Chapter 13 | I, the Ogre

“Electric Eel.”

Ogre stared at the plain-looking freshwater eel and muttered its scientific name in a low voice.

Ogre didn't dare to recklessly eat creatures with elemental powers. For one, he wasn't sure what he would obtain, or if there was a danger of absorption.

Secondly, he didn't want to waste this feeding opportunity on a minor elemental technique.

But the Electric Eel was an exception.

According to books, this miraculous creature from deep-water inland lakes did not derive its power of lightning from magic.

According to research by members of the Church of Truth, the lightning power of the Electric Eel originated from its own muscles and blood. Once it died, this power could not be preserved, and it would turn into an ordinary dead fish.

According to tests, the magic reaction in its body was even weaker than that of a mana rabbit.

Weak and unique—these two traits almost perfectly met Ogre's requirements.

Ogre was certain that digesting it with his ability would definitely grant him the power of lightning!

And it wouldn't take too long to digest.

As for the side effects, Ogre couldn't be sure either.

But he was sure the pros would outweigh the cons. He might actually be able to absorb this kind of power structure.

“I'll give it a try. At worst, it shouldn't be too bad.”

The very first creature Ogre had eaten was a common bird, and he hadn't gained the power of flight from it, nor had he grown feathers or become mutated.

Ogre deduced that the acquisition of these abilities was likely based on his own body's modification and compatibility—and they would barely improve on their own.

That was why he felt the Electric Eel's lightning power was extremely precious. The books recorded that the Electric Eel's lightning power was tied to its muscles and blood.

In other words, as long as he kept training, he could strengthen this power. Since the power originated from muscle, the probability of him successfully absorbing it would likely be much higher.

“Customer, have you taken a liking to the fish here?” The stall owner had quite a few fish placed in the tanks behind him.

Selling fish in the black market was quite a rare sight.

What Ogre found curious was that the stall owner used such a large area behind him to keep fish... could he even make a profit?

One had to know that the rent for a stall in the black market cost fifty silver coins a day. That was enough to buy a crudely made silver scale breastplate.

Besides, Ogre had never seen anyone buy fish to keep as magical pets—except for beautiful mermaid slaves.

Things that swam in water were much harder to sell than things that ran on land.

Could the fish be a mere cover, or a signal for trading intelligence?

“I want that one.” Ogre stopped overthinking the underlying implications—he really was just here to buy fish.

“Fifteen gold.” The fish-selling stall owner stroked his mustache and let out a sinister grin.

“An Electric Eel, the lowest tier of extraordinary monster, why is it so expensive?” Ogre tried to bargain.

Fifteen gold coins was indeed a bit much; his money didn't grow on trees.

“It's a hassle to transport them here. Besides, I'd have to help you carry it. It's troublesome work. Fish die easily without water, and I only have a few tanks, so I have to sell the fish along with the tank water. Of course, if you have a contract scroll, I can sell it to you individually.”

The mustache-twirling stall owner did have a point. After all, this was the magical pet area. Those who came to buy magical pets were either Warlocks or wealthy eccentrics, so they definitely wanted them alive.

Unless the buyer was willing to use a twenty-gold contract scroll to bind this useless piece of trash.

“You won't sell them separately? But I only need one, and a dead one is fine.” Ogre pointed to the smallest Electric Eel in the tank.

This action stunned the stall owner for a moment. “You only want one? Even a dead one is fine?”

As a seller, he had no right to ask what the buyer wanted the fish for, so he could only reconfirm the customer's request.

“I just want to taste it. I've heard the Electric Eel tastes quite good.”

As Ogre spoke, he tapped the mask on his face, indicating his identity.

“Oh! You're that one. I didn't expect you to truly live up to your name. Then you are indeed an expert. The texture of the Electric Eel is indeed much better than regular eel.” Hearing this, the stall owner suddenly realized.

Ogre was quite famous in this area.

Even some Professionals had heard of him. Everyone paid attention to rising stars with potential.

Furthermore, he was the top fighter in the city's apprentice arena. Even if one hadn't seen him, they must have heard of him. Over the past year, there had been quite a few bets related to Ogre, the defending champion.

“How much.” Ogre repeated flatly.

The stall owner held up a single finger. “One gold!”

