Adrian sat inside the carriage in silence as he observes the changing surrounding outside it.
He wasn’t in a usual passenger carriage, rather he was in a sturdy cart, chosen deliberately for the load it carried.
Stacked around him were nurous crates, their contents a testant to the efficiency of the [System Factory].
176 Communicators, 136 Magic Heaters, and 51 Magic Coolers.
It was all he had for now, and while he wished he could have produced more, he knew it was enough, at least for now.
His gaze drifted to the crates, each one a step toward his goals, but his mind was already on the next hurdle.
Upgrading the Factory or Workshop was a plan he had before, but for him to earn more TP, the Dual Production Line was very necessary. This made the Triple Production Line at 20,000 TP very tempting, and he had decided he would save up for it before anything.
’If I can push these sales through, the TP will roll in more daily.’
The past few days had been grueling, yesterday especially, when he’d trained with Master Von for over six hours.
He had now learned 45% of the Phantom Flow Technique was now at 45%, a feat that left his body battered.
He hadn’t found ti to master the movents, though he promised Master Von that he would practice over the weekend. The goal of mastering the technique before the exchange now felt realistic to Adrian... if he played his part, lof course.
~Screech~
The carriage halted before a modest inn, its sign weathered but welcoming.
Adrian stepped out, his movents graceful as usual despite the ache in his limbs.
The driver, a burly man with a scruffy beard, and his teenage son, lanky but eager, hopped down to help.
They had an agreent for more paynt it they helped to carry the crates, and together they hauled the heavy boxes into the inn’s courtyard, stacking them neatly by the entrance.
Sweat filled their faces as they finished, and Adrian handed over 20 gold coins, the agreed fee. "Thank you," the driver said with his son nodding vigorously.
Adrian waved them off, watching the cart rattle away before turning to his crates.
Stepping into the inn’s dimly lit foyer, he ignored the receptionist desk, pulling out a Communicator from his pocket.
The device humd as he turned it on. "I’m here."
"Oh, that’s great!" ca the reply with excitent. "We’re in the room. We’ll co pick you up now."
Adrian disconnected and pocketed the device. Monts later, four figures scrambled down the staircase, their boots thudding on the wooden steps.
He recognized two from his last visit to the Adventurers’ Association, but that didn’t make this less unsafe.
Following strangers into a private room didn’t sit well with him, especially alone. But he pushed the thought aside. ’Business is built on trust,’ he told himself, nodding as they approached.
"You’ve got quite the haul," one of the older n said, eyeing the crates.
"Let’s get these upstairs." The group split the load, each grabbing a crate, while Adrian following their lead up the creaking stairs.
They repeated their movents, dropping the crates before a heavy wooden door until they were done with them.
The leader unlocked it and pushed it open, revealing a room packed with materials... crystals, herbs, tals, stones, and more.
The space was large, yet the goods filled over 80% of it, stacked in orderly piles.
Adrian’s eyes swept the room with his [Analysis] skill active, giving him a breakdown of every item.
He nodded in approval but noted the quantities fell short of his request. "Is this all?" he asked in a neutral tone.
The adventurers exchanged glances, shaking their heads. "Of course not," the scarred man said. "Three more rooms on this floor, sa size, sa stock. Everything you asked for."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "And the Magic Crystals? They’re not here. Another room?"
Shock filled across their faces and their eyes darting amongst each other.
’How did he know?’ their expressions scread, unaware of Adrian’s [Analysis].
The younger man stamred, "We... weren’t sure how much you’d bring, so we’ll fetch the crystals from the Association."
Adrian nodded in satisfaction. "I’ll check the other rooms."
He moved and began inspecting each with his [Analysis] confirming the materials matched his list. Returning to the first room, he gestured to his crates.
"Let’s open these."
The adventurers gathered as Adrian pried open the first crate, revealing neatly packed Communicators.
"I’ve got 176 sets of these. There are no basic models this ti, but I’ll include those in the next delivery. These are priced at 1760 2-Star Magic Crystals, as agreed."
He moved to the next crates, revealing Magic Heaters and Cooler. "And these are new... They are Magic Heaters and Coolers."
He lifted a Heater next.
"This replaces wood fires for cooking. They are safer, cleaner, and are powered by magic crystals. A single magic crystal can make them last months with normal use."
He demonstrated by turning it on, and the construct produced bright flas from its top. After he was done proving its capability, he switched to the Magic Cooler.
"The Cooler preserves food... fruits, ats, anything. It can be turned on and off to save the crystal’s power."
He activated a Cooler and a faint chill radiated from it as he opened its lid.
The adventurers stood stunned after he had showed them everything.
"This... This is amazing," one of the n muttered as he stepped closer.
They tested the Heater by themselves, feeling its warmth, and the Cooler too and their eyes were filled with awe.
"This really works," one of the younger n said, almost to himself.
The leader cleared his throat to remain coordinated. "We can’t set a price without the director, especially for sothing this... extraordinary. But what’s your asking price?"
Adrian shrugged with a faint smile.
"These? There are my cheapest inventions yet. One Magic Crystal plus one gold coin for a set. They co with a crystal, so I’m only earning the coin, minus materials."
The adventurers froze in disbelief. Tales of Adrian’s steep prices had circulated among the board, painting him as a ruthless negotiator already.
"That’s... generous," the leader said with suspicion. "Why so low though?"
"Do I need a reason?" Adrian asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or don’t you like the price?"
"No, no!" they chorused imdiately. "We’re grateful! How many sets?"
Adrian nodded and his smile widened a bit. "Now you’re talking."
***
Minutes later, the deal was nearly finalized. The adventurers handed Adrian a set of keys to the inn’s rooms, explaining he could access them anyti.
"We’ll take the crates to the Association," the leader said in an earnest tone. "Co by soon, and we’ll settle the Magic Crystals. We’re grateful for these goods, truly."
Adrian nodded. "I’ll co." He glanced around. "How long are these rooms booked?"
"One week," the younger man replied. "It’s a private room, so no one can access them until then. If anything is missing, you can report it to us... the Association will handle the inn."
"Good," Adrian said, pocketing the keys.
The adventurers gathered the crates, their chatter animated as they hauled them out, leaving Adrian alone.
He closed the door, leaning against it as he reflected. Setting the price at one Magic Crystal plus one gold coin seed like bad business on the surface... But the reality was that 10 Magic Crystals equaled 100 gold and that was a fortune for most people, especially those who lived in the town.
But Adrian knew his strategy. High prices would limit his market; these affordable inventions would flood villages, earning TP and EXP faster than pricier ones.
Magic-based devices granted more points from usage, and mass adoption was his goal.
’It’s worth it,’ he thought. A single crystal was manageable for a months-long investnt.
With a ntal command, he activated his [Inventory], and the room’s materials vanished in a shimr, leaving only the bed and desk.
Adrian’s lips curved into a satisfied smile. He moved to the other three rooms, repeating the process, their contents absorbed into his [Inventory].
Locking each door, he shrugged off the thought of the Association checking later as it would be too late, and he owed no explanations.
Stepping into the hallway, Adrian felt a strange sense of accomplishnt.
The deal was a success, but two tasks remained: eting the Association’s director to finalize the crystal exchange and to et up with the Dukes.
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