Chapter 78: Chapter 78: The Student Representatives from the Imperial Capital
As dawn just began to break, Charles stepped out of Lily's villa and felt the cool, moist breeze from the river on his face.
He glanced at the screen for the list of materials needed for Max's advancement.
[Advancement Materials]: Ice attribute beast core [Tier 2] 0/1, Fire attribute beast core [Tier 2] 0/1, Fusion heart 0/1, Regenerating potion [White grade] 1/1.
"Now I'm missing two beast cores and a fusion heart. These materials should be available on the market, but they won't come cheap. I need to figure out a way to make some money first." With that thought, Charles hailed a taxi.
His recent venture into the Ferocious Beast Mountains had yielded a considerable amount of ferocious beast materials. While these lower-tier materials weren't very valuable, Charles had them in large quantities. Even selling at the market's lowest price could turn a tidy profit!
After purchasing the materials needed for Max's advancement, he would even have a substantial amount left over.
...
Upon reaching a commercial street near the Beast Master Guild, Charles asked the driver to stop, then booked a room in a nearby hotel.
With so many materials to handle, directly pulling them out of thin air would certainly expose the existence of his system. Thus, he had prearranged to stack today's goods for sale in the hotel room.
Once everything was properly organized, Charles crossed the street to enter the pointed building of the Beast Master Guild.
Inside the guild hall, there were already many people, some carrying bags of materials for trade, still stained with blood, which showed the great effort they had put into obtaining these materials.
In the heat of summer, Charles' heavily covered appearance quickly drew the attention of the staff. However, upon seeing his membership badge and the list of materials for sale, their demeanor instantly changed to one of respect: "Sir! Please take a moment to rest, I'll arrange the fastest selling channel for you right away!"
The staff member crossed the street to the hotel, checked the materials without any issues, and then posted sale ads in the hall and on the official website.
[Freshly hunted batch of ferocious beast materials, first come first served!]
[70 steel-spiked hedgehog fangs, priced at 300 copper coins each!]
[50 spectral wolf steel blades, priced at 500 copper coins each!]
[50 resurrecting serpent skins, priced at 300 copper coins each!]
[500 kg of lightning demon ape meat, priced at 10 copper coins per kilogram!]
[Gold, Wood, Water, Wind, two Tier 1 beast cores each, priced at 5000 copper coins each!]
[...]
Seated in the comfortable leather chairs of the VIP area, Charles glanced at the guild's large screen, and sure enough, his advertisement was prominently displayed at the top.
These materials, while not difficult for seasoned hunters to obtain, were challenging to transport out of the Ferocious Beast Mountains, especially in the heat of summer. The meat of ferocious beasts would spoil within a day, and other materials were also prone to mold.
However, time stood still in Charles's [Storage Space], so these concerns were nonexistent.
Even though more than a month had passed, the materials were as fresh as if they had just been hunted. Given that the prices were also quite reasonable, it didn't take long for the materials to be snapped up by the Beast Masters in the hall!
Charles's phone vibrated repeatedly with notifications of successful transactions and deposits into his bank account.
[Dear customer, your account ending in 9527 has received 4500 copper coins. Current balance: 0 gold coins, 6 silver coins, 200 copper coins.]
[Dear customer, your account ending in 9527 has received 25000 copper coins. Current balance: 0 gold coins, 31 silver coins, 200 copper coins.]
[...]
Watching the funds in his bank account steadily rise, with over 100 silver coins accumulated in less than two hours, Charles couldn't help but beam with joy.
Given the pace at which he was making money, Charles estimated that he could earn at least several hundred silver coins just today, and potentially much more if he sold all the ferocious beast materials he had collected.
Charles figured with that much money, purchasing two second-tier beast cores and a fusion heart should be feasible. Pulling out his phone, he quietly asked, "Where can I buy a fusion heart in Lsengard?"
After a brief analysis, the AI assistant set the navigation to a location 10 kilometers away at a shop called [Front Material Trading Center].
Looking at the address, Charles frowned slightly.
The Front Material Trading Center was notorious for its exorbitant prices. Although it sold all kinds of rare and unusual materials, they were invariably priced outrageously!
Charles suspected that his few hundred silver coins might disappear into the depths of that predatory store without even making a sound.
He was pondering his next move when he suddenly remembered that during their time in the Ferocious Beast Mountains, Aurora from Squad 7 had mentioned she had worked a summer job at the Front Material Trading Center and knew some people there. If he needed to buy something, he could contact her for an inside deal.
So, he made a call.
...
At 10 AM, standing at the bustling main entrance of the Front Building was a graceful young girl.