Ogre glanced at the tank specifically housing the Electric Eels.

There were quite a few fish inside, about seven or eight of them.

“Deal.” One gold coin was acceptable to Ogre. Things in the black market were naturally marked up.

Compared to traveling thousands of li to a distant deep-water lake to catch an Electric Eel, one gold coin was indeed not expensive.

Moreover, his gold coin wasn't solely for buying the fish.

“Uh... how about I pick a big one for you?” Seeing Ogre agree so readily, the stall owner felt a bit uneasy.

Why didn't this guy even bargain? Could he be planning to cause trouble for him?

Or did he guess wrong before, and this guy wasn't just here to buy fish?

But he hadn't heard him mention who introduced him either.

“No need, I just want a small one.” Ogre saw the stall owner shrink back slightly and knew what he was thinking.

But he didn't care. He still took out a gold coin and said, “Since you managed to get Electric Eels from a deep-water lake in another city, you must have your own sources of information.”

“That costs extra.” The stall owner did not deny it.

This caused the corners of Ogre's lips beneath his mask to curl into a smile. He had indeed deduced correctly—this guy was actually an intelligence broker.

The fish merely represented the intelligence he possessed about their respective regions.

Ogre tossed the gold coin to the mustache-twirling stall owner and asked his question in passing: “Do you know where I can get genuine forbidden elixirs?”

This question made the stall owner's face change visibly.

Although there were indeed forbidden elixirs for sale in the black market, they were all defective. Genuine forbidden elixirs could only be purchased from real Warlock organizations.

They were usually not allowed to circulate outside.

“I need to clarify, do you want a channel for the finished elixir, or the formula for the forbidden elixir?” the stall owner asked cautiously. There was a big difference between the two, though neither was simple.

Why was this guy buying forbidden elixirs? Could it be to join a Warlock organization?

He clearly had a bright future as a Martial Artist, so why was he thinking of taking such a crooked path?

“I only need you to tell me where I can get genuine forbidden elixirs.” Ogre was preparing a backup plan.

“I can't tell you the exact location, but I can tell you which city and which place you can find them to trade...”

The stall owner rubbed his fingers together. As long as he was still needed, he would remain safe.

How could one survive in this line of work without being bold? As long as the profit reached three hundred percent, he would even dare to sell out his own family!

Well, assuming he actually had any family or friends left.

“How much,” Ogre asked coldly.

“Two hundred, oh no, just one hundred gold coins...”

“Then I'll ask someone else. Just give me the fish.”

Looking at this greed-blinded fellow, Ogre was completely speechless. Were these black-hearted merchants really the type to value money over their own lives?

“Eighty. For just eighty gold coins, I'll tell you.” The mustache-twirling stall owner hastily put on a smile—how could he let a deal that was practically in his hands slip away?

“Ten. Otherwise, I'd rather ask those guys who sell elixirs.” Ogre wouldn't agree so readily this time; that would only make him look like an easy target.

Not to mention he couldn't take out eighty coins right now anyway, and even if he could, he wouldn't give them.

His previous quick agreement was merely to prove he had the funds.

“The ones they have are defective goods from wild warlocks. What I have is...”

As the mustache-twirling stall owner spoke, he suddenly shut his mouth—he realized he had been tricked into giving away information by Ogre.

“Twenty coins at most. To be honest, I'm not carrying much money on me.”

Ogre took out a small pouch and then pulled a few more gold coins from his bag—these were his earnings from today's matches.

Although this wasn't all the gold coins he owned, it was close enough. Ogre wouldn't possibly carry all his savings on him.

Staring at the open coin pouch in Ogre's hand, the mustache-twirling stall owner swallowed hard. This was undoubtedly a very lucrative deal. Surely it wouldn't hurt to make some quick pocket change? “Add five more coins, and I'll tell you.”

“I only have twenty-two coins left on me.” Ogre jiggled the gold coin pouch and placed it in front of the mustache-twirling stall owner.

The stall owner stared at the pouch of gold coins, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded as if making up his mind. “Fine, I'll count it as making a friend today.” Making a little less profit was better than nothing, and the admission ticket to that place was only worth three gold coins at most.

