Chapter 59: Dark Spirit Stone Associated Beings

"Wild men?" Lu Luo had some understanding of the term. Wild men were those without organizations, teams, or even bosses. They started with only a knife and relied on scavenging for their equipment. They were usually the worst of the Transcendents in the Wasteland. They possessed nothing more than an exit visa, barely any strength to speak of, and were practically good for nothing. "Shouldn’t it be easy for a Transcendent with an exit visa to find a job?" Lu Luo wondered. "Why are these guys having such a rough time?" [Inside the walls is the Wasteland Alliance, a lawful society. Isn’t your Circle Studio meant to mediate conflicts between Hunters and commoners?] The Observer’s prompt made Lu Luo immediately realize that these wild men must be Transcendents who had violated Wasteland laws, but whose crimes weren’t severe enough for a death sentence. With stains on their records, Hunters didn’t want them, legitimate corporations within the Wasteland Alliance wouldn’t hire them, and the mercenary industry had no room for such people. Thus, they became wild men. These individuals could usually only find work as short-term mercenaries or temporary hires to fill numbers, rarely getting a share of the truly important jobs. They’re just Lone Rangers, Lu Luo mused. Why describe them so miserably as ’wild men’? But it was only when he actually arrived at the wild men’s stall area that he realized just how much worse off these people truly were. People were crammed together, stalls packed against stalls. These wild men hawked their wares just like boisterous market vendors. This feels even more chaotic than a vegetable market, Lu Luo thought. It’s outrageous! Each section of the Siping District marketplace was designated. While the personal stall area wasn’t small, it was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people! It wasn’t just Lone Rangers; societies, companies, and various other organizations occasionally had illicit goods they couldn’t sell openly and would send someone to test the waters by setting up a stall here. As a result, the personal stall area frequented by Lone Rangers was extremely crowded, and disputes and fights were common. As for stories about some Lone Rangers being so powerful they were capable of operating alone and still being formidable, such individuals might exist elsewhere in the Wasteland, but certainly not here. The highest rank for humans was Seventh Tier, while many Exotic Species reached the Eighth Order. Consequently, humans often faced Exotic Species of a higher tier than themselves. Outside the walls, humans could only survive by banding together; teamwork was essential for them to thrive. Moreover, humans weren’t the only ones who formed groups; many Exotic Species also exhibited pack behavior. Just imagine: if a First Tier Lone Ranger encountered a group of Second Tier Exotic Species, what would the outcome be? That was essentially a death sentence. In an environment where individual Exotic Species were more powerful and often outnumbered human teams, it would defy the Wasteland’s logic of survival if Lone Rangers fared better than organized groups. "Young man, what are you buying?" "Young brother, what do you need? I have all kinds of good stuff here." "Young man, don’t look at his stuff, it’s all trash! Check out what I’ve got—a new Corrosive Iron Rod, an excellent weapon base. I’ll give you a good price, 6,000. How about it?" Lu Luo eyed the iron rod in the man’s hand with some confusion. Corrosive? he thought. It sounds vaguely familiar, but I can’t quite recall. [Corrosive Items are unique to the lands outside the walls—items eroded by Dark Energy. They possess conductive and malleable properties, suitable for Alchemists to craft into stronger equipment or weapons. However, with you as a Fusioner, you are already the strongest Alchemist in the Wasteland. Unless you’re a complete idiot, I doubt you’d seek out an Alchemist.] Lu Luo looked at the prompt, smiling at first, but his expression stiffened at the last part. This damn Observer, he fumed internally. Why is it always trying to call me an idiot? "No need, I’m just looking around," Lu Luo waved to the stall owner as he walked away. Along the way, there were also scattered vendors selling Dark Spirit Stones, but most pieces were tiny, probably weighing only a few grams. The price was indeed much cheaper than in shops, marked at around 700. However, these Dark Spirit Stones were quite crude, with mud and sand embedded within. Without completely cutting and crushing them, it was impossible to determine their actual weight. This created a situation akin to ore-gambling, though not as extreme; the general