Brad’s eyes narrowed, a wave of something heavy coming from him. However, as large as he was, it was still difficult to say that his frame was more imposing than Grey’s own.
Not to mention the chainsaw hanging from Grey’s back, there was also the spear, and the curved saw. As ridiculous as the muscle suit was, not to mention the pair of pink panties hanging out of the back of his hip, the wild air around him only seemed to paint him as the more unpredictable character.
He looked every bit the part of the mad man, right down to his crimson eyes and iron jaw.
Compared to Grey, Brad was wearing much less. Just a leather upper armor that let his bulging arms take center stage and the large hammer strapped to his back. He looked much more... normal.
Unfortunately, you didn’t exactly get points for that in this world.
Seeing that Brad wasn’t going to say anything, Grey looked past him, his eyes landing on Stella who was likewise looking at him with a cold gaze in her eyes.
Grey’s gaze shifted just one more time, not landing on the last of the trio, but instead on the quiver on her back.
In that moment, his grin became far more dangerous, his jaw clicking as though its mechanical parts were grinding against one another.
"So it was you."
Brad’s hand shot forward as though Grey even looking at Stella was an offense to him. But before he could wrap his fingers around Grey’s throat, a magical barrier took shape.
BANG.
His hand was repelled, and he was sent stumbling backward.
"Idiot." Grey looked back to him. "If I could have attacked you, I’d have already stuck my chainsaw down your throat. If you need help sounding out the words, I don’t mind. You see that sign over there. It says: ’saaaafe roooooom’."
Brad scrambled back up to his feet like a raging bull. He seemed about to throw caution to the wind.
"BRAD!" Stella sharply barked.
Veins popped along Brad’s jaw, but Stella’s words seemed to have a magical effect on him.
"What a good little doggy," Grey said with a chuckle.
"What do you think you’re accomplishing by making an enemy of everyone?" Stella said almost a little too quickly, almost as though to not give Brad the chance to react to Grey’s words.
Grey only gave her a look and then looked to Barkeep Ji who had stayed out of things from the very start.
"Hey, barkeep. I can sell things to you, right?"
Barkeep Ji nodded. "That’s right."
"Is there a way to do it privately? These people are annoyances."
"Unfortunately you do not have such a right. It would take a special permission, or lucking into arriving when no one is here."
"And I’m guessing you can’t tell me what that special permission is?"
Barkeep Ji only smiled in reply.
"Do you have things for sale?" Grey asked.
"I do."
"Any holy items?"
Stella’s brows jumped. It wasn’t something Grey missed, but he did find it odd that he picked up on it at all. Was that because of his increase to PER? But he could have sworn it felt like he sensed more of a jolt than anything else.
Somehow, he both felt her reaction was easy to miss, and yet so obvious at the same time.
Was it the Frilly Pair treasure? But he wasn’t wearing them.
"There are, indeed, two holy items for sale."
"Of the Uncommon Rank?"
"One of them is of the Uncommon Rank. The other is of the Rare Rank."
"I want the Uncommon one!" Stella suddenly interjected.
Grey’s eyes narrowed. He needed the Uncommon one so that he wouldn’t have to waste his Rare Holy Item on an Uncommon Rank Mission.
"How much do they cost?" Grey said as though he hadn’t heard Stella.
"The Uncommon Holy Item is 210 credits. The Rare Holy Item is 20,190 credits."
Grey had no concept of what that meant at all. But what he did know was that he had a ton of items.
He pulled the Curved Rusted Saw from his back.
"How much is this worth?"
Barkeep Ji looked at the blade with a hint of amusement. "15 credits."
Grey tossed it to the ground in front of him. "What about this?" he asked, pulling the spear out.
"12 credits."
"And this?" he pointed toward the Chad Suit he wore.
"25 credits."
Grey’s eyes narrowed. It seemed he wasn’t going to get anywhere trying to penny pinch.
"What about my chainsaw?"
"12,500 credits."
Grey shook his head inwardly. He already knew it would be enough. His chainsaw was a Rare item, of course it would be worth enough to buy an Uncommon item, even if it was a Holy one.
A sudden idea flickered in Grey’s mind.
"What is this worth?" Grey asked, pointing to his jaw.
Barkeep Ji croaked, and Grey could have sworn it was in excitement.
"This is worth 17,500 credits."
At this, even Grey’s heart skipped a beat and the eyes of Stella and the others couldn’t help but widen. They had a better understanding of credits than Grey did simply because they had had access to Safe Rooms far more consistently.
Grey having one item worth five digits in credits was fine enough. But two of them?
’As expected. Mechs probably have their own unique category. Even the weakest Mechs are worth about as much if not more than a lot of Rare Items. In that case...’
"And what if I sell you the blueprint?"
Barkeep Ji croaked twice in quick succession, but then immediately suppressed the rest.
"It would depend on the Synergistic Accuracy of the blueprint. 30% would be at least 25,000 credits."
Grey sensed a hint of something else in Barkeep Ji’s tone. This frog man was only intriguing him more the more they interacted.
"Is there any danger involved in me selling a blueprint to you?" Grey suddenly asked.
Barkeep Ji grinned, his tongue flicking out so fast it sounded like a whip cracking in the air.