Chapter 407 - 406: Use at Will

Chapter 407: Chapter 406: Use at Will

’This deal... it’s worth a shot.’

An idea took root, and Seraphina Sinclair looked up, meeting Squidward’s gaze.

Squidward had said that to take her down a peg. Seeing that she still dared to meet its gaze directly, it suddenly grew interested.

’What is she going to say? How many more surprises can this human possibly have?’

Just before she pulled out the SSS-level item, another idea struck Seraphina Sinclair.

"What if I were willing to let you use my fire?"

The waiter had said that fire was exceedingly rare and also immensely beneficial to them as chefs.

Although eight slots in the Undying Fire Lamp were already full, the fact remained: fire was exceptionally precious! The people who had paid a hefty price to store their flames in the lamp were naturally unwilling to see even a speck of it consumed.

’It’s perfectly normal for people who paid for storage to not let others use their things. So for someone like me, who has no money, to offer usage rights in exchange for storage... that should make sense, right?’

The moment she finished speaking, the expressions of the three beings behind the long table changed.

Squidward was visibly stunned. Its three eyes went wide, and its mouth gaped open in a perfect "O." The old man snapped his head around, his eyes fixed on Seraphina Sinclair as if she had said something utterly outlandish.

The cone-shaped being wobbled and spoke for the first time. "You’re willing to let us use your fire?"

’The way it said that, it sounded like I was offering to just give them the fire.’

Her lips twitched as she carefully corrected it. "I’m not giving it to you, nor am I selling it. I will store it in the Undying Fire Lamp. During the storage period, you can use it as you wish."

The three beings exchanged a glance, each seeing the same disbelief in the others’ eyes.

In the countless millennia since the first flame and its vessel came to be, they had never heard of such a transaction model.

This kind of arrangement was utterly unheard of.

Who, upon possessing such a treasure, wouldn’t be meticulously careful, hiding it away for fear of others coveting even a fraction of it?

The only reason this human could hold onto the fire so securely was because her Species had just been integrated and was under protection. But to propose this kind of deal... that took some real guts.

Squidward stared at Seraphina Sinclair, pondering for a moment before asking, "Do you realize that every time the fire is used, its potency diminishes?"

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t know for certain, but she had suspected it.

’Besides... so what if it diminishes?’

’The immediate problem is that I have no way to preserve the fire at all. If the restaurant doesn’t lend me a container, it will simply dissipate.’

It wasn’t that Seraphina Sinclair hadn’t considered selling it.

’But selling it requires the right channels!’

’Among humans... she was already the strongest, and even she was struggling with how to preserve it. Even if she found a human buyer, what they could offer likely wouldn’t be as good as the fire itself.’

’Any such trade would be a terrible deal.’

As for the auction house...

The highest auction grade at an E-level venue was D-level. This was an SS-level flame; she would need to get to an S-Class auction house to consign it successfully.

By the time Seraphina Sinclair could get her hands on a ticket to the S-Class Golden Auction House, the flame would be long gone!

So, even if this deal would diminish the flame’s potency, it was still the best option compared to trading away her SSS-level Door Key or any other alternative.

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Squidward knew the answer to its question.

It had seen many who, out of greed, clung tightly to their possessions, never understanding that what they held was like fine sand—the tighter they squeezed, the less they could hold on to.

If the Undying Fire Lamp didn’t only have one last slot remaining, Squidward would have genuinely wanted to invest in the human before it.

’If she can survive, she’s destined for great things!’

The elderly man nodded slowly, the smile on his face becoming a little more genuine. "Interesting... a very interesting line of thinking. Child, you’re not just bold; you’ve thought this through quite thoroughly. In that case, let’s discuss the specific terms of this deal."

’They’ve accepted.’

’Whatever happens, the flame is safe for now. And... I didn’t have to give up another Triple S item.’

They had agreed to the deal, but Seraphina Sinclair didn’t dare to relax in the slightest.

’I know far too little about fire, and the Dragon Eating Scroll doesn’t mention it at all. If I try to haggle with them in my current state, the chances of getting ripped off are huge!’

’The waiter might be cooperating with me, but he’s one of them, one of the chefs. I can’t trust him completely.’

’Not only am I completely ignorant on this subject, but I’m also facing four of them alone. One wrong move, and I could lose more than just the flame—I might end up forfeiting my future kills, too.’

’Why my kills?’

’It was hard for Seraphina to imagine what these four chefs could possibly be interested in other than the fresh ingredients she could provide.’

Her mind raced. She decided that rather than pretending to know what she didn’t, it was better to be honest, ask for some time to learn what she needed to know, and then resume negotiations.

’As for where to get this knowledge...’

’If the Stardust Gallery wants to use my fire, shouldn’t they pay a little ’user fee’?’

After hearing Seraphina Sinclair’s proposal, the three chefs fell silent.

After a moment, the elderly man suddenly clapped his hands in praise. "Child, you’re a constant source of ingenious, well-reasoned ideas. It makes you impossible to refuse."

Squidward’s three yellow eyes all rolled at once as its tentacles writhed in annoyance. "A hassle! This is such a hassle! Why not just set a maximum usage rate, sign the contract, and be done with it? Now we have to teach you first? Who knows how long you’ll need to study!"

Seraphina Sinclair remained unfazed. "We can agree on a deadline for my studies."

’If I agree to Squidward’s terms, I’ll never get a chance to learn what I need to know about fire!’

’Now that I have this opportunity, I have to take it.’

Squidward seemed to have had enough of her stubborn persistence. It raised a few tentacles to cover its eyes, as if not seeing Seraphina Sinclair would make her cease to exist.

In contrast, the cone-shaped being, which had been silent, tossed a book over. Seraphina Sinclair looked down at the cover, which read—

A General Theory of Flame, from Mundane Fire to Holy Flame: Traits, Classification, Preservation, and Applications in Consumption

Seraphina Sinclair was speechless. "..."

’That title... sounds a bit too professional, doesn’t it?’

"We’ll take the fire back and store it for now. You have one week. We’ll talk again then."

At some point, Squidward had lowered its tentacles. The three that had been covering its eyes were now twisted together before it, much like a person crossing their arms.

"However, if we fail to reach an agreement, you’ll have to pay us the storage fee for the week. Seeing as you have some talent, I’ll give you a ninety percent discount. You’ll just have to compensate the restaurant with one hundred thousand Black Fog Coins."

’Ninety percent off? One hundred thousand Black Fog Coins?’

’That means their stupid lamp makes a million Black Fog Coins a week?! No, that’s just for one slot. With nine slots, that’s a full nine million!’