Chapter 569 Red Dragon’s Fiery Scale

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Once we were back home, I had the time to take a relaxing bath and then we had dinner together. We were so exhausted that we didn't really spend much time doing anything else, quickly going to sleep. Even I who had a lot of things I wanted to do went to sleep at the end. This week's classes were short to give time to the students to go to the dungeons, so now that we were done with that, we'll have the rest of the week pretty much for free.

When I finally woke up, I stretched my body a bit and then decided to get to the work I wanted to do. I had not forgotten my small promise with Elizabeth, as she wanted to have a date with me. We talked about it yesterday and she agreed to leave it for today, as yesterday we were too tired to enjoy anything, and it was too late as well. Now the problem would be to distract Erika… it's not as if she disapproves of me and Elizabeth at all, but she's always sticking to me whenever we are free.

Well, her mother will be here as well, so maybe she'll give her mother enough attention to forget about me temporarily? I really hope so, even though it seems like it might be quite… hard. Nonetheless, I quickly jumped off the window, rushing in the middle of the morning, which was still dark, and into the dark alleys.

Using Shadow Sneak, I quickly reached a darker and unseen place of this city walking downstairs into a place within the sewers known as the "underworld" this city doesn't have much poverty at all, but the underworld still exists, a place where… let's say "questionable" associations gather and do trades of rare materials from dungeons and the like.

Some which would be several times more expensive elsewhere, or that would usually be taken away by the Dungeon Association if reported to have been sold in a legal store. I walked across the sewers, giving a few twists as I ignored the people wandering around there, and the few sleeping drunkards resting over the floor.

I quickly reached a dead end, as I walked into its dark corridors, finding someone there waiting for me. A person wearing black robes. It was tall and had long purple hair.

"Took you long enough." She said, it was a girl.

Of course, she was wearing a mask, and so did I, concealing my identity was crucial.

"Sorry about that, I was busy sleeping. I didn't knew you would come this early." I sighed.

"…I need the money. Those bastards of the dungeon association wouldn't pay as much with all the taxes they ask." She sighed. "Did you bring the money?"

"Yeah." I quickly brought out a sack of gold coins.

"Spatial magic…?" She wondered.

"Nothing of your incumbency. Now show me the Scale." I said, still holding the bag of coins in my hands.

She quickly took out a large, half a meter-sized item wrapped around black clothes, she slowly unwrapped it, showing me only the tip of the item. It glistened with a red and fiery color and seemed to be emanating a powerful aura of strength.

It was a single scale yet it was incredibly valuable, the dropped item from a boss monster that could only be found in the B Rank Dungeon of this city, the Red Dragon.

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[Red Dragon's Fiery Scale (Mythic Grade)]

A large, red-colored scale imbued with the element of fire and with a hint of dragon essence, extracted from the enormous body of the Red Dragon, a powerful Dragon-type Boss Monster that roams the last floor of the Dragon's Den Dungeon. It is rich in essence and can even reflect magic attacks, armor made with these scales is infallible for high ranked adventurers.

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"This was my only share from participating in the last raid… We were over thirty people, B Rank Dungeons are a pain to complete, but the loot's always good, even when divided between so many people." She sighed.

I didn't knew her name exactly, but she went by the name of "Poison", she was a graduated student of this city, who probably became an adventurer that raids the dungeons here after having come back from the war against the demons. Students that do their duty for three years can come back and work in the city afterwards. Many die in the war though, so those that come back are less than 50% of those that went into it.

Because of the dangers of the demon army, exploring dungeons is way easier and even relaxing to these people, who prefer to dedicate their lives to hunt monsters inside dungeons where their lives can be assured more than in the center of a chaotic war.

I can quite understand how they feel, though these people often end stagnated. Like Poison here, who has been stagnating in this place for so long she needs more money to send to her family.

"So?" She asked. "Do you want it or not, kid?"

"Sure thing." I quickly gave her the bag of coins at the same time as she threw me the scale into my hands.

"Hmmm~ I can't believe a kid like you has as much as ten million Telis saved, you're really something." She said while giggling.

"Well, business have been doing well lately." I smiled.

I've been making a ton of cash lately in my shop, selling the mass-produced potions I make through my skills, and even bombs too, which are often bought in bulks by adventurers. This plus some investments here and there helped me make some quick cash. Well, the Holy Spirits also sent me money too, so that's also thanks to their investment.

"I see… You're one weird kid." She said mysteriously. "For now, this is it. See ya."

She quickly ran away like the wind, as I stored the scale inside my Inventory.

The last item for Ruby's evolution has been acquired.

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