Chapter Twenty: A Little Fat Lamb

Just as he was about to descend the mountain, Ye Chen’s steps suddenly halted after only a few paces. The corner of his eye twitched twice in disbelief as he turned to look at the phosphorescent green serpent that had just appeared on his right. Was that… a white-named pet?

Ye Chen’s heart thudded uncontrollably; he swallowed hard and examined the swaying green python more closely.

[Phosphorescent Green Serpent] (Pet)
Level: 23
Health: 1600
Description: Can be sealed

“Damn it!” Ye Chen couldn’t help letting out a curse. He truly couldn’t hold it in—this was simply tormenting him. He had a sealing card, and conveniently it was a universal serpent card, but the damned thing happened to be a level 23 pet! What a cruel joke. Sealing cards couldn’t capture pets above the player’s level. To see it but not be able to catch it was far more frustrating than if it had never appeared at all.

In that moment, Ye Chen was so angry he nearly wanted to kill someone. What now? Leave it here? Or kill it now?

While Ye Chen hesitated, the sound of footsteps suddenly came from the distance. At the same time, an exuberant shout rang out from the edge of Eaglefall Cliff: “A pet, a white-named pet!”

Turning his head, Ye Chen saw a hunter clad in brown leather armor running over with joy. Ye Chen’s expression shifted slightly; he hadn’t expected someone to be lucky enough to bypass those savage apes and make it up to Eaglefall Cliff. Alarmed, he began reciting the incantation for Black Fireball under his breath. If that hunter tried to snatch the green serpent, Ye Chen would kill the white-named serpent without hesitation—he absolutely would not let anyone steal his hard-won prize.

“Wait, wait, brother, please don’t kill it, don’t do anything! I don’t have a card, not a single one!” The hunter, seeing Ye Chen’s movements, was instantly panic-stricken, as if Ye Chen were threatening to kill his own father rather than just a monster.

Ye Chen was amused by his reaction, and the Black Fireball gathering at the tip of his staff quietly dissipated. This guy really didn’t look like he was here to compete; perhaps it was worth having a conversation with him. If he was willing to pay a good price, Ye Chen could turn his pet card into gold on the spot. Of course, if the hunter was hiding a serpent pet card and planning something shady, Ye Chen was confident he could kill the white-named serpent before the hunter could capture it.

“If you don’t have a card, why are you getting involved? What, you’ve set your sights on this green serpent? Don’t say I didn’t warn you—I’m the one who spawned it. If you want it, pay up!” Ye Chen bluntly blocked the hunter, preventing him from approaching the white-named serpent.

The hunter pulled a miserable face. “I’d pay if I could, but I don’t have the card! If I had it, I’d buy the pet from you right now. To be honest, I’ve been searching for a serpent pet for days, checked all sorts of places, but I haven’t even seen a white-named serpent, let alone a serpent pet card.”

Ye Chen sized him up from head to toe. Yes, this guy’s gear wasn’t bad—several pieces had a green glow. He probably had some money, like a little fat sheep. Clearing his throat, Ye Chen smiled slyly. “You want a serpent pet card?”

“Of course, I’ve wanted one for ages, and now with pets being all the rage, I want one even more. If I’d known I’d run into a white-named pet today, I’d have spent fifteen gold on that universal serpent card this morning. Too bad I thought it was too expensive and didn’t buy it.” The hunter started complaining, then suddenly realized something and shut his mouth, turning to blink at Ye Chen. “Brother, do you have one?”

Ye Chen grinned, pulling the universal serpent pet card from his pouch and waving it at the hunter. “Universal type, works for anything below level thirty. Name your price.”

The hunter’s face lit up with wild joy at the sight of the card. “Brother, you’re a lifesaver! How about ten gold? That’s not a low offer—normally this thing’s worth seven or eight at most.”

“Come on, weren’t you just regretting not buying it for fifteen? Now you want it for ten? That’s not exactly generous.” Ye Chen scoffed, shooting the hunter a sidelong glance.

The hunter looked pained, as if he wanted to slap himself, but after a moment’s hesitation, he gritted his teeth. “Fifteen it is. I’ll take it.”

Ye Chen rolled his eyes and held up two fingers. “Now I want this much.”

“Twenty? Brother, that’s highway robbery!” The hunter looked utterly shocked.

Ye Chen smiled faintly and shook his head. “Times have changed. Fifteen was the city price. Here on Eaglefall Cliff, I’m the only one with this card. Take it or leave it. Otherwise, I’ll just kill the pet and head back to town.” As he spoke, he began chanting the Black Fireball incantation again, ready to kill the white-named serpent.

The hunter’s expression shifted between gloom and anger. Ye Chen quietly took a few steps back. If this guy tried anything, he could hit him with a prepared Black Fireball first. With less than 700 health, the hunter wouldn’t stand a chance.

After a moment’s contemplation, the hunter finally gave in under Ye Chen’s threat. “Twenty it is. I’ll buy it. Let’s trade.”

Ye Chen nodded. “Fine, but switch to peace mode first. If you try anything while we’re trading, I won’t last long as a healer.”

“No problem, but you switch to peace mode too. I’m just as worried about you attacking me.”

They both set their modes to peace. In the game, players had to wait ten minutes before switching back to attack mode, so neither could attack the other for the time being—a show of goodwill out in the wild.

The transaction completed, Ye Chen’s gold increased by twenty. Satisfied, he smiled and said, “Now, should we discuss the price of the white-named green serpent? You said you’d pay for the pet, after all.”

The hunter’s previously joyful face froze. He grimaced. “I really regret not killing you at the start…”

Ye Chen clapped him on the shoulder with a knowing chuckle. “It’s too late for that. Just think about how much you’re willing to pay for the capture rights to this pet.”

…

In the end, Ye Chen sold the capture rights to the level 23 white-named green serpent to the reluctant hunter for a high price of thirty gold. That meant the serpent had fetched a total of fifty gold—more than Ye Chen would have gotten selling it in town himself. It was a tidy little windfall.

As for the unlucky hunter, after successfully capturing the serpent, he discovered its stats were surprisingly high—a rare, superior pet. It was an unexpected delight, but when he remembered the fifty gold he’d spent, he could only feel pain mixed with joy.

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