Chapter 413 Chapter413-Pinpointing Darklord's Location
Upon receiving the response, John quickly replied, [I'll buy all your Crystal Fruits. How shall we proceed with the transaction? Should we add each other as friends?]
John sought to add the seller as a friend, possibly to gather more information.
The seller responded promptly with their in-game ID and a proposal to meet.
[No problem, my ID is SkyStars. I'm logging into the game now and will wait for you in the trading area of Storm City. Be sure to show up, okay?]
After verifying that the ID 'SkyStars' existed in Godslayer, John re-entered his Game Chamber and logged back into the game.
The trading area of Storm City was a bustling hub of activity, with a constant stream of players and NPCs engaging in the exchange of items and goods.
Due to the game's official rules, all transactions conducted in this area were irreversible.
John's plan was likely twofold: complete the purchase of the Crystal Fruits and possibly use this opportunity to glean more information from SkyStars, who might have witnessed the events in Karen Port.
This could be a crucial step in determining Darklord's whereabouts and understanding his current capabilities.
SkyStars, eager to sell his Crystal Fruits and acquire the gold coins needed for a desired piece of equipment, arrived promptly at the trading area in Storm City.
"Are you SkyStars?" asked a player, who appeared rather inconspicuous, approaching him after a short wait.
"Yes, you're the anonymous user from the game forum who wanted to buy my Crystal Fruits, right? I've brought all the fruits with me. If everything looks good to you, we can proceed with the transaction right away," SkyStars replied, eager to finalize the deal.
He had previously experienced situations where potential buyers backed out midway through a transaction, and he hoped this wouldn't be another such case.
However, John didn't immediately agree to the transaction.
As he faced the trade request sent by SkyStars, he refrained from clicking 'confirm' right away.
His hesitation suggested that he might have other plans or questions for SkyStars, possibly related to the information he might possess about the events at Karen Port.
John, sensing SkyStars' disappointment and possibly his readiness to leave, quickly presented his condition for the transaction.
"I do intend to buy all your Crystal Fruits, but I have an additional condition: can you answer a few questions for me?"
SkyStars, initially a bit disheartened, fearing John might back out like others had done, responded with a hint of impatience, "If you don't want to buy the Crystal Fruits, then please don't waste my time. I really want to sell them, but my time is valuable too."
Realizing that SkyStars was likely feeling let down and might leave if he didn't show some sincerity, John promptly sent a trade request with his terms clearly outlined.
[Player John invites you to confirm the trade details.]
[Buyer John: The buyer agrees to purchase all the seller's Crystal Fruits at the price of 50 copper coins each. Additional condition one: The seller must answer three questions from the buyer.]
Upon seeing the unexpected trade request pop up, SkyStars's disappointment vanished.
Without hesitation, he clicked the confirmation button, eagerly accepting the terms.
This development opened the door for John to inquire about SkyStars' possible knowledge of the events at Karen Port, which could prove crucial in John's ongoing investigation and planning.
SkyStars, relieved by the straightforwardness of John's condition, said, "If you only wanted to ask me three questions, you should have said so earlier. I wouldn't have been so worried then. Alright, go ahead and ask your questions."
John, confident that SkyStars would not deceive him, especially since the game's rules now guaranteed responses to his questions, proceeded with his inquiry.
"My first question is: where exactly did you find these Crystal Fruits?"
"I found them near Karen Port, specifically in the Gloomy Forest about ten miles to the north of the port. But you probably won't be able to find that place since it's not marked on the main map," SkyStars answered without hesitation, believing that the buyer's question was reasonable.
SkyStars's response was valuable.
Apart from uninhabited coastlines, Crystal Fruits could also be found in plantations controlled by various NPC factions.
If these fruits were obtained from such a location, the buyer could potentially face hostility from the plantation owners.
His reply provided John with a specific area of interest related to the events around Karen Port.
SkyStars hesitated at John's second question.
The reason for his presence near Karen Port was due to Darklord summoning him to excavate a treasure from a cave.
However, he couldn't disclose this information to John because of the game system's rules protecting details related to agreements and transactions with other players, like the one he had with Darklord.
After a moment of consideration, SkyStars cautiously replied, "The reason I was near Karen Port was that I had accepted someone else's invitation to assist them there. But I can't tell you the specifics of what I was doing, as that information is protected by the game system."
John didn't press further on SkyStars' hesitant response.
He inferred that SkyStars was likely invited by Darklord and that Darklord must have been near Karen Port at the time, possibly aware of John's direct confrontation with the Mystery prophet there.
John decided not to dwell on SkyStars' reluctance to divulge more, instead moving on to his final question.
"What do you know about Darklord? What is he currently up to?"
SkyStars, who had been relieved that John didn't persist with the second question, grew uneasy upon hearing this third query.
Although not a high-level player himself, SkyStars was quite knowledgeable about the relationships among top players in the Godslayer game.
He was aware that Darklord, though a top player, often found his guild in conflict with others.
SkyStars found himself wrestling with a dilemma.
On one hand, he was bound by the trade agreement with John to answer three questions.
On the other hand, he was wary of the potential repercussions of sharing information about Darklord, especially if John was one of Darklord's adversaries.
The thought of possible retaliation from Darklord if John failed to defeat him was a real concern for SkyStars.
His hesitation grew as he contemplated the various outcomes.
These considerations delayed his response to John's third question, leaving him momentarily silent.
John, recognizing SkyStars' reluctance, reminded him of the terms of their agreement.
"You agreed to the trade, which means you're obliged to answer my three questions. If you remain silent and let the trade confirmation time pass, the system will consider it a breach of our agreement. Then, you'll not only have to give me all the Crystal Fruits but also compensate me for the breach."
John's reminder was a push for SkyStars to make a decision.
He knew SkyStars was hesitant, so he felt it necessary to help him make up his mind.
SkyStars finally responded, revealing the extent of his knowledge about Darklord:
"I don't know much about Darklord. What I do know is that he recently acquired a very powerful artifact, which likely significantly increased his strength compared to before. As for his current activities, I only have a little information. I once heard him mention that he was planning to go to the coast to search for something related to the Naga tribe. Exactly what he's looking for, I'm not sure. I've told you everything I know, and I hope my answer to your third question is satisfactory."
John was indeed satisfied with this response.
Essentially, he had wanted to ascertain Darklord's most probable current location.
The information about Darklord's recent acquisition of a powerful artifact and his interest in something related to the Naga tribe near the coast provided John with valuable insights into Darklord's potential whereabouts and intentions.
"Thank you, I am indeed very satisfied with your answers. Since you have 176 Crystal Fruits, and each is priced at 50 copper coins, that totals 88 silver coins. I'll just give you one gold coin instead," John said, generously rounding up the payment.
He promptly transferred a gold coin to SkyStars without hesitation.
John's decision to pay more than the agreed amount was partly due to the valuable information SkyStars had provided, which was incredibly useful for his purposes.
Additionally, John considered the possibility that he might need SkyStars' assistance again in the future.
SkyStars was visibly excited to receive the gold coin from John.
For an average player like him, earning a gold coin was a significant achievement and not an easy feat.
His enthusiasm was evident as he quickly proposed further services to John.
"Do you need more Crystal Fruits? If you do, I can continue to gather them for you!"
SkyStars' offer to collect more Crystal Fruits indicated his eagerness to maintain this profitable connection with John, seeing an opportunity for further transactions and perhaps sensing the benefits of being associated with a player who could afford such generous payments.
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