margin of error was around 10%. The stall area wasn’t small and had a wide variety of goods. Lu Luo wasn’t in a hurry to buy. He had already noted down several stall numbers: 2-44, 8-51, 13-2, and 17-7. Their Dark Spirit Stones were relatively clean, and the sizes and weights seemed appropriate. Even if he couldn’t find anything better later, Lu Luo could always return to buy from them. As for being scammed, Lu Luo thought, if I still get scammed even with the Observer, then I really am an idiot. [Warning! Suspected high-energy reaction detected! Host, please stop. Allow me to take another look. Stop, I said! Can’t you just listen to me properly for once? Honestly! The stall on your left, the one with the scruffy-haired owner. Don’t panic. First, pretend to casually browse the items at other stalls, then make your way over there.] Lu Luo’s acting skills were impeccable. He immediately followed the Observer’s instructions, casually browsing past several stalls before arriving at the one belonging to the scruffy-haired vendor. Why ’scruffy-haired’? Because the man had only a sparse few strands of hair on his head, dyed in a multitude of colors, resembling a dilapidated, multicolored chicken coop. [That Dark Spirit Stone has an actual weight of approximately 91 grams. With the attached mud and dust, it likely weighs over 100 grams. Find a way to acquire it. There should be something valuable inside the stone. Judging by the energy signature, it’s highly probable to be a Dark Spirit Stone Companion.] Dark Spirit Stone Companion! Lu Luo exclaimed internally. Lu Luo didn’t ask what the ’valuable thing’ was. His three years of undercover experience immediately kicked in, and he slipped into his hoodlum persona. Standing before the stall, he picked up the relatively large Dark Spirit Stone, weighed it in his palm, and casually brushed some dust off its surface. "This stone... it’s quite hefty!" The scruffy-haired vendor sized Lu Luo up. He looked like a decently dressed thug—handsome, but otherwise unremarkable. Furthermore, Lu Luo’s demeanor and expression didn’t suggest he was a customer; he looked more like a troublemaker. The scruffy-haired man’s mind raced with theories. Someone must be after my stall spot, he surmised. This guy is just an actor hired to stir up trouble. Hah! I’ve seen plenty of people like this. I won’t be fooled, he thought. The scruffy-haired man chuckled and said, "Hey, hey, hey, brother! Don’t toss it around like that. It’ll be bad if it breaks; this one’s quite expensive." Lu Luo, with an air of practiced nonchalance, rocked back on his heels, his hand in his pocket clutching a small piece of wood he’d just pried off something. "’Toothpick.’" [1 point of energy value has been consumed for a fusion change: Wood sliver -> Toothpick.] Lu Luo produced the newly formed toothpick, stuck it in the corner of his mouth, his hoodlum persona flawlessly executed. He then asked in a casually deliberate tone, "Boss, how much for this stone?" "’695 a gram. Cheaper than anyone else around here.’" The scruffy-haired vendor raised an eyebrow at Lu Luo. Go on, keep acting, he thought. I’ll play along. I’m telling the truth and following the rules. Let’s see how you plan to find fault. [Although this scruffy fellow appears to be smiling, he harbors significant hostility towards you. Even those few hairs on his head are standing on end.] Lu Luo, still casually tossing the Dark Spirit Stone in his hand, gave a disdainful smile. "’This thing? 695? There’s more mud on this than grime on your face! Are you trying to fool me?’" Lu Luo’s blatant arrogance was incredibly grating. Though anger simmered within the scruffy-haired vendor, he remained outwardly unfazed. Hmph! So he *is* here to cause trouble. Good thing I’ve got sharp eyes! he thought. "’Heh heh, young brother, no need to be so aggressive. Whose stones for sale around here don’t come with a bit of dirt?’" "’Look, I’ll take a small loss. 690 a gram. Take it if you want it. If not, please put it down.’" It was rare for the scruffy-haired man to use the word ’please’; his current slow, soft-spoken tone was also uncharacteristic. If they weren’t at his stall, the scruffy-haired man would have likely cursed Lu Luo’s entire lineage by now. But what could he do? Stall spots were too hard to come by. Lu Luo kept hold of the Dark Spirit Stone, his eyes casually flicking towards a small brass cat statue on the stall. He did this twice, then, as if it were an afterthought, he said, "’This stone’s surface is all uneven; it’s hard to tell its purity. If I actually buy it for 690 and find 30 grams of sand inside, I don’t even know how much I’ll lose. How about this: 620, plus that brass cat. Then I’ll take it.’"