C12 Hera's Protector

"Would you like to spend 100 War Coins to set up a booth?"

After selecting yes, Lee Kai noticed a tattered cloth materialize on the ground before him, identical to those used by other vendors.

"Where do these rags come from? So, they're provided by the platform. Is that really necessary?" he muttered to himself. He then took a seat behind the booth and displayed the Perfect T Virus Enhancer. Truth be told, Lee Kai hadn't realized how scarce such bloodline-related items were. At a neighboring stall, he had spotted a low-level vampire bloodline. The attributes it offered were far less than his, and it lacked any additional skills, yet it was priced at 20,000 War Coins—a true luxury.

So, after some thought, Lee Kai decided not to set a fixed price. He indicated that the item was for trade only, not for sale. While War Coins were valuable, certain rare items were not typically sold for currency, as people preferred to barter for quality goods.

"Huh? Is that a bloodline item I see? That's quite the find!" A woman with the face of a young girl but a figure that belied her youthful appearance approached. Her statuesque build and ample chest could rival that of an anime heroine. Lee Kai didn't bother to look up.

"Wow, young man, are you open to trading for War Coins? I promise you a fair deal—30,000 War Coins, and we can make the exchange right away!" The voice of a sweet young lady emerged from her, and in the next moment, her expressive eyes began to twinkle with a shimmering glow.

Lee Kai lifted his head to meet her gaze and replied dismissively, "Don't play the sympathy card with me; it won't work. I've seen plenty of people like you, and I'm not interested. If you've got something worthwhile, let's see it. Otherwise, please step aside and don't interfere with my business."

Onlookers gaped at Lee Kai, who had once again averted his gaze, in sheer amazement. "Man, is he always this hardcore?"

"Hey, buddy, what's the issue? Did he say something wrong?"

The man beside him, who appeared somewhat frail, received a scornful look as the other replied, "You must be new here, huh?"

“Yes, Senior, do you have any wisdom to share?”

“Indeed, I do. Keep your mouth shut when it's not necessary to speak. Don't ask questions that aren't your business, and don't try to learn what you're not supposed to know. It's easy to get yourself killed that way, just like that kid over there running his stall,” he paused, then pulled a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket and began to rummage around for a lighter.

He searched to no avail and, with a hint of boredom, clipped the cigarette behind his ear. “The girl who doesn't quite look like one, who was at that boy's stall earlier, she's one of the top luminaries on the platform. That boy, he's clearly a newbie who's just joined. Offending people right off the bat? Looks like he's headed for trouble.”

“Oh, is that the case?” The young man next to him, having listened to the explanation, skillfully extracted a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. With a deft flick of his finger, a flame sparked to life, lighting the cigarette perched on his lips. He inhaled deeply, seemingly oblivious to his brother's forlorn look, and murmured, “Thanks, bro,” before stepping forward and walking away.

...

Tang Yuqi stared at Lee Kai, astonished that her flirtatious behavior had been utterly ineffective, even making him see her as some kind of oversized loli—an affront of the highest order. No one at level one could resist her allure, with her 15 points of Charisma and her talent for charm.

So, she suppressed the impulse to simply shoot this clueless man and tried again in a sweet, coquettish tone, “Little brother, please don't be like that. I'm certainly not a boy.” Watching Lee Kai look up at her after her plea, she inwardly scoffed, “Still putting on an act? Trying to play hard to get? You're out of your depth trying to play games with me.” Yet, her face betrayed none of her scorn, as she continued to smile and said, “Little brother, could you consider the offer I just made?”

She had intended to keep up her act, but the next moment, Tang Yuqi's expression froze. Confronted with his gaze, which seemed to regard her as a simpleton, she found herself at a loss for words.

“Hahaha, who would have thought that Milk Candy, the darling of Night Glow who just joined, would get knocked out by a rookie so easily? That's just priceless!” Another girl with short hair emerged from the crowd. Her figure wasn't as voluptuous as Tang Yuqi's, but with just one glance, Lee Kai could tell she was packed with lean muscle and explosive power. If these two were to face off in the ring, Lee Kai was certain the latter would easily take down Milk Candy.

After tossing a mocking comment at Tang Yuqi, she turned her attention to the items on display. The attribute points didn't excite her much; after all, even though they boosted all attributes, no one on the platform was developing all attributes—it was just too time-consuming and risky. What caught her eye was the item that offered a 10% boost to physical recovery speed. Like the attribute points, this benefit was comprehensive.