Ogre naturally wouldn't believe a word of this intelligence broker's nonsense, especially the phrase “count it as making a friend.” This guy dared to sell information on Warlocks, so a friend meant absolutely nothing to him.

But he indeed lacked his own information channels, making this transaction a necessary evil.

“I want to see the goods first,” Ogre said in a deep voice.

“Sure, please wait a moment, customer.” Having successfully closed a deal, the mustache-twirling man seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.

After a brief search through his boxes and drawers,

a scroll was finally presented before Ogre's eyes.

Ogre took the scroll and examined it. He found that it was an identification magic scroll, which functioned similarly to the barrier outside the black market.

“The magic on it can still last for four months, my esteemed customer. A trade fair is held there during the last three days of every month. You'll be able to buy what you want there.”

“Where is ‘there’?” Ogre asked.

The mustache-twirling man simply smiled without saying a word, staring intently at the coin pouch in Ogre's hand.

Seeing this, Ogre didn't waste time and handed it straight over.

The mustache-twirling stall owner took out a few gold coins and bit them. Only then did he plaster that smile back onto his face and wave Ogre over to lean in close.

Ogre glanced left and right, then looked at the short man in front of him, choosing to lean in slightly closer.

“Serris City, No. 13 Duolai Street, the Pink Tavern...”

“Serris City...”

Ogre didn't suspect the mustache-twirling man was scamming him. If an intelligence broker sold false information, they truly wouldn't want to survive in this trade anymore.

It was just that Serris City was quite far from here.

“I'll buy transport tickets from you in a month or two. Can you get them?” Ogre added an extra layer of insurance for himself, hinting that he would continue trading with him in the future.

To reach Serris City, a horse carriage probably wouldn't cut it. Going on foot would take several months, so taking the steam train of the Church of Truth was the best option.

But to buy tickets for that thing, one had to be a registered national Professional or a noble.

“Of course, my esteemed customer. Just have your gold coins ready when the time comes,” the mustache-twirling stall owner replied with a cheerful laugh.

He understood what these Professionals were thinking—it was nothing more than lacking a legal identity.

That was simple enough. A casual forgery would do, something he was extremely familiar with.

Unless some unexpected emergency occurred—such as a bishop-level knight from the Church of Truth personally coming to conduct a search—absolutely nothing would happen.

“Now, give me the fish.” After putting away the admission ticket, Ogre pointed at the fish tank again.

“Uh, certainly. Please wait a moment, customer.”

The stall owner gave Ogre a bizarre look, realizing that the guy actually was just here to buy a fish. He then put on insulated gloves, grabbed a hand net, and scooped out the smallest fish from the tank.

Suddenly scooped out of the water, the Electric Eel struggled and released a burst of electricity. This discharge did not harm the prepared stall owner, but instead knocked the eel itself unconscious, saving him the trouble of killing it.

This left Ogre stunned—how did it manage to shock itself?

This was his first time seeing a creature whose attack method harmed itself first.

‘Is this fish brain-dead or something...’

But then he thought of how even mages couldn't seem to withstand their own magic, and he understood.

This fish was probably just a little stupid.

“Goodbye, customer.” The stall owner even threw in a mesh bag for Ogre to carry the fish.

Only after Ogre had completely departed did the stall owner take off his gloves and casually weigh the coin pouch Ogre had paid.

A smile then spread across his face.

Compared to his previous sycophantic, mercenary grin,

his current smile seemed far more natural and loaded with meaning.

“Tsk, youth today. A little acting, and he actually bought it hook, line, and sinker...”

It wasn't that he sold fake goods or false information—he had merely played a trick of semantics.

Warlock organizations were indeed hard to find and couldn't be easily disclosed, but Warlocks also needed to trade. The venues for their trades were not nearly as elusive. As long as the place was large enough, it would inevitably attract Warlocks.

...

Ogre naturally had no idea that the admission ticket he bought could actually be purchased at the trading site itself for an additional fee of just three gold coins...

Ogre had still overestimated the conscience of a black-hearted merchant.

But even if he found out, Ogre probably wouldn't take it too much to heart, at most keeping a mental tally of the grudge—

his inquiry had only been a spur-of-the-moment decision, as well as a measure to muddy the waters and prevent others from connecting the dots to his true ability.