Unholy Player-Chapter 152: Bargain

After returning home and enjoying a peaceful dinner with his family, Adyr spent the night in calm company. The next morning, after a shared breakfast, he left the house and made his way back to the player headquarters.

Normally, he treated his time with family as sacred, free from outside distractions—but this time, Eren’s words lingered in his mind. The possibility of a Spark, like Mindrake, kept looping in his thoughts, and he was eager to return to the other world and begin searching for it.

During his visit to the marketplace the day before, he hadn’t come across any Spark matching that description. But that didn’t mean it hadn’t been there. Adyr had focused primarily on Nether-aligned Sparks and had skipped over most shops selling Sparks of other paths. This time, however, he knew exactly what he was looking for. That would make things much easier.

After arriving at headquarters and changing into his usual gear, Adyr was about to head to the playroom when two researchers approached him at his door.

Both were elderly and clearly carried an air of authority. It wasn’t hard to guess why they had come.

"Mr. Adyr, good morning. We’re here on behalf of Henry Bates regarding a matter he mentioned. Would you have a moment?" One of them asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Ah, I’ve been expecting you, but I don’t have much time," Adyr replied with a light smile. Without wasting words, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a palm-sized stone—Grave Bloom, the Spark he had extracted from the Cannibal. "You’re here for this, right? We had a deal. Name your price, and it’s yours."

Both researchers’ eyes lit up the moment they saw the stone. They exchanged a quick glance before one of them spoke.

"May I hold it for a moment?"

Adyr gave a small nod and handed it over. The Spark had visibly shrunk since he first acquired it—clear signs that it was starving. At this rate, it would wither to dust in a few days. He needed to offload it soon.

While not a weak Spark, Grave Bloom didn’t align with Adyr’s needs or his current build. If he could sell it for a decent amount of merit, he could exchange that for energy in the other world and purchase a more fitting Spark.

The researchers examined it with the enthusiasm of children handed a new toy.

"Ohh... it’s still pulsing," one of them muttered with excitement.

Adyr watched their reactions for a few seconds, then cut in. "Give me your offer, and it’s yours." freewёbnoνel-com

"Three thousand merit," one said, eyes still locked on the stone.

That amount, if spent wisely, could get Adyr the equivalent of 400 to 500 energy crystals in the other world—something he had already estimated during his market research the day before.

Of course, it was nowhere near the absurd profit he’d made during the Colossith incident, where he had spent only 350 merit and received over 6000 crystals in return. But that had been a rare case of perfect timing—he had essentially tricked Malrik and the Astra-path practitioners into overpaying. He couldn’t count on that kind of opportunity again.

"Four thousand merit," Adyr said calmly, "and extend my 50% discount coupon for another week."

The researchers paused to think. "Two thousand five hundred merit, and the 50% discount extension. The discount is worth more than the merit itself."

Adyr chuckled. Of course he knew that. But did he care?

"Then forget it. I’ll use it myself." He took the stone back without hesitation and turned away, cold and deliberate.

"Wait!" One of them called out behind him. As expected, they wouldn’t let him leave so easily. "Fine. As you said. Four thousand merit and a one-week extension."

It might have seemed like an expensive deal on the surface, but this was their only chance to examine a live Spark up close. Until more players reached the point where they had extra Sparks to sell, this would remain a rare and valuable opportunity.

Adyr didn’t even look back as he walked away. "Make it five thousand. And keep the 50% discount."

The researchers froze, momentarily stunned. It was clear Adyr was leveraging their desperation. Maybe if they waited another week, another player would sell them a Spark for less. But they weren’t merchants looking for the best price—they were researchers who valued time over money.

Through clenched teeth, one of them replied, "Fine. Mr. Adyr, you certainly have a very special place in the PTF."

His tone carried more sarcasm than praise. They weren’t pleased with how openly Adyr exploited the situation, but there was nothing they could do.

And Adyr didn’t care.

"It was good doing business with you. I hope we can continue this in the future," Adyr said with a smile as he handed over the Spark.

And he meant it. These two were likely members of the Researcher Council, and gaining their trust—without agitating them further—was important. No one in their right mind wanted to anger a team of talented researchers. Used properly, their value was immense.

The researchers, upon receiving the Spark, seemed to instantly forget the tension from moments earlier. Their excitement returned all at once.

"Thank you, Mr. Adyr. We hope to see you again soon," one of them said, and without waiting, they turned and walked away in a hurry, already engrossed in their new acquisition.

"Now I have 5,930 merit and nearly two weeks left on the 50% discount. I should make good use of it," Adyr muttered to himself after a brief pause, then turned and headed toward the playroom.

In a short time, he had secured a substantial profit. Now all that remained was to turn that profit into power.

—

Adyr opened his eyes in the familiar room of Draven Mansion. Aside from the faint tremors still lingering in the walls, everything seemed normal. Once he was sure there were no irregularities or issues, he stepped out of his room.

He politely declined the breakfast offered by the maids waiting outside and walked briskly down the corridor under the sharp, silent watch of the stationed knights.

The garden was still bustling. It seemed the king and several lords had turned the place into an informal meeting point over the past few days—they were seated beneath the gazebo, calmly sipping tea despite the low tremors that subtly rippled through the ground.

Vesha was with them. The moment she spotted Adyr, she approached him with her usual grace, offering the daily report and checking on his well-being.

After a brief exchange with her and a few short, polite words with the king and the other lords, Adyr mentioned he had urgent matters to attend to. Then, without delay, he spread his wings and took off, heading straight back to the marketplace.

He had spent the entire previous day traveling back and forth and exploring the market. Now, to avoid losing another full day—and to leave enough time to complete his evolution before nightfall—he decided to move with urgency.

Wasting no time along the way, he maintained his top-flight speed by consistently using his Burst Hop skill, reaching the market grounds in a fraction of the usual time.

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