That day, after logging out of the game, Leo's curiosity about Dumpy finally got the better of him, as being unable to shake the question of what kind of creature Dumpy really was, he decided to head over to the ship's MP Exchange Store.
There, he planned to trade some of his hard-earned MP for information on Dumpy's true nature, as he felt like he could no longer remain oblivious to what exactly an ancient swamp frog was?
"Is a swamp frog a different kind of frog? Or is it just a giant frog? Because the speed at which Dumpy is growing is unbelievable.
It's doubling in size every other day and if it continues with this insane rate of growth, then very soon he will be even larger than I am…." Leo muttered under his breath as he made his way out of the VIP sector and began walking towards the normal sections of the ship.
It was a pain to travel from the VIP sector all the way to the nearest MP exchange store in Sector S, however, Leo had no other choice.
The value of the information he was requesting was significant enough for Housekeeper Elandor to be unable to give it to him for free and hence he was forced to make a visit to the MP exchange store with the lack of any other alternatives.
However, for his own security, as soon as he crossed over into sector S, Leo immediately used [Vanish] so that nobody would see him walking without an ankle monitor, as the last thing he wanted was a repeat of his trip to the VIP sector where everyone kept staring at his foot.
Soon he reached the MP exchange store in sector S, which was entirely empty with just a couple of private phone lines to call the operators.
Leo picked up the phone line on the left which was the closest to him and immediately the sector S line pod shut around him, giving him absolutely privacy while making the call.
The hum of the empty space made him feel oddly isolated and after a brief moment, the other end clicked.
"Hello, Mr. Skyshard, how may I help you today?" came a smooth, familiar voice as Leo raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Raya, is that you? I just waved at you on my way to enter Sector S." Leo said, as he distinctly recognised the voice of the elf operator that he had talked to plenty of times before.
A soft chuckle echoed from the other side. "My apologies, Leo, I wish I could have stopped you there and held a chat, but this is the standard protocol," she said, her voice carrying a playful tone. "I wish I could bend the rules for you—and trust me, I would if it were you—but I can't.
I'm just a low-level employee on this ship, you know." Her flirtatious undertone wasn't lost on Leo, and he could almost imagine the glint in her eyes as she spoke.
"However, as a VIP if you request for an MP exchange line to be installed in your manor, it's entirely doable….. all you have to do is make a request—" she teased, as the way she said it made it seems like Leo could make any request that he wanted with his status as a VIP and most people on the ship, including Raya herself would feel happy to fulfill it.
"Now, what can I assist you with today?" she asked eventually, as clearing his throat, Leo shifted to a more serious tone.
"Actually, I wanted to inquire about Dumpy. You know, my frog? I've got this nagging feeling that… well, he's not just a normal frog. I know it sounds strange, but there's something off about how fast he's growing and… just the way he's been behaving.
I know you may think I'm crazy, but I just saw him wield swords like he has been training for months when it was the first time he held one. I just feel like my frog is not normal for sure…." Leo said, as listening to his words, Raya felt unsure on whether she should laugh or cry?
Why would anyone mistake the mythical ancient swamp frog for just a frog? What was Leo even on about?
Pausing for a moment, Raya carefully processed her words before saying "Your frog?"
"Leo, are you telling me you thought the ancient swamp frog was… normal?" She inquired again, just to make sure that she was not misunderstanding him.
"Yes of-course" Leo said, showing no remorse in the fact that he had taken Dumpy to be a common frog when he first got it, which made Raya feel like she could cry tears of blood.
"The ancient swamp frog is ranked second on the mythical creatures strength list. It's much stronger than dragons and is second only to the Eldritch Duck.
It's one of the most ferocious beasts in the universe, which grows up to be larger than mountains upon maturity.
A full sized swamp frog can eat dragons for snacks…. What about it seems normal to you?" Raya replied, as her angry response made Leo feel like he was missing something huge.
"Wait, you mean to tell me Dumpy is actually amazing?" Leo asked, feeling dumbfounded, as he did not expect such a turn of events.
"Ancient swamp frogs are anything but normal. They're highly sought after and known for their rapid growth and unique abilities.
They are also notorious to tame and are labeled as the nightmare of beast tamers" Raya replied, as she accidentally slipped more information than she should have for free.
*Thud*
Feeling enlightened, Leo leaned against the counter, trying to make sense of her words. "Well, that explains a lot. How much MP will it cost me to get the full rundown on Dumpy?"
Raya's voice shifted back to business, though still carrying a tinge of frustration. "For all the information you need on the ancient swamp frog, it'll be 700 MP. A bit steep, I know, but considering what you've got on your hands, it's worth every point."
Leo sighed. "700, huh? Alright, I'll make the trade. Let's find out just how special this little guy really is."
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/// A/N - Chapter 2/4 for the day. ///