Chapter 167: Green Flood Dragon Tendon

Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Green Flood Dragon Tendon

Seraphina Sinclair took the rather ordinary-looking black ballpoint pen and, without hesitation, crisply signed her name on the signature line of the loan contract.

The moment the pen tip left the paper’s surface, the entire contract suddenly emitted a faint glow. The words upon it seemed to come alive, flowing for an instant before the light receded, and the document returned to the appearance of ordinary paper. But an invisible, binding force had already taken hold.

[You have signed The Black Mist World Loan Contract - S-Class]

[Current Debt: -60,000 Black Fog Coins]

[Repayment Due Next Week: 10,000 Black Fog Coins]

[Warning: Late payments will incur hefty penalty fees and may trigger the forced collection protocol!]

A cold notification panel popped up before Seraphina Sinclair’s eyes.

At the same time, Traveling Merchant 001 seemed to receive the same information. The expression on her face was incredibly complex, a mixture of relief at having closed a major deal and profound concern over future repayments.

With a miserable look on her face, she nonetheless acted without delay, carefully pushing the Green Flood Dragon Tendon fishing rod and the Abyssfrost Watersplitter Spear toward Seraphina Sinclair.

"Here... your items... P-please, take them..."

The Traveling Merchant’s voice held a barely perceptible sob. "You absolutely have to make your payments on time, Top-Ranker! My entire performance bonus is riding on you!"

Seraphina Sinclair ignored her muttering, instead opening her panel to take another look.

Her Black Fog Coin balance had also changed. Only 189 Black Fog Coins remained.

’Instantly broke, and even saddled with a massive debt.’

Seraphina Sinclair glanced at her balance and stood up, her expression serene.

Seeing that the transaction was complete, Traveling Merchant 001, terrified that this "despicable and shameless" human would make another outrageous demand, hastily said, "W-well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll just be on my way..."

"Wait," Seraphina Sinclair said, stopping her.

Traveling Merchant 001 froze, looking like she was about to burst into tears. "Wh-what now? The contract is signed! You’ve taken the items! You can’t haggle anymore!"

"I’m not haggling." Seraphina Sinclair pointed to the traces of slime and blood the Bronze Predator had left on the floor. "Do you buy processed fish meat here? What are your prices?"

Seeing a chance for profit, the merchant—who clearly had a short memory for trouble—became enthusiastic again. "This Bronze Predator? If it’s unprocessed, the most I can give you is..."

She was just about to name a price when something occurred to her. She cautiously raised her eyes to peek at Seraphina Sinclair’s expression.

Even though the human’s expression was unchanged, 001 no longer dared to try and make such a huge profit margin. Her own expression turned serious, and after a long moment of thought, she replied solemnly, "Ten thousand Black Fog Coins, tops. That’s the absolute highest price."

Having said that, she lost the courage to wait for Seraphina Sinclair’s response and quickly blurted out, "That price is really high! Any higher and this whole trip will be for nothing! The system’s highest buyback price is only 11,000 Black Fog Coins, and that’s if the timing is right and involves a ton of haggling! I really can’t go any higher!"

Seraphina Sinclair gave a slight, noncommittal nod.

Just when 001 thought the human was finally being considerate for once, she heard her say, "You’re mistaken."

001’s lips trembled, and just as she was about to start crying, the human before her spoke again. "I was asking for the price *after* it’s been processed."

001: "?"

001: "!!"

’I got it wrong!’

stared blankly for a second, then quickly composed herself and blinked back her tears. She hesitated for a moment before looking at Seraphina Sinclair and offering a well-intentioned reminder. "The processing fee for this kind of fish is very expensive. It might not actually be more profitable, you know."

Seraphina Sinclair nodded, gesturing for her to go on.

’Well, if this human insists on doing things her way, I’m certainly not going to stop her. I’ve given her the warnings she’s due.’

’Besides, this woman fleeced me for so many Black Fog Coins. It’s about time she stumbled and learned a lesson!’

With that in mind, 001 deliberately quoted a high price. "After processing, a single piece of fish meat can probably sell for 6,000 Black Fog Coins."

’After this human spends a fortune on processing, I’ll tell her that each piece actually only sells for 3,000 Black Fog Coins!’

’Then she’ll be stuck—can’t sell it, can’t not sell it!’

’She’ll have no choice but to take a huge loss!’

As 001 spoke, she made a gesture with her hand. "The fish you just caught should yield four pieces of meat."

After speaking, she carefully watched Seraphina Sinclair’s reaction.

The human simply stepped aside, clearing a path for her to leave.

’Did she not take the bait?’

was reluctant to give up, but she didn’t dare say anything more. She scurried past Seraphina Sinclair, yanked open the wooden door, and fled.

The wooden door creaked shut, sealing out the damp, cold air.

Seraphina Sinclair stood where she was, her gaze fixed on the murky puddle of slime and the dark bloodstains on the floor.

The air was thick with the heavy, unpleasant stench of fish and rust.

’That creature... Her schemes were written all over her face. Does she really take me for an idiot?’

Seraphina Sinclair shook her head, raising a hand to gently stroke the two new pieces of fishing gear.

The Water-Breaking Spear was all but crippled by its Unsuitable for Land and Water trait, but the Armor-breaking Effect remained. Perhaps she could pull it out in the future when facing monsters with heavy armor.

’As for the Green Flood Dragon Tendon... now is the time to use it!’

The Traveling Merchant’s description had been a bit vague, so Seraphina Sinclair used Insight on the item for a closer look.

[Green Flood Dragon Tendon (B-level)]

[Description: An extraordinary fishing rod forged with a core of memory alloy blended with the primary tendon of the exotic beast, the Azurewater Drake, and treated with various flexible spiritual materials! Natural, flowing water patterns adorn the rod’s body, which contains a faint trace of the drake’s soul. It requires no line or hook, instead transforming the intangible into a fishing line to perceive the waters and ensnare prey. Warning: Do not attempt to use it to attack monsters. Displeasing the drake’s soul will render this equipment unusable.]

[Traits: 1. Heart Line Extension: No physical fishing line required. When used, you can manifest an intangible "Heart Line" to probe the water, drastically increasing Perception range and accuracy!

2. Tenacious Yielding: Possesses exceptional resilience, allowing it to effectively absorb the instantaneous impact from massive creatures. When faced with a pull that far exceeds the rod’s limits, the body will automatically bend to dissipate the force, drastically reducing the risk of snapping.]

[Note: "With this rod in hand, roam the azure waves at will."]

’Heart Line?’

Her interest piqued, Seraphina Sinclair raised her hand and gently extended the Green Flood Dragon Tendon.

The dark cyan rod felt smooth and warm to the touch. The instant she lowered it into the water, a faint tremor ran through its body.

The water-like patterns seemed to come alive, emitting a faint, cyan glow.

It was as if Seraphina Sinclair had opened the door to a new world.

It felt as if her own perception was extending out from the tip of the rod, as if she had placed her very eyes into the water, allowing her to see every movement within it with perfect clarity.

Cold, deep, and filled with surging undercurrents...

The world beneath the water unfolded in her mind’s eye with unprecedented clarity.

Seraphina Sinclair could "see" the swaying weeds in the distance, "feel" the presence of tiny plankton, and even faintly detect the hazy auras of fish hiding in the depths.