Li Miao had been drooling over the Gear Crystal Prosthetic Limbs, but Luo Ge didn’t let him have it.

According to the Spirit Candle’s feedback, this item was also classified as a "Special Weapon," which Luo Ge was currently unable to replicate.

However, the item had considerable research value. If he could have the Spirit Candle fully analyze it, he might even be able to craft new prosthetic limb equipment himself.

He couldn’t do it now, but there would certainly be an opportunity in the future.

After all, he couldn’t just go ask a player like Li Miao for it back when the time came, could he?

So, after Li Miao bought it, Luo Ge simply marked the equipment as a [Quest Item]. The player could only hand it over, his eyes full of longing.

[Sea Abyss Coexistence Bone: A small piece of Scorching Charcoal Embers, product of the Deepsea Pressure Abyss.]

According to Lu Tan, this item came from the "Deepsea Pressure Abyss." It could bond with its user, strengthening their skeleton and granting them a special Ability. However, it possessed its own consciousness and had special needs that the user had to satisfy.

The Spirit Candle also classified this as a "Special Weapon" that could not be replicated.

Furthermore, the feedback indicated it was slightly different from other "Special Weapons," as Luo Ge could sense the faint aura of a Fire of Life within it.

In addition, there were various specialty consumables from different parts of the Land of Burning and the Endless Sea.

Finally, there was the intel, which had cost the most money but also yielded the greatest rewards.

Although Lu Tan had been quite direct in his wariness and caution on this subject.

But he had also clearly sensed the sincerity of Li Miao and Candle Island behind him, so he had been willing to reveal some information, albeit with limitations...

The Wood Spirit Merchants.

They were so named because their members were almost all from the Wood Spirit Race—in other words, Tree-men. They were also able to wander through the various chaotic regions, stocking up on and selling goods along the way.

As for their origins and other more critical information, he had, of course, revealed nothing.

However, Lu Tan did provide information that supplemented what Luo Ge knew about the Land of Burning, the Endless Sea, and the world’s general background. This included quite a bit about factions involved in the "dynamic storyline," such as the Firewood Gatherers and the Shadow of Deceit.

Lu Tan even elaborated on the [Funeral Ship], something Luo Ge had only heard mentioned briefly by Le Ti.

Apparently, one of the Wood Spirit Merchants had been robbed by them...

Finally, Lu Tan revealed what was currently the most critical piece of information: in the chaotic region near the Mysterious High Platform, Firewood Gatherers appeared with great frequency.

This meant that if Luo Ge were to anchor the Mysterious High Platform, build a Spirit Fire Port, and then tether the surrounding area, it was highly likely he would be able to find the region the Firewood Gatherers were in.

Of course, he could also search the nearby areas one by one, but that would be incredibly difficult, costly, and tantamount to finding a needle in the ocean.

At this thought, Luo Ge’s eyes narrowed, and he became lost in contemplation.

’Firewood Gatherers...’

’The danger level of the Mysterious High Platform is rated ’Extremely High.’ Any Firewood Gatherers who can make it here are probably not a couple of newbies still playing a solo game, like Klemo and Ryan.’