20 Aggravating Woman and Small Deal

"Goddammit!" I cried out before being teleported out of the dungeon… only to be met by a familiar yet aggravating face once again.

It was a good thing I created some fake armor with my [Hand of the Souls] skill otherwise, I would've looked like a thief who had just entered the dungeon to obtain some small amount of reward without doing anything.

Though, there was also this other face who greeted me.

"Ugh… What do you want?" I muttered, scrolling through the completed quest.

.

[You have completed the Side Quest: Clear The Dungeon of Fallen Soldiers]

[Rewards have been granted]

.

It almost felt like something chained itself to me, reacting to the situation I was currently in and saving itself for more private time.

The reward was something I had been suspicious about for quite a while, though it seemed I couldn't check it out anytime soon since a fly continued to bug me.

"I-I've come to check up on you… I heard you entered a dungeon by yourself and thought you might've needed help… but I guess it seems I was completely wrong… If I may ask… umm… what adventure rank are you?" She asked, but I kept my mouth zipped since I wasn't obligated to give my ID to her.

"If that is all you've come for, then you can piss off now. You won't be getting my ID whether you like it or not," I muttered, and as I walked past her, I intentionally bumped into her shoulder to try and judge her strength.

B-rank at most…

"N-No! That isn't it!" She shouted, running back right next to me as I traversed far into the small merchant camp near these dungeons.

"Then what is it?" I asked, walking up to a dude who seemed most trustworthy in my eyes.

He was old but gave off a pretty threatening aura, as if he was expecting only the best of the best of customers.

"Sir, how much for all of this?" I asked before the woman beside me could even respond.

"Huh?!" He burst out with a loud snarl. "Get me something good!" He spat in my face and as I slowly wiped it off my face, the woman beside me shouted,

"HOW DARE YOU! WHAT KIND OF GUY ARE YOU THAT JUST SPITS IN A WOMAN'S FACE!"

"Youngesters these days have no respect! Get out of here!" He shouted, but I kept my cool and pushed the annoying woman beside me away.

I suddenly tossed in the flaming skeleton core, and this caused the man's eyes to suddenly light up and change his annoyed expression.

"For the bone shards and flaming skeleton core, I'll give you thirty gold. Be thankful a guy like me is being generous… everybody else would've given you fifteen gold for this much…." He shouted, and his scratchy old voice made me want to tear my ears off, but I continued to keep my cool as I then placed five of the large potions down.

His eyes lit up once again, but before he could raise his offer with more gold, I interrupted.

"Give me stat-raising potions. Two speed and three strength,"

Like a turning tide, his face once again washed into a crumple of annoyance, anger, and almost disappointment as he stared at me.

"Don't bullshit me. Five of those potions won't make up for the difference in value. If you're trying to pull my leg, you got me," He snarled, but I suddenly pushed back one of the bags of ten pieces of gold coins.

"That much for all of that," I said, but the man suddenly pulled back another bag that held ten pieces of gold coins.

"There…" The man said, and seeing how he was dead set on this deal, I knew I wouldn't be able to change my mind, but I was already content with the deal presented.

"Toss in a pack of those cigs and you got me a deal," I said with a large smile and the old gentleman smiled back as well before picking them the pack behind him up and tossing them at me.

I caught it with one hand and took my share of items before stuffing them in a paper bag I had picked up on my way to this man's stand.

"No take backs,"

"You don't gotta worry old man, that ain't my style," I smirked and as we parted ways, I looked down into the paper bag with content.

It was a pretty good deal for both of us, but this time around I was planning to buy another suit of armor… what a surprise, but that is also due to me wanting to join a raid team.

There was a dungeon that I needed to get to since there was a secret item that would be extremely useful not only later on but most like right now.

"Why'd you buy stat-increasing potions?" The woman with short white hair asked.

Seeing how she was wearing some expensive armor, I could tell she was as rich as ever, but I didn't want to make use of her.

Associating myself with my past would just bring back unnecessary memories that would get in the way of my progress.

"They're better to use early on. Their usefulness decreases the higher your stats are," I replied.

"But, they already seem pretty high to me,"

"Well, you don't know everything," I muttered and attempted to lose her in the crowd of people that flowed like water in the city.

"W-Wait for me!" She cried out, but I eventually managed to lose her after only a few minutes of using light steps to slip through the crowd like a slimy snake.

After making sure she was actually gone, I took a rest in a nearby cafe and sipped on some coffee while reading a singular, pretty thin leather book.

By the time night had fallen, I had finished reading the book and finished my third cup of coffee.

[You have acquired the skill: Soul Absorption]