Dressed in a light-colored academy-style skirt and a pair of long, slender legs, she was undoubtedly the center of attention on this warm summer day. Her delicate makeup and sparkling eyes only added to her natural beauty.
Many people entered the Front Building, but this young girl turned heads at an astonishing rate of over 90%! Several boys could hardly keep walking after glimpsing her fair, long legs.
The girl seemed somewhat anxious, occasionally checking her phone, seemingly waiting for someone.
Just then.
A Lamborghini, a limited edition model worth over 500 silver coins, slowly pulled up in front of the Front Building.
"Holy smokes, that limited edition Lamborghini must have cost over 500 silver coins!"
"That beautiful girl at the door, she must be waiting for him! I envy him. Those long legs would be incredible in bed!"
Amidst the envious stares of the crowd, a young man about six feet tall, with medium-length hair parted in the middle, stepped out of the sports car and walked straight up to the young girl: "Aurora, long time no see! It's a nice day today. Would you like to join me for a ride along the river?"
"No thanks, Benjamin, I have plans today!" Aurora shook her head, her gaze not lingering on the young man for a moment.
"Plans? Is it with your best friend? That's perfect then, I'll treat you guys. We can go anywhere you want to eat, play, or shop—I've got it covered!"
"Today really isn't a good day!" Aurora's expression grew increasingly impatient.
Back when she started high school, this senior named Benjamin had been as persistent as a fly.
Hadn't he gone off to study at the Imperial Capital? Why had he suddenly returned?
Benjamin's face turned sour. He hadn't expected that after two years, Aurora would still treat him so coldly.
During his senior year at Lsengard Beast Mastery Secondary School, he had fallen for the new freshman girl at first sight and had fervently pursued her.
In his mind, as the young master of the Miller family, having become a third-level Beast Master at just 19, along with his handsome looks, he had never failed in pursuing a girl before.
He had even bet his friends that he would win over the new school beauty within a week, but almost three years later, he hadn't even managed to hold her hand, which infuriated him.
Being rejected by a girl in front of so many people, Benjamin's face showed extreme embarrassment, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
At that moment, a taxi pulled up to the Front Building. The driver was extremely cautious, careful not to scrape the luxury car parked at the door.
The car door opened, and a young man wearing a mask got out, his eyes and brows revealing a strikingly handsome face.
"Aurora, I'm sorry I'm late. It's my first time here, and I didn't account for the time properly, plus there was some traffic on the way," Charles apologized as he approached Aurora.
Noticing the unfriendly gaze from the man, Charles looked over and saw several lines of information appear before him.
[Name]: Benjamin
[Age]: 21
[Height]: 185 cm
[Beast Master Level]: Third-level
"A 21-year-old third-level Beast Master, this guy's Beast Mastery talent isn't too shabby," Charles thought to himself, though it was only a fleeting thought.
He was also a third-level Beast Master now, but at just 18 years old, his talent far surpassed that of Benjamin.
However, that thought was fleeting, as his mind was entirely focused on gathering the upgrade materials for Max.
Two second-tier beast cores and a fusion heart—none of these items came cheap. Charles wondered how much money Aurora's "inside channel" could save him.
Moreover, if he couldn't find the items in the store, assembling the necessary materials for Max's upgrade would prove quite difficult.
He glanced at Aurora and was struck by how meticulously she had dressed today. Her tall figure and delicate features stood out among the other girls coming and going.
Perhaps it was having seen Aria's breathtaking beauty, but now other girls no longer amazed him.
"Sorry, Benjamin, I have to go!" Aurora gave a slight smile to the young man with the middle-parted hair.
Then, under the stunned gazes of the onlookers, she and Charles entered the Front Building.
After the pair disappeared from view, exclamations erupted around them.
"Holy crap, am I seeing this right? She chose a guy who came in a taxi over one with a Lamborghini!"
"Sobbing... Isn't there a saying about rather crying in a BMW than laughing on a bicycle? I suddenly believe in love again!"
"Damn, my ex-girlfriend just scammed me out of over a hundred silver coins. Why can't I find such pure love?"
Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, some teasing, some genuine, Benjamin was furious.
He could accept losing to Thomas, who came from a good family and shared a class with Aurora, giving him many advantages—after all, proximity often breeds favor.
But... losing to a loser, who looked at best like a second-level Beast Master—how could he stand it?
Watching Charles's retreating back, Benjamin clenched his fists, his nails digging into his flesh: "Damn it, even a loser tries to act like a hero. I'll make sure you won't even know how you die!"
Benjamin's eyes were icy as he fiercely punched the Lamborghini, instantly creating a large dent in the luxury car.
He was back in Lsengard as a student representative and could stay until the end of the enrollment ceremony. During this time, he figured he'd have plenty of opportunities to deal with that kid!