Dried Plums x 3
02
LVL 04 Button-Up Shirt
07
LVL 04 Chaps and Pants
14
LVL 04 Leather Boots
22
LVL 01 Ring of Mild Charm
35
Salted Meat x 4
05
Steamed Bun
03
Steamgrad Gate Pass
250
Well Water x 3
0
Willow Bark
15
Xan’s Map to Gelmara Mud Pits
N/A
Gold: 1
Profession Bonuses: Increased Sell Prices When Selling Salvaged Items to Criminal NPC’s.
Note: Once an item has been sold to a vendor it can only be bought back in seven days providing it has not been sold in the meantime.
Lao’s Humble Emporium
Value (Gold)
POTIONS:
Potion of Boost Defense (5% Defense boost for 120 seconds) x 15
120
Potion of Cunning Charm (40% Charisma boost for 160 seconds) x 6
160
Potion of Minor Increase Buff (8% improve buff on all stats for 15 seconds) x 12
240
Potion of Major Health Restore x 21
85
Potion of Major Mana Restore x 18
85
Potion of Minor Health Restore x 40
45
Potion of Minor Mana Restore x 35
45
Potion of Minor Swordsmanship (5% increase in weapon skill for 140 seconds) x 16
30
MAGICAL ITEMS:
Scroll of Summon Bao Jiao Spirit x 6
380
Scroll of Burning Agony x 23
60
Scroll of Creeping Confusion x 38
75
Scroll of Eagle Vision x 19
25
Scroll of Summon Forest Elemental x 7
545
Scroll of Poison Snake Bite x 42
50
WEAPONS:
LVL 32 Blunt Stave * x 9
25
LVL 65 Buckler Shield * x12
18
LVL 80 Dao Sword * x 15
170
LVL 41 Fighting Knife * x 26
45
LVL 56 Javelin * x 9
40
LVL 70 Poleaxe * x 4
63
LVL 40 Spear * x 16
70
LVL 23 Throwing Star * x 93
20
ARMOR:
LVL 45 Bronze Grieves * x 9
45
LVL 60 Iron armor boots * x 3
75
LVL 20 Leather armor boots * x 9
20
LVL 90 Mountain Scale Breastplate * x 17
89
LVL 87 Steel Gauntlets * x 9
85
CLOTHING:
LVL 02 Aristocrat Gown x 5
270
LVL 02 Aristocrat Hat x 2
90
LVL 02 Aristocrat Headpiece x 8
134
LVL 02 Aristocrat Silk Pants x 4
120
LVL 02 Aristocrat Silk Robe x 7
140
LVL 02 Aristocrat Silk Tunic x 3
125
LVL 02 Aristocrat Soft Shoes x 6
106
LVL 02 Hooded Traveling Cloak x 18
10
LVL 03 Leather Gloves x 4
16
LVL 01 Peasant Straw Hat x 9
3
LVL 01 Peasant Pants x 16
5
LVL 01 Peasant Slippers x 12
2
LVL 01 Peasant Tunic x 21
8
LVL 01 Wood Sandals x 12
4
JEWELLERY:
Emerald Necklace x 2
134
Gold ring x 4
160
Jade Brooch x 8
270
Ruby Brooch x 6
189
FOOD & DRINK:
Apple x 31
2
Boiled Cabbage x 22
6
Carrot x 12
1
Dried Meat x 18
6
Dried rice x 17
7
Mandarin x 28
4
Mutton x 7
10
Opium Wine x 14
50
Peach x 12
3
Plum x 42
4
Poppy seeds x 12
25
Rabbit haunch x 14
15
Rat Wine x 18
19
Steamed bun x 26
2
Sugar dumpling x 21
8
Sugar Wine x 4
22
Sultanas x 25
5
Vegetable Roll x 18
10
ITINERANT ITEMS:
Chop Sticks x 33
9
Clay Vase x 17
14
Cooking Pot x 24
12
Save Marker x 1
25
Small Shovel x 15
8
Wicker Basket x 36
6
Gold: 860
* You do not meet the requirements to equip this item. Item may only be used by a member of the Empire of the Seven Paths.
Access Void Storage in Trade Mode?
Yes
No
Browsing through the items, John figured he’d only get the bare essentials. The Save Marker was a definite purchase, and he’d get himself the peasant outfit to help him blend in better while in Empire territory; the hooded cloak would help with that too, he reckoned, as well as a shovel and a wicker basket to collect and store the ooze when he got out to the mud pits.
He worked out that he would have to spend seventy five gold coins to get what he needed. Looking at his inventory, he could sell the Steamgrad gate pass to cover the expense with ease but that was too valuable to trade as was the Ring of Mild Charm and his boots. Reluctantly, he accessed Void Storage to check what else he had available.
Items in Void Storage
Warning: For each individual item in Void Storage transferred to the Trade Mode screen, a Blood Sacrifice of 10% is deducted from the player’s health (two items will mean a 20% deduction, three items a 30% deduction, and so on)
Value (Gold)
Ale x 2
10
Antique Brass x 10
40
Aura Revelation Talisman*
155
Chicory Root x 10
08
Clockwork Spider Blueprints*
210
Enchanted Dust
75
Health Potion x 4
25
Loose Black Powder x 2
07
Mutton x 2
12
NorthStar Compass
4
60
Plum x 3
06
Prayer of Divine Intervention*
150
Raw Iron
60
Salted Meat x 4
14
Scroll of Mist Calling x 2
35
LVL 70 Short-Range Lasso*
40
Spaulders of Elders Blueprints
180
Sweet Water x 4
0
Well-Worn Map
20
Willow Bark x 3
15
John considered selling the antique brasses to make up the price but didn’t want to take a twenty to thirty percent hit on his HP. Wavering, he decided to sell the Prayer of Divine Intervention instead, giving him seventy five gold after his purchases. Lao gave him his items and the remaining gold, and he stowed the basket and the shovel in Void Storage.