This wasn't limited to just stamina recovery. Whether it was exhaustion, bleeding, or broken bones, as long as it pertained to physical recovery, this item was effective. It was practically a Divine Weapon for a human shield at the lower levels, since they often perished not from exhaustion but from shattered bones or the inability to withstand magical effects.

From the moment she saw it, she knew she had to have it. Whether for the team's human shield or for her own use as a warrior, it was incredibly potent. And there was even a chance to gain a skill.

"What would you like to trade for it?" She had lost the appetite for further verbal sparring with Tang Yuqi. Initially, she had just wanted to tease Tang Yuqi a bit, but now she realized she could gain much more than just a laugh at Tang Yuqi's expense.

"Hey, you shameless wretch, I saw it first! There's such a thing as first-come, first-served, right?" Tang Yuqi yelled indignantly at the woman who had arrived later.

"First-come, first-served? Since when is that a rule on the platform? Or is it that I, Wei Yu, who has traversed four worlds and is on the verge of reaching level two, am out of touch? Tang Yuqi, I never imagined you were still so naive. Has the luminous light made you into nothing more than a decorative vase? Can you do anything besides look pretty?"

"You..."

"What do you have to trade?" Lee Kai's voice cut through, stopping Tang Yuqi's retort.

Wei Yu turned to appraise Lee Kai, then, with a smile, said, "You must be a newbie who's just joined the platform, right? I was wondering why you hadn't claimed this little supreme grade item. You're quite astute, recognizing that this isn't of much use to someone who's still fighting to survive."

"I know you're looking to negotiate, but I'm not solely dependent on one buyer, am I?" Lee Kai said, glancing at Tang Yuqi standing beside him. Tang Yuqi felt a surge of anger when she realized Lee Kai intended to use her.

"You ignored me earlier, and you even cut me off when I was about to rebuke Wei Yu. Oh, now you think I'm useful, you want to exploit me? With my pride, there's no way I'd let you take advantage of me." So, Tang Yuqi was ready to tell Wei Yu that she no longer wanted the item and to not increase the price.

But before she could speak up, she heard Wei Yu say with a laugh, "It seems you're quite astute. Let's be friends then. Your item is a small supreme grade, worth maybe 50,000 War Coins at most. It's a tool for the weak, and if you survive until the advanced stage, you'll need to find a way to cleanse your bloodline. So, I'll give you two options. Judging by your weapon, you seem to be a gun user, right? I can offer you two skill cards. One is for a basic firearm, and from the skill's name, you can tell its purpose. The other is a special bullet that complements this skill—after activating the flame skill, the bullets in your firearm will automatically become flaming bullets for 10 minutes. These two skills aren't worth much, so I'll also throw in three pieces of equipment." Wei Yu then displayed the attributes of the three pieces of equipment to Lee Kai.

"All are useful to you, especially that necklace, which is a supreme grade worth 30,000 War Coins. What do you say to a trade?"

Lee Kai fixed his gaze on the necklace, clearly intrigued.

Hera's Protector

Category: Accessory · Necklace

Rarity: Rare

Durability: 35/35

Gear Requirements: None

Wind Breath (Active): Emits a strong gust of wind that repels all nearby objects.

GearScore: 50 (Achieving a full mark will unlock a special attribute)

Wind Guardian (Active): Forms an invisible wind shield around the wearer, lasting for 10 seconds.

Gear Remarks: The self-doubting Hera initially wanted to push everyone away. However, after witnessing the world's fearsome aspects, she desired to seclude herself in a room, cut off from everything else.

Valued at 4,000 War Coins, the gear before Lee Kai made his heart race. It was indeed a piece of life-saving equipment that, if utilized effectively in battle, could be a game-changer. Yet, after some thought, Lee Kai voiced his lingering question, "Why aren't you keeping it? This gear is of a supreme grade. You could easily use it at your current level without any issues."

"There's no need for you to understand that. Just let me know if you're willing to trade," Wei Yu said with a chuckle, looking at Lee Kai, who still hadn't made up his mind.

"What's the second option? I'm really curious about what other choices could rival this one. The terms you've mentioned could certainly help a newcomer solidify their Class trajectory on the platform. And about your suggestion to erase the bloodline—let's set that aside for now. At a lower level, survival is key, right? Are you confident you'll live long enough to acquire an advanced bloodline? In that case, you might as well head over to that stall and pick up the lowest vampire bloodline. Who knows, maybe you won't need to switch at all and can simply level up from there," Lee Kai said to Wei Yu with a smirk, as if to say he wasn't as naive as she might have thought.