“What’s the difference between my Health Potions and those Major and Minor Potions you sell?” he asked.
“The Health Potions you have restore twenty health points, Minor Restore gives you back fifty points and the Major Restore seventy points, their value are reflected in their prices. Also, if you don’t mind me saying, but for a mere ten gold I can have your current outfit freshly laundered, sir,” Lao said, giving John a meaningful look. “It might help make you less noticeable around the city. You can change into your other clothing. Your clothes will be ready in one day’s time.”
“Thanks,” John said and he started to get undressed. As he slipped into the peasant tunic and pants, he picked up the Saving Marker. It was a smooth cube of polished white stone the size of a tool box with a spiral image engraved on its top surface. John touched it and a menu screen popped up in front of him.
SAVE PROGRESS?
Yes
No
“If I save now, will I respawn in this store the next time I log on?” he asked.
Lao nodded his head. “Yes, sir. Leave the Save Marker here and you will appear at this position when you next return. You can set it down on the shelf over there. No harm will come to it.”
John nodded and did as he was instructed. Next, he took out the map Xan had given him and examined the location. He realized he would have to get beyond the city walls before he could go looking for it, and that could prove problematic to say the least.
“Anything else I can help you with, sir?” Lao asked as he carefully placed John’s Enlightened outfit into a basket under the counter.
“Yes,” John said. “What’s the best way to get out of the city and to the mud pits?”
“The best way is to go by the Swan River,” Lao said. “It runs through the center of the city. If you leave here and head west, you’ll soon reach the riverfront.” He paused and took out a box from a shelf beneath the counter. “I’m not sure if this is appropriate, but you have been selected for a mission by Master Xan, so it should be all right for you to have this.”
He opened the box and took out a small polished brooch made of jet and carved to resemble a sinuous dragon. “The river docks are controlled by the Tong. Go down there and ask for Captain Shen. He’ll arrange to get you out of the city without being noticed by the guards. The river stretches almost to the location of the Gelmara Mud Pits, so it will make the journey much easier than going by foot.”
“Thanks,” John said, taking the brooch. He examined it in the light coming from the lantern hanging from the ceiling.
Item: Jet Dragon Brooch
Minimum LVL: N/A
Durability: N/A
Faction Specific: No
Soul-Bound Item: No
Mark of membership to the Tong, boosts standing with all criminal elements in Bastion. Increases hostility of law enforcer NPCs if seen by them.
He put the brooch in his inventory. He remembered that he hadn’t checked his leveled up stats but he was now very tired and didn’t have the energy to go through the details. He was also too weary to start the quest tonight. He decided to log out and grab some sleep. If it was anywhere as difficult as Rourke and Manny claimed, he would need to be on top of his game.
“I’m going now,” he said. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Lao bowed politely. “I will be waiting, as will Xan. I certainly hope you don’t fail the Tong. The master is not the forgiving sort.”
“I’ll bear that in mind,” John said, giving him a weary smile and logging out. On the whole, he hadn’t had a bad first day in Eternal War Online.
Chapter 06
After a deep and dreamless night’s sleep and a sparse breakfast, John logged back into the game and found himself standing in Lao’s Humble Emporium again. The shopkeeper was stood behind the counter in exactly the same spot as he was when John had left him the night before.
“Good news, sir: your outfit was able to be laundered in quicker time than expected,” Lao said brightly. He took the clean and neatly folded outfit from beneath the counter and placed it on the top.
John nodded. “Thanks, much appreciated.”
“I have something else that might be of value to you too,” Lao said, going over to a set of shelves running along the wall behind the counter. “I thought I had sold them all months ago, but I found this amongst the old stock.”
John’s interest perked up as Lao returned and presented him with a backpack made of old leather. It could store a lot more gear than his bandana, and it was quite light and sturdy when he picked it up.
Item: Adventurer’s Backpack
Minimum LVL: N/A
Durability: 94%
Faction Specific: No
Soul-Bound Item: No
Sturdy backpack to conveniently store gear and other items.
“I had a job lot of these in a while ago but they soon got snatched up by other players,” Lao explained. “I usually charge 30 gold pieces, but I can let this one go for 30, if you’re interested, sir.”
John hesitated for a second. That was a lot of money for him to part with at this stage. But then, this piece was just what he needed to advance his career as a salvager. He had to make a few investments if he were to grow his business, so to speak. “Done,” he finally said, handing over the gold.
John stowed the rest of his stuff in it with ease, along with his Enlightened outfit. He was already dressed in his peasant outfit and he put on the traveling cloak over it before strapping the backpack on.
Now he was ready to begin his quest to obtain the Ooze of Animation. Before he set off though, he checked his character stats to see how many points he’d gained after leveling up the night before.
Merchant of Death Page